Selling on eBay

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I'm always terrified that my parcels will get damaged en route and the buyer will be furious!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm always terrified that my parcels will get damaged en route and the buyer will be furious!

That was one of my biggest worries when I sold a few things on ebay. That and the fact the the buyer holds all the cards. The buyer only has to say "it's not what it's described, and I lose the sale, and many times the item never arrives back.

 

[sailorstitch]

I've been selling on eBay for about 20 years. Lost packages are few and far between. EBay doesn't always side with the buyer either. I had a buyer try to cry "item not as described" when it wasn't. EBay sided with me.

The only issue I've been having lately is non paying bidders. EBay doesn't seem to be banning those people anymore.

 

[kanerf]

Always use a reliable shipper or priority mail both of which provide insurance for your packages. As for non-paying bidders. You complain and get all of your friends to do so as well. They won't screw over anyone else. Then you file a claim with your shipper saying the package was lost.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

I'm always terrified that my parcels will get damaged en route and the buyer will be furious!

Package them like you're going to throw them off a 3 story building. Your items will arrive undamaged.

That was one of my biggest worries when I sold a few things on ebay. That and the fact the the buyer holds all the cards. The buyer only has to say "it's not what it's described, and I lose the sale, and many times the item never arrives back.

I have sold thousands of items on ebay and I have only had a handful that were a headache. With ebay's current policies, the buyer has to at least ship SOMETHING back and I've never received anything but my item.

The only issue I've been having lately is non paying bidders. EBay doesn't seem to be banning those people anymore.

Use fixed price listings with payment required upon purchase. I don't even screw around with auctions anymore.

I also add anyone who is a pain to my blocked bidder list. Not sure if it helps but I don't need business from people who will likely be a headache.

 

[sailorstitch]

Use fixed price listings with payment required upon purchase. I don't even screw around with auctions anymore.

I also add anyone who is a pain to my blocked bidder list. Not sure if it helps but I don't need business from people who will likely be a headache.

Fixed price listings are all fine and dandy if you know exactly what your item is worth. I had a couple items recently that I couldn't ended listings for. One caused a bidding war.


I started that magnet at $15!


The hat was a nightmare. Everybody wanted it, but nobody wanted to pay for it. After TWO non paying bidders and another member harassing me with messages, it finally sold and was paid for.

And yes I blocked all the nuisance buyers.

 

[RUDisney]

That was one of my biggest worries when I sold a few things on ebay. That and the fact the the buyer holds all the cards. The buyer only has to say "it's not what it's described, and I lose the sale, and many times the item never arrives back.

My DS sells on ebay. His biggest gripe is the people who will buy his Funko Pop that is in perfect condition for, let's say, $60 and they also buy the same Pop for $10 that is in a damaged box, but then they tell him that his arrived damaged. Ebay sides with the buyer and he has to return the money. He packages his sales as @Starport Seven-Five suggested. It happens too often to be mishandling by his shipping methods.

 

[Darcy03231]

I've been selling on eBay for over 20 years and missing/damaged packages are few and far between. I'm also another seller who blocks nuisance or non-paying buyers. I had one non-paying buyer contact me about a month or so after I blocked her complaining that she wasn't able to bid/buy my items and there were several things she wanted. Karma baby.

 

[mco65]

Been selling on eBay for a long time. Lost/damaged items are just part of the overhead. Its frustrating for sure but you can't let that deter you. I will say the USPS had a real issue 6+ months ago with lost/late deliveries but that has improved over the past few months... I think i go above and beyond for my customers but like the above poster, i have blocked many buyers/bidders who leave me negative or erroneous feedback for things they know are USPS related. I don't have time for those types of folks and prefer not to do business with them.. it makes life easier..

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

Fixed price listings are all fine and dandy if you know exactly what your item is worth. I had a couple items recently that I couldn't ended listings for. One caused a bidding war.

True. I guess I have the luxury that a lot of what I sell is common so it's easier to price.

I've been selling on eBay for over 20 years and missing/damaged packages are few and far between. I'm also another seller who blocks nuisance or non-paying buyers. I had one non-paying buyer contact me about a month or so after I blocked her complaining that she wasn't able to bid/buy my items and there were several things she wanted. Karma baby.

Ha, I had a similar experience where someone tried to buy the same item they didn't pay for a week after the unpaid item case closed. After I told them they were blocked and get lost, they tried to use a friend's account to buy it.

 

[_19disnA]

Never sold anything on eBay and never bought anything either. Always cautious about any of their auction type items since you have no idea if the buyer is running a scam and having a friend run up the bidding. Have much better success using Amazon since everything I have purchased was from a reputable source at a set price and seems like a better place to sell things if you are running some sort of small business.

 

[jujubiee4]

My daughter has sold some of her disney stuff on Ebay. Never really had a problem but won't
do it again because a couple of her friends got scammed with crappy buyers.

I personally use Offerup and never had a problem because it is cash in hand. I don't ship. If they
want it they drive to get it. I do run an advanced search on ebay to see what an item I have sold
in average for and compare. Sometimes ebay is more but by the time I figure they take their cut
and hassle of packing it is not worth it. I heard Facebook marketplace is good and maybe Mercari.

Before Amazon came I use to love shopping on Ebay for unique things back in the day.

 

[sailorstitch]

I've heard bad things about Mercari. Apparently they have no policy or protection for items that are not as described.

 

[spiders]

I've bought and sold for many years and have had very few issues.

If you're worried about lost packages then UPS is very cheap, especially when you use the eBay negotiated rates. It's practically 50% off published rates.

Also, I know everyone wants to say pack well and packing well is important but make sure you use an appropriately sized box. Even before COVID, everyone bulked out before they weighed out (meaning they physically ran out of space on the truck/plane and not because they were overweight). Larger boxes will cause you to have dimensional weight applied. There is no such thing as a 1 pound 16x12x12 box. That will automatically get converted into a 8-15 pound rate.

 

[firefly_ris]

Been selling on ebay since 2001; problems few and far between.

 

[lockets]

For those that have items to list online, would there be any interest in a separate thread to keep us motivated to get the items listed in 2023? I have hundreds of items to sell and I lack either the motivation or the momentum to get them listed. I'd love to get a group together on the Boards to hold each other accountable! LMK if you're in and I'll create the thread and share link.