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Having now done ebay for some time I thought I'd share my experiences both as a seller and buyer. All too often people are put off bidding by high postage charges levied for a UK address. Some people 'guess' the postage price, then find out all too late that they have miscalculated when they get to the post office counter, and it's surprising how few people really understand the set tariff of sizes there are now for Royal Mail services and this can make all the difference.
Nobody minds people charging postage and 'adding a little on top' after all, someone's got to trudge down to the good old post office or in rural areas drive there (so there's petrol costs and time to consider especially with the price of petrol now).
UPDATED July 2008
------------------------
I'm adding this little paragraph as i'm starting to see a LOT of greedy people listing on ebay, probably the worst so far was a bundle of old computers, all untested, ok, so you know that there's a fair chance that they have faults or just won't work, so you take your pick and have a gamble. BUT when you see as part of the auction a mandatory pay within 3 days or they get re-listed and you get a negative, is a little bit OTT.
So is the part where a DAILY charge is levied for 'storage' read, clawback on the paypal and listing charges, so if you don't pick the items up (presumably allowing collections) then you incur a rather unfair and greedy storage charge. I'm all for making the bidding arena fair and open, but you wouldn't expect to go down your local supermarket and find a clock on the shelf edge labels telling you that if you don't buy within the next 30 minutes the price is going up!!! You'd soon beat a path for the exit door and sod the trolley, so WHY do it on ebay, this condition put me right off even thinking of making a bid. You should really think about the wording and conditions of your auctions and whether if you were passing by, you'd stop, look in and place a bid, remember that each auction is a shop window that is open 24/7 it never shuts - only at the end, so you need to create a relaxed, open, fair and pleasant trading environment. Charging for storage is probably the most tightest example of bad trading practice on ebay today. It's not technically illegal but it's just another money grabbing way for sellers to recoup their 'storage costs' (read the garage or damp garden shed). It puts you off, makes the bidding less freindly, so the price won't climb up much and it's grossly unfair to expect someone else to pay YOUR mortgage or rent, that's right !!!! Because that's what a seller is in effect doing, charging you for their rental. So, one to avoid, don't follow the pack and steer clear of dodgy charges and you'll gain much more positive feedbacks and many more people bidding on your auctions.
Some people I have seen in the past do silly things like put an item on for buy it now 99p but charge 20 quid postage, which upsets the balance, and people just won't bid, I know it's perhaps psychological but when people see extortionate postage charges they will simply walk away, far better to get the bids rolling in and deal with postage later, although the postage option which now appears (or should appear) at the bottom of listings is now a great help as it gives everyone a more informed choice on whether to place a bid or not.
I was moaned at once for selling a war medal and charging 2.20 for recorded delivery, the individual moaned liked hell and although didn't leave a neg left a less than complimentary positive for me. After checking their feedbacks it turned out they were a grumpy old dealer who sold at a minimum 14.99 on buy-it-now and a fiver, yes a FIVER for postage, and i'm the one not playing fair?!
No, it's really not funny when you see that, just because someone else wants to make a killing and at YOUR expense. So the best policy as a seller is to be absolutely clear on your charges, and to mention that packing costs are included.
However, if you do this then it helps to ensure that you do in fact use packing. Recently i bought a microchip for a computer (a delicate and fragile little thing susceptible to being dropped and bent), which arrived taped up and i mean taped up inside a standard DL size envelope, I was amazed it got through the post system in one piece and as I had paid about 2.50 for postage or so I was less than impressed, i didn't leave a negative but i did get back to them and offer some 'advice' for the future. To someone else that could well have been an instant negative and would ruin a previously unspoilt feedback.
Remember the fact that once sold and paid for the goods, although in your custody are NO LONGER yours so if you bust and break them, you're liable until that point in time that they transgress to the post office counter and then due responsibility is theirs.
Pointers for packing, you don't need to go overboard on this and in most instances common sense will prevail.
1. have I charged the right amount (has it been weighed at the post office if large)
2. have I checked the post office tariff guide
3. Am i sending via the right service? Glass is NOT insured for recorded delivery nor jewellery
4. Is the packing sufficient, is it tight but firm, will it stand up to the post office machines
5. If I got this in the post would I be happy with it?
6. Is the final value up to 34.00 GBP ? If so, send it Recorded Delivery
7. Is the value over 34.00 ? If so, send it Special Delivery insured to the full value of sale for a 9am or 1pm delivery depending on how much they want to pay.
