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

[VLSI]



their tracking system does not definitively show that it was delivered. (They are also refusing to reimburse me for their failure

While I'm sure you've exhausted your options, this still baffles me that they can get away with that. Total bullshit. Have you tried the 1800 number?

 

[GMMcL]



While I'm sure you've exhausted your options, this still baffles me that they can get away with that. Total bullshit. Have you tried the 1800 number?

LOL. Not sure if you intended that to sound as absurd as it does.

"That's effing outrageous! You should go all New York on their Asses! They OWE you! Have you tried calling their absurdly impersonal, robosystem? The complete inability to reach a human being should sort this issue out!"

Reminds me of a Roger Cook/Dudley Moore sketch: Cook is talking about how awful World War II was. Says he was totally against it. Moore says "Well, I think we all were." Cook: "Yes, but I wrote a letter."

Nah, just messing with you VLSI. I appreciate and share your outrage. But I have between 3 and 4 jobs, depending how you count them, excluding housework and parenting. Fighting the Man for $100 has a lot of competition on my to-do list.

 

[capnwes]

LOL. Not sure if you intended that to sound as absurd as it does.
"That's effing outrageous! You should go all New York on their Asses! They OWE you! Have you tried calling their absurdly impersonal, robosystem? The complete inability to reach a human being should sort this issue out!"
Reminds me of a Roger Cook/Dudley Moore sketch: Cook is talking about how awful World War II was. Says he was totally against it. Moore says "Well, I think we all were." Cook: "Yes, but I wrote a letter."
Nah, just messing with you VLSI. I appreciate and share your outrage. But I have between 3 and 4 jobs, depending how you count them, excluding housework and parenting. Fighting the Man for $100 has a lot of competition on my to-do list.

There is still one way you can get back at the man....

Make frivolous use of all the free boxes and packaging materials.

But seriously, I am pissed about this too, though obviously not as much as you must be.

 

[VLSI]

Haha, I didn't quite read what I wrote to that extreme. I just don't understand why they even pretend to insure packages. I understand at some point you have to cut your losses, but I still find it disheartening. Oh well

 

[Brianpore]

This is just how I think about it.... and I have had stuff lost, etc. Have you shipped over 100 packages and they lost one? Thats 99+% success rate. Same odds your girl gets with birth control. I'll take a lost package over a found package any day of the week

 

[GMMcL]



This is just how I think about it.... and I have had stuff lost, etc. Have you shipped over 100 packages and they lost one? Thats 99+% success rate. Same odds your girl gets with birth control. I'll take a lost package over a found package any day of the week

Why couldn't it happen on the $0.25 tie I sold for $1.99? Hell, even the suit I bought for $5? Why did it have to be the one I paid $85 for?

 

[green_machine]



Why couldn't it happen on the $0.25 tie I sold for $1.99? Hell, even the suit I bought for $5? Why did it have to be the one I paid $85 for?

Why couldn't it happen on the $0.25 tie I sold for $1.99? Hell, even the suit I bought for $5? Why did it have to be the one I paid $85 for?

that really blows. Id rather make $15 on a $2 tie than risk buying a $50+ item and making $50-100 but worrying about unseen holes, being fake, shipping losses, buyers lying, etc.


Idk how they cannot pay you if there is proof on their end that it wasnt delivered and you have insurance....????

 

[GMMcL]



that really blows. Id rather make $15 on a $2 tie than risk buying a $50+ item and making $50-100 but worrying about unseen holes, being fake, shipping losses, buyers lying, etc.
Idk how they cannot pay you if there is proof on their end that it wasnt delivered and you have insurance....????

I know. I've moved on to acceptance, though.

Today I got two 3/4 of full price offers on two BINOBO items. Dude has 1 feedback, though. And without a store, I can't force him to pay. Part of me thinks I should ignore it; I have several other watchers, and don't want to scare them off. But I guess it might be worth the $1 in relisting fees. Thoughts?

 

[VLSI]



I know. I've moved on to acceptance, though.
Today I got two 3/4 of full price offers on two BINOBO items. Dude has 1 feedback, though. And without a store, I can't force him to pay. Part of me thinks I should ignore it; I have several other watchers, and don't want to scare them off. But I guess it might be worth the $1 in relisting fees. Thoughts?

So what I've learned in this thread that if USPS says it's delivered, paypal still doesn't believe it, and if USPS doesn't say it's delivered, they still assume it's delivered. Lose lose all around for the shipper

Are the item your selling and the one he previously bought related in any way? Was his 1 feedback good? I'd probably accept if I couldn't find any red flags.

