eBay

r1diculous_sales · ‎12-21-2017

I have been trying so hard to get a startup on an eBay business because I need some extra money for college. Just the shipping alone makes it almost impossible to make profit without even factoring in competitive pricing. Then I have these clowns doing this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-PlayStation-4-Launch-Edition-500GB-Jet-Black-Console/302569065102

WHY?! I don't understand why these bots do it! What's the motive? Are they just there to inconvenience you?

zzydny · ‎12-21-2017

@lookng2015 wrote:
Just out of curiosity - how do you know "free shipping drives sales"?

Although I am borrowing that phraseology from eBay, my experience is that it has driven my sales. When I began to offer "free" shipping, my sales increased dramatically even though the items in my actual stock had not changed.

lookng2015 · ‎12-21-2017

Every time I've tried FS my sales nosedived.

(are buyers who can't even add 2 numbers together really who I want anyway?)

"If a product doesn't sell, raise the price" - Reese Palley
"If it sold FAST, it was priced too low" - also Reese Palley

zzydny · ‎12-21-2017

@lookng2015 wrote:
Every time I've tried FS my sales nosedived.

Most of my items ship by First Class Mail, so I suspect that this may have at least something to do with it. As a general rule, I don't add Free Shipping unless I can ship by First Class or Priority Flat Rate.

However, the fact remains that using Free Shipping has been successful for me.

mr_lincoln · ‎12-21-2017

@zzydny

@zzydny wrote:
@lookng2015 wrote:
Every time I've tried FS my sales nosedived.
Most of my items ship by First Class Mail, so I suspect that this may have at least something to do with it. As a general rule, I don't add Free Shipping unless I can ship by First Class or Priority Flat Rate.

However, the fact remains that using Free Shipping has been successful for me.

Key point is your items can ship First Class mail ... for collectibles and items over a pound Free Shipping means covering the coast to coast highest postage cost in the sale price. In round numbers, while the adjacent shipping zone may cost 6 1/2 bucks for shipping to get it to the Left Coast would cost $ 12 ...

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor

jason_incognito · ‎12-21-2017

I hate to say this, but eBay is really only good as a site to move excess stuff. When you sell stuff from around the house it doesn't really matter how much it sells for since it's all yours. You don't have to account for your aquisition cost.

When you're buying to sell, you gotta buy low. really low. Plan for a ton of cost.

it costs to pack stuff. It cost to take stuff to the post office. It costs to monitor shipments. returns cost you.

People WILL waste your time. People will give you the run around. Ya gotta plan for it. If it was easy to sell, more people would be doing it. As it is, so many have tried, then just given up.

"Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything" Colin Kaepernick the new face of NIKE

plumbingspecials · ‎12-21-2017

I even offer free shipping on my items that must go Freight, because if the buyer knew how much that really costs, no way would they purchase the item. It cuts into my profit a bit, but it's better than not selling at all and leaving stuff in my inventory collecting dust.

coolections · ‎12-21-2017

@plumbingspecials wrote:
Free shipping does drive sales, because there's not additional costs on the price. No surprises on calculated shipping. The bottom line IS the bottom line, and people really like that. Also, some sellers really inflate shipping costs and buyers here are aware of that. This way, they know they aren't "paying too much" for shipping.

That would be 90% false. Only those who have a low I.Q. would think the item is cheapest because it has free shipping. The shipping cost is ALWAYS added to the cost on a free shipping item. I would guess 90% of buyers can add and if they cannot, they use Ebay's drop down menu to search item + shipping order for the price.

jamessc16 · ‎12-21-2017

Hey pollaus_62ckcjrj

Welcome to the world of the internet in the modern age. Bots are something that almost every website/company battles with on a day to day accord. Who ever bought the item have 3 days to pay if not you can report them to ebay. This way ebay can at least see if this person/bot is doing the same thing over and over. Yes it is difficult to sell on ebay especially if you are new to the platform. Buyers want to see that you have some kind of history selling products. So yea starting new is going to take sometime to get notice by ebay and buyers. For right now just keep posting your products. Competitive pricing is also another killer because you do have other people that can sell the same product for far cheaper because they have so many, or they know how to right a good copy. That's something you just have to work through. Don't get this courage because it's taking a while to happen. Just be patience and learn as you go. You will not become rich over night so don't dream about it. This is reality. This is how the world works. IGNORE all the negative feedback about your form. Those people exist and half of them is far worse than you. Pollaus remember everything takes time so don't give up and don't quit. Learn, Grow, Teach.

jamessc16 · ‎12-21-2017

I agree with you. Sometime it's better to cut the profit margin just a bit to move product versus letting it just sit there because you think you can make much more. And yes if some people actually know what the shipping is (especially freight) they you think you are crazy. Happen to me couple time before I understood it.