8. Do i need a courier? Check around, not all couriers offer a true 24/7 service of pick up and delivery. I found parcels2go (DHL) to be the most irksome in terms and conditions and have read lots of horror stories, so feedbacks from couriers as just as important as sellers. Shop around!
Also, see www.royalmail.com for details of postage prices and how you can track your stuff online very easily now. Remember that prices have now gone UP and the compensation rates have increased, which can also work to your advantage i.e. from 32 to 34 can mean you can still send something recorded for insurance and not have to charge the extra for special delivery.
As a buyer you can sometimes strike a deal with a seller over heavy items (although I have found sometimes they will blanket charge you 15 to 20 quid to make some extra). If you ask if they would let you arrange a courier pickup then this can limit the costs and allow you bid that bit extra, there is a service via www.parcel2go.com that you can use for cost effective service. There are plenty more and some advertise in ebay listings, BUT check the feedbacks, courier feedbacks are as important as ebays!!
You can of course use a courier service for regular items if you do a lot of stuff but it can be expensive and I have found couriers (sometimes) take less care in items than perhaps the post office would. of course the most important thing is to make sure addresses are correct, you'd be surprised at the amount of odd sounding addresses listed on people's paypal accounts, if in doubt, just check. i did have to do this once as if I hadn't the mail would never have got there as it was a new housing development of flats and the postal codes hadn't been assigned yet, so a little care means a happy customer and no ebay mails starting with 'where's my stuff??!'
In answer to number 5, if not, then unwrap it and start again. Jiffy bags will suffice for most things, the worst offence is to use a jiffy bag that's been through the PO system ten times, you should really use new packaging where possible, i know that sometimes you'll run out, and it's not an issue to re-use a jiffy once, but contiual battering in the postal system means that one day it will fail, it will rip, the contents will spill out and you will get a non delivery strike heading your way.
One important thing regarding Paypal now, did you realise that under Paypal policy if you do NOT send via a tracked service and the corresponding party complains of 'non delivery' then you are instantly liable and will lose out? A lot of listings I've seen of late say 'Paypal only - insurance extra' i.e. Recorded or Special. by doing this you leave yourself wide open to a claim.
So, it pays to be safe rather than sorry, and surprisingly enough, a great packaged product in the post will swing a positive above any beyond any other problem even late delivery, people want to see that YOU have taken care in their wins and if you do that you'll keep the negative monkeys off your back and have a happy time trading on ebay.
A word regarding collections, I'm not going to have a go at anyone specific but it seems to me that some people have a wide and varied idea of time frames for collections whether it be via courier or the winning bidder. Less than amicable bidders could leave a neutral if the time delay is excessive, so here's some pointers if you're selling and offer a collection service.
1. Have I got any suitable packing materials (i.e. if the winner wants to arrange a courier?)
2. If someone's coming can I be in at a reasonable time or can I arrange for another family member to be here.
3. Can I really offer a collection service without tying someone down to just one day of availability?
4. Have I thought this through BEFORE listing the item and am I really prepared to contend with any problems that may arise?
If you use this as a guideline you won't go far wrong, sometimes people who pay by paypal (like me) expect that as its a done deal the item is ready packed and awaiting collection (you wouldn't expect someone to come with their own box!!) and really the item/s should be packed WELL in adavance of the listing so everything is ready. Instant payment and then being told you can't collect for a few weeks is a bit much and people appreciate promptness, if you EXPECT immediate payment you SHOULD in theory expect someone to say "i'll be there on Friday morning", not a convoluted mixed up series of mails with people who can't get their heads round a mutually convenient date. Sometimes if you're offering a collection service it pays to mention days that are or are not acceptable to collect an item as that gives people the opportunity to arrange couriers, some won't do Friday pickup's some won't operate outside of 'normal' business hours.