 

[TheNeedMachine]

I think it was Cap'n Wes who suggested opening an eBay store...which I poo-poo'd, but am now having 2nd thoughts about.
Been reading up on the site but it's brain-numbing.
Basically, my situation is: I don't list a whole lot of new stuff every month - maybe 20 or 30 things...but I've found that relisting unsold items 1 or 2 more times will occasionally result in sales, so combined with new listings I now run out of my 50 freebies. After that, I relied on the sporadic bonus extra fee listing periods, but that can result in more listings which sometimes go unsold and I want to relist those 1 or 2 more times as well.
Does anyone have a nutshell version of why / why not to open an eBay store? I believe it costs $15 a month, and I may or may not get more free auction-style and/or set-sale listings, as well as discounts on final value fees. I already accept 14-day returns, and have a 3-day shipping window (can't promise any faster than that thought it usually is).
Mainly concerned with slower times when I may not list / sell enough to make it worthwhile...and if there's some sort of "contract" I'm signing up for, or if a store is month-to-month and I can opt out at any time.

Thank you.

 

[chiron]

I think it was Cap'n Wes who suggested opening an eBay store...which I poo-poo'd, but am now having 2nd thoughts about.
Been reading up on the site but it's brain-numbing.
Basically, my situation is: I don't list a whole lot of new stuff every month - maybe 20 or 30 things...but I've found that relisting unsold items 1 or 2 more times will occasionally result in sales, so combined with new listings I now run out of my 50 freebies. After that, I relied on the sporadic bonus extra fee listing periods, but that can result in more listings which sometimes go unsold and I want to relist those 1 or 2 more times as well.
Does anyone have a nutshell version of why / why not to open an eBay store? I believe it costs $15 a month, and I may or may not get more free auction-style and/or set-sale listings, as well as discounts on final value fees. I already accept 14-day returns, and have a 3-day shipping window (can't promise any faster than that thought it usually is).
Mainly concerned with slower times when I may not list / sell enough to make it worthwhile...and if there's some sort of "contract" I'm signing up for, or if a store is month-to-month and I can opt out at any time.

Thank you.

Fee Illustrator
Use the Fee Illustrator below to help determine which eBay Stores subscription may best fit your needs

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/FeeIllustrator.html?ssPagename=PowerUP-Fall2011

 

[GMMcL]



So what I've learned in this thread that if USPS says it's delivered, paypal still doesn't believe it, and if USPS doesn't say it's delivered, they still assume it's delivered. Lose lose all around for the shipper
Are the item your selling and the one he previously bought related in any way? Was his 1 feedback good? I'd probably accept if I couldn't find any red flags.

No, totally unrelated. His one feedback was good.

I decided to email him to say I was delighted he'd made me an offer, that I was sorry for being such a cynic, but since relisting costs me money and yadda yadda, would he confirm he was a committed buyer. No response yet....

 

[capnwes]

I think it was Cap'n Wes who suggested opening an eBay store...which I poo-poo'd, but am now having 2nd thoughts about.
Been reading up on the site but it's brain-numbing.
Basically, my situation is: I don't list a whole lot of new stuff every month - maybe 20 or 30 things...but I've found that relisting unsold items 1 or 2 more times will occasionally result in sales, so combined with new listings I now run out of my 50 freebies. After that, I relied on the sporadic bonus extra fee listing periods, but that can result in more listings which sometimes go unsold and I want to relist those 1 or 2 more times as well.
Does anyone have a nutshell version of why / why not to open an eBay store? I believe it costs $15 a month, and I may or may not get more free auction-style and/or set-sale listings, as well as discounts on final value fees. I already accept 14-day returns, and have a 3-day shipping window (can't promise any faster than that thought it usually is).
Mainly concerned with slower times when I may not list / sell enough to make it worthwhile...and if there's some sort of "contract" I'm signing up for, or if a store is month-to-month and I can opt out at any time.

Thank you.

Over the last 7 years, I have opened and closed 2 stores, due to change of product focus. This is my third store. I have never had a problem closing them when I needed to. The store name remains yours for future re-opening, or you can start an all new one.

The cost of a store is basically worth it if you are running out of your 50 free listings. If you can make TRS status, your biggest savings is in USPS shipping discounts....unless you can break down and do the 1 day handling, then you get 20% off your FVFs too. There are also listing occasional special fee sales for stores, power sellers, and TRS, just like the normal sales, but typically longer.

 

[GMMcL]



No, totally unrelated. His one feedback was good.
I decided to email him to say I was delighted he'd made me an offer, that I was sorry for being such a cynic, but since relisting costs me money and yadda yadda, would he confirm he was a committed buyer. No response yet....

Good news/bad news. Good news: The Burberry package showed up! Bad news: Damaged. Dude's co-worker (he's on his honeymoon) says it showed today all beaten to hell. I Tyvek'd the hell out of it, so I'm hoping its fine.
And on the other one: Good news: Buyer actually responded to my polite email with a polite response. Bad news: He's basically backing out. Good news: He probably would have returned anyway, so he's just saved me some hassle.

 

[grendel]

Good news/bad news. Good news: The Burberry package showed up! Bad news: Damaged. Dude's co-worker (he's on his honeymoon) says it showed today all beaten to hell. I Tyvek'd the hell out of it, so I'm hoping its fine.
And on the other one: Good news: Buyer actually responded to my polite email with a polite response. Bad news: He's basically backing out. Good news: He probably would have returned anyway, so he's just saved me some hassle.

So this was the one that the USPS lost that showed up damaged? Will the insurance cover that?