Selling your stuff on Play.com

rare_stuff

Play.com have started a 3rd party seller program open to all.

(this post is subject to a little editing whilst adding the relevant info, please bear with me over the weekend whilst I try and put the info already gathered here)

Items that can be sold through this program include Books, CD's, DVD's and Games.

Registration is as simple as going to http://www.play.com/HOME/HOME/PROD/5...?page=helpdesk
, registering if you have not already a play.com account and then you can list upto 100 items. Though it has been discovered if you list one item, but 100 as quantity you will not be able to add anymore items without subscribing to their Pro scheme.

Listing is fairly simple, and fees aren't bad compared with other sites. Their is no fee to list your stuff, and you will be charged 50p per sold listing, + 10% of the price. The funds go into your play account after clicking the dispatch button, where you are then free to spend it on other goodies at play, or withdraw it. If you choose to withdraw you will be charged 5% of the amount you are with drawing to do so.

Their Pro scheme is £19.99 per month and you can list an unlimited number of items and have access to bulk upload tools, you also are spared the 50p per item sold fee.

It is not stated how fast you must dispatch your order, but it is encouraged to do so swiftly.

Setting prices is quite straightforward, and on the price page you are shown the price play are selling the item for, as well as the lowest price for used and new from other play traders. Unfortunately you cannot click anything from this page to enable you to see details of other sellers or condition of other items, you will have to search play.com directly for this info.

P&P Play combine the P&P charged in with the listed price, so what the item is advertised for is what the buyer pays to receive it. Bit of a downer thisone as far as sellers go as you are effectively being charged fees on the P&P, but it seems quite an advantage to customers.

Customers are given an opportunity to give feedback on transaction, but this seems to be a strictly one way process, and looking at feedback of some sellers who were invited onto play a few months ago, it appears that customers have been buying used items expecting them to be new.

Item descriptions, it is not compulsory to give item description, unless you are listing something below very good condition, though it may be advisable to do this if listing anything not actually new.


(I'll come back over the weekend and add stuff that may have been missed out!)

katchambers

Rare stuff,

Perhaps people were not sure where to go on the website, it is not immediately obvious.

Here is a link:

http://www.play.com/HOME/HOME/PROD/5-/AboutUs.html?page=helpdesk

Looks good to me on initial glance, will play around and try listing a few at weekend.

Kat x

katchambers

Have people been selling on play.com in secret and not telling anyone? Because 'thebookdepository' has supposedly sold 4873 items on play.com
How come no one has mentioned this before?

A link to their feedback, it says they have been trading on play.com since september!

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/PROD/3-/2060606/-/PTSellerProfile.html?seller=8897761&listing=14601052

Kat x

rare_stuff

The book depository and a small number of 'select' big sellers have been on there a few months now, though the 'public' program only just opened yesterday.

katchambers

ok thanks!

highguyuk

Seen this before - wondered why no one had posted on 'ere asking about it!

rare_stuff

katchambers wrote: »

Rare stuff,

Perhaps people were not sure where to go on the website, it is not immediately obvious.

Here is a link:

http://www.play.com/HOME/HOME/PROD/5-/AboutUs.html?page=helpdesk

Looks good to me on initial glance, will play around and try listing a few at weekend.

Kat x

thanks for the link Kat!

Just a few more bits I have found from playing around on this.
Listings end after 60days (like amazon)
Although limited to only 50 listings, the non pro system charges much less commision than amazon.
You set your own postage cost, incorporated in the actual cost.

It looks really good, ideal for money savers, and possibly a good bet for those looking to earn money from online sales as well!

Update!!!!
Listings no longer expire. Number of items a non-pro seller can list is now 100

funkyfunkymonkey

rare_stuff wrote: »

I had problems after listing 3 items, got a message stating I couldn't have more than 3 identical listings under the same condition! They were 3 entirely different items, a book, a music cd, a pc game!

The limit for non-pro sellers is 50listings, or you can pay for an unlimted number and a bulk upload tool - 19.99 a month. Closing fees are reasonable compared with amazon (non-pro seller), 50p an item and 10% of the value.

Hi Rupert

Did you have more than '1' in the quantity box? Their limit of 50 is actual items not no. of listings.

Just listed a few items, will see how it goes.

Do you know if there is the equivalent of turbo lister or a bulk uploader?

Cheers mate :beer:

FFM

rare_stuff

funkyfunkymonkey wrote: »

Hi Rupert

Did you have more than '1' in the quantity box? Their limit of 50 is actual items not no. of listings.

Just listed a few items, will see how it goes.

Do you know if there is the equivalent of turbo lister or a bulk uploader?

Cheers mate :beer:

FFM

thanks FFM,

That could explain it but the tech guy I spoke to on the phone didn't mention that though!

A bulk upload facility is mentioned, but there's no reference to it that I have found. It's only for pro sellers though so maybe when my application is accepted I'll get directed to it, I know of one other seller who has this so may well badger him for the template. I signed up for pro this afternoon and was told that I'd be contacted to let me know if my application was successful, though my restriction on listings seems to have been lifted and when they state the price received after fees they aren't taking off the 50p anymore. I'll call them tomorrow lunchtime if I haven't heard anymore so I can play over the weekend with the bulk upload facility!

The other great thing about this, no one will have had a chance to create any auto-pricing software for it yet!


On aside note - I wonder how many money savers have signed up as a result of this thread? Do you think they'll come back and click 'thanks' when they make their first sale??

funkyfunkymonkey

rare_stuff wrote: »

The other great thing about this, no one will have had a chance to create any auto-pricing software for it yet!

That's a relief just about all the books I listed were also listed by the book depository.

rare_stuff wrote: »

On aside note - I wonder how many money savers have signed up as a result of this thread? Do you think they'll come back and click 'thanks' when they make their first sale??

I'll click 'thanks' in anticipation of my first sale - ever the optimist.

FFM

apprentice_tycoon

rare_stuff wrote: »

On aside note - I wonder how many money savers have signed up as a result of this thread? Do you think they'll come back and click 'thanks' when they make their first sale??

I think that there are a lot, like me, waiting to see how you go on with this before having a go, rare_stuff...you are our guinea pig!