Help on how to sell successfully on Ebay

[megasdkirby]

No, this is not a spam post, but warning! It is a VERY LONG ONE!. LOL

I recently decided to sell my games and items on Ebay, since they are not selling on GameGavel and other fronts. Many of you know that I am a bit scared about doing so, but as ryborg once stated (I think it was ryborg...), I can't sell if I don't loose the "scare". So screw it, I've decided to give it a shot to see.

Many here are seasoned veterans, like darkslime and ryborg. I'm hope to gain some important knowledge before I embark on selling on the 'Bay.

Most of the items I plan to sell are video games, but I do plan to sell other things, like GPS units, plushies (from those crane machines), other electronic equipment, and so forth. Most of these items will be USPS Insured and all will have Delivery Confirmation I know that each category is somewhat different to sell but each shares a common characteristic which I hope to understand fully beforehand. One important focus of this thread is "prevention", as in what can I do under certain situations.

I apologize in advance if this thread is extremely long, but I hope to iron out any doubts before proceeding.

Item Description

I understand that I must describe the item to it's fullest, making sure I note any inconsistencies that may arise. But how much of a description is enough? For instance, I plan to sell the GPS unit I had on the board, and it is 100% new. However, it was never in a sealed box (no shrinkwrap or blister pack, as it was never packaged that way). Although I will list it as "new", a buyer may actually think it is used because it was never "sealed". Worse still, the buyer may actually purchase the item and then complain that "It arrived opened", even though I place a proper picture and description stating otherwise. Any suggestions on how I can prevent this (as much as possible)? What actually goes into a description to make it sell? In general, how should I describe an item?

Taking the example above. I have items that are indeed new (like the GPS) but that were never sealed. Should it be best to list these as "Almost new". "mint", or whatever term Ebay determines?

Buyer issues

This portion will encompass all the details I can currently think of of buyer issues that might arise after a sale.

Sending an item out after payment is no problem with me, thanks to creating shipping labels online. However, some buyers have a tendency to negotiate shipping after purchasing an item. For instance, let's take an item that is 18 ounces. Because it's over a pound, the item's shipping is as though it is two pounds. Although I would state that shipping will be $10.70 (as an example), a buyer may purchase the item and state that they are not willing to spend $10.70 but only $4. What can I do in a situation like this? How can I prevent this?

Say I ship an item and the buyer claims that he/she never got it. I check the status of the package and it says "Delivered". The buyer opens a claim against me. What will occur in this situation? Will the buyer win even though it says "Delivered"? And what if the buyer looses the claim, and they decide to do a CC or bank chargeback. Will I loose at default, even though shipping status says "Delivered"? I recall that Kitsune had a similar situation, that the buyer did a chargeback, but if I recall correctly, Kitsune won the "appeal" because he proved that it was "Delivered". Is this the most likely scenario?

Signature Confirmation

If an item is expensive, I may opt to use Signature Confirmation. Thankfully, this will also let me know when an item has been delivered as well as who picked it up. But say a buyer claims they never picked it up, and even though it says "Delivered", it is signed by someone else that is not the buyer him/herself. How will Ebay handle this?

USPS Insurance

I know that insurance is to protect the seller, not the buyer. There are two scenarios I would like to discuss, one not having to do with Ebay itself:

1)A package gets lost, and status does not say it was delivered. Buyer does a chargeback and logically wins. I then go to the USPS offices to do a claim. How exactly will this proceed? The reason I ask is because I had one postal inspector (with a real douche attittude) tell me that I cannot insure ANTHING on Ebay because it's not "official" and that the USPS will not be responsible. I told him to "fuck off" (literally) because I knew he was spewing bullshit. But believing for a second that it IS true, will the USPS give me any issue if it's an Ebay item? Even when I show the proof I sold it for said asking price?

2)A package gets delivered (status says "Delivered") but the buyer claims he/she never got it. They file a claim and I state that it was delivered and the tracking proves it. Can I STILL loose a Paypal claim? If so, why? How come?

Buyer Fraud:

There are many instances in which a buyer can claim one thing that is not true. The classic is stating that the item is "Not as described":

A)What happens when the item was indeed described perfectly on the listing but the buyer says it was "Not as Described"? For example, the listing says that the label on a certain game is ripped, the rip is shown on the picture, but the buyer claims that it was never mentioned in the listing. Will Ebay favor me or the buyer? I've read that Ebay can indeed side with the seller, but many of the items this is not the case. What exactly determines Ebay decision?

B)A buyer must return an item before payment can be received, specially on a "Not as Described" scenario. What if the buyer does not use Delivery Confirmation? What if the buyer sends back a totally different item that is of equal weight? For instance, if an item weighs 18 ounces, the buyer sends instead an empty box or rock pebbles weight 18 ounces. What recourse does the seller have? How can he/she prove the buyer committed fraud? Does this happen even when the buyer must sign for it and/or the item is insured? Or does this deter buyers from committing fraud?

Misc questions:

1)Can I actually refuse a return? I remember wmacmonagle stating that he/she would not accept returns under no situation, and I recall stating that if a buyer does a chargeback, there is nothing he/she can do. However, I was going to "list" an item (just to see the process) and noticed that there is an option to actually refuse a return. If this is checked (as to put that returns are not accepted), a buyer can still pretty much do a chargeback, correct?

2)I created a new account with the sole purpose to sell on Ebay. Problem is just that: it's a new account. This might deter possible buyers. So I remembered I had an old account I have not used in the last 5 years that has around 30 feedback. Would it be recommended to use this account to sell on Ebay instead of the new account?

