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SusanJ
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| Posted: May 19 2008 at 8:55am | IP Logged
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It seems like Ebay is used often by moms--especially for kids clothes and maternity clothes and stuff. I find Ebay to be very time-consuming and stressful. I never completely trust sellers and I don't like watching sales. And the high cost of shipping seems like things end up being not such a great deal. Does anyone have tips to make Ebay easier to use? Am I missing out on great deals by not using it more?
Susan
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DominaCaeli
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I have the same questions, Susan! Waiting here for responses...
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aussieannie
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Susan, you shouldn't have to watch sales. When you find something you like, put in your highest bid, a price that you know you are prepared to pay and know that you won't go over even if someone outbids you. When you post that price, it will only come up as the starting price on offer, or enough to beat the seller who has already bidded, it will only go to that top bid you entered if someone has a bidding competition with you.
For eg: I bid on something that has a starting price of 50c but I actually entered $5, the highest I'm prepared to go to, but on the item it shows me to be the highest bidder at 50c. If no one comes along, then I win it at 50c.
So that should cut down on your watching time...you should just pick up the email as whether you have won it or not when the time ends.
My experience is that sellers do NOT want a bad rating placed upon them so they tend to bend over backwards to meet your needs...
I've gotten some wonderful things off ebay for a great price. Like anything you have to set your limit to what you can afford and not be tempted to go back and increase it if someone outbids you - it is luck of the draw then, you will get some excellent buys despite postage or you miss out on that product.
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folklaur
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I ebay a LOT. I get lots of really neat outfits for my daughter like that, I resell them, I sell books, etc.
Pay attention to feedback ratings. I wouldn't buy from someone who has too many negatives. (A few can sometimes be expected. I have a negative on my rating, because someone bought something from me, then never paid, and then when I finally left a negative, they left one back. Totally unfair - but I have an explanation right under it.) So - do take a look at feedback before bidding - and see if there are explanations for negatives.
Many sellers combine shipping on multiple wins. It's a way to save.
Sellers have to charge a certain amount for shipping because - especially as Moms - it does take time to get it to the post office, get supplies to pack it, pack it up, etc. Some sellers DO charge way too high shipping prices. Don't bid on them :)
As a seller, I can say it is important for buyers to read the terms. It is very frustrating as a seller to have the terms clearly in the auction - such as no personal checks - and then to get an email after the auctions ends asking if they can pay by personal check (and then having them get irate when I say no).
Ask questions before you bid, not after.
I have been ebaying since 1998. In that time I have had two bad experiences, about 4 "okay" ones (where my idea of "gently used" was a lot different than the person selling the items was.) I have about 500+ good experiences.
I personally don't sell/buy things I can easily get from Walmart or Target. The clothes are better brands (Gymboree, etc) or OOAK outfits. Some people sell everything on there. That would take too much time for me.
It is a good idea to have a Paypal account. And if you get Paypal buyer credit, your purchases are covered if you DO have a bad experience - I got my money back after such with very little hassle at all. I just am sure to pay it off each month so I don't have it as another CC bill.
Anyway, hope this helped,
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SusanJ
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Thanks, Laura, that is helpful especially given your experience as a buyer and a seller. I typically use the internet for everything so I dont' know why I'm so leery of Ebay. I think I haven't looked at it too much since they started using the silent auction system. The last time we bought something--a few years ago--my dh stayed up late to get it (he won).
Susan
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cornomama4
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Also, if you have and use a Paypal account, there is a lot of protection for buyers. If there is a dispute, Paypal can put a hold on those funds from the seller's account. Also, like Laura said, feedback is everything. You can read the negative comment and decide if it's legit or just some nut-job with nothing else to do. Dh just hit 15,000 unique feedback ratings at 100% positive!....I'm so proud.
