You HAVE to try this!! EBAY your way to DISNEY!!

[DMRick]

I believe that eBay is forbidding "feedback restrictions" like you just received....this seller could be in for some trouble if she keeps it up!

No. eBay doesn't stop you from waiting until you have gotten feedback to give it. That's a choice a lot of people make.

You may be tallking about this:

**We are also adding a new policy that will prohibit sellers from including in their listings any terms and conditions that restrict or limit the ability of a member to leave feedback.**

Which is a whole different issue..if you want to see that policy, let me know. It has nothing to do with saying you will leave feedback in response to them leaving feedback, or that the seller wants to be sure you are satisfied, by seeing it via feedback, bfore leaving feedback.

 

[lalapodip]

Doris, I did see the exact policy that you quoted and I agree with what you said about choice.

I understood Madi's email to say that the seller would ONLY give POSITIVE feedback AFTER she saw that she had RECEIVED positive feedback - that specifically, not the seller's choice to only leave feedback once feedback has been received....Does that make sense?? That would be restrictive as opposed to just waiting to receive feedback before you give it, because of how she worded it.

Again, I totally understand your policy on feedback and I don't consider it restrictive (not that you need my endorsement or anything....), it was just the way this particular email seemed to be holding the feedback "hostage" and of course, I could be misinterpreting it!! That's the trouble with the printed word..... Back to Turbolister!!

 

[indigo]

This continues to be a wonderful forum with very helpful contributers. My hint of the day is wholesaling. Ebay has a whole section on wholesale packages and there are some wonderful deals in there. Buy cheap in bulk and sell high. But do your research first.

We buy from wholesalers, although not off ebay yet, and make a tidy profit that way.

Now, I have a query or two. We currently use UPS for most of our shipping. We mostly sell hats and jackets and sports jerseys with our costs for shipping and handling coming roughly to $7 on the light weight items and upto $12 on the heavier items. We're trying to find some way to cut down those costs so we can offer cheaper shipping. (And hopefully attract more bids.)

We're looking at switching to USPS (which we currently use for PO BOXes and overseas shipping), but the need to visit the post office to have an insured package is a problem. Does anyone know a way to insure USPS priority mail and still have them do a scheduled pickup at your place?

Another way of saving money would be to cut down on the costs of packaging. I remember a thread about UPS sending you free boxes. What was the result of that thread? And what was the number to call?

 

[indigo]

Speaking as a 6000 item seller, the transaction is not completely over until I know the recipient has recieved the item and is satisfied with it. There are too many factors that can go wrong (package lost or damaged in shipping, buyers remorse, a first time buyer, etc). The best way to know this is with positive feedback. So I put this line in my follow up email (where I give the tracking number to the buyer):

Thank you again for your bid. Please let me know you received your item in good condition via an email or by filing positive feedback. I will then file positive feedback for you.

As a seller my reputation (which is everything on ebay) is at risk and waiting for positive feedback first protects me from malicious or undeserved negative feedback after I've already left positive feedback. If someone feels strongly enough to filing a negative feedback, I'd prefer they email me first so we can resolve it (although some things just can't be resolved (such as if the buyer won't file the insurance claim)). You'd be suprised at the number of people who will just file negative and then ask for the situation to be resolved. You can imagine how motivated I am to help them then. On the otherhand, I find most buyers very understanding and can usually turn any negative leaning potential feedback into a neutral if not a positive.

 

[mom2smjn]

I have someone who wants to bid on a lot of D&D books..great! However he emailed me before he bid because he lives in the UK and I state I do not ship overseas.

Now for this particular auction I would not mind except I can't figure out the shipping....

the package is 4 lbs 4 oz and he wants it shipped "insured surface/ media rate M bag
preferred. " YIKES I don't even know what that is! Does anyone know what the cost of this would be? HELP ME!!!

Puuuullllleeeezzzzeee


Also I had an overseas bidder ask that I "Could you please tick “gift” on customs form? " How do you respond nicely to that?? Does it even matter?

