posted on April 11, 2001 11:17:34 PM new
After reading posts here for over a year, I finally tried selling on Ebay last month. I started out by listing 10 items.What a nightmare! Tell me if this is a normal auction experience, or I just had bad luck.
1# I had probably 10-15 emails asking very detailed ( I mean very!)questions about the items. (I can handle this one)
2# I had a bidder email me about 10 mins. before the auction ended with a question. I responded back not realizing the auction was over 2 mins. before that. They emailed me back with a very nasty message. If they wanted a prompt answer why did they wait so close to the end to ask the question?
3# I had a deadbeat bidder not send me the $77 she owed, thank goodness I didn't send the item. As a bidder I have over 45 positive FB, I hated posting my first Neg. I went to see who the next higher bidder was so I could offer it to them, they are no longer a registered user.
4# I had one winning bidder email me 5 times within the first day of the auction ending. "When are you sending the item?, when are you sending the item?,etc."
5# I just got a email from a bidder that hadn't received her item yet and I had sent her item out over 2 weeks ago Parcel Post ( I've never had to trace something with the USPO, so I guess I'll learn tomorrow)
6# I had a good friend send the items for me, she forgot to get the insurance that people had asked ( and paid) for, so now I have to go back and reimburse everyone that paid for insurance.
Is this the day in the life of an Ebay seller? If so, I'm retiring!
posted on April 12, 2001 12:00:44 AM new
Chalk it up to learning. Wait til the first time you send the item to the wrong person.
#1 - I try to write my descriptions as if I was describing them to a blind person on the telephone. Every little detail. Remember they can not touch it.
#2 - Many bidder only look at auctions under going going gone and therefore see it at the last minute. If there is time before it ends I answer right away. If not, I email them the next day thanking them for asking and let them know I did not get the email prior to the closing.
#3 - Deadbeats happen all the time!
#4 - I put my shipping days in my description.
#5 & #6 - I ship everything priority mail with delivery confirmation. I have a record that show I sent it and a somewhat idea that they received it.
As for forgetting to insure. I did that once (I rarely insure things). I felt it neccessary to refund all the bidders $ when he said it did not arrive. Even delivery confirmation showed delivered - his feedback was good and I just had to do it in the name of customer service. It was my fault it was not insured - so I paid up. I hope your customers receive the items if not they paid for insurance and will feel that you owe them all their money not just the insurance amount. Not their fault you screwed up. I hope it works out for you.
If I may suggest one more thing, NEVER rely on someone else. It is your business and no one will treat it or understand the importance as you. Maybe you should slow down and start with less items and after you have it down to a science add a few more.
Some days you love it! Some days you don't. I sold for a year and a half before I quit my "real" job to do this full time. I was up to about 15 items a day and a family and job. I could not do any more shopping, packing, banking, accounting, writing, photoing, etc and work. So far so good - I am at about 20 items a day and loving every minute of it. Surprisingly, I make about what I was making at my job.
Good Luck and hang in there. Remember to keep good records, you will need them.
posted on April 12, 2001 12:02:57 AM new
Just think of it as getting good practice at the start of your selling career. I have been selling for over two years have over 900 feedback and this week was the first time I ever had a package that didn't get to my buyer. Only a $5.25 book, so I just refunded him. It get's a lot easier the more you sell and you get into a rhythmn of how you do things.
posted on April 12, 2001 06:07:09 AM new
dlegoflamb- The other posters have given you some excellent advice, but I will add this - the number of problems you encounter depends to a great degree on the type of items you are selling. If you are selling something that appeals to a younger or less mature group, you will have a lot more headaches!
posted on April 12, 2001 11:06:22 PM new
Been selling on ebay now for almost 2 years .
My hubbie just left his FT job to join me in selling FT!
So far so good!
He makes 3 tiimes what he would have made in his FT job in 1 week!
Just think about that as being thrown into the fire!
Welcme to the life of an eBay seller!
There are good days though, like when you have almost all your buyers send the payment through Billpoint the same day the auction ends! Sometimes within 5 minutes of the auction ending!
Don't forget, when the item gets lost in the mail & you have to claim insurance for it ...God forbid if you never had the item insured...
UPS just lost an item I sent to my customer . They said they dropped it off at the front porch but the customer never got it.It was a $100 Gucci bag. Luckily it was insured. He wanted to give this to his wife as an Easter gift.
SO here i am waiting to hear back from UPS to see where in the world this paCKAGE has gone...
Hang in there, it will get better.
I am an optimist! I guess you have to one if you sell on eBay!
