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ARTICLE DISCUSSION: Ebay selling tricks
MSE_Jenny
Posts: 1,321 MSE Staff
0
Comments
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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.I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0
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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.0
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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.0 -
does auctiva only give you 6 pics for free? i thought it was 24?0
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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.
To see how it looks go to a current listing. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190216586037&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT
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
CJ0 -
Get proof of postage.
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<--- Nothing to see here - move along --->0 -
wissychraddle wrote: »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.0 -
stevew8975 wrote: »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 :eek:Debt at April 2011 £10,0000 -
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!0 -
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?0
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