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Fulfillment by ebay is a terrible idea. I would rather see ebay create some sort of validation and escrow system for high value items. I’d be willing to pay higher selling fees for that.
Some examples, coach handbags, rolex watches, apple laptops, iphones, DSLR cameras, etc.
I have read that some retail stores that ship high value items have started putting locks on products such as handbags and the buyer has to call a phone number to 1. verify they received the item 2. get the passcode/combination to unlock the lock.
I have heard some ebay sellers doing this too, but I would guess its not very common.
I think paypal has return buyer info, but I don’t remember where to find it.
I had a buyer ask me if an item I was selling (it was a DvD set or video game) if it came from a smoke free home. I don’t think metal discs can absorb smells, but whatever I don’t smoke, so I said yes.
I also had a buyer once who wanted to return a DvD box set because one DvD didn’t work, I suggested he get it fixed instead and gave him a location, but he said he didn’t have a car to drive there. Must have been amateur hour on ebay. Of course when he returned it, nothing was wrong with the DvD he just changed his mind.
I live in CT so there’s a lot of wealth here. IMO thrift stores and tag sales are better in the low income / ghetto areas. I have tried going to the upper middle class areas and there’s little if any bargains to be found. What’s more frustrating is that people are actually buying this overpriced stuff in these areas for whatever reason, so the high pricing continues.
The only way to make any money in these high end areas is to buy stuff they don’t know about, or stuff they think is worthless. Computer software is one great example. I’ve walked away with stacks of software for $1 each only to turn around and sell that software for $30+
A funny story. Last summer I went to an estate sale in a wealthy area and when you walked in they had a lot of antique furniture. One piece was marked “purchased for $40,000 marked down to $26,000” the piece was from South Africa or something. I asked if they had 2 – woman got a good laugh out of that. Stuff like that (while I don’t doubt its valuable) needs to go to an auction house.
There’s also “estate sales companies” that run a lot of sales around here. I’ve come to learn which ones are overpriced so when I see their names I know to skip them. However, even at these sales you can still find gems they know nothing about. So, if I have time at the end of the day I still go check them out sometimes.
What’s funny is the highest dollar sale I ever had on ebay sold within 7 minutes of me listing it.
The buyer wanted me to “drop ship” I told him no and cancel the sale. He said just “mail to my ebay address instead” and I did. Sale went thru ok and never heard from him again.Makes we wonder though if I priced that item too low. In the end I made plenty of profit so even if they resold the item again I don’t care.
IF you insure an item with a value of $500 or more the USPS requires signature confirmation. Only way to get around that is to under value the package, but not sure that is possible thru ebay. Most likely you would have to buy postage via usps.com “click & Ship” then put that tracking number into ebay or buy postage + insurance at the retail counter.
You can also select signature confirmation that can be signed by anyone at the address. That is probably a better option. I would give the buyer a heads up too.
Another option especially if the buyer is close to you is to ship via “overnight express” which includes signature confirmation for free. USPS will deliver over night express on Satuday’s to most zip codes. Express packages are usually delivered before 10 am.
USPS has a flat rate padded envelope for over night express, although I doubt that jacket would fit in a padded flat rate. USPS also has over night express boxes at the post office for free, but they are not flat rate.
Personally I insure everything with a sale value over $150. I would be more concerned with paypal protection on high value items vs ebay protection. Paypal requires signature confirm for values $250 and over. (for protection)
Something you may find interesting.
D & D in prisons. About 10 mins long.
People are still discovering D & D even today.
In regards to the D & D books. Be sure you have them for sale thru GSP as well. I sold 2 of these books to Spain and Germany for approx $150 each. I have some more lowered valued D & D books to still go thru. D & D books are one of the only items I always pick up whenever I see them. (unless of course the price is too high) its one of the few items that is basically gold every time.
I was in a savers last week (after not being there for about a year) and someone had donated all their D & D stuff + fantasy paperbacks. Savers had the D & D games priced at $100 and believe it or not someone bought them. I looked them up on ebay and they weren’t worth $100, so I don’t know what they were thinking.
This donation also included about 50 fantasy paperbacks, but at $1.79 each it wouldn’t be worth the effort to research all those books. I looked up a few and some series were selling $12-$15, but that’s not high enough a price for me. If I could have gotten the books for .50 cents or less each I would have bought them.
Never knew Tony Robbins had a weight lose program. I’ve come across plenty of his “personal power” videos, but they have all had a dvd missing or were priced too high.
Jay I do not know for sure, but I never saw a “special handling fragile sticker” once at the plant (aka sort center). My best guess would be this service may be handled the same way registered mail is. When registered mail is handed off each person has to make an inventory of the contents and sign off. Registered mail is also segregated and under lock and key during transit.
To my knowledge registered mail never touches automation, but I could be wrong.
I think the major point here is these stickers are not available any where but at the retail counter. USPS actually uses a lot of temps at the counter too, so I can see a scenario where a clerk didn’t know the sticker cost $10.45 but the receiving post office did know and tagged the package as “postage due.”
Anything is possible, but I never saw a package marked like this at the plant. The only special mail I saw get segregated was for “live insects” and “live fish.”
Label 875 is a special label that is much different from the generic fragile labels that most of us see. If the seller bought postage at the retail counter I can imagine a clerk giving them this sticker and not knowing it incurred a charge. Also, I do not think these 875 labels can be ordered on the USPS website, so I don’t know where one can obtain these stickers other than at a retail counter.
Regardless of how or why it happened – remember this – fragile stickers do not mean anything to the USPS. If you want to use them do it to show the customer you “care” like Jay said above.
Your best bet is to package the item well and tightly. Shake the box and make sure nothing is moving, that’s how you know you packed it tightly and use a lot of tape.Your missing a big point and that is if I return something to Target because I couldn’t sell it within 30 days (aka, retail arbitrage) Target can still sell that item as new and at full price. Since I did not open or use the products in any way.
That is not what’s happening on ebay especially with clothes or shoes that are “new with tags.” If an ebay buyer returns a new item without tags or it was obviously used there’s no way the ebay seller can relist it as new and get full price.
That is why I always put restocking fees on “new with tags” in an effort to recover cost. Now ebay is taking that away too.
I wanted to point out the double speak ebay is engaging in.
I worked at the Post office before and I can assure you it doens’t cost $10.45 for a “fragile service” I don’t even think such a service exists, but even if it does I’ve never seen anyone ask for it.
The Post office is a huge organization and some of those employees will be less than honest. I would guess that one of these employees played a customer and convinced them they owed $10.45. I would ask your customer to report this to the USPS at 1-800-ask-usps. If it was indeed a scam the employee will be disciplined.
As a side note I also worked in a plant (sort center) at the USPS during the holidays as a temp and in my estimation about 50% of all packages had “fragile” “handle with care” “do not drop” etc on them. Didn’t mean anything to us although no one ever went out of their way to throw or damage a package on purpose. Most of the process is automated.
Some high volume shippers actually used tape that had the word “fragile” all over it. I bet you can find this tape on ebay.
The issue is EBay is telling us returns are an industry practice. However, when at least 20 large retail store chains are discouraging returns and collecting data on returns behind consumers backs, that tells me returns are not an industry practice.
I’ve used that retail arbitrage strategy before too, mainly with Target. I have a Target red card so that may make a difference. I haven’t had any returns refused yet.
I’ve done it at Walmart too, but so far no issues. I do not return large amount of items though. Perhaps $100 worth or under.
I never tried with bestbuy or any other store and probably won’t for fear of getting stuck with inventory.