3)I have another Paypal account that is not associated with any bank account, just my Credit Card. I want to use this account to sell online and transfer any funds to my main bank account. Does this mean I have to continously send "gift payments" from this account to my main account, so that I may then transfer the funds to my bank account?

I'm pretty much out of questions and ideas for the moment. I apologize once again for the super long post. I hope to gather as much info as possible before I set forth on the "Ebay experience".

Thanks so much for everything guys!

[ryborg]

Many of you know that I am a bit scared about doing so, but as ryborg once stated (I think it was ryborg...), I can't sell if I don't loose the "scare". So screw it, I've decided to give it a shot to see.

Awesome. About time you joined the winning team! I bet my reply will be just as long as your OP.


Most of these items will be USPS Insured and all will have Delivery Confirmation...Honestly, having your USPS package insured is kind of a waste of time, unless the buyer requests it. People love to rip the PO, but they do a damn good job overall and *very* few packages get damaged in the mail. I used to use insurance for any item that sold for over $50. You know how many packages got lost/damaged during that time? None. I stopped doing that a few years ago. How many packages have been lost/damaged since? One, and I'm fairly certain it was a Canadian trying to scam me. That's out of thousands and thousands of parcels sent.

It also must be said that postal insurance is kind of a crappy service. If something arrives damaged, you have to PROVE it was because of mail handling. If the shipping box arrives intact but the insides are non-functional, you aren't going to win that claim.

Taking the example above. I have items that are indeed new (like the GPS) but that were never sealed. Should it be best to list these as "Almost new". "mint", or whatever term Ebay determines? No, just call stuff like that "new" and make a note of any potential inconsistencies in the item description. I sell a lot of stuff like that, and I can't remember having a problem of that nature.

For item descriptions, you need to be exact, but you also can't be overly wordy. Let's face it, too many buyers just skim over the item description. All that matters to them is the price. If you have a giant wall of text describing every possible detail of the item, no one's going to read it and you'll have wasted your time.


However, some buyers have a tendency to negotiate shipping after purchasing an item.Really? I don't get that anymore. Like, literally not one instance in years. It used to be pretty common for idiot buyers to do stuff like that, but now that ebay owns Paypal, it's pretty tough for a buyer to pay less than the listed shipping price and get away with it.

I remember a colleague of mine sold an item to China a year or two ago, but the buyer didn't want to pay the full, expensive shipping. He paid what he thought was best, a laughable amount, and my friend told him he's not shipping until payment has been made in full. The guy never paid and negged, but ebay removed the neg for non-payment.


Say I ship an item and the buyer claims that he/she never got it. I check the status of the package and it says "Delivered". The buyer opens a claim against me. What will occur in this situation? Will the buyer win even though it says "Delivered"? No, you'll win that dispute as long as the zip codes match up, but it's possible you'll get negged. Not much you can do here, honestly, and end results vary case by case. It's still not that common and really not something to worry about.


And what if the buyer looses the claim, and they decide to do a CC or bank chargeback. Will I loose at default, even though shipping status says "Delivered"? I recall that Kitsune had a similar situation, that the buyer did a chargeback, but if I recall correctly, Kitsune won the "appeal" because he proved that it was "Delivered". Is this the most likely scenario?Yep, exactly. Just had one of these myself. If the buyer wins the dispute, Paypal will pay the tab, assuming zip codes match up, etc...


If an item is expensive, I may opt to use Signature Confirmation. Thankfully, this will also let me know when an item has been delivered as well as who picked it up. But say a buyer claims they never picked it up, and even though it says "Delivered", it is signed by someone else that is not the buyer him/herself. How will Ebay handle this?I know there was just a thread on this here, but it's EXTREMELY uncommon for something like that to happen. Postal employees can sign for some insured packages, but NEVER for SigCon. I know that doesn't mean it never happens (hell, anything is possible if you have enough transactions), but again, this is not something you need to worry about.


The reason I ask is because I had one postal inspector (with a real douche attittude) tell me that I cannot insure ANTHING on Ebay because it's not "official" and that the USPS will not be responsible. I told him to "fuck off" (literally) because I knew he was spewing bullshit. But believing for a second that it IS true, will the USPS give me any issue if it's an Ebay item? Even when I show the proof I sold it for said asking price?Haha what? No, that's not true at all. See above for why insurance sucks.


2)A package gets delivered (status says "Delivered") but the buyer claims he/she never got it. They file a claim and I state that it was delivered and the tracking proves it. Can I STILL loose a Paypal claim? If so, why? How come?Nope, same as above. You're safe if it was delivered to the right zip.


A)What happens when the item was indeed described perfectly on the listing but the buyer says it was "Not as Described"? For example, the listing says that the label on a certain game is ripped, the rip is shown on the picture, but the buyer claims that it was never mentioned in the listing. Will Ebay favor me or the buyer? Unless the buyer's contention is *extremely* tenuous, yeah, you're fucked here. I think my analogy of buying a red shirt and Paypal agreeing with me that it's not blue works here. Only once ever have I won a Not-As-Described dispute, and even then, I don't fully understand why that buyer's complaint was any dumber than some of the others that were successful for the buyer.

HOWEVER

Ebay is slowly changing the dispute process. About a month ago, someone bought an live audio CD from me, but thought it was the concert DVD, because he's a brain-dead illiterate mongoloid. He FLIPS SHIT, and files a dispute through ebay, *not* Paypal.

