Post An Ad With These Ebay and Classified Abbreviations

A list of abbreviations and acronyms commonly used on eBay and in classified and want ads.

With the growing popularity of online buying and selling, Internet and online classified lingo has also grown. Being an eBay buyer long before a seller, I was often confused as to what some of the abbreviations actually meant. For some time I attributed it to a seller’s unwillingness — or laziness — to use proper words when listing an item. When I put my first item up for sale on eBay I immediately understood the importance of using abbreviations in the listing.

Auction Abbreviations Let You Say More About an Item

In auction listing and in online storefronts, sellers are limited to a maximum number of characters in an item title and on other sites you might find a limit on the number of characters in your ad description as well. Abbreviations lets a seller say more about the item without going over the character-length requirements.

For example, if you want to tell prospective buyers that your item is available for local pick up only then to add that to your title you are looking at 18 characters (including spaces). Using the abbreviation of LPUO instead of typing it out leaves you with an additional 14 characters in which to highlight other features of your item. Other common abbreviations on eBay include NWT (new with tags) and NRFB (never removed from box).

For some online and print classified ads, sellers may have to pay for each character used in the title to description. Here, abbreviations are used to cut down on the actual cost of placing the classified ad. Some classified ad providers may require you to use its abbreviation style guide. This gives you an acceptable abbreviations list with a standard format for capitalization and punctuation to follow when writing an ad. For online classifieds you should always check that specific Web site for a list of accepted abbreviations. Print classifieds ads (e.g. your local newspaper) may also have this requirement.

Webopedia’s Guide to Online Buying and Selling Abbreviations

The following list of abbreviations are widely used Internet abbreviations and acronyms found on eBay, eBay alternatives and online classified ad marketplaces.

Based in Nova Scotia, Vangie Beal is has been writing about technology for more than a decade. She is a frequent contributor to EcommerceGuide and managing editor at Webopedia. You can tweet her online @AuroraGG.

This article was originally published on November 06, 2009