Selling and Buying on Ebay

[star1997]

The reason why is because when you get it it might not work or it's all scratched so i'm worried to buy on Ebay.How think I should buy on Ebay???

[giraf98]

Always and I can't repeat this enough...ALWAYS check their feedback and from how many people. The higher the percentage the better chances you have getting what you paid for. I use ebay a lot and have only had a couple of problems since I joined. One was because of miscommunication and the other was well... just because the guy was in my opinion a scammer. In my opinion you would have the same problem of something not working or being scratched if you bought it at a yard sale or even sometimes from a brick and mortar store. Again, just my opinions. Good luck in whatever you decide and use your best judgement with the seller.

[star1997]

Always and I can't repeat this enough...ALWAYS check their feedback and from how many people. The higher the percentage the better chances you have getting what you paid for. I use ebay a lot and have only had a couple of problems since I joined. One was because of miscommunication and the other was well... just because the guy was in my opinion a scammer. In my opinion you would have the same problem of something not working or being scratched if you bought it at a yard sale or even sometimes from a brick and mortar store. Again, just my opinions. Good luck in whatever you decide and use your best judgement with the seller.

Okay ...thanks

[wendav13]

The reason why is because when you get it it might not work or it's all scratched so i'm worried to buy on Ebay.How think I should buy on Ebay???

I am a huge Ebayer!! Open up a paypal account - it takes about 2 minutes - and always use that account to pay for any purchases - you are completely covered if you are unhappy with the transaction!

I have been buying and selling on ebay for about 6 years now...nock on wood - I have never had a bad experience! Check feedback - very important! Any other ? shoot me an email!

[treefrog07]

Pay with paypal if something is wrong with it, or doesn't work as stated that it would. They will help you get your Money back with no worries.

[giraf98]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Paypal in my post. This is also a must! Most people on Ebay only take Paypal these days anyway. I'm very leering of taking check from people too.

[laf76]

Yes be very careful in judgement. I have been selling and buying off ebay for a few years now and knock on wood....I have not had any probems. But that is probably just luck! lol at least I got luck with something. Good Luck to you Star1997!!!!!!

[star1997]

Thanks for the information everybody:)

[cath_31]

I agree with everyone else- USE PAYPAL TO PAY. I have had a couple of bad experiences buying on Ebay. One lady accepted paypal, so I bid and won. When I went to pay, I wasn't able to use Paypal-she said something was wrong with her account. To make a long story short, I sent her a check and I never received the items. I wasn't able to do anything about it because shortly after this she was kicked out of Ebay. Another time, I had a problem with not receiving an item, but because I used Paypal I was able to get my money back. I wish I could say that I was lucky like these other posters, but I have had numerous problems- usually they turn out ok though. I will NEVER purchase something with a check on Ebay again, I know that much. Don't let me scare you though, Ebay can be extremely fun (even addicting if you aren't careful) and you can get good bargains, but just be careful.

[mom2fussbudgets]

Star, definitely check their feedback, like every has said. I would not buy from anyone who has low feedback, or a lot of negative feedbacks. Some sellers do have some negatives, so go read the negative feedback and see if you think the seller was at fault, or if the buyer was just being a jerk.

Make sure you read the auction carefully and understand all of the auction terms before you bid. See if the seller has a return policy, that sort of thing. Also, make sure your seller has Paypal Buyer Protection advertised on his/her auction.

I've been an active buyer and seller on eBay for nearly eight years, and I am proud to say that I have no negative feedback. :D

[Brbie]

I too, use Ebay and have been for years. First thing I check is feedback from sellers. I do use and highly recommend PayPal, too. There has only been one time that I have not received what I ordered and that only cost me $1.50, it was for some flower seeds. To be honest I had even forgotten about them till I was checking my own feedback one day. lol The thing to remember is Ebay is like any other business, you are going to have bad things and good things happen. However, a seller will do the best they can to please you, because they want good feedback.

[mom363546]

I am also an avid Ebayer!! Its nice to see how many others like to shop and sell on the bay!!