I was prepared to just have the CD mailed back to me, take the $2 shipping loss, and re-list it and sell it again, hopefully to someone with a pulse. However, ebay said the guy keeps the CD, gets a refund of the item price direct from ebay, and nothing is done to me. Sweet! I get the money, he gets the item he bought (even though it's not what he wanted) and his money back. Ebay took a loss? Yes, this really happened. He also never left me critical feedback, although I'm not sure if ebay blocked him from leaving feedback for me or if he's just too dumb to know how to neg.


B)A buyer must return an item before payment can be received, specially on a "Not as Described" scenario. What if the buyer does not use Delivery Confirmation? What if the buyer sends back a totally different item that is of equal weight? For instance, if an item weighs 18 ounces, the buyer sends instead an empty box or rock pebbles weight 18 ounces. What recourse does the seller have? How can he/she prove the buyer committed fraud? Does this happen even when the buyer must sign for it and/or the item is insured? Or does this deter buyers from committing fraud?Technically they have to use some sort of tracking, and if you REALLY want to be a dick, you can say the item never arrived and Paypal will side with you. I've never done this, but I'm just throwing that out there if you have a particularly horrible buyer.

Return fraud does happen, sadly, but Paypal will work with you if something is obviously not right. I was dumb once and a buyer burned me several years ago. I sold a true game-cut authentic Shaq Miami Heat jersey to a guy, he filed a Not-As-Described dispute the same day it arrived, and shipped it back with tracking. The refund was processed and since it was the end of basketball season and too late for me to sell it again, I just threw the unopened package into my "future" pile.

Unfortunately, when I opened the package in a few months, he had returned a crappy, obviously bootleg jersey and not the real one I sent him. I called Paypal but they said it was waaaay too late for them to do anything, which is fair, since it was my mistake by not inspecting it right away. Ever since then, I check all returns for tampering. A few have tried; I've won some, I've lost some. All part of doing business.


1)Can I actually refuse a return? ...If this is checked (as to put that returns are not accepted), a buyer can still pretty much do a chargeback, correct?Yep, you can refuse returns all day long, but if a buyer files a dispute, you have to follow the process like any other. Personally, I accept returns with a 50% restocking fee if the buyer is dumb and made a mistake, and 100% returns if the mistake was mine (rare).


2)I created a new account with the sole purpose to sell on Ebay. Problem is just that: it's a new account. This might deter possible buyers. So I remembered I had an old account I have not used in the last 5 years that has around 30 feedback. Would it be recommended to use this account to sell on Ebay instead of the new account? I'd use the old account, but honestly, it doesn't matter if your prices are good and the items are described/photographed well.


3)I have another Paypal account that is not associated with any bank account, just my Credit Card. I want to use this account to sell online and transfer any funds to my main bank account. Does this mean I have to continously send "gift payments" from this account to my main account, so that I may then transfer the funds to my bank account?Why don't you just connect your main account to your bank account? I have three Paypal accounts and they're all attached to my bank accounts. Is there still a limit on how much money you can receive as a "gift" per month? That might limit you.

Good luck with stuff and just don't sell the same items I do!

[Jaruff]

It also must be said that postal insurance is kind of a crappy service. If something arrives damaged, you have to PROVE it was because of mail handling. If the shipping box arrives intact but the insides are non-functional, you aren't going to win that claim.

This isn't necessarily the case. A few months ago I sold a PS3 motherboard that was damaged while it was being shipped. Filed a claim online with USPS, took a few pictures (no pictures of the box, just the contents), described the item and damage, and included a copy of the invoice in a PDF. Three days later, they approve my claim and I have a check in the mail the next week. According to the USPS website, if the insured value is under $100, you don't have to take it to the Post Office for someone to examine. The online claims process is real simple and is, IMO, better than FedEx or UPS. Now, if you have to take the item to the Post Office, they may go on box damage but I've never been in that predicament.


Ebay is slowly changing the dispute process. About a month ago, someone bought an live audio CD from me, but thought it was the concert DVD, because he's a brain-dead illiterate mongoloid. He FLIPS SHIT, and files a dispute through ebay, *not* Paypal.

I was prepared to just have the CD mailed back to me, take the $2 shipping loss, and re-list it and sell it again, hopefully to someone with a pulse. However, ebay said the guy keeps the CD, gets a refund of the item price direct from ebay, and nothing is done to me. Sweet! I get the money, he gets the item he bought (even though it's not what he wanted) and his money back. Ebay took a loss? Yes, this really happened. He also never left me critical feedback, although I'm not sure if ebay blocked him from leaving feedback for me or if he's just too dumb to know how to neg.

I can confirm this as well. Several months ago, I sold a copy of SOCOM: Confrontation on eBay and the buyer claimed that it didn't work because "he didn't have an internet connection on his PS3 and didn't know that the game required an internet connection to work". He filed a claim and eBay refunded him without requiring him to ship the game back or requiring me to reimburse him. I didn't get feedback either, so I don't know whether he decided not to or couldn't. I believe this happened in February.

[Eduardo]

You could try to sell locally. To people like me.

To me between the eBay fees, PayPal fees, and handling costs, it's not worth it.

Some people don't understand that boxes don't grow on trees and we don't live upstairs from the post office. If you dare charge a little over actual shipping cost they give you one star on shipping costs.

[megasdkirby]

You are right about insurance, Ryborg. My main aim is to use it as a deterrent for a buyer who plans to con me in some shape or form. I'll probably use it only on expensive items, as there is no need to insure a little video game (non rare) or a plushy.

Also, thanks for the heads up Jaruff. I did not know that was possible, and it prevents me from talking to a postal employee who has no intention of helping. I doubt I will claim much anyway, but I know it's there, just in case.

Ryborg, you got me thinking about insurance in general, mainly about how an item arrives and if it can be claimed. I would presume that there is still a time lapse that is needed before an insurance claim can be done, like 30 days or something? I don't know if this has changed in the last few years.

