For Ebay sellers, tips, tricks, questions, rants, raves

[reetpleat]

Well, i would hope we can keep the rants to a minimum. but I thought it would be nice to have a little corner booth for those of us that sell on Ebay and other auction sites for a living, for a hobby, or to get rid of extra stuff.

used to deal in vintage full time, and now do real estate. But i can never pass a thrift store without popping in for a few minutes. Do a lot of shoes, sport coats, suits and occasional shirts.

I will start it off by asking if I am the only one who has seen a real drop in sales lately. I am thinking it is due to taxes coming due. A lot of my sellers are European, so maybe not. but i think that is part of it. Obviously, the economy has taken its toll on prices and sales, but this past few weeks, i have seen things go begging at lower prices than normal.

And finally, a shout out to the European and Aussie guys, who have a much broader range of taste than most American vintage guys. (present company excepted of course) in other words, thank god for the Europeans or I would never sell these damn fifties sport coats.

 

[reetpleat]

By the way, when do you guys like to end auctions? I have heard Sunday at around seven Pacific standard time. but since a lot of my buyers are European, I suppose that doesn't matter so much.

 

[Creeping Past]

Speaking as a UK buyer, I no longer buy as much stuff from abroad on Ebay , especially from the US, because of sky-high postage costs. The thought of combined customs duty and high postage puts me off bidding where once I might have taken a chance.

 

[reetpleat]

Speaking as a UK buyer, I no longer buy as much stuff from abroad on Ebay , especially from the US, because of sky-high postage costs. The thought of combined customs duty and high postage puts me off bidding where once I might have taken a chance.

How much is customs? I always call it a gift, although I maybe should be worried about a knock on my door from some mean looking guys in black suits. Would the US care, or just the other countries?

Ass for postage, i always estimate pretty accurately. I send first class, and wrap in plastic bag, then paper bag and tape the heck out of it. I can usually keep costs down to $20-$35 US. Not cheap, but at least it keeps it down. I think my foreign buyers really like me for that and for the good descriptions, reasonable price and quality. i have many repeat buyers who watch for my stuff.

Do most sellers pad their shipping costs, or send priority in a heavy box? That will add 410 or more to it.

 

[Cobden]

I don't think customs is charge on second hand goods

 

[Guttersnipe]

I don't think customs is charge on second hand goods

Not true. One of the biggest issues US vintage sellers have, whether selling via eBay, estsy, or elsewhere, is international buyers asking (or rather demanding) the seller to falsify/lie on customs forms. This problem is particularly rampant among UK and EU buyers, because import taxes to those regions are rather stiff. I've heard quite a few horror stories, from a number of sellers, about buyers engaging in feedback extortion and/or leaving bad feedback because the seller choose to OBEY THE LAW!

The chances of getting caught are pretty slim, and the less volume your business does, the less likely you are to get in trouble. However, if you're caught the fines are MASSIVE. Furthermore, if you're a part-time seller, it's safe to assume that your business and personal finances aren't separated by the business being an LLC or being incorporated, which means, if you are caught, your house, car, banks accounts, retirement savings, etc. are fair game for the G-man to go after to recoup the fine (which something like $10,000 per undeclared package!).

 

[reetpleat]

Yoiks.

How much is customs? maybe they should ask a friend in the US to ship as a gift, so i can ship to their friend in the US without customs. Unlikely they would ever go after a random friend and they could not prove it was not a gift.

I will never mark gift again.

 

[shortbow]

As a buyer, I have been increasingly frustrated by the fact that so few sellers will accept Money Orders, that ebay has a paypal only policy, high customs fees and outrageous postage rates here in Canada. In Canada particularly I feel that the whole mail order/online business environment is being poisoned to death by the unreal costs of shipping goods.

As to paying, I would probably spend several thousand dollars per year more than I do if vendors more readily accepted non-credit card derived payments. This holds true for ebay as well as online businesses. With the high cost of maintaining a credit card, the credit meltdown and the very real threat of identity theft, I can't see why the whole business community has become so adverse to cash. What's wrong with cash anyhow?

At any rate, this whole often touted move to e-biz is due for some major changes if it is going to survive and render walk-in retailers obsolete as has been predicted by the pundits of the Brave New World.

 

[Guttersnipe]

As a buyer, I have been increasingly frustrated by the fact that so few sellers will accept Money Orders, that ebay has a paypal only policy, high customs fees and outrageous postage rates here in Canada. In Canada particularly I feel that the whole mail order/online business environment is being poisoned to death by the unreal costs of shipping goods.

As to paying, I would probably spend several thousand dollars per year more than I do if vendors more readily accepted non-credit card derived payments. This holds true for ebay as well as online businesses. With the high cost of maintaining a credit card, the credit meltdown and the very real threat of identity theft, I can't see why the whole business community has become so adverse to cash. What's wrong with cash anyhow?