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folklaur
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Oh! Meant to say...I rarely use ebay's bidding system. There is nothing that drives up a price faster than everyone bidding early (of course when I am selling I would like it to be as high as possible.   ) I use a program (I use Auction Sniper - but there are others) and it bids for me, and in the last seconds of an auction. I can decide when it will bid (4 seconds to close, for instance.) I can also then change my mind, as the bid isn't final until AS bids for me in those last few seconds- unlike with ebay - once you bid you can't change it except to make it higher. I don't have to worry about watching the auctions, and I have a much better chance of winning, as no one will have the chance to bid after me.
The thing is - with Ebay's bidding system - I hope I can explain this right - most people do what was mentioned - say, bid on something with their highest willing to pay price, then it goes up by increments until it reaches your highest bid. Say $5. well, I can just wait until close to auction end, and bid REAL high - like $60 - but the actual price is only going to be .50 or $1 higher than the "other highest bid" - your $5 bid - so in this case it would close at $5.50 (even tho I said I would pay up to $60 - because I *knew* your bid probably wasn't that high.)
I don't do this, as there is always the risk that the first person did put in a crazy high bid - but I do know lots of people who do.
hth
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teachingmyown
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Laura, you're one of those people!!!  I hate getting outbid at the last second. But, as my dh says, I should put in my final bid and walk away. If you outbid me, then the price obviously is higher than I was willing to pay. Of course, sometimes my competitive streak gets me.
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Maddie
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Just for fun:
Ebay song played at my house when I sell something
this song is hysterical! My kids turn this song up after I make a good sale. We're not really the pop music type but this is fun.
I agree with everything Laura said. I've been buying and selling on ebay for over a year now and have only had 2 minor issues. I will say, if someone ticks you off, think about it first before firing off a negative rating, most sellers are willing to work with you.
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SuzC
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Maddie ~ That song is hilarious! Thanks for the laugh.
Laura ~ I didn't know there was such a bidding program. You stinker!
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doris
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Ebaying is an art, and an addictive one! I use ebay a lot but you do have to be canny about what's good value on it and what's not.
There's a useful article here. It's UK based but the principles should be the same for the US site.
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teachingmom
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One way to find success on Ebay is to buy something using the "Buy It Now" option. Of course, you have to comparison shop, but I've found some great deals and thought it was worth an couple of dollars to get what I wanted.
An example:
I decided I was finally ready to get my FIRST Vera Bradley handbag and asked for a particular one for Mother's Day. They no longer carry the fabric that I liked the most (Classic Black), but many bags in that print were available on Ebay, new with tags. I did a bit of preliminary shopping and "watching" on Ebay and noticed that most of the bags were going for close to the full price at stores when you figured in shipping on top of the final bid price. It didn't look like my family would be able to get a very good deal, but at least I'd get the bag I really wanted.
Dh sent my 13 yo online to search Ebay for the bag during the week before Mother's Day. She was amazing! She found a brand new Villager bag (worth $72 in stores) for $50 (including shipping!) using the "Buy It Now" option. And it was shipped on time for Mother's Day too. I love my bag and they got a great deal. 
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folklaur
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teachingmyown wrote:
Laura, you're one of those people!!! I hate getting outbid at the last second.
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Yep, I am a last second bidder. I got outbid SO many times in my early ebay days, and unless I sat there hitting "refresh" over and over, I kept losing, as I would get outbid in the last few seconds. I thought there had to be something to it - was everyone just sitting there hitting refresh and they just had a better internet connection than me? - so I googled and found Auction Sniper. a-ha! (there was also bid napper, and auction hawk, and others too.)
So - I do tend to use it now over Ebay's system. It costs me a quarter, I think, for every auction that I win with it (if I don't win it doesn't cost, even if it bid for me.) I like the fact that I can change my mind about items too ( sometimes I will have a few bids set up in auction sniper, then if I win one, I will cancel the others - so I don't overspend.