[leezme]

Buyer and seller beware on ebay!!!! I have been a member of ebay for about 10 years and I can say that ebay is NOT like it was years ago. I have had many, many problems with buyers and sellers. It is a pain and if you get "bitten" several times, you will see.
I used to collect antique glassware and pottery and dinnerware and I have gotten so many cracked, chipped, broken pieces and they all said "they were perfect when they shipped them, must have happened in shipping or when you opened the box." A collector knows an old crack when they see it, and I was stuck with the pieces. I refused to pay return shipping on an item they lied about. BOY, I had some bad transactions!!!!
I have sold items on ebay and there were the people wjho never answered your emails and I was stuck with the fees.
I have had many great transactions at ebay too though, but you never, ever know when something will go wrong. Even buying from sellers with high feedback, you can get bitten.
I still buy something every now and then, but it is ONLY very low priced items and ONLY if they have extremely high feedback. I dont think I have spent more than $15 on any one auction in the last several years. and the last thing I bought, I had a problem with that one!!!!! I bought some return address labels for my mother with silky terrier dogs on them. They were centered poorly and I asked for a refund and she gave me 50% of my money back. but she wasnt happy about doing it.
Ya just never know!!!
and Paypal used to only step in to help if you didnt receive the item you won---dont know if they have changed. If you received the item but something was wrong with it, they wouldnt help.
So if this sounds negative about ebay, that is because it is a roll-of-the-dice thing and you are taking a chance every time!
My suggestion is to join Paypal (which is owned by ebay, HA) and always use a credit card. that way, if you have a problem you can call your credit card and get them to contest the charge.

[Cpogie]

Want a good horror story about Ebay? A family member bought something off Ebay, left feedback that was truthful, not bad at all, the seller sued him, he had to fly from Calif and go back to Philadelphia! He won the law suit but then the guy said Oh no, I am not paying you (he was ordered to pay all attorney fees) and said he would take it to a higher court, so our family member is waiting to go back to court, and has to fly across country on his dime, Ebay and Pay Pal did not help him at all, they only banned this seller! I know this is a very extreme case, for someone to do this over nothing is even scarier, you just never know who you are dealing with, I always look for high feedback too...but you have to careful just like buying anything.

[lizmolik]

Im sorry...I will not buy or sell from ebay. I tried onece to sell some baby formula (3 cans) my son could not use anymore, The final bid got $27 dollars and I was pretty pleased considering. So when it came time to pay...they sent me a message that said she could not pay me. So I got stuck with fees and didnt even get money out of it. So I can imagine what the sellers are like on there. I just cant trust it. I would rather buy from a catalog or a rummage sale or something like that. No Ebay for me!

[mom2fussbudgets]

Liz, when that happens, you are supposed to file a non-paying bidder alert, the buyer receives a warning, and eBay will refund your fees. I am so sorry that happened to you. You had some bad beginner's luck, unfortunately.

I have been selling on eBay for years and can count the number of non-paying bidders I've had on one hand.

[lizmolik]

Liz, when that happens, you are supposed to file a non-paying bidder alert, the buyer receives a warning, and eBay will refund your fees. I am so sorry that happened to you. You had some bad beginner's luck, unfortunately.

I have been selling on eBay for years and can count the number of non-paying bidders I've had on one hand.

Ooops! I didnt know I could do that. LOL...Went into Ebay blind! I just know that I got charged with fees for posting it on there....I believe it was a percentage of what it was "sold' for or something. It overdrafted my account and I didnt even know they were taking it. I think I need to read things better before I do!

[mom2fussbudgets]

Problem is, there is just so much to read over there! I'm sure there is a ton of stuff that I am missing out on because I don't take the time to read it. Problem is, who has the time?

[wendav13]

you guys.......I have been an avid "buyer / seller" on ebay for about 6 years.....I have several ebay identities....one to fit the type of product I am selling. I have had more problems in the past month with buyers claiming "insufficent product" than I ever had. I am losing money.....buyers are not the only ones who loose out.........I really don't feel Ebay protects their sellers at all.... It seems like once one client makes a claim.........the rest follow suit..I am all about customer service.....but this is getting ridiculous......I am losing money at this point.........And I have 100% feedback on ALL my identities!!!!

[mom363546]

when I first started selling I got stuck all the time. I also waited my time and filed for a refund of fees which are always given. Now I have it set were you have to have a certain feedback number before you can bid. Now i do get a few less sales but..All of mine have been good since then.

