Buying and Selling on eBay: Tips, Tricks, Problems & Questions

[capnwes]

Thank you, that makes sense


I suppose it works because that's how I found them, rather high in the results too

I reported the listing.....
"We looked into your report and didn’t find the listing to be in violation of our policy. This determination was made using automation or artificial intelligence."

to which I replied (to an unmanned email address)
"Your artificial intelligence is a special needs case."

to which they replied.
"mailer-daemon, Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address."

 

[tonylamerCJC]

What has been your experience and what steps are you taking to ensure your business remains viable?

@Sartoriamo I posted my thoughts on the Thrift Store Thread, but I have a lot to say about this and I want to spend a few hundred characters here. I won't go nuts, but I've been making these points for the last few years.

Google Lens was very clearly going to destroy thrifting as we knew it. I repeated this to anyone who would listen. This doesn't mean you can't find things anymore, but it means it'll be much harder. You have to bank on extreme laziness and stupidity. The thrift-store employee just has to point their phone at the set of Kristiansen chairs that came in yesterday. Suddenly the $5 price tag comes off them and they're on sale in the showcase for $1000. The fact that mispricing still occurs on the scale it does is insane. But there's no way that can last.

We have people on the Thrift thread who, over the last 15 years I've been there, have consistently found gold and highly desirable watches. That's the same thing as a store putting out a baseball autographed by the 1937 Yankees. It makes no sense at all and, again, it can't last. At some point these stores will have new managers or some policy directive will shoot down from the head office. If huge scores happen, they'll happen less frequently.

Just think about vinyl: when was the last time someone posted a $500 vinyl find? We used to get those--not often, but we'd get them. I had maybe 10 of those between 2009-2014. Three times I found records worth $1000 and paid 50 cents-$1 for them. Then Zero. None after 2014. All the vinyl got filtered out immediately because chains AND donors realized its value.

I think you'll be able to find things now that other people aren't willing to buy. But the days of abundance are done.

As an aside, one thing that really bothers me is the YouTube re-selling community. I'm sure this is because I'm an elitist prick who 1) did this before the era of the smart phone and 2) reads books as a hobby. When I watch these videos, it's like watching third-graders lecturing kindergarteners. These guys are amazed if someone knows what vicuna is. I'm listening to them venerate sellers who know that 'Erzegemildo Zegna' is a good brand. Sometimes they post their Zoom calls and you see 20 people listening intently as their guru unravels a concept they've just discovered: buy low and sell high. The YouTube re-selling heroes are buying Tupperware for $1 and selling it for fifteen. They preach a cult-like positive hustle attitude which ignores all economic reality. And when they talk about their income from re-selling, they include what buyers paid in postage. They don't subtract selling costs. And they don't subtract the cost of their items.

I'm like you--I do this as a hobby and my eBay ASP is close to $150. Sales have been tailing off since the free-money era ended. I'm much happier doing local value-added stuff.

 

[goatamous II]

For my Canucks

Free Shipping Tuesdays 2024

Celebrate Small Business month this October. Ship one (1) package for free every Tuesday with Canada Post.

www.canadapost-postescanada.ca

 

[Sartoriamo]

Oh, and one other thing for those in the US with a store: time to cash in your third quarter shipping supply coupon!

 

[dougc33]

Oh, and one other thing for those in the US with a store: time to cash in your third quarter shipping supply coupon!

Separate topic - anyone else having issues receiving messages? Seems like my inbox "froze" - am getting offers to buy but they don't show up as a message.

 

[Sartoriamo]

Separate topic - anyone else having issues receiving messages? Seems like my inbox "froze" - am getting offers to buy but they don't show up as a message.

I have not seen this situation in many years. I believe it happened briefly 10-15 years ago, whereby the only place I could see offers was when I went into my seller account. But it hasn't happened to me since then. Other thread denizens may have had different experiences.

