eBay sellers: what are your rules & fine print?

[Silent1CB]

I listed my very first item for sale last night on eBay. Woohoo!

I'm sure I did NOT put in enough of that fine print stuff to protect myself. I have more items I want to list. Would you mind sharing with me the fine print you use & have developed over the years of hearing about scams?

Thanks.
And what is your preferred method of shipping? I stated I would pay the shipping, when I would ship after payment & it would arrive by Christmas via USPS, but I really did not state how it would be mailed thru USPS.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I sell occasionally on ebay but buy a lot and be careful with the fine print and your tone. The more fine print and harsh tone I read - the quicker I find someone else. There's a fine line between protecting yourself and sounding like someone who would be very difficult to deal with. I actually paid more for an auction the other day b/c the tone was better than the listing where the auction was less.

 

[Silent1CB]

I sell occasionally on ebay but buy a lot and be careful with the fine print and your tone. The more fine print and harsh tone I read - the quicker I find someone else. There's a fine line between protecting yourself and sounding like someone who would be very difficult to deal with. I actually paid more for an auction the other day b/c the tone was better than the listing where the auction was less.

I totally get that but I think I should have some, right? What are the ones I need to protect about the most?

 

[rflorek]

Make sure you get delivery confirmation when shipping - you'll need it for Paypal.

Depending upon the weight of your item, I usually use Priority Mail to ship. If it's very light, you can use first class (or media mail for DVDs, books, or CDs - but slow & may not make it for xmas). If you guaranteed Christmas delivery, you may need to use Priority Mail.

Hopefully you have an idea how much the postage will be since you are paying for shipping. Too many people get the cost wrong & end up losing money in the beginning. You are also not allowed to charge extra for insurance - you either have to build the cost into your listing, or eat the cost.

Hopefully they will pay right away and not use an eCheck. With an echeck through Paypal, you need to wait for it to clear to be protected for shipping, and that could take an extra 3-5 business days. I usually ask for payment within 5 days (most pay the same day) but I believe eBay gives you up to 7 days to pay before a seller can file a non-paying bidder warning.

Good luck!

 

[DVCBELLE]

I totally get that but I think I should have some, right? What are the ones I need to protect about the most?

I agree:

I am trying to find the one I was thinking about or one similar....

I wish I could find it but I can't - she had longer rules than her item description and was very harsh in her wording.

I think it is important to have your shipping costs, discounts, payment policy, refund policy, if you are smoke-free/pet-free

I find that ebay does such a good job in their listing template that you get to state your policies and ebay puts them out there for you then.

 

[ajh88]

My "terms of auction" include the following:

Cost of shipping and method of shipping - sometimes I'll offer different levels of shipping to save the buyer $$ and I spell that out here (like if first class will ship in a padded envelope but Priority will be packed in a box, I say that).

When I expect payment and how they should pay - I usually request 5 days and I accept PayPal only. You only have to wait 4 days now before filing a claim with ebay for non-payment (a recent change I believe).

I tell them how long it will take me to ship - such as within 2 business days or less (and I specifically state that Saturday and Sunday are NOT business days - my post office isn't open those days!).

I specify whether or not I will ship to international bidders and how much that shipping will cost (or request they email me for a quote).

I state that my auctions are "as-is" - and I request buyers email me questions is they have any doubts - however, I also let them know I'm willing to work with them if they are less than satisfied.

I include the smoke-free (pet-free if it applies) home - a lot of people will ask about this.

I encourage questions and thank people for looking at my auction.

It is difficult to impose a lot of additional terms since ebay and PayPal have so many things expressed pretty explicitly. As a PP mentioned - ship using PayPal (if you can) so your buyer gets a notification with the tracking number when you ship. Use a tracking number (free with Priority shipping from PayPal). Ship within 7 days and only to the PayPal confirmed address. Leave feedback in a timely fashion, and respond to emails promptly.

No matter how long you sell - whether you just started or have been doing it for years - some people will be easy, others will be difficult. In my 8 years, I have had 13 disputes - some as a buyer, some as a seller, most often for bidders not paying. It doesn't happen often, but for some reason, I always seem to get burned at least once every Christmas selling season. Best of luck with your auctions!

 

[mamo-4-wdw]

I just listed my first item on ebay tonight. I am getting a start on clearing out some clutter. I plan to list quite a few items. How do you ship thru paypal?

 

[Silent1CB]

I just listed my first item on ebay tonight. I am getting a start on clearing out some clutter. I plan to list quite a few items. How do you ship thru paypal?[/QUOTE]

Good question.
Will eBay walk us thru the next steps after someone wins? Setting up the auction was much easier than I thought. Even the item description & technical info was available from a list they had.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I no longer sell thru ebay...too many fees/charges/fraud increase and honestly, aggravation with no pay bidders...had only one Very bad experience (which eventually worked out in my favor, but the work and details were nuts for a cheap item at the time, UGH! The feedback was "work" to maintain the 100% (which I had in over 350 auctions)....that being said,
I would only accept paypal as payments (you need to set up an account. do NOT use your regular checking account, set up a SEPARATE account that you only use for ebay/paypal thus AVOIDING them/EVERYONE access into your "regular" funds....I STRESS this, ONLY use a separate account.....realize that VERY frequently paypal sides with buyers over sellers and they will TAKE back $$ so limiting their access to your other funds is very important IMHO. I transferred my "funds" quickly right to another account.

