I’ve used ebay to sell a lot (100+ items) and have been very happy with the process and the people I’ve dealt with. I’ve never had an issue with Paypal.
I’ve purchased a few things on ebay but it’s been a bit hit and miss (in terms of quality).
A couple of points to add that I don’t think have been mentioned…
Since you are selling then you are in the driving seat. Just make sure you have the cash before sending the goods. And this doesn’t just mean receiving a paypal email notification. Make sure the dosh is received by Palpal (not pending). Equally, if accepting a cheque, make sure the funds have transferred. It seems bogus buyers are able to create the impression that they have paid i.e. it will appear in your Paypal (maybe pending). Then you think it’s safe to send the goods. But don’t send until you are 100% sure then funds have cleared. Check the ebay/paypal forums for further advice on this.
When selling an item, take a look on ebay and look at what the same item has sold for in the past (there’s a flag to let you see sold items). At the same time look at how people have presented their items. This will help you decide if it’s worth selling etc. Some things just aren’t worth the effort and some things just don’t sell in such a general market (try a specialist auction site). Equally you will be surprised what does sell.
If you are selling a bulky item, decide if you are really going to go to the trouble of shipping it. Consider “Collect only” option. I used to think this was limiting but I’ve had people travel several hundred miles to collect furniture etc.
Be realistic about how much you want for an item. An ornamental lamp may only be of interest to a small number of people. So consider accepting a reasonable offer (so at least you’ve got rid of it). But equally if you know iPods sell for average £xx then don’t accept a significantly lower offer. They will always sell.
You really need to build your reputation. Sell some lower priced items first to get some reputation.
As groundrush says, it’s all in the marketing. Put yourself in the situation of the buyer. If I’m buying and there are ten Playstations to choose from, then I’m going with the one that looks well presented from a buyer with good rep. So do make the effort to take good pictures (in focus and good lighting) and give lots of details. Always mention any significant defects. This will provide credibility as well as avoiding issues later. Show original boxes if available. Show certificates etc.
I’ve found that most of the bidding and value occurs in the last few minutes of an auction. So don’t panic.
When an auction has finished, check the credentials of the buyer. If they have a poor rep or are living in Nigeria then I would take great caution i.e. be 100% sure you have the cash.
I only ship to UK. It’s not that I don’t trust Germans, French , Africans etc. It’s just simply not worth the hassle.
People will try to make you a “buy now” offer. The general consensus is don’t accept it. Just let the auction run. If they are genuinely interested then they will still bid. If they were simply trying to get a steal then they won’t but you'll still get a higher bid.
Read the ebay forums. They will give you more advice. But in general I think a lot of the concern comes from a minority of people who have had problems.
Enjoy it. It can be a bit addictive.
Hth
Chris
