Selling your stuff on Amazon - Part 6- Advice for newbies in first post

Yorkielass

Help!

I knew it was too good to be true. I listed 40 items on amazon the weekend before last and 10 sold in the first week.

The buyer of one has sent me several emails since she gotting which alternate between her buying the book by mistake!!! and not being as she expected (however all her points were in the description, e.g. name written in front).

I've emailed to say if she returns it to me at her expense I will refund her etc (I see from AT's very helpful 1st post that I have to do that as she asked within 7 days). However I've never done a refund before so I'm a little confused.

I can see how to do a refund but when I do one what happens? How much of the original money does the seller get back and how much of the original money do I get back? I.e. am I going to be out of pocket due to someone changing their mind and 'buying by mistake' as their first message said'?

Thanks in advance

Amazombie

Yorkielass wrote:

Help! I knew it was too good to be true. I listed 40 items on amazon the weekend before last and 10 sold in the first week.
The buyer of one has sent me several emails since she gotting which alternate between her buying the book by mistake!!! and not being as she expected (however all her points were in the description, e.g. name written in front). I've emailed to say if she returns it to me at her expense I will refund her etc (I see from AT's very helpful 1st post that I have to do that as she asked within 7 days). However I've never done a refund before so I'm a little confused. I can see how to do a refund but when I do one what happens? How much of the original money does the seller get back and how much of the original money do I get back? I.e. am I going to be out of pocket due to someone changing their mind and 'buying by mistake' as their first message said'? Thanks in advance

Welcome to the joys of selling on Amazon! When you issue a full refund the buyer will receive back what they paid ie the cost of the book plus postage of £ 2.75. You will get back what you received from Amazon ie. The cost of the book plus postage less amazons fees. You will be out of pocket by the amount it cost you to send the book.

I know its unfair but that is the way it works and both Amazon guidelines and the Distance Selling Regulations are there to protect the buyer not the seller in any online transaction.

Amazombie

funkyfunkymonkey wrote:

As they make absolutely no profit on packages with online postage paid - do you think they are obliged to take these packages in? Would it be part of their 'franchise agreement'? Or could they refuse?

I suspect youre right! They probably could refuse them although my local PO which is a franchise does take in metered post.

Since all benefit and pension payments became bank transfers our PO relies on its Amazon and Ebay customers heavily and needs the business to survive.

mishkanorman

Is it generally acceptable to use recycled jiffy bags ??

Im Looking at ways to cut my costs , the other thing i had thought about doing was using bubble wrap and brown paper as ive got a mega stash of bubble wrap i need to clear out !!!


mishka

apprentice_tycoon

I'm refering to myself here - I've only just found out that I can pay my postage at the PO with a credit card - my Tesco credit card pays me 1 point per pound and I spend around £500 per month at the PO so that's £5 per month = £60 per year, which is very nice to have but when it's multiplied by 4 for Tesco Clubcard Deals that totals £240 per year which is enough for a return trip in the Eurotunnel!!!!

apprentice_tycoon

mishkanorman wrote:

Is it generally acceptable to use recycled jiffy bags ??

Im Looking at ways to cut my costs , the other thing i had thought about doing was using bubble wrap and brown paper as ive got a mega stash of bubble wrap i need to clear out !!!


mishka

A few people use recycled jiffys but I think that Amazon frown on it and say that it should be new wrapping. The bubble and brown paper (or a tough envelope) idea is good.

soolin

:j Doing a happy jig at AT's suggestion of using a Tesco CC at PO and getting points for nice things..:T

Also, doing another happy jig as I sold a £25 book today an dnot only that but a different Post Office allowed it to go as a large letter even though it barely went through the slot. After Amazon fees of £5.66 :eek: and postage of just over £1.30 I made myself over £20 on a book from a mixed box I bought for a fiver.

As for using second hand materials I tend not to but only as I sell more than I buy so don't have many good quality envelopes to recycle. I do send my stuff second class though so keep costs down that way.

Soo

jo_b_2

apprentice_tycoon wrote:

I'm refering to myself here - I've only just found out that I can pay my postage at the PO with a credit card

Does this apply to all Post Offices? I thought that they only accepted debit cards?

apprentice_tycoon

Hi jo, yes that's what I thought but when I had a go at printing the stamps on line I could pay for it by credit card which made me consider buying some of my postage on line just so I could get some Tesco points.

I thought that I'd ask about the CC while I was there today and she manager told me that they'd being accepting CCs 'for ages' another staff member said she thought it was over a year - so that's £240 that I've missed out on already!!! anyway I paid with the CC today and the points are now going to start racking up, I spend more at the PO than I do on groceries & petrol combined.

smartcat04

Just bumping up before we fall onto the 3rd page.
Have found sales to be very quiet this week. Don't know if it's related to the post changes or whether everybody is on holiday.