eBay Selling Tips

[AABCDS]

I'm going to be selling some items on eBay soon. After several dozen purchases on eBay, these will be my first sales. Does anyone have useful advice they can give a first time seller? Any opinions on whether I should accept returns or not?

Horror stories are welcome.

 

[ironfisted]

I've sold everything from $10 trinkets to $2,000 espresso machines. It's best to detail the items thoroughly as possible, include good pics and never offer returns except in case of defect. Remember to build in for eBay's charges, so that you cover your costs. Good luck selling!

 

[rxonmymind]

Always use tracking. Remember eBay charges a % for shipping cost ON TOP of the commission of the sale. Otherwise what ironfisted said. Good luck selling!

 

[raisindot]

I've sold hundreds of things on Ebay, from stuff selling for a couple bucks to items selling for over $1,000. In my experience, I've always found that these tips ensure the best experience for both you as seller and for your buyers.

1. Make your item 'title' as inclusive as possible to aid in searching. If it's branded item, list the model name and number exactly as it is, but also include variants (i.e., 'Gillette Fatboy Fat boy double edge DE razor' or "Ford F150 F-150 F 150 pickup truck")

2. Use at least one, and preferably several photos. One of these should be the "main" photo (i.e., shows the whole product) while the other show details. Photos should be as clear and detailed as possible, shot against a white or light background if possible. It selling electronics with displays, turn it on so people can see the display. If it comes with accessories, include shots of them as well.

3. Make absolutely sure the condition is listed accurated. "New" does not need mean something you just opened and decided not to return to Walmart. 'New' means never opened, never taken out of its package. If used, describe the condition both cosmetically and functionally. Be absolutely honest.

4. Include a very well written description. Proofread for typos and grammatical errors. Never use ALL CAPS. If you're the original owner, make sure you state this and the reason why you're selling ("Need to clean house, and, unfortunately, this has to go."). If you're reusing a description from a manufacturer's product site (i.e., if you're selling electronics), you can borrow that description, but make sure you state this in your ad.

5. Always include a buy-it-now price, even if you're conducting an auction. There's always a chance that someone will just want to buy it and not wait for the auction to end. The minute someplaces a bid, the BIN price option goes away anyway.

6. If you're scheduling an auction, base your ending day and time on how many other similar items are around as well. If yours is a particularly popular product, you might get higher bids by scheduling a shorter closing day/time, particularly if the next similar item auction won't close for another day or so.

7. If you're auctioning something that isn't necessarily popular, use the 10-day auction to maximize the potential searches. Schedule the auction to end around 11:15 EST on a Sunday or Monday night. This gives west coasters coming home from work a chance to compete with the east coaster. Never schedule auctions to close on Fridays or Saturdays, on holidays or on three-day weekends. The xx:15 auction is there for people who want to play off last bids after a TV show ends.

8. Don't have a return policy, other than for damaged goods. Ebay's own policy protects buyers from dishonest sellers.

9. Make your shipping costs reasonable. Free is preferred, but if you must charge shipping, calculate the cost using the shipping estimators of the service you plan on using, then a couple bucks for the box. Ebay buyers are very savvy about people who overcharge shipping and Ebay itself has policies that may limit what you can charge.
Shipping lighter and smaller options via USPS will be a lot less expensive than FEDEX or UPS, but make sure you get delivery confirmation. Getting a signature is not required; all you need to make sure is that the package was actually delivered. If it was stolen from the buyer's mailbox, that's their problem, not yours. If it is expensive, spring for the insurance, which you should pay yourself.

10. Be very cautious about shipping outside the U.S. There's no way to track an item once it leaves the U.S. (through the USPS anyway), and overseas shipping costs are outrageous. Make sure you specify in your auction which countries you're willing to ship to.

11. Don't feel obligated to provide tracking information. The larger volume sellers do this, but if you're not shipping UPS/FEDEX it isn't necessary. However, if you do get delivery confirmation it can't hurt to give this information to your buyer.

12. ONLY accept Paypal payments, and only from verified Paypal members, unless this is a local sale that can be done through cash. There's no reason any Ebay member shouldn't have Paypal at this point.

13. Once you've received payment, ship out the item as fast as possible. Your buyer is waiting expectantly for his Slim to arrive. Don't make him wait more than a week and half to get it.

As a new seller, you may have fewer bidders/purchasers because you haven't built a reputation as a seller yet. That's why it's critical for you to make sure that every transaction is a great one for your buyer. Give the buyer a good rating, and ask that they give you one as well. Buyers are more likely to purchase products from sellers who have sold large numbers of items and have 100% ratings than they are with anyone who has any kind of neutral or negative rating.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Mark1966]

^^^^ what he said except:

'Be very cautious about shipping outside the U.S. There's no way to track an item once it leaves the U.S. (through the USPS anyway), and overseas shipping costs are outrageous. Make sure you specify in your auction which countries you're willing to ship to.'