Thanks guys

 

[indigo]

I've never heard of International Media Rate. It might exist. I'd email him back remind him that you live in the colonies and ask him to provide you a link to the USPS page explaining this service so you can arrive prepared at the post office.

Otherwise, goto the postcalc.usps.gov site and do the parcel post with insurance calculation for how much 4lbs4oz would cost to send.

-Indigo

 

[DMRick]

I understood Madi's email to say that the seller would ONLY give POSITIVE feedback AFTER she saw that she had RECEIVED positive feedback

And she is still within eBay's policy. If she has said, I will leave you a negative, unless you buy at a higher price than posted, or unless you pay within 5 minutes (unreasonable), she is still fine. My feedback program only responds to positives..so if someone leaves me a neg, I wouldn't be leaving them a postive (unless I had done something heinous)...and I have let people know. If they ask me to leave feedback (which I hate..when someone asks) I will tell them I use a prgram that will respond to their POSITIVE feedback. Breaking no eBay rules here : )

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by PrincessMo
hi gang.........i just wanted to know if someone could help me figure out priority shipping to Ontario, Canada

You will need to use Global Priority to send to Canada you can not use the regular Priority Boxes/Envelopes for out of the country.

Use the International Shipping Calculator to determine rates.

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by indigo
I remember a thread about UPS sending you free boxes. What was the result of that thread? And what was the number to call?

You can get free priority boxes by going to theShipping Supplies section of USPS website. You can also the USPS Postage Calculator to calculate postage.

 

[indigo]

You can get free priority boxes by going to theShipping Supplies section of USPS website. You can also the USPS Postage Calculator to calculate postage.

Thanks for that. But I was talking about UPS, not USPS. I do use the USPS for free Priority Mail supplies (although they have been real slow about delivery recently).

I searched the thread and found the post I was looking for. Unfortunatly I think those boxes are too small for what we ship.

Which leaves me the unanswered question, is there anyway to get insurance on priority mail without bringing the packages into the post office?

 

[DznyDreams]

DMRick wrote: "Oh gosh yes..you might have gotten tired of reading and missed some of the garage sale posts."

You're right, DMRick, I must have skimmed over these discussions. I'll go back and read more closely. (MAN! I wish there was some way to have a DIS Budget Board eBay FAQ!....But aside from the fact that it's probably a tad bit off topic, who has time, right? We're all too busy eBaying! )

I had no idea about the tax issues that might be involved with reselling items from a garage sale. Although I think I can handle the extra time/hassle involved, I will definitely do a bit more research into this topic so that I will be well prepared.

Thanks again!

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by indigo
Thanks for that. But I was talking about UPS, not USPS. I do use the USPS for free Priority Mail supplies (although they have been real slow about delivery recently).

Which leaves me the unanswered question, is there anyway to get insurance on priority mail without bringing the packages into the post office?

I must have misread your post because I thought you said you ship NOW via UPS and wanted to switch to USPS. Sorry.

As far as I know you must go to the USPS to insure your packages since you will need to reciept to show it was insured and the packages need to be stamped insured.

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by Leader of the Club
I used to sell books on half.com all of the time. I was running into the same problem over and over. If you list your book at a higher price to cover your shipping materials etc., it gets bumped so far down the list that no one can find it. And most of my listing are new items and I wanted them to arrive in that condition, so that takes extra care in packing.

I still have a ton of stuff listed with them, but have been "on vacation" for quite some time. Not sure whether to "return from vacation", list on ebay, or just give the stuff away.

G.

Thanks. I thought somehow it may just be me! I think I'm going to pull my books. Though I admit I may have missed it, I didn't see anything about that when I listed! I also will not be buying anything...I can't believe they keep a cut of the postage charges!!! I'd rather they charge a higher fee. What about all those who have books listed at 1.00 or .75?!? Aren't they losing money? How can they list so low? And why would they? UGH!

