Selling stuff on Ebay questions

[Kneedragger]

So I have a lot of electronics stuff I want to get rid of since they are collecting dust. I have been trying to sell some stuff locally on Craigslist but it seems like people want stuff for next to nothing when I put stuff up for reasonably used prices. I just want to get rid of stuff for something, not get full retail like a lot try to do..
I have never sold anything on Ebay and want to give it a try so what do I need to do so I don't make any mistakes with shipping, up front info and any other tips you might have.

Thanks

 

[Aikouka]

In my experience, I would say to...

• Provide good photos of your item(s).
• If it's a device that works, provide some sort of proof (if possible).
• Make sure to describe your item(s) accurately.
• Be very clear about what you're selling. For example, if you need to take a picture of a BIOS screen to show that a motherboard works, be clear that the monitor is not included. Nitpickers can use any discrepancy as a means for a return. I usually include a list of every item included in the auction.
• Buyers almost never pay for insurance; however, you should. Note that the big carriers have a default amount of insurance included (USPS Priority = $50, Fedex and UPS = $100). Buyers almost always choose the first option, so depending on the item price, consider putting whichever gives you enough free insurance first.
• If you're charging for shipping, I recommend using eBay-calculated rates or flat-rate boxes. All you need are box measurements (always round up) and weight (always round up). I use a kitchen scale for small boxes and a bathroom scale for large/heavy boxes. I usually check the weight when dropping the package off, and it's very accurate.
• Free shipping sells items faster, but keep in mind that baking in the shipping costs does require you to insure that cost.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Also consider the For Sale / Trade forum here. You have a much lower chance of getting a jerk buyer.

You won't get as much, but you also won't pay a big chunk to eBay in fees.

 

[purbeast0]

i'd throw it away before i sold it on ebay, especially if it's old electronics crap that is not in high demand and probably obsolete.

after ebay fees and crap, what you probably will make probably won't be worth all of the time/effort spent on shipping/packaging the stuff.

 

[Kneedragger]

What about shipping guidlines? Like state I will ship after receiving funding or something like that?

 

[DaveSimmons]

What about shipping guidlines? Like state I will ship after receiving funding or something like that?

On eBay? You don't get to pick things like that, it's eBay policy. One thing is to disable sales to non-US buyers if you don't want to deal with customs and a higher rate of scams.

Normal eBay sequence:

- You list
- They pay with paypal
- You ship to them

Then the fun begins:

- If you didn't insure, they can claim the item was lost. Or that it arrived damaged and you need to refund their money.
- If they find the item cheaper elsewhere or have buyer's remorse, they can claim the item was "not as described" and demand a refund.
- If you let them pay with check or money order, it might be a fake
- Even with paypal, it might be a stolen account. Never ship to a non-paypal-verified shipping address.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Ebay rapes you on fees. Then Paypal rapes you on fees. If it's plausible for you try selling on Amazon.

 

[purbeast0]

Normal eBay sequence:

- You list
- User with 0 feedback is the high bidder.
- No money is sent.
- You send emails to high bidder for a week and don't hear anything back.
- Open non paying bidder claim.
- Wait a month and get your fees waived.
- ???
- Non profit.

fixed.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Check on ebay for similar items first to see if there is any market for your stuff. You can check "sold" items to see what the market value is recently. Not sure what your threshold for profit is but ebay and paypal fees are fractional kinda like taxes. If the item is worth some money I'd rather have some of it than a big fat 0.

I've had good luck buying and selling on ebay. YMMV. I've been wanting to try Amazon but have not yet.

 

[pcslookout]

i'd throw it away before i sold it on ebay, especially if it's old electronics crap that is not in high demand and probably obsolete.

after ebay fees and crap, what you probably will make probably won't be worth all of the time/effort spent on shipping/packaging the stuff.

Same here. Ebay boat sailed long ago.

 

[Aikouka]

Definitely some other really good points here. When I do my pricing research, I'll normally just type in the item name, and select the sold option in the filter. You may be tempted to look at existing auctions, but unless they are actual auctions (not Buy It Now (BIN)), do not focus on them. I've seen way too many inflated BIN values in current sales to consider them worthwhile. However, a sold BIN sale is fine as a reference point. Just be wary of the date, and keep in mind any changes that could have occurred since that date (new model released, etc.).

I also banned all foreign sales and 0-feedback buyers. Unlike in the past, you only owe eBay money if your auction sells, and people are right about it being a bit (10% of the final value + shipping). PayPal also takes about 2%. Anyway, the point is that making your item harder to sell (by restricting) buyers only hurts you by potentially wasting your time, but at least it doesn't waste your money.

Also, you may get offers in your eBay inbox from users trying to get you to sell outside eBay. Keep in mind that making or accepting offers to complete a sale outside of eBay is against the terms of service and you have no protection at that point.

If you do Buy It Now and check that you'll accept other offers, be prepared for ridiculous low balls. I was selling an EVGA GTX 780 HydroCopper for $450 (great condition, had everything, EVGA honors the second-hand warranty), and I had someone offer me $100 with this to say "i can get 780ti 4x at $70 Each if you dont wanna sell ~ this card". My response was, "Then just buy those instead."

fixed.

I've never had to worry about fees with a buyer that hadn't paid. All I had to do was submit the claim and relist the item.

 

[dud]

OP, I've been using eBay for 17 years now and while things have gotten worse there over the years all is not lost. Plenty of people make plenty of dollars there because they understand and play by the big e's rules. Be warned, eBay has changed their rules significantly in the direction of the buyer over the last number of years. You and your funds are at risk when you sell there because eBay almost always sides on the side of the buyer in cases requiring resolution.

BTW, what exactly are you selling? It would help if we knew ...

 

[chowderhead]

old electronic stuff are very hit or miss. You will need to check the sold auctions to see what the going rate is for each item. Then, you factor in shipping cost of each items and fees and it may or may not be worth the effort to sell as many pieces of electronics do not keep their value.

 

[motsm]

Ebay rapes you on fees. Then Paypal rapes you on fees. If it's plausible for you try selling on Amazon.

I'm looking at a chart of Amazon's seller fees right now, as I've never compared. They look the same or higher than eBay+PayPal in almost all categories except for consumer electronics. So may be good for OP, but on average I'm not seeing anything exciting.

 

[Kneedragger]

All Im selling is miscellaneous stuff. IP camera, mobo + cpu combo in box, RAM, mobile phone etc.

I will definitely think about your info about Ebay. Their policy now in favor of the buyer sort of changes my mind for wanting to use Ebay..