E.bay

[Acey]

Does anyone remember a time when Ebay was a site where you could buy items .new and used for reasonable prices compared to other shops ? seems to me now that mostly the sellers charge ridiculous prices or crazy postage costs ! eg I was looking at a box of Westland Sulphate of Iron ( £5.75 Homebase ) cheapest I could find on Ebay £8.17 (including postage to be fair)also how can different sellers on Ebay justify £32 27 for the same item ? beats me

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[66701GBRF]

Postage costs for parcels is not an exact science on eBay. Some sellers will put a best guess price, some will put a lower price to make their listing more attractive but taking a hit on the costs, others will just blatantly inflate posted costs but may have a lower overall listing price.

 

[Phil56]

Does anyone remember a time when Ebay was a site where you could buy items .new and used for reasonable prices compared to other shops ? seems to me now that mostly the sellers charge ridiculous prices or crazy postage costs ! eg I was looking at a box of Westland Sulphate of Iron ( £5.75 Homebase ) cheapest I could find on Ebay £8.17 (including postage to be fair)also how can different sellers on Ebay justify £32 27 for the same item ? beats me

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Ebay fees are pretty hefty these days which also make a dent in the profit, as does the postage cost. Plus sellers have to "factor in" the potential losses of items being lost in the post of buyers lying to say they never received the items, refunds etc.

 

[skyhigh]

Plus sellers have to "factor in" the potential losses of items being lost in the post of buyers lying to say they never received the items, refunds etc.

I've pretty much given up on eBay for reasons along those lines. eBay will almost always side with the buyer, despite evidence to the contrary.

As a buyer, I've also had some 'funny' business going on with mainly Asia-based dropshippers/sellers. I bought a fan, it turned up defective along with a note that made it clear it was an Amazon return. As far as I can tell the seller also sold on Amazon, got a customer return then essentially flogged it on as new via eBay and got Amazon to send the returned stock to me. When I complained I got a full refund and told to keep the item as they didn't have anywhere for me to return it to!

 

[birchesgreen]

Depends what you are after, i just bought a ribbon for one of my typewriters for 3.99 including postage. Seems pretty reasonable.

 

[Cowley]

eBay is excellent for buying model trains after one too many beers on a Friday night. It’s just so easy to buy something and only remember the next day a couple of hours after getting up.

 

[XAM2175]

seems to me now that mostly the sellers charge ridiculous prices or crazy postage costs

eBay levies seller fees on the item price but not the postage cost, so some sellers try to cheat it by listing items for a pittance and then charging you vastly-exaggerated postage.

It is discouraged in some ways now, but still common.

also how can different sellers on Ebay justify £32 27 for the same item ? beats me

Generally, they're hoping to catch people who are too lazy to do the legwork to get the "normal" price.

 

[Darandio]

eBay levies seller fees on the item price but not the postage cost,

Postage cost is included in the final value fee.

 

[deltic]

Depends on what you are buying - picked up lots of bargains over the years which make up for the occasional rip off but postage charges seem to have gone up a lot recently as has the imposition of VAT on some items brought from the EU.

 

[XAM2175]

Postage cost is included in the final value fee.

Has that always been the case? I could have sworn it wasn't previously, but it's been years and years since I last sold anything there and my memory's not the best

 

[Darandio]

Has that always been the case? I could have sworn it wasn't previously, but it's been years and years since I last sold anything there and my memory's not the best

Not sure how long exactly but it's been the case for as long as I can remember!

 

[8A Rail]

I think you need to be 'savvy' when using Ebay. Depending on what you are looking for, do your homework on the original value of the item you are looking for along with factoring postal costs too and where is seller is located. There are bargains to be had that is for sure but requires a little time and patience. When I look around Ebay, I only deal with sellers based in the UK only and charge reasonable P&P charges (along the lines of Royal Mail charges for size and weigh) or those that include p&p.

I have sold things on Ebay and fully aware of the fees involved. However, Ebay have promote occasional offers on to sellers to list items, e.g. 80% off fees for a limited period, it is only then I will list an item, to take advantage of the offer and consequently pay far less fees when I sell an item. If not sold, I wait until another promotion is on offer before I relist the item. Generally speaking I have not had issues with buyers as I always buy my postage via Ebay and most items are therefore 'tracked'. Only one occasion I had an issue with buyer, suggesting never received the item. Interestingly I had confirmation they had received it via the tracking and Ebay sided with me too.

