As a buyer you need to know details about the transaction such as shipping, payment method etc. You need to feel confident that the seller is genuine and that the transaction will go smoothly. You need to feel safe before you place that bid.

As a seller you need convince your potential bidders that you will act in a professional manner and that you know what you are doing. You need to give as much relevant information as possible to encourage bidders to stay on your listing and place that all important bid.

Your seller terms and conditions document can be included with your item description or you can link to a page you have already prepared. Either method works well but if you are using a separate page you should include the main points in your item description as people often don’t bother to click on a link and you may end up having to answer lots of routine questions.

Shipping method, payment details, whether insurance is included or can be added, how soon you will dispatch and returns policy are just some of the types of information necessary to complete a transaction. The more information you provide the less time you will have to spend answering queries.

Remember that terms and conditions are meant to help your potential bidders not put them off! Keep your tone friendly and positive. Would you be happy buying form someone with the following policies?

We do not include insurance
We do not ship until payment has cleared
We do not accept returns unless you can prove that we made an error in our listing

A better way to state the same policies might be..

Insurance is not included but can easily be arranged if required. Please email for details.
Items will be sent as soon as we receive cleared payment
If you have a problem with your item please contact us as soon as possible so that we can resolve the problem

Terms and conditions are designed to provide both buyer and seller with the confidence to proceed with the transaction and the safety net of knowing what to expect before the transaction begins.


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