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

[Steve Smith]

There's nothing that can be done. I just sold a new with tags pair of Red Wing lineman made in USA work boots and the buyer claimed he went to a Red Wing dealer and the dealer told him they were fake (sure). All you can do is accept the return and move on.

A couple of years ago a buyer opened an not authentic return on a BB corduroy sport coat and told me that a salesman at his local Brooks Brothers store told him that no Brooks Brothers items were manufactured in Thailand. I asked him for the first or last name of the salesman and the location of the store so I could give him a call. Of course he didn't provide it.

 

[haloitsme]

Anyone sold on vestiaire collective, yet?
Fees are cheaper than eBay and the prices seem higher

Best

 

[florent]

Anyone sold on vestiaire collective, yet?
Fees are cheaper than eBay and the prices seem higher

Best

I've been selling there for ~1 year. They used to have outrageous fees, hence the higher prices to take that into account, but announced a huge fees decrease just this week.
Lots of weird bargaining (like counter offer of +1€ from previous offer) but I've never heard back from a customer once the item was shipped. No feedback system so potentially less bullshit too.

 

[haloitsme]

I've been selling there for ~1 year. They used to have outrageous fees, hence the higher prices to take that into account, but announced a huge fees decrease just this week.
Lots of weird bargaining (like counter offer of +1€ from previous offer) but I've never heard back from a customer once the item was shipped. No feedback system so potentially less bullshit too.

I always had in mind 40%. But now they are getting competitive. Have you sold more than bay and at higher prices?
So you never had a return?

Best

 

[florent]

I always had in mind 40%. But now they are getting competitive. Have you sold more than bay and at higher prices?
So you never had a return?

Best

It wasn't as bad as 40% ? The range was 15-25%, increasing with the price (which was stupid, it was sometimes more profitable for the seller to reduce the price to atteign a lower fees tier). Now it's 15% for everything.

I'm still selling about 2x more on Ebay, adjusting my prices to get roughly the same in my pocket at the end. Never had a return or a complain (or a "thanks" for that matter) but bear in mind I'm a low volume seller so I don't have many issues on Ebay either.

 

[zenosparadox]

Really strange - a buyer just made an offer for the list price of a coat that I had slightly increased the price of in expectation of receiving lower offers. I have no idea why he wouldn't simply buy the coat outright rather than offer me the buy it now amount.

Compounding my concern a bit is the fact that his user name is all digits - seven digits with a dash between the third and fourth digits, which makes me think it might be a phone number. His account was created one month ago and he has a single positive feedback from five days ago, which would likely be for an unfinished transaction.

Should I have any confidence in this? The price is more than I expected for the item, but it is an expensive item in general, so I wouldn't want to lose it to any kind of scam. Seems crazy to turn it down, then, but there are at least a few warning signs. One of those too good to be true things, perhaps? Thoughts?

 

[wumpyfish]

lots of people(me) will BIN without negotiating if they feel its under valued or its a newbie, two, is buyer U.S based or overseas? I have had a couple of far east buyers using U.S. based freight forwarders and non alphabet symbols as their user name and it worked out OK for me.

 

[haloitsme]

Really strange - a buyer just made an offer for the list price of a coat that I had slightly increased the price of in expectation of receiving lower offers. I have no idea why he wouldn't simply buy the coat outright rather than offer me the buy it now amount.

Compounding my concern a bit is the fact that his user name is all digits - seven digits with a dash between the third and fourth digits, which makes me think it might be a phone number. His account was created one month ago and he has a single positive feedback from five days ago, which would likely be for an unfinished transaction.

Should I have any confidence in this? The price is more than I expected for the item, but it is an expensive item in general, so I wouldn't want to lose it to any kind of scam. Seems crazy to turn it down, then, but there are at least a few warning signs. One of those too good to be true things, perhaps? Thoughts?

Happens a lot. Usually, they don’t pay. When they pay, I never hear anything. I think they are all „guest“ accounts, that’s why the username is so cryptic.

 

[haloitsme]

lots of people(me) will BIN without negotiating if they feel its under valued or its a newbie, two, is buyer U.S based or overseas? I have had a couple of far east buyers using U.S. based freight forwarders and non alphabet symbols as their user name and it worked out OK for me.

Freight forward users, are the best, when they forward eBay don’t back them up anymore.

 

[edubs01]

Funny just had the same thing happen to me.
Listed an item with a starting price and this user eomr9145 emails me the following:
"Hello, this jacket of yours is very nice. Can I buy it directly? I will pay immediately and my delivery address is in Portland, thank you."

Then a hour later another user yjbfhd0 emails me the following:
"Dear seller, hello. I cannot participate in your auction, but I hope to obtain this item through "Buy Now"
I ask this user his address and they say Portland.

Is this some sort of scam? I just said no and blocked both of them.

 

[tben]

Thought this might be the right place to come. About to list some shoes that I thought were alligator/croc embossed but now that I’m looking at them, I’m wondering if they could potentially be the genuine article. Any help appreciated!

 

[double00]

if they show wear include a pic of a wear crease or two that often helps me id at least .

the heel looks pretty good from here ! if it's stamped it still seems really quality .

 

[tben]

if they show wear include a pic of a wear crease or two that often helps me id at least .

the heel looks pretty good from here ! if it's stamped it still seems really quality .

There isn’t much wear. The shoes are near mint. Thank you for your reply!

 

[haloitsme]

Thought this might be the right place to come. About to list some shoes that I thought were alligator/croc embossed but now that I’m looking at them, I’m wondering if they could potentially be the genuine article. Any help appreciated!

To me, without touching, it looks like embossed alligator.

 

[vestbash]

Thought this might be the right place to come. About to list some shoes that I thought were alligator/croc embossed but now that I’m looking at them, I’m wondering if they could potentially be the genuine article. Any help appreciated!

These are printed calf in my opinion.