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As a Seller, is ebay tolerable these days?
jmski52
Posts: 23,968 ✭✭✭✭✭
I stopped selling on ebay 2 years ago when they changed the feedback policy and made paypal a requirement.
For those who still use ebay, what are your thoughts about ebay as a selling venue these days? I'd like to know if it's worth the trouble. Thanks.
For those who still use ebay, what are your thoughts about ebay as a selling venue these days? I'd like to know if it's worth the trouble. Thanks.
Q: Are You Printing Money? Bernanke: Not Literally
I knew it would happen.
I knew it would happen.
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That's why I stopped last year.
It's fastly becoming where the buyers rape, plunder, and pilledge the sellers. A buyer can just about get away with murder.......
Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
I'll agree about the publicity portion of the site, but finding the buyers who know what they're looking for is becoming seemingly difficult as the flood of fakes, AT coins and sheer experimental pieces seem to dilute the results pages. Every now-and-then you might find a diamond in the rough, but just use your brain and stay away from shady descriptions or horrible photos of what you're buying. They'll do anything to pull of a scam.
<< <i>I use it as a last resort...and even then I just list items with a BIN with a make an offer option. I can't remember the last time I listed something for 99 cents and just let it ride. Items certainly get more exposure on eBay, but there are obviously a lot of hassles with it too. >>
I recently used eBay to sell some things and I too just listed with BIN or best offer. I used to use eBay more for selling a few years ago, but this was my first time back in awhile. Sure the fees (eBay and PayPal) hurt some, and yeah you get some lowball offers, but I'm ok with it for the most part. I'm never forced to sell for a price I'm not comfortable with and many items have done better (even after fees) that the insulting lowball offers I typically get from many local coin dealers.
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 700
I quit a year ago. Problem is, if you don't sell on a regular basis to be a powerseller with "Top Rated Seller", then your listings are pushed back to the rear pages. That makes a HUGE difference in the sell rate and price. Then top that off, they are constantly making changes to fees, and listing procedure etc etc. The learning curve isn't worth it to me everytime they want to change something. You're pretty much paying Aucton House fees by the time you get to the bottom line on moderately priced stuff. On big ticket items you're taking a chance on being scammed and back charged etc with the Buyer. Not to mention, many times some Dealers are paying better prices without the hassles and risks. But, alas there are many items that would do better net wise on Ebay. I just don't have the patience. Their feedback system sucks as we all know also .... personally I grew sick and tired of taking time out of my day to rush a package out the next day after the buyer took 5 days to pay, just so my shipping star didn't take a hit. Being someones puppet over a low value item isn't my idea way of having fun. I don't know what the answer is, but ebay is no longer my answer.
My thoughts are that there are a LOT less sellers on Ebay because of the problems. Could be the existing sellers are doing OK with less competition, but then again, there are a LOT less buyers also. I'm just holding on to my widgets until 1) the economy picks up and buyers flock back to the bay, or 2) a better alternative website comes around that presents less hassles to the Seller, or 3) I die and no longer have to worry about it, preferably not number 3.
I'd like to hear some indepth opinions from those that are still using the Bay.
roadrunner
Russ, NCNE
I feel much better on a daily basis now.
The site has become cluttered with overpriced buy-it-now and high starting price items. I think this is causing potential bidders to view the site less often.
In many categories it is still the only game in town since the dealers pay next to nothing. I view PayPal as mostly positive since I have my money at once. (Most of what I sell is in categories that don't attract the scam artists.)
Many coin sellers are disappointed by eBay because:
1. They are by nature very, very cheap and don't want to give a cent to anyone but themselves.
2. The coin category attracts scam artists like flies, both buyers and sellers.
3. The sellers have unrealistic expectations for what they are selling. When it's time to sell, it's not treasure, it's just product. Supply and demand rule.
I can only imagine a high value transaction with a dishonest buyer and the economic loss that could follow. I miss the profitability of eBay but not the headaches associated with it.
<< <i>I can only imagine a high value transaction with a dishonest buyer and the economic loss that could follow. >>
There is no more risk to selling on eBay than there is selling anywhere over the internet. In fact, there's less risk. If you have a merchant account, ship to a non-billing address and then get a charge-back, you're screwed. PayPal, on the other hand, covers chargebacks even when shipping to unconfirmed, (non-billing), addresses as long as one follows the seller protection policy.
