The way you use your Auction Manager remains the same with the added ability to better navigate between the various necessary areas and links.

New Features:

The newest feature added was a brand new Message Center. In effect, instant messaging. As mail providers become more aggressive in their efforts to combat spam and internet users switch to mail monitoring programs, an alarming trend of missed emails is happening at Ebanned. Missed emails result in deadbeat bidders and lost sales. You can now use your Message Center to leave an "instant message" for your buyers or sellers if they fail to respond to emails.

The Message center is very basic with little in the way of "bells and whistles". It is simply another way for you to communicate with your buyers or sellers should all other efforts fail. You should also know that the Message center is very much in Beta testing and it could be removed if it proves unstable.

Some of the Message Center features:

• Send messages to any registered member
• Block members from sending you messages
• Maintain a contact list

The Message Center should NOT be used as a replacement for email contact as members will ONLY receive messages when they visit the message center.

We would also like to jot a few reminders about email contact:

• NEVER reply to your bid or end of auction notices. If you reply to the notice with your terms to close the sale, the bidder does not get the email. It goes into a dead file to be lost forever. This practice leads to lost sales and deadbeat bidders. Always use the email address in the notice to contact your bidder. Roughly 25% of lost sales and deadbeat bidders occur because the seller replies to the end of auction notice and not to the bidder.
   
• Be prompt in your contact with your winner. Nothing leads to a deadbeat bidder and lost sales faster than a seller that waits for contact from the bidder. Bidders want to hear from you as fast as possible.
   
•  Do not use the Payment Reminder function to send an invoice. Payment Reminders should be sent if no payment or contact has been initiated after 5-10 days. A payment reminder from a seller who has never even sent closing details to the winning bidder leads to lost sales and angry bidders.

Favorite Sellers

You asked, we finally delivered. The Featured Seller section has been totally updated to not only list your favorite sellers, but list any current items they have. Is than not totally cool??!! You'll want to note that if you have a lot of favorite sellers, it may take a few moments for the list to load. Now you'll spend less time looking to see who has new and exciting listings and more time visiting those that have what you are looking for. Check it out!

That's it for now. A few other new things (that are sadly overdue...) are in the works. As a teaser, some of the things to be added...you'll soon find the ability to track your favorite categories and the ability to receive an email when your favorite sellers list new items.

As always, thanks for using Ebanned and we hope that these small new features help you have a better experience while visiting.