Ebay tips for a virgin seller

[andybarton]

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I am going to eBay a couple of lenses, but have never sold anything there before.

 

Any tips before I get ripped off?

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[wattsy]

As with any buy/sell transaction, the golden rule is to not release any goods until payment is secured (cheques have cleared, etc.). Personally, I am wary of using Paypal. In my view it can be a risk for the seller because of the problem of chargebacks if the buyer uses a credit card. For this reason, I only accept payment via UK cheque or cash. If the buyer is overseas I only accept payment by bank transfer. If you adopt a common sense attitude there is absolutely no reason why you should ever be ripped off on eBay.

 

I suspect the biggest problem you will face is your lack of feedback. If the lenses are of high value you may find buyers wary of making a bid.

[Findus]

So which lenses might you be selling on ebay ?

 

..... just as a matter of interest :-)

 

I am aware of the buy-seling activities here on the leice forum but it always interesting to know what exactly exactly is going on in the members "photobags"

[pinetar]

My local bank said that no money-order is secure anymore, that it may take 2 weeks to clear.

 

I had one bad incident on a charge-back from paypal with the buyer claiming unauthorized usage. the buyer had about 30 or 40 positives, i checked, they were all for candy purchases. Paypal goes right along with it..no defense from them. I only lost $27.

 

I seem to be getting more money orders than paypal lately.

[stunsworth]

Andy, don't even consider accepting international money orders - the charges are horrendous. The only problem I've had with Paypal have been with non-payers from SE Asia and a non-payer from the States who refused to pay because his winning bid was too expensive!!! - sorry guys but it's true.

 

You might get buyers concerned about you selling expensive lenses if you have no positive feedback. It can be a chicken and egg thing, but you need the feedback before some people take you seriously.

 

Get the money before you send the goods.

 

Be truthful about the contdition of the lenses, there are people who will pick up on every non-described flaw no matter how insignificant.

 

Leave negative feedback as a last resort, if you leave -ve feedback and the buyer hasn't already left feedback you _will_ get hit by -ve feedback no matter how just your complaint. Tell the buyer that you will leave +ve feedback, but only after they have.

 

Finally, what lenses are you selling and how much do you want for them ;-)

[doubice]

Andy,

 

PayPal is becoming slightly less risky for sellers now, as long as you ship to buyers with a PayPal Confirmed address. Unfortunately, the only addresses that PayPal can confirm so far are ones in the UK, US and Canada. Also, the shipment has to be trackable on-line so that you have a proof for PayPal in case of a claimed non-delivery.

 

As mentioned above, your lack off feedback will be a bit of a problem. It can be overcome if you address the issue in the auction and provide as much information as you can, preferably including your mobile phone number, so that potential bidders feel more at ease that they are dealing with a bona fide seller.

 

Provide clear and sharp pictures and accurate description, if you can add a little history to the items you are selling, that would be helpful too.

 

The issue with PayPal is a bit of a Catch 22 - if you accept it, you will attract more bidders and higher potential return, while being slightly more at risk. If you don't accept it, there will be less bidders, lower price, but more secure payment.

 

I have been buying and selling on eBay since 1999 and have had no major problems, with a few exceptions where I was alone to blame for not uising common sense. If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me directly; I will be more than happy to answer any queries you might have.

 

All the best,

 

Jan

[stunsworth]

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A couple of other things come to mind.

 

Since you will probably attract interest on an international scale make sure you state in your description that the auction is in Sterling and not US dollars - it's not uncommen for US buyers to assume that the currency is in dollars even though eBay clearly states the currency is sterling.

 

Also stress that the postage charges are for shipping within the UK only and additional charges will apply if shipping to other regions. Again this tends to be more of a problem with US buyers rather than European.

[spydrxx]

I've been selling for a couple of years now. Thorough descriptions, abundant detailed photographs, and a return policy always help high end camera gear. I only accept Paypal, and do not accept any bids from Malasia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Korea or the Philippeans. There are too many scams with ineffective regulation and difficulty in remediation. I also do not accept purchasers with less then 97% positive feedback unless they contact me first and I have a firm understanding of the issues. I only received 1 strike in poor feedback and that was as a buyer, when it took three weeks for my check to reach the seller (in Poland). I find that speedy responses to inquiries (and posting them for all to see) really help potential buyers determine whether you, as a seller, are knowledgable and honest in your dealings. Good luck...and yes..keep a check on your bidders and see what they have been buying.

[spylaw4]

As a regular eBay/Paypal user I can confirm most of what has been said above. Paypal will get you more interest. Always say that payment is to be made in GBP and that confirmed address is needed. Estimate the packed shipping weight and go to the Royal Mail site to get the approximate cost of shipping to the places you will send to and enter them in the item description. For expensive items include insurance costs and tracking/signed-for delivery. For an expensive item don't take bids from anyone with less than say 10 feedbacks or a negative feedback within the last 6 months. Set time limits for contact after the auction and receipt of payment so that you can re-list promptly. Make sure that you say the buyer is responsible for all import duties and other charges that might be levied - important on expensive items. Inform the buyer of despatch and insist on confirmation of receipt. Maybe I've been lucky but I have sent satisfactorlly from UK to NZ, Venezuela, Costa Rica, various European countries. If you want I"ll email you my (sample) sale conditions.

[andybarton]

Thanks for your help folks.

 

I have a little bit of 100% feedback, mostly for Leica stuff, but it is a problem when trying to sell for the first time.

 

It's pointless putting a toe in the water with cheaper stuff, because then you really do look suspicious.

[doubice]

Andy,

 

Having a feedback history that shows your interest in Leica definitely helps. It will help to put many prospective bidder's minds at ease.

 

Good luck!

