e-bay sellers
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free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:26 pm

I've read a few people sell thier stuff on E-bay. Is it worth it? I've heard some negative stuff from family, but was just wondering how you guys felt. Did you lose money?
I have a bunch of vintage stuff lying around, that I don't use, or doesn't fit, or I just don't have anywhere to wear it. I've been keeping it around thinking my step daughter might want them someday (I used to love going through my mother's old stuff!)... any advice?

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:06 pm

I would keep the cool stuff and get rid of the junk. I sold a lot of my sons clothes as he grew out of them. I sell some of my stuff if I dont wear it. As for making money, if you're going to throw it away, or give it away..a little cash is better than no cash Dancing

.

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:58 pm

I've sold (and am) selling some odds n ends that we've had around forever. I haven't had a 'bad' experiance to date (knock wood) but there's a member here now telling of us of an interesting encounter she's having with a buyer of her shoes.

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=21727&highlight=

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:00 pm

Hmm it's worth it but you have to be prepared to wait a while before the cash comes in. You'll always have to 'package' your items well to attract people Smile

I suggest selling locally if you do not want the hassle of international shipping and payments!

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:07 pm

It's important that you try only a few items at first, because it's a hassle. Photographing, describing, etc. Of course, you need to make sure you have a paypal account or something very similar (almost everyone uses paypal).

Once you get the hang of what's involved you might set up a number of them at a time.

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:08 pm

I only sell stuff that's not too heavy to cart to the PO, and also just the things I check and see that there's a demand for them. For things I can wait to sell, I just post them on Recycler.com and local people come and buy them from me at home.

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:14 pm

Thanks for your advice. Maybe I'll start with a few things first. I haven't really looked into it at all... I thought you might have to pay some sort of fees at first, but I guess they just take a percentage off? If it's a hassle I'd rather just scrap the whole idea all together.
I gave away a lot of my junk (not junk to me, of course) to goodwill (A buttload of shoes in great condition; which kinda irritates me to know that they are making so much money, and erecting new stores from the ground up...but that's another thread.) I kept the stuff I thought was hard to find or a tad valuable (nothing really expensive, or I'd sell it in a heartbeat for SKII airtouch Shock

).

Oh, h mm. I'll check that out recycler, too. Thanks.

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:45 pm

Don't forget Craigslist. I was able to sell this big old Scaffolding that was left in my backyard by my contractor for a year on Craigslist.

Also, try to describe your item as best you can on Ebay. Try to be reasonable in the shipping cost, and start your auction at 99 cents to attract bidders and save on insertion fee. However you just want to check first that there's a demand on your item before you list it, or you may not get any bid, or there're too few bidders to bid up the price, and thus you'll end up losing money. But if you don't care and just want to get rid of the stuff, then go for it.

free skin care · Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:58 pm

I was able to sell my old mobile there!!

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 1:39 am

I've sold quite a few items now on Ebay ranging from clothing to used skincare products. Some people don't seem to mind buying a product that has been used from other people, though personally I wouldn't purchase something used from someone I didn't know. I've had no problems so far, most of the items I've sold ended up being sold to international buyers and I had a few requests to purchase shipping insurance for more expensive items and so on and the buyers were willing to pay for the extra cost themselves.

Like others have said though remember Ebay take it's fees and if you use Paypal they then take a small percentage too.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:16 am

zumlya wrote:

I've read a few people sell thier stuff on E-bay. Is it worth it? I've heard some negative stuff from family, but was just wondering how you guys felt. Did you lose money?
I have a bunch of vintage stuff lying around, that I don't use, or doesn't fit, or I just don't have anywhere to wear it. I've been keeping it around thinking my step daughter might want them someday (I used to love going through my mother's old stuff!)... any advice?

Read my Oh My God thread above as you may get more than you bargained for!

