how much ebay income do you make?

mikey72

mikey72 wrote: »

Price isn't always the driver though.
Looking for an item today, asked a simple question about part of a description, I got a sarky answer, so I finished up paying more (about 10 to 15%) with the next seller who had described it properly in the first place
Customer service wins every time.

ludovico wrote: »

There are plenty of buyers on eBay, the main issue is increased competition, especially from companies who list in vast quantities. Our business does alright out of eBay but the 'mega listers' are lapping up the sales and we have to decide to expand (which will ultimately lower the service) or stay as we are hoping buyers choose service over price.

We're aiming for something in the middle but the plan is to make as much as possible now and stick it in the bank as if eBay moves our cat over to catalogue based and promotes solely on price, like Amazon or Play do, we are finished. The only saving grace would be the government closing the VAT loophole.

I don't know how it will go.
The thing I bought wasn't an item I'd normally buy off ebay.
First seller was cheap, but not worth considering buying from on service.
The second one was nearly as dear as buying from a normal outlet, so normally I wouldn't use ebay.
The thing that swung it was the cost of p&p from other places, making it dearer yet again.
The fact it was a sealed box, not worth copying, and paypal protection helped.
The other thing that decides it now for me is how the business address looks in google streetview, although both of these where someone working from the garage behind their house.

Having said that, it arrived the next day, and looks ok, so I'll fit it tomorrow.

hermum

mikey72 wrote: »

The other thing that decides it now for me is how the business address looks in google streetview, although both of these where someone working from the garage behind their house.

Having said that, it arrived the next day, and looks ok, so I'll fit it tomorrow.

What do you look out for on streetview?
Hopefully for a long time there will continue to be small sellers who sell from home so all there will be is a residential road.

mikey72

hermum wrote: »

What do you look out for on streetview?
Hopefully for a long time there will continue to be small sellers who sell from home so all there will be is a residential road.

I usually buy from small sellers selling from home for the things I normally buy.
This was the sort of thing you would normally buy in a high street premises, or possibly a trading estate. It was a business seller, so it was interesting to see it was sold from a smallish cul de sac with old cars piled down the road.

hermum

mikey72 wrote: »

I usually buy from small sellers selling from home for the things I normally buy.
This was the sort of thing you would normally buy in a high street premises, or possibly a trading estate. It was a business seller, so it was interesting to see it was sold from a smallish cul de sac with old cars piled down the road.

I wonder if some people would be put off buying from people who have their business address as a residential address?

soolin

hermum wrote: »

I wonder if some people would be put off buying from people who have their business address as a residential address?

It hasn't affectedmy sales at all, but then I sell one off unique collectable items rather than manufactured new goods.

terra_ferma

hermum wrote: »

I wonder if some people would be put off buying from people who have their business address as a residential address?

As far as I can see most business sellers on ebay operate from home, only the bigger one do, particularly when they already have a non-ebay business, or sell large items that they can't store at home.

soolin

terra_ferma wrote: »

As far as I can see most business sellers on ebay operate from home, only the bigger one do, particularly when they already have a non-ebay business, or sell large items that they can't store at home.

I do have some paid for storage, but that is not where I trade from so my ebay details still show my home address. I imagine that for other small sellers like me that is fairly common.

breadlinebetty

topsy73 wrote: »

Hi

this is a very interesting post....I have sold on ebay for a number of years mainly personal items but at times I bought wholesale and did ok. I never made the sort of monthly money being talked about here though.

I am possibly looking at losing my job and am looking for different avenues to go down to supplement my income.

What sort of things do people sell? I have always gone down the plus-sized clothes route finding this a good seller.

Does anyone have a list of good wholesalers?

Thanks for any helpful reponses.

eBay is flooded with plus-sized clothes.....you really need to find a niche market - the clothes business has dried up dramatically - especially now that eBay are pushing and promoting all the big boys - Tesco etc - they've pushed out the small sellers and made it very difficult for them to compete.

hermum

terra_ferma wrote: »

As far as I can see most business sellers on ebay operate from home, only the bigger one do, particularly when they already have a non-ebay business, or sell large items that they can't store at home.

That's what I thought, I wouldn't have thought to look up a seller on google maps to see where they were operating from. I didn't know whether small businesses run from home had found that people did & if they thought it caused a problem for them.
I try & buy from either small businesses or personal sellers who I would always expect to be trading from home, rather than the big guys on ebay unless they can offer so much cheaper that I'd be silly not to use them.

terra_ferma

breadlinebetty wrote: »

eBay is flooded with plus-sized clothes.....you really need to find a niche market - the clothes business has dried up dramatically - especially now that eBay are pushing and promoting all the big boys - Tesco etc - they've pushed out the small sellers and made it very difficult for them to compete.

Let's not forget the increase in fees, now 12%