Tips for new ebay sellers

We get a lot of new sellers who want a quick guide to staying safe on ebay so this is a standard template post. Feel free to discuss it and to make suggestions about adding more vital tips. If new users have any specific questions then please just start a new thread and the regulars will try and help.

• Set seller preferences very tight:

http://offer.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI...ockPreferences



Start from here to set buyer requirements to exclude overseas bidders or bidders with NPB strikes etc as per your preference.

You can also block individual bidders if you want, this is useful if you get a serious of strange questions or if any bidder makes you uneasy, just pop them on your blocked bidders list. If the bidder has already bid you can cancel their bid and then block them from bidding further.

• NOTE: All sellers must offer paypal on all listings apart from the car and vehicle categories. You will need a paypal premier account to sell and charges will be taken from each payment.

• Paypal on collection scam

There is an odd anomaly on ebay that results in a very common scam and should be taken into account when selling bulky items that require collection. Paypal say that their service is not suitable for collected items yet ebay say that everyone must offer (and cannot refuse) paypal on any item apart from those in the car and motor vehicles categories. This leaves seller open to a scam where a buyer pays via paypal, collects the item and then does a chargeback either for item not received or for fraudulent use of a card. Seller cannot win a paypal chargeback as he cannot prove delivery using an online service accepted by paypal so buyer gets their money returned and the goods. No form of paper ID signed receipt or photographic evidence of collection will stop a chargeback.

You can offer cash on collection for items but cannot refuse paypal if offered, you can't even say 'you prefer cash on collection'. Some experienced sellers do allow paypal on collection, but they may well have their own security for ensuring that even though they will lose a paypal claim they have enough ID to make a claim against buyer in the small claims court. For a newer or smaller seller this might not be possible, so be aware of this scam, and possibly even consider selling collected items elsewhere.

• Seller responsibility re post

A seller remains responsible for an item until buyer receives it, it doesn’t matter what terms and conditions a seller puts in their auctions, if an item fails to arrive buyer will get their money back via paypal. Therefore especially for items over £46 it is important that if using Royal mail only special delivery is used, or for parcels the additional insurance is paid. The same applies for couriers, make sure your level of insurance covers you as the seller against loss. If online tracked proof of delivery is available then a paypal chargeback can be won by the seller, if item does not show as delivered then a claim via Royal Mail or courier will need to be made by seller and buyer gets their full payment back regardless.

For smaller items a certificate of postage available for free from the Post office will cover up to £46 of loss whether in the UK or abroad.

To be covered by paypal the only address to use is the one that paypal confirm in the box 'Ok to send to' no other address will be covered, the ebay address is immaterial.

• Selling electrical goods

When selling high end electrical goods and phones it is always worth keeping details of IMEI (for phones) or any distinguishing registrations details for laptops etc in case buyer tries a switch.

• Phones

As well as keeping the IMEI number of mobiles please remember that Royal mail do not insure phones sent overseas if they are worth more than £46, so set your seller preferences to exclude overseas bidders: (see first point above)

• Time limits on paypal

A chargeback for item not received or not as described can be started by a buyer up to 45 days from date of payment. A claim for fraudulent use of a card can be started anytime up to 6 months. Therefore it is important to keep all Certificates of posting (COP's) and tracking details for at least 6 months.

• Item descriptions

Ensure you have a good photo and an accurate description as otherwise you may have problems with item not as described claims. If your goods have a fault, describe it, don't hide it. Be careful about keywrod spamming as ebay will pull your listings, do not use terms like 'as new' or like new, items are either new or used they can't be anything else. Also do not use terms like 'like burberry' or Prada or whatever, that is also considered key word spamming.

• There are also help sections on ebay for new sellers as follows

effective listings:
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/listings.html

Other threads on MSE that might be useful:

Do I have to pay tax on my earnings?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...html?t=1565599