Who here sells on Ebay

[mikeandronda]

This question goes along with my last post about starting a bussiness. How many here sell stuff on ebay, anybody do make a living on ebay. The stuff Im selling sold pretty fast for twice what I payed for it and I sold locally.........I have heard ebay raised its prices to where its almost not worth selling with them anymore. Tips,Hints, Ideas are all welcome.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

Mike, I have a hint for ya. Some will say it's a bad idea but it works for me:

Don't accept Paypal. I know it seems rediculous, but Ebay is already hitting you twice, if you accept Paypal they have a charge for items themselves. I was told that items will go for less if you don't accept Paypal, I don't have any proof of that.

I sold an older computer last year. The shipping was so much (I only charge actual shipping) that the computer went for such a low price, that after Ebay hit me twice and Paypal took their share, I LOST MONEY on the auction! I ended up about 5 bucks in the hole!!! It would have been cheaper to put it by the roadside!!

It's just a suggestion. I'm not a huge seller on Ebay, but I have sold a few things.

 

[jimlad]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

i agree with waterinthefuel i found also with things i have sold that the more something goes for the more cut ebay take also they take more money from you if you have a reserve price the higher the reserve you put on it the more they charge i presume that paypal works the same there as here as i found that when i sold something for quite a bit of money paypal then charged me to have it transfered to my bank account so after all of that its surprising how much money they take


mrs jimlad

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

There really is no reason not to accept paypal, unless you're trying to scam somebody. The "hit" is not very much. If you lost money, that's because you didn't research the shipping and and ebay costs before hand. It's not that hard. They ebay and PayPal fees are clearly listed on their websites.

You also said:
"I was told that items will go for less if you don't accept Paypal, I don't have any proof of that."
And then you said:
"the computer went for such a low price"

Hmmm.....

If you offer PayPal, you will get more bidders. No ifs, ands, or buts. The additional bidders will more than pay for the paypal fees. You will also get your money faster, and will be much, much less likely to have a dead beat bidder. As soon as most people see "no paypal" they automatically hit the back button. It's often a sign of a scam, and if nothing else, is a huge hassle for the buyer.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

Zmoz, they all charge a certain percentage of sale total. Research does nothing, it's not like you can do anything to change it.

My feedback profile will dispose any thoughts of anything being a scam.

A "huge hassle" huh? Well if it's too much for them to write a check and stick it in the mail then we really are too lazy of a country.

I've had no problems selling items since I stopped taking Paypal. I also haven't lost money in an auction since.

Like I said, I knew some would disagree, but it's only a suggestion. I've sold a bunch of stuff when I took Paypal, and I lost money on an auction. That put an end to that. That was back when I did accept it. I'll pay with it, but I refuse to accept money using it.

Again, it's a personal choice. I let the potential bidders know in the auction the reason I don't use Paypal. I told them it has to be beneficial to me to sell this or I'll stick it by the curb and you won't get it at all, I won't lose money on anything I sell again. They usually understand completely.

I've recently stopped using Ebay, as it's not even a good bargain anymore. Everything is too expensive. The first thing I bought was a broken (just needed a fuse) fax machine for 1 dollar. I still have the fax machine today. It still works too.

You can't find deals like that anymore. Broken electronics (like VHF radios for boats) are going for half the price of a brand new Si-Tex.

Screw that. They can keep their junk.

 

[jimlad]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

i have to disagree ZmoZ i have sold items on ebay for a friend of mine who wanted the money quickly and i put on for cheque or postal order only as payment because to get the money from paypal to bank account takes up to ten days to transfer despite not having paypal as payment i sold the items for quite a lot of money so i think it depends on how much the people want the item if they want it bad enough they will bid whether there is paypal or not.
plus i dont send item till cheque clears and my 100% feedback speaks fo itself


mrs jimlad

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

Zmoz, they all charge a certain percentage of sale total. Research does nothing, it's not like you can do anything to change it.

That's what the "search completed listings" check box is for. You should know what your item is worth before putting it on ebay. Nearly everything will sell for a similar price as all the other previously ended similar items.

My feedback profile will dispose any thoughts of anything being a scam.

The accounts of good sellers are hijacked every day. I believe someone here just posted about that happening to their account. Feedback proves nothing.

A "huge hassle" huh? Well if it's too much for them to write a check and stick it in the mail then we really are too lazy of a country.

Accepting a personal check is down right dumb. You WILL get scammed if you keep doing that, I guarantee it. Most sellers who don't use PayPal will only accept money orders. That means driving down to the post office, waiting in line, and paying an extra dollar. Then you have to mail it, pay for stamps, and wait a week for it to get there. Hassle indeed.

I've had no problems selling items since I stopped taking Paypal. I also haven't lost money in an auction since.

I've been selling on ebay for 7 years. 99% of the time auctions are paid by PayPal. I've never lost a cent. I do my research first, if I won't make at least $10, I don't bother. PayPal is not the reason you ever lost money.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

to get the money from paypal to bank account takes up to ten days to transfer

No, it doesn't. PayPal clearly states 4 business days as the maximum time for a money transfer. Usually it only takes 1-3 days. You can also get a paypal debit card and get your cash out any time at any ATM.

BTW - you should really try some punctuation sometime...

