Can I tell a buyer I am selling on another platform?

[threadybear]

Me, seller, and a prospective buyer we’re unable to come to a deal because of eBay’s fee and shipping costs, but they told me they live nearby and asked if I was on Facebook market place.  Can I tell the buyer that I am selling on Craigslist?  I got in trouble many years ago for trying to do a deal off eBay, don’t want to get banned! Thank you!

[aproudparent2010]

Yeah don't tell them through eBay that you sell somewhere else and do not ask for phone number or anything.

If they are so close by then why not change your listing to local pickup and they can come get it and then there is no shipping

[rosachs]

I fully agree with @aproudparent2010 -- do not continue the conversation on eBay other than to tell them you are adding Local Pickup to the delivery options.  Then read up on how to properly handle a Local Pickup - it's not a big deal, but still.

Taking sales off-site is an issue that can create tensions where none are really needed.  eBay is not supposed to be scanning our listings for violations - that would create legal liability in the form of the listings the scan missed.  Same with Messages - they are not supposed to be NSA-level monitoring, but I'm pretty sure the bos do the high-level scans and then turn over the hits to a human team for more nuanced review.

I won't tell you not to, and I can't tell you it doesn't have the potential for 'issues'.  It's your call, but just understand what you might be getting into.

-Bob.

[ebooksdiva]

I just have to ask .....If you got in trouble once before for taking a sale off eBay, what makes you think it's ok now? 

[yuzuha]

No, you can't. If you made contact with a potential buyer on eBay, the sale must be completed on eBay.

[threadybear]

Fair question!  Before, I initiated the off site deal, which would have included shipping, which I didn’t realize back then, over ten years ago, would have created way too many opportunities for scamming.  The buyer reported me directly then.  Whereas I figured this time around, it would be a local pickup, face to face, and initiated by the buyer, so short of getting mugged, I didn’t see how it was such a terrible idea to continue negations without the burden of eBay fees or shipping costs

[gurlcat]

I don't even know what you could write that wouldn't flag the bots ...... but I'll say this and I don't care who likes it: I sure don't blame you for wanting to figure out a way.  I love eBay but let's face it, they manipulate and control so much of what we can/can't/must do, in fact even putting an extra price tag on our listings' visibility ..... that if one buyer managed to find your listing and they happened to live nearby .... yeah it makes all the fees/shipping thing seem pretty absurd for just that one order.  

I guess go ahead and do the Free Pickup thing others ^ are recommending if you want to make sure eBay gets their cut, and if the buyer doesn't just lose interest by the time you go in and do the revision, etc.  

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

Last name of that guy Daniel who played 007

I wouldn't advise it in any case. I don't care if you live down the street or across the country -- I'm shipping it to you and paying my fees. IMO the issue isn't eBay fees, it's the price the buyer wants to pay.

"We couldn't come to a deal b/c ebay fees and shipping" is not something I truly deeply understand, I look at it simply as buyer didn't want to pay my price.... If buyer lived across the country, there is no other decent option, so it's pay my price, or don't.

[luckythewinner]

I didn’t see how it was such a terrible idea to continue negations without the burden of eBay fees 

It is a terrible idea because:

• You used eBay site advertise your item and attract the buyer, and are now trying to avoid the "burden" of compensating them as you promised to;
• When you agreed to use eBay, you agreed not to do that

or shipping costs

eBay offers the ability to advertise an item for local pickup

[az93]

Burden of ebay fees? How do you think the buyer found your item to begin with? Of course you owe ebay a commission, even for local pickup.

[gurlcat]

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@ajs_coins_and_alchemy wrote:

IMO the issue isn't eBay fees, it's the price the buyer wants to pay.

"We couldn't come to a deal b/c ebay fees and shipping" is not something I truly deeply understand, I look at it simply as buyer didn't want to pay my price.... If buyer lived across the country, there is no other decent option, so it's pay my price, or don't.

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Yeah that's a good point.  Also here's where I should mention that I hate the hassle of in-person meetup sales; wearing real clothes, shoes, and making eye contact is oh-so-2019, and then half the people flake out anyway.  And if you know discount-beggers, you know this^ one probably wouldn't stop at the OP's price minus shipping and eBay fees (wait, why were eBay fees in this buyer's purview anyway?) ... like once the OP went through the trouble to meet up, then the buyer would probably be like "Hmmmm, this doesn't look quite as good as the photos.  Could you take $ _______?" 🙄   
     -Them shipping and eBay fees would be sounding pretty good to me at that point.  

[candd205]

Not judging, but if you already got in trouble for taking a sale away from eBay once, if you try doing it again and get caught again, that will probably be your last day on eBay. Just a guess.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

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@gurlcat wrote:

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@ajs_coins_and_alchemy wrote:

IMO the issue isn't eBay fees, it's the price the buyer wants to pay.

"We couldn't come to a deal b/c ebay fees and shipping" is not something I truly deeply understand, I look at it simply as buyer didn't want to pay my price.... If buyer lived across the country, there is no other decent option, so it's pay my price, or don't.

---

Yeah that's a good point.  Also here's where I should mention that I hate the hassle of in-person meetup sales; wearing real clothes, shoes, and making eye contact is oh-so-2019, and then half the people flake out anyway.  And if you know discount-beggers, you know this^ one probably wouldn't stop at the OP's price minus shipping and eBay fees (wait, why were eBay fees in this buyer's purview anyway?) ... like once the OP went through the trouble to meet up, then the buyer would probably be like "Hmmmm, this doesn't look quite as good as the photos.  Could you take $ _______?" 🙄   
     -Them shipping and eBay fees would be sounding pretty good to me at that point.  

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@gurlcat 

Wearing real clothes and real shoes and making eye contact? You forgot having to actually wash your face, get those pesky crusties out of your eyes and brush your teeth! 🤣

I wander my way out the front door in PJs and flipflops for USPS pickup (rain or shine, summer or winter). I can see/hear my USPS carrier coming, and he parks across the street, so I head on out when I see him coming and usually meet him somewhere in/around the street. That's about as far as I'm willing to venture for eBay related things. I'm not doing any local pickup other than USPS picking up at my house 🤣🤣🤣

If I were doing a local pickup I'd expect to be paid extra for my efforts! 😉

[gone.c-33]

It’s not so much the putting on make up I’ve started to resent, it actually revs me up to meet the world, but it’s the washing off when I come home and just want to hit the hay.

But my mom taught me to never go to bed without washing your face and it’s a tradition we’re upholding in this house!

[reallynicestamps]

Geez hauling stuff to the post office is the only way I get out of the house these days. I might just be selling here to force myself into the sunshine.