Knowledge Base

Detailed answers and solutions for specific situations on Estate Sale Connect

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Quick Jump to Topics

Lead Management
Sales & Revenue
Account Issues
Cost & Account Access
Data & Export
Troubleshooting

Lead Management Scenarios

Handling Duplicate Lead Access

Situation: I accidentally clicked "Get Contact Info" twice on the same lead

What happens: The system only charges you once. After the first access, the lead is marked with a green checkmark (Accessed ✓) and subsequent clicks simply display the information without additional charges.

Protection: You cannot be charged twice for the same lead. All accessed leads are tracked in your account history.

Lead Availability and Timing

Situation: A lead I was interested in disappeared from the marketplace

Possible reasons:

  • The homeowner removed their listing
  • Another company was already matched with the homeowner
  • The lead expired based on the timeline (ASAP leads expire after 7 days of no activity)
  • The lead was converted to a sale by another company with exclusive access

Best Practice

Act quickly on ASAP and "Within a month" leads. Set up email notifications to be alerted of new leads in your service areas immediately.

Understanding Lead Timelines

Timeline Type Visibility Period Recommended Response Time Auto-Expiration
ASAP 7 days Within 24 hours After 7 days if not accessed
Within a month 30 days Within 3 days After 30 days
1-3 months 90 days Within 1 week After 90 days
Flexible 180 days Within 2 weeks After 180 days
Planning ahead 365 days Monthly follow-up After 365 days

Prioritizing High-Value Leads

Situation: Which leads should I contact first?

Every lead is free to access. Reach out first when:

  • The estate value appears to be over $50,000
  • The property has unique or high-value items visible in photos
  • The location is in your primary service area
  • You have capacity to handle the sale immediately
Speed wins: Each lead is shared with a limited number of professionals, so the first company to make a thoughtful, prompt contact usually earns the sale. There is never a charge to view or contact a lead.

Lead Search Radius Issues

Situation: I set a 50-mile radius but I'm seeing leads 55 miles away

Explanation: The radius is calculated "as the crow flies" (straight-line distance), not driving distance. Actual driving distance may be 10-20% longer due to roads and geography.

Recommendation

If you want to stay within a strict driving distance, set your search radius to about 80% of your maximum driving distance. For a 50-mile driving limit, set the search to 40 miles.

Sales & Revenue Tracking

Editing Completed Sales

Situation: I need to update the final revenue after the sale ended

Steps to edit:

  1. Go to My Sales and find the completed sale
  2. Click the edit icon (✏️) next to the sale
  3. Update the revenue field with the actual amount
  4. The commission will automatically recalculate based on your set percentage
  5. Add a note explaining the adjustment for your records
Note: All edits are tracked with timestamps. Previous values are stored in the revision history for tax purposes.

Handling Multi-Day Sales

Situation: My estate sale runs Friday-Sunday, how do I track daily revenue?

Best approach:

  • Create one sale entry with the start date (Friday) and end date (Sunday)
  • Use the Notes section to track daily totals: "Day 1: $3,500, Day 2: $2,800, Day 3: $1,200"
  • Enter the total revenue ($7,500) in the revenue field
  • The system will calculate your average daily revenue for analytics

Commission Rate Variations

Scenario How to Handle System Calculation
Standard rate (35%) Leave default setting Automatic calculation
Tiered rate (35% first $10k, 30% after) Calculate manually, enter total commission Override with custom amount
Flat fee ($2,500) Set commission to 0%, add fee in notes Manual entry in revenue notes
Minimum guarantee Use higher of percentage or minimum Manual calculation required

Document Upload Limits

File Restrictions:
  • Maximum file size: 25MB per document
  • Maximum files per sale: 20 documents
  • Accepted formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, JPG, PNG
  • Total storage per account: 500MB (contact support for increases)

Revenue Reporting Discrepancies

Situation: My dashboard total doesn't match my exported CSV

Common causes:

  • Date filters: Dashboard shows YTD by default, exports may use different date ranges
  • Pending sales: Dashboard includes pending sales, exports only show completed by default
  • Deleted sales: Soft-deleted sales appear in exports with a "deleted" flag but not in dashboard
  • Time zones: Sales entered late at night may fall into the next day depending on timezone
Solution: Use the "Sync Report" button to ensure dashboard and export data align. This recalculates all totals based on current data.

Account & Access Issues

Login Problems

Situation: I can't log in even though my password is correct

Troubleshooting steps:

  1. Clear your browser cache and cookies
  2. Try an incognito/private browser window
  3. Check if Caps Lock is on
  4. Verify you're using the company login (not client portal)
  5. Request a password reset if issues persist
Security: After 5 failed attempts, your account is temporarily locked for 30 minutes. Contact support if you need immediate access.

Session Timeouts

Automatic Logout: For security, you're logged out after:
  • 2 hours of inactivity
  • 24 hours regardless of activity
  • When logging in from a new device
  • After clearing browser data
Tip: Check "Remember Me" to extend session to 7 days on trusted devices.

Multiple User Access

Situation: Can multiple team members use one account?

Current limitations:

  • One account = one user login
  • Simultaneous logins will log out the first user
  • All actions are tracked under one account owner

Workaround for Teams

Create a shared email (team@yourcompany.com) for the main account. Team members can access using the shared credentials, but not simultaneously. Multi-user accounts are planned for Q2 2025.