 

[jimlad]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

to get the money from paypal to bank account takes up to ten days to transfer

No, it doesn't. PayPal clearly states 4 business days as the maximum time for a money transfer. Usually it only takes 1-3 days. You can also get a paypal debit card and get your cash out any time at any ATM.

BTW - you should really try some punctuation sometime...

well obviously paypal works differently there than it does here in uk as the first time i had a certain amount of money transfered from paypal to my bank it wasnt in there til the 8th day and then i was charged for doing it




mrs jimlad

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

I conceed I didn't do enough research. I will strongly reconsider using Paypal now, I had no idea I could research the items sale price before I sold. I had researched the fees they charged but that was it.

Thanks, good advice.

Post starter, listen to what Zmoz said. He obviously has more experience than me with Ebay.

 

[JB]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

Well, it doesn't matter who I agree with or disagree with. Here is my limited experience:

As a shopper, a "no paypal" note sends me away. I have purchased many things (over 50) and never paid except with paypal.

I did once get scammed on a set of tires that had "3,000" miles on them. . . turned out they were used (up) before the 3,000 miles began. I yelled at eBay and PayPal. They told me to try the seller first; I did, and he refunded my money and picked up the tires.

I have sold several items. Lost money on one because I severely underestimated the market for it. Sold another for almost 5 times what I thought it would go for. Both eBay and PayPal charged me a modest percent on all sales. It's a service. You get what you pay for.

To reach a huge audience to sell an item or to find an item not easy to find locally Ebay is the one, to get paid (or pay) promptly and securely PayPal is hard to beat.

Those are my opinions based on limited experience. Whether they represent the bigger picture I just don't know.

 

[jimlad]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

personnally (touch wood) i have not had any unpleasant transactions even buying when there is no paypal and usually when i have sold something i dont bother to transfer the money to bank i just used it to purchase other stuff ,i understand what you are saying JB and paypal is safe and secure but their charges can get a bit much sometimes
i think its down to personnel preference how you want to pay and like i said i have had no problems paying by other means or being paid by other means

my disagree was that just cause they dont accept paypal does not mean its a scam


mrs jimlad

 

[treedancer]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

Here another thought, might try Cragslist and sell it local.

 

[stevieray]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

Or how about setting up your own website & just take credit cards? May be a tad costly for a start up, but it would help pad those expenses (like I advised in your other thread).

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

Or how about setting up your own website & just take credit cards? May be a tad costly for a start up, but it would help pad those expenses (like I advised in your other thread).

First of all, you'd have to have a credit card merchant account to accept credit cards directly and if the card used turned out to be a stolen card, even though it was accepted, you will get backcharged.

Also credit card merchant accounts not only charge a per transaction fee, it is higher if you are not able to physically swipe the card. In addition to the per transaction fee and percentage, there would be a monthly service charge whether you had any transactions or not.

 

[wncrjb]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

I buy AND sell on e-bay..... from my own experience, paypal is a plus.

From buying stand point, I will not buy anything UNLESS I can use paypal, I pay immediately after the auction and it gets shipped much faster because I don't have to wait for the money order to get there before my item is shipped.

From a sellers stand point, most of my auctions are paid for within minutes after the auction ends and I can ship the item within hours. i am willing to spend a few extra coins for convenience.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

If you live in a large metropolitan area, most items will sell very well on Craig's list. No packaging and shipping to worry about. No fees to worry about. Specialty items and some hard to find items do better on ebay, but if you're looking to start a business, you can sell whatever you want and not just what you have lying around.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

Mike, I have to agree with ZmOz and JB. !!

The fees have gone up in the last few years, especially those for an ebay store. But they are predictable and manageable.

Don't drive up your listing fees with lots of extras, especially on lower dollar items.
Set a reasonable opening bid, and perhaps a "buy it now" price.
Use the shipping calculator in your listings, or offer a fixed $ shipping charge.
Buyers like to know what its gonna cost them.

Don't offer more than one of a specific item at a time, unless they are buy it now only.

600 ebay transactions, about 450 of them are sales.
I sell about 100 items a year, just for a few extra $.
I try to sell items that sell for $40 or more, but have cheaper items, and all the way up to $1000, $1800, and $4600.

A stand alone website is not worth it for a small venture. Cost of a merchant site is too much, and then you have to generate traffic on the site to create sales.

ebay is full of buyers that are looking for you.

And the problem with Craigslist, is that I don't have time for phone calls and appointments, and who is gonna want to drive 50 miles to my house to buy a $40 item, when they can buy it online and have it shipped to their doorstep.

Give ebay a try.

Want some more info from a guy making a living off ebay, email seller "360moto"
Tell him who you are, he is an iboats member, and he does a lot of business on ebay and the web.

Anyone care to guess who 360moto is?

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: Who here sells on Ebay

OK I really appreciate all the advise and will take it all in.....As for Craiglist, that’s where I have been doing allot of my transactions I have picked up 5 of my students through craigslist....last time I took out a paid add in the local paper I got one student and it cost me $60......I have to admit I wont do any bussiness on Ebay with out paypal because I assumed I was somewhat protected from getting ripped off. Speaking of which Im still waiting for something I purchased 3 weeks ago on ebay.......Hmmmmmmm