# I'm considering selling stuff on ebay. Got any advice? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 27, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726 "2008-11-27T18:47:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/21 "2008-11-28T20:11:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Totally and utterly wrong. The buyer is 100% responsible for getting the pyament to the seller, the seller is 100% responsible for getting the paid for goods to the buyer. If the goods are lost or stolen in the mail the seller must either refund are ship new stuff. > > There is an exception, if you are shipping Freight, where you use FOB. There you sign an involved contract with the Freight company, where they take responsbility. eBay sellers do not use Frieght for hardly anything. You could also use FOB if the buyer selected and directly paid for the delivery and they picked up from you. > > In either case, the point is moot- if you sell through eBay and Paypal, they will refund the buyers $$ if the buyer claims the goods were not rcvd and you can not prove delivery (by DC or USP signature or whatever. Prove of mailing is not enough). The refund will come from the sellers Paypal account. Ignorance fought: I was unaware of that rule. Seems to me it leaves the seller open to fraud from buyers. Buyer receives item claims it never arrived, then gets a refund. I always make sure I get delivery confirmation for just that reason. I’ve only had two items ripped off in the mail and was able to resolve them amicably. I’ve really backed away from eBay and Paypal for everyday items because the damned fees get so expensive. If you try to compensate through “handling” charges, it discourages potential buyers. I try to sell only items that will probably capture interest and thus engender a bidding war. **Karyn** : I’ve sold two cars on Craigslist and a lot of other miscellaneous stuff over the years. It works pretty darn well and is free. I’d recommend the following, though: 1. Don’t use the email address function unless you want to start receiving spam. A spammer will send you a query about your item, which goes to the Craigslist email server. But when you respond to the query, they can then see your return email address and start sending you glurge. Post your phone number. It cuts down on the looky-loos. 2. If your item hasn’t sold in a couple of weeks, cancel it and repost it. Craigslist doesn’t like you doing this, but they really don’t pay any attention. This moves your listing up to the present, so somebody will see it right away when they do a search. This is how I sold my last car: very little activity in the beginning, then BAM! when I reposted. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/22 "2008-11-28T20:16:48Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Honestly I just listed some items on eBay and it’s a PITA. They are really buyer-oriented now. PayPal decided to put “on hold” a $290 payment but still expected me to ship the item, because I had less than 100(!) feedback. I have a 6-year history with 100% good feedback, but only 65 feedbacks. ☹ What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Bastards. My bill is due for the items I bought to resell on eBay, but I might not get paid for 3 weeks, assuming the package gets to the buyer and they’re happy. I’ve never heard of PayPal putting a “hold” on a payment. Are you sure it wasn’t an “e-Check”, because those little bitches take like two weeks to clear and I absolutely will not ship an item under any circumstance while it’s still pending. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/23 "2008-11-28T21:21:07Z")
I never thought the buyer was responsible for what the USPS did with things after shipping…specifically, I recently shipped a margarita glass–it was perfectly intact and very well wrapped–which the buyer claimed arrived broken. I believe her, but she did not ask for a refund. She had not bought insurance either. I don’t see how I could have been responsible for postal workers throwing the box around. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/24 "2008-11-28T22:01:26Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I’ve never heard of PayPal putting a “hold” on a payment. Are you sure it wasn’t an “e-Check”, because those little bitches take like two weeks to clear and I absolutely will not ship an item under any circumstance while it’s still pending. Don’t think so, unless PayPal accepts e-Checks. The PayPal status for one transaction says “Completed” and I have my money. The other says “On Hold - Ship now” and I haven’t been credited the money. PayPal says basically they might do it for items over $100 if you have less than 100 positive feedbacks. I say that’s unreasonable, I have 65 feedbacks that are 100% positive and I’ve used eBay and PayPal on and off for 6 years. So, YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/25 "2008-11-29T00:09:25Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > I never thought the buyer was responsible for what the USPS did with things after shipping…specifically, I recently shipped a margarita glass–it was perfectly intact and very well wrapped–which the buyer claimed arrived broken. I believe her, but she did not ask for a refund. She had not bought insurance either. I don’t see how I could have been responsible for postal workers throwing the box around. You may not be _responsible_ for the breakage, but (at least according to eBay), you’re _accountable_ - if not, then the buyer is, which makes even less sense, because the buyer has absolutely no control over the packaging etc. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/26 "2008-11-29T00:11:31Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Ignorance fought: I was unaware of that rule. Seems to me it leaves the seller open to fraud from buyers. Buyer receives item claims it never arrived, then gets a refund. I believe there’s a limit on the number of non-delivery claims any one buyer can make - although I expect an enterprising fraudster could probably work around that. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/27 "2008-11-29T03:39:25Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I’ve never heard of PayPal putting a “hold” on a payment. Are you sure it wasn’t an “e-Check”, because those little bitches take like two weeks to clear and I absolutely will not ship an item under any circumstance while it’s still pending. Paypal now routinely puts a hold on your funds for a set time, or until the buyer leaves positive feedback. I have over 900 feedback (100% positive), and they still do it to me. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/28 "2008-11-29T03:40:58Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > My advice: Craig’s List. Local folks who can hand you cash no shipping required, no farting around with PayPal. I gave up on eBay years ago. I’ve had poor luck with Craig’s list. I’d be willing to bet that items sell faster and for more money on ebay - it’s a global market. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/29 "2008-11-29T04:41:39Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Paypal now routinely puts a hold on your funds for a set time, or until the buyer leaves positive feedback. I have over 900 feedback (100% positive), and they still do it to me. So much for my plan of working my way up to 100 feedbacks. Bastards. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/30 "2008-11-29T10:18:56Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Ignorance fought: I was unaware of that rule. Seems to me it leaves the seller open to fraud from buyers. Buyer receives item claims it never arrived, then gets a refund. I always make sure I get delivery confirmation for just that reason. I’ve . If you can show Dc or similar proof of delivery, then the buyer is out of luck. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/31 "2008-11-29T10:21:20Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Paypal now routinely puts a hold on your funds for a set time, or until the buyer leaves positive feedback. I have over 900 feedback (100% positive), and they still do it to me. Only in certain areas of merchandise or if you have too many complaints. Assuming that you have been around for a while and have some decent # of FB. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/32 "2008-11-29T14:40:27Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Only in certain areas of merchandise or if you have too many complaints. Assuming that you have been around for a while and have some decent # of FB. Here’s the specifics on PayPal’s hold: [PayPal Purchase Protection | Secure Shopping | PayPal US](https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/Marketing/securitycenter/sell/SaferPayments-outside) ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/33 "2008-11-29T18:02:00Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I’ve had poor luck with Craig’s list. I’d be willing to bet that items sell faster and for more money on ebay - it’s a global market. I have never tried Craig’s list but have been amazed by what people will buy, and what they will pay for it, on eBay. ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/34 "2008-11-29T19:25:11Z")
I’ve bought woman’s clothing on eBay, my impression is that items that sell meet the following criteria: - they are still in style, and actually a nice-looking garment to begin with. Vintage is something of a separate market that I can’t comment on - they are from a popular brand, or at least a brand with something of a following. - items are priced pennies on the dollar, based on original sale price. As an example, I sold an Anne Taylor Loft dress for ~$8, I paid $40 on sale, the original price was ~$80. It’s best to post garment measurements in addition to just the size on the tag. And particularly with dresses, photos on mannequins (or a human) show off the item much better than on a hanger. And again, these are just my impressions, I’m not any sort of power seller. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726/35 "2008-11-30T06:20:58Z")
> [@sugar\_and\_spice](#): > > I’ve bought woman’s clothing on eBay, my impression is that items that sell meet the following criteria: > > - they are still in style, and actually a nice-looking garment to begin with. Vintage is something of a separate market that I can’t comment on > - they are from a popular brand, or at least a brand with something of a following. > - items are priced pennies on the dollar, based on original sale price. As an example, I sold an Anne Taylor Loft dress for ~$8, I paid $40 on sale, the original price was ~$80. > > It’s best to post garment measurements in addition to just the size on the tag. And particularly with dresses, photos on mannequins (or a human) show off the item much better than on a hanger. And again, these are just my impressions, I’m not any sort of power seller. And it is critical to mention if there could possible smoking or pets.c [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-selling-stuff-on-ebay-got-any-advice/474726.md?page=1)