Plus - since I am not sitting there as the auction closes, I am less tempted to get into a bidding war with someone there at the end (that happened to me too )
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hopalenik
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I was going to comment-bid 2 minutes before the end! Never early, it does absolutely drive up the price for the serious bidders:) I have heard rumors that there is software out there that will come in in the last minute and do the bidding for you, faster than you can. I believe that I experienced that on a few Montessori items. As in the software is programed to bid at the very end when another bidder can never beat the clock to get that last bid in again...There is no way that I should have been outbid like I was...
I stay away from clothes, I just don't see how the shipping makes it worth it. I did books for awhile, but now I have found that reselling on HSLDA or Cathswap, or here makes more sense. You don't get charged the Ebay fee, and I suspect that the Paypal fee is smaller.
I think Cactus Mouse did a fabulous job talking about feedback. I had one transaction that fell apart. The homeschooler, was selling FIAR and Veritas Press cards. She didn't realize that FIAR was OOP (which is why I wanted it) and had to order the cards from Veritas Press first (sometimes sellers buy things from homeschooling companies and resell it for the same price on Ebay but jack up the shipping). Well needless to say if the 2 of us had not been Christian we would have torched the others feedback. But we drew neutral and left no feedback. But I learned something....watch out for homeschool sellers on Ebay who are selling stuff at the same price as the original company. They are just offering the material to draw you into to their store, to buy their other stuff.
As for shipping, be aware...Ebay does not charge the seller based on how much shipping costs. Therefore, sellers may try to jack up the shipping to increase their profit. If I happen to sell a book for $1.00 on Ebay, I might charge 60 cents more on shipping than is necessary, to make the sell more worth while to me and Ebay doesn't take any fees out of that 60cents, whereas they do with the dollar I earned on selling the book. I found that Montessori items in particular have huge shipping fees in order to make up for them short selling on the price. Therefore it is not worth it to buy Montessori stuff online, unless you are getting it for 20 dollars less than the price at a store.
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SusanJ
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That song is hilarious. My son fell asleep singing, "bought it on EEEEbay" last night.
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Maddie
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hopalenik wrote:
| Therefore, sellers may try to jack up the shipping to increase their profit. |
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As a seller I take into account my gas to drive to the PO and packaging materials when I charge for shipping. I have never tried to get rich off my shipping charges but I'm not going to eat the cost either.
Just something to consider when you look at the shipping costs of an ebay item.
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juststartn
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Oh, I LOVE ebay! I get the girls church clothes there--nothing like getting lovely, matched, hand-smocked dresses for the three girls for less than $16 each! I've found some of my retired, vintage, company no longer in business china on there, and completed my set, and even made sure to get extras in case of breakage...I've bought some nice jewelry, some home decor things, my sister's wedding gift, presents for my parents...
I do most of my "big" shopping online. Everything from fabric to vitamins/supplements, etc. For me, it is ideal. With five little people, and DH so often not available to help with them, it just makes it so much easier to be able to comparison shop, etc, online. I may have to pay shipping, but these days, with gas as high as it is, and living out in the country, 9 times out of 10, the shipping is less than the gas I would spend going to town to find either that item, or what I needed to make it...
I am one of those horrible "last minute" people. Actually, last SECOND people. If there is something I am particularly interested in, I will sit there and refresh. And I am pretty good about staying with my limits on prices I am willing to pay. I can think of one, maybe two times, in something like 9 yrs, that I have gotten caught up and bid more than I had intended, and its been a good while.
I've found some EXCELLENT deals on books--they simply aren't available anymore, and there aren't exactly a ton of used book stores here (I know of one). So I can shop with a certain seller, get combined shipping, and get alot of out of print, or books to complete sets (I love the Landmarks and Signature series books).
Anyway, I suppose it all depends on what you are looking for, and for what price.
Right now, I'm trying to get a bedroom together for a sister in law who is going to be coming and living with us. We don't know how long she will be here, and she is an adult (she's older than DH, long story), and I want it to be NICE for her...she's had it rough lately, iykwim. I'm finding some good deals on things on ebay for the room....
