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

[Brianpore]

Brian, and why do you say the other pics are better to sell? I also, the not offended, and I need to up my photo game badly! I

The color really, unless they are that uglyish red color in real life? Here's an older shoe listing I have. All it is, is the back of a piece of wrapping paper inside a home made light box under natural light.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140780867295

 

[FaceOfBoh]

Here's what I use. I have three long white melamine insert shelves left over from a kitchen reno. I set them up in front of my front window as shown in the picture. It's my own DIY light box, on a tiny scale.

Here's a photo I took this morning for a listing that's going up soon. The only thing I've done is crop it.

For other things like shirts, I have a 2'x3' white poster board I put them on. Still along way from what our experts here use but a step up from just laying them down on the floor or where ever.

 

[Mox C]

Yeah, just putting shoes on a big white board in front a window takes you 95% of the way there. You don't really need anything past that. As long as its not right in the direct sun, you get nice diffuse light and a plain, uncluttered background. Having equipment is more about control and consistency than quality for what we are doing.

 

[SpooPoker]

once you go black, you never go back.

 

[SpooPoker]

Pro Tip -

Any East coasters who had auctions end tonight, dont wait until tomorrow to print your postage, in case you lose power.

 

[green_machine]

for once a hurricane warning doesn't apply to me

 

[goneAWOL]

Holy...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=181009188429

This is a first for me. What all should I do to ensure I don't get scammed here?

 

[Mox C]

Nice! I figured it would be popular.

I believe it's been covered pretty well, but to sum up...

That's one I might use Registered Mail for, as long as everything is under 4lbs. It's so secure that you can mail gov docs up to and including the level "Secret". It doesn't stop the buyer from being a prick, but it's the safest as far as shipping goes. It's more of a hassle though, as you need to use the brown paper tape to seal the package. I believe you can use brown paper to wrap the package in order to save on tape, but make sure the address is written on the box and on the paper. You still need the brown tape to cover all open edges of the wrapping.

Registered Mail comes with up to $25K of insurance and mailing certification. You don't need a delivery receipt mailed to you, as I believe you can get a post hoc one if the buyer claims to not have received it. It's a slow delivery though.

http://www.jewelry-appraisal.com/how_to_package.htm

If you use Priority Mail (for the USA), make sure to get signature confirmation.

If you are shipping to outside the USA, use Registered or Express only.

The more experienced guys might have advice for dealing with the seller, but I believe that's basic stuff, like only shipping to eBay confirmed addresses, etc.

 

[VLSI]



If you use Priority Mail (for the USA), make sure to get signature confirmation.

And insurance. Not sure how much it costs, but I would hate to turn an $1100 jacket into a $100 payment and hours of hassle with the USPS.

 

[VLSI]

A guy just requested to pay with usps money order. This sounds great since it cuts out Paypal, but anything I need to worry about with eBay?

 

[rebel222]



A guy just requested to pay with usps money order. This sounds great since it cuts out Paypal, but anything I need to worry about with eBay?

No. Make sure it's legit before you ship the item.

 

[rebel222]

Just got offered to join eBay's Global Shipping Program. eBay will handle international shipments. The seller ensures that the item makes it to eBay's US shipping center. After that, the seller is in the clear. eBay eats the loss of any damage after it clears the US shipping center.

This solves the International signature issue. Also, the eBay fees are calculated on the domestic shipping price, so that should reduce some final value totals by $25, or more. The downfall is that the buyer's shipping price considers import duties in the purchaser's shipping price. I'm sure all import duties will be assessed more accurately.


The trial period only works for the following countries:

Australia
Bulgaria
Canada
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Greece
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
United Kingdom

 

[VLSI]

Usps money order you cash at the post office.I would obviously cash it before shipping.

 

[capnwes]

Usps money order you cash at the post office.I would obviously cash it before shipping.

Yeah it's fine to accept them. You can accept any type of payment you like, but ebay just makes it difficult to announce that in your listings. The last time I tried to mention I accepted M.O.s in my description, it got kicked back for it (that was probably 2 years ago). They like to get their paypal fees I guess. It may be different now.

 

[caseyfud]

The RLPL sunglasses I put up just sold at the full BIN price ($125; earlier auctions had been ending between $75 and $100) to a user with 0 feedback who just signed up today, who lives in Australia. Tips on not getting ripped off here?