Talk the Talk If you're going to be a hit on ebay, you'd better get familiar with these terms.
About Me: An eBay page that you create for free to tell your customers about your merchandise and selling terms and conditions
Account Status: A running list of your Seller's Account activity and information, including fees, payments, refunds, fee credits and your current balance
Advanced search: A link to a search form on top of every eBay page. You can search for items by seller, item number, titles and descriptions, and you can search completed listings.
Announcements board: A special online bulletin board where eBay posts timely information and updates; regular eBay users should check this board daily.
Auction-style listing: A listing in which the seller offers one or more items and sets a starting price; buyers visit the listing and bid on the item throughout its duration; when the auction-style listing ends, the high bidder (or bidders) buys the item from the seller for the high bid.
Average Selling Price (ASP): The average price for all items sold during a particular time frame, usually calculated for a specific category or a single seller's sales
Best Offer: Allows sellers to receive price-based offers from buyers that may be accepted at the seller's discretion. The feature is available for listings in the Fixed-Price format, and once the price is accepted by the seller, the listing immediately closes. Each Best Offer is binding, just like a bid, and is good for 48 hours.
Bid: The amount a buyer is willing to spend on an item for sale in an auction-style listing. Commonly referred to as a maximum bid, you enter this in the "Bid Amount" box in the item listing. By doing so, you commit to buy an item if you are the winning bidder.
Bid cancellation: The cancellation of a bid by a buyer or a seller
Bid history: A link within the seller's item listing or "My eBay" page that shows all the bids placed on a seller's item in an auction-style listing. It will show User ID, bid amount and time of bid.
Bid increment: The amount by which a bid is increased each time the current bid is outdone
Bid retraction: The withdrawal of a bid; bid retractions are rarely allowed on eBay.
Bidder search: A search for all the items on which a particular user has placed bids
Bidding: The act of placing a bid on a listed item
Buy It Now (BIN): An option for buyers and sellers to purchase or sell at a fixed price. This type of listing offers buyers a chance to buy an item without bidding. It can be offered within an auction-style listing as an alternative to bidding, or by itself in a Fixed-Price listing.
Certified Solution Provider: Third-party software developers that have met specific criteria and compliance standards set by eBay
Chat rooms: A casual setting within the eBay Community where users can talk with each other online
Closed item listing: Notes a listing that has ended. If the item sold, there is important information (also found in My eBay) about payments, shipping and the buyer.
Commit to buy: A commitment by the buyer to pay for the item (should the buyer win it)
Community: eBay's term for its members; also a place on eBay where users can chat. Areas include discussion boards, groups, Answer Center and chat rooms.
Completed listings search: Information on items whose listings have ended in the past few weeks, accessible through the "Advanced Search" page
Confirmed address: An address reviewed by PayPal and found to be safe based on information related to the address. The most common confirmed address is a credit card holder's billing address matching one registered with PayPal.
Detailed Seller Ratings: In addition to leaving an overall feedback rating, buyers can also leave anonymous detailed seller ratings, or DSRs, in four areas using a one- to five-star scale. PowerSeller eligibility and discounts are dependent on these ratings.
Discussion boards: Part of the eBay Community section where users can discuss any eBay-related topic with other members via posting
Drop-shipping: A type of retailing where the eBay seller does not keep goods in stock but instead passes the customer's order and shipment details to the wholesaler, who then dispatches the goods to the customer directly. The retailer makes its profit on the difference between the wholesale and the retail price.
Dutch auction: When a seller has two or more identical items offered in the same auction-style listing; also known as a Multiple Item Auction
EBay affiliate program: Pays internet publishers, webmasters and other online partners to drive new users to eBay. Affiliates promote eBay with banners, text links and other innovative tools, such as the Editor Kit and the RSS Feed Generator. In return, they receive commissions.
