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I do like the idea of using ebay almost as a rental company, i do that with DVDs. I buy a film or box set, watch it and then flog it and if my turn around is quick enough I can sometimes get almost the same price back as I paid for it in the first place. It also means I don't litter up my house with films that I will probably never bother to watch again.
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i do the same with dvds, books and games. we don't keep any of them once watched, read or played, they go straight on ebay, amazon or play for around the same price paid, sometimes more if we have bought cheaply.
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In connection with p&p charges, it's worth mentioning that PayPal's cut is in proportion to the WHOLE PAYMENT including p&p. When setting p&p charges on a listing, you need to ensure you cover postage costs and packaging costs, and then add on a bit for PayPal's cut. There is a useful calculator at http://ppcalc.com/. Some sellers add on extra for their time spent packaging items.
Freecycle can be a useful source of used jiffy bags, bubble-wrap etc.
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I host my own photo's by using www.imagshack.us, download the toolbar and you can click and host an image in seconds. Then when it redirects you to the hosting page, click and copy the code for thumbnail (sites) and paste this into your html code in eBay whioch is tabbed from your text description.
One problem is buyers signing up, buying a mega-pricey item such as a Nintendo Wii and claiming it never arrived. Always, always get proof of posting (just ask for a stamped receipt at the post office), so if anyone tries to argue that they didn’t get the item you’ll have evidence. Better still, send items by recorded delivery; this includes tracking number which you can send to buyers so they can track a parcel’s progress.
I think this could do with rewording - if you have Proof of Posting the seller can claim back up to £36 from Royal Mail, but will still need to refund the buyer in full. Proof of Posting means nothing to the buyer. Items over £36 value (such as the Wii given in the example) should be sent by Special Delivery to prove delivery, and to cover the seller in the event of it getting lost in post.
Paypal will only accept Proof of Delivery in order to win a dispute, not Proof of Postage
Last edited by stevew8975; 23-04-2008 at 7:36 PM..
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I host my own photo's by using www.imagshack.us, .....................
You can add as many as you want then and you don't have to do thumbnail, you can post extra large images also.
I read the article, went 'doh' as it never occured to me to host my own pictures (I use Photobucket) and had a go at adding more pictures.
I can't get it to work though Clicking on 'add pictures' and choosing 'self hosting' works fine. However if I add another picture it simply replaces the first one
I tried pasting the html code into my ebay html but then it just showed up as html coding in a page of text!
I am obviously going very wrong somewhere but can anyone tell me where (please! )?
I live in my own little world. But it's okay. They know me here.
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I think this could do with rewording - if you have Proof of Posting the seller can claim back up to £36 from Royal Mail, but will still need to refund the buyer in full. Proof of Posting means nothing to the buyer. Items over £36 value (such as the Wii given in the example) should be sent by Special Delivery to prove delivery, and to cover the seller in the event of it getting lost in post.
Just wanted to reiterate what a previous poster said. Getting a stamped receipt isn't good enough for Ebay. They will ALWAYS side with a buyer that claims an item hasn't arrived unless you send it Registered with a tracking code. There is no way they will side with a seller without. Unfortunately it makes it very difficult for people like my o/h, who is a very honest and highly rated seller. He is now considering making everyone pay for signed for to avoid this, as there are so many crooks out there who will use this loophole to get the items for free! So, watch out for this one!
LB Moment Sep 2007 Debt at highest £19,000
Debt at August 2008 £19,200
Savings £50
DFD: 2011?
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I run what is probably the largest company in the UK which is involved in selling items on eBay for other people. We list a large number of highly variable items - from DVDs to fitted kitchens for people who don't want to do it themselves.
For anyone doing it themselves, then I think you've got a great guide there, and that hits most of the major issues.
It's important to think through the angles prior to putting you listings up -- can the buyer collect? will you ship to the Channel Islands (if it's not a Royal Mail item)? How long do buyers have to pay and collect? The more of these questions that you can answer in your listing, the fewer questions that you will have to answer from buyers - and you really do need to answer the questions as soon as you can when they come in. A phone number - if you want to give it out - is a help so that people can talk to you about buying the item. But beware if it is a personal mobile or similar!
The other thing to bear in mind is that eBay is shifting the power from the seller community to the buyer community. Detailed Seller Feedback is given on transactions so that buyers can rate your performance on descriptions, postage etc etc. If you are selling more than 10 items then this will be published - and you need to keep your averages high to allow your listing to show high-up in the search result. If all your buyers just give you 4 out of 5 then you'll disappear off eBay!
That said, it is a huge and amazing market and you can find some wonderful buyers out there who will pay well and be delighted with your old stuff. So give it a go!
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I'd like to seek opinion on what people consider to be the best way to start off an auction in order to
a) sell the item and
b) get the best price?
For example, if I am selling an item worth, say, £200 I obviously don't want it to go for 99p. I tend to set a minimum starting bid with the minimum price I am willing to accept, but I have had limited success doing this. The other way is to start at 99p and set a reserve price which, for me, has been more successful, but this incurs more fees. Or, is it best to throw caution to the wind and just start low and see what happens? Or are there any other suggestions?
I host my own photo's by using www.imagshack.us, download the toolbar and you can click and host an image in seconds. Then when it redirects you to the hosting page, click and copy the code for thumbnail (sites) and paste this into your html code in eBay whioch is tabbed from your text description.
