So many horror stories on Ebay. Afraid to sell.

[howdypoodle]

I have relatives and friends that use Ebay and in the late 90's Ebay they say was great!

Now all I hear of is horror stories and more stories that make me afraid to sell.

1. Buyers scamming sellers.

2. The Post Office breaking items including Metal items.

3. Buyer not paying for insurance and then blaming the seller for wrapping poorly.

Can one even win selling here? I've been told the buyer always wins when it isn't even

the sellers fault.

[omgitlightsup]

Well.. you don't hear most of the success stories on here.

Per your concerns,

1: Yeah, the environment here favors the buyer. "The customer is always right" is kind of the running theme here. I'd say the top scams are INRs and buyers extorting sellers to get partial refunds. Use tracking, and be as conservative as possible when listing your items. Photograph them properly. Be especially aware of the details, like item condition, and don't list something as "new" by accident. If a buyer contacts you looking to shave a few bucks off the price, invite them to return the item at your cost; the process is fairly streamlined and while you'll be out the shipping, you'll also get your item back and there's a good chance the buyer won't find it worth the bother to drive to the post office.

Ask in here first if you have questions about the item you're selling.. someone will probably offer tips.

2: Use insurance and pack things properly

3: The buyer's not really on the hook for insurance. That's your job. Even if the buyer pays for insurance, it's your responsibility to make the claim if the item arrives broken. 

[zzydny]

No matter what you do in life, both good and bad things happen.  If you focus only on the negative, that's all you will see.  Although these answer boards have a lot of useful information, you need to keep in mind that the majority of the people here are posting because they need help.  But we have no idea what the % is in regards to all transactions total because you will NEVER hear one single word about all the things that went RIGHT!

It's scary to begin something new.  Start small.  Start easy.  Sell items that you can afford to price low, things that you don't mind letting go of.  Think of it as an experiment.  Try it out; see if it works.  Test drive learning to sell.  You should Not attempt to sell anything too breakable or too expensive until you know what you are doing.  So many of the agony stories you read on these boards are from people who are trying to fly a jet even though they've never even had a seat on an airplane. 

It's simple:  one step at a time.  Believe me, you are more likely to see success than failure as long as you prepare yourself properly and ask for help when you need it.

[richard1rst]

I know I am probably going to be called an “eBay cheerleader” when in fact I am a “free market cheerleader”.

Consider this:

You routinely see stories on the news about a plane crash. Unfortunate of course. But what you never hear about are the millions of planes that landed safely. That’s not newsworthy.

You see stories about the mess at the VA when it appears that the main complaints were centered on one Arizona office. I use the VA here in Las Vegas and I have never had a problem. Again, that’s not newsworthy.

Starting to see a pattern?

Yes, you will hear about the horror stories. But what you will not hear about is the gajillion number of transactions that go perfectly smoothly. They are not newsworthy.

I have over 11,000 items listed with a sales volume commensurate with that number.

I almost never have a problem.

You state: Can one even win selling here? I've been told the buyer always wins when it isn't even the sellers fault.

Yes, there are charlatans in the world.

I do this full time and I earn a decent living at it. I’m not part of the 1% but I don’t worry about where my next meal is coming from either.

And that “buyer always wins” is an urban myth. I have won many cases, both on eBay and on Paypal. But you never hear about those. They are not newsworthy.

Your best defense is to learn the rules, follow the rules and keep your Spidey senses alert for things that look hinky. Don’t be greedy. If it looks problematic, walk away. Fast. I just cancelled an order for $350.00 from a buyer. The address looked like gibberish. The street name did not have a number, was repeated on the second street address line, and was the same name as both the city and country name. (It was an international buyer.)

Always remember Julius Caesar’s lament: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves”

Hope this helps.         

[joesoucie22012]

Dont be afraid. Do the best you can. Have faith. Don't give up. Do not be scared of what might happen because it might happen and it could happen. Crack the whip on yourself and start selling. Dont wait, do it today. 

[rockadelicdave]

I had a shipping/packing job for Swarovski like Crystal Figurines.
I learned how two double even triple box those items
and I was very good at it and I've incororated those skills today.
Packing for Blockbuster video and some other companys.
In short I over pack items when needed, vintage electronics
computers, etc. Vintage Turntables are real challenge.
I've worked in hubs not Amazon yet and YES it's a war zone.
Ship it that way. It's your calling card when the buyer gets it.
This is the area many sellers screw up on it will reflect in your
feedback and of course if it gets damaged in transit, good luck.
NEVER use newspaper and allways make 100% shure
the item is not lose banging around inside the box.

