can you give me hints please for SELLING on ebay.

[Francine]

Hi i've never sold before on ebay. dont really know where to start and was wondering if anyone has done it before and cv\an give me some hints please.

one thing i think is useful is if the auction ending time is at a time when people are home rather than at work.

I'd like more hints. I'll probaby contact ebay live help to get a few starter hints too.

thanks

francine.

 

[RumpledElf]

Beats me, I plan to do that this year too.

 

[wylie]

Apart from ending auctions after 9pm at night, try not to end them on a Friday or Saturday night, and even avoid Thursday night shopping endings.

If you can weigh your item and give a postal quote that helps to avoid people emailing for individual quotes. If you can fit your item into Aust Post 3kg prepaid satchel for about $9.50 you can send it anywhere in Australia. You cannot insure the item this way and would have to work out the cost on the Aust Post website and add the registration/insurance ($2.70 or so for $100)

There is a 500g prepaid satchel for about $5, but it is much smaller.

Put as much information in the listing as possible and offer to send more photos if required. If it is a large item, offer that it can be inspected if they contact you to arrange it.

If you are listing something that is highly popular, start it at 99 cents. I think the listing fees rise and the next cut off is $19.99. If you are selling something that generally only gets one or two bids, you don't want to list it at 99 cents but popular items will be sought after and find their own "level".

You MUST have a photo.

 

[twobobsworth]

Sunday night is the best time to finish auctions.

 

[BlackSpider]

Selling on eBay is easy....

However, maximising your sales prices is where your skills will show.
Experience is the best teacher.
Look over completed listings for items you want to sell and see what the sellers who acheved great results did in their listings, starting time, finishing price, etc.

Have you read through the eBay discussion forums, I'm sure I gave you the link previously.

 

[islandgirl]

Also a great tip with pictures. If you cut and paste the pictures onto a word document and then print the pictures as a image file TIF or JPEG you can in effect get multiple pictures for the price of one. EBAY will charge you for multiple pictures.
Also EBAY will try to get you to list in as many categories as they can. It increases their fees so target your item. Be specific in your title description. Don't put in 2nd line descriptions. They eat into your profit.
Be very specific about size, type, colour, measurements, weight etc. People are more confident if the article is described accurately.

 

[islandgirl]

Also if you want a reserve price and you don't want to pay reserve fee - get a friend to put a dummy bid in on your behalf. Not allowed but it works. If they end up winning you just go to dispute resolution and agree to cancel the sale for a valid reason "bid by mistake, thought the size was different etc". Fees are refunded and you just have to pay to relist.

Is that wrong

 

[travelbug]

Sunday night is the best time to finish auctions.

Not true. The best finishing time depends on your item. Target your audience.

Baby things get the most bids very early in the morning. Baby wakes up. Mum gets on the computer before everyone else wakes up I guess.

Pictures and description can make or break a sale.

A friend of mine buys "old" things on Ebay and resells the "antiques". Some people do not know what they are selling or take poor photos so get no bids. The more info you put the less annoying Emails you get. You still get stupid people asking questions that are clearly already listed in the add.

Watch the postage- get it right. That can be a profit killer.

 

[Lamingtons]

Also if you want a reserve price and you don't want to pay reserve fee - get a friend to put a dummy bid in on your behalf. Not allowed but it works. If they end up winning you just go to dispute resolution and agree to cancel the sale for a valid reason "bid by mistake, thought the size was different etc". Fees are refunded and you just have to pay to relist.

Is that wrong

I don't rank that high on the moral ground but I think this is wrong town.
I have seen bidders who increase their bids, they are the only ones who are bidding but i do not ask my friends to dummy bid. I don't know, i buy a lot of ebay and would hate it if someone had dummy bid. If you have a reserve price then start the auction at that price. Reserve priced auctions don't work and often nobody will bid on the item unless it is some super rare collectible.

Ebay is really weird. Sometimes i list an item and it goes for $80? And other times I don't get any bids?!

 

[BlackSpider]

Also if you want a reserve price and you don't want to pay reserve fee - get a friend to put a dummy bid in on your behalf. Not allowed but it works. If they end up winning you just go to dispute resolution and agree to cancel the sale for a valid reason "bid by mistake, thought the size was different etc". Fees are refunded and you just have to pay to relist.

Is that wrong

Don't do this !!!
Unless you are ok with gaining though fraud....

 

[BlackSpider]

And eBay is not so much about auctions anymore.

Don't forget that you can list your items for a fixed price.

 

[wylie]

I was told about Gumtree by a SS forum member and have used it successfully, particularly for things that I have a very good idea of the price limit. It is free and I have had a pretty good hit rate with it.

 

[Francine]

how to sell on ebay hints please.

thanks thats all very very very useful

francine.

 

[mja]

Watch the postage- get it right. That can be a profit killer.

Hear, hear.

If it's a simple item like a CD, you can easily post it anywhere in Australia for < $5. But posting anything bigger and the cost can vary wildly.

So in this case, use the postage calculator. It's fairly accurate in my experience and the postage is calculated on the dimensions and weight you input into the listing, your postcode and the successful winner's postcode.

-- MJ.

 

[Francine]

selling on ebay

wow thanks so much for all your hints thats all very useful.