new to eBay

[ke-745494]

i am new to selling on eBay.  I was wondering if should offer returns and if so how do i   go about doing it.  if anyone has  other tips that would be great

[orangehound]

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@ke-745494 wrote:

i am new to selling on eBay.  I was wondering if should offer returns and if so how do i   go about doing it.  if anyone has  other tips that would be great

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Stats I've seen suggest that offering 30-day returns will improve sales by 30%.  And, on eBay, there is no such thing as "no returns, all sales final".  The Money Back Guarantee will be used a lot to force returns.  My recommendation is to list with 30-day BUYER PAID returns.  If a return should be requested, eBay handles most of the logistics for you ... your only responsibility is to refund when the package arrives back (regardless of condition).

Let's see if I can come up with a 10-pack of pointers for any new seller.

1. eBay has a lot of complicated rules and policies.  There is a learning curve to selling on eBay, so you should begin with selling cheap stuff first (which you are doing) that you can afford to make mistakes with.  As you get more experience, then start selling more expensive things.
2. iPhones, laptops, designer clothing, and other highly desirable items are the target for a lot of thieves.
3. Look at other sellers, and see how they are doing their listings ... particularly those with high ratings and lots of sales.
4. Take great pictures, and lots of them.  Try to get them in focus and clear.
5. Don't use stock photos, or text from manufacturers.
6. Don't get tempted to drop ship.
7. When you start selling, your desirable merchandise sells quickly, and your dogs will just sit there ... before long, your inventory will just be full of dogs and it will feel like things are selling like they used to.   Thus, you need to have a strategy of always adding new items, and a plan for liquidating stale inventory.  For example, I consider changing listings every 30 days, and I begin considering liquidation after 1 year ... I (usually) don't hold onto inventory for more than 18 months.
8. Don't trust anything that eBay customer service says ... they are from the Far East and tend to lie a lot and just make stuff up.   If you need help, you stand a better chance of getting accurate answers on this forum.
9. Don't get mad at buyers ... and don't battle buyers.  Keep it professional.
10. One day you'll get a bad buyer, and one day you'll get a negative feedback.  Even if you do everything right, it will happen.  Don't take it personally.

[ke-745494]

thank you so much for the feedback.    I started selling cheap stuff and I also made google sheets page so I can keep track of everything,  So far I only lost money on item bc I lowered price and forgot I added free shipping.  The profit right now is small but I am learning and trying to become better.  I started  doing thank you card  with the package  to add an extra touch of customer services,

[penguins_dont_fly]

@ke-745494 

In addition to the great advice that orangehound gave you ....

Get rid of "Free" Shipping until you have a good amount of experience shipping (at least 6-9 months)

Get a scale.

Measure and weigh your items with packaging.

Put the dimensions and weight into the listing and use Calculated Shipping. Let the calculator do it's job and your buyers will be charged the correct amount to ship to their location. This way, there are no surprises.

And ... 2 old sayings around here ... "Don't list what you can't afford to lose" ... and ... "Describe it as if there were no pictures. Take pictures as if there were no description"

Finally ... Put your buyer hat on ... When listing, What words would you use to search for your item? What information would you need to make an instant decision to buy the item? When answering questions, How would you like to be treated if you asked a seller a question?

[soh.maryl]

Have you read the Seller Information Center at the bottom of any eBay page?

[ke-745494]

thank u for the feedback I am still learning and growing in this selling game..

[atikovi]

I wouldn't offer returns. Once an items is sold, you want it gone, especially on low priced items like you have. If you have 30 day MBG with buyer paying return shipping, you will get many sellers that claim the item is not as described and you will end up paying return shipping as well. Sure, buyers can claim INR if you don't offer returns but it seems mostly the scammers that take advantage of that.

[martoutlet]

i would have 30 day / buyer pays.

on like a 10 dollar item i would rather have them contact me then opening a case.

if they're unhappy i just refund.i'm not going to pay to have shipped back or want bad feedback.

every company has some loss,big or small.

key is to minimize it.