And here's why I will stop selling on Ebay............AGAIN!

[gigagirl]

Just a short rant.  I started selling on Ebay in 1998 when thing were very simple and low tech.  I am an individual who sold vintage and collectable items that I would find at yard sales and thrift stores.  Those times were great and I did very well and I'd like to think I made a lot of buyers happy.  I accumulated over  3500 feedback ratings and 100% positive since 1998 just selling individual items from my own home.  I'm not a business!   I stopped selling several years ago because Ebay was just getting absolutely crazy with the guidelines and making it very difficult to conduct auctions/sales on a personal level like it used to be.  eBay became very buyer oriented.  I recently decided to list two items I had at home (auction).  Both sold and 'low and behold' both buyers are now requesting Return/Refund.  One person has accepted a partial refund.  All a seller has to say to eBay is that the item was not as described and my hands are absolutely tied - I've got to refund AND pay for return shipping.  It is just not possible to sell items as an individual in the manner that I do anymore.  How can I possible anticipate any tiny spec, perceived color variation, wrinkle, etc. that a buyer will report as 'item not as described' because they have buyers remorse and just don't want the item anymore.  Darn people, it you want off-the shelf, brand new, retail store items, then go to the store and get it!!    Once again.  I'm DONE with eBay as a seller.  Just not worth one woman's effort who is doing it as a side gig to earn some pocket money.  eBay is no longer a selling venue for people like me.  

[craft-stash]

And sell a used t-shirt and your a Business!

[soh.maryl]

You are, of course, free to make whatever decision you feel is best for you.

Just wanted to point out that there are apparently more than a few sellers who are doing exactly what you have done for many years and are successful at it.  

Most sellers here are very familiar with eBay's Money Back Guarantee for buyers, yet are still working hard at selling on eBay.  They have accepted the fact that eBay is very biased in favor of buyers. 

Hope you will find a venue which suits your needs better.  

[monica-sells]

I understand your perception of a "business", but 3500 feedback is more than a side hustle.....

...that being said, ebay's guidelines have been dictated by the culture and whims of the

a) government

b) consumer

Returns have become the normal instead of the exception everywhere. All sellers on all platforms online are at the mercy of the 2 entities I mentioned.....all of them....

any platform that 'says' different is lying. There is not a purchase I can make anywhere with a credit card that I can't get a refund for.....

everything from a pair of shoes to a 50 inch Smart TV 

As sellers, you deal with it...get your item back, relist it and sell it again...

rinse, repeat.....

now that logic is out of the way...I totally agree with you, it used to be 'fun'....finding Uncle Joe's old pocket knife in a drawer and getting $25 bucks in my Paypal account because it was a collector item......for doing nothing but listing it....but, it ain't going back to the good old days....the genie is out of the bottle

[fern*wood]

Getting two returns back to back like that stings, and to top it off, to be the only two items sold recently really stings.  I dislike returns and it seems when I get one, I'll get a couple more and then none for months.  It's weird.   One note, most of mine are for remorse, so my return policy allows for that and I don't have to be burdened with the shipping costs.  

[stainlessenginecovers]

When a person specifically goes out to 'find things' they can 'resell'; they CERTAINLY ARE a business.

"Side Gigs" are also a 'business'. There is NO Side Gig that is NOT business (unless you simply 'volunteer and give 100% of the proceeds to a charity, then you're a 'charity). 

2 items out of 3500 feedback (which would be about 6000 items sold) and you are going to quit??

Makes perfect sense. 

[craft-stash]

What about a bunch of stuff just lying About my property from my Ancestors from the last 70 years 3 generations that I just want to sell.

Now I'm a business...Rediculos!

[craft-stash]

I wasn't even born when someone bought and put stuff on my property but I gotta sell it!

[bonjourami]

Thats really immaterial, you should be filing sales from any side hustle.Its always been required,its just that now the Federal government has finally caught on to all the online tax evaders.

[soh.maryl]

OK, but what's your point? Are you saying you're being made to sell it, or that you want to sell it, or what? 

[bonjourami]

Were all those new items you have been selling 'just lying around your property from the last 70 years,for three generations'? Interesting.

[12345jamesstamps]

You can do "seller will take returns but buyer pays for returns"...I did it and haven't had one yet...has it been one year or two...laughingly.

These buyers usually won't return something on their own...too too much work into it. 

Some buyers like to get a refund and keep it(seller doesn't do returns).

Partial refund...that buyer knew how to work you.

I am just a one-kid operation by the way.

Some sellers would kill to get your 3568 rating!

Would I give up....never...your rating is too high to drop off.

[stainlessenginecovers]

---

@craft-stash wrote:

What about a bunch of stuff just lying About my property from my Ancestors from the last 70 years 3 generations that I just want to sell.

Now I'm a business...Rediculos!

---

What about it? I was not talking about 'stuff lying around' but since you insist:

If you decide to have a garage sale to sell bunny poopus from your backyard, you are NOW a 'business' and therefore it's very simple. Get a 1099 for $600 or more processed from a 3rd party, and you now get to figure out what you can and cannot 'write off'. 

I don't make the rules. These rules have been in place for 100+ years. 

[ms.rodriguez*]

You need to describe the items better and take clear photos. I too sell stuff that I found in yard sales  and toy shows.   Very rarely is something mint.  When you take photos, you take photos of all of the sides. If there is paint wear, you state paint wear.  You don't count the chips because somebody will find more chips.  So you say it has chips.  If it has a smell, you state it.  Photos need to be clear with a plain background.  Nobody wants to see your table cloth, flag placemat or worse, your pet or kid in the background.  I have not gotten a return in years.

[dhbookds]

you still have 2 items for sale.........