 

[nancyL]

I think I just might try this. Ive purchased things on ebay... never sold....but I have a TON of vhs videos that we dont watch anymore (kids ones) that even if I sold each one for a dollar, I could make 50-60 dollars....And hey, thats 50-60 more than I would have had to begin with, right? And Im sure I can find other stuff- my kids keep growing after all.....
Im in!
Thanks for this huge thread with TONS of useful info!
nancyL

 

[Mrs. Snowgod]

Another opinion about half.com here: I dislike the fact that feedback from half is mixed with feedback from eBay.

I have a feedback rating of 175 right now, and the only 2 non-positives are from half.com transactions. One was a negative that I posted about in this thread about a month ago, and it was apparently someone with a vengeance, as the same negative with identical comment was left for about 8 or 10 other people, all on the same day.

About a week ago I received a neutral from a buyer of a textbook, based on disagreement over the condition. This person did not make any attempt to contact me regarding her dissatisfaction, and honestly the way half is set up, it is not conducive to negotiating to satisfaction when something like this occurs.

I work hard to make sure my eBay listings are very accurate with thorough descriptions and complete disclosure of any imperfections. Half is much more restrictive, and works so differently that it would seem more appropriate to have the feedback there stand alone. It really ticks me off that with all the effort I put into eBay, those couple of half.com blemishes are mixed in with my good eBay feedback.

So the lesson here is to err on the side of caution with your assessments of condition, if you post on half. I've had no issues with any CDs, and I have sold about a dozen books there, and liked it until this came up. Oh, well.

 

[Mrs. Snowgod]

Originally posted by nancyL
I think I just might try this. Ive purchased things on ebay... never sold....but I have a TON of vhs videos that we dont watch anymore (kids ones) that even if I sold each one for a dollar, I could make 50-60 dollars....And hey, thats 50-60 more than I would have had to begin with, right? And Im sure I can find other stuff- my kids keep growing after all.....
Im in!
Thanks for this huge thread with TONS of useful info!
nancyL

Hi nancyL, and welcome to our "little" thread....

Kid's videos do GREAT, and you can bundle them in lots of 3 or 5 to save on your listing fees, PayPal fees (if you use PayPal and take CCs), and shipping. And shipping by Media Mail helps save there, too.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[nelle]

Can I use Shipping Assistant to print a label to Puerto Rico? I see PR in there under state is that Puerto Rico? I also noticed a AA what's that for? I such a dunce when it comes to geography I looked at my DD's map and couldn't come up with a state for PR.
Thanks for the help.

 

[DznyDreams]

Will the post office have a problem with the writing on the bottoms of the Office Depot "mailing" boxes? They are pretty much just plain white boxes all over, except on the bottom where "Mailing Box" is printed in big black letters and the directions for box assembly are printed below. Should I cover this with paper?

 

[dg39]

nancyl videos sell great on ebay. My first sell was a used vhs that my kids got as a gift. It was charlie brown. I had 3 so I put them up as a set and got a whopping 43.00 plus shipping for them. I started it out as 9.99 for all 3. After I listed them I kept thinking I put them up for toooo much money, but being it was my first time selling I didn't know how to cancel it and start all over, so I left it and figured when it ends with no bids, I'd just relist and start it out at something like 3.00. WELL when I saw that first bid for 9.99 I figured this is great. BUT as the days were getting closer to the end of auction more bids were coming in. At the end at 43.00 I was in complete shock. So SELL those tapes..........you never know what you'll get. Someone is always looking for something that you may have......

I also bought a childs dress at a flea market. It was in great condition. I got it for 2.50. It just sold for 48.05.........
GOOD LUCK and have fun.....

 

[kilee]

I use boxes w/ all sorts of writing on them. I usually ship priority, but on the occasion I have a media mail item, I use the "throw out" boxes from work. They are usually medicine boxes, so they have a lot of print on them. Just make sure any other addresses are crossed out.