Anyway, just shop smart. Know what going prices are, check around, see what you can get locally, factor in YOUR gas and time, and see if the item price plus shipping doesn't beat that or come really close.
HTH
Rachel
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Aggie gal
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I've used ebay and really have had no problems buying. But now I'd like to sell something, but am worried about the "red tape" of it all. Is there anything special that one should be aware of before trying to sell on ebay? Maddie, any words of advice or warnings?
fyi: My desire is to sell a lot of about 160 rubber stamps. Most gently used, but some brand new, never used. How do you figure out shipping charges? My box will be pretty heavy naturally because of the wood. I guess I could weigh them on our people scale here at the house to get a general idea. Thoughts from all you successful ebay sellers?
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Maddie
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The process is very simple once you get the hang of it and the ebay live support is excellent and very courteous.
A few things come to mind:
Make sure you are listed in the correct category. It means a lot as far as traffic to your auction goes. Do your homework and "watch" other items similar to yours. See what category they list in, what their starting bid is, check out their shipping charges and of course see how well they sell. There seems to be hot seasons and not so hot seasons on ebay. I've had items for sale no one bid on or looked at one month and another month I could list the same thing and have a bidding war.
Watch out for phishing (sp?) if you have a paypal account, they always seem to be trying to get into my account. I still think PayPal is worth it, you definitely get more bids having that payment option.
Depending on how much you sell, you may want to consider the sales tax issue. I don't know much about it, I will have to look into it as I have been selling more this year then last. If you are selling your used stuff, like books you bought but didn't use, kind of like yard sale stuff, you don't need to worry about taxes. Then I think there may be a limit on that, I'm thinking $400, but I can't remember. At some point I hope to sell enough to worry about it but, the few bucks I make selling my old used books hasn't really been enough to send up any red flags.
I don't like to sell to international bidders. It's a hassle and I once got cheated out of $8 so I'm a little gun shy about it now.
For the most part, my buyers have been great! I do like to give a deadline in my listings for when I expect to be paid. Usually 5 days is plenty of time. I had a buyer wait nearly 2 weeks to pay me and it drove me bananas. I wasn't sure if I should relist but they assured me they planned to pay. 
Keep a cool head if someone sends you a complaint. I find it better to be generous and give them a discount or partial refund if they are unhappy in any way. I really try to give them the service I would want if I were the buyer.
You can revise your listing only if there are no bids on the item, so make sure you have everything listed correctly.
Oh! If you ever sell a teacher's manual be careful with how you list it. Public school teachers complained that their students were buying answer keys on ebay so now all teachers manuals are off limits. However, h/s sellers have ways of getting around it.
Others will probably have more good advice, but this is just what pops into my head at the moment. Good luck! It's a lot of fun. In fact, I'm off to see how my items are doing!! 
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SuzC
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I am mostly mad at myself and maybe sharing and giving others a heads-up will make me feel better... apparently some curriculum sellers equate "used" with "writing on every page!" I did not ask enough question beforehand, got caught up with the clock and fear of snipers , and bought the item before really understanding it's condition.
Anyhoo, my "excellent" text came with answers on almost every page. I guess I thought of "used" curriculum as meaning "previously owned" - as I told the seller I would NEVER buy a "used" diaper!
Ohh...if you think I am totally in the wrong, PLEASE don't tell me. I feel bad enough already! Apparently, this program is the Toyota of used curriculum (it has a high resale value) - I paid over $100 for it...answers and all!
ETA: Good Grief! I failed to make my main point. I've let myself get a bit flustered by this and the unfortunate exchange with the seller.
The item I bought was described as being in "excellent condition" with no mention of writing.
Again, I take responsibility for not investigating thoroughly.
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Suz in TX
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Topic: Ebay tips?