So, before offering a collection service make good and sure that you can really give a level of service to match the payment method you're asking for. Waiting time for a cheque to clear is acceptable, a 2 week delay on a computer system that you've paid for in minutes of the bid ending is NOT, and this shows a distinct lack of customer care and whilst you'll usually get a positive feedback the other 'star' factors may not rate quite so highly. I have left feedback for someone and gievn a positive but a well deserved zero for non communication as when i tried to arrange pick-up the number on ebays files was last updated a few years ago, in the age of communication this is totally unacceptable.
The other issue with collections is that you wouldn't expect someone to come armed with a carrier bag, i've seen a listing that i wanted to bid on today (13.5.7) no picture, vague description, total weight about 30 kg id say and thought i'd pop the question abotu courier pick up, someone else asked about postage and said they 'didn't have the right boxes, so no'. So for the massive expense and leg work to find some boxes they've killed 2 potential bids on their item/s, you have to ask yourself is is REALLY worth listing things if you're going to make a sale so improbable when the buyers are willing to bend over to try and make a good deal, nothing sort of ignorant, and i daresay it won't sell, 200 mile round trip aint my idea of fun for a pickup THAT'S WHAT COURIERS ARE FOR. So THINK before you list, try and create a good selling environment and don't kill the geese that could lay you some well deserved golden eggs for a bit of thought beforehand. packing doesn't cost a bomb apart from time, so if you can't make an effort my advice is stay off ebay!!
Also avoid sending overseas to Nigeria and the Far East, trouble hotspots and more fraudsters than you can shake a stick at, I never send to these parts, in fact I boycott all of North Africa due to the endemic 419 fraud.
One last important note, apparently there are expert 'teams' of clever scammers actively looking for listings which offer paypal but don't state that you'll send by a tracked service i.e. Royal Snail Mail, if you send untracked and someone pays via Paypal, then makes a claim, you're in for an automatic refund whether they really got the goods or not, so THINK before you list, always without fail cover your back as a seller and always list tracked, its only 70p extra plus whatever the weight level is for recorded delivery, the good thing now is that the print, sign proof can be viewed online via the royal mail site, so that's something to think about the next time someone says 'never received' for Paypal, so long as you can PROVE it WAS signed for, even if someone signs it D.Duck, its signed for an duly RECEIVED, they have NO comeback and Paypal won't entertain a claim.
Hope this is of some help to you all.
Nobody minds people charging postage and 'adding a little on top' after all, someone's got to trudge down to the good old post office or in rural areas drive there (so there's petrol costs and time to consider especially with the price of petrol now).
UPDATED July 2008
------------------------
I'm adding this little paragraph as i'm starting to see a LOT of greedy people listing on ebay, probably the worst so far was a bundle of old computers, all untested, ok, so you know that there's a fair chance that they have faults or just won't work, so you take your pick and have a gamble. BUT when you see as part of the auction a mandatory pay within 3 days or they get re-listed and you get a negative, is a little bit OTT.
So is the part where a DAILY charge is levied for 'storage' read, clawback on the paypal and listing charges, so if you don't pick the items up (presumably allowing collections) then you incur a rather unfair and greedy storage charge. I'm all for making the bidding arena fair and open, but you wouldn't expect to go down your local supermarket and find a clock on the shelf edge labels telling you that if you don't buy within the next 30 minutes the price is going up!!! You'd soon beat a path for the exit door and sod the trolley, so WHY do it on ebay, this condition put me right off even thinking of making a bid. You should really think about the wording and conditions of your auctions and whether if you were passing by, you'd stop, look in and place a bid, remember that each auction is a shop window that is open 24/7 it never shuts - only at the end, so you need to create a relaxed, open, fair and pleasant trading environment. Charging for storage is probably the most tightest example of bad trading practice on ebay today. It's not technically illegal but it's just another money grabbing way for sellers to recoup their 'storage costs' (read the garage or damp garden shed). It puts you off, makes the bidding less freindly, so the price won't climb up much and it's grossly unfair to expect someone else to pay YOUR mortgage or rent, that's right !!!! Because that's what a seller is in effect doing, charging you for their rental. So, one to avoid, don't follow the pack and steer clear of dodgy charges and you'll gain much more positive feedbacks and many more people bidding on your auctions.
