Selling something on Ebay, is it easy to do? (1 Viewer)

[Travis Hedger]

Hello all.

As long as Ebay has existed I have never purchased or sold anything.

Well, my computer is showing its age and is having all kinds of issues, yet I don't have any immediate cash on hand.

I have an item to sell, and judging by similar items being put up on Ebay, there is a demand, and I believe I should be able to get a pretty good value out of it.

I am going to sell my Remote Control Hirobo Shuttle Challenge helicopter.

I purchased it about 4 years ago, could never get it put together, gave up and threw it in storage and promptly forgot about it until recently.

I have a digital camera that I am borrowing and some WebSpace to host the pictures.

Can someone who has never sold anything on Ebay at least post their auction pretty easily?

Thanks

 

[Bob Sheen]

It's easy to use. Just follow the intructions and fill in the blanks. Good luck.

bob

 

[Michael*K]

The selling procedures are pretty well laid out. Just follow the step by step instructions and you'll do fine.

 

[Seth_S]

Some advice:

Make it clear you won't ship the items until you've received payment. I used to think that this was obvious until someone got really pissy with me and threatened to give me negative feedback because I wouldn't ship until their check had cleared, and I didn't say this in my auction.

 

[Greg.K]

Even better - state you won't accept personal checks.

 

[Seth_S]

Greg Kettell,

Eh, there are a lot of willing buyers who for some reason refuse to use payment options like paypal

 

[DonRoeber]

Seth, Then they can send a money order. I've been burned by personal checks before. Just don't bother anymore.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

You can just as easily be burned by PayPal, as there is NO protection for the seller, despite what they claim.

Selling on Ebay isn't difficult, but does have its drawbacks. Look at several other auctions to see the kinds of restrictions others are using. Also remember that historic sales aren't necessarily what you'll get for your item. You will be paying Ebay's fees whether you sell or not, so think carefully about your pricing, and what you will be getting after deducting all the costs of listing.

 

[Michael*K]

Money orders are no guarantee either.

 

[Scott L]

Just reassure the buyer they are getting quality merchandise from you. If you start now you will have a feedback rating of 0 so it will be harder than normal to sell your things. Show lots of pics and be clear of your selling terms, especially your shipping charge.

 

[Seth_S]

How so, did you not wait for the check to clear?

 

[Mike Lenthol]

Another pointer: auctions last 3/5/7/10 whole days from the time listed, so try to list it when your target audience will be home and likely to get into bidding wars.

If it’s pretty expensive item and you have 0 feedback, might be worth stating that you’ll be willing to go through an escrow. Most, likely won’t deal with the hassle of escrow, but it’s still a reassurance of legitimacy.

 

[Peter Kim]

How long do you wait to ensure that a personal check has cleared?

And can anyone explain why opt for a reserve over a specific starting bid? Or vice versa?

 

[Scott L]

I forget how much ebay charges for reserve prices nowadays but they have always charged a percentage of what the starting bid is. So it's always best to start the auction out at $.01 especially if you set a reserve. Only reason to have the starting bid up higher is if there isn't a big demand for the item you're selling and you don't want to set a reserve.

 

[Seth_S]

So you don't scare off bidders, and hope that people will over guess your reserve. I think it only works with expensive items.

 

[Travis Hedger]

What is this escrow?

 

[alan halvorson]

Scott: Ebay insertion fees are based on the starting bid, or the reserve which, of course, is higher. A low starting bid will not save you money on a reserve auction. A starting bid equal to the reserve is cheaper than using a reseve; however, if the reserve is met, the reserve fee is not charged. My observaion is that a high starting bid is less likely to attact bidders, but this is certainly not a hard rule.

I specify USPS or Western Union for those buyers who pay by money order, and treat all other money orders as personal checks with at least a two week clearance (say this!).

So, we've learned from this thread that we can't trust PAYPAL, personal checks or money orders. That leaves cash, but not many will opt for a cash-only option (I won't). It's a wonder that Ebay can function at all.

A few tips:

1.) Describe exactly what you have, its condition and completeness. If parts, manuals, etc. are missing or broken, confess.

2.) Know what shipping will be. Do a preliminary pack and weigh it. If shipping via USPS, use this Link Removed to estimate shipping costs. Remember, shipping varies by destination. I always pretend I'm shipping to San Francisco. For some reason, even though San Francisco is about the same distance as New York from where I live, shipping there is always higher. Shipping to Hawaii and Alaska may be higher.

One thing I hate is a charge for packing. That's a cost of doing business you should absorb. You may feel justified adding a fee for packing, but some people (like me!) are really annoyed by it and won't bid.

3.) Decide whether you will ship internationally. While it's not much of a problem shipping internationally - all you have to do is fill out a customs form - payments via PAYPAL are less trustworthy. Encourage international bidders to use BIDPAY, who will then send you a Western Union money order that won't be a forgery.

4.) If you sign up for PAYPAL, bite the bullet and upgrade to a Premier Account so that you can accept credit cards. Yes, there's a fee (2.9% + .30), but in the long run, you will get more and higher bids if the buyer can use a credit card.

5.) I recommend using Ebays' escrow service only. There are a lot of fraudulent escrow services. The only one I would feel comfortable with is Ebays' own.

 

[Seth_S]

Personal checks can be trusted, but just never send an item before the check clears, and be sure to state in your auction that you do this.

 

[Jon_Are]

How can a USPS money order not be good?

Just curious.

Jon

 

[Michael*K]

How can a USPS money order not be good?

Luckily it hasn't happened to me, but I know of instances where money orders have been forged or stolen straight from the issuing bank or post office.