I think I may opt for "immediate payment required", which can reduce buyers who don't pay quickly or at all. I would presume Ebay charges an additional fee for this, correct?


No, you'll win that dispute as long as the zip codes match up, but it's possible you'll get negged. Not much you can do here, honestly, and end results vary case by case. It's still not that common and really not something to worry about.

As much as I don't want to get negged, I prefer getting what some call the "red donut" than to loose money. Though i will try my best to prevent this, though.


Unfortunately, when I opened the package in a few months, he had returned a crappy, obviously bootleg jersey and not the real one I sent him. I called Paypal but they said it was waaaay too late for them to do anything, which is fair, since it was my mistake by not inspecting it right away. Ever since then, I check all returns for tampering. A few have tried; I've won some, I've lost some. All part of doing business.

I'm sorry to hear this. Should I document my items well before shipping them out? For instance, I can take pictures of items in detail and link the listing to external pics like on Photobucket (is this permitted?), or I can jot down serial numbers in case of consoles or electronic units. Should I state that all items are documented before shipping? Or is that pushing it a bit far?


Personally, I accept returns with a 50% restocking fee if the buyer is dumb and made a mistake, and 100% returns if the mistake was mine (rare).

Oh, I did not know you could do that. Neat! I can use a similar method above. Is it recommended to say this in the listing, though? What steps do you take to inform the buyer of the restocking fee?


Why don't you just connect your main account to your bank account? I have three Paypal accounts and they're all attached to my bank accounts. Is there still a limit on how much money you can receive as a "gift" per month? That might limit you.

Good luck with stuff and just don't sell the same items I do!

Did not know I could do this too! I thought it was one bank account per Paypal account. Now I can "verify" my second account with the same account! :)

I will be preparing a nice "description template" for my items, stating shipping costs, returns, etc. I will be posting it here later on.

Thanks so much for everything! :)

Eduardo, I definitely prefer selling on the boards and such, but I've tried in the past with mild success. Locally is a pain as well, because for some reason, if I ask $10 for a $1,000 LCD TV, people seem to lowball me with "Too much, I will give you $5". Screw that.

[Jaruff]

Ryborg, you got me thinking about insurance in general, mainly about how an item arrives and if it can be claimed. I would presume that there is still a time lapse that is needed before an insurance claim can be done, like 30 days or something? I don't know if this has changed in the last few years.

I'm almost positive that a claim can be filed anytime after the item was delivered. Now, I do believe that you have to file the claim within a certain period of time. I can't remember at the moment though, but I think it's in the 30-90 day period after the package was delivered.


I think I may opt for "immediate payment required", which can reduce buyers who don't pay quickly or at all. I would presume Ebay charges an additional fee for this, correct?

You can only use the immediate payment on fixed-price listings. If you're doing auctions, you can use it if your auction has a BIN but it only pertains to the BIN. If someone wins by an auction bid, they aren't automatically forced to pay. There is no extra fee for this option but there is an extra fee if you decide to place a BIN on your item, which I don't recommend unless you do a reserve, which costs more money (don't you love eBay?). The reason I say that, if you pay for a BIN without a reserve, the BIN goes away when someone makes the first bid. Wasted money.


I'm sorry to hear this. Should I document my items well before shipping them out? For instance, I can take pictures of items in detail and link the listing to external pics like on Photobucket (is this permitted?), or I can jot down serial numbers in case of consoles or electronic units. Should I state that all items are documented before shipping? Or is that pushing it a bit far?

Documentation is fine and recommended. I always write down serial numbers when necessary (ex: I sell refurbished PS3's from time to time). You can upload pictures to an external site and link to them within your auction instead of uploading pictures through eBay.


Oh, I did not know you could do that. Neat! I can use a similar method above. Is it recommended to say this in the listing, though? What steps do you take to inform the buyer of the restocking fee?

Just state it in your listing. There's also a return policy section on the page where you fill out the auction details. You can set options (return time, etc) there.

[ryborg]

Jaruff was pretty much spot on for most of your questions/concerns, but here's a few more things....


I think I may opt for "immediate payment required", which can reduce buyers who don't pay quickly or at all. I would presume Ebay charges an additional fee for this, correct?

I wouldn't recommend this. I tried this for an extended time and all it did was hurt business. Yes, I didn't have to deal with any NPBs, but far fewer people were buying items. I don't fully understand it, but I guess people just like buying an item and paying at their leisure. A few of my other selling colleagues have reported similar findings, so it's likely not just a fluke.


As much as I don't want to get negged, I prefer getting what some call the "red donut" than to loose money. Though i will try my best to prevent this, though.Good, this is the mentality you have to have when selling. You simply cannot please everyone all the time, no matter how many precautions you take. There will always be that one lunatic who throws a monkey wrench into your selling machine. Over time, you'll learn to balance insuring yourself against the idiots versus total time spent on ebay. I personally don't deal with writing down serial numbers, recording myself packaging an item, etc, because disputes of that nature are so rare it's not worth my time, and time, to me, is the most valuable thing I've got.

[jonebone]

It sounds like you have a ton of good questions but I'd say you are just a bit paranoid and over thinking everything. Not that that's bad, but many of the cases you describe are related to 0.1% of all transactions.

I'm around 1400 feedback @ 100% (amazing) myself, and haven't experienced any of those issues. Some comments I can give:

1) Treat the buyer as if they are always right. I know it pains you to do this when they come off aggressive and demanding, but I've been able to mitigate almost all of my disagreements without ever resorting to paypal. If an item doesn't work, try to troubleshoot it (I test my games before selling so I "know" they worked when they left my house).