I ALWAYS did delivery confirmation, dropped pkgs at PO within 2 business days and had them provide a receipt after asking politely if they'd scan the pkg thru for me (they do NOT have to scan, only priority is required) BUT if you ask, they will scan thus "showing/tracking" you actually dropped it off. Another layer of protection. I did postage online with usps, easy and used a basic cheap postal scale. I always had buyer pay for ship and did not inflate it, BUT, I also charged 1.00 IF the pkg needed EXTRA packing etc.....I was meticulous about packing...

I always stated in each auction: "Thanks for looking" also, "PLEASE ask all questions before bidding". also, "Take a PEEK at our other auctions too, we combine ship!" I had not returns listed.
Good Luck....

 

[Silent1CB]

I no longer sell thru ebay...too many fees/charges/fraud increase and honestly, aggravation with no pay bidders...had only one Very bad experience (which eventually worked out in my favor, but the work and details were nuts for a cheap item at the time, UGH! The feedback was "work" to maintain the 100% (which I had in over 350 auctions)....that being said,
I would only accept paypal as payments (you need to set up an account. do NOT use your regular checking account, set up a SEPARATE account that you only use for ebay/paypal thus AVOIDING them/EVERYONE access into your "regular" funds....I STRESS this, ONLY use a separate account.....realize that VERY frequently paypal sides with buyers over sellers and they will TAKE back $$ so limiting their access to your other funds is very important IMHO. I transferred my "funds" quickly right to another account.

I ALWAYS did delivery confirmation, dropped pkgs at PO within 2 business days and had them provide a receipt after asking politely if they'd scan the pkg thru for me (they do NOT have to scan, only priority is required) BUT if you ask, they will scan thus "showing/tracking" you actually dropped it off. Another layer of protection. I did postage online with usps, easy and used a basic cheap postal scale. I always had buyer pay for ship and did not inflate it, BUT, I also charged 1.00 IF the pkg needed EXTRA packing etc.....I was meticulous about packing...

I always stated in each auction: "Thanks for looking" also, "PLEASE ask all questions before bidding". also, "Take a PEEK at our other auctions too, we combine ship!" I had not returns listed.
Good Luck....

More good info. Thanks.
I've done Craigslist plenty of times before. I price my items fair or even lower sometimes just to move them, and people still end up chewing you down more. Hate that about Craigslist.

I had a few items that I noticed others local people just weren't able to sell on Craigslist, but were selling well on eBay, so I decided to take the plunge. I don't have any plans on becoming a regular eBay seller. Just on the items where eBay is the best source of money & is most likely going to sell on first listing. The 1 item have listed is routinely getting about double the money on eBay that anyone local on Craigslist is asking & keeps relisting because they aren't selling. For double the money, I'll handle a few fees.

We've also done yardsales for years, and that's good for used stuff.

 

[ceecee]

I don't do a lot of small print, just the basics, too much and they don't read it anyway! I do same price shipping (lose on some, gain on others, so it equals out) I use Priority (free boxes and delivery confirmation if done online) as much as possible. ALWAYS use delivery confirmation to a CONFIRMED address and I do put that in my listings.

 

[rflorek]

And just remember: if you are not a frequent seller, eBay/Paypal reserve the right to hold your funds for up to 21 days after payment. There was a thread about this not too long ago.

 

[Robinrs]

I actually borrowed the one I use from another seller YEARS ago!

All of my items as listed as accurately as possible. If there are any errors or problems please email me and refunds, returns etc can be negotiated. I offer delivery confirmation on all items shipped with tracking. Payment is expected in 3 days or item will be relisted. Thanks so much for your consideration!

I've been on eBay now since 2003 and it's my second source of income. (I posted the eBay info at the top of the page which I'M SURE is outdated but I haven't looked at it since I was a mod! ) When I was unemployed it was my FIRST source. Sure, it has it quirks but it's a business for me and it sure beats paying for a b&m. It is priceless for taking care of the EXTRA things in life, and I have a hard time making it without it.

 

[missj1975]

Yeah don't get to worried about the fine print, most buyers stop reading after the item description. I'm a frequent ebay seller and I could just tell you tons of stories of buyers who don't read my "fine print" so I don't know why I bother listing my payment and shipping policies.

What is most important is describe your item as best as you can, have pictures, ship your item with delivery confirmation and insure anything of high value.

I only insure packages valued over $50. I am actually thinking of upping that to any packages over $100 because I've shipped over 5000 packages and never had an issue. I'm willing to take a chance.

