Pleae Help - Really Need A More Definitive Answer - Thanks!

[TFCNMovieServices]

I asked this question as part of another question last week and I think what happed is most of the answers I got confused it with my first question so I really didn't get a definitive answer on how to do this. I made the mistake of mixing the following question with printing labels on PayPal for eCrater purchases and everyone thought I was a first time seller and the answers I received were a mute point since we (our corporation) has been selling multi-media products on-line for years - so we know how PayPal works - just wanted to be sure shipping labels can be printed using PayPal when someone makes a purchase on eCrater -- so we called PayPal and they can in fact be printed on PayPal for eCrater purchases. (I put this up here just in case someone else want's to know the answer about shipping labels, eCrater and PayPal).

Now to the main question..........

Out of the more than 10,000 DVDs we have in our inventory, we have approximately 75 brand new DVDs that have lost their shrink wrap. They have never been played. The cases were opened (by us) to make 100% certain the disc was in brand new condition. Which they are.

We are also in the process a taking additional photos of the inside of the case showing the disc and the back of the case so the buyer knows exactly what they will be receiving and we're going to sell these at a very low price because they have no shrink wrap even though they are brand new DVDs.*

*When I refer to these as brand new, I'm not talking about recent releases. I'm specifically referring to DVDs that were released a few years ago, some six to eight months ago others years ago and some that are out of print and no longer available.

eCrater only has two options for listing products: New or Used. So, unlike EBAY (where we've been selling since 2006 and still maintain a store over there) you can select "Like New" but not here on eCrater since that option doesn't exist.

To get around this, I created a category called "New Not Shrink Wrapped (See FAQ's For Details)"

In as much as not every customer is going to click on our FAQs (since most buyers would rather see it in the description of the item and not have to go through a litany of FAQs to find out about these particular DVDs) and because after reading through all of eCraters listing policies, can I put either on the Title Line of the Item or at the Top or Bottom of the description NEW NO SHRINK WRAP - FULLY GUARANTEED"

We do fully guarantee our DVDs that we sell with a money back written guarantee that we include inside the DVD case for all open stock as well as our company owned, manufactured and distributed products (for which we hold the copyrights). Please don't confuse these two statements: The DVDs that are New No Shrink Wrap are Factory Originals from the Major Studios. Our exclusive line of products (which we manufacture) is separate and apart from the Studio Factory Originals and we do have a specific FAQ regarding our company owned product line.

What do you do as sellers to get around this issue if you have a brand new item that has never been used but is out of its original packaging or shrink wrap?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions or help you can offer. If no one really knows the answer to this question, could you please provide a link so that I can write to eCrater and perhaps get an answer from a 'higher authority'.

PS> Can we put our phone number on the top of our Stores Home Page?

[SammysSupplies]

Here is the link to the eCrater home page, down in the right hand corner is the contact link.. Because it does refer to that item, I don't see a problem with putting, NEW NO SHRINK WRAP - FULLY GUARANTEED in every listing that needs it.

You can put your phone number where you wish on your homepage. Or are you thinking about putting it where your store name is?

[TFCNMovieServices]

SammysSupplies wrote:

Here is the link to the eCrater home page, down in the right hand corner is the contact link.. Because it does refer to that item, I don't see a problem with putting, NEW NO SHRINK WRAP - FULLY GUARANTEED in every listing that needs it. You can put your phone number where you wish on your homepage. Or are you thinking about putting it where your store name is?

We're thinking about putting our phone number on the homepage. Not where the store name is.

Thanks for your reply.

[MaggietheCatsMeows]

If the New Not Shrink Wrap applies to the item you are selling then it is pertinent info for that item and should be included. Whether you put it in the title or description is your call. Personally I would only include it in the title if you had space within your 100 characters without having to exclude more vital information. No one will do a search for a not shrink wrapped DVD. They are looking for title, stars, year, director, etc.

Where you would have a problem is if you put a blanket paragraph in all your descriptions about the various conditions of your items.

What you can't put in your title is FREE SHIPPING or anything about shipping. Google will reject it.

[MoonwishesStore]

I sell sewing patterns, many older ones that have never been used. I had to struggle with the same question myself although I think it is common with anyone selling old unused stock. In my case as a sewer myself, I would skip over any listing for a 'used' sewing pattern which many sellers use for their unused patterns just because it is old or the envelope is ratty. Except for a pattern collector, someone that wants to use the pattern is concerned with one major thing--Has the pattern been used/cut? And then are the instructions intact and can you read the back of the envelope for fabric measurements? If my patterns are uncut, unused I sell them as new on ecrater. I also describe any flaws on the envelope. Generally if a pattern has been cut, other than something really rare, I don't sell cut patterns. Too much hassle for me to do all the checking necessary to be sure it is complete. Many of my patterns are brand new, and other than at the factory never touched by any hands than mine. They can also wait several years to be sold, so what do I do after a certain point, switch the listing to used now that the pattern is older? NO. They just are listed as new and stay that way. I think your DVD thing is the same way and if you are selling them cheap, I wouldn't spend a lot of valuable time photographing the inside to prove that there are no scratches, etc. I'd just list them with the shrink wrap off and state that they are new, no scratches, etc. and let it go at that.

The funny thing is, even though my things are listed as new in the upper right hand of the listing, and I state in my description that it is new, uncut, etc. I still fairly frequently get questions asking if the pattern is new or cut. I think so many buyers have been burned with buying something that was listed as new, but was really cut/used makes them rather leery and skittish about purchasing unless they have something to back them up that it really is new.

[TFCNMovieServices]

MaggietheCatsMeows wrote:

Where you would have a problem is if you put a blanket paragraph in all your descriptions about the various conditions of your items. What you can't put in your title is FREE SHIPPING or anything about shipping. Google will reject it.

We do use the Google Attributes (but they are invisible to the buyer) we have them bracketed: example [!upc:000000000!] additionally once we open the store in the next couple of weeks (after we've listed at least 250 items in there) we are going to do a blast email to our 4000+ customers we've accumulated over the years informing them of this additional store location.

Unlike our EBAY store where we can use hyperlinks to a ton of info on our store pages we would not put a 'blanket paragraph' here on eCrater about the various conditions. What we are thinking of doing is on our stores home page in the top main info section provided, is to put a short notation to please refer to our FAQs by clicking on the link at the upper right of this page (or something like that) we've not yet come to a concise conclusion on how we would word that to keep it short and to the point.

Thank you very much for your help. It is most appreciated.

[MoonwishesStore]

[theartsandlettersofmaggiethecat]

What you write in your home page, terms, about and FAQs is totally up to you. As long as it isn't pertaining to illegal activities, no one cares. The only thing Google and eCRATER care about is what is in the titles and descriptions.