Help for Ebay Newbie please

IBS

Hope someone can help. I won a smart watch a few weeks ago which I wanted but now I've got it I realise it's not really practical as I don't wear a watch often. I listed it yesterday on ebay for £125. Auction ends next Sunday. I've not had any offers on it yet but I've had 2 messages. The first said what would I accept for it? The second offered me £170 + £40 P&P. Are these cons? and why don't they just put the offer in the Auction? Presumably if I accept the offer, give him my paypal details and things go wrong I won't be covered by any ebay guarantee. Any advice please.

lilias

Ignore the £170 because that's almost certainly a scam.

BlueBella

lilias wrote: »

Ignore the £170 because that's almost certainly a scam.

I agree and why would they offer to pay £40 p&P??? Check out their feedback - if they are new then ignore. You can chat online to an ebay adviser for advice - they will advise you not to sell off ebay as if things go pear shaped you will not be covered by them.

BlueBella

How much is the watch worth new? You may be overpricing it - ebays want a bargain.

mjm3346

There is a section for e-bay etc here


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40

arabella505

People often don't bid on the auction because they think they will get outbid at the last minute (I am like this, I'm busy and its pretty unlikely I will be home when an item finishes and its very frustrating to get outbid by a few pounds, also I am restricted to only bidding on one thing at once and waiting a week to see if I win which just isn't practical). Have you tried relisting it as a "buy it now or best offer"? This might work better if you are getting a lot of offers. I often sell things without going through eBay (and ending the listing) and I have never had a problem with it but I am an experienced eBayer so maybe I know what to look for. That £40pp offer makes no sense though, check their feedback and if it looks ok maybe message them and ask them why they are offering so much for the posting when it will only cost about £10 to post.
You do get moaned at off eBay for ending listings early so if you don't want to get involved in discussing offers with people, you can just say "Sorry, I'm already in trouble off ebay for ending too many listings early so I'm just going to let this run through to the end of the auction" (nice and polite and you don't have to say "I think you are a scam artist")
While people are saying you aren't covered by eBay's seller protection, which they are right about, you do still have some protection from Paypal, and the buyer also isn't covered so they are taking just as much of a risk, maybe speak to a paypal advisor rather than someone on eBay they will probably give you a more balanced view of your pros and cons.
Hope this helps

DynasticDux

IBS wrote: »

Hope someone can help. I won a smart watch a few weeks ago which I wanted but now I've got it I realise it's not really practical as I don't wear a watch often.

Why didn't you just request to return it back to the seller?
Distance Selling Regulations state you have 14 days from the day after you receive it to tell the seller you wish to return it - then a further 14 days then to return it .... and get a full refund (including original postage costs) .. some sellers may also offer an extended returns deadline, but 14 days is the minimum allowed by law


Also now - if you end an eBay auction listing early (with any bids on) you will be charged a 10% fee of what the highest bid was when you ended it ... eBay have cottoned on that people end listings to sell "off eBay"

BlueBella

DynasticDux wrote: »

Why didn't you just request to return it back to the seller?
Distance Selling Regulations state you have 14 days from the day after you receive it to tell the seller you wish to return it - then a further 14 days then to return it .... and get a full refund (including original postage costs) .. some sellers may also offer an extended returns deadline, but 14 days is the minimum allowed by law

IBS won the watch - they didn't buy it so couldn't really return it.

DynasticDux

BlueBella wrote: »

IBS won the watch - they didn't buy it so couldn't really return it.

Arrr, must read it properly .... just saw the eBay title and presumed they got it from eBay :snow_laug

LittleBeastie89

I'd stay away from the buyer offering £170, as it sounds a bit dubious!

You might not have any bids for a number of reasons: 1 - your starting bid is too high, since you won the watch it'd be worth looking at a few sites and eBay to see what it usually sells for so you can guide your starting price. 2 - sometimes bids don't come in until closer to the end of the auction, I'd say it's not unusual to not have any bids in an auction that still has more than 5 days until it ends. 3 - your listing isn't as thorough as people would like for a potentially pricier item. 4 - your P&P is too high. 5 - if you're a new seller with limited feedback people might be reluctant from buying from you at this point.

Since your an eBay newbie I'd probably recommend you avoid selling off eBay and come up with a standard polite response to anyone requesting an off eBay sale. Make sure your item and P&P are reasonably priced and your listing is detailed with good quality photos. If your item doesn't sell or you want to end the auction now and relist I'd suggest the above but with a reasonable buy it now price with the options for buyers to make a offer. Hope that helps.

deb2112

How exactly are you listing it?
If you have put it as a "buy it now or make an offer", you can expect numerous people offering below your asking price to try and get the best deal. Many of these will message you first to gauge how much you are prepared to sell it for, as they only have three official "offers".
If it is a flat "Buy It Now" then you are officially saying "This is what I want for it". People will still chance their arm and offer less but anyone offering more is seriously dodgy and needs blocking as a bidder.
Finally if you have opted for an auction style listing with £125 as your minimum starting bid, then it is reasonable to expect people to offer above this, if they really want it. If they have offered an amount you are happy with and you have no other bidders, relist it as a Buy It Now, for the agreed amount but don't agree to trade outside of eBay. The item number will change so you will have to give your buyer the new item number to help them find it.

My business is almost solely run on eBay- I have the pleasure of eBay buyers (good and dodgy) on a daily basis. Good luck with it!