Point 14.
I think 4am here isn't the same time in the whole of the world :-) Whilst 4am may not generate interest here, it may elsewhere. So worth adding international postage options if its relevant to the item/market.

Point 25.
Descriptions (both by private and business) have to be more than 'fairly described' I think you need to emphasise they need to be 'accurately described'. It isn't caveat emptor with Ebay as a buyer can raise a SNAD (significantly not as described dispute) for just about any reason. The chances are that Ebay and Paypal will nearly always side with the buyer and get them to return it for a full refund (which will include the original postage charge). So if a seller misdescribes or omits something, they could find they get the item back, have to refund and still have forked out for the postage in the first place.

Point 30
This point is just wrong:

Proof of delivery online (currently with a signature for £150 or more items) is needed for a INR dispute.

Proof of postage is needed for an unauthorised chargeback.

So please, do NOT tell anyone they don't need a proof of postage. It is free and can save them a fortune. But they need to understand there are three types of dispute one of which is a chargeback.

PoP should be kept for 180 days.

Disputes:
INR - item not received - you need proof of delivery (with signature over £150 - although this is changing soon).
SNAD - significantly not as described - a straight forward dispute where no proof of delivery or postage is relevant to the seller. If a buyer is asked to return an item for SNAD then they must use a tracked service, which must show the item as delivered, refused or attempted delivery made.
UC - unauthorised chargeback - the proof of posting (cop/pop) is ALL that is needed and in most cases is the ONLY proof that Paypal accept.

I've probably missed more, but it's early and there are keener eyes than mine.

As I'm just starting out in the world of eBay, this guide is invaluable. Thanks a lot

Point 21 is valid although when they have already paid by PayPal it's hard to tell the buyer that you want to refund their PayPal account and they must bring cash. It can also look like you're a 'dodgy seller'.

One trick I've used is to send them a receipt/invoice by recorded delivery. That way you have a tracking number and signature which may be useful if a dispute arises.

Note that an additional cost you have if you trade a lot on eBay is that Paypal will not credit the 20p transaction charge if the item is refunded.

If you do start to become a trader rather than selling personal stuff, as well as registering as a business, you will come under the distant selling regulations which means that a buyer can return items for any reason within 7 days (which eBay have extended to 14) and you must refund the cost of the item and outward shipping in full (but not obligated to pay for the return postage). Make sure that this is factored into your margins.

Good luck

Tony
eBay id esellitlondon

The DSRs will update next year to 14 days minimum. Also note that terms need to be made available in a durable format to buyers - the best form is a packing slip stating the terms up front. If the terms are not legally perfect, the seller incurs a lot more onerous obligations - particularly next year when the time for cancellation in the absence of legal terms becomes a whole year.

I would not personally sell an item cash on collection on eBay unless I was prepared to risk the INR scam. I don't like messing buyers about - they are possibly as nervous as I am about trusting sellers, and any funny business on a seller's part, such as refunding me and insisting on cash or sending me stuff in the post would just ring alarm bells, I'm afraid.

Blimey it feels like I might have penned a lot of this guide!

Point 2 - 'Not used in a year then flog it' is a little OTT. Well unless you're going for a minimalist look.

Point 7 - I think this is as important as anything, it can really make the difference if there are a lot of items the same/similar to yours or even if there's just one other.

Point 12 - I amazed to see how many people still put up fuzzy and poorly lit photos and then wonder why they get no bids.

Point 13 - I have a style when it comes to pricing so my listings can stand out. I'm not going to give it away but it's simple if you think about.

Point 14 - IMO 7-9pm is a little limited, I've had some considerable success with listings ending after 10pm. If you are selling to the UK and US a 10 to 11pm end time catches a lot of people.

Sometimes it just depends on the night, definitely check those advance TV listings though!!

Point 15 - I barely sell anything of value in the summer when the schools are off. For 6 weeks, up to quarter of your potential buyers are away sunning themselves or whatever. Summer is a good time to work on your listings using Turbo Lister and build up your inventory.

Point 22 - Use Dropbox, so so easy to do from Windows Explorer (or whatever), Just use the public link and in Turbo Lister put in the HTML code

<img src="your link goes here">

Then you can move it around using the tools, or alternatively learn some more coding.

Point 29 - I use http://www.seajays.org.uk/postage/ and a decent pair of kitchen scales. I also have cardboard Royal Mail letter size guide to avoid getting caught out, thinking something is a large letter and the Post Office say it's a packet and then you get hit with double the price.

Point 36 - Never found any worth selling books on eBay, not much on Green Metropolis either. Amazon really has the lock-down on this, best to sell there every time.

Point 37 - More unusual records and CDs sell well on eBay. I personally wouldn't touch Music Magpie, prefer Amazon in the main.

Point 40 - With some things, especially those that aren't selling, I do think you have to be realistic and consider giving them to a local charity. I have a great guy from Oxfam who collects just about anything!

Just like pretty much every other "well researched" guide on this site is lifted from forum posts and other websites, but seemingly very little in the way of sense-testing is completed before it is pimped out to unsuspecting readers.

I wanted to do this to put the video of a how to use the item I was selling plus (ironically) some links to other Ebayers where spare parts could be sourced.

Wouldn't let me do it.

Is this a new thing... because if you look at all the Chinese sellers they seem to have whole web pages embedded in theirs? Or is it a business user only privilege?

Beware tip 21: 'You could write in bold in your listing "Please note I will accept cash on collection only, not Paypal". Yet this is against eBay's policies and could mean your listing's taken down.'