You'll just need to go in and check your communication settings. Sometimes, if these are glitched, they will fix by unchecking, saving, and then reopening and selecting again. Make sure there are no typos in your email address.

Better still, enable notification on the smartphone app and you'll get offers posted on your screen.

The iPhone "offer received" chime is Pavlovian for me, to the point that if the chime is about something else, it royally pi$$es me off . . . Although frankly, the percentage of egregious/block-worthy lowball offers currently being received has that Pavlovian response being half excitement, half dread . . . YMMV, of course.

 

[haloitsme]

I would highly recommend block this guy;
vizi-48
He is from the UK, and claims my testoni shoes are chinese fake, well I have invoice from the brand.
Always threatend to give me negative feedback and wants partial refund. Safe your time with him.

now this feedback;
Buyers beware, this seller is a scammer. The shoes are Chinese replicas, not genuine. My room smells like plastic after opening the box.

what a joker.

 

[txwoodworker]

It's such an obvious scam. If I thought my shoes were replicas, I would want to return them, not get a few bucks off. Makes no sense.

 

[haloitsme]

It's such an obvious scam. If I thought my shoes were replicas, I would want to return them, not get a few bucks off. Makes no sense.

I know. Strange guy, eBay already removed feedback. Let’s see what he ships back.

 

[txwoodworker]

Best possible outcome.
As for being strange, some people are just that. Like it's a default to complain to try to claw back $ from anyone and everyone. I could never live with myself if I was that way, but that's just me.

 

[div25sec9]

Another jerk to add to the list: Not as described size 8, even though size 8 is clearly stamped on the bottom of the boots in the photo they uploaded to create the return. Now I'm out $55USD shipping there and and $55USD back. Ebay ruled that I have to eat it because of their Moneyback Guarantee.

olver-yenif​

 

[haloitsme]

Another jerk to add to the list: Not as described size 8, even though size 8 is clearly stamped on the bottom of the boots in the photo they uploaded to create the return. Now I'm out $55USD shipping there and and $55USD back. Ebay ruled that I have to eat it because of their Moneyback Guarantee.

olver-yenif​

Don’t you have seller guarantee?

 

[YoungAmerican]

So I hadn't been selling on eBay regularly since before the pandemic, and after restarting in recent months, I've had a recurring problem.

I've been having maybe one in three of my clothing items returned due to "not as described." Occasionally it seems to be people dramatically overstating damage that's visible and described, but generally it seems like people actually intentionally damaging the items upon having received them.

Right now I don't take returns - should I turn on returns so that people can return clothing for whatever their actual reason for returning it is? Or should I take some other step?

 

[goatamous II]

Everybody has different approaches to this

My way of looking at it, which you've experienced: buyers will find a way to return items to you, regardless of what your return policy is.
Accepting returns opens up the option for buyers who change their mind / buyers remorse / doesn't fit, in which case they have to pay return shipping.

For me, I just set it to accept returns and deal with the handful of "i changed my mind".
There's no right answer, just depends how much you want to deal with it vs only dealing with the SNAD claims.

In regards to fighting it, it's kind of a crapshoot. As you've stated, you're showing details of any damage and describing it. that's really all you can do for that.
As for items that come back more damaged than before, you can appeal when the item comes back and show ebay the before and after. I've never really had much success with the appeals (other than ebay just giving me a goodwill refund for return shipping), but it's still an option.

I'll leave it to the pros in this thread to add anything else, but that's my $0.02

 

[haloitsme]

I would highly recommend block this guy;
vizi-48
He is from the UK, and claims my testoni shoes are chinese fake, well I have invoice from the brand.
Always threatend to give me negative feedback and wants partial refund. Safe your time with him.

now this feedback;
Buyers beware, this seller is a scammer. The shoes are Chinese replicas, not genuine. My room smells like plastic after opening the box.

what a joker.

Update, he sent back old shoes and included dog poop in the package.
We are now filing a police report for fraud also.