Some people I have seen in the past do silly things like put an item on for buy it now 99p but charge 20 quid postage, which upsets the balance, and people just won't bid, I know it's perhaps psychological but when people see extortionate postage charges they will simply walk away, far better to get the bids rolling in and deal with postage later, although the postage option which now appears (or should appear) at the bottom of listings is now a great help as it gives everyone a more informed choice on whether to place a bid or not.
I was moaned at once for selling a war medal and charging 2.20 for recorded delivery, the individual moaned liked hell and although didn't leave a neg left a less than complimentary positive for me. After checking their feedbacks it turned out they were a grumpy old dealer who sold at a minimum 14.99 on buy-it-now and a fiver, yes a FIVER for postage, and i'm the one not playing fair?!
No, it's really not funny when you see that, just because someone else wants to make a killing and at YOUR expense. So the best policy as a seller is to be absolutely clear on your charges, and to mention that packing costs are included.
However, if you do this then it helps to ensure that you do in fact use packing. Recently i bought a microchip for a computer (a delicate and fragile little thing susceptible to being dropped and bent), which arrived taped up and i mean taped up inside a standard DL size envelope, I was amazed it got through the post system in one piece and as I had paid about 2.50 for postage or so I was less than impressed, i didn't leave a negative but i did get back to them and offer some 'advice' for the future. To someone else that could well have been an instant negative and would ruin a previously unspoilt feedback.
Remember the fact that once sold and paid for the goods, although in your custody are NO LONGER yours so if you bust and break them, you're liable until that point in time that they transgress to the post office counter and then due responsibility is theirs.
Pointers for packing, you don't need to go overboard on this and in most instances common sense will prevail.
1. have I charged the right amount (has it been weighed at the post office if large)
2. have I checked the post office tariff guide
3. Am i sending via the right service? Glass is NOT insured for recorded delivery nor jewellery
4. Is the packing sufficient, is it tight but firm, will it stand up to the post office machines
5. If I got this in the post would I be happy with it?
6. Is the final value up to 34.00 GBP ? If so, send it Recorded Delivery
7. Is the value over 34.00 ? If so, send it Special Delivery insured to the full value of sale for a 9am or 1pm delivery depending on how much they want to pay.
8. Do i need a courier? Check around, not all couriers offer a true 24/7 service of pick up and delivery. I found parcels2go (DHL) to be the most irksome in terms and conditions and have read lots of horror stories, so feedbacks from couriers as just as important as sellers. Shop around!
Also, see www.royalmail.com for details of postage prices and how you can track your stuff online very easily now. Remember that prices have now gone UP and the compensation rates have increased, which can also work to your advantage i.e. from 32 to 34 can mean you can still send something recorded for insurance and not have to charge the extra for special delivery.
As a buyer you can sometimes strike a deal with a seller over heavy items (although I have found sometimes they will blanket charge you 15 to 20 quid to make some extra). If you ask if they would let you arrange a courier pickup then this can limit the costs and allow you bid that bit extra, there is a service via www.parcel2go.com that you can use for cost effective service. There are plenty more and some advertise in ebay listings, BUT check the feedbacks, courier feedbacks are as important as ebays!!
You can of course use a courier service for regular items if you do a lot of stuff but it can be expensive and I have found couriers (sometimes) take less care in items than perhaps the post office would. of course the most important thing is to make sure addresses are correct, you'd be surprised at the amount of odd sounding addresses listed on people's paypal accounts, if in doubt, just check. i did have to do this once as if I hadn't the mail would never have got there as it was a new housing development of flats and the postal codes hadn't been assigned yet, so a little care means a happy customer and no ebay mails starting with 'where's my stuff??!'
In answer to number 5, if not, then unwrap it and start again. Jiffy bags will suffice for most things, the worst offence is to use a jiffy bag that's been through the PO system ten times, you should really use new packaging where possible, i know that sometimes you'll run out, and it's not an issue to re-use a jiffy once, but contiual battering in the postal system means that one day it will fail, it will rip, the contents will spill out and you will get a non delivery strike heading your way.
One important thing regarding Paypal now, did you realise that under Paypal policy if you do NOT send via a tracked service and the corresponding party complains of 'non delivery' then you are instantly liable and will lose out? A lot of listings I've seen of late say 'Paypal only - insurance extra' i.e. Recorded or Special. by doing this you leave yourself wide open to a claim.