I've brought more than a few things from teh US and have had no problems with shipping. First Class or small flat rate boxes are relatively cheap and simple for the seller too I believe.

Give us a break

 

[warhawk]

Everyone has made some excellent advice. I will also add 2 please communicate with your buyers. Don't leave them waiting. It makes the buyer feel ignored when U do not answer their emails. Also I want 2 echo what (Raisindot) stated... once U receive confirmation of payment ship immediately (do NOT WAIT). Hope U have a great Ebay experience and PM your Ebay info (if U don't mind) so I can go shopping.

WARHAWK

 

[Mick]

It ain't gonna be like BST. You will be dealing with all sorts of people from those who are uber savvy to those who don't have the slightest idea what they just bought from you.

I try to steer clear of both buying and selling on eBay just because of the potential hassles that always seem to pop up for no reason.

The wife on the other hand is an eBay mavin. She has been registered since 1997 and does real well.

Best advice I can give is "plan for the worst and hope for the best".

 

[jd_1138]

You can specify what countries that you will ship to. I've never had a problem selling to folks in Europe, Australia, Canada. But they will have to pay more for shipping obviously. Small parcels via the USPS usually don't cost too much to ship overseas -- even to Australia, New Zealand, etc.. Especially if the item isn't that valuable; then the fact that you can't track it isn't that big of a deal.

I've been burnt on some items sent to South America, so I don't deal with them. 95% of South Americans are probably honest folks, but a few bad ones ruin it for everybody.

Also it helps to have a postal scale that's accurate, so you can put in the exact dimensions and weight, so the customers will know exactly how much it will be ship before placing a bid. This will also prevent you from charging too little for shipping, because you will know exactly how much it is. And it will save you from having to package up the item and taking it to the USPS to get a cost to give to the customer. I buy a lot of stuff on ebay, and I save all the packing materials that I receive with these shipments -- peanuts, foam, bubble wrap, boxes, padded mailers, etc.. So I don't have to pay for packing materials. Packing materials and driving to go get them can be pricey and time consuming and will eat into your profit. The dollar store is a great place for cheap and sturdy packing tape.

Also, in your auctions, you may want to write that you only sell to people with 10 or more feedbacks. I started doing that after I sold a Seiko watch on ebay, and the buyer had zero feedback, and he lived in Australia (so no way to track), but he paid with PayPal, and he didn't rip me off. He got his watch, and I got my money. But now, I write "must have 10 or more feedbacks to bid". That way you can cancel the transaction if it sounds fishy.

 

[raisindot]

^^^^ what he said except:

'Be very cautious about shipping outside the U.S. There's no way to track an item once it leaves the U.S. (through the USPS anyway), and overseas shipping costs are outrageous. Make sure you specify in your auction which countries you're willing to ship to.'

I've brought more than a few things from teh US and have had no problems with shipping. First Class or small flat rate boxes are relatively cheap and simple for the seller too I believe.

Give us a break

Glad your experiences were positive. Most times I've bought from overseas it's been okay, but on two occasions items I bought from overseas sellers (ironically, both in Australia) through Ebay never arrived, and one item I sold and shipped to Europe never arrived. Fortunately, these weren't incredibly expensive items, so I wasn't out a huge amount of money when I refunded (and the Oz sellers did refund my money as well). That's why I've stopped shipping overseas. Not worth the hassles.

 

[WesternModern]

+1 on adding the "Buy It Now" option.
Last year I was selling an old hockey jersey that had just sat in the drawer for over a decade. I noticed that similar jerseys were selling for about $50-60, so I set the starting bid at $49. For the hell of it I set the Buy It Now price at $150, about 50 bucks more than I paid for it.
Less than 10 minutes after being posted somebody bought it .

 

[Oscroft]

I've sold a few hundred items on eBay, and I agree with pretty much what everyone else says.

I'm ambivalent on shipping overseas, and will only ship to selected countries, but it depends on the value of the item. As I can't get reasonably price tracked shipping with proof of delivery, I won't ship overseas for anything that isn't cheap. For cheap items, I'll take the risk and ship without tracking, figuring that the price boost from extra bidders will balance any losses in the long term - so far, only one package has ever failed to arrived out of dozens I've sent overseas.

I'd also suggest being careful about the timing of the end of the auction, and I generally try to end mine on Sunday evenings. Middle of the day during the week, and people will be out at work and maybe not able to watch. Also, Saturday evening here in the UK sees a lot of people having their weekly night out, so that's not a good time to end. For some unknown reason, I've found sales ending on a Thursday evening in the UK do better than other weekdays - but you'd obviously need to observe US patterns.

And yes, by far the most important things are to get the title and the description right, and to use good clear photos.

