Member Spotlight - eBay India

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User id: prem1010in

I have a hearing disability, which would have been a problem in a normal job. But on eBay, I can earn an income and make friends from across the globe," smiles Prem Cheekoth (prem1010in). Prem was an employee with the State Bank Group in India for nearly 28 years before taking voluntary retirement in 2001.

"After retirement, I decided to pursue my hobby of stamp collection and gradually expanded to the sale of philatelic stamps through Internet sites."

Reaching out to the world
Using eBay and the Internet to connect with other stamp enthusiasts, Prem found a growing base of buyers interested in his stamp collection. "eBay gave me a platform to express my thoughts and ideas. Almost all my stamp listings contain detailed write-ups that I put together after a lot of research and study on the stamps. What I particularly enjoy about this work is not only the income, but the thrill and excitement it gives me." Prem now regularly deals with buyers located in different parts of the globe.

He first began his online career by listing stamps on the Bazee site, and after its transformation into eBay, he became an active seller from April 2004.

On his favourites
When asked about his favourite buyer or seller, he says, It is tough to choose from my buyers, and each experience is unique in itself," he says. But he does have special mention for two of his buyers. "From India, I especially recall my repeat customers Ramesh Sachidanandam from Chennai and Dr. Sanjay Pavate from Dharwad. These buyers, as well as many others, are honest and knowledgeable and appreciative of my unique stamp listings."

Words of advice
As a tip to other sellers, Prem advises, "Value your customer more than the money. Provide accurate and attractive descriptions to help the buyer. And most importantly, always be an honest seller, complete your sales promptly and efficiently and give positive feedback to the buyer as soon as you complete the sale."

Prem also vouches for the Feedback system, by saying, "Feedback lets you check the reputation of a buyer or seller through the comments given by others. A good feedback profile is just as effective in making sales as good promotions or prices."

eBay tools are cool!
When asked about his favourite eBay tools, he replies, "The Turbo Lister is especially useful for sellers like me who normally have to list large number of items. And with PaisaPay, transactions can be completed immediately allowing me to ship the item instantly. Almost 95% of my buyers make use of online payment facility, either through PaisaPay or Paypal."

On the Community
Though he admits that he doesn’t contribute too frequently on the Community boards, he feels that the boards help bring together buyers and sellers from all over. As he puts it, "Buying and selling brings together people, but it is the free exchange of views and information on the boards that really shortens geographical barriers."


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