2) Accurately describe your item. If there is damage on the back of the cart not listed, make sure to at least mention it. Buyers don't want any surprises.

Of all of the bad things you've mentioned, I have had exactly 3 problems over the past 2 years I've been selling.

I sold a refurbished NES system complete with hookups and Mario (new 72 pin), buyer claimed it didn't work. I knew it did and tried to troubleshoot it. He responded saying "He wasn't a child and knew how to properly work one." He demanded a refund of total purchase price + shipping AND wanted me to pay for his return shipping (shipping $10 each way). I knew I was probably getting a neg anyway so I only refunded his purchase price and made him eat shipping both ways (which is what Paypal would award in a dispute). Sure enough it worked perfect when I received it and I got the negative, but it went away after 12 months.

Two times I have had items lost / damaged by USPS. I had a Battletoads NES cartridge destroyed (Package looked like it was run over?) I just refunded the buyer the purchase price less shipping (about $8) and he was very understanding. Another time I had an N64 controller lost in the mail, refunded the purchase price less shipping (about $10) and he was very understanding.

So to date, USPS has cost me about $18 in terms of lost / damaged packages. If I insured everything I'd be looking at probably a $1,000+ bill. Insurance is often overkill unless the item is very expensive.

[jb143]

Some people don't understand that boxes don't grow on trees and we don't live upstairs from the post office. If you dare charge a little over actual shipping cost they give you one star on shipping costs.

You do know that the post office will pick up packages for free and even deliver priority mail boxes and other supplies for free right? The small boxes are usually perfect for games and don't cost that much to ship. Otherwise free boxes of all shapes and sizes can be had if you know where to look.

[The_Chosen_One]

You do know that the post office will pick up packages for free and even deliver priority mail boxes and other supplies for free right? The small boxes are usually perfect for games and don't cost that much to ship. Otherwise free boxes of all shapes and sizes can be had if you know where to look.

This is very true but nevertheless I agree with Eduardo. People are super touching about paying actual shipping on ebay, and while I've never tried to rip anyone off on shipping, bubble wrap, tape, etc all cost money too. Not a lot to be sure but still, it adds up.

Take full advantage of the free stuff you can get from USPS, the boxes, stickers, etc can all be useful.

[Eduardo]

You do know that the post office will pick up packages for free and even deliver priority mail boxes and other supplies for free right? The small boxes are usually perfect for games and don't cost that much to ship. Otherwise free boxes of all shapes and sizes can be had if you know where to look.

Priority mail boxes you get for free, but those little bubble wrap envelopes we love so much cost money. I get enough packages that I rarely have to pay for bubble wrap or packing peanuts but those little envelopes you rip them open and have to pay for them. Tape costs money even a little bit.

I get that people rip people off on shipping. I once bought 33 games from a seller on eBay for a buck each, and 3 bucks for shipping each. Actual shipping cost? $1.66 He sent them all jammed in an envelope. But we are talking about what's fair here.

Also the post office picks up packages but you need to print your own label and I don't know about you but I don't have a scale that can measure with that accuracy in my home. Making home pick up impossible.

The small flat rate boxes cost 5 dollars to ship an item. I don't see that as economically reasonable when nickle and diming video games.

My record on eBay is spotless but I got some stories. I have mainly dealt in real wrestling belts that can go up to 2 grand, and it gets stressful.

[jonebone]

This is very true but nevertheless I agree with Eduardo. People are super touching about paying actual shipping on ebay, and while I've never tried to rip anyone off on shipping, bubble wrap, tape, etc all cost money too. Not a lot to be sure but still, it adds up.

Take full advantage of the free stuff you can get from USPS, the boxes, stickers, etc can all be useful.

I don't think people are nearly as touchy as you would think. If you get them their game fast and exactly as described, they are usually cool as long as the shipping is "reasonable".

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=jonebone7&ftab=AllFeedback

I got a 4.8 DSR on shipping and handling charges based on 264 ratings and I still maintain my 20% discount. I charge a flat rate of $3.99 to ship one game, whether it is a cartridge or CIB. Carts usually cost around $2.09, CIBs usually around $2.60 to $3.11 for the heavy ones.

So yes it is an upcharge and my customers do not mind because my items are always mailed next business day, no exceptions.

When you consider all of the hidden overheads that make up your "handling" number, it really isn't that bad. Envelopes, padding, printer ink, printer paper, tape and a shipping scale. An extra $1 or $1.50 isn't that bad when you think about what it covers.

[Eduardo]

I don't think people are nearly as touchy as you would think. If you get them their game fast and exactly as described, they are usually cool as long as the shipping is "reasonable".

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=jonebone7&ftab=AllFeedback

I got a 4.8 DSR on shipping and handling charges based on 264 ratings and I still maintain my 20% discount. I charge a flat rate of $3.99 to ship one game, whether it is a cartridge or CIB. Carts usually cost around $2.09, CIBs usually around $2.60 to $3.11 for the heavy ones.

So yes it is an upcharge and my customers do not mind because my items are always mailed next business day, no exceptions.

When you consider all of the hidden overheads that make up your "handling" number, it really isn't that bad. Envelopes, padding, printer ink, printer paper, tape and a shipping scale. An extra $1 or $1.50 isn't that bad when you think about what it covers.

I agree with everyone! Jonebone you're one smart dude thanks for that breakdown, it helps a lot. To be honest I got really upset when people left me positives but one star on the shipping charge. It happened 5 times so they sent me a notification which i really don't know what it means. I always round it up, to cover for the tape, box, bubble wrap, gas to the post office, and its like maybe 20% over actual shipping cost.

