Question For Ebayers

If a seller were to throw in random bonus stamps with your purchase would you rather know before hand that the auction comes with a bonus or would you rather be surprised? Also if you knew before hand how would that affect your bidding if any?

If I get them unannounced, it is a surprise, if advertised as containing additional 'freebies' I get a (bit more) suspicious. It is either a gift or it isn't.

It would be totally meant as bonus extras...so it would have no influence whatsoever on determining the opening bid or fixed price of whatever stamp or stamps that were being auctioned.

Love getting extras that weren't mentioned in the listing.

I usually send a few extra things when I sell. I usually sell baseball cards. It's always gone over well

I think the idea of including a surprise is a better way to go.

If you state in your auction-listting that you will always include the extra thing then you will create an expectation in buyers' minds.

Every buyer is different so some will expect nothing but some others will expect the world.

A surprise is good because you are then exceeding the expectations of all buyers (well, almost). You win more than you lose.

You create a good feeling for your service out of nothing really.

Puzzler has the right solution.

If you pour gravy on your dog's breakfast, pretty soon he EXPECTS gravy, and eventually he BARKS for it.

I agree it's better as a surprise. Besides, I don't eat gravy anymore.

I always throw in some lanyap with a purchase. Just a nice way to say thanks. And how else am I going to clean out all of the clutter.

What I'd like is a tick box on the paying-in form which says No Freebies Thank You. I'm a specialist collector. The chance of my being sent anything that is of any use to me is infinitesimally small. At best I might be able to sell it on for a few pence - which is not worth my time and effort. I really don't want to be a repository for someone else's unwanteds.

And yes, you're right. I don't like Christmas either.

I would not mention the bonus.

Say nothing about bonus stamps in the listing.
A few extra stamps sent as a bonus is a nice gesture and probably help with repeat customers and good feedback.
But if your selling higher value items and give junk as a bonus its a bit of a slap on the face.
Sometimes I will throw in a few extra stamps but try to include something on the same lines as the item they won

--lagniappe-- "Lanyap" is a computer network of little dogs barking for gravy.

I have an ebay seller that I bid with every week. He always adds a bonus and never mentions it in his listing. I have bought from him for a couple years now and he has learned what I collect and makes the bonus relative to that. I think sometimes the bonus is better than the lot I bid on. He is also the type of seller that ALWAYS adds a quick note and addresses it to by name. This makes a difference. This is a hobby to me and I have met many fiends through it. I am much more likely to bid on his auctions due to his outstanding, personalized service. He has influenced how I handle my listings. I used to attach a little copy of a typed Thank You note, now I hand write a personalized note.

Suprise me.
If you mention it, I look at it as a sales gimmick and get turned off.

Thank you for the feedback.. I was thinking a suprise would be better also . Mike33 I just sold my first baseball card way undervalue I believe but I still threw in a couple more cards of the same person and they haven't even left a feedback yet which bums me, I came across a few boxes of rookie and graded cards I was going to try my luck at selling.

Ah, so your freebies are not a gift; they are a lever on your buyer, a way of persuading them to give you more than they want to give. And when they don't come across you feel hurt and angry.

Sellers have the RIGHT to expect two things only from buyers:
a) Payment within the terms laid down
b) IF any feedback is given, it should be fair.

What goes on in ebay is Commerce. Of course many many buyers will respond in a much more friendly way. But you can't emotionally beat up those who say: You've had your money; that's all you get; I don't go the whole way - I'm not that kind of buyer.