grodog wrote:Hola folks---Heather and I are in the process of finalizing the purchase of a home in Wichita, Kansas, where her family lives. As such, I have no desire to move the many items that I've picked up over the years that are unnecessary spares, items bought with the intent to sell later (their time has come!), and games I no longer play much at all.I haven't sold stuff since the heydey of rec.games.frp.marketplace, so what're the best steps/best practices that you can share with me about selling successfully on eBay?I figure I have to do these things, at least, but I'd like some guidance on what else I should think aboutStop buying stuff for awhile Don't shill my own auctions Charge actual shipping/packing costs vs. inflating them Verify my paypal account. (Do I need to verify my eBay ID too?)Keep some funds in my paypal account (for refunds, etc.)?? (I don't currently keep cash in my paypal account, I only make payments from it via credit card).How do you handle credit card payment processing charges (kick them back to the seller, eat them, etc.)? Figure out what Frank's occasional comments about buying via escrow mean to me as a seller.Organize my stuff to sell, figure out what's actually worth selling, and then ditch the rest (freebies and trades here, dump the dross on NobleKnight/local used bookstores/etc.).Create some sort of template for my salesFigure out minimum bids vs. reserve bids vs. BINs and when to use them.Include digital photos (I don't have a scanner) always/sometimes/never?Sell the rarities with good support items, and advertise here/elsewhere as appropriate to generate interest in them.Philosophically, I really believe that I should give positive feedback upon receipt, but I'm not sure how realistic/rational that is for a seller.What are the other things I'm missing that I should think about? How quickly can you get sales rolling coming from a standing start?Thanks for your thoughts!
Philosophically, I really believe that I should give positive feedback upon receipt, but I'm not sure how realistic/rational that is for a seller.
red_dawn wrote:As largely a buyer on eBay, I'm always a bit suspicious of sellers who hold buyers hostage by waiting on leaving the feedback. I've heard all the justifications/rationales, and they ring pretty hollow.
red_dawn wrote:Those incidents will happen. Your words -- "However, a recent incident" -- make their own point. You don't make policy based on one incident, or even two or three.I see this a lot when sellers attempt to justify FB withholding... They'll point at an incident or two, ignoring their previous dozens or hundreds of transactions. My favorite excuse is "I want to make sure they were pleased with the transaction" or some similar nonsense. If that was their true aim, follow-up emails would take care of that, as well as allowing buyers to leave their honest opinions in their FB. Withholding FB by the seller says "I don't trust you" as much as those wretched auction descriptions full of threats & warnings.Selling conditions on eBay aren't going to change. FB hostage-taking & retaliatory negs & neutrals are a fact of life. I just know when I see a classy seller, and one sign is that they don't use strong-arm tactics to force positive feedback. They know they give A+ service & the positive feedback follows from that.
Deadlord36 wrote:Feedback should be left when both parties are satisfied. I have never felt that merely paying for an item suffices to get immediate feedback. Not in these days of chargebacks, lost package claims, etc.I think people in general worry way too much about feedback. I've taken 3 hits, all from sellers who stiffed me, and I don't sweat it. If it got too bad, I'd just start a new account. People REALLY need to stop treating their eBay account the same as a phone number or mailing address, or pretty soon things will come to this:Frank Farris150 West Clarke StreetManchester, NH 03104(603)555-1212e-mail: [email protected]eBay ID: eyeamgawdFeedback Rating: 300I have WAY more important things to worry about.
red_dawn wrote:2 types of sellers do this:* Bad sellers practicing CYA* Otherwise good sellers who feel like they need to artificially maintain their FB level.
red_dawn wrote:I'm always a bit suspicious of sellers who hold buyers hostage ...
Deadlord36 wrote:I have never felt that merely paying for an item suffices to get immediate feedback.