Again, you need to be 'savvy' when using Ebay.

 

[Mojo]

Certain categories of goods are almost never cheaper online, whereas others are almost always cheaper. As you appear to have discovered - home and garden is one such category, I very rarely find something cheaper online (except for goods sold by the website of an actual shop). Some categories can however be better; despite the proliferation of mobile phone shops and market stalls on suburban high streets, accessories such as cases and screen protectors are substantially cheaper on eBay (but not Amazon for some reason).

 

[Iskra]

I've pretty much given up on eBay for reasons along those lines. eBay will almost always side with the buyer, despite evidence to the contrary.

I have been selling on Ebay extensively for the last couple of years, but I'm also at this point now, there are a persistent minority of fraudsters that make it no longer worthwhile so I am running my stock down. Plus, the hassle of dealing with some obsessive characters into their model trains who don't understand the norms of internet communication and repeatedly harass you or have totally unrealistic delivery expectations (I'm clear about my postage timescales) gets a bit tiresome.

I think you need to be 'savvy' when using Ebay. Depending on what you are looking for, do your homework on the original value of the item you are looking for along with factoring postal costs too and where is seller is located. There are bargains to be had that is for sure but requires a little time and patience. When I look around Ebay, I only deal with sellers based in the UK only and charge reasonable P&P charges (along the lines of Royal Mail charges for size and weigh) or those that include p&p.

I have sold things on Ebay and fully aware of the fees involved. However, Ebay have promote occasional offers on to sellers to list items, e.g. 80% off fees for a limited period, it is only then I will list an item, to take advantage of the offer and consequently pay far less fees when I sell an item. If not sold, I wait until another promotion is on offer before I relist the item. Generally speaking I have not had issues with buyers as I always buy my postage via Ebay and most items are therefore 'tracked'. Only one occasion I had an issue with buyer, suggesting never received the item. Interestingly I had confirmation they had received it via the tracking and Ebay sided with me too.

Again, you need to be 'savvy' when using Ebay.

Totally agree about this, but I would also say that timing is often extremely important- some great deals to be had in the run up to payday when sellers are in need of cash, for example.

 

[najaB]

Does anyone remember a time when Ebay was a site where you could buy items .new and used for reasonable prices compared to other shops ? seems to me now that mostly the sellers charge ridiculous prices or crazy postage costs ! eg I was looking at a box of Westland Sulphate of Iron ( £5.75 Homebase ) cheapest I could find on Ebay £8.17 (including postage to be fair)also how can different sellers on Ebay justify £32 27 for the same item ?

And you still can. There are still sellers who use it to sell stuff off cheap, there are people who try to sell things for more than they're worth and there are out and out scammers. Pretty much like any other marketplace, really.

 

[david1212]

I think you need to be 'savvy' when using Ebay. ......

Indeed. If ' it seems too good / cheap to be true ' something probably is not right be that a fake item or undisclosed fault. Always read the description and look at all the listing photographs - much easier on a PC/laptop than a phone.

eBay generally side with the buyer so limited risk but hassle to sort out, send return etc.

Postage costs for parcels is not an exact science on eBay. Some sellers will put a best guess price, some will put a lower price to make their listing more attractive but taking a hit on the costs, others will just blatantly inflate posted costs but may have a lower overall listing price.

Every time unless the listing is free postage essential to carefully check.
Some sellers always use say DHL or UPS not least for tracking and low risk hence £10 or so. Some combine postage whiles others do not.

Higher volume sellers I guess often have a contract with a standard price per item which they pass on. Hence a listing at a higher price can be less once carriage added. Business sellers who qualify for Royal Mail Tracked 48 get better prices than Signed For and less restrictions.

Watch out if delivery time is longer too - even if the listing states the item is in the UK in reality it may be bulk shipped from China, Hong Kong etc. Feedback for previous sales can be a clue to this.

Postage cost is included in the final value fee.

Has that always been the case? I could have sworn it wasn't previously, but it's been years and years since I last sold anything there and my memory's not the best

It used not to be but was included a while ago now, I think before they separated from Paypal and payments made to your bank account. There is no gain or penalty now for listing with free, or in reality inclusive, postage / shipping.
To not be out of pocket you need to add around 15% to your cost as well as your packaging costs. Even with recycled padded bags and boxes there is labelling and tape so IMO reasonable to add at least another 50p.

