Are there any eBay sellers on here? I am trying to begin selling on eBay, but I am wondering about setting the price for shipping. How do you figure the shipping cost?
By Judy from OK
I don't sell on eBay, but had to mail some stuff to Alaska for my son. The place I took it to was a 'pack your stuff for you' place, and they did that for eBay sellers as well.
They will weigh your stuff, and tell you how much it costs, before you actually ship it. You could try that, before you post your items. (08/07/2009)
I advise all newbie eBay sellers to crawl before they walk. In other words, register and learn how to bid on a few auctions before you jump in feet first and start selling.
Also don't set your own cost for shipping, be honest and don't make profits on shipping. I add the following disclosure on all my auction pages.
I don't make money on shipping, only on my sales. When you set up your auction and add the weigh of the item + all packing materials, eBay will set the cost of shipping for you automatically. (08/08/2009)
By Marjorie
Craigslist is a good alternative to Ebay. However, be VERY careful! I have had someone withdraw money using my debit card information from craigslist. Had to do the whole police report and deal with my bank, cancel my debit card, and finally got my money back. The local police told me to only deal with local people and only accept cash or pay in cash only. I still look on craigslist but haven't really tried to sell on there since that whole ordeal. Wouldn't it be nice if people were just honest?! (08/08/2009)
By Tammy
I buy on ebay occasionally, and recently I bought something then took it straight back to the post office and mailed to a family member. I found out that I had been charged double the cost of the shipping. That has made me look a little closer at the shipping cost because it made me feel ripped off when I found this out. I will probably not buy anything else from this seller. (08/09/2009)
By Meemaw
The easiest way to figure shipping is either use flat rate boxes or buy a postage scale and weigh the items, then look up the shipping weight etc. on the USPS website to figure the charges. (08/09/2009)
By Kim
First get a postage scale from eBay. They are cheap and so very handy for a lot of things. Next go on the internet on USPS.com and look up the weights and how much each costs. Remember if you are selling books you can use media mail, and it is much cheaper but takes approximately 2 more days to get there. Sometimes a box or envelope that is just a certain price that you can get at the PO is great and sometimes it is not cost effective.
Then sign up for a PayPal account. They will help you print a postage label to tape on the package. Look at some ads in the categories in which you would sell and go for it! It is fun but don't expect to get a million tomorrow. Good luck and good ebaying. (08/11/2009)
By carole
I suggest looking into pay pal if using eBay, it protects your identity. (08/11/2009)
By Lee
Hi, selling on eBay is a lot of work but it is usually rewarding. Several things come to mind:
1.) Read ALL of the help subjects on eBay site. Do not waste your money on a "course" or book as everything is right there. Many sellers write about "how to" do everything on eBay. So read some of those also.
2.) Try to buy a few small items to get the hang of it and start selling with small inexpensive items. Buyers do not always like to buy from someone with no background (feedback).
3.) Go to the eBay Answer Center and read some of their posts and ask questions there also.
4.) New rules coming up with eBay and buyers cannot be required to purchase insurance as the SELLER is always responsible for getting the item to the buyer. PayPal has lots of rules and these HAVE to be followed. So read, read, read.
5.) It does NOT matter what you put in your ads about buying "as is" or "payment must be made in 2 days" as none of this will hold water when the buyers file a complaint with PayPal or eBay. Their rules are the only ones that apply. PayPal has all of their "rules" listed, so read.
6.) EBay does have a way to "block" certain bidders but you cannot block bidders with "less than 10 feedback" as someone stated. You can only block bidders that have things against them. This is complicated and as before - READ before you jump in.
7.) Shipping is very important and can be costly if not done properly. Use a scale and have the item in a box or envelope to get the correct weight. You can charge a modest fee (like .50 to .75 for your supplies AND should) because you will lose money quickly if you do not. Buyers expect to pay something above the actual cost. Just use calculated shipping and add a small fee. You will do well if this rule is followed.