Sometimes I have to do it really lean because buyers are assholes about it. Like I shipped a $1500 wrestling belt for $35 on a large priority box. I lost on packaging materials, the insurance I took out, the tape and gas to get there. But it was such a big ticket item, at least for me, that I had to swallow the costs.

[jb143]

Maybe they changed it in the last few years but I still haven't ran out of my free tape from USPS. And I have always rounded up to the nearest 25 or 50 cents on shipping costs and no one has ever complained. Like jonebone said, as long as your reasonable and upfront with shipping costs then no one really has a right to complain. The only way I see that someone could loose money on shipping is if they undercharge. So much shipping supplies can be had for free or next to nothing that I really don't even see why it's an issue.

[ryborg]

I don't think people are nearly as touchy as you would think. If you get them their game fast and exactly as described, they are usually cool as long as the shipping is "reasonable".

Totally agree with this. It seems the older ebay users have moved on from the days of charging exact shipping for everything.


I got a 4.8 DSR on shipping and handling charges based on 264 ratings...

Yeah, my biggest account is 4.7 for that, which is the lowest of my DSRs (4.9, 4.8, 4.8) with thousands of ratings, but still very good, and I charge a healthy amount over shipping, but still usually 5-10% less than my competition. Except for Canada. Holy hell that country has been pissing me off recently. Once Canada gets a mail service that isn't an embarrassment, I'll charge a more reasonable amount for them.

[ryborg]

Sometimes I have to do it really lean because buyers are assholes about it. Like I shipped a $1500 wrestling belt for $35 on a large priority box. I lost on packaging materials, the insurance I took out, the tape and gas to get there. But it was such a big ticket item, at least for me, that I had to swallow the costs.

I don't get it. Isn't that your own fault for not knowing what to charge beforehand? How is the buyer to blame here? What did you think it would cost? Heavy stuff shipped far costs a lot.

[Eduardo]

I don't get it. Isn't that your own fault for not knowing what to charge beforehand? How is the buyer to blame here? What did you think it would cost? Heavy stuff shipped far costs a lot.

Oh it is my fault absolutely. Im not saying it's not. But the shipping cost was a negotiation point. I couldn't let the sale go because of maybe 5 bucks in materials, the point that I was trying to make is that a lot of people are way too focused on actual shipping. The person saw on the USPS site that flat rate is $35 and that's what they want to pay. I have to eat the costs.

[Eduardo]

Maybe they changed it in the last few years but I still haven't ran out of my free tape from USPS. And I have always rounded up to the nearest 25 or 50 cents on shipping costs and no one has ever complained. Like jonebone said, as long as your reasonable and upfront with shipping costs then no one really has a right to complain. The only way I see that someone could loose money on shipping is if they undercharge. So much shipping supplies can be had for free or next to nothing that I really don't even see why it's an issue.

The lady at USPS is not letting me use their tape anymore.

[jb143]

The lady at USPS is not letting me use their tape anymore.

I mean the packaging tape they used to have listed on their website. It doesn't look like it's there anymore though. Back when I was selling a ton of stuff all the time I ordered several rolls of tape, shipping lables, a bunch of boxes, and other stuff I thought I might need off their website and it was all free. They still do boxes and labels but it doesn't look like they have the free tape anymore though. Too bad, it smelled a bit like cotton candy.

Still, a roll of packaging tape is just a few bucks. It should come to a few cents per package. Tape is really the only shiping supply you can't reuse, everythong else can be gotten for free. Think of it as a buisness expense.

[Eduardo]

I mean the packaging tape they used to have listed on their website. It doesn't look like it's there anymore though. Back when I was selling a ton of stuff all the time I ordered several rolls of tape, shipping lables, a bunch of boxes, and other stuff I thought I might need off their website and it was all free. They still do boxes and labels but it doesn't look like they have the free tape anymore though. Too bad, it smelled a bit like cotton candy.

Still, a roll of packaging tape is just a few bucks. It should come to a few cents per package. Tape is really the only shiping supply you can't reuse, everythong else can be gotten for free. Think of it as a buisness expense.

I got a roll for 3 bucks and it's still going. I get a lot of packages, so I put the packing peanuts in a bag and roll the bubble wrap.

What I don't know is whst's up with the adult diaper boxes? it's happened 3 times to me now, the lady at the PO Box smirks when she sees me now.

[Zthun]

I want to say this at the risk of not sounding popular.

You're going to get a lot of trailer trash and uneducated bums with a few dollars buying from you on eBay. If it was a city, it would be just as big a ghetto as Hollywood. People claim how dumb people are on craigslist, but I've seen the exact same thing happen on eBay, and sometimes worse. I had a guy buy two dragonlance novels for 2.00, but he paid 9.00 shipping between the two packages. I upgraded his shipping from first class to priority, which cost me 8.95. I went ahead and took the hit with materials. He gave me a neutral feedback because of the shipping cost.

Regardless, I've said on here many times, and while I'm not a big reseller like ryborg or ds, I know enough to know this much. Ebay is a buyers market. Whatever the buyer wants, he/she is going to get. You can refuse returns all you want, but in the end, all the buyer has to do is lie to paypal and they will enforce a return. You have a 45 day return policy whether you want one or not. If paypal doesn't side with the buyer, they can do a chargeback and get all of their money back. Will this happen often? Probably not unless your selling garbage.

To leave this on a positive note, you get buyers from all around the world, and for the most part, as long as you are able to put up with eBays bull shit (fuck you meg whitman - you're not getting my vote for Cali governor bitch), you'll have a nice large pool of customers.