 

Jan

[earleygallery]

I've sold loads of stuff through e bay and not had any problems so far. You do get the odd person who expects their item to arrive in the post the next day, they think they are dealing with a mail order company. I had a complaint once because I'd re-used a cardboard box to package the item!!!!

 

Paypal makes it quick and easy especially for overseas buyers, although you can stipulate which if any other countries you will accept bids from. You might decide just to offer them for sale in the UK if you are wary of card fraud etc., but you get some idea from the purchasers feedback also. There seem to be regular scams involving bidders who then ask you to send the item to somewhere like Nigeria. You will find your paypal payment revoked shortly after you despatch the item.

 

Don't accept offers outside of the auction (you probably will receive e mails making 'buy it now' offers) because then you forfeit any protection you may otherwise have. State clearly your terms, i.e. how quickly the item must be paid for, methods of payment, and cost of postage. Always send it by insured post/carrier which you can track and prove. If you accept a cheque allow plenty of time for it to clear - banks will credit funds to your account before the cheque has actually cleared, so more than 3 days in the UK. Don't accept cheques from o/seas. UK banks will not confirm when a foreign cheque has cleared, funds can be revoked at any point. I know of cases through work where this has happened several months after the cheque was cashed. When you pay it into your bank it will probably spend a few weeks working its way through their systems, then it gets posted to the orginators bank and spends another few weeks in their system. If when they finally get around to processing it they find that there are no funds it bounces and works its way gradually back - in the meantime your bank has credited your account and you think it's all OK.

 

All that said, once you are aware of the pitfalls e bay is a great service.

[mark_a_h]

Don't accept offers outside of the auction (you probably will receive e mails making 'buy it now' offers)

I bought my D2 in January of this year after seeing it on e-bay. I was a complete e-bay noob and really hated the idea of the auction process, especially online. I did message the seller and he was in my city. Turns out just a short subway ride away. I asked to inspect it in person and he invited me over. We made a deal pretty quickly. I bought his 3 month old D2 in pristine condition for $1,200.00 Canadian ($1,080 US) in cash. I think I got a helluva deal actually, and there's always the exception to the rule.

[Rolo]

"

It's pointless putting a toe in the water with cheaper stuff, because then you really do look suspicious."

 

Andy,

 

Can't agree. Any transaction history is better than none at all. I've done quite a lot of trading on ePay, including an £8,000 item. When buying the first thing I look for is feedback history.

 

If there is none, I see whether I can collect from the location. If not I assume it's a hoax seller. You'd be amazed how many mint Leica M6TTL's for new sellers get withdrawn by eBay for irregularities. They send a message to bidders.

 

I bought a 43mm Mamiya 7 lens off ePay and 6 weeks later had a call from Exeter police saying that the lens was stolen and being sold by the local drug dealing tattoo artist who was a 'fence'. I lost the lens and fortuneatly the courts made an award for my costs out of the thiefs stash.

 

Another little known fact is that, PayPal reserve the right to refund the buyer out of the seller's money if there is a complaint about the goods. They pay him and invoice you and take it by credit card/direct debit without further consent. Consequently, it's good to have a buyer with history as well because you're "slight mark on the base" might be a deep gouge to a newbie not used to ePay descriptions.

 

If you might trade on ePay one day, it's essential to get any history you can. New sellers tend to get much lower bids because of the risk. Expect 3/4 of a seller with history for the same item.

 

Apologies for preaching, but this will save you money.

[andybarton]

Thanks chaps.

 

As far as positive feedback is concerned, I wouldn't dream of buying a lens from someone who has only sold tea-towels or second hand shoes before.

 

While investigating the market, I saw a new in-box 35mm f2 ASPH for sale yesterday. Bids closed in 17 minutes. No bids. Starting bid £49. Bidders MUST contact vendor before bidding. I dropped him an email, asking how much delivery would be from the US to the UK. (Clearly this was a fake auction, I thought)

 

I got an email back, saying that the lens was for sale for $1,500 and if I wanted it, I should send him my name and address and eBay details forthwith. A quick sale was required.

 

I told him where he could stick his scam, and will report him to eBay later today.

 

Having read all the above, I think that I will not bother trying to sell via this method. It just seems too much hassle and fraught with problems, but thanks for the advice anyway.

 

I can see a trade through my local dealer coming on - at least I trust him and know who I am dealing with!

[jim0266]

I am going to eBay a couple of lenses, but have never sold anything there before.

 

Any tips before I get ripped off?

 

If you do not have at least a dozen sales on Ebay with a 100% positive feedback, I would not waste my time selling your lenses on Ebay. The conventional wisdom is to start off selling small items to build up your ratings. While you *may* get what you want for them, in general people are wary of buying from people without any history and bid accordingly.

 

For Leica items I've had good luck selling items on the Photo.net Leica forum. You may also want to list them here and http://www.rangefinderforum.com/ and simply ask what you want. It's simple and costs nothing. Then if they don't sell head to Ebay.

[andybarton]

I have always steered well clear of the bear-pit that is Photo-net, but appreciate your comments.

 

I sold one lens to a friend I bumped into last night, so have decided to trade the other for something more interesting (when I can find it), rather than have the aggro on eBay.

[marknorton]

Ebay for me, both buying and selling, has become a lot easier with PayPal.

 

I charge postage at cost, don't charge PayPal surcharge and offer 30 day money back excluding shipping if the item is not as described or fails; never had an item come back, though I did have a whinger complain about shipping times to Nebraska. Yes, I know, aren't they awful.

 

Closer to this board, I did buy a 21mm Elmarit-M on Ebay from HK, item got lost, they couldn't give me a valid shipping number. I complained to PayPal, opened one of their "incidents" and got a full PayPal refund from the vendor pretty quickly.

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Hallo,

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