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

[joshmick]

So I scored some NWT Isaia chinos this past weekend. I want to iron them so the photos look better, but don't want to mess with their "newness", any ways around this? I don't own a steamer, but I suspect that's what most of you would do...

 

[hbkshin]

So I scored some NWT Isaia chinos this past weekend. I want to iron them so the photos look better, but don't want to mess with their "newness", any ways around this? I don't own a steamer, but I suspect that's what most of you would do...

Put the shower on maximum hot, hang it on the door, close the door for a bit. Should work like a steamer.

 

[Koala-T]

Put the shower on maximum hot, hang it on the door, close the door for a bit. Should work like a steamer.

Alternatively, You could flip them inside out and iron them that way.

 

[jebarne]

I've got this little template picture I include in every listing that illustrates how I measure items so buyers can compare an item that fits them well with the measurements of my item. Used to be pretty janky till jebarne came around and, out of the goodness of his dumb ole heart (guess the movie reference?), made one for me that not only looks much more professional, but also mathes the "leather" template I use in Garage Sale. What a guy, right? Anyway, this is just to say that anyone who wants to click through to my eBay store in my sig and steal it from one of my listings for their own use is more than welcome to do so as far as I'm concerned..

I've ended up doing a bunch more based on stuff I've sold. I saw that txwoodworker had posted one he was using and then I saw thenewbeat's and I liked that customization. I spent about an hour on html to get the measurement grid and the photo to align, but never got around to finishing it so I just insert links into garage sale. the images are hosted in garage sale.

I've done them on basic white so I could drop them on my store background.

Here's how mine look on ebay"



and if anyone wants to re-use, here's a link to the ones I've done so far (add your own background)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b7rxwpz3dpg2ll3/Measurement Guides.zip

 

[labravajazz]

What you guys do in this case? I sold a pair of CJ handgrade shoes BNIB with original CJ trees and bags . Only tried on by me in the house - sold for about half the retail price, to best offer.
Buyer has just contacted me to say that one of the shoes SQUEAKS! He seems convinced that I sold them because they squeak, and that he will now have to pay to have them fixed by a cobbler, implying that I should pay for it..... Trust me there was never a squeak.... And the shoes were perfect. How could a shoe develop a squeak?! They've beein the bag in the box with CJ trees since I bought them a couple of years ago in London, not seconds or anything like that.
I only sold as I have developed some diabetic problems and some shoes are too close on my instep.
Sounds crazy to me but I guess I have to take it seriously - buyer says its a terrible squeak and he couldn't possibly wear them.
He even offers to send me a recording of the squeak.
Is this a first?!!

 

[richnet12]



What you guys do in this case? I sold a pair of CJ handgrade shoes BNIB with original CJ trees and bags . Only tried on by me in the house - sold for about half the retail price, to best offer.
Buyer has just contacted me to say that one of the shoes SQUEAKS! He seems convinced that I sold them because they squeak, and that he will now have to pay to have them fixed by a cobbler, implying that I should pay for it..... Trust me there was never a squeak.... And the shoes were perfect. How could a shoe develop a squeak?! They've beein the bag in the box with CJ trees since I bought them a couple of years ago in London, not seconds or anything like that.
I only sold as I have developed some diabetic problems and some shoes are too close on my instep.
Sounds crazy to me but I guess I have to take it seriously - buyer says its a terrible squeak and he couldn't possibly wear them.
He even offers to send me a recording of the squeak.
Is this a first?!!

Who would have anticipated this problem? Please post the recording of the squeak. We can all help evalute the source of the squeaking. Could be shoe to surfacesqueaking, crease squeaking, or maybe the purchaser squeaking with joy over his new shoes.

 

[Steve Smith]



What you guys do in this case? I sold a pair of CJ handgrade shoes BNIB with original CJ trees and bags . Only tried on by me in the house - sold for about half the retail price, to best offer.
Buyer has just contacted me to say that one of the shoes SQUEAKS! He seems convinced that I sold them because they squeak, and that he will now have to pay to have them fixed by a cobbler, implying that I should pay for it..... Trust me there was never a squeak.... And the shoes were perfect. How could a shoe develop a squeak?! They've beein the bag in the box with CJ trees since I bought them a couple of years ago in London, not seconds or anything like that.
I only sold as I have developed some diabetic problems and some shoes are too close on my instep.
Sounds crazy to me but I guess I have to take it seriously - buyer says its a terrible squeak and he couldn't possibly wear them.
He even offers to send me a recording of the squeak.
Is this a first?!!

Tell him to give the offending area a shot of WD-40.

 

[Snoogz]

I had Allen Edmond Loafers that were marked as "no warranty". I purchased them on eBay, without knowledge of that marking. They squeaked every time I walked. It was terrible. I could not get over it. I ended up selling them on eBay at full disclosure for 90$. All I am saying, is before my encounter with these, I never thought a shoe could squeak. Your situation sounds terrible, and I have no advice on what to do next in this scenario.

 

[FlorianQC]

Jeez I love eBay and certain dummies...