Delivery confirmation is wonderful. I've had several buyers say they didn't receive the package but I was able to prove the item was delivered with delivery confirmation so paypal sided in my favor. Other than that I've had no issues with ebay.

I think sellers who tend to get scammed are sellers of electronics or other high dollar items. I sell collectibles and have had a few paypal disputes but I've never lost one.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I have a question about shipping. I haven't listed anything for sale lately (mainly just bought) and I was planning on listing the shipping exactly how much it costs to ship it to them and use boxes from around the house. All of the boxes have websites names on them (i.e. amazon, zappos, ulta, etc.) so do I have to cross out the name? I didn't want to go out and buy new boxes and add more cost to the shipping when I have all of these perfectly good boxes.

 

[delmar411]

I have a question about shipping. I haven't listed anything for sale lately (mainly just bought) and I was planning on listing the shipping exactly how much it costs to ship it to them and use boxes from around the house. All of the boxes have websites names on them (i.e. amazon, zappos, ulta, etc.) so do I have to cross out the name? I didn't want to go out and buy new boxes and add more cost to the shipping when I have all of these perfectly good boxes.

just use the free boxes from the PO. You shouldn't be shipping anything other than priority or 1st class anyway since parcel post can take weeks to arrive and the PO won't even look into it until it's been a month. By that point you've lost your funds from paypal and gotten a negative.

If you plan to use fed ex or ups then just use the boxes you have around the house (no need to mark them up) but make sure to add in costs for packing materials and tape. That can add up very quickly if you are selling lots of things.

 

[thefirebuilds]

x, LLC accepts payments exclusively via Paypal. Please contact us directly to make other arrangements.

When you submit payment please verify, carefully, the address entered in your profile. We will not and cannot take the liability to ship to an address outside of the Paypal system as we are then not insured in the case of loss.
For any questions regarding our auctions please email us directly, x

We pride ourselves on quick resolution of issues, customer satisfaction and world class service. We will return your email within a 24 hour period, 7 days a week.

x, LLC uses UPS whenever possible but reserves the right to use the United States Postal Services when it is mutually beneficial to both parties. Shipping methods are not by request; please assume your parcel is sent via UPS. We will make every effort to ship your item within three (3) days of a cleared payment whenever possible, but this is not a guarantee. Please review our feedback to see that we are very committed to this policy and our customers.

x, LLC does not ship to Puerto Rico due to challenges with local delivery. This is not a slight against our valued customers but it is simply not feasible for us to work with the local postal service due to the high percentage of packages that are lost by them in this location. We reserve the right to change that policy and add or remove additional regions at any time. We reserve the right to cancel auctions or block bidders that do not adhere to this policy.

 

[thefirebuilds]

I have a question about shipping. I haven't listed anything for sale lately (mainly just bought) and I was planning on listing the shipping exactly how much it costs to ship it to them and use boxes from around the house. All of the boxes have websites names on them (i.e. amazon, zappos, ulta, etc.) so do I have to cross out the name? I didn't want to go out and buy new boxes and add more cost to the shipping when I have all of these perfectly good boxes.

i recycle a lot. Dont worry about the names but be careful about consumer goods like orm D, and make sure you peel off or cross out old shipping labels. If its bad then turn it inside out.

I use UPS for anything over a few lbs, priority mail is rarely cheaper and the post office typically screws something up. I use USPS for anything less than 13oz as first class mail is dirt cheap.

 

[Pamlur]

It's been a couple of years since I sold anything, but I used to sell a lot. That said, I didn't have any fine print as such. I hung out on the Q&A board and got a lot of answers from the selling experts there.

I said that I'd be thrilled if I got payment within 10 days or so. I used a set mailing price. If somebody told me they didn't get what I sent, I either refunded immediately if they had paid through Paypal (that was before the time that Paypal was required) or, if I could, replaced what they didn't get. That happened a grand total of twice. Both people did get their merchandise; one person paid again through Paypal, the other one offered to send me another check but I told him to enjoy the pins (they were the Disney trading pins). I've been a buyer/seller since 1997, and have over 1000 positive feedback, no negatives, and one neutral that the person apologized profusely about leaving.

I did insure/use delivery confirmation if the price was over an amount that I had in my head for each item, but I took care of that; it's the seller's place to make sure the item gets to the buyer.

 

[rflorek]

just use the free boxes from the PO. You shouldn't be shipping anything other than priority or 1st class anyway since parcel post can take weeks to arrive and the PO won't even look into it until it's been a month. By that point you've lost your funds from paypal and gotten a negative.

Not always true about parcel post. The longest time quote I have seen for Parcel post shipping from NJ is 9-14 days - and that was to Alaska from NJ. Most time quotes are only a day or 2 longer than Priority time quotes.

Recently my parcel post have been delivered only a day or 2 after my Priority, and sometimes even the same day as Priority packages.

You can re-use boxes around your house even for Priority shipping - you just need to put the Priority stickers on them when you go to mail (or order a free roll from the P.O. if you plan on selling a lot.