[plumbingspecials]

1. There are measures you can take when creating your listings to greatly reduce the risk of being scammed. (Site preferences>Buyer requirements)
2. USPS is better than any other carrier as far as getting the packages there without damage. USPS automatically insures the package for up to $100.
3. Additional insurance can be purchased on a package for THE SELLER'S PROTECTION. They buyer pays the seller whatever is charged for shipping in the lisitng (so you REALLY NEED TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION BEFORE ACTIVATING YOUR LISTINGS - BECAUSE THE SELLER IS THE ONE PAYING FOR AND ARRANGING THE SHIPPING METHOD). The buyer is not responsbile for shipping hte package, and the buyer is not responsbie for wrapping the item correctly. THIS IS THE SELLER'S RESPONSIBLITY.

Because of your misconceptions about these factors in selling, you are clearly not ready to sell.
You should start here before you decide:
https://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/selling-basics.html

[muttlymob]

Buyer not paying for insurance and then blaming the seller for wrapping poorly.

If the seller packs poorly the seller is to blame.  Insurance does not protect the package from damage.  It just gives financial relief if the package is lost or damaged.  But even carrier insurance requires some responsibility on the seller's part - if a package is deemed not adequately packed, insurance claims can be denied.

If you think that the buyer should accept responsibility (and loss) of a seller's poor packing job, then you should be afraid to sell.  Here, or anywhere that requires mailing your items.

[thatsallfolks]

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@howdypoodle wrote:

I have relatives and friends that use Ebay and in the late 90's Ebay they say was great!

Now all I hear of is horror stories and more stories that make me afraid to sell.

1. Buyers scamming sellers.

2. The Post Office breaking items including Metal items.

3. Buyer not paying for insurance and then blaming the seller for wrapping poorly.

Can one even win selling here? I've been told the buyer always wins when it isn't even

the sellers fault.

---

I've made over 1,000 sales. I've experienced:

1) Zero buyer scams

2) One breakage issue, when USPS mangled a poly mailer

3) Zero problems with insurance, since it's not the buyer's responsibility to ask for it or pay for it separately.

If you only listen to horror stories, you'll never set foot outside the house. 

[castlemagicmemories]

One quick point:

Buyers don't pay for insurance as they are protected by the MBG and the INR.
Insurance is for the seller. many buyers know this. Sellers are not allowed to ask buyers to pay for insurance, but they can add the price into the cost of the item

Also:

People come to the Boards with problems, and there is also a strong focus on the negative.  Many transactions go off without a hitch.

[mistwomandancing]

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howdypoodle wrote:

I have relatives and friends that use Ebay and in the late 90's Ebay they say was great!

Now all I hear of is horror stories and more stories that make me afraid to sell.

1. Buyers scamming sellers.

2. The Post Office breaking items including Metal items.

3. Buyer not paying for insurance and then blaming the seller for wrapping poorly.

Can one even win selling here? I've been told the buyer always wins when it isn't even

the sellers fault.

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I would ask you WHERE you hear all of these horror stories...  Because if you are going by what you read on these discussion boards, you need to realize this is where disgruntled members go to cry and complain and dump.  But you ALSO need to realize that they are a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the sellers on eBay, and also that many of their problems were brought on by their own actions, or inactions, or poorly timed actions, or actions that didn't follow eBay policy.

If you are going to be in retail sales (whether in a brick & mortar store on online somewhere, or HERE on eBay) sooner or later you may likely run into a transaction or a customer who isn't real pleasant to face.  That is always unfortunate, but also kinda' unavoidable forever.  It happens.  Just handle it.  Come here to the forums and get advice about handling any problem you run into.  Lots of long-time sellers here with tons of experience and knowledge!

As to your 1. 2. 3. points above: 

(1)  Rarely but occasionally a buyer has scammed a seller.  Also, a seller has rarely but occasionally scammed a buyer!  It's a case of dealing long distance with a totally unknown person.  When you follow eBay's rules and policies as laid out and in a timely manner, you will rarely run into problems of this sort. 

(2)  The USPS rarely (and I mean RARELY) causes any damage to merchandise that is well packaged!!!  Unhappily, some sellers truly don't do a very good job in packaging merchandise very well.  Inspecting the stuff I've purchased from individuals here, I'd say I'm most surprised that more of it wasn't damaged during it's travel!  After years of selling here, I've had items damaged during shipment so few times they can be counted on ONE hand!

