How to get started selling things on ebay
Not starting a business. But I have a good bit of stuff and would like to try and see if I would like it or not.
7 comments
Not starting a business. But I have a good bit of stuff and would like to try and see if I would like it or not.
simba6
·1 year agoStart small. Never sell an item you can't afford to lose. There is no such thing as no returns when selling here.
Have boxes, tape and packing ready before listing. A working printer also if you plan to print shipping labels from home. Laser printer is best.
chevymontecarlo88
·1 year agoGood advice already given above. If you get to the point where you are listing items, find places you can acquire shipping supplies (free/purchase) that will help you ship items out faster. Also consider a digital scale which can be found for about $20 and having a printer is a good idea for labels. There are many videos on utube that can also visually give you ideas of what you're getting yourself into and some good organization ideas that may prevent future disasters. Also it is a good idea to read the eBay Money Back Guarantee for buyers. Knowing how they are protected can help you understand how to create your listings.
-Good luck
isaiah53-57
·1 year agoThree important things you will not readily see in your research of selling on ebay
1. They have a buyer "Money Back Guarantee" meaning they will take the word of the buyer in virtually every instance over yours - If buyer says the $300 item you sent them was an old shoe, there is the highest likelihood you will lose that item and the money(though, they may give you a "courtesy refund" the 1st time it happens if you work hard enough for it) - And my guess is the amount of professional scammers shopping here due to that money back guarantee would likely blow the minds of even the the most staunch ebay apologists...
2. When they say they will charge you 13.25% in fees to sell, dont fall into the trap of thinking its 13.25% of the item alone - Its 13.25% of the ENTIRE TRANSACTION - So if you sell a $25 item with $12 shipping and $2.50 sales tax the, fees will be $5.60(including the .40 cent transaction fee) - That fee equates to 22% of the items price - the only profit bearing number in the transaction - see how they do that - pretty slick right?
3. They will be hounding you to take part in their heinous "Promoted Listings" program for higher visibility - They will be "recommending" you give them an additional 12% to 17% of, again, the entire transaction, effectively pushing your fees to 40% to 50% of items selling price in the above exampled transaction. Some long time sellers/full time posters have been saying "but its optional" for several years - When you see stats showing the use of promotions have grown to 50% to 65% of sellers in many categories, the situation has moved well past the "optional" time frame they believe we still live in...
Seller beware...
mtgraves7984
·1 year ago@c172_20
Reading about selling isn't selling at all, but here's some info to get you started. Good luck.
Start selling on eBay | eBay
Selling policies – overview | eBay
Selling fees | eBay
c172_20
OP1 year agoThank you for your response to me and I appreciate any advice it's good to hear real truth
caldreamer
·1 year agoIRS requires you to report all your "gross earning" (whether you consider selling a business or not). EBAY will report your sales to IRS.
All sellers are required to enroll in Managed Payments (that is how you get paid). You must provide your checking account# and social security#. Name on your checking account, social security card and EBAY profile must be EXACT MATCH (or your application may be denied).
EBAY has policies that you should be aware of. EBAY 30-Day Money Back Policy (supersedes "no returns" policy) allows customers to lie and claim "not as described, counterfeit, defective" (you will be forced to refund purchase price + shipping BOTH ways). Customer is NOT required to prove their claim. EBAY always rules in favor of the customer.
If you item is delayed in shipping due to bad weather and customer opens "did not receive item" case (you must have tracking# proving item reached destination before deadline). If not, EBAY will force you to refund (purchase price + shipping). If your item is delivered to the customer "later on" you do not get paid (customer keeps item + your money). EBAY policies always favor the customer and Seller protection is non existent.
Also be aware that scammers target new Sellers or anyone selling "high value" items". EBAY will NOT reimburse you if you get scammed.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling/start-selling-ebay?id=4081&st=3&pos=1&query=Start%20selling%20on%20eBay&intent=selling%20on%20ebay&lucenceai=lucenceai&docId=HELP1041
a_c_green
·1 year agoIn that case, you'll definitely want to start by reading this group here:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/New-to-selling-on-eBay/bd-p/Starting_an_eBay_Business
Start by listing and selling inexpensive items to build experience while minimizing loss. Don't list anything that you cannot afford to lose completely if things go seriously sideways. Good luck.