At any rate, this whole often touted move to e-biz is due for some major changes if it is going to survive and render walk-in retailers obsolete as has been predicted by the pundits of the Brave New World.

eBay's policies are extremely buyer-centric, and while all eBay sellers are required to accept PayPal, there is no such thing a PayPal only policy. However, eBay owns PayPal, and offers significant incentives for sellers to use PayPal, one of which is discounted shipping if the seller uses PayPal's online postage process. The automated PayPal postage system creates a electronic trail that helps sellers deal with scamers better. The result of this is, most eBay sellers are unwilling to take methods other than PayPal.

 

[reetpleat]

eBay's policies are extremely buyer-centric, and while all eBay sellers are required to accept PayPal, there is no such thing a PayPal only policy. However, eBay owns PayPal, and offers significant incentives for sellers to use PayPal, one of which is discounted shipping if the seller uses PayPal's online postage process. The automated PayPal postage system creates a electronic trail that helps sellers deal with scamers better. The result of this is, most eBay sellers are unwilling to take methods other than PayPal.

I do not think this is a pay pal discount. It is an on line discount. If you go to the usps on line site, you can get the same discount.

Granted, I do like paypal, and like doing postage right from their site, but you can do postage on paypal exporting right from ebay, or on the usps site. I will always take money orders or checks or direct pick up. But if i were a pro doing a lot of small items, maybe not.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

A question:

If I am registered in the UK, can I list auctions directly to the US eBay site? I see people selling on US eBay from London but I am unsure whether they are registered in the UK or US. There are obviously some items that do very well in the US but not so well in the UK (i.e. collectible leather).

bk

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

A question:

If I am registered in the UK, can I list auctions directly to the US eBay site? I see people selling on US eBay from London but I am unsure whether they are registered in the UK or US. There are obviously some items that do very well in the US but not so well in the UK (i.e. collectible leather).

bk

Yes I think you can. I know I've found a link on my ebay page from which I can list on the UK site. In fact, I think it might even be possible to list on multiple countries' sites.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

OK as it turns out, it's quite easy. I just had to set up a US seller's account alongside my UK one.

bk

 

[reetpleat]

Baron,

Do you think there is any advantage to selling on UK site? I do sell quite a bit to UK and Ireland, but also to spain, belgium Germany etc, so I don't think i want to target only british. But maybe if had an English tweed or Demob suit, would that be a good place to post it? Or do you figure those buyers all look at Americna ebay anyway?

 

[December]

Or do you figure those buyers all look at Americna ebay anyway?

Speaking as an English buyer on Ebay, I never check the American site.

 

[vintage68]

I stopped selling on the bay because for some reason Paypal started to hold the funds buyers paid me for up to 21 days. Completely arbitrary on their part. My seller rating is 100%. I still use eBay for buying, but they no longer get my money as a seller.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

For certain things, there might be some sense in targeting the UK site, as I am planning to target the US market. Demob and CC41 suits are a good example, as is real vintage Savile Row stuffs. Shipping becomes an issue.

All the real serious suit collectors I know, other than the ones that are only into British gear, keep a good eye on the US site.

bk

Baron,

Do you think there is any advantage to selling on UK site? I do sell quite a bit to UK and Ireland, but also to spain, belgium Germany etc, so I don't think i want to target only british. But maybe if had an English tweed or Demob suit, would that be a good place to post it? Or do you figure those buyers all look at Americna ebay anyway?

 

[Solid Citizen]

Ebay PAYPAL Only!

I stopped selling on the bay because for some reason Paypal started to hold the funds buyers paid me for up to 21 days. Completely arbitrary on their part. My seller rating is 100%. I still use eBay for buying, but they no longer get my money as a seller.

1st it was the hidden bidder identity:eusa_doh: , 2nd messin with the Ebay search engine & 3rd Paypal ONLY :rage: I've been done with Ebay for a long time now Solid Citizen

 

[Laughing Magpie]

Not true. One of the biggest issues US vintage sellers have, whether selling via eBay, estsy, or elsewhere, is international buyers asking (or rather demanding) the seller to falsify/lie on customs forms.

I ask US sellers to clearly mark the package as "Used" or "Second-hand" Clothing and not as a gift.

The one time I've been charged duty on a package marked this way I successfully challenged Canadian Customs and got the money back from them. So - I actually agree with Cobden, I don't think most Canadian Customs agents charge duty on Second-Hand goods from the States.

 

[reetpleat]

I ask US sellers to clearly mark the package as "Used" or "Second-hand" Clothing and not as a gift.

The one time I've been charged duty on a package marked this way I successfully challenged Canadian Customs and got the money back from them. So - I actually agree with Cobden, I don't think most Canadian Customs agents charge duty on Second-Hand goods from the States.

I always write used. i never knew if it mattered or not, but I figured it couldn't hurt. Besides that, if the price seems low, used would explain it better.