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:25 am

yeah, i def sell on ebay. i just buy loadsa junk and when they dont fit or it doesnt work (skin care products, i mean) i just sell them them at a bargain price, just cos i dont use it and same as what otehr members say- its better to earn a little money, than not Very Happy

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:29 am

I buy & sell on Ebay frequently & have only had one bad experience out of 110 transactions. I'm still trying to master taking pictures while selling. Good luck!

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:44 pm

I buy and sell on ebay and have had a couple of miscommunications that got corrected, nothing major.

Check your local newspaper for advertising some stuff. My local newspaper has free advertising if you are selling something for less than $50. This is great for people wanting to move something heavy that only a local would want - extra timber left over from a project, dog kennel, bbq - but I have also seen some people selling clothes as well.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:29 pm

That's a scary but funny thread!

Thanks for the advice and great suggestions for alternatives, guys. I'm going to use e-bay as a last resort, I think. With all the fees, my stuff is probably worthless. I did buy a few things from there, though, that I never wore, but all are used and in good condition.

I checked with a few local stores that buy vintage stuff a few years ago, they weren't giving me enough to sell it. Maybe I'll try again.

free skin care · Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:36 pm

I have been a buyer on eBay for many different items and I don't have any bad experiences yet. (Knock on wood ...) I will continue to use eBay to buy stuff, so I hope eBay continues to work well for me. It is very convenient.

free skin care · Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:54 am

Rose wrote:

I have been a buyer on eBay for many different items and I don't have any bad experiences yet. (Knock on wood ...) I will continue to use eBay to buy stuff, so I hope eBay continues to work well for me. It is very convenient.

I agree, I buy nearly all my personal clothes on ebay. It is the ultimate in eco-friendly shopping!

free skin care · Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:29 am

zumlya, you can do seraches on your items or similar keywords and ee what other people are asking and/or getting for items like what you have. When you have completed a serach like that, you can check the "completed listings" box on the left of the screen and see what the results were for the same key words for finished auctions -- that is very informative!

For example, try it with "baby quasar" since that was a recent topic of discussion regarding eBay. First normally, then with the completed listings (there is no overlap between the two sets of results).

I think that can really help a person estimate what to expect -- and always keep in mind that buyers prefer new stuff with guarantees or warantees from a company (not sure what exactly you are contemplating seling).

Start small, and start by being a buyer. A solid feedback record is crucial to getting bids. Buying will also just give you a feel for how the whole operation works and what buying or selling options exist.

Sorry if this is repeat info for you.

free skin care · Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:18 pm

I buy & sell on ebay, also. I would say, go for it!!

free skin care · Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:34 pm

I do think that buying and selling on eBay is worth it. If you're buying an item, it is usually much cheaper than in store...And if your selling something, you'll hopefully get something for it. Better than nothing right? I haven't quite yet figured out how to decide whether people will 'need' my item then or in a month... But I guess that it doesn't matter, as long as you don't spend a bunch on listing fee's in the first place.

However, I've been having a few issues with eBay last night and today. I keep getting messages from people saying that they got notifications about my item, where I definitely didn't send them. And of course the messages from the lowballers trying to get you to go down in price or end your auction just because they feel a brand new in box item 'looks like it has a scratch on it'

The only advice I would give is:

-Pay attention to feedback
-Ask all questions before bidding
-State in your auctions ALL your terms and conditions (shipping/ feedback # requirements/ how to contact/etc.)
-and so much more that is escaping my mind at the moment Embarassed

Never give out too much info, never do deals OUTSIDE of eBay, even if the person who contacted you seems OK, if something goes wrong, eBay will not be held liable and you will be left out on your a**. And lastly, if you know someone who has had a bit of experience with eBay, consult with them about your actions before doing something, because they may just know something you don't. Other than that, happy selling and bidding Very Happy

!

free skin care · Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:01 am

I am currently disputing a gift card of 140 dollar from a seller that got 2000+ rating with 97% positive feedback. Well, I never got the email back. Oh well... Bad luck, I guess...

Still, I am still buying things from ebay since I got some discounted good stuff.