Account Status Types

Status What It Means Access Level Action Required
Active Email verified — free account in good standing Full access, unlimited leads None
Pending Verification Signed up, email not yet verified No lead access yet Click the link in your verification email
Suspended Account suspended for a terms violation No access Contact support

🆓 Cost & Account Access

Estate Sale Connect is free for estate sale professionals. There is no subscription, no per-lead charge, no trial that runs out, and we never ask for a credit card. Create an account, verify your email, and browse unlimited leads.

What's included at no cost

Common questions

Is there a catch?

No. Your account is free, we do not ask for a card, and there is nothing to cancel. The platform is funded by connecting homeowners with professionals, not by charging professionals to receive leads.

I was a paying subscriber. What happens to my subscription?

Billing has been switched off platform-wide and no further charges will be made. If you see an unexpected charge, contact support and we'll resolve it.

Why do I need to verify my email?

Verification is the only gate on the platform. It keeps the marketplace free of spam accounts so homeowners get contacted by real, working estate sale companies.

Data Management & Export

Export Format Issues

Situation: My CSV file won't open correctly in Excel

Common solutions:

  1. Don't double-click the CSV. Instead: Open Excel first → Data → From Text/CSV
  2. Ensure UTF-8 encoding is selected during import
  3. Check delimiter is set to comma (not semicolon)
  4. Format date columns after import (Excel may show as numbers)
Alternative: Export as PDF for reports that don't need editing. PDFs preserve formatting and are ready to print or email to accountants.

Data Retention Policies

Data Type Retention Period After Account Closure
Lead access history 7 years 90 days
Sales records 7 years 1 year
Uploaded documents 3 years 30 days
Account settings While active Immediately deleted
Payment history 7 years 7 years (legal requirement)

Bulk Operations

Situation: I need to export 500+ sales for my accountant

Large export handling:

  • Exports over 500 records are processed in background
  • You'll receive an email with download link (expires in 48 hours)
  • Maximum export size: 10,000 records per file
  • For larger datasets, exports are split into multiple files

Performance Tip

For fastest exports, use date ranges rather than "All Time". Export by year or quarter for better performance and smaller file sizes.

Data Privacy & GDPR

Your rights regarding data:
  • Access: Download all your data via Account → Privacy → Export My Data
  • Correction: Edit any information through the dashboard
  • Deletion: Request account deletion (30-day grace period)
  • Portability: Export in standard CSV/JSON formats
  • Processing: Opt-out of analytics via Account → Privacy Settings

Common Technical Issues

Photo Loading Problems

Situation: Lead photos won't load or show broken images

Troubleshooting:

  1. Check internet connection speed (minimum 1 Mbps recommended)
  2. Disable ad blockers and VPN temporarily
  3. Clear browser cache: Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+Delete (Mac)
  4. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge supported)
  5. Check if images load on mobile device (isolates computer issues)
Note: High-resolution photos (5MB+) may load slowly on slower connections. The system automatically serves optimized versions when possible.

Email Notification Issues

Situation: I'm not receiving email notifications for new leads

Check these settings:

  • ✅ Notifications enabled in Account → Notifications
  • ✅ Correct email address in Account → Profile
  • ✅ Check spam/junk folder
  • ✅ Add notifications@estatesaleconnect.com to contacts
  • ✅ Email not bouncing (check Account → Email Status)
Whitelist Instructions: Ask your IT department to whitelist our domain: @estatesaleconnect.com and IP range: 104.18.0.0/16

Mobile Browser Compatibility

Browser/OS Support Level Known Issues
Safari iOS 15+ ✅ Full Support None
Chrome Android ✅ Full Support None
Safari iOS 12-14 ⚠️ Partial Photo gallery may not swipe
Samsung Browser ⚠️ Partial Export downloads may fail
Opera Mini ❌ Not Supported JavaScript features don't work

Performance Optimization

Speed Up Your Experience

  • Browser: Use latest Chrome or Firefox for best performance
  • Extensions: Disable unnecessary browser extensions
  • Cache: Clear cache monthly for optimal speed
  • Filters: Use specific date ranges instead of "All Time"
  • Photos: Use list view if grid view is slow
  • Connection: Minimum 5 Mbps for smooth experience

Error Messages Explained

Common Error Codes

  • ERR_401 - Session expired. Please log in again.
  • ERR_403 - Access denied. Check subscription status.
  • ERR_404 - Lead/sale not found. May have been deleted.
  • ERR_429 - Too many requests. Wait 60 seconds.
  • ERR_500 - Server issue. We're notified automatically.
  • ERR_503 - Maintenance mode. Check back in 30 minutes.

Emergency Procedures

Critical Issues Requiring Immediate Support

Contact support immediately for:
  • Unauthorized charges on your account
  • Unable to access leads after payment
  • Data breach or security concerns
  • Complete loss of sales data
  • System showing incorrect account owner
Emergency Email: urgent@estatesaleconnect.com (checked every 2 hours, including weekends)

Data Recovery

Situation: I accidentally deleted all my sales data

Recovery options:

  • Within 24 hours: Use "Undo" in notification bar
  • Within 30 days: Contact support for restoration from backup
  • After 30 days: Check your email for monthly export backups
  • After 90 days: Data cannot be recovered
Prevention: Enable automatic monthly exports to receive backup copies via email on the 1st of each month.

Final Notes

Still Need Help?

If your specific situation isn't covered in this Knowledge Base:

  • Email us at info@estatesaleconnect.com
  • Include your account email and description of the issue
  • Screenshots help us resolve issues faster
  • Response time: Within 24 hours on business days
This Knowledge Base is updated monthly. Last update: January 2025
For the most current information, check the announcements in your dashboard.