Thought I Heard It All.....but,

Jeff, I'm not sure if the description was altered on the #120, but I read this in red letters on a black field:
USED - as shown
sm tear @ right (tried to photo it well to see)

Whether that is easy to see or not is another matter, but it looks to me like he is addressing the problem up front.

Kevin - you're no dummy, don't say it. But there might be a tendency to rely too much on what a picture communicates. More than a 1000 words is nice, but who controls WHICH words. I too started by looking at your ebay listing before reading this thread. In fairness to you I was able to see that you were only offering the bottom right single from the block. But putting it together that the cat value and the offer price OUGHT to be a guide requires a bit more experience than some buyers on ebay apparently have. I would not have trusted it. Some sellers pound it home, "Note: you are only buying a single stamp." Or in the title, "Single from block of...." A few well positioned words and you're off the hook. Well, not exactly - well positioned or not there will always be some who don't get it and will want the return. I lament that the seller is so often put in such a position, but your "No questions" acceptance of a return is the best policy for keeping the peace, and I applaud you that you did that.

Please note....in the description field.....

The 1c Franklin Imperf....
After checking the stam....
YES, it has a tear. I missed that.
It was purchased from a well know Auction firm....
Alan Blair Auctions....Auction #146, Lot#799
I did not even inspect this item since purchase.
It is still in the auction page....
No excuses....I missed it.
Apologies.
I will modify the auction @ ebay....dont want to remove the item
where it looks like Im trying to hide something from other readers.

I think that ebay supports replying on pictures, as opposed to verbal, descriptions. ebay favors the buyer* and will support them when there is a dispute over subjective verbiage in a listing. This tends to make sellers rely more on pictures and tread carefully when writing descriptions. Some sellers refuse to write any description other then the listing title.

My general rule is that for larger lots and collections images will suffice with minimum verbiage. But for single, higher value specimens the description becomes a bit more important. I think that you can still get by without much of a verbal description for single stamps but ideally additional images (such as those backlit with a strong LED lamp) are utilized so buyers can best understand the soundness and this will result in the highest bids.
don



*EBay considers the 'buyer' the customer even through it is the 'seller' who is paying the actual fees. Obviously this angers sellers and they are very often quite vocal in their complaints when ebay molds their policies and procedures in this context. Right or wrong, no one can argue that ebay far exceeds any other online auction site and has made a substantial impact on not only on our hobby but also on how online business is done.

I work as a legal assistant and constantly send out documents with very specific instructions contained in e-mails or cover letters. I've come to the conclusion that 90% of our clients do not bother actually reading. Whether it's a sign of the times or not, it seems people just skim everything instead of taking a little extra time to actually read.

So I have adapted. I sometimes employ bold print (and, if I really think we need to hit them over the head, underlining) in the instructions. When sending a draft, I've made the "DRAFT" stamp or watermark very large. When sending execution copies, I use "sign here" flags everywhere - sometimes color coded. I grumble about having to do it, but taking the extra time beforehand saves me time later. More importantly, it saves the client time, which usually means a happier client.

Just a heads up as an ebay mobile app user, ebay tends to compress and reduce the images on the mobile app, to the point that flaws are sometimes next to impossible to see, so I rely heavily on a proper description of the stamp including used/mint, hinge status, gum status and any other flaws, and it should be the first thing written in the description. There should also always be a photo of the back.

While this is of course not true in some cases, I and I am sure many other people out there will get a sense that if a buyer does not show the front and back in large clear photos and/or pushes the faults or the description further down the listing and tries to blend it in with the legal/shipping/terms jargon, you're trying to hide something.

This is why I tend to be very loyal to buyers that consistently prove they have good quality specimens and are completely honest in their listings. I will always go to these sources first before I go hunting elsewhere.

Dan

Just a note, if you don't write a complete description of your item not only are you setting yourself up for more frequent returns and chargebacks, but you might be missing out on keywords in your description that will allow your item to be seen more often in searches. Less description = less views.

Good point Battle.
In my tests ebay indexes and uses words in the description just as much as they do those in the title/subtitle. I wish those sellers who put their proprietary reference numbers in the title would stop and just add them in the description instead. There isn't any value in cluttering up the titles.
don

I hide my reference numbers in my photos. :)