So, it pays to be safe rather than sorry, and surprisingly enough, a great packaged product in the post will swing a positive above any beyond any other problem even late delivery, people want to see that YOU have taken care in their wins and if you do that you'll keep the negative monkeys off your back and have a happy time trading on ebay.
A word regarding collections, I'm not going to have a go at anyone specific but it seems to me that some people have a wide and varied idea of time frames for collections whether it be via courier or the winning bidder. Less than amicable bidders could leave a neutral if the time delay is excessive, so here's some pointers if you're selling and offer a collection service.
1. Have I got any suitable packing materials (i.e. if the winner wants to arrange a courier?)
2. If someone's coming can I be in at a reasonable time or can I arrange for another family member to be here.
3. Can I really offer a collection service without tying someone down to just one day of availability?
4. Have I thought this through BEFORE listing the item and am I really prepared to contend with any problems that may arise?
If you use this as a guideline you won't go far wrong, sometimes people who pay by paypal (like me) expect that as its a done deal the item is ready packed and awaiting collection (you wouldn't expect someone to come with their own box!!) and really the item/s should be packed WELL in adavance of the listing so everything is ready. Instant payment and then being told you can't collect for a few weeks is a bit much and people appreciate promptness, if you EXPECT immediate payment you SHOULD in theory expect someone to say "i'll be there on Friday morning", not a convoluted mixed up series of mails with people who can't get their heads round a mutually convenient date. Sometimes if you're offering a collection service it pays to mention days that are or are not acceptable to collect an item as that gives people the opportunity to arrange couriers, some won't do Friday pickup's some won't operate outside of 'normal' business hours.
So, before offering a collection service make good and sure that you can really give a level of service to match the payment method you're asking for. Waiting time for a cheque to clear is acceptable, a 2 week delay on a computer system that you've paid for in minutes of the bid ending is NOT, and this shows a distinct lack of customer care and whilst you'll usually get a positive feedback the other 'star' factors may not rate quite so highly. I have left feedback for someone and gievn a positive but a well deserved zero for non communication as when i tried to arrange pick-up the number on ebays files was last updated a few years ago, in the age of communication this is totally unacceptable.
The other issue with collections is that you wouldn't expect someone to come armed with a carrier bag, i've seen a listing that i wanted to bid on today (13.5.7) no picture, vague description, total weight about 30 kg id say and thought i'd pop the question abotu courier pick up, someone else asked about postage and said they 'didn't have the right boxes, so no'. So for the massive expense and leg work to find some boxes they've killed 2 potential bids on their item/s, you have to ask yourself is is REALLY worth listing things if you're going to make a sale so improbable when the buyers are willing to bend over to try and make a good deal, nothing sort of ignorant, and i daresay it won't sell, 200 mile round trip aint my idea of fun for a pickup THAT'S WHAT COURIERS ARE FOR. So THINK before you list, try and create a good selling environment and don't kill the geese that could lay you some well deserved golden eggs for a bit of thought beforehand. packing doesn't cost a bomb apart from time, so if you can't make an effort my advice is stay off ebay!!
Also avoid sending overseas to Nigeria and the Far East, trouble hotspots and more fraudsters than you can shake a stick at, I never send to these parts, in fact I boycott all of North Africa due to the endemic 419 fraud.
One last important note, apparently there are expert 'teams' of clever scammers actively looking for listings which offer paypal but don't state that you'll send by a tracked service i.e. Royal Snail Mail, if you send untracked and someone pays via Paypal, then makes a claim, you're in for an automatic refund whether they really got the goods or not, so THINK before you list, always without fail cover your back as a seller and always list tracked, its only 70p extra plus whatever the weight level is for recorded delivery, the good thing now is that the print, sign proof can be viewed online via the royal mail site, so that's something to think about the next time someone says 'never received' for Paypal, so long as you can PROVE it WAS signed for, even if someone signs it D.Duck, its signed for an duly RECEIVED, they have NO comeback and Paypal won't entertain a claim.
Hope this is of some help to you all.
Guide created: 31/03/07 (updated 27/10/09)
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