[leezme]

If you have only a handful of bad deals, you are one of a few. Ebay does NOT protect buyers or sellers, they simply want their fees. I have a friend who made his living selling on ebay and his life was a constant nightmare of liars, cheats, etc. They make it an act of Congress to get your fees back, the rules at ebay just keep growing and growing, making ti more difficult. I have seen people selling on ebay with feedbacks around 80, meaning 20 percent of their transactions were neutral/negative!!!!!! Yet they allow these people to sell, is that not a statement of how ebay is?
Even if you find a seller on ebay who is selling fake items, and you email ebay about it and report them, they will allow that person to continue selling. I am a collector of American pottery and there was a person who was making fake McCoy pieces (designs that were NEVER made by McCoy) yet this person was allowed to sell with HORRIBLE feedback. my friend and I would report them to ebay and ask them to stop their auctions and ebay never did. why any person would keep bidding on their items we couldnt figure out.
In my opinion, the only way to sell on ebay is to have your sale set up to where the person pays with Paypal BEFORE you send the item. It isnt an auction, there is no bidding, if the person wants the item he has to pay for it immediately. (my old brain wont let me remember what it is called, I havent sold in quite a long time).

anyway, all this is my opinion. of course. Derived from personal experiences and friends who have told about their dealings buying and selling. Ebay has outgrown itself and I hope that it implodes one day. It has ruined the collecting market, antique malls are closing all over the country because the clients have to price their items high to pay the booth rent, yet nobody is buying and paying the prices so the stores close. ANd I dont mean these dad-burn antique malls that have 75% of their booths selling flea-market stuff, used kids clothes, and new stuff, those malls survive. Im talking about true antique malls, you dont find them very much anymore. The fun of collecting antiques and collectibles is over thanks to EBAY.

yeesh, my tirade is over!!! sorry, I had to get it off my chest!

[star1997]

I've Sold My First Item On Ebay

[mom2fussbudgets]

Congratulations! Good job!

[countrypkin65]

I Love ebay. I shopped ebay for a couple of years, got some really ridiculously awesome deals, on things like old quilts, new quilts, vintage pottery, music CDs, and magazine subscriptions etc. I only had 1 damage claim...(my very 1st item) I was heartbroken. I learned to ALWAYS pay for insurance-no matter what! I've never spent more than $65.00 for one item- and everything I bought was far worth the money spent-and it usually was a hard to find item- or one of a kind or simply something I couldn't live without!!
After about 1 1/2 yrs of "buying" I had built up my reputation on ebay, and then I started selling. I had very all good sales, with only one time a buyer almost didn't come through with payment....but it got worked out. Paypal is the best way to make sure you get your money. And I Never would mail an item without being paid first. Thats just common sense. I too like buy-it-now items, cuz I hate to wait on the bidding process-it just wears my nerves sometimes!!
I haven't gone to ebay in about 2-3 yrs now....I became an addict and always spent as quick as I made money...and my closets started to burst at the seams!! But.it really is fun to shop! Good luck-

[star1997]

Finally I have 7 feedback.I have a question.When I sold me first item on eBay the buyer paid for it but never left feedback.Is there anything I can so bout it?

[Cpogie]

Not everyone will leave feedback, I wouldn't worry about it. Be thankful they paid.

[flowermom07]

I'm not an Ebay fan anymore. I sold their for years. But last couple of years things really changed. I once bought a dirt bike $700 - (while I was a top seller at the time) - paid through paypal. Kept emailing this seller - he said he's running behind but will send it. Finally after a looong time finally sent me a bike just not a dirt bike a "broken" dirt bike - wrong model size etc. He was soo nice on the phone - said mail it back and I'll resend you the correct one and apologized. 2 yrs later no bike, no money. Oh he did send a refund check that of course NSF. - I could've written neg feedback for him which in return he'd leave neg for me. So I would've lost bus. from my own business. Contact paypal too said it was too late and ebay said to contact paypal and seller. Well needless to say I'm out of the money and the seller is now under a new name. Oh well. I take it as a bad experience. But on the positive side as a seller I did well I just got tired of the fake buyers and weeding through it all. (too time consuming) I switched to Craigslist, Kijii instead and it's no hassles now. Ebay is great for buyers and sellers if you go in with your eyes open and are cautious. I still buy stuff once in a very blue moon - if the deal is right.

