Normally when you sell an item on eBay your auction's listing is started (and placed live on eBay) the
moment you complete the SYI (Sell Your Item) form. But there are some instances
when you would rather have your auction start on a particular date at a particular time. That is what the
Scheduled Listing upgrade does. It allows you to schedule your auction up to 3 weeks in advance. If
you choose to use the Scheduled Listing upgrade your auction will start at whatever date and time you
specify (up to 3 weeks from the current date), and it will last for the duration you specify (1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days).
Sometimes people use the Scheduled Listing upgrade to start their auction at a particular time because
they know it will end at that exact time one week later (if they happen to be using a 7-day auction). Some people believe
starting your auction on a particular day at a particular time will result in more visitors to your auction. I believe
I read somewhere once that the most popular time to start your auction is Sunday night at 7:00PM EST, because this is
when most people are at home and in front of their computers.
Tip: You
can schedule up to a maximum of 3,000 listings up to 3 weeks in advance. eBay also states that in order to use
the Scheduled Listing upgrade you must have a credit card on file for billing purposes. Also, it's
important to point out that the fees you will be charged for your auction (using a Scheduled Listing)
are those applicable at the actual start time of the auction, not at the time of the auction scheduling.