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

[capnwes]

After returning the point-and-shoot I bought that turned out to yield photos arguably no better than my iphone, I'm looking at the Nikon D3200. I think it's a pretty safe bet in terms of getting what I want, but I'll ask anyway if someone here has this camera?

Brianpore just got a D3100...I bet it's very similar...ask him.

 

[Orgetorix]



Yes, I do it all the time. Pick up is free for Priority, International, and Return Packages. The customs form is autogenerated and auto stamped with a date stamp.  You will however need to swing in and pick up a clear self adhesive customs envelope /sleeve to put the 3 forms in once they print and sign them....you keep the fourth for your records.  The envelopes can be ordered online for free in lots of 50...so you can have them handy for next time.

Thanks, Wes. For a sub 3 lb box, I'm getting around $10 for 1st class. And, International Priority goes for $30. I guess 1st class I have to walk it to the clerks. decisions....

Nope it can be picked up.....I should have worded that in reverse order. Any International packages, domestic Priority / Express packages, or Return packages qualify for pick up.

How do you print a label online for a 1st class package?

 

[capnwes]

How do you print a label online for a 1st class package?

Oh yeah....forgot...

You can't print a first class international label via paypal, but you can through ebay. You will have to go into ebay to a recently shipped transaction and click print shipping label. It will bring up the label form page for that transaction with the address already filled in from the buyer. Edit the address to the address of the SF member you are shipping to. Print label.

WARNING, if you are a Top Rated Seller, and have time constraints for shipping, this will effect your tracking for the original package. both numbers will show up in the transaction history, but the last one printed will give the date stamp to ebay for their TRS qualifications check every month.

 

[Orgetorix]



Oh yeah....forgot...

You can't print a first class international label via paypal, but you can through ebay.  You will have to go into ebay to a recently shipped transaction and click print shipping label. It will bring up the label form page for that transaction with the address already filled in from the buyer. Edit the address to the address of the SF member you are shipping to. Print label.

WARNING, if you are a Top Rated Seller, and have time constraints for shipping, this will effect your tracking for the original package. both numbers will show up in the transaction history, but the last one printed will give the date stamp to ebay for their TRS qualifications check every month. 

Cool, thanks. It doesn't notify the buyer on that auction with a tracking number or anything?

 

[Brianpore]

Quote: GOOD WARNING!!! If you're a top rated seller you should be shipping enough to print an "extra" label within the 24 hour window though.

Sometimes it does send it to the buyer (based on there settings and what email notifications they want to receive) and I have gotten a few questions like "which tracking number is mine" but never had an issue more then that.

And yea, the new iphone 5 has a pretty kick ass camera for a phone but the 3100 is WAY better if for nothing else just the ability to adjust the amount of light is key and have a flash you can bounce off the ceiling. That being said, if I wasnt doing this for 100's of items a year I would feel comfortable using an iphone with some sort of soft light (umbrella lighting) and a decent backdrop with a light box for smaller objects like shoes, belts, ties etc.

 

[SpooPoker]



Man, why haven't I been reading this thread?


OK, so this is more of a me problem than an ebay problem. Who else has no patience and compulsively checks their listings every 10 minutes while pretending to work? Is this just a symptom of me being a relatively new ebayer, a curse that will lift in good time?

I can't help yelling at the computer screen, "143 views? 14 watchers? BID ALREADY!"

And this market-value, auctions starting at a low price point only, approach to selling scares the hell out of me.

My life is a walking refresh button and an email chime.

 

[FaceOfBoh]

I'm not sure if this is a tip but it's new to me.

I have bunch of Thursday evening 10-day auctions going up tomorrow. I did most of the listing on Monday and was charged 50 cents/per.
In the meantime some sort of Black Fiday listing sale kicked in.
Today I revised one of the listings and was only charged a dime to revise. I can't remember if that's for 10-day or for scheduling but at 40 cents for 20 listings, it does make a difference.

I'll probably spend a few minutes revising the rest tomorrow.

 

[MrDV]

What is the consensus regarding listing during the thanksgiving - Christmas holiday season. I feel this is the last solid Sunday for eBay sales. At least for my kind of items (thrift flips). I have not had strong Decembers for the last couple of years, I'm probably not listing anymore this year after my auctions end this Sunday. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

My store link
http://stores.ebay.com/shellcordovans

 

[Jpmorris]

What is the consensus regarding listing during the thanksgiving - Christmas holiday season. I feel this is the last solid Sunday for eBay sales. At least for my kind of items (thrift flips). I have not had strong Decembers for the last couple of years, I'm probably not listing anymore this year after my auctions end this Sunday. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
My store link
http://stores.ebay.com/shellcordovans

I hope to christ your wrong. I gotta eat the end of the semester of law school!

 

[capnwes]

What is the consensus regarding listing during the thanksgiving - Christmas holiday season. I feel this is the last solid Sunday for eBay sales. At least for my kind of items (thrift flips). I have not had strong Decembers for the last couple of years, I'm probably not listing anymore this year after my auctions end this Sunday. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
My store link
http://stores.ebay.com/shellcordovans

It was balls to the wall for me all last Christmas season....I found it to be a prime time to sell. Was still selling stuff on Christmas Eve and Christmas Night. If anything, you could maybe do 30 day BINOBO listings and just let them ride.

 

[Tweets]

How are you guys packing shirts? I've been putting them in a ziploc, and stuffing them in a Small Flat Rate Box, they fit but its kind of like vaccum packing. I've shipped 10-15 this way and someone whined on the last one that it was wrinkled. I guess I kind of assumed everyone was washing and pressing or dry cleaning when they got them.

Any other cheap ideas short of going and buying $3 shippers?

 

[capnwes]

How are you guys packing shirts? I've been putting them in a ziploc, and stuffing them in a Small Flat Rate Box, they fit but its kind of like vaccum packing. I've shipped 10-15 this way and someone whined on the last one that it was wrinkled. I guess I kind of assumed everyone was washing and pressing or dry cleaning when they got them.

Any other cheap ideas short of going and buying $3 shippers?

For packaging tips see near the beginning of the thread for "Brianpore's Shipping Tutorial"

I put this exact phrase in all of my listings...can be edited for shirts. Never any complaints....yet.

"Jacket will be carefully packaged and shipped in a 13x10x4 box and will possibly require pressing.
This will be taken care of when you have it dry cleaned anyway. "​

 

[concealed]

i typically fold the shirts following the tm lewin method and put them in priority tyveks for shirts that sell for over $50 and supply my own tyveks and ship first class for those under $50

 

[tullytra]

I'm in need of wisdom. I had an item end on Sunday night. The winning bidder had a couple of positive feedbacks saying how he was a flake: maybe 3 out of 12 or so. I figured there was a 50/50 at best chance I'd get my payment. I sent him an invoice Monday morning, and he marked "payment sent" for the item. I only have PayPal as an option, so I can't figure out why he can mark it as payment sent. Today I got three messages from him saying he paid long ago and has been waiting for the package.

I realize I'm not going to get the money from this guy, so should I just cancel the transaction and give the next person a second chance offer or go through the non-paying bidder process?

 

[VLSI]

He's probably trying to scam you. Mark payment sent manually and then inattentive buyers will see the item as paid and just ship the item. Then you're out your item and there's nothing you can do to recover it. Best to open a case and contact ebay.