All this fear about thieving buyers crawling eBay looking for opportunities to rip off sellers is completely over-blown and perpetuated by those who are simply repeating stuff they've "heard" rather than speaking from real world experience.
Feedback? They changed the policy over two years ago and all the doom and gloomers were predicting that buyers would go on a negging rampage. The oft repeated maxim was that under the new feedback system sellers would be lucky to maintain 95%. Of course, none of that ever happened.
As for the fees issue, yeah, eBay is definitely bending us over since the last increase in April. But, it's still a hell of a lot less than the overhead associated with a brick and mortar store.
Russ, NCNE
BUT, the fall is usually a lot better than the summer for sales, so we'll keep using it.
<< <i>Figures... if you sell something that fast, chances are you goofed. >>
I listed a WWII German bayonet scabbard fixed price the other day that got snapped up in less than an hour. No doubt I under-priced it, but I found it in a free junk box anyway.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>ebay is for clowns >>
I disagree. eBay is for high volume sellers who don't mind making a nickel or two off each transaction. Low volume sellers pay some serious fee's on the back end.
The name is LEE!
been busy
poor realized prices (not like it usta was)
decreased inventory
kinda lazy
I also stopped submitting to PCGS:..........................................................................
<< <i>EBay deserves to be ignored because they take a caviler attitude toward the sale of counterfeit coins within the U.S. When the Canadian Government complained to them about the listing of counterfeit Canadian coins, they got their act together on that issue. That’s not the case when it comes to U.S. coins. >>
Part of the problem here is not of eBay's making. In the US, the Hobby Protection Act allows for replicas of US coins to be sold while in Canada, no such thing is allowed for their coinage. It's a lot easier to shut out replicas entirely when there is no legal reason for them to exist.
Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. - Bastiat
There are still plenty of sellers realizing great prices on Ebay--just as there are still plenty of buyers getting great deals.
If it's great for the seller, it ain't necessarily great for the buyer.
And vice versa.
I figure my worst case is 10% all in for selling costs, then I compare what I can get on stuff by selling it to my circle of wholesale buyers. Some stuff does better through eBay, some through the B&M - and I'm not going to go through the hassle of setting up my own site and advertising it.
For example, I'd far rather take common date uncleaned Peace Dollars to my local guy who pays ~17.00, than sell them on the 'Bay for $360/ roll. But circ pre-1904 Morgan Rolls go on eBay.
Raw Silver type tends to bring more than I'd get at a B&M; Bullion 90% I do better locally. Scrap Gold the same, but Unc. rolls definitely go on eBay.
I can get ~$65 each (sometimes a little more) on the 'Bay for OGH PCGS MS64 Morgan commons. The most I've been offered on them at a B&M is $50.
I've not been scammed on eBay (yet). I have enjoyed a generally positive experience, but there are also those few schmucks there that make life difficult - no surprise, just like everywhere else.
I don't have my ego involved in the decision of B&M vs. eBay. Strictly real world experience and a straightforward business decision.
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
This past year i started selling and cleaning out my games, I didnt do bad at all. made enough $ to buy a classic car in 3 weeks. Cant complain there. People ( buyers) are MOSTLY easy to work with. Some however are never happy with shipping costs 2.95 shipping that the package says 4.00 and thats not including my cost. Shows how unrealistic some are. But overall I think the buyers have been good. the post office lost 2 packages and had to issue refunds and fight the post office. but thats the worst part of the whole mess.
Russ says:
<Selling on eBay is like any other small business venture. Some have the stomache for it, some don't.>
I agree.
are at 99¢ starts. Yes, fees a bit high but it's the best game in town for me. My
coins get exposed and sold. Far better than selling to my B & M or an auction house.
I do use the BST forum as well when I can.
Now keep in mind that most of my coins are raw. My feedback is 100% positive with
well over 2,000. My DSR ratings are 5,5,5 and 4.9 (shipping). I do charge what it
costs to ship. No freebies with me.
bobandlinda1 is my handle (not spam, don't look unless you want to verify the above).
I like Ebay.
bob
<< <i>ebay is for clowns >>
How about platypuses?