[Jaruff]

Thought I would chime in on a few things:


I get that people rip people off on shipping. I once bought 33 games from a seller on eBay for a buck each, and 3 bucks for shipping each. Actual shipping cost? $1.66 He sent them all jammed in an envelope. But we are talking about what's fair here.

I don't have an issue with this beyond the fact that he/she used an envelope to ship the games in. As a buyer, you should always ask a seller if they offer a discount for bulk purchases before making the purchase. You should also be aware of the total cost instead of going "oh, this is a great deal" without looking at the shipping costs.


Still, a roll of packaging tape is just a few bucks. It should come to a few cents per package. Tape is really the only shiping supply you can't reuse, everythong else can be gotten for free. Think of it as a buisness expense.

I don't know about you guys, but my local Dollar Store outlet sells rolls of packing tape for $1 each. It's not the best quality but it works nearly as well as the $2-3 dollar tape that I can buy at Wal-Mart.


You're going to get a lot of trailer trash and uneducated bums with a few dollars buying from you on eBay. If it was a city, it would be just as big a ghetto as Hollywood. People claim how dumb people are on craigslist, but I've seen the exact same thing happen on eBay, and sometimes worse. I had a guy buy two dragonlance novels for 2.00, but he paid 9.00 shipping between the two packages. I upgraded his shipping from first class to priority, which cost me 8.95. I went ahead and took the hit with materials. He gave me a neutral feedback because of the shipping cost.

This kind of thing pisses me off. As I said earlier, before you buy ANYTHING, you should look at your total cost. Many people blindly purchase things (not just on eBay) without reading fine print and without knowing total cost. If you have a problem with the total cost, you shouldn't bid on the item. Most people don't realize that and it is aggravating. Before I buy anything on eBay, I always look at total cost. If there's one item selling for $20 and free shipping and another seller has the same item for $15 and $4 shipping, I'm going with the $15+4 option. Many people will go with the free shipping option because the shipping is "free". Doesn't make sense to me.


Regardless, I've said on here many times, and while I'm not a big reseller like ryborg or ds, I know enough to know this much. Ebay is a buyers market. Whatever the buyer wants, he/she is going to get. You can refuse returns all you want, but in the end, all the buyer has to do is lie to paypal and they will enforce a return. You have a 45 day return policy whether you want one or not. If paypal doesn't side with the buyer, they can do a chargeback and get all of their money back. Will this happen often? Probably not unless your selling garbage.

I completely agree with you on this too. Although you will get better treatment as a Power Seller and/or Top Rated Seller and I can confirm this from experience.

[Eduardo]

Eduardo, I definitely prefer selling on the boards and such, but I've tried in the past with mild success. Locally is a pain as well, because for some reason, if I ask $10 for a $1,000 LCD TV, people seem to lowball me with "Too much, I will give you $5". Screw that.

I can come over to your house? You don't want to be my friend?

[ryborg]

I don't know about you guys, but my local Dollar Store outlet sells rolls of packing tape for $1 each. It's not the best quality but it works nearly as well as the $2-3 dollar tape that I can buy at Wal-Mart

Your best bet for packaging tape is buying in bulk. You don't have to buy a case, but a four-pack will last you a very long time and is the cheapest per foot an ebay seller can find, even cheaper than the dollar store rolls, which are about 30% the size as the normal roll.

Pretty sure they stopped giving away Priority tape a few years ago because too many people were misusing it. That's also why the Priority boxes have watermarks on the inside -- so people can't just turn the boxes inside out and save a few bucks on shipping in some cases.

[Jaruff]

Your best bet for packaging tape is buying in bulk. You don't have to buy a case, but a four-pack will last you a very long time and is the cheapest per foot an ebay seller can find, even cheaper than the dollar store rolls, which are about 30% the size as the normal roll.

Pretty sure they stopped giving away Priority tape a few years ago because too many people were misusing it. That's also why the Priority boxes have watermarks on the inside -- so people can't just turn the boxes inside out and save a few bucks on shipping in some cases.

Yea, I need to order some but never get around to it. I do buy my envelopes in bulk, which saves a lot of money (amazing at how much stores overcharge on mailers).

And I've never seen Priority tape available for free but I only started selling on eBay last year. I haven't seen anyone turn the boxes inside out but I have had a few packages delivered to me where the boxes were covered in brown postal wrapping paper, one of which came through FedEx. I guess people can't resist the free boxes.

[megasdkirby]

Yes, I didn't have to deal with any NPBs, but far fewer people were buying items. I don't fully understand it, but I guess people just like buying an item and paying at their leisure. A few of my other selling colleagues have reported similar findings, so it's likely not just a fluke.

You have a point. Perhaps it's a psychological thing, something like "Damn I need to pay NOW" compared to "Hey I won! I will pay in a few days". Perhaps convenience? I honestly don't know if I should do a fixed price to start or not. Honestly, I want a specific price for the item, so putting a one cent starting bid may bite me. I'll think this over carefully before deciding. I hope to start the listings later this week, once everything is ironed out (not only doubts, but pictures, description template, etc).


You simply cannot please everyone all the time, no matter how many precautions you take. There will always be that one lunatic who throws a monkey wrench into your selling machine. Over time, you'll learn to balance insuring yourself against the idiots versus total time spent on ebay. I personally don't deal with writing down serial numbers, recording myself packaging an item, etc, because disputes of that nature are so rare it's not worth my time, and time, to me, is the most valuable thing I've got.