[star1997]

Not everyone will leave feedback, I wouldn't worry about it. Be thankful they paid.

Thanks but i've been selling stuff and no ones buying is it feedback or what(I had 2 at the time)

[cath_31]

Finally I have 7 feedback.I have a question.When I sold me first item on eBay the buyer paid for it but never left feedback.Is there anything I can so bout it?

On Ebay I am a 95 (I really want to get to 100). What I do when I sell something is send them a message like, "Thank you for your purchase. I sent your package out today so you should be receiving it soon. After you receive it, please leave me feedback and then I will do the same for you..."
I used to enclose a note thanking them and mentioning feedback as well, but haven't been doing that lately. When I buy something on Ebay, I send them feedback and if they don't reciprocate in a reasonable amount of time, I send them a message mentioning that I gave them positive feedback and would appreciate the same. Alot of times that helps, but unfortunately not everyone will comply. I am not shy to ask for feedback though-LOL. It's definitely worth a shot- good luck!

[Cpogie]

Thanks but i've been selling stuff and no ones buying is it feedback or what(I had 2 at the time)

Not necessarily. It depends on what your selling, is there a demand for the item, the wording you use in the heading, and body of the description, the price, shipping, etc, so it can be a lot of different things.

[star1997]

Not necessarily. It depends on what your selling, is there a demand for the item, the wording you use in the heading, and body of the description, the price, shipping, etc, so it can be a lot of different things.

Somebody was selling the same book and i had the shipping at the same price with a starting bid at $1.00 and he got $8.25 for his and i got $0.00

[Cpogie]

Somebody was selling the same book and i had the shipping at the same price with a starting bid at $1.00 and he got $8.25 for his and i got $0.00

You have to consider that what one person gets for selling does not mean yours will sell for the same or higher price. I found a catchy heading got me to look more that a generic heading, and I don't mean adding L@@K at the end of the heading, something that catches the eye.

[laf76]

I am a 78 right now on ebay. I sell in large lots. I try to pack as much as I can into one of the 2 flat rate boxes. I enjoy ebay!!! I have been selling for 2 months and I love it. I'm off right now with 20 $5 Lysol neutra air freshmatic starter kit coupons, they are regular 12.57 at Food Lion, on sale for 5.99....so I will pay only .99 plus tax each!!! They resale for very good!!! I have good sales on bulk pet items!! I have not had any negative feedback so far,knock on wood. It is really helping me earn money part-time to put towards a much needed vacation!!

[mom2fussbudgets]

Thanks but i've been selling stuff and no ones buying is it feedback or what(I had 2 at the time)

Carol is right. From now on, before you list anything, do a search first to see if the item is something that will sell. :)

[star1997]

Is there a way to get eBay money in cash?

[mom2fussbudgets]

Not really. I wouldn't trust someone with cash, would you?

I've had one person pay me with cash. He told me he trusted me because of my longevity and my high feedback rating. :)

[star1997]

My sons gonna try and sell some basketball cards in Mint-Near mint condition.I need somthing that'll get buyers attion

[Cpogie]

My sons gonna try and sell some basketball cards in Mint-Near mint condition.I need somthing that'll get buyers attion

selling cards will not net much money unless the cards are graded by a reputable company and are mounted in the proper plastic holder. Do a search first to see what I mean.

[star1997]

selling cards will not net much money unless the cards are graded by a reputable company and are mounted in the proper plastic holder. Do a search first to see what I mean.

I know what you mean,my son just doesn't want them he dosen't care how much money

[Cpogie]

I know what you mean,my son just doesn't want them he dosen't care how much money

Keep in mind it may cost you more to sell them then what you actually sell them for, if indeed they do sell, first do a search to see how many of the same name card is listed, along with the prices, cause there are thousands of them for sale at the same time. Goodluck.

[star1997]

Keep in mind it may cost you more to sell them then what you actually sell them for, if indeed they do sell, first do a search to see how many of the same name card is listed, along with the prices, cause there are thousands of them for sale at the same time. Goodluck.