As a seller always send out with signature required so the buyer can not claim non-delivery - for Evri ( Hermes ) this adds 90p, for Royal Mail used signed for.

Loss / damage cover for Evri is just £20 and Royal Mail Signed For ( I think ) now £50.
For anything much more valuable, even if you take the risk beyond the basic insurance value, use DPD, DHL or UPS ( I think best of all ) as the risk is much lower.

 

[Mojo]

As a seller always send out with signature required so the buyer can not claim non-delivery - for Evri ( Hermes ) this adds 90p, for Royal Mail used signed for.

Don't see a need for paying extra for a signature provided the item you're selling is worth less than the compensation amount for the service you're providing. If you have a certificate of posting (for Royal Mail which is free from any Post Office, or Customer Service Point if you're going Tracked) even for a standard 1st or 2nd class stamp you're covered £20 compensation. Similarly for other third parties (eg. Inpost, Evri/Hermes, Collectplus/Yodel, etc.) you can pay for a service that includes compensation.

 

[skyhigh]

Don't see a need for paying extra for a signature provided the item you're selling is worth less than the compensation amount for the service you're providing. If you have a certificate of posting (for Royal Mail which is free from any Post Office, or Customer Service Point if you're going Tracked) even for a standard 1st or 2nd class stamp you're covered £20 compensation. Similarly for other third parties (eg. Inpost, Evri/Hermes, Collectplus/Yodel, etc.) you can pay for a service that includes compensation.

Especially given the way couriers operate now. Evri, DPD and Royal Mail all sign for the item themselves now (they do here, at least). I've had an item 'signed for' and come home to find it sitting on my doorstep!

 

[Sm5]

I had an ebay account for 24 years, since 1998.

After reading the t &cs I didnt agree to the managed payments thing and didnt fell like finding ways to work the system.

my reading of the managed payment t & c I also didnt agree to giving a 3rd party unrestricted access to view my bank account details (balance, address etc) for a decade plus, all managed from the US, Especially as elsewhere in the general t&cs your giving the right for third parties to manage and resell data they collect about you for purposes.

So I stopped, for 12 months everything I wanted to buy off ebay, I found a non-ebay source that was cheaper and bought from that… it turned out not to be very hard…so inevitably six months ago, with feedback of 4000+ since 1998 I closed my account.

so far no regrets, indeed its a great remedy to bored sunday nights and buying tat you dont really want.

The standout alternative I have used is Facebook marketplace and found that to be pretty good, and free, amongst others.

 

[david1212]

Don't see a need for paying extra for a signature provided the item you're selling is worth less than the compensation amount for the service you're providing. If you have a certificate of posting (for Royal Mail which is free from any Post Office, or Customer Service Point if you're going Tracked) even for a standard 1st or 2nd class stamp you're covered £20 compensation. Similarly for other third parties (eg. Inpost, Evri/Hermes, Collectplus/Yodel, etc.) you can pay for a service that includes compensation.

Loss of the item in transit is one issue, the other and in my experience more likely is the buyer claiming the item was not received.

The last time it happened I had a couple of messages from the buyer first questioning suitability. While possible the item was lost in transit, again because of the timing, I suspect the item was delivered and the claim was fraudulent. Now however low cost I list with ' Signed For '.
Regardless of what the Royal Mail or courier actually do if the item is signed as delivered and I can provide this to eBay they will, or at least should, not allow a non-delivery claim. I have yet to test this though. If the buyer genuinely does not receive the item theoretically at least this is between the buyer and the courier.
One step back a buyer is on sticky ground making a false claim.

Especially given the way couriers operate now. Evri, DPD and Royal Mail all sign for the item themselves now (they do here, at least). I've had an item 'signed for' and come home to find it sitting on my doorstep!

Now at work all DPD, DHL, UPS etc plus Evri with 'proof of delivery' and anything 'signed for' is handed over plus other than Royal Mail a photo taken inside not on the doorstep / inside the porch so outside of secure doors. If not signed for then just left in the porch e.g. non-tracked and Tracked 24 / 48 Royal Mail and Evri where the tracking will show 'delivered'.

At home I've had ' Signed For ' through the letter box but nothing left outside.