Ebay Help

[jakobandevelyn]

Does anyone here sell items on ebay? I have read up on it a bit, and I am nervous a little about it. DH is all for the idea, as we have several pairs of boots, 3 suits, some nice clothing (good brands and gently worn), a car part (Honda tail fin thing) and some other items to sell. Our community does not allow garage sales, as I would rather go that route, and the closest town lacks much in the way of consignment shops.

So anyone on here sell items regularly on ebay and have any feedback on it?

[jenne64]

I sell on Ebay or used to a lot. Nowadays I go the Craigslist route as I find it easier to manage and is local, so generally no shipping to worry about. There are a lot of things that EBAy have changed over the years that made me less likely to sell in there to be honest.

If you are selling be specific on your terms and the reasons a buyer might return them for example. Use the shipping labels that ebay provides, sells when you ship as this offers some kind of proof that you sent the item. There are many buyer who unfortunately will claim they never received the goods and it's up to you as the seller to provide proof of shipping. Talking of shipping, makes sure you cover the shipping costs and set them right when you do the description, etc. Thinking it will fit in a standard shipping box and finding out it doesn't can prove costly to you if you have to suck it up. Make sure you only sell in the USA, I hate to say this but whenever I've sent international I have had nothing but trouble with the deal.

I guess the best advice I can give, is think it through, read and reread your description and terms and be careful. Like I said I prefer the Craigslist route nowadays and recently I've taken to my local facebook yard sale page which is is proving a pretty good place to sell.

[mnm'z]

My area has a local FB yard sale page too. I've picked up a Bumbo w/tray and an exersaucer for Antonio.

[fsuchick]

I agree with jenne64 about Craigslist. I've bought and sold a few things through them and it hasn't been too bad. One tip I would say is, don't use your primary e-mail account to get replies b/c you may get some spam. Use your junk or coupon e-mail account. Also, I don't post my phone number. I only give out my phone number after communicating through e-mail.

[Carol324]

Although I have not used Ebay, my married daughter uses Craiglist a lot and her husband uses Ebay. She bought her kitchen table and chairs, stroller, car seat, crib, and many other things on Craiglist. It helps if you have a good picture. Also you don't have to travel very far to see the items. Other than the table and chairs, most items she has bought have been almost brand new. I agree with not giving out your phone number until you have someone purchasing your stuff. Make sure hubby is home if you have people coming to your house.

[jakobandevelyn]

We use Craigslist a lot... to go and purchase things. But I live far out off the beaten path a bit, so CL isn't a go really for the items we are selling. CL saved us in Costa Rica! I love CL!!


Guess I'll have to do a trail and error on Ebay. Thanks for everyone's input

[dp38587]

A few years ago, I was wearing Ebay out.......buying things at GW and auctions and reselling on EB. Things began to change, making it better for buyers.....not so much for sellers. EB fees run about 10% of selling price, shipping prices are out of sight and any negative feedback can ruin you unless you have high #s. If you do EB, write VERY careful descriptions, and take lots of photos to show any imperfections. I would suggest taking anything you plan to sell to the post office to be weighed before writing your ad, so you can know how much it will cost to ship. Be prepared to ship anything you sell by the next morning after it closes and ALWAYS use tracking labels......you can purchase and print them thru EB
I still buy from Ebay, but the selling got to be too much hassle for me.......hope you have better luck.

Deb