You can add as many as you want then and you don't have to do thumbnail, you can post extra large images also.
I used to use Auctiva which is very good, I just find it quicker to list on eBay though.
HTH
CJ
May be worth mentioning if you host your own photos they can be easily deleted, as there are a few people out there that want to scam buyers or are lazy, who steal photos and descriptions. Especially if you have a high end or rare item.
"Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, But beautiful old people are works of art."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
Quote:
Originally Posted by eyelinerprincess
It's my boobs that make me heavier, if I was flat chested I'd be the ideal weight...
I'd like to seek opinion on what people consider to be the best way to start off an auction in order to
a) sell the item and
b) get the best price?
For example, if I am selling an item worth, say, £200 I obviously don't want it to go for 99p. I tend to set a minimum starting bid with the minimum price I am willing to accept, but I have had limited success doing this. The other way is to start at 99p and set a reserve price which, for me, has been more successful, but this incurs more fees. Or, is it best to throw caution to the wind and just start low and see what happens? Or are there any other suggestions?
List as low possible eg 99p BUT do set a reserve price or run the risk of listing at 99p and getting just that. The key to selling on ebay is getting bids so get a clever title that grabs attention and also a cool and clear listing.
List as low possible eg 99p BUT do set a reserve price or run the risk of listing at 99p and getting just that. The key to selling on ebay is getting bids so get a clever title that grabs attention and also a cool and clear listing.
I'd echo the don't use reserve sentiment. If you check that there is a decent market (and not too swamped) for your product and list it correctly then it should achieve a decent price.
Before listing anything to sell I'd always recommend doing a completed items search for the product, as mentioned. It isn't basic search where you find 'completed listings' you need to go to 'advanced search' (its at the top of most Ebay pages next to the standard search box) then click the 'completed listings' only search and you will see all items sold in the last 30 days with that description. Check the highest achieved price items and see how they were listed, what category/ies were used, when listed, when ended, was it sold internationally?, how long was the listing (short 1-3 days, or longer), also check the wording in the item title.
Another good tool is Ebay pulse which you can access from the Ebay home page or site map. This shows the 10 most watched items in each category and subactegory, a good way of finding out what people are looking at.
When listing make sure you use as much of the description as possible that can be used in searches (without keyword spamming), 'clever' is not always the best approach, simple and straightforward is best, no need to put 'rare' or 'l@@k' or 'best buy on Ebay', these are (literally!) a waste of space. If new, mention that, the use of 'as new' or 'like new' is not allowed.
As for pictures, a tip that is often (amazingly) not used is make sure the picture is the right way up. Every PC has a program that will rotate a picture and Ebay's photo editing has it built in, as does Photo Bucket. You should also crop the picture to just show the item.
Regarding payment I'd also add that if asking for cheque payment, I'd also ask for postal order payment too as that is the only form of postal payment that you can receive that you can bank without the need for clearance. All cheques require clearance which should be 7 working days (as the banks now fully clear them after 6 days).
Put a return address on all packages, as well as your details inside. Where possible check the buyer's postcode and address are correct before sending. (free to do at Royalmail.com)
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May be worth mentioning if you host your own photos they can be easily deleted, as there are a few people out there that want to scam buyers or are lazy, who steal photos and descriptions. Especially if you have a high end or rare item.
I have yet to have one deleted, during the listing being active, I am aware that hosting services do clear out files after a while though.
People can easily 'steal' photos from eBay anyway. If you wanted to safeguard against this write your ebay name or lot number on a peice of paper and put it next to the item you are selling before taking the picture.
I read the article, went 'doh' as it never occured to me to host my own pictures (I use Photobucket) and had a go at adding more pictures.
I can't get it to work though Clicking on 'add pictures' and choosing 'self hosting' works fine. However if I add another picture it simply replaces the first one
I tried pasting the html code into my ebay html but then it just showed up as html coding in a page of text!
I am obviously going very wrong somewhere but can anyone tell me where (please! )?
Just make sure you are getting the right code. I don't use photobucket but I assume that it will operate much the same as imageshack. When you host your image it should come up with about 3 or 4 code options. Make sure you select the one that...... hold on. Let me just sign up to photobucket and see if I can work it out......
Bear with me.......
Right when you get your links select Code for Websites or blogs.....
Be very wary of using reserve prices - eBay do not refund the 2% fee if the item is unsold -
No - and neither does ebay refund your listing fee if your item does not sell. Listing and reserve fees are just that - fees you pay for a service. If you had a very rare item and sold it in a traditional auction house would you really let it start at 99p? I dont think so. And its quite suprising the number of eaby bidders who dont realize items have a reserve but just see the low price and get bidding.
You need bids full stop or you have wasted your time and your money.
Pls be nice to all MoneySavers. There's no such thing as a stupid question, and even if you disagree courtesy helps. Take care over copyright. Use excerpts and links rather than copying long text. This site asserts copyright on all comments posted on the board.
Pls be nice to all MoneySavers. There's no such thing as a stupid question, and even if you disagree courtesy helps.
ARTICLE DISCUSSION: Ebay selling tricks
Clicking on 'add pictures' and choosing 'self hosting' works fine. However if I add another picture it simply replaces the first one 
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How best to start off your auction?
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