Whats selling like now on ebay ?.

[Antstark]

Something that caught me out recently was the option "Sell internationally with the Global Shipping Programme". I've always kept my listings UK only as it's simpler, so why eBay suddenly made that my default is beyond me.

If it helps there's also 70% off seller fees at the moment.

You can obviously turn that off or choose which items to sell with GSP…you can also state which countries you want to sell in. GSP opens up a huge market and I am finding 30-40% of what I list these days goes abroad despite the really high postage/customs cost the buyer incures e.g someone just paid £45 delivered for my £24 XT front mech. One word of caution is the GSP returns process is not well documented or understood..even by eBay support.If a buyer claims an item arrived broken or not working and you follow the normal process you could end up with a shipping bill more than the value of the item. I learnt this the hard way.
Anyway…I find the new payments system works well, you can now choose the payout frequency and it’s good buyers have more payment options than just PayPal. There is a great seller portal you can track everything including the fees etc. I have been on eBay since 2002 and still think it’s the most accessible platform for casual sellers, those who want a bit of a side hustle or those that want to start a small business.

 

[mk one]

You can obviously turn that off or choose which items to sell with GSP…you can also state which countries you want to sell in. GSP opens up a huge market and I am finding 30-40% of what I list these days goes abroad despite the really high postage/customs cost the buyer incures e.g someone just paid £45 delivered for my £24 XT front mech. One word of caution is the GSP returns process is not well documented or understood..even by eBay support.If a buyer claims an item arrived broken or not working and you follow the normal process you could end up with a shipping bill more than the value of the item. I learnt this the hard way.
Anyway…I find the new payments system works well, you can now choose the payout frequency and it’s good buyers have more payment options than just PayPal. There is a great seller portal you can track everything including the fees etc. I have been on eBay since 2002 and still think it’s the most accessible platform for casual sellers, those who want a bit of a side hustle or those that want to start a small business.

Personally i don't sell abroad, a friend does and i would say around 90% of all his sales are abroad, and he has never has any issues. Certainly bike parts seem to fetch more abroad, maybe i should start expanding my horizons

 

[mk one]

TBH maybe I’ve been unlucky but on average I’ve had more stress free selling on eBay than I have had on RetroBike, still happy to deal through the forum but I certainly prefer members I have had some contact with. But then one tends to possibly make a few pennies more on here (sometimes) so I guess it’s swings & roundabouts

You are always going to get problem customers wherever you sell, its just their nature. I do feel that ebay has the easiest system in place for resolving issues with both buyers and sellers though should anything go wrong.

 

[Matttymm]

You are always going to get problem customers wherever you sell, its just their nature. I do feel that ebay has the easiest system in place for resolving issues with both buyers and sellers though should anything go wrong.

Actually, I disagree with this.

EBay system is set up to protect buyers. If you are a seller and something goes wrong they will side with the buyer on all occasions and you’re rights to protect yourself are severely limited.

Always use insured postage on high value items.

 

[mk one]

Actually, I disagree with this.

EBay system is set up to protect buyers. If you are a seller and something goes wrong they will side with the buyer on all occasions and you’re rights to protect yourself are severely limited.

Always use insured postage on high value items.

Again, a common misconception.

Ebay also offers seller protection against scams from buyers.

Common sense dictates to send items insured for various reasons, and a buyer has rights too, if an item is not as expected then regardless of whether they bought it off ebay, a shop or another site then they should have protection.

My point was, as i said, ebay offers the easiest system for resolving issues, whether that be from a seller or buyer.

 

[Matttymm]

I completely disagree. I got scammed by a Buyer that bought an item and damaged it and then returned it.

Despite proving that the buyer damaged it beyond dispute with a set of photos, eBay sided with the buyer and refunded them out my account.

I complained as far as I could. When they have your money they don’t care.

 

[mk one]

I completely disagree. I got scammed by a Buyer that bought an item and damaged it and then returned it.

Despite proving that the buyer damaged it beyond dispute with a set of photos, eBay sided with the buyer and refunded them out my account.

I complained as far as I could. When they have your money they don’t care.

That is not ebay though, that is as i said, problem customers.

Where can you buy goods online that the rules are any different? here? a buyer here pays for an item through PP, the buyer receives the item, maybe uses it for a month, maybe swaps it for a broken one, maybe decides they just don't want it or as in your example breaks it. They are entitled to return it as being not as described and PP will refund them. No difference, it is just policy for the protection of buyers of distance buying. However, ebay does not allow long term returns, and is by far the easiest system for resolving said returns.

People will always try to scam, ebay along with other online shops have to offer protection to customers from being scammed by buyers, otherwise the reverse could be the case and often is, seller sends broken and unwanted junk, or a common scam once was a pile of bricks in a guitar case, instead of the item the buyer thought they had purchased. They have thousands of claims every day, they can not be expected to come round and resolve issues face to face, and anyhow, how an earth are they meant to know who's word to take, because that is all it is at the end of the day, the sellers word against the buyers.

To address your case, i do not doubt you sent an unbroken item for one minute, why would i, but an impartial view may be that the buyer claims it was broken, therefore that is also a possibility, and would also have to consider that the photos could have been from before the item was damaged, certainly before it was sent, and no way of knowing what happened to it before it was wrapped, or indeed if it was even the same item. It is an online market place where people go to buy items, they should be offered protection and ebay is in my opinion quite right to grant them that.

Online selling will always pose a risk, it is a shame it does but as you said, paying for insurance will help somewhat with problem customers.

 

[Matttymm]

My point is simple. If eBay want to side with buyers then they should do it with their money not mine.

 

[mk one]

My point is simple. If eBay want to side with buyers then they should do it with their money not mine.

Ah, so Retrobike should reimburse any buyer that is ripped off by another member too then? i see what you are saying, not the sellers responsibility, ok

 

[Matttymm]

Almost. I can tell that you’re paying attention.

What I’m saying is that if a buyer damages something they’ve bought, if eBay want to side with the buyer, then they should do that with their own money not mine.

A bit like the TV I bought and when
I took it back to Curry’s as I’d put my foot through it they told me to f*ck off.

Hopefully we’re on the same page now.