plumbingspecials · ‎12-21-2017

@coolections
It depends largely on what you're selling, too. I sell a lot of MAP protected products, so everyone selling these products on the internet is at the same price, but others might charge shipping. I don't. It does not take a large IQ to know the difference in the bottom line.
I think you might be unaware that everyone's business model is different and for different reasons. While your statement may be true in YOUR business model, it is not necessarily true in mine.
I think buyers do know that all costs (including shipping costs) are in the final price of the item. Those with low IQs (your words, not mine) shouldn't be here anyway. Unfortunately some are, though. Guess who snags those sales...

swenson8781 · ‎12-21-2017

It's actually NOT that hard to sell on here, however, one must take the time to reviews the rules & regulations of selling, learn a bit about pricing items that one sells, and calculating postage/shipping costs accurately. Before you continue to list more items, I suggest taking some time to research those items, so you are aware of possible scams, etc. and have some basic knowledge about 'how' to list items effectively.

Aside from that, has your buyer paid for the PS4 yet? If yes, make 100% sure that you have CONFIRMED payment in your Paypal account, can see the balance of your account has increased, and the item says 'okay to ship. If no, then after 48 hrs from the end of the auction, file an Unpaid Item Dispute (UPI), then after 4 days has passed, you can close that out and receive your Final Value Fees (FVF's) back. You are then free to relist the item.

If you choose to relist it, I strongly advise listing it at 'Fixed Price', and check the box 'Immediate Payment Required'. If you need to research the approx price they are selling for, you can do so by typing 'PS4 Launch Edition' into the upper search bar, then scroll down a bit and on the left side you can select 'sold items', and select 'buy it now' listings, and that should give you an idea of what they are TRULY selling for.

Auction items for electronics can sometimes be bid up by people intending to deceive you, and by searching only the 'buy it now' listings, you will likely see more realistic sold amounts.

odditiesandantiquities1 · ‎12-21-2017

Given that my price points are higher, I always offer free shipping. It's built into the price anyway and I never have to ship large items. I also factor in insurance on higher prices items.

magicjohnsonsvariety · ‎12-21-2017

In general, if selling things were easy everyone would be doing it...this site would be so bloated you wouldn't be able to find anything.

I'm not understanding why the shipping cost would make it impossible for you to make a profit?...as it appears your customers pay the shipping.

sockmonkeydave · ‎12-21-2017

@pollaus_62ckcjrj

The first thing you should do is spend a week reading past post on these boards.

It's like getting the answers before you take the test.

When your item "sold" for 900 bucks, ebay charged you 10% for that "sale"

So if your PP was empty, and you have a credit card or a bank tied to PP

And if your bank account is empty, like mine was when I was in school...

They will try to run the charge 3 times, and your bank will hit you with 3 insufficent funds fees.

At my bank that would be over 100 bucks...

Trust me I know about overcharge fees, still have the scars.

What you need to do is file an unpaid item 2 days from the date of sale.

Then 4 days later have the case closed.

That will get your fees back from ebay

If you do it wrong, ebay will keep the what... 90 buck fee from the "sale"

Don't get bugged up about the free shipping or not post, you have bigger problems now.

Now... when you file the UID, you may get a message from the "buyer".

asking for your e-mail address... never give that out, they don't need it.

( They might have it already, from the "sale"... not sure about that)

The point is they will send you a fake "PP message that you got paid"

It will say that the funds will clear when you upload tracking... and that is bull feathers.

Or they will say it is a gift, and please send it to a different address, NEVER do that.

You found the boards and that is good, come here at the first hint of a problem.

Most of the people here are real sellers, not some person in a call center.

Don't let my goofy name fool you, my ebay selling limit is 5.8 million a month.

( If you need a jet, I can help you )

Oh... and get to know the peeps in the financial aid office at school.

I ran into a guy at the pub the other day, the bar maid put a pint in front of me, from Bob.

I went over and said, I know you...

and Bob said "everyone who has worked at the school knows you".

password9019 · ‎12-21-2017

O.P., if the issue is a UPI (unpaid item), the possibility exists that you fell prey to real people (not bots) who arranged together to have a bid fest - with no one invited to the party intending to pay if they won.

This is how seller groups, and I use the term loosely, knock the competition out. Inflating the value via bid sparring will only make similar items that they have appear to be worth more (to the eyes on ebay). Of course, a savvy buyer would not likely overpay, but not all prospective purchasers do their homework.

It's possible you got messed with by a competitor (even though your not really competing yourself) who perceived your listing to be a threat to the sale ability of the item that person had listed. That said, I also tend to believe that some people on here are simply much under the influence of this or that a substance, and half of them probably wake up the next day (or night) forgetting everything that happened last time they were onto eBay.