Okay thanks

[star1997]

Got my 8th feedback wating on 9th!

[bvanpeltsw]

I am addicted to Ebay. I have over 3000 positive feedbacks and none that are negative.:)

[messajarjar]

I am a huge Ebayer!! Open up a paypal account - it takes about 2 minutes - and always use that account to pay for any purchases - you are completely covered if you are unhappy with the transaction!

I have been buying and selling on ebay for about 6 years now...nock on wood - I have never had a bad experience! Check feedback - very important! Any other ? shoot me an email!

Exactly! I too have been on for many years and only use Paypal. I also only deal with sellers who have a 99% or better feedback and have been on for a while with a good number of transactions. I've only ever had one problem , and the seller refunded my money partially and I kept the item. Just be smart and have fun!

Oh, and if you sign up on the MyPoints website first, click on Ebay for a merchant and go in through the window it opens. This way, you also get 2 points for every dollar you spend. I've been on that site longer than EBay and have earned many gift cards...I usually pick gas cards! As a matter of fact, I just got one a few weeks ago. :p

[mom2fussbudgets]

I am addicted to Ebay. I have over 3000 positive feedbacks and none that are negative.:)

That's amazing! Congrats!

[star1997]

I am addicted to Ebay. I have over 3000 positive feedbacks and none that are negative.:)

Wow!,Whats your screnname on eBay(Just wondering if I might hsve stumbled aponed it before)

[karrie93]

I have been buying things on ebay for awhile now and just recently decided to start trying to sell on ebay as well. i know the basics, but i was wondering if ya'll had any tips or tricks. i figure maybe we can all learn some new trick to get our stuff sold for the highest possible price! i only accept paypal, i'm trying to get my feedback rating up, and i use auctiva to list items.

where do you find things to sell?
what do you think the best time to post is?
what do you sell (do you have a "speciality")?
and best of all.....do you have any cool stories of things you found for cheap and made a huge profit on?

[VanillaBean]

Karrie if you look down in the general discussions thread you will see another thread all about ebay...maybe it will help answer your questions

[karrie93]

i searched and searched and never saw it. thank you. i appreciate it!

[VanillaBean]

http://forums.startsampling.com/showthread.php?t=3592


this is it just click on it

[Cpogie]

i searched and searched and never saw it. thank you. i appreciate it!

I merged your post with the old Ebay post, and I changed the title which is more appropriate. Read the tips here, they are all good ideas.

[mom2fussbudgets]

Bumping for garfieldsmommy! :)

[messajarjar]

For all you sellers, how have the tax implications impacted you? Are you able to offset a good portion of profit when you file your schedule C? I know that shipping is not taxable and is a big part of the income, so that helps. I have a ton of stuff to sell, but am not sure what it will do to my taxes in the long run so I've been hesitant to get into it. :confused:

[imalittletoenail]

For all you sellers, how have the tax implications impacted you? Are you able to offset a good portion of profit when you file your schedule C? I know that shipping is not taxable and is a big part of the income, so that helps. I have a ton of stuff to sell, but am not sure what it will do to my taxes in the long run so I've been hesitant to get into it. :confused:

well, assuming you are operating as a business since you mentioned a schedule C...it should not effect your taxes in a negative way as far as being able to offset your profit...i guess maybe i'm a little confused :p how are you thinking it will effect your taxes in the long run?

[messajarjar]

If you are selling on EBay on a regular basis, you are operating a home business-a sole proprietorship. So you need to file a schedule C. At least that way, your income can exceed your expenses and then the loss can help you tax liability on your main tax return (1040, etc.)

If you sell on a non consistent basis, then it is a hobby and you only report the income on line 21 of your 1040. However, your income can not exceed your expenses this way, so you may be better off with filing the schedule C.