EBay Motors: Section specially designed for selling cars, trucks, motorcycles, and parts and accessories
EBay Shipping Calculator: Inserts a calculator into a seller's listing that will tell buyers how much shipping will cost them, based on criteria set by the seller
EBay Stores: Venue to sell add-ons and deep inventory from a seller's own store
EBay Toolbar: A downloadable tool for your web browser so you can keep track of your items at a glance and protect your account
Education Specialist Program: Allows qualified eBay users to teach others how to sell on eBay using eBay University materials
Featured listing: A marketing service provided by eBay that gives listings extra exposure in the "Featured" sections at the top of listings pages
Feedback: For each transaction, buyers are allowed to rate sellers with positive, negative or neutral feedback and a short comment. Sellers are allowed to leave positive feedback for buyers. Feedback ratings can be viewed by other members to check on the reputation of a potential trading partner.
Feedback forum: Place where you leave feedback or check a user's feedback
Final Value Fee (FVF): Percentage of an item's selling price that is paid to eBay
Final Value Fee Credit: Under certain circumstances, sellers may request a Final Value Fee Credit. For example, sellers can request full credit if a buyer backed out and did not pay for an item.
Fixed price: A set price for selling one or more items instantly
Flat shipping rate: A flat rate sellers charge for an item no matter where the buyer lives (as opposed to calculating shipping costs). By providing a flat shipping rate, sellers may offer discounts on shipping when multiple items are purchased.
Formats: eBay offers a variety of selling formats, such as auction-style and Fixed-Price, to help sellers have the most successful listings possible.
Gallery picture: A thumbnail picture of an item that will appear next to the item in the search results
Gift icon: Icon added during the listing process to let buyers know the item would make a great gift. Sellers using this icon should be willing to offer one of the following: gift-wrapping/card, express shipping or shipping to the gift recipient. The cost to have the gift icon next to your listing is 25 cents.
Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV): eBay's term for total sales for active listings or of all the items sold
ID Verify: Establishes proof of identity, helping others trust you as a seller or buyer. ID Verified users can buy with eBay's Buy It Now feature (where offered), bid above $15,000, and sell in Fixed-Price format.
Immediate payments: Sellers who set a Buy It Now price for their item can require the buyer to pay immediately using PayPal. Sellers might use this feature if they're selling a time-sensitive item (for example, concert tickets).
Insertion fee: The nonrefundable fee charged by eBay to post a listing
Internet marketing: Any online advertising, such as banner ads, paid search and e-mail
Item listing: Information about a seller's item posted on eBay
Item specifics: Item Specifics (such as shoe size and color) let sellers add standardized details that help make the listing easy to find. This gives buyers a fast and easy way to search for the item using Product Finder and makes the basic facts about the item clear and accessible in the listing.
Learning center: A collection of educational tours and tutorials that teach people how to use eBay
Matching categories: A way to narrow search results by choosing a category that matches the item a person is looking for (for example, "books")
Maximum bid: The maximum amount a buyer is willing to bid and pay for an item in a specific auction-style listing
Minimum bid: The lowest amount that can be entered as a bid for a specific auction-style listing
Mint: A subjective term used to describe an item in perfect condition
Multiple item auction: See Dutch Auction.
My eBay: A personalized page that shows all of a person's activity on eBay, including purchases and sales. It is free; every person registered on eBay has this page.
Natural search: There are two main search classifications: natural search and paid search. While paid search refers to all pay-per-click advertising (such as Google AdWords and Overture), natural search refers to all unpaid search results based on relevance.
Online auction: Lets bidders compete for your item
Online Dispute Resolution (ODR): Through third-party provider SquareTrade, users with disputes can request the services of a professional mediator, who can assist users in finding a mutually acceptable resolution.
Opening value: Another term for a starting price
Outbid: A bidder is outbid when another bidder has placed a higher maximum bid.
Paid search: Paying a search engine for a position in search results. Sellers may buy keywords on search engines, such as Google, and their website will appear in the search results.
PayPal: An online payment service that allows sellers to accept credit card and bank account payments from buyers
PayPal Buyer Credit: A funding-source option for U.S. buyers. This funding option may be used to send money to any PayPal Business or Premier Account.
PayPal Buyer Protection: Provides free coverage up to $2,000 when a buyer uses PayPal to pay for a qualified listing on eBay
PayPal Seller Protection Policy: Protects sellers against fraudulent buyers by providing chargeback protection at no additional cost when sellers follow the Seller Protection Policy guidelines. PayPal also offers Expanded Seller Protection to PowerSellers, giving them unlimited protection for eligible transactions in any of PayPal's 190 markets worldwide.
