**Make Me Rich This Year eBay or Else!!**

sallymander

Hi all,

know what you mean about manners, I recently agreed that a buyer could collect an item as he didnt live to far away, after messing me around about what night he was coming, he arrived one night when I was at work and phoned me very grumpily to say no one was answering the door (although my OH was waiting for him). Turns he was in the wrong street. He then phoned me back and had a go, saying that I had given him the wrong address. Funnily enough after living there for 7 years I think I know where I live!! :rotfl:

I think Im going to give eBay a rest for the next week, work has turned hectic and eBay seems to be slowing down?

Im still waiting for some payments but so far my total is £206.98 for this month, which isn't too bad and much better than having the junk

Sally x

doodledo_2

God I feel like Ebay is my arch enemy at the moment.

They have limited my account, which is a business account to listing only 100 items a month!! Ricidulous. Have emailed them asking for this to be lifted as have been selling on ebay no problem for years.:mad:

Mensaboy

Hi All,
I thought I'd share with you some insights that I have learned from selling on ebay for the past 5 years. I've ran 5 accounts three of which are TRS and 4 of which reached Titanium powerseller status. Hopefully it will help anyone who is starting out on ebay.

1) If you are going to have an ebay shop then just go for the basic, you can't justify the extra cost for any other upgrade

2) Be as accurate as possible with your description. If there is a fault or flaw with your product then point it out.

3) always communicate with your buyer through the ebay message system rather than email. This will enable ebay staff to look at the communication in the event of a dispute.

4) Try the 99p start bid on an auction. I once sold a Ferrari F355 using a 99p start bid with no reserve, the ebay best match system seems to favour this format and as the item will get many views (and stupid low bids) it will move your item up the search results. ( out of interest the Ferrari sold for £41,000)

5) Always post by a trackable method even if its just recorded delivery.

6) Include the cost of postage in your item and then advertise as Free postage. Much as I disagree with ebay on this ( I think it should say postage inc) the ebay best match system prefers free postage

7) Use each and every word of your title to maximum effect. People don't search for the word "look" or "wow"

8) Communicate with your buyer properly. Send personal emails when you dispatch and pop a hand written note in with the parcel. Ebay now penalise the seller (rightly or wrongly) when a case is opened against them regardless of if it is resolved or not so effective communication i.e. a dispatch email that is brief but that informs the buyer that you have sent the item and that they should receive by "date" helps to keep the customer informed and should (if you have worded the email correctly) have the buyer contact you instead of ebay if the item doesn't arrive.

9) Don't be angry or abusive towards your buyer if things go wrong. Yes, some people are unreasonable but 9 times out of 10 if you put yourself in their position you can see why they sometimes appear to act or speak irrationally. Again, polite and concise communication is the key.

10) Accept that sometimes you will be out of pocket. This is all part of selling online, sometimes you will need to refund. Sometimes an item will get broken or go missing. Accept this and move on.

11) Try Terapeak.com for researching new products or successful sellers. This tool is vital if you want to get serious with ebay.

12) Last of all, Enjoy selling on ebay. If it makes you stressed or anxious (and believe me i've met people who post on the powerseller boards who are now on medication because ebay policy changes have virtually wiped out their business in the blink of an eye) then don't bother to trade on the site. Ebay will always change, it changes to provide a safer trading environment for both buyers and sellers. Sometimes the policy changes are hard to swallow and to understand. There is always a way however to adapt to these changes. The sellers that do will continue to make a good living out of ebay. The sellers who just complain (and I was once one of those sellers) will fall by the wayside if they don't adapt.

Have Fun!

Decluttering

rachie_2011 wrote: »

I'm currently selling but was just wondering what items sell best in your opinion. Also, how do you work out postage and packaging? Do you guess, or look at what others have listed items as?

For me, my best selling items have been promotional items, such as things free with magazines. Even magazines themselves don't go too badly if there's a celebrity on the front that people like or there's a collector. I try to keep promotional things for films that I think might do well and gather a following. I sold a promotional Twilight book (that I got before the film came out and everyone went mad for it) for just over £4. It's not a huge amount but I got it for free and the postage was next to nothing!

mrscmr

@ mensaboy Terapeak.com - amazingly fascinating! thank you for posting it ) i love anything like that

Jevvers

Wow Mensaboy thank you so much for sharing that. I hadn't really thought that much about the best match thing but it's really important these days I guess.

misskaytee

Thanks for sharing Mensaboy ~ Great post! :beer:

diamond_mum

Hello everyone!!

I am jumping on board!

I need to de clutter!! I am an ebay hoarder!! I say lets keep that I will sell it on ebay! I will sell it eventually I need to de clutter we are a family of 6 in a small-medium house. Also the spare money would be nice, usually goes back to ebay to buy new clothes for the kids or stuff for the kids.

I did very well last year. I don't know how much I sold but I tried to sell as much as I could as my husband was out of work for 6 months, we had bills coming out of our ears and baby number 4 on the way. I sold to make money to buy for baby, got some excellent bargains!!

So I have sold 3 things so far, they all ended today. Total £6.15 ( not including postage) Lots more to list, going to try and do some each day. I have a new camera ( xmas pressie) and a new printer ( sharred birthday pressie with hubby) so all ready to list

Buffythedebtslayer

diamond_mum wrote: »

Hello everyone!!

I am jumping on board!

I need to de clutter!! I am an ebay hoarder!! I say lets keep that I will sell it on ebay! I will sell it eventually I need to de clutter we are a family of 6 in a small-medium house.

I signed up at the beginning but haven't listed anything yet, I do exactly the same - I have pretty much a shed full of stuff. it is bonkers! :o:o:o:o

xxx

miss_empty_piggy

Hi All
sold another 8 items this evening, one which I had previously listed and not a peep, tonight sold for £10.15 chuffed as mustard.

Am looking forward to totalling up at the end of the month to see what is going in the holiday fund.

Thanks to Mensaboy for the brilliant advice.