PowerSeller Benefits
There are reasons to become a PowerSeller, beyond the obvious
one of making lots of money. eBay offers PowerSellers better support, more
information, and a few other decent perks. In fact, each level in the
PowerSeller program comes with its own collection of rewardsthe bigger you are,
the more you get.
Priority Customer Support
Chief among the benefits of PowerSeller status is priority
customer support, as detailed in Table
25.2. Having the extra handholding from eBay is greatespecially the ability
to talk with an actual live eBay employee, which is darned near impossible for
us regular sellers to do.
Table 25.2. PowerSeller Priority Customer
Support
|
Level |
Fast 24/7 Email Support |
Toll-Free Phone Support |
Dedicated Account Manager |
|
Bronze |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Silver |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Gold |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Platinum |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Titanium |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Other Official Benefits
Other benefits
offered to members of the PowerSeller program include
-
Free eBay Keyword banner adsup to $200 per quarter
-
Health insurance for PowerSellers and their employees
-
Access to the PowerSeller discussion board
-
Monthly PowerUp! email
newsletterand quarterly printed newsletters
-
Invitations and VIP admission to special eBay events, including
the yearly eBay Live convention
-
Ability to purchase unique PowerSeller logo merchandise
-
Ability to display the PowerSeller logo in all item listings
and About Me pages
Note
In addition to eBay's PowerSeller discussion board, check out
The Powerseller Report (www.tprweb.com), an independent site that caters to eBay's top
sellers. PowerSellers can also join the Professional eBay Sellers Alliance (www.gopesa.org), a
nonprofit trade organization for eBay's highest-volume sellers.
Psychological Benefits
As you can see, the concrete benefits that accrue from
PowerSeller status are less than awe-inspiring. (Fast responses to your
emailsboy, is that impressive or what?) No, the real benefits of being a
PowerSeller are psychological.
Some buyers see a listing that features the PowerSeller logo
and assume that they're dealing with a trustworthy and presumably savvy seller.
If, to potential buyers, the PowerSeller logo inspires a greater degree of
confidence, then membership in the program is beneficial. On the other hand,
some users view the PowerSeller logo as the sign of a big business. If these
users prefer dealing with individuals, displaying the PowerSeller logo can
actually be detrimental.
Bottom line, being a PowerSeller is probably a wash. If you
qualify, great. If not, no big dealalthough a lot of users really like the
status that goes with the qualification. It's a badge of honor that signifies
how successful you are on eBay.
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