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

[California Dreamer]

I am trying to list a collectable Guerlain lipstick holder on eBay, via Garage Sale, and it is refusing to post the ad. I get an error saying "This item can't be listed or modified. The title and/or description may contain improper words, or the listing or seller may be in violation of eBay policy." I am having the same problem on Facebook. Is there some issue with Guerlain, or is it that I'm selling used lipstick, or maybe some other thing?

 

[Patrologia]

Presidents Day doesn’t affect the 48 hours for opening unpaid item cases, does it?
I don’t understand why someone accepts an offer, and then doesn’t pay right away. How fast can you develop buyer’s remorse?!

 

[madeinbogota]

Presidents Day doesn’t affect the 48 hours for opening unpaid item cases, does it?
I don’t understand why someone accepts an offer, and then doesn’t pay right away. How fast can you develop buyer’s remorse?!

Happens far too regularly. Blows my mind what goes through these people's minds. I get at least a couple of them a month, sometimes with hundreds of feedback too.

 

[Fueco]

Presidents Day doesn’t affect the 48 hours for opening unpaid item cases, does it?
I don’t understand why someone accepts an offer, and then doesn’t pay right away. How fast can you develop buyer’s remorse?!

It certainly might affect someone being on vacation with spotty internet access.

 

[Patrologia]

It certainly might affect someone being on vacation with spotty internet access.

Perhaps. I’m still opening the case as soon as eBays system allows though.

 

[Fueco]

Perhaps. I’m still opening the case as soon as eBays system allows though.

Of course, I'm just pointing out that there might be a perfectly legit reason for the buyer to have not paid yet. I can't tell you how many times I've had buyers wait until hours before I close unpaid item cases to pay.

 

[MJMcRibb]

Received a return today that I was reluctant to open, as I thought it was a suit this jackass open a "doesn't fit" case on and never shipped, so I had it closed. Had no other open returns so I couldn't figure it out. Return address name didn't come up in my PayPal so I finally saw the ordered number at the bottom of the label. Figured out it was a return that was supposed to have arrived in late December. It showed that held at the PO but no one could locate it when I showed up. I had already reimbursed the buyer because it wasn't their fault, so after a couple more calls to the PO and nothing to show for it, I was writing this off as $100+ loss. Nice little surprise!

 

[noob in 89]

Yo...

Someone bought something, paid, then said they didn’t realize how much international shipping would be (~$22), and asked if I could mail to an address he’ll be traveling to in the US.

It’s through the global shipping program, and the money’s already in my PayPal.

I told him I’d look into it. Is there anything I can do besides cancel the purchase? At this point I’d rather just say there’s nothing I can do (if I can’t) and roll the dice as this is getting old...

 

[bert9000]

Yo...

Someone bought something, paid, then said they didn’t realize how much international shipping would be (~$22), and asked if I could mail to an address he’ll be traveling to in the US.

It’s through the global shipping program, and the money’s already in my PayPal.

I told him I’d look into it. Is there anything I can do besides cancel the purchase? At this point I’d rather just say there’s nothing I can do (if I can’t) and roll the dice as this is getting old...

I don’t think you can refund the money he paid for the GSP. I think what he paid and what you received are different amounts.

 

[noob in 89]

Yeah. I had it on free shipping, so I got nothing.

 

[Patrologia]

GSP shipping scares off a lot of buyers. It’s only frustrating when it scares them off too late. I had a buyer in Singapore (Sri Lanka? I don’t even remember exactly) bail out on a purchase when she saw the shipping charges. At least she contacted me and said something, asked me to cancel the sale, etc. I opened an unpaid item case with a buyer who accepted my offer and then disappeared. He’s Canada based, so I guess he ghosted when he saw the shipping.

When does GSP tell buyers what their shipping will be?

 

[double00]

Received a return today that I was reluctant to open, as I thought it was a suit this jackass open a "doesn't fit" case on and never shipped, so I had it closed. Had no other open returns so I couldn't figure it out. Return address name didn't come up in my PayPal so I finally saw the ordered number at the bottom of the label. Figured out it was a return that was supposed to have arrived in late December. It showed that held at the PO but no one could locate it when I showed up. I had already reimbursed the buyer because it wasn't their fault, so after a couple more calls to the PO and nothing to show for it, I was writing this off as $100+ loss. Nice little surprise!

standard $50 insurance from Priority post doesn't happen to apply i guess?

 

[noob in 89]

GSP shipping scares off a lot of buyers. It’s only frustrating when it scares them off too late. I had a buyer in Singapore (Sri Lanka? I don’t even remember exactly) bail out on a purchase when she saw the shipping charges. At least she contacted me and said something, asked me to cancel the sale, etc. I opened an unpaid item case with a buyer who accepted my offer and then disappeared. He’s Canada based, so I guess he ghosted when he saw the shipping.

When does GSP tell buyers what their shipping will be?

It’s got to be at checkout, same as with sales tax and everything, right? I just can’t believe no on e knows before they hit pay.

 

[bert9000]

GSP shipping scares off a lot of buyers. It’s only frustrating when it scares them off too late. I had a buyer in Singapore (Sri Lanka? I don’t even remember exactly) bail out on a purchase when she saw the shipping charges. At least she contacted me and said something, asked me to cancel the sale, etc. I opened an unpaid item case with a buyer who accepted my offer and then disappeared. He’s Canada based, so I guess he ghosted when he saw the shipping.

When does GSP tell buyers what their shipping will be?

It’s got to be at checkout, same as with sales tax and everything, right? I just can’t believe no on e knows before they hit pay.

It used to clearly say shipping cost and "via Global Shipping Program" but I guess eBay changed it recently so now it's not as clear. Now the difference is GSP will have a line for import charges. Import charges show as 0.00 in this example but sometimes it goes up on checkout, so the buyer may not have known there were import charges until you accepted the offer. Don't know if that's a bug.

If I see Import charges I ask the seller to ship directly to me; most of the time they are willing.

 

[madeinbogota]

View attachment 1339620
It used to clearly say shipping cost and "via Global Shipping Program" but I guess eBay changed it recently so now it's not as clear. Now the difference is GSP will have a line for import charges. Import charges show as 0.00 in this example but sometimes it goes up on checkout, so the buyer may not have known there were import charges until you accepted the offer. Don't know if that's a bug.

If I see Import charges I ask the seller to ship directly to me; most of the time they are willing.

Shipping direct is definitely the way to go, I've had a lot of buyers ask to do this recently and have yet to run into an issue.