11-23-2017 07:01 PM
Hello everyone, I'm new on ebay and I would like to start dropshipping. I have multiple questions. First, when we list an item, what type of shipping should I choose ? When I want to ship the item to the buyer from Amazon for example, what do I do to inform the seller that I dropship ?
11-24-2017 09:41 AM
11-24-2017 09:47 AM - edited 11-24-2017 09:49 AM
Outside of the problems it can cause you as a seller, in that you are trusting someone else to both have the item, and send it timely, which are pitfalls of drop shipping, you have to have a profit. Have you checked to see if what you plan to sell is already on Ebay? And what the price is? Many larger, more established sellers may get a volume discount or reduced rates that you cannot hope to match. So you will be listing but not selling.
Also, some state in the listing that the item will ship from one of their warehouses. So the buyer knows up front (if they realize that this is what that means)
Most buyers do not like finding out that the item they ordered from you came from somewhere else. If you don't tell them plainly up front, they feel betrayed and take it out on your feedback. If you do tell them upfront, they may hit the back button. If they don't do either of the above, they have learned where their item came from and can go through them directly in the future.
Not saying there aren't some successful drop shippers on Ebay, but there is a lot of competition from established sellers. And the whole process of drop shipping is generally fraught with problems as this thread attests to.
As for your question as to what you would list for the shipping method, think about that.
11-24-2017 10:01 AM
Be cautious.
if you sell something and they don't ship, you refund your buyer. OUT OF YOUR POCKET.
I made the mistake of believing someone. Even bought one before listing them. I got something shipped brand new from the manufacturer. I assumed they were an authorized dealer, often if you buy stuff from Macy's it ships from the manufacturer.
I listed dozens at $200 each. After each item sold I sent money to my supplier for them to ship. I kept listing and selling.
They stopped shipping. I started getting the complaints. I stopped getting responses from my shipper. I started getting people opening cases...... I had to refund thousands from my own funds since I had paid the shipper.
Turns out he was using stolen credit card numbers to place orders and have the stuff shipped to my buyers. I finally got an email from his local police telling me that he was in jail. My money was gone.
Then one of my buyers who received what they bought was contacted by the police and threatened with posessing stolen goods. I had to refund her and explain everything to ebay. What a stinking mess. It took months to get everything straightened out and likely cost me a couple grand.
11-24-2017 10:58 AM - edited 11-24-2017 10:58 AM
Some flat out say, the item will be shipped from our supplier.
When you use Amazon, you run the risk of not only having an irate buyer because it came from somewhere else, that irate buyer may be irate because they checked Amazon but decided to do business on Ebay.
And now they haven't.
I was in just such a situation. I checked Amazon, and Ebay for an item before Christmas. This was an add on gift, I was finished shopping, and was placed the beginning of Dec. Because Ebay had a better, faster delivery timeframe, although it cost a bit more than Amazon, I bought on Ebay. I prefer Ebay and wanted to get the item quicker. IF I wanted to buy from Amazon, I would have.
Item came from Amazon; I was not happy and told the seller that I checked there and I chose to buy from you on Ebay because of the faster delivery timeframe, even though I paid more. Item came with a gift card, this seller used their Prime account.
While I did not leave bad feedback, I believe others did.
11-24-2017 11:05 AM
@jason_incognito wrote:Be cautious.
if you sell something and they don't ship, you refund your buyer. OUT OF YOUR POCKET.
I made the mistake of believing someone. Even bought one before listing them. I got something shipped brand new from the manufacturer. I assumed they were an authorized dealer, often if you buy stuff from Macy's it ships from the manufacturer.
I listed dozens at $200 each. After each item sold I sent money to my supplier for them to ship. I kept listing and selling.
They stopped shipping. I started getting the complaints. I stopped getting responses from my shipper. I started getting people opening cases...... I had to refund thousands from my own funds since I had paid the shipper.
Turns out he was using stolen credit card numbers to place orders and have the stuff shipped to my buyers. I finally got an email from his local police telling me that he was in jail. My money was gone.
Then one of my buyers who received what they bought was contacted by the police and threatened with posessing stolen goods. I had to refund her and explain everything to ebay. What a stinking mess. It took months to get everything straightened out and likely cost me a couple grand.
How horrible; SO sorry for your loss!