You are 100% right. Even at work, I can't please anyone. There is always someone who either complains alot or asks for an asinine request. Just today I was helping a customer with a all in one printer, and when he was looking at them (I knew he wasn't going o buy anything), I let him alone so he can decide (in a adequate, polite manner). Later on he comes to me pissed saying "Since you were not with me and did not help, I WILL NOT BUY ANYTHING!". All I can do is smile and I really wanted to say "Sure, no my problem!" but I held back thankfully. Everyone in the department knew the guy wasn't going to buy anything, and he actually thought he would hurt me by saying that. Hahaha.

Thanks for the tips, jonebone! I will pretty much act the same way I do with the public when I work: be nice, curtious, helpful, etc. I'm pretty much expecting a similar experience online like in person, though I will miss the facial reactions when dealing with people face to face! LOL

Did you ever tell the person that returned the NES that it worked? If you did, I can just imagine his reaction. :)



Take full advantage of the free stuff you can get from USPS, the boxes, stickers, etc can all be useful.

Definitely. I have an overstock of packaging materials at home, since I conserve most boxes and shipping materials from items I get in the mail. Plus if I need any boxes in the future, I will ask my manager for a few, as they are always receiving merchandise every day. The only problem is that I have WAY to many materials, so much in fact that I have to use my car's trunk to save it all! LOL

I just realized something. After reading that buyers are picky conerning shipping, is this the reason why many sellers (including me) hide the shipping price when using online labels? I know I do, just in case. Although it's not that hard to figure out, but not having shipping costs on the actual label may reduce buyer's stress when it comes to overpaying. So if I charge $4 for a game and it actually costs $2 to ship, he buyer may complain if he sees a $2 price on the package, compared to not having any amount listed.

Ryborg and jobebone, how much do you charge per additional items? I was thinking that, for a video game, the first one is $4 then $1.50 each additional game. The problem stems from GameGavel experience: although this would work for me, I noticed that if a buyer purchases several items from me (let's say 4 items, so shipping cost would be $9 total) it would actually cost me $9 or MORE to ship! This is because even though PR is a US territory (same services and all), since it's located on postal zone 8 for most states, two pounds jump right away to around $9 shipping. Sometimes it is only $6, like in the case with Florida and nearby states. It all depends on postal zones and location. What can I do so I don't have to take that hit?


You're going to get a lot of trailer trash and uneducated bums with a few dollars buying from you on eBay. If it was a city, it would be just as big a ghetto as Hollywood. People claim how dumb people are on craigslist, but I've seen the exact same thing happen on eBay, and sometimes worse. I had a guy buy two dragonlance novels for 2.00, but he paid 9.00 shipping between the two packages. I upgraded his shipping from first class to priority, which cost me 8.95. I went ahead and took the hit with materials. He gave me a neutral feedback because of the shipping cost.

I'm prepared for that, since it's like how it is at work. Even when I try to cater to all the customers need, they will either complain for no reason or evaluate me badly for someone elses mistake. I recall one time in which the customer came to me for help because the first associate treated her like shit. I treated her like a queen and she was very happy with me (and ironically still comes to be for help). She evaluates me with a 1 out of 10 because "The first employee was a bad worker". My manager said that I had no way to know who gave me that evaluation, but I knew it was her because of what she wrote on it. When I saw her the next time, I gave her a serious scolding for what she did. She realized that my evaluation has NOTHING to do with how others treated her and she should not reflect that. After that, she has given me 10 out of 10 in evaluations.

[Jaruff]

I just realized something. After reading that buyers are picky conerning shipping, is this the reason why many sellers (including me) hide the shipping price when using online labels? I know I do, just in case. Although it's not that hard to figure out, but not having shipping costs on the actual label may reduce buyer's stress when it comes to overpaying. So if I charge $4 for a game and it actually costs $2 to ship, he buyer may complain if he sees a $2 price on the package, compared to not having any amount listed.

I noticed that my Shipping Cost DSR's went up after I quit printing the postage price. I only print the price if the actual price is near the amount I charged or if it is over that amount.


What can I do so I don't have to take that hit?

I don't discount for shipping until they pay for the item. Once they pay, if there's a way that I can/willing to discount shipping, I send them a partial refund via PayPal. I don't make any promises regarding discounts due to the reasons you mentioned.

[ryborg]

I honestly don't know if I should do a fixed price to start or not. Honestly, I want a specific price for the item, so putting a one cent starting bid may bite me.

I don't do auctions anymore. At all. For anything. I've made so much more money since I switched over to fixed price, it's not even funny. You are NEVER burned on price and it's ridiculously more convenient to deal with. The important thing is striking a balance between quick sales for less money and long sales for more money. I'm sure you've read the threads where many of us debate that notion.


After reading that buyers are picky conerning shipping, is this the reason why many sellers (including me) hide the shipping price when using online labels?

I do simply because it's the default and I've never found a reason to switch. Sometimes I'll go out of my way to show the buyer what I paid, usually when I mess up and undercharge someone.


Ryborg and jobebone, how much do you charge per additional items? I was thinking that, for a video game, the first one is $4 then $1.50 each additional game.

Depends on the item. I sell items of every size, weight and rarity, so it doesn't always work out. For small items like t-shirts and game carts, I do $3-5 for one and $2-3 for each additional. I also make a point that if you are interested in buying in bulk, I'll cut you a great deal on shipping. I just had a guy buy six New Era 5950 hats from me and I charged him the exact amount ($7.XX) because I made so much on the actual sale. I wouldn't have done that deal if he bought six copies of Madden 93, though.

[Jaruff]

I wouldn't have done that deal if he bought six copies of Madden 93, though.

If someone willingly buys six copies of Madden 93 through eBay, they should get a medal.