Hi All.
So it’s 2013 I figured it’s finally time to give this whole eBay system a shot.
I’d like to sell my AT&T iPhone 5 on there but I fear my auction won’t be very successful because I don’t know what I’m doing
Here is a link to my first attempt
Any critiques/tips/general advice for successful listings would be most appreciated indeed!
The actual part of the listing you typed up describing the phone is only three sentences long. Not long enough for me to feel comfortable buying your item. I have no idea of the condition of your item aside from the stock answer “used”. As a buyer I am looking for a description like this (this is an example and may not exactly describe your phone):
“Phone is in perfect working condition and used lightly for 3 months. Color is black and slate. I have not dropped the phone. This phone has been kept in a case, which is included in the listing. There are no imperfections or nicks on the phone and the screen is in flawless condition. Still has 9 months of Apple Warranty remaining. The phone is for the AT&T network only and has not been unlocked. It is ready to use for new contracts. Comes with the aforementioned gray Thule protective case, original headphones, original charging cable, and original box. Shipping to USA only.”
Take some better lighted pictures so that people can see the phone and that there are no imperfections. If there are imperfections, take a photo specifically for the worst one (and especially anything on the screen). Then describe the imperfections in detail. People care about even the slightest scratch when buying phones.
You’ve approached the selling process too impersonally. In the ebay phone market, there’s tons of quick-listed phones from reseller businesses with hardly any description. People buy these too, but they take their chances at getting a shitty phone and don’t bid high. If you can convince them that you’ve personally looked closely at the phone and that it’s flawless or near flawless, they’ll jump all over it.
The feedback thing sucks - there’s not much you can do in the near future to sell it. Maybe take a look at the other cellphone purchasing websites and see if their prices are too low to make them an option.
Following up on Munch what you might do it both buy some stuff on eBay and sell some cheap stuff you don’t use anymore.
In your auction description you need to be sure your return policy is strong so buyers don’t need to worry about returning it.
I hope you have a reserve price on it. And you should thank Macca26 for using his description verbatim. I would never purchase anything from someone with less than 20 feedback, and ideally at least 25% of those as a seller. It’s just too easy to get burned with such an expensive item.
If you do sell it, be sure to insure it and ship it with tracking and delivery confirmation. (I’d do signature confirmation on it.)
I’d rather buy a used iPhone from a craigslist seller so that I can inspect it personally before taking possession and paying.
It’s true that many people won’t buy things on eBay from someone with little or no feedback. I like this, because I often get great deals on things. My last laptop I bought from a guy with 2 transactions. Got it for about $150 less than comparable ones were going for, and it’s perfect.
If you pay with a credit card through Paypal, you are extremely well protected from fraud on eBay.
So, OP, you’re not going to get the highest price for this phone because people are often skittish. You can try to build up your feedback with lower-priced items or just accept that you won’t get top dollar for a while. The listing looks fine (now).
Thank you all very much for your help.
I ended up selling on Craigslist in the interest of time and because I received an offer I found quite attractive from a person whose identity (and general trustworthiness) I was able to verify online prior to meeting.
Sadly my eBay rating is going to continue to suck for a while but such is life.