I am a new user on Ebay, and I stupidly followed the honest route in the description of my (7) listings:

'*If you are collecting from me, I'd prefer to be paid in cash rather than by Paypal. This avoids the hefty fees Paypal charge!'

After 2 days, my listings were taken down. I have now asked Ebay if the following wording is acceptable: '*If you are collecting from me, I'd prefer to be paid in cash. Thank you.' I'm waiting for a reply.

The above ive marked in red is why your listing was taken down as it is classed a fee avoidance and putting it in your listing will have been viewed as blatant.

Saying you prefer cash on collection is perfectly acceptable.

Actually some people have had listings pulled for saying 'cash preferred' but I don't think ebay police it quite so much anymore.

"YOU NEED PROOF OF DELIVERY

It's not just buyers who get caught out by unscrupulous sellers !!!8211; buyers get up to skullduggery too. One problem is buyers winning a mega-pricey item such as an iPhone and claiming it never arrived, then claiming the cash back - even though they have the item.

To qualify for eBay's seller protection, you must use a service that comes with "online trackable proof of delivery", such as Royal Mail's Recorded Delivery. For items valued over £150, it also requires signature confirmation."

The problem with is that Royal Mail Recorded Delivery is NOT a trackable service - the much more expensive Special Delivery is. Recorded delivery only aims to provide proof of delivery via a signature, but often doesn't even do that.

The OP is 20 months old and out of date and has been bumped with a new query.

Recorded delivery doesn't even exist anymore and all the info needed is in the sticky postage thread.

Unless this changes with their fee changes tomorrow, you can list items for 40 days FOC on ebay. When creating a listing, use a 10 day auction and make sure you tick the box to re-list for free up to 3 times. I use this all the time as it doesn't use your free listing limit, and also means you don't need to re-list manually. When the 3 free re-lists expire wait till the next free listing weekend and repeat! FYI - if your item sells it won't get re-listed

Make a new account (buy all your stuff to build a feedback profile) and get another 20 free listings a month. Not sure how to avoid getting thrown out but I use the same Paypal account for mine and my relatives accounts. Different e-mail addresses though. For more expensive sale items, I use myHermes for £2.78 up to a Kilo, and £3.78 with a signature. Tracked online. Pack VERY well. myHermes has a virtual get-out clause by refusing to compensate for a large variety of items - beware. I have only had 2 problems with myHermes, 1) Item got left on a neighbours doorstep - Recipient got the item and mentioned this to me so no loss. 2) Item was roughly treated and damaged in transit. Partly my fault due to lack of packing like bubble-wrap. DHL (or is it UPS?) do a very cheap service from drop off points like the shoe shop Brantando.

Ebay upping some rates,plus Paypal to pay, commision to Ebay, extotionate Post Office rates, certain buyers!!!!I am going to chuck many things in the dustbin which I thought about putting on Ebay.
Buying will still be used for Ebay though.

This year Ebay has admitted to 11 "glitches" this is not even close to the problems both buyers and sellers have experienced!
But today is the worst - not possible to even log in - I have google chrome, mozilla and internet explorer and none working. Also called friends who also can't get on ebay - see

isitdownrightnow.com/ebay.co.uk.html[/url]

for more. I have listings ending today, I had stuff I wanted to bid on today, I have a load of listings scheduled which I can't edit to add pics and correct info! Sunday is busiest day on ebay so no more "scheduled maintenance" nonsense

They are a monopoly and abusing power. See one of replies on above link where they admit they don't care about individuals and small bidders!
Time us little guys who built this business got a better deal!
Remember when it was an auction site!!!!
Please help - I feel abused and I'm not the only one

For starters some refund on fees if they have been down all day
But the charges on postage (is it even legal for them to charge 10% on my post cost when £3 is cost of tube???)
And all their other changes
Please Martin time to take a closer look at Ebay - especially as you recomend as a way of making a few quid!!!!
All Best Lynn

I have been using a new online service - ebuyersreviewed. com and I like it a lot. You can screen a buyer before you ship any item to him/her or report one so other sellers can benefit from your experience. I hope this can help you in future.

Great post, spam and a bump all in one.

Point 13 - "Get to the top of search results"
Good Luck! Feebay skews search results.
If you do not offer a 3 Month return policy, you get pushed down in the results.
If you do not offer Same Day shipping, you get pushed down in the results.
If you do not offer Free Shipping, you get pushed down in the results.
If you do not sign up for so-called "Hasstle Free Returns" (AKA Horrable Forced Refunds), you get pushed down in the results.
If you list an item more than once, you get pushed down in the results.
Regardless of Keywords.

Most recent example: Emailed April 30th, 2015:
"That!!!8217;s why we will reduce listing visibility in Best Match for the small number of sellers who violate the duplicate listings policy. This reduced visibility would be in addition to our current responses for policy violations."
Minor violations like the ones listed above.

We recomend filtering your searches by "Lowest Price First" "Highist Price First" or "Ending Soonist", anything but the default "best match" (so-called)

Point 26 & 34 - "Be carefull with discriptions." & "Be Prepared to Refund"
Feebay always takes the buyers side in Not As Described cases - Without Investigating.
And issues refunds via PayPal, without your consent.
You are not allowed to set your own return or refund policies.
(there are places to do so on the listing forms, but they make absolutly NO differance).

Point 28 - "Never bid on your own auctions".
If you win, Feebay still takes 10%.- of a payment you never got..