Question for those that buy and sell on ebay
02-24-08 | 01:20 PM
#26
Thread Starter
Batüwü Creakcreak
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,802
Likes: 294
From: The illadelph
On the money order issue:
You can transfer money from PayPal to your account almost as easily as you can pay with it. I usually leave my Ebay proceeds in PayPal for my next Ebay purchase...
I think that most people that do money orders are transferring the cost of the transaction to the buyer in a hidden way. It then costs the buyer in time/gas to get to the post office, cost of the money order and stamp... all to avoid a small fee from PayPal. If the little bit that PayPal will cost is an issue, then increase your shipping and handling by enough to cover your projected expenses.
Don't get me wrong, as a Postal employee, I think Postal money orders are the cat's meow. But, in a recent case I bought a pair of NOS vintage brake levers for far less than I have seen them sell for on Ebay... I think I got a good deal by bidding on a non-PayPal listing. I am convinced that the selling price goes higher when PayPal is an option for the buyer.
Also, I almost never go to the bank, so receiving a check or money order forces a trip I wouldn't normally take. Retailers take credit (virtually the same as PayPal) for two major reasons. First, it cuts costs, since handling cash/checks/money orders is expensive. Second it draws customers.
just my $0.02
You can transfer money from PayPal to your account almost as easily as you can pay with it. I usually leave my Ebay proceeds in PayPal for my next Ebay purchase...
I think that most people that do money orders are transferring the cost of the transaction to the buyer in a hidden way. It then costs the buyer in time/gas to get to the post office, cost of the money order and stamp... all to avoid a small fee from PayPal. If the little bit that PayPal will cost is an issue, then increase your shipping and handling by enough to cover your projected expenses.
Don't get me wrong, as a Postal employee, I think Postal money orders are the cat's meow. But, in a recent case I bought a pair of NOS vintage brake levers for far less than I have seen them sell for on Ebay... I think I got a good deal by bidding on a non-PayPal listing. I am convinced that the selling price goes higher when PayPal is an option for the buyer.
Also, I almost never go to the bank, so receiving a check or money order forces a trip I wouldn't normally take. Retailers take credit (virtually the same as PayPal) for two major reasons. First, it cuts costs, since handling cash/checks/money orders is expensive. Second it draws customers.
just my $0.02
Also, how do the paypal fees work? I'm registered but I'm an unverified member. So that means that I can just leave the money on the paypal account? Could I transfer that money to a bank account after I add one or would they charge me for that?
I think I might have to call them and understand how that works. Dealing on craigslist would be easier, but I feel like I'd have lost a lot of money in the process.
If I was to allow international shipping, how would I set it up so that I could check for shipping after the auction was over instead of claiming a lower or higher fee. I just want to let the buyer know what the shipping price actually is instead of either having them get high balled or my getting low balled.
I'm just a little scared that I'd sell my cranks that are in better condition than these and then get nowhere close to the price. I'd include a reserve but I'm anxious that it would scare buyers away.
02-24-08 | 09:18 PM
#27
Thrifty Bill
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 23,639
Likes: 1,106
From: Mans of NC & SW UT Desert
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Some ebay basics, listing fees are on a sliding scale based on initial price. If you know you have something that is popular and will get multiple bids, I start those items at 99 cents. That cuts the listing fee to a bare minimum. If it is something that won't get much interest, then start it at the minimum you would accept. You can easily gauge interest by searching completed history.
I am not up on the new rules yet (they just started).
Don't bother with a reserve, that just costs you more too. Use one of the free picture posting services like slide.com or auctiva.com. Thats another way to save on the listing fees. Accept paypal or personal check, hold the check long enough for the item to clear. Money orders and cashiers checks just cost more money for buyers and are subject to fraud anyway.
I tend to leave my money in paypal, as I end up spending it myself. I have cashed out a few times. Get your paypal verified, it makes transferring funds out easier, and is reassuring to buyers.
I avoid international shipping, other than Canada. You can easily estimate Canada postage on the USPS web site.
Of course, if you don't have any feedback on ebay, that will scare away some bidders and cost you some. Remember, 99% of the risk is taken by buyers, not the sellers.
I am not up on the new rules yet (they just started).
Don't bother with a reserve, that just costs you more too. Use one of the free picture posting services like slide.com or auctiva.com. Thats another way to save on the listing fees. Accept paypal or personal check, hold the check long enough for the item to clear. Money orders and cashiers checks just cost more money for buyers and are subject to fraud anyway.
I tend to leave my money in paypal, as I end up spending it myself. I have cashed out a few times. Get your paypal verified, it makes transferring funds out easier, and is reassuring to buyers.
I avoid international shipping, other than Canada. You can easily estimate Canada postage on the USPS web site.
Of course, if you don't have any feedback on ebay, that will scare away some bidders and cost you some. Remember, 99% of the risk is taken by buyers, not the sellers.
Last edited by wrk101; 02-24-08 at 09:26 PM. Reason: typo
02-24-08 | 09:31 PM
#28
Thread Starter
Batüwü Creakcreak
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,802
Likes: 294
From: The illadelph
Some ebay basics, listing fees are on a sliding scale based on initial price. If you know you have something that is popular and will get multiple bids, I start those items at 99 cents. That cuts the listing fee to a bare minimum. If it is something that won't get much interest, then start it at the minimum you would accept. You can easily gauge interest by searching completed history.
I am not up on the new rules yet (they just started).
Don't bother with a reserve, that just costs you more too. Use one of the free picture posting services like slide.com or auctiva.com. Thats another way to save on the listing fees. Accept paypal or personal check, hold the check long enough for the item to clear. Money orders and cashiers checks just cost more money for buyers and are subject to fraud anyway.
I tend to leave my money in paypal, as I end up spending it myself. I have cashed out a few times. Get your paypal verified, it makes transferring funds out easier, and is reassuring to buyers.
I avoid international shipping, other than Canada. You can easily estimate Canada postage on the USPS web site.
Of course, if you don't have any feedback on ebay, that will scare away some bidders and cost you some. Remember, 99% of the risk is taken by buyers, not the sellers.
I am not up on the new rules yet (they just started).
Don't bother with a reserve, that just costs you more too. Use one of the free picture posting services like slide.com or auctiva.com. Thats another way to save on the listing fees. Accept paypal or personal check, hold the check long enough for the item to clear. Money orders and cashiers checks just cost more money for buyers and are subject to fraud anyway.
I tend to leave my money in paypal, as I end up spending it myself. I have cashed out a few times. Get your paypal verified, it makes transferring funds out easier, and is reassuring to buyers.
I avoid international shipping, other than Canada. You can easily estimate Canada postage on the USPS web site.
Of course, if you don't have any feedback on ebay, that will scare away some bidders and cost you some. Remember, 99% of the risk is taken by buyers, not the sellers.
