Let's use this thread to discuss the pros and cons and share tips about selling on "the world's marketplace" eBay.com

I've only been buying so far.

My son has sold a few things on Ebay tho.

I have major trepidations about selling. But then I was very
nervous about buying for a long time. Maybe I will thaw out a bit. I sort of HAD to buy at Ebay because the cookware I wanted is no longer made. Then I discovered the crystal/mineral sellers! HAHAHAHAHA I found all my New Visions cookware, but it took 2 months to get it. There were even some sellers close to me, so I arranged to pick them up and save postage--Sending GLASS as you know, is a worry!
Those sellers were very happy to meet me in a parking lot instead!

I just got two nature books for vacation, and a pair of crocs.

But I always check out what I am planning on buying, on Google too. Sometimes it is less money not using Ebay!

I've been burned by a small number of sellers...not for big bucks, but it was unpleasant. Each was a tough lesson!

I have bought and sold on eBay for a number of years. It is work when you are a seller. I do not like the new rules and regulations they have now. Others do not like them either. As a seller, all you can leave the buyer is a positive for feedback but they (the buyer) can leave a negative, neutral or positive for the seller. There are times that a negative from the seller would be in order. In all the time I've been on eBay, as a seller I only left a negative twice - and they deserved it. There were other times when I just let it go. And recently as a buyer, I also just let it go.

At any rate, it is very unfair now and sellers are up in arms now over it. And, yes, there was some unfair stuff going on on both sides. But selling isn't all fun and games either. And no matter how fair and decent you try to be, at some point you more than likely will get burned. So it goes Guess there is a lot of unfair things in this life

I met a seller in person, from whom I bought some glass
cookware (to save on postage and the difficulty in wrapping glass). This was last November. We talked briefly. She wanted to know if I had had any "problems" and so we talked about them. She told me THEN that Ebay was beginning a huge
sweep of removal of problematic sellers. I told her that my complaint was rapidly responded to by Ebay, and it was firm in that something would be done.

Did you know that Neil Entwistle who is on trial now in Mass.
for allegedly killing his wife and baby, had 16 complaints...and was removed in Nov 05 from Ebay? He was defrauding people by taking their money and not sending them what they paid for. I don't recall exactly what it was he WAS offering, but it was some "get rich quick" scheme/software.

I think another scheme there sellers use, is putting up an item for $.99 and charging $50 to ship it. That was my complaint. Only the shipping was $25. I was new to Ebay and naive,
and when my item came A MONTH later and was DOA...there was no recourse. I guess some sellers do that so they don't have to pay Ebay fees on the item.

Now I only look at sellers with common sense things/postings.
I did buy (a bit risky) from a new seller with only 5 feedbacks, but the item was sooooo good (very low price)...I gave it a chance and it worked out okay. I mostly stay in the crystal/mineral/small tools area. Those sellers are good and have been honest. One seller I use is in Australia...and he is really nice and fair. I have also purchased from S.Africa.
Sellers who pack and ship thoughtfully also get a return purchase from me. I give them glowing feedbacks, as well.

I go on the forum there every once in a while... that can be a real experience too! I find Ebay very complicated, and difficult.
Bidding can be very frustrating. Fortunately I am getting the hang now...but it has been tough for me. So I will refrain from selling. I only have 4 crystal pieces finished so far, anyway.

I think one needs a Sixth Sense sometimes on there. Thankfully I have that trait pretty strongly.
(I only choose PayPal sellers).

I feel one of the best things that happened was eBay cleaning up problematic sellers. they are still there of course...especially amongst some of the "powersellers" but overall the new rules re feedback as well as eBay coming down hard on those who gauge for shipping has resulted in a better marketplace

mrsD have you ever tried shopping eBay stores?
There you are dealing with established sellers and there is no bidding, just Buy It Now with most utelizing the eBay "best offer" system too

when you do a search on eBay scroll down to below the list of items and click on the link to see more from ebay stores and it will open up the listings of store owners selling what you are searching for.

*

I have done some Buy It Nows... most of the crystal/mineral
sellers (but not all) have a store. The store tends to be a bit more, but sometimes that is the best way to get an item.

I do think I have seen some shady things...you know people
bidding who are shills...but that is so hard to prove.
So I just ignore those sellers. What I do is go back to the
feedbacks (I keep the item on my screen for a month or more)
and see if feedbacks are given.

Twice now I have received Second chance offers, and both times where I was out bid, those offers seemed contrived.
It was like the shill bid up, then I dropped out, then next thing I know I am getting a second chance offer for my high bid.
I don't respond to them. I have found some times no feedbacks are given on items I've lost. Ebay I think says you must accept, but I have not, and no one forced the issue.
That also made me think it was contrived.

I used to search those people bidding against me, but since they put that anon feature in, I can't do that. But I will search the winner after it closes. By searching the feedbacks of the winner, I often find stores and other sellers with similar items that did not come up on searches.

Sometimes I feel like a detective! I am sort of that way anyway so it fits for me. LOL

My wife tried ebay store to sell her hand made bead jewelry, but it never got noticed so we gave it up. How do you get people to notice your store?
Don
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Hi fishnbuddy

as with all things you need to market yourself effectively

the best way to build a customer base is to send some items to regular ebay from your store and use those to attract traffic back to the ebay store.

I know many use the eBay forums to market too but I personally cant tolerate some of the rudeness and infighting there so stay away from them. *

It was long detailed testimony from Entwistle's records.

What was VERY good was the cross examination, where the defendent's attorney could NOT use his irritating style of cross on Jeremy! He gave up and stormed off.

I won't put the testimony up here because if you are not following the trial, it could be confusing.

But Ebay did put up a YouTube explaining their activities with law enforcement in catching criminal activity. This YouTube is short but very good. Jeremy is sitting on the left. He was very good as a witness and representative of Ebay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8U2xi0l0f8

They explain the security portions of Ebay also.