Ebay sale experience?

Nomar06

Nomar06

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Just wondering if anyone out there has any experince with selling items on Ebay? Looking to sell some stuff there soonish. I have read all the legal mumbe-jumbo before but was wondering if anyone has done it before.
 
I've sold hundreds of items on eBay, if not a thousand. I've had good and bad experiences. Have had my account since 1999. Ask away.
 
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Can you give me a basic rundown of what the process is and fees involved?

If I set a reserve price and it is not met, what happens when the time ends?
 
It's pretty simple actually. You get to set all the terms and duration before it's live to the public.
The fees vary depending upon the starting bid price, the final sale price, and any extras you added to the listing (such as bold lettering, themes, reserve prices, etc.). The total amount of initial fees are disclosed before you start the listing, although the final-value fee obviously won't be determined until it ends.
If you set a reserve price and it is not met, then the listing will end with no winners and no obligation to sell it. eBay does offer an option to sell it to the highest bidder afterwards should you choose to do so, otherwise you can either relist the item at a lower reserve or just not sell it at all.

There's something you should be aware of when it comes to selling on eBay...
The seller has very little recourse when it comes to disputes. eBay has tipped the odds in buyers' favors most of the time, so be prepared to cover all aspects of your listing.
eBay will not allow the seller to post negative feedback about the buyer. Only the buyer can post negative feedback. Don't ask me why, it's something they did not too long ago and it's the sole reason I refuse to sell anything there now.
Make sure you take thorough pictures of your item, including showing that you boxed it and labeled it properly. ALWAYS purchase insurance and delivery confirmation, even if the buyer refuses to pony up for it. Without insurance or delivery confirmation, the buyer can simply report that he never got it and he will receive both your item and a complete refund from eBay, with the funds being withdrawn from your bank account.
Although this is purely up to you, I suggest accepting payments only through PayPal, force the buyer to submit payment through PayPal immediately before the auction closes (there's an option for that during the listing process) and mention in the item description that you will only accept payments from Confirmed Addresses. Confirmed addresses are those that have been verified through the buyer's credit card or through other official means. This will help in avoiding some stolen credit cards being used to win your item. Accepting only PayPal gives you an extra layer of protection as well.

Just a few tips there. I have more if you have other questions.
 
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I think that just about covers everything, lol. I always ship UPS and use paypal, been through too many ordeals already to do anything else.

If you just feel like sending more tips I wouldn't mind, lol. What other avenues do you use to sell stuff if you don't use Ebay? Basically looking to sell a pair of Oakleys and don't feel like going through Craigslist. Also, maybe some bike parts....maybe.
 
Well, I use eBay as my last resort. I've never liked Craigslist since I don't care to deal with someone in-person...makes me nervous. I try to sell to friends or coworkers, depending upon the item. Not sure if there are any other avenues to go through.
As you already know, usually the more pictures the better.
When inputting the package weight and dimensions for the shipping details, I suggest you inflate the actual weight of the package at least 20%. Reason being is that eBay's shipping price calculations always underestimate what the actual cost of shipping package will be and you will be out a few extra bucks after the buyer pays for shipping. Alternatively, you can increase the reserve price by a certain amount and in-turn offer free shipping if you want to avoid losing any money.
I suggest implementing Buyer Requirements, which is an option during the listing process to block certain buyers from bidding on or purchasing your items. This is what I use, which you can add or remove as you please:
  • Don't have a PayPal account
  • Have received 2 Unpaid item Strike(s) within 1 month(s)
  • Have a primary shipping address in countries that I don't ship to
  • Have a feedback score equal to or lower than -1
  • Have bid on or bought my items in the last 10 days and have met my limit of 1 who have a feedback score of 5 or lower
 
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Thanks to you both.....just trying to get rid of the Oakleys Webster. I was thinking Ebay would be the best place to list them since none of my friends would want them and not sure where else I could list them at.

I signed up for MTBR.com a week or so ago, so def will use that when the time comes(if it does) to sell the bike stuff.
 
eBay isn't terrible by any means, but you do need to do your homework if you want to make it a pleasant experience.

One last recommendation: Do a search on eBay for the same Oakleys you're trying to sell so that you can get a sense of how much people are already selling them for. This will help you create a competitive reserve price without wasting your money, wasting your time and being disappointed.
Be prepared to be charged eBay fess AND PayPal fees, which can eat up to 20% or more of your final sale price.
 
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