Selling Your Stuff on Amazon Part 13 - Advice for newbies in first two posts

System

Hi everyone
I realise that's not a very exciting title but I've been reading your thread and it inspired me to try selling some of my own stuff, I've been planning a clear-out for ages and now I've started

So thankyou all, and good luck with your selling

Ooh, can I have a number to add to my signature?

ladyandthetramp

Hi, hoping someone can help me????

Last week I set up a Amazon seller account to clear out some of my books. Sold one first day for 99p, plus postage, said I would receive £2.40 something minus fees. It cost me £2.45 to post! So down 5p, am I missing something here? Can you change the postage cost? The same book was on for 1p, that would have cost the seller money.

Any help much appreciated.

petestan

ladyandthetramp wrote: »

Hi, hoping someone can help me????

Last week I set up a Amazon seller account to clear out some of my books. Sold one first day for 99p, plus postage, said I would receive £2.40 something minus fees. It cost me £2.45 to post! So down 5p, am I missing something here? Can you change the postage cost? The same book was on for 1p, that would have cost the seller money.

Any help much appreciated.

Hi ladyandthetramp unfortunately for you that is the correct amount, when you list a book or other item on amazon do NOT list it at the cheapest price unless it is a light item. Lots of the sellers on amazon have contracts for postage so their postage costs are a lot cheaper than you or me sending an item with Royal Mail.
The postage cost is fixed on amazon so you have to increase the price of the item to allow yourself to make a profit, on the Royal Mail website is a postage finder I recommend you check the weight and size on there before you list the item. Also when you list an item on the FINAL page before it is listed it tells you exactly how much you will earn when it sells, out of that price you HAVE to take your postage and packing costs, it's also on the listing confirmation email you get, Pete.


PS I've just checked and the price finder site is still down after the problems they have had but there are links to prices and sizes there.
http://www.royalmail.com/price-finder

soolin

ladyandthetramp wrote: »

Hi, hoping someone can help me????

Last week I set up a Amazon seller account to clear out some of my books. Sold one first day for 99p, plus postage, said I would receive £2.40 something minus fees. It cost me £2.45 to post! So down 5p, am I missing something here? Can you change the postage cost? The same book was on for 1p, that would have cost the seller money.

Any help much appreciated.

Actually it is worse than you thought. A book selling at 99p will give you a net total of £2.27 so you actually lost 18p on it. Never list anything without checking the 'net proceeds' total before you confirm listing- and weigh the book and wrapping to make sure you can post within that total.

derms

Hi there, dont post very often so please don't be rough on me if i am in the wrong place.

I have been an Amazon marketplace seller for some time - never enough for pro merchant.

Mostly books some general interest but quite a number reasonably specialised - irish history and politics etc

My question is whether it would be worth my while listing my books on other sites particularly abebooks, play.com and ebay. if anyone has experience of these sites and can compare and contrast i would be grateful

Thanks

derms

Pound wrote: »

It seems to be next to impossible to get feedback on Amazon

Last week one buyer lived fairly close so I decided to hand deliver it. I was looking forward to their surprise at having a delivery so quick but they weren't in but a neighbour offered to take it.

The next day the buyer sent me a message thanking me for sending the item so quick and praised my great service. I emailed back thanking them and said I was glad they were happy and I would appreciate feedback.

So far, they haven't left any. If 3 hour delivery turnaround doesn't result in good feedback I don't know what does.

:mad:

i don't know if this helps but i always write a personal comment on my order slips, sometimes a comment on the item or sometimes a general comment eg enjoy the book etc. maybe it has no influence but the personal note does sometimes get mentioned in the feedback, but agreed that feedback is rare as hens teeth

soolin

derms wrote: »

Hi there, dont post very often so please don't be rough on me if i am in the wrong place.

I have been an Amazon marketplace seller for some time - never enough for pro merchant.

Mostly books some general interest but quite a number reasonably specialised - irish history and politics etc

My question is whether it would be worth my while listing my books on other sites particularly abebooks, play.com and ebay. if anyone has experience of these sites and can compare and contrast i would be grateful

Thanks

I have recently started removing my books from Amazon and listing them on ebay- and I am doing very well. However I am very specific what books i sell on ebay- I do my research and really only bother with those I reckon will go at first listing.

derms

soolin wrote: »

I have recently started removing my books from Amazon and listing them on ebay- and I am doing very well. However I am very specific what books i sell on ebay- I do my research and really only bother with those I reckon will go at first listing.

thanks soolin - can i ask you how you judge which books to put on amazon and which on ebay any rules of thumb. Do you put them on auction or buy it now.

Also why do you remove them from Amazon rather than leaving them

Derms

soolin

derms wrote: »

thanks soolin - can i ask you how you judge which books to put on amazon and which on ebay any rules of thumb. Do you put them on auction or buy it now.

Also why do you remove them from Amazon rather than leaving them

Derms

I have virtually given up on Amazon so I see no point in keeping stock that won't sell quickly- I prefer to fre eup room for a more profitable line.

Books generally died for me in Autumn 2010, literally overnight. So I gave up my pro membership and started culling my books. I'm down to around 700 still now, but no one ever leaves feedback and since I picked up 2 neutrals (one just says good book) my percentage is now unworkable as a seller. Those two neutrals balanced against virtually no other feedback at all for months (despite selling stuff) means I get maybe 2 sales a month- so I get a box of books out whenever I get a moment, check them on ebay and anything that has sold previously , or anything 'similar' I list on ebay. Anything that has a price of less than £10 and a ranking more than 10,000 on Amazon gets charity shopped.

caroline1973lefty

hi there, i'm thinking about listing a LOT of books at once on amazon or ebay (note the comments in the above post, very helpful).

Can anyone tell me if there is a way i can use my smartphone to scan barcodes in and use that to upload onto either site? I have downloaded a couple of apps onto my phone (android) and they do make the phone a barcode scanner (sort of) and recognise what the books are, but they don't seem to do what i want, which is to enable me to transfer the list of my books onto either site, either directly, or via a spreadsheet or other programme. hope that makes sense....