My thinking is that after your EBay listing fees, your Paypal fees, your expenses for packing, shipping, etc. plus your cost of the goods your selling and then finally, the extra income taxes you may incur after all that, it seems to me that it's not very profitable after all. :(

That's why I'm asking the sellers if in their experience, the overall costs are worth the effort of finding the items, listing, selling, packing, shipping, etc.:)

[messajarjar]

Nope, not any more, unless you have a Chinese factory on hand to produce lots of imported stuff to compete with the other large scale importers on Ebay. Too many cheats. Ebay gave them carte blanche in February with the new no negative or neutral feedback from sellers to buyers rule. Many of the cheats were so happy about the feedback rule change that they were posting boldly on boards all over the internet about how much easier it was to swindle sellers. PayPal can seize and take your funds for quite some time or permanently, too, even for false claims against you. PayPal is not a legal bank, so they can make a lot of rules that are just unbelievable to the average sane person, and give the cheats more opportunities to swindle the sellers.

Ebay went down the tubes big time in the past few years. Their current big wig who followed Meg Whitman after her retirement has stated that he wants to do away with the "flea market" aspect of Ebay (the small sellers), which is what made it charming and fun in the first place. He only wants big sellers, and frankly, since his vision for Ebay is a mass of huge merchants importing from China, and taking a much larger fee (never mind the blather about reducing costs on some things--bottom line is selling on Ebay costs the seller more now), I'm done with them. Why would I go through the Ebay to pay the same price for some Chinese junk that I have to pay shipping on, too? Why wouldn't I just go to a store, where I could save by not paying shipping, and actually have the item in my hands right when I pay for it? Ebay used to be such fun--like a garage sale, but with buyers from all over the world. Now, it's more fees, less protection for sellers, less neat and unique items, and zero fun. I had been a member of Ebay for ten years with thousands of transactions, both a seller and a buyer, and I closed my Ebay and PayPal accounts this spring after the rules changes and fee hikes.

I nearly choked on my milk when reading in U.S. News & World Report how their editors thought Meg Whitman would be a good wild card choice for Vice President of the United States. :eek:


Thank you! I knew I couldn't be the only one looking at this through a profit/loss perspective. Even though I don't specialize in Income Tax, I'm still an accountant and no matter which way I crunched the numbers, it just seemed like a whole lot of work for very little profit. I think I'll be having a few yard sales when it gets cooler around here-at least I'll get rid of stuff and the $$ are mine to keep! No expenses except my time! :D

[imalittletoenail]

Thank you! I knew I couldn't be the only one looking at this through a profit/loss perspective. Even though I don't specialize in Income Tax, I'm still an accountant and no matter which way I crunched the numbers, it just seemed like a whole lot of work for very little profit. I think I'll be having a few yard sales when it gets cooler around here-at least I'll get rid of stuff and the $$ are mine to keep! No expenses except my time! :D

hey i just wanted to say i'm sorry i misunderstood your question...you seemed a bit frustrated at my answer and that was not my intention at all ... i sell on ebay but also own a corporation so...as an accountant, you know that i do benefit :D always got the business end of things on my mind...haha... anyway, i can come across as a smart @ss a lot...but...
i agree 100% with notyard in that the "regular" ebay seller these days benefits none...it is not worth the time, effort or expense whatsoever!!!! it's very sad to me how ebay has changed so much over the years...people ask me all the time how to get into it and i tell them don't...go have a yard sale...i don't really enjoy buying on ebay myself much anymore...;)

[messajarjar]

hey i just wanted to say i'm sorry i misunderstood your question...you seemed a bit frustrated at my answer and that was not my intention at all ... i sell on ebay but also own a corporation so...as an accountant, you know that i do benefit :D always got the business end of things on my mind...haha... anyway, i can come across as a smart @ss a lot...but...
i agree 100% with notyard in that the "regular" ebay seller these days benefits none...it is not worth the time, effort or expense whatsoever!!!! it's very sad to me how ebay has changed so much over the years...people ask me all the time how to get into it and i tell them don't...go have a yard sale...i don't really enjoy buying on ebay myself much anymore...;)

no problem...I'm just looking for ways to clean out a lot of stuff a realized that the way things are now, EBay really wasn't a viable option for me. I still buy quite a bit from there, but I've always had 100% rating for many years because I never buy anything I can't pay for as soon as the auction ends. I'm really carefull in screening the sellers, so I've made out pretty well. I do A LOT of Christmas shopping on there! :p

[cath_31]

Bump......... :D

[mspete]

Oh crap! I had not considered the tax implications. I really don't want one more schedule to prepare for tax purposes. I really don't think the few things I would sell would be worth the trouble. Thanks for the insight.