(3)  The buyer is NOT responsible for insuring their purchase against damage during transport.  It is considered a part of the seller's JOB and responsibility to get the purchase TO the buyer, intact and in good condition!  If insurance above what come with Priority Mail (if you use that) is needed, it's the seller who needs to be paying for it.

"...Can anyone even win selling here?..."  Certainly!  Tons of us do.  Many of us make our livings, selling online and through eBay.  More of us add substantial amounts of income to our accounts every month by selling on eBay.  Frankly, if most of us weren't *winning* by selling here, we'd likely fold and turn to something else.  Yes, there are always those who fail... eBay isn't for everyone.  But just because some can't do well here doesn't mean YOU can't.  Where one fails, another succeeds in online sales.  So you can be successful here too. 

[retrose1]

The secret t being a successful seller on ebay is to know your enemy.  Know what ebay is capable of, know how the rules work and how to make them work in your favor.  Learn how scammers think and what they target.  Know what you are willing to lose.

Once you understand those things, then you can sell and do well on ebay.

I list things on ebay  that I picked up cheaply, aren't worth a lot, don't cost much to ship, are not breakable, and are not trendy.  Scammers aren't interested in them.  I do get an occasional attempt, but I know how to fend them off, so they don't usually follow through.

Now, one common buyer scam is to claim that the PO broke something.  Most of the time they didn't, but since the buyer won't cooperate, it's is hard to prove othewise.

The best thing to do is not argue with the buyer.  Arguing will get you nowhere and everyone digs their heels in so nothing gets accomplished and the seller will lose.  And know that ebay will ALWAYS side with the buyer in buyer says/seller says situations AND know that your terms of sale are over ridden by ebay's terms of sale, example - no returns does not mean no refunds. 

Instead of explaining, defending, justifying your listing or ship methods, offer up one and only one option to make the buyer whole - 99.9999% of the time that option is return for refund.  And do it with as few words as possible.

And insurance is worthless.  If you get insurance and the buyer claims it is broke and you think it broke in shipping - the buyer does not have to cooperate with you in order to get your refund - all ebay and the buyer cares about is their refund.  My secret is to not sell anything worth more than the free insurance the PO supplies.

You can sell on ebay with few problems and get a little extra cash, you just have to be smart about it and research before you start.  And start small to build up experience and lots of feedback before you attempt to list expensive items.

[mr_lincoln]

@howdypoodle  If you read here enough then yes, one would be scared of Selling.  However, let me put this in perspective for you.  I will use only numbers I saw eBay publish for registered Sellers and Buyers ... the numbers are higher today, just keep that in mind.

-eBay Sellers = OVER 25 Million Registered Selling IDs

-eBay Buyers = OVER 165 Million Registered Buying IDs

-The Community member activity:  when you log in here the home page you will see on the very first banner picture the number of members online ... this unmber is usually under 10,000 but for discussion purposes lets just use 50,000 to prepresent the unmber world wide on other community sites. 

-Percentage of Transaction issues and posts HERE:  simply dividing the 50,000 by 190 million (total Seller & Buyer registration) you wind up with 2 tenths of 1% to represent issues as it were.  THAT is miniscule compared to the total business done by eBay Sellers and Buyers on a regular basis.  No new is good news so a lot of transactions occur and are successful and NEVER appear here.  Here you will read about the problems and if you can filter through the personal and emotional aspect and look at them as learning then you will be fine. 

-For our selling efforts we have had issues on LESS then 1/2 of 1 % of our transactions ...

[retrose1]

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@mistwomandancing wrote:

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I would ask you WHERE you hear all of these horror stories... 

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Well around here if some says that they sell on ebay, someone within earshot will tell you a story about how they got scammed on ebay.

I was at an estate garage sale last weekend and offered to list and sell a lovely piece they had underpriced online for them on consignment and gave them my card which has my Etsy store name on it.  The nice 60 year-some lady read it and said - oh, good thing you don't sell on ebay, you get scammed there and told about how her daughter lost her cell phone when she sold it on ebay a couple months ago.

The saturation point for ebay's rep has just about crossed the line where they can't recover.  And if ebay doesn't put a stop to luring newbies to sell their high dollar stuff with no warnings or better instructions than list - sell - get paid, then ebay's rep will be no better than say Zika virus.

[thatsallfolks]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

simply dividing the 50,000 by 190 million (total Seller & Buyer registration) you wind up with 2 tenths of 1% to represent issues as it were.

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That's 2/100th's of 1% (.026%), not 2 tenths.