 

[thunder54]

I have sold many items on Ebay. I have shipped all over the world but I would not now, too many documents to fill out and no real way to track unless one ships UPS or FedEx.
When I first was on Ebay I had just got married and was bringing stuff from my storage unit, my parents basement, to sell. I found all these games from Games Designer Workshop that I had purchased in the mid to late 80's. I wound up selling the games all over Europe. I refused to ship any other way than UPS just so we could track the packages. One guy from France bought my Talisman game with every expansion set. He paid almost 600USD for the set and then paid another 100 to get it shipped Next day Air.
If you sell vinyl record albums make sure they are insured or ship them in cardboard boxes. Even if you mark the package Do Not Bend does not mean it will not get folded over.
Always Always always communicate. have had a few buyers/sellers drag their feet paying/shipping, when I shoot them an email I do not hear a thing. After 3 emails I let them know I will contact Ebay and get the non-paying buyer or seller process rolling if I do not hear from them. If you run into problems try and work it out before you get Ebay/PayPal involved.

 

[AABCDS]

Thank you everyone for the time, energy, and thought you put into your responses. I appreciate it.

I am planning selling internationally. I once tried to mail something to the UK and was told by the clerk at the post office that the only USPS shipping method that offers delivery confirmation is USPS Express International. Sending a razor to England cost me $34. I know that the USPS raised their prices recently. I think international shipping through USPS Express is over $40.

I've read a little bit about the USPS Registered International method. Can anyone confirm that this does method also offers the delivery confirmation that eBay requires?

Also, if anyone didn't know, domestic packages that are worth over $250 require signature confirmation now. I'll have to do more research on the cost but it's probably not cheap to add signature confirmation for international packages.

 

[jd_1138]

I don't think Registered International includes confirmation. The USPS website seems to be having trouble with their FAQ page, though. If the item is under $50 or whatever you're comfortable with, then I wouldn't even mess with expensive confirmations (if they are going to be pricey) or pricey shipping methods. Because high shipping rates will lower the selling price of your items. Europeans aren't anymore likely to rip you off than Americans. I never had any trouble shipping overseas to Europe, Australia, NZ, Canada. They've been super polite and nice. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Daiku]

Another word of advice: Make sure your item description is detailed and thorough. Don't be afraid to be a little bit of a salesman. This, I've found, is essential to getting the bidding started, and getting a nice high winning bid. I don't know how many times I've been intrigued by an item, and then looked at the listing, only to find something like "Gillette Tech. Looks old. Shaves good."

Take some time and make your item seem desirable. It's really worth it.

 

[ladykate]

Like others - I have sold small things (2.95) and large things (15,000). I have no problem offering a return on merchandise. I put a 3 day after receipt time on it. I have only received a couple of things back and both times they resold. I do ask that the buyer pay shipping to return it. I explain that on my listings.

What the others said generally apply. Be very honest and very careful to say what you have but don't over-sell it. There is a great essay on razor selling on eBay. It kind of explains some of the traps. The essay is pretty opinionated and some things I don't follow but most I do. See: http://reviews.ebay.com/Selling-Straight-Razors?ugid=10000000001456052 The guy who wrote it started obsessing about a bad buyer and that purchase ended up a nightmare of nasty communication. Be unemotional and business-like. If a purchase looks like it is tanking - then cut your losses, learn from it, and go on. You are in the biz of selling, not arguing. Anyone can argue but there are few wins on the Internet... just more arguing.

I have had items disappear when sending them to Italy, Mexico and parts of South America. Those I ended up eating everything on - and deciding not to send to those countries again. I have had excellent luck shipping to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Russia, Iceland, Canada and almost all Western European areas. However, I, like others, hate the BS you have to follow when shipping overseas. The item has to be worth it. I don't send things priced less that $50 to other countries. Even then it is a pain.

Always ship promptly. Don't wait a week and ship 'only on Thursdays' or some such. Of course, this is much easier to do if you are shipping items that make it worthwhile to go to the Post Office (or have them pick up).

If possible, always ship priority. It usually isn't that much more (for USPS) and your customer will get it in 2-3 days and love you for it. If a customer buys a $200 razor and you ship it for $3.50 vs $4.50 then, when it takes 18 days to get four states over (which has happened to me as a buyer), you really aren't in the mood to be nice or to purchase again from that seller. Shipping costs can be included in the auction so use a good shipping method.

 

[jd_1138]

Usually Priority is within 10-20 cents of the Parcel rate for small items like razors and such. So for smaller items, it's almost always a no-brainer to ship Priority.

Also, it's important to take a decent picture of the items. If the picture looks bad, unfocused, etc., then the customer will believe that the item itself is bad, and the price you get will be lower than what it could've been. It's because they may not see the details of the item if the picture is bad. And probably some of it is psychological -- ugly pic = bad item. I had a 5 year old crappy Polaroid digital camera with low MP's and a cheap sensor. I recently bought a $99 Canon Powershot, and the pics look much better, and I can take very nice closeups of smaller items. Makes a difference.