Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I get 1 or 2 returns a year that are blatant fraud and maybe a dozen or so false INADs (not the same ballgame, but still frustrating) that straddle the line of fraud IMO.
The process is usually: Claim damage, upload blurry photo, then ship back either something random or their broken unit they’re trying to replace. They never respond to messages. Not much convinces eBay to side with you until you go through appeals. I’ve lost my money only to get it back a few days later each time.
“Free returns = seller protection” really just boils down to being able to dish out partial refunds. Getting 100% of your money back requires way more effort and now apparently needs paperwork.
Thanks all. Interesting – I wonder if this different path through the appeals process is due to the buyer’s history of doing this kind of thing more than once?
eBay gave me a deadline of the 30th to submit the document, but it did occur to me that the obvious difference in weight would make the best evidence. Unfortunately I think the package went out with UPS and came back via USPS, so there would need to be records pulled from both.
Something I forgot to mention: eBay included a paragraph in the message they sent me saying that if I’d utilized free returns then seller protection would’ve covered me and the entire situation could’ve been avoided. Problem is that 100% of my listings offer free returns, and that 100% covers the item in question. Whoopsie!!!!
Web browser is probably out of date. I don’t use a Mac – is this Safari? Try to update, or install something like Firefox, Chrome, etc and see if the problem persists.
Space is the #1 issue at the moment. Initially my girlfriend and I were planning on renting a house together (ideally with a basement or third bedroom that could be converted into a place to keep inventory) but we started to entertain the idea of moving her into my place and taking my business to a dedicated office since we like my apartment so much. Going that route of halving nearly all living expenses frees up enough money to cover rent for the office, so a win/win in my book. Also, no more fussing around with a home office deduction.
I’m definitely ramping up inventory acquisition and have started to dabble in larger items, so the added space for all these crazy new items will definitely be appreciated!
Update: I got the office!
Yes, it took a bit of in-person negotiating, but ultimately they were fine with the lack of traditional references and took my eBay feedback and one personal reference into account.
The space I locked in was larger than the one I initially expressed interest in, which was already approx. double my current square footage. However, it was within my budget and the layout felt better, so I’ll have room to grow. One of the things I was trying to solve was a lack of distinct areas for testing/repair, shipping, and processing inventory, which I’ll now easily be able to do.
Making the move later this month. Thanks for the help!
Thanks for the input everyone. I decided to approach them directly and we worked out an alternate means of meeting the criteria they were looking for. The process is more flexible than I thought, and it’s not as rigid as renting residential space where you need to meet X, Y, and Z requirements or you’re rejected. They seem pretty eager to go back and forth on things so far.
Thanks again!
The feedback system seems antiquated at this point. What’s a buyer supposed to think when they see a seller with a 99.8% positive feedback rating vs. 100%? eBay has like 2 unique rating systems at this point that are better suited to tell a buyer whether or not you’re a decent seller:
- Seller level (Objective. Issued by eBay based on a number of factors.)
- Service metrics (Objective. You vs. your peers in a given category.)
- Feedback (Subjective. A single person can tank your rating several points.)
Doesn’t really make sense to me.
Got this last week. Scanned the front and back of my DL and it went away. The process is allegedly automated, so if you’re still getting the message after giving them your info I would just contact CS.
This is absolutely crazy.
- Sega Genesis (Untested/Parts & Repair/Unit Only/Covered in Dirt): $86.98. eBay prices for tested and working units w/ cables: $42.99
- Fuji Instax Mini 8 (Untested/Parts & Repair): $73. eBay prices for tested and working units: $17.99
- Sealed copy of The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D for the NDS: $99. eBay prices for sealed copies: $24.99
Dude, what are they doing?
I’d be the first to say if eBay goofed up, but I have to admit this feels like a straight upgrade just on speed alone.
One minor complaint: Item specifics being in a single column really makes the page look bloated. I almost never touch item specifics since 99% of my listings come from existing solds. Optionally hiding that section unless there’s some required field missing or going back to double columns would clean up the page a great deal.
Photo uploading is crazy fast, the editor is nice (actual gridlines for cropping), and the fresh coat of paint on everything else is much needed.
Curious to see if the mobile version is a direct copy of the desktop one. If so, cool.
I’ve mentioned this before, but eBay uses some kind of “smart” system for summarizing descriptions on mobile. If you type 6 sentences, they’ll attempt to find the 3 or 4 sentences they think are relevant and hide the others behind “Read More” or whatever the button says to show the full description.
I copy whatever is in the condition box to the description. Rarely do I include more in the description. 75% of my listings have the exact same text, and I got so used to writing it that I just configured a key to type out the entire thing when pressed.
Plenty of times, unfortunately. However, like you, I’ve been pleasantly surprised that most of the time the items are undamaged. Some examples:
I sold some business phones and the buyer returned them in a box about 3x the size of the one I’d used with only 2 or 3 of those air packets thrown in. They’d also been using the box to store dog treats, as there were a few bouncing around inside with the phones. Refunded in full.
This week a buyer returned a $200 bit of stereo equipment but wasn’t a native English speaker, so they couldn’t properly describe the problem. The picture they sent of the issue was taken from like 10 feet away and showed nothing. It was a heavy unit so I’d included a bunch of packing materials to make sure it arrived in one piece, but there was no way the same materials were going to survive return shipping. The buyer ended up just loosely repacking it with all the bubble wrap on top of the unit instead of around it, and there was 2 crazy dents in the case. However, since the buyer couldn’t properly describe the issue they were having and didn’t take a good picture, I had no idea if the damage occurred when I shipped it or when they returned it. I refunded them, but not their original shipping.
I’ve only refused a 100% refund of the purchase cost once (IIRC) when a buyer returned their old vacuum part instead of the one I shipped them. It was nasty, completely covered in dust and full of stuff. I docked the maximum amount from the refund and reported them.
Just about everything. Cameras, power adapters, VCRs, CD players, stereos, musical keyboards, etc etc. If it plugs in – and fits in my vehicle – I’ll sell it.
I source at a Goodwill Outlet (the “bins”) where the price is determined by weight (right around $1.60/lb.) COGS averages $120/week. New inventory averages about $130/week.
I source Mon-Fri and usually list what I get each day, so an average of 6 to 7 items. The breakdown is usually 2.5 hours of sourcing followed by 2.5 to 3 hours of prepping/testing/listing. I’m in electronics, so certain items demand more time. There’s a lot of variables that can slow things down, like whether or not I can shoot all the items in my photo booth, or if I need to clean up something. All leftover inventory gets listed or backlogged on Friday. Shipping and bookkeeping happens in the evenings, usually 1.5 to 2 hours Mon-Thur + Sun.
I manage around 500 to 525 items in the store at any given time. With outliers, the average age of sold items is somewhere in the 45 to 60 day range, but it’s common for stuff to sell in 2 weeks.
There’s a few bottlenecks in my approach right now, namely lack of space and help. I’m satisfied with the current results, but I know more is possible.
