Shipping and Scamming

[alagilbreat_0]

Hello,

I read for about 2 hours last night through some of the posts here, so I do apologize if this has been answered before... some has but I haven't seen some.

Ok, I was scammed last time I was a seller, but I'd like to try it again. Here are my questions....

What is the best way to sell without getting scammed? I see people say to always use delivery confirmation (Is this tracking?) and for items (at or over?) $250 to get signature confirmation. Exactly which ones below are the recommended ones?

I don't mind having greater shipping cost if it would mean less chance to get scammed.

Most of my items will be $100 or more. They are personal items so I don't have an "inventory acquisiton" cost.

I would prefer to print/ship from home (take to PO) but I can also use the kios at the PO (I don't know if this is the same as just doing it from home.

Is it better for me to have buyer pay shipping or I offer free shipping? If they do it, does it go by their choices of shipping "extras" or should I pay and get the extras I want?

I will be shipping USPS Priority

Here are the options I see on USPS's site using a small flat rate box as an example:

first "extras", second retail cost & availability, 3rd is click n ship/electronic availability.

Extra Services     Retail    Click-N-Ship®

Adult Signature Required Not available $5.90

Adult Signature Restricted Delivery Not available $6.15

Certificate of Mailing (Form 3817) $1.35 Not available

Certified Mail® $3.35 Not available

Certified Mail® Restricted Delivery $8.30 Not available

Collect on Delivery From $7.15 Not available

Collect on Delivery Restricted Delivery From $12.10 Not available

Insurance From $2.65 From $2.65

Insurance Restricted Delivery From $14.10 From $14.10

Registered Mail™ From $11.70 Not available

Registered Mail™ Restricted Delivery From $16.65 Not available

Return Receipt for Merchandise $4.20 Not available

Signature Confirmation™ $2.90 Not available

Signature Confirmation™ Restricted Delivery $7.85 Not available

Signature Confirmation™ Electronic Not available $2.45

Signature Confirmation™ Electronic Restricted Delivery Not available $7.40

Special Handling - Fragile $10.25 Not available

USPS Tracking®  No charge Not available

USPS Tracking® Electronic Not available No charge

Would "adult signature required" also give me "signature confirmation"?

Any other important tips as a seller?

(oops, I read to only ship to someone's paypal address... where can I find this?)

Thanks!

[rock.star]

The only extra you might need is Signature Confirmation if the value is $750.00 or more .

It used to be $250.00

[missjen831]

You don't need signature confirmation unless the transaction is $750 or more. All USPS package services comes with tracking/delivery confirmation. For purchases under $750, all you need is proof of delivery via online viewable tracking. And you need to ship to the address on the buyers payment, don't print the label before they pay because they made change their address when they pay. You don't need any other services, Priority mail comes with $50 insurance, its up to you if you want to pay to insure the full amount of the sale or self-insure.

There are pros and cons to free and calculated shipping. if you offer free shipping, you have to issue a full refund if the buyer returns due to buyers remorse UNLESS you have a restocking fee. Restocking fees can deter buyers and encourage false snads. (some buyes are honest, some are not). You might also lose sales because there are buyers out there who know that they won't get a combined shipping discount on free shipping. If you charge for shipping, you lose buyers who only buy if there's free shipping. You can attract buyers by offering combined discounts. You can withold the shipping cost on remorse returns. I really don't think one is better than the other, I think it depends on your business model. Free shipping might be the best option for you, and it might not be.

[papermoneyforme]

I will not answer all the questions, but will tell you honestly the following:

You are a new seller, selling higher priced items  in a high scam area. In other words, a magnet for scammers which Ebay has a lot of.

You will not stop the scammers no matter what you do. Sell a lot of cheap stuff to build up your feedback until you learn all the answers to your questions.

If I were you, sell your expensive items locally for cash.

[moo*cow*corner]

You have shipping offered on your local pick up only listing. You need to change that ASAP.

[partial*eclipse]

The USPS service formerly known as Delivery Confirmation is now known as just  tracking, and is automatically included at no additional cost with all USPS package postage (both online and retail).

As noted in the other post, $750 is the threshold for needing Signature Confirmation for seller protection; that went up from $250 a couple of years ago, so at least one of your resources is obsolete.

Tracking/Signature confirmation only protects you against a fake "Item not received" claim.  It won't help you at all in SNAD (Significantly not as described) cases.  The other types of delivery confirmation (adult signature, restricted etc.) jsut add cost, they don't add any protection.

[retrose1]

There is only ONE answer to this question....

What is the best way to sell without getting scammed?

Do not list high dollar high risk items on ebay.

It isn't a good idea to list anything on ebay worth more than $35 unless you have as much recent selling feedback as the dollar value of the item.

[just-a-stockboy-to-them]

To avoid getting scammed, (and a few other problems) as a new seller:

( 1) Thourally scan/photograph your item.

( 2) Record any serial numbers, scratches, unique marks.

( 3) Note these in your listing.

( 4) Never do 99c auctions. Ignore feebay's priceing advise.

( 5) Get a scale. Weigh your packages.

( 6) Do not under-estimate shipping costs. Double check / do not trust "estimated shipping". 

( 7) Do not try to recoop shipping undercharges. Get it right the first time.

( 😎 Do not accept ANY offers.

( 9) Do not sell outside feebay untill you have a lot of good experience with the buyer.

(10) Check the buyer's "feedback left for others" for clues of a bad attatude.

(11) Do not be shy about Blocking potential problem buyers.

(12) Do not ship till you have been paid.

(13) Do not trust enails that say you've been paid. Check your paypal account.

(14) Ship only to the address registered with feebay. Accept no subsitutes.

(15) Always ship with tracking.

(16) Always check your reciept for the tracking number before leaving the Post Offal.

(17) Always upload the tracking number to feebay ASAP.

(18) Do not offer partial refunds. Refund for RETURNS only.

(19) Avoid fighting over return shipping.

(20) Do not be shy about Blocking actual problem buyers.

(21) Do not live in fear of negs or defects. You can survive a few.

(22) Feebay is NOT always right. Feebay only cares about it's own bottom line. You need to care about YOURS.

With experience you can modify these.

[just-a-stockboy-to-them]

I forgot an important one:

(10a) Do not be fooled by a buyer having 100% positive feedback. It means ABSOLUTLY NOTHING. It does NOT indicate honesty. ALL buyers have that. It  is FORBIDDEN to leave any other kind of FB for a buyer.