First time seller - is Ebay still the best method?

Brooker_Dave

elsmandino wrote: »

This does seem to be a growing view of Ebay (at least from reviews I have read on the web) but, unfortunately, as I have no first hand of selling on Ebay, it is not clear what the main problems with it are.

High fees (ebay earns more off the job than you do) and ebay reversing payments are the biggest 2 reasons for not using it.

Use ebay:
Get charged a fortune for selling your stuff
Endless threats for not being 101% perfect, seller defects get you banned
Loon buyers
Buyers who expect old stuff to be better than new
Scam buyers
Ebay reversing the transaction leaving you without money or what you sold

Use Gumtree
Get paid cash or bank transfer
Loon buyers
Buyers who expect old stuff to be better than new
Scam buyers (easy to spot)

Use Dump
Just empty it into your car, take down tip
No loons
No money, but easy stress free life

Use Charity shop

Just empty it into your car, take down charity shop
No loons
No money, but easy stress free life

Bottom line is most UK buyers are messers, but with ebay they've been given superhuman powers to mess and scam.

hollydays

Gumtree-loon buyers with no manners and poor grammar who also want you to deliver free of charge.
Shpock-the same

Flyonthewall

hollydays wrote: »

I don't avoid it but I find it immensely frustrating and time wasting when people try to wriggle out of making arrangements to collect when they say they will.hence I have very strict rules to avoid having my time wasted. It's still a pain though.a newbie to this should be aware of this. Also, ignore buyers who ask you if you've got a buy it now price they are just looking to buy it cheap

Ah right. So you just meant avoid collections, not cash on collection, ok.

Yeah, I agree it can be a pain. Sometimes it's the only option though.

On the topic, should add in case the OP does ever have a collection only item, never let a buyer arrange the courier. Cash on collection or arrange the courier yourself if you do decide to post.

Flyonthewall

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

High fees (ebay earns more off the job than you do) and ebay reversing payments are the biggest 2 reasons for not using it.

Use ebay:
Get charged a fortune for selling your stuff
Endless threats for not being 101% perfect, seller defects get you banned
Loon buyers
Buyers who expect old stuff to be better than new
Scam buyers
Ebay reversing the transaction leaving you without money or what you sold

Use Gumtree
Get paid cash or bank transfer
Loon buyers
Buyers who expect old stuff to be better than new
Scam buyers (easy to spot)

Use Dump
Just empty it into your car, take down tip
No loons
No money, but easy stress free life

Use Charity shop

Just empty it into your car, take down charity shop
No loons
No money, but easy stress free life

Bottom line is most UK buyers are messers, but with ebay they've been given superhuman powers to mess and scam.

For a charity shop you're helping a charity so always a better option than the dump if the item is decent.

I'd say perhaps most on Gumtree are messers. While ebay has it's issues because the site is massive and so popular it's bound to seem at times like they're are many messers/scammers. However, the actual percentage is probably quite low really. Thousands and thousands of transactions happen each day without an issue, but of course you don't tend to hear about them. People don't rant about them or ask advice on them like they do the bad transactions.

A lot of bad transactions are also down to stupidity and silly little mistakes or lack of understanding. So can be resolved by knowing what you're doing, double checking listings and making sure you list items properly (good quality photos, clear description, faults listed etc).

Brooker_Dave

Flyonthewall wrote: »

I'd say perhaps most on Gumtree are messers.

The bonus with Gumtree is that you're not paying to be messed about.

80% messers though.

"what is best price"

"what's your last price"

I've done well with big stuff suited to local collection though.

soolin

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

The bonus with Gumtree is that you're not paying to be messed about.

80% messers though.

"what is best price"

"what's your last price"

I've done well with big stuff suited to local collection though.

Unfortunately facebook is going the same way. Two failed collections last Sunday and one of them then then sent a pm to say he would be 'swinging past' at about 11.30 pm on Tuesday after a local Christmas do his was attending and would pick it up then. I'm just packing the bags now ready to take this last lot of stuff to the charity shop.

makeyourdaddyproud

Charity shop get my vote. I much prefer saintliness over market led avarice.

Ting-Tang

It just makes me laugh when I see friends of mine going to all sorts of trouble - photographing / listing / wrapping / posting / dealing with idiot buyers...and all for a couple of quid.


I'm not talking about business here, but for general household objects you just want to get rid of there are other ways. I know everybody on here thinks the internet is the answer to everything, but I still find that a good old fashioned card in the newsagents window is a hell of a lot better than any website for selling general household "stuff".


I'm not some sort of luddite - ebay etc. have their place of course, but it's worth remembering that not everyone goes straight to a computer when they're looking to buy something.


Plus, maybe I'm weird but I do like a nice cold early morning boot sale....

makeyourdaddyproud

Ting-Tang wrote: »

It just makes me laugh when I see friends of mine going to all sorts of trouble - photographing / listing / wrapping / posting / dealing with idiot buyers...and all for a couple of quid.


I'm not talking about business here, but for general household objects you just want to get rid of there are other ways. I know everybody on here thinks the internet is the answer to everything, but I still find that a good old fashioned card in the newsagents window is a hell of a lot better than any website for selling general household "stuff".


I'm not some sort of luddite - ebay etc. have their place of course, but it's worth remembering that not everyone goes straight to a computer when they're looking to buy something.


Plus, maybe I'm weird but I do like a nice cold early morning boot sale....

There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a luddite. Consider yourself an eccentric delight in this day and age!

KRDmum

Ting-Tang wrote: »

It just makes me laugh when I see friends of mine going to all sorts of trouble - photographing / listing / wrapping / posting / dealing with idiot buyers...and all for a couple of quid.


I'm not talking about business here, but for general household objects you just want to get rid of there are other ways. I know everybody on here thinks the internet is the answer to everything, but I still find that a good old fashioned card in the newsagents window is a hell of a lot better than any website for selling general household "stuff".


I'm not some sort of luddite - ebay etc. have their place of course, but it's worth remembering that not everyone goes straight to a computer when they're looking to buy something.


Plus, maybe I'm weird but I do like a nice cold early morning boot sale....

I recently did an NCT (national child trust for those who don't know) sale, trying to get rid of some of the toys my kids have accumulated over years. I've been pricing items £0.50 to £2.50 max. Not a lot, nothing compare to what items cost new, however, I could not just dump it or give it away. Anyway, my total sales for the day came to £158 After NCT taking their 30% commission. Not bad for a few 'old toys'.

Where I'm going with it, well £2 sounds like nothing, but 100 items at £2 will mean you'll have £200 minus commissions in your pocket :T