Advanced eBay Tips: The Turbo Lister

Selling on eBay isn't always easy, especially if you want to sell a few items or more. The task can be fiddly and time-consuming one: completing all the necessary details, adding pictures, creating an attention-grabbing and search-friendly heading all require careful consideration. Listing items can be a bit of a pain, particularly if you are a business under time constraints.

If only there was a way to load hundreds of items with a single click, or a way to include photos and descriptions without even needing to be online. Wouldn't it be great if eBay could make it easier to list things? Well... yes, you guessed it. Introducing the Turbo Lister! 

What is it?

The Turbo Lister is a feature which was launched specifically to make selling on the online auction site far less convoluted, to be used instead of the basic 'Sell Your Item' form. Described by eBay itself as 'the next generation listing tool', the free download has been designed to help even the least tech-savvy sellers to produce listings which look professional and can be edited in bulk.  

Essentially, the tool offers further convenience for businesses, allowing them to list a greater amount of items in one go. It also enables easier management of lists, so sellers don't need to worry about missing any communications or purchases. There are other downloads available that promise to help sellers, but this one has been launched by eBay itself. 

What features does it bring?

Its primary function is bulk listing and changes. Sellers can create information, edit descriptions and duplicate listings, and then upload them at once. They can also remove any fields in the listing form that they don't use - rather than leave blanks and enjoy greater control over their lists via a Listing Activity view feature. Sellers can create multiple profiles, too.

One of the greatest advantages of using Turbo Lister is that it is an offline tool. That means sellers can add, edit, delete and save listings at any time; uploading them right away or at a later point. This is perfect for those that have limited broadband packages.  

Among the many other features it offers, Turbo Lister provides listing templates, create fixed pricings for eBay stores and help sellers become more organised via the scheduling tool.

Who can use it?

Anyone who wants to sell on eBay can use the Turbo Lister, though it's probably most applicable to those that sell a lot of items and frequently - hence it's perfect for businesses.

There are a couple of provisos for use, though. Any brand new private sellers will need to allow 90 days to elapse between their first sale and actually using Turbo Lister. They also need to receive a minimum of 10 positive feedback ratings as a seller', according to eBay's Help page.

To use the scheduling feature, sellers need to register on the site - naturally - and load their credit card details. However, the Turbo Lister - as mentioned above - is free to use.

What about security?

Don't worry, eBay has got it covered. After downloading the software, sellers will need to complete a new sign-in process known as 'authentication and authorisation'. They will need to verify their username and password before being given access management to functions. This 'added layer of security' helps to combat fraudulent activity, according to eBay.

Once you have gone through the authorisation process, sellers are given the option to add password protection to their Turbo Lister files - available via the 'Advanced Options' page. 

How can I get it?

The tool is available on eBay to download, posted within the Seller Tools section. As with any download, you'll need to make sure that your PC meets some basic requirements to ensure correct installation. For example, it requires Windows (2000, XP, Vista, 7 or 8) and a minimum of 250MB of free space - even better if you have a spare 500 MB. In addition, eBay says that users will need at least 128 MB of RAM (256 MB is recommended).

It is not yet supported by Apple Inc. products, but this is an issue that eBay is 'constantly evaluating'.

What's the catch?

It's free and it's more convenient, what possible catch could there be? Refreshingly, there doesn't seem to be one at all. Don't forget, the more listings a seller posts, the more commission that eBay collects, so it's not in the site's interest to create something that doesn't do what it says on the tin, as it were.

Most reports are positive, although Turbo Lister has a tendency to be 'buggy' on occasion. Blogger, Andrew Minalto says that the system can freeze every now and then, requiring a 5-10 second delay. However, subsequent updates seem to fix these bugs - so sellers are advised to make sure they use the latest version at all times. 

Top tips

Turbo Lister definitely helps expedite the listings process, that's not up for discussion. That said, there are a few things sellers can do to make using the tool even more advantageous. Minalto suggests gathering your list information in one place before starting - having link URLs, product descriptions and returns information, etc., to hand will make your life a lot easier.

He also reminds sellers that they should only use Notepad if they are going to copy information in - not Word or Excel. This is to preserve the HTML code which exists in the listings form. Notepad removes formatting, so copy your text into this window and then copy out. 

Ultimately, Turbo Lister is an efficient, convenient tool which enables businesses to list, sell and post their items quickly and without too much fuss. If you are serious about launching your business on eBay, then you probably can't afford not to use it.