Everything has + and - sides.

free skin care · Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:06 am

Fishzebby, if you used paypal, they have a dispute resolution center. Are you using that? Make sure you are within the deadlines for acting, and that you escalate your claim before the escalation deadline.
Please report back your experience with the resolution center if you use it -- I am very curious.
I think your sale is protected for AT LEAST $200 if that seller had that strong of a feedback record (or perhaps their requirement is above 99%?).

free skin care · Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:08 am

girldelvov wrote:

I do think that buying and selling on eBay is worth it. If you're buying an item, it is usually much cheaper than in store...And if your selling something, you'll hopefully get something for it. Better than nothing right? I haven't quite yet figured out how to decide whether people will 'need' my item then or in a month... But I guess that it doesn't matter, as long as you don't spend a bunch on listing fee's in the first place.

However, I've been having a few issues with eBay last night and today. I keep getting messages from people saying that they got notifications about my item, where I definitely didn't send them. And of course the messages from the lowballers trying to get you to go down in price or end your auction just because they feel a brand new in box item 'looks like it has a scratch on it'

The only advice I would give is:

-Pay attention to feedback
-Ask all questions before bidding
-State in your auctions ALL your terms and conditions (shipping/ feedback # requirements/ how to contact/etc.)
-and so much more that is escaping my mind at the moment Embarassed

Never give out too much info, never do deals OUTSIDE of eBay, even if the person who contacted you seems OK, if something goes wrong, eBay will not be held liable and you will be left out on your a**. And lastly, if you know someone who has had a bit of experience with eBay, consult with them about your actions before doing something, because they may just know something you don't. Other than that, happy selling and bidding Very Happy

!

I'd add always always use a recorded trackable delivery service to post items. In the uk you can get certificates of postage, but these cut no ice with paypal. If something goes missing then the buyer can and often will claim via paypal, so make sure you are covered!

free skin care · Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:16 am

here is the dispute case I filed on 3/12/07.

I did get a reply from the seller about 2 weeks after I purchased the item and the seller told me that she was hospitalized and she told me her secretary will mail out the card to me, but I never got it.... So, I just disputed it.

I also have disputed the charge on my credit card and the credit card company has sent me a credit.

I will keep you guys posted about the final result as things to learn about ebay.

free skin care · Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:57 pm

guapagirl wrote:

I'd add always always use a recorded trackable delivery service to post items. In the uk you can get certificates of postage, but these cut no ice with paypal. If something goes missing then the buyer can and often will claim via paypal, so make sure you are covered!

I agree! I think your talking about tracking #'s and such from UPS/FEDEX/DSL/etc. And if that's so Embarassed

, this is the only way you will be able to show eBay and paypal that you've actually shipped out the item. To my knowledge, once an item leaves the sellers hands and is in route to the buyer, it becomes the buyers responsibility all together.

And just as a side note, the issue I've been having with my eBay account is that someone has been using my user name and spamming other eBay users. I contacted eBay security live chat, and they told me that my account was not compromised, but to stay safe, make sure you change your password every 3 months, as well as never have the same password for paypal and eBay or your personal email address. That's a lot of passwords if ya ask me Smile

! So I went ahead and contacted users who have been sending me questionable messages, and told them about the situation and such. All this, and I've only been an official member of eBay since this January!

ETA: The one time I had an issue to resolve with pay pal (my email address had been previously used and then recycled and given to me. The previous user didn't close his account/ etc.), they were the most annoying people! I kept telling them that I don't have the password or bank account to go with that email address that they have on file! And so they told me that they cant give me a paypal account because my email address was already being used...and since the previous member didn't close their account, I was S*** out of luck. When I contacted eBay about the same issue, they worked with me to free up my email address (as the previous address owner did the same thing with eBay). And they did. So, I still ave a bit of a grudge with the way paypal deals with their issues. But that's just me. I hope your experience turns out for the better! Very Happy

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