PowerSeller: eBay top sellers who sustain a high volume of monthly sales and a high level of total feedback, with 98 percent or better positive, and minimum average Detailed Seller Ratings from other eBay users; starts with Bronze and goes up to Titanium for the highest level of sales.
Private listing: A type of eBay listing where the bidders' User IDs are not disclosed on the listing page
Prohibited items: Items not allowed to be sold on eBay. Sellers are responsible for checking if their item is allowed on eBay by reviewing Rules & Policies in the "Help Topics" section of Help.
Proxy bidding: A feature that allows you to enter the maximum amount you're willing to pay for an item; the eBay system automatically places bids on your behalf, increasing your bid as necessary by standard increments to maintain your high-bid position.
Registration: Needed to buy and sell on eBay. Users provide basic contact information, which is kept private.
Reseller marketplace: An eBay marketplace for PowerSellers to acquire inventory for resale
Reserve price: A hidden minimum amount the seller is willing to accept for a listed item
Restricted items: Items that have restrictions for being sold on eBay but are not prohibited. Sellers are responsible for checking if their item is allowed on eBay by going to Rules & Policies in the "Help Topics" section of Help.
Sales reports: Help sellers track key performance metrics so they can determine areas of opportunity and areas needing improvement.
Search optimization: Makes sure a seller's eBay Store has appropriate keywords in the description and the individual listings have appropriate keywords in their titles and descriptions so that the Store or the items will appear in the results when someone does an internet search using one of the keywords. (See Natural Search.)
Second Chance Offer: A seller's Second Chance Offer to a bidder other than the listing's winner, which a seller can offer when the winning bidder in an auction-style listing fails to pay for the item or the seller has a duplicate item for sale but hasn't chosen to run a Multiple Item Auction
Security & Resolution Center: A page on eBay where users learn about trading safely. It's also the place to go when you have an issue you need to resolve.
Seller's Account: The account users are given when they register on eBay as a seller
Seller Dashboard: Found in My eBay, this module provides sellers with details such as their 30-day rolling average DSR score and PowerSeller discount eligibility.
Selling Manager and Selling Man-ager Pro: Tools that allow sellers to perform all their listing and sales-related activities from one location in My eBay
Sell Hub: The page shown when you click on the "Sell" link at the top of any eBay page. Contains a host of selling information, such as how to put an item up for sale and tools to make the listing process easier.
Shill bidding: The practice of deliberately placing bids to artificially raise the price in an auction-style listing. Shill bidding is not allowed on eBay and is illegal in many jurisdictions.
Shipping center: A page on eBay with information to make shipping eBay items easier. Sellers can pay shipping online, print labels, order free boxes and schedule package pickups.
Site map: An organized list noting where users can find information on eBay, accessed by a link at the top of any eBay page
Sniping: Placing a bid in the closing minutes or seconds of a listing
Solutions Directory: Features eBay and third-party software and services designed to improve productivity on eBay. Each software application listed in the Solutions Directory is technically compliant with eBay.
Spam: Unsolicited commercial e-mail
Spoof e-mail: A suspicious-looking e-mail that appears to be from eBay or PayPal asking you for personal or financial information. Do not respond, and report these to either spoof@ebay.comor spoof@paypal.com.
Starting price: The price at which bidding on an item begins; also, the lowest price a seller is willing to accept unless they have specified a reserve price
Third-party provider: Usually software or service providers that develop programs to help eBay sellers be more productive Trading Assistant: Experienced eBay sellers who sell items on eBay for others for a fee
Turbo Lister: A free listing tool from eBay that helps you list many items at a time
Unpaid item: When a buyer or winning bidder commits to buying but does not go through with payment. After you report the Unpaid Item, you can relist it or try making a second chance offer.
User ID: A user's identity on eBay
Verified Rights Owner (VERO) Program: Lets owners of intellectual property rights request the removal of listings on eBay that offer items or contain materials that infringe on their rights. This helps protect members of the eBay community from purchasing items that may be counterfeit or otherwise unauthorized.
Want It Now: A format on eBay enabling buyers to let sellers know what they are looking for and allowing sellers to respond to buyers with eBay listings