My question to a guy selling a nice jacket
Dear xxx,

Hi!
Can I have the measurements of the jacket?? THere is nothing on eBay

Dear florian-lafage,

It s size 46

- xxx


**** me.

 

[Koala-T]



I had Allen Edmond Loafers that were marked as "no warranty".  I purchased them on eBay, without knowledge of that marking.  They squeaked every time I walked.  It was terrible.  I could not get over it.  I ended up selling them on eBay at full disclosure for 90$.  All I am saying, is before my encounter with these, I never thought a shoe could squeak.  Your situation sounds terrible, and I have no advice on what to do next in this scenario.

I've got a pair of Sanfords that squeaks. I keep meaning to take them to the Shoe Hospital, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[ReubenR]

Jeez I love eBay and certain dummies...

My question to a guy selling a nice jacket
Dear xxx,

Hi!
Can I have the measurements of the jacket?? THere is nothing on eBay

Dear florian-lafage,

It s size 46

- xxx


**** me.

Did you include a link to a measurement guide? Some people just don't know what you want or how to get them.

 

[jebarne]



ah darn- I'm not sure how I'm going to approach opening a new store.

AT the moment- This guy bought a suit on friday- but he also bid on something ( and won) on sunday.

He hasn't paid for the sunday item yet, but has paid for the suit. Should I go ahead and ship just the suit first, or wait till he pays and ship together? 
I ask because I have my shipping set for next business day (today), not sure how to proceed.

Had one last week similar. Guy in Bali won a suit plus he was high bidder on a 2nd jacket ending on the next Sunday. Since shipping was $48 I messaged him to see if he wanted me to wait to see if he won the 2nd one because what he already paid for shipping would cover both.

He was happy to wait a week... I called ebay and they said it was fine and noted the transaction record.

 

[jebarne]



I know this feeling as well. In the end, it probably won't matter a lot. It's a bit depressing thinking that way, but 9/10 times, even people that are told off don't "get it" and at best you'll probably annoy him for a couple of hours. On the bright side, as soon as you get your item, you'll probably forget about it. If you want to sting him, give a low rating on shipping time when you leave feedback. If that becomes a pattern, he'll get hit with higher fees. If you're set on making the problem known, I'd send a quick email that says: "Just to let you know, I paid immediately with the expectation that you'd ship immediately per your listing. If you had some issue as to not being able to ship, you should probably let your customer know, it's just common courtesy."

A similar story to commiserate:
About two years ago, I bought some new without box shoes from a seller. Shoes weren't cheap ($400-500 or so) and I paid heavily on international shipping (somewhere around $75). Anyway, shoes arrived in a box. That's it. They weren't bagged, secured, wrapped, anything. He didn't even have something in the toes. I was pissed and sent a ranting email that said that they weren't damaged, but I'd expect more for such a price, especially shipping, blah blah blah..." I got my response: "ok"

There was no explanation, no apology, no capitalization nor punctuation. Anyway, moral of the story: an unfortunate number of sellers on ebay don't really care.

Sorry to hear about your case anyway.

I've been thinking about this.. I don't think there is a best practice for shipping shoes.... Not that I've seen any way...I have gotten shoes in a box, loosely wrapped in bubble wrap. I've gotten them each enclosed in a usps tyvex and then in a box. I've gotten a pair of long wings packed sideways in a medium flat rate box. All seem to work. The best one was wrapped in 3/16" bubble wrap with the bubble wrap taped in place.

For me, early on Brian mentioned he used the usps shoe box for shoes. When i sold my first shoes, I happened to have moving paper on my bench so I rolled each shoe in a piece of that paper, and packed them in the usps box and shipped....I still do it the same way. That doesn't mean it's right.

I don't pack the toes, nor have I received any that had the toes packed.

I'd be interested in pics of shoes as packed.

 

[My Main Man]

I've been thinking about this.. I don't think there is a best practice for shipping shoes.... Not that I've seen any way...I have gotten shoes in a box, loosely wrapped in bubble wrap. I've gotten them each enclosed in a usps tyvex and then in a box. I've gotten a pair of long wings packed sideways in a medium flat rate box. All seem to work. The best one was wrapped in 3/16" bubble wrap with the bubble wrap taped in place.

For me, early on Brian mentioned he used the usps shoe box for shoes. When i sold my first shoes, I happened to have moving paper on my bench so I rolled each shoe in a piece of that paper, and packed them in the usps box and shipped....I still do it the same way. That doesn't mean it's right.

I don't pack the toes, nor have I received any that had the toes packed.

I'd be interested in pics of shoes as packed.

I usually pick up tissue paper at Target or wherever when it's on sale. You can always find seasonal stuff for really cheap. I usually crumple up 2-3 sheets and stick them in the toes and then wrap each shoe in thin kraft packing paper from OfficeMax. They go in a USPS shoe box as if they were 69ing. (can't think of a better way to describe that part) I've gotten 2 messages from buyers who went out of their way to say thanks for packaging the shoes well.

My whole thing is shipping things the way I'd want to receive it. I think I've posted this before, but I bought a camera on ebay and it came in a flat rate ENVELOPE. No case, no bubble wrap. It was cheap enough and it didn't break, so I just laughed it off.

 

[Brianpore]

My whole thing is shipping things the way I'd want to receive it. I think I've posted this before, but I bought a camera on ebay and it came in a flat rate ENVELOPE. No case, no bubble wrap. It was cheap enough and it didn't break, so I just laughed it off.

+1