There is too much involved to help you very much, so I wish you luck but the best plan is to read and follow rules. (08/11/2009)
By cybergrannie
I am a pretty active eBayer. For postage, I look in the closed auctions to see what others have charged for a similar item. I was told that some folks start bidding real low, but jack up the postage price because eBay doesn't get a cut of the postage, they only get a portion of the sales (and the insertion fees.) I agree - do some research (lots of helpful info on the eBays site), start small, make a few purchases (there is ALWAYS something good to buy on eBay- trust me- I am over 300 items, and most of those are purchases), get some good feedback, and you will be on your way. You can find such interesting things on eBay- I love it! (08/11/2009)
By Claudia Lamm
I am an avid seller/buyer and all the previous advice is very good. I sell on Craigslist all the time, and have never been burned, while I have on eBay. Don't ever take a transaction other than cash, and never EVER let anyone come to your home. I used to sell a lot and met people next door at the KFC or if the item was too big, told them my hubby was making a change run.
Ebay has become too big for me. I don't like the fees, etc. However, you can learn from our mistakes and while it's great to sell across the globe, here are some things I have learned:
1. If your item is heavy, try just advertising within 50-100 miles of your city and offer to have people come and get it. You can do that on the left side, and people will only see it within those parameters. Of course, if you sell jewelry, that is better to sell nation or world wide, as shipping would be minimal.
2. Same thing with breakables. If you sell something that is fragile, you will no doubt come across the amoral people who will say the item is broken so they can get their money back. DO NOT send them a refund until they send you a photo. This way, the item is either not broken and they have to break it if they want their refund, or it really is broken and you give them a refund, or it's a scam and they won't bother you again. When you set up your account, make sure you put your refund policy in the auction, so no one is surprised.
3. You can make insurance optional, or required. Ebay will help you determine what to charge, etc. Here are some helpful points for selling.
If you sell, say fabric, please remember NOT to do this. I bought 6 fabric vest panels once, and the gal just folded them up, stuffed them (literally the envelope was ripped at the seam) without plastic protection. Anything that is vulnerable to dirt, water, or being caught on something sharp should be sealed in Ziplocs or at least a plastic bag then put in a box or waterproof envelope. When you do everything you can to protect the item you sold, your feedback will be very positive. If you get a negative, if they even do that anymore, you have a chance to rebut the comments.
Always spend the .35 for a gallery view. I never click on anything I can't see first. It would be like buying a book with no cover. If your item is small and you have a flat bed scanner, take a nice clean and close shot of it on the scanner. Fuzzy photos don't help us to see what we are buying, and we won't buy it for the most part.
There are two mistakes the newbies make; They either don't describe the item enough, or they make you read a book before they get to the good parts. Here is something I do that might help.
WHAT: Gold tone snail brooch with diamondelle eyes. It's 2.5" long with no flaws or defects.
WHERE: Anyone in (your town) is welcome to come get it.
WHEN: This auction is for 10 days.
WHO: This is a rare Hagen Renaker piece and can be seen in a value list book.
HOW: There is no reserve on this item and I ship within 3 days of final payment. Insurance is required on this piece.
If you end up selling say...15 pieces of jewelry, Ebay lets you sell a similar item, and you can keep this format but just change the photo, item description, etc. This can be like a template.
Read Feedback! Before you buy anything, look at their feedback. If they have 15 and have just started, read their feedback. New people are suppose to make mistakes. Nice people will steer them right and you will learn right along with them. Or, find someone who is knowledgeable and let them help. I have taught eBay to gals who paid my cell phone bill that month and took me to dinner, gift cards, etc. Barter is smarter so ask someone to help you out in the beginning for a nice dinner out.
Getting back to feedback, believe it when you read it. Ebay won't let someone get away with it, but they can't control everything. If someone has say 500 feedback but only 95% positive, read what the problems have been and be mindful. If their shipping is slow and you need it fast, keep looking. If they pay slow, don't sell to them. BUYER BEWARE is also SELLER BEWARE, so do your homework.
CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD MONTHLY. I can't be too clear on that. I just sent 4.00 to a person who, unbeknownst to me, had hacked into someone else's account and I am out the money, and the item. Now, you might be thinking it's only 4.00, but you multiply that by all the people who bought in that 5 days, and that person made a killing that the seller will never see.
Don't believe everything you read. I can right click on the eBay logo and send anyone a letter stating I needed personal information. If you send it to me, you will be hacked. Ebay never sends notices to you that they don't call you by your first name, and they don't need information that they already have, so if you get something that makes your eyebrows go up, forward it to ebays fraud dept. They are relentless and will find them.
And yes, start out slow. Dip the toe in before you cannonball! Good luck and happy selling. (08/12/2009)
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