Torn - Ebay or Gumtree

CurlySue2017

I have an item to sell that is collectable and relatively decent value (£50-£70ish), but I am torn.

The item is ceramic and therefore, very fragile.

Do I sell on Ebay and risk being scammed by a buyer making a false claim, or do I sell on Gumtree where I will get much less exposure and probably not the collectables buyers that would be interested in this item.

Ok so the value is not that much but I am only selling this item because I need the money, therefore I don't want to lose both the item and my money.....this has happened to me in the past which is why I am nervous about it and thinking ahead.

I don't use social media so those selling pages are out.

WWYD?

Tealblue

Try a local auction house?

Or put it on Gumtree/Facebook and see if you get any sensible offers then try ebay if not.

soolin

Tealblue wrote: »

Try a local auction house?

For a £50-£70 item they will lose up to 40% in fees at a B and m auction so that's probably a last resort especially since it likely to be bought for resale on eBay.

OP If the item can be posted and you are an established seller then eBay will probably get a better price. Otherwise try a local site where item can be collected with a cash payment , like Facebook marketplace or SHpock.

However , check your prices using eBay sold items (sold not listed prices) even if looking to sell locally. Then you have a ball park figure to start as an offer price, and perhaps look to take lower offers for local sales with cash.

Dox

If you choose to sell on ebay, do check which couriers will cover you for breakage in transit. There are now many more restrictions on delicate items and you may not be able to claim, however well packed your item is, if it arrives in more than one piece.

RFW

Dox wrote: »

If you choose to sell on ebay, do check which couriers will cover you for breakage in transit. There are now many more restrictions on delicate items and you may not be able to claim, however well packed your item is, if it arrives in more than one piece.

Genuine question as I don't deal in it: are there any that cover that?

I had a friend who sold fragile items as a business, he was forever changing couriers because they wouldn't pay out on damages. He specified what he sold every time he had a new contract and was approved yet claims were rejected. It's easy enough for a courier to say it's down to bad packaging.

CurlySue2017

soolin wrote: »

For a £50-£70 item they will lose up to 40% in fees at a B and m auction so that's probably a last resort especially since it likely to be bought for resale on eBay.

OP If the item can be posted and you are an established seller then eBay will probably get a better price. Otherwise try a local site where item can be collected with a cash payment , like Facebook marketplace or SHpock.

However , check your prices using eBay sold items (sold not listed prices) even if looking to sell locally. Then you have a ball park figure to start as an offer price, and perhaps look to take lower offers for local sales with cash.

I didn't think about auction houses to be honest, but fees like that are way too high so that's probably not an option.

Checking the previous sold prices on Ebay is where I got my value from so I am confident that it is in the right ball park but would lower the price if buyer was to collect, as you say.

Dox wrote: »

If you choose to sell on ebay, do check which couriers will cover you for breakage in transit. There are now many more restrictions on delicate items and you may not be able to claim, however well packed your item is, if it arrives in more than one piece.

RFW wrote: »

Genuine question as I don't deal in it: are there any that cover that?

I had a friend who sold fragile items as a business, he was forever changing couriers because they wouldn't pay out on damages. He specified what he sold every time he had a new contract and was approved yet claims were rejected. It's easy enough for a courier to say it's down to bad packaging.

This was my worry too.....I am pretty sure that I have read that delicate items are either excluded from claims, or it is extremely difficult to prove that it was packaged sufficiently.

Thanks for the input, I think I will mull it over a bit but probably will go for Gumtree in the end and just sit it out and wait for that illusive buyer