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Topic: Ebay Hints and Tips... (Read 1018 times) previous topic - next topic

Ebay Hints and Tips...

For the first time in a long time I've put some stuff up on eBay.

What prompted it was more or less finishing the 205 and after a tidy up finding a few things that are surplus but have a value.

Already I'm experiencing some of the same old reasons why I more or less gave up on selling there all that time ago.

Even you don't like or want to use it, unfortunately eBay now seems to be the default place to buy and sell the sort of stuff old car owners require.

Anyhow, I wasn't born yesterday and am a big boy now so despite of everything eBay still has it's uses and this isn't a thread about complaining or gripes.

Instead what I thought would be useful is a resource to pool hints and tips we've picked up, both when buying and selling to help navigate around the down sides.

I've found a few new ones out since re-selling, but an old one I always found useful is here... so just to kick things off -

Check out Watchcount

Time was that eBay itself allowed buyers to see the number of views, how long something had been listed, number of watchers etc. but that doesn't seem to be the norm now.

This site doesn't go into all the details but can still give you a better insight into an auction than you would usually see.

I gave an example before of buying a stereo for the 205... Watchcount showed it'd first been listed 6 months or so earlier, by the time I found it the seller was very open to offers and gave a sizable discount. If I'd not known that I'd likely not have offered what I did.

There's also a facility to check out past auctions, which also has it's uses, plus a few other things, so give it a mooch around. (Entering the eBay item number works best)

 

Re: Ebay Hints and Tips...

Reply #1 –
The pain of eBay selling is real but it's an unnecessary evil if you want to recover some of your costs. I probably put more effort than I need to with photos and description but it certainly helps, and also covers yourself if the buy then has a complaint later on.

As a buyer I've found if there's something you want but aren't desperate for it can pay to add to the watch list and forget about it. A few days later the seller sometimes comes back with a deal.
 

Re: Ebay Hints and Tips...

Reply #2 –
As a seller. The amount you receive after costs/effort can be disappointing.

I will admit to being someone who watches then bids in the last minute...Why force the price up?

I have sent messages about other items a trader may have and been told the seller can suffer "consequences" for doing such!

Make a note of the location AND delivery dates...
London isn't always London/UK

Gumtree is free and now looks to be "owned" by eBay. I found Schpock annoying!
1991 Tornado Red BB 8v GTI Moredoor
2008 Skoda Octy Scout aka dirty diesel

Re: Ebay Hints and Tips...

Reply #3 –
Double edged sword doing this thread... helping you with tips as a buyer could end up costing you when you become a seller!

The fees are a real killer, I seldom sell anything so it's easy for me to wait until they do the £1 max final fee promo. Couldn't sell the bigger ticket things otherwise when they take 10% ordinarily, plus another slice with Paypal.

I noticed the seller offers when watching something. Now that I've been selling and had a chance to see it from the other perspective, not too sure it's that useful.

I've also been getting offers from sellers whose items i just looked at, nothing more. Ebay algorithms at work?

Did try it on one thing that had 18 watchers and not a sniff from any of them depite a genuinely good discount too.

If you do find yourself selling and tempted to use it be aware it partially locks your listing for the duration of the offer which I think is set at 48 hours and can't be changed until it expires.

probably a few out there but this is one I've used for years and it accurate - makes it easy calculating total costs when you're wondering what to list something for.

Cloth Nappy Tree

Re: Ebay Hints and Tips...

Reply #4 –
When selling, and it's financially practical try to use a tracked service.

If you buy a service via the eBay links within the auction the tracking numbers are automatically added to both the auction listing and the Paypal transaction.

If you buy elsewhere, either on line or at the PO you have to add the numbers manually to both and it's the Paypal one that's probably the more important.

If there is any hassle over delivery Paypal will not stand over you if it hasn't been added before the issue arises, even you produce proof later on by other means.

The ebay linked services from Royal Mail usually mirror the price they offer if you had bought on line from them direct.

RM and Parcelforce on line prices can work out very slightly less than if you pay at the counter. but there's probably so little in it that you'd need to be sending quite a few items to make any difference.

Check on line with them anyway - quite often Parcelforce in particular will run on line promo's which can save you £'s instead of pence.

Re: Ebay Hints and Tips...

Reply #5 –
Quote from: AndyBa on
As a seller. The amount you receive after costs/effort can be disappointing.


I'll be honest, I have messed up the calculations before now and after shipping and fees I have actually sent stuff out that has ended up costing me money. But as I'm a decent kinda guy I'll still honour it, rather than cancel the sale and be a dick about it. I'm only talking pence, I think if I was way out I'd abandon the sale. I just take it on the chin and put it down to a learning experience. I'll make up the difference elsewhere.

Best one, we've recently sold an Ikea dressing table. It was like new, bought and put together but my wife kept hitting her knees on it, shelf was too low. So stuck it on eBay 99p bid up, it sold for more than IKEA sell them for new. But luckily they were out of stock everywhere :-)

Re: Ebay Hints and Tips...

Reply #6 –
Been talking elsewhere about gauges and got me thinking again of some hopefully useful eBay tips if you're looking for your own.

I've picked up quite a few over the years, not because I was particularly after them but they would come along with consoles I'd be buying purely to sell on.

If it's VDO you want eBay.de is a good start. I got into it (amongst others) long before it became common knowledge and was able to get stuff cheaply for myself, plus buy to sell and finance doing the car up. Things aren't just so profitable anymore but still there if you look properly.

The Zender interest really paid dividends, a good example are these gauges that came in an BMW E30 pod.



Got the lot for €30 odd, kept the VDO's (now likely to go into the MK2) and moved the holder on - didn't quite get what they seem to fetch nowadays, but was close.

That's the tip today, gauge specific but maybe on you mind at the moment - look at any old make of console / dash for sale, you'd be surprised how many sellers / other punters don't consider the gauges they hold and miss their worth meaning they can be picked up cheaply. Bonus points if the unwanted holder or dash recoups some money.

Works here but if you're on eBay.de use 'Oldtimer' amongst your search terms, mainly brings up stuff from before the 1970's... 'Youngtimer' targets the 1980/90's.

Think I've said before, but another important consideration if on non-UK eBay sites is to make sure you adjust your filters to only include that particular country.

If you search eBay.de with the default eBay.co.uk settings you'll only get items being sold by German sellers who include post to the UK as an option.

Changing it gets German sellers who will only sell within Germany and catches items normally invisible to you. These can be the real prizes.

I've found 99.9% of Germany only sellers will post elsewhere when asked, usually speak excellent English and doesn't cost very much... I've been charged more by UK sellers so don't assume anything.

I've also found more luck if you write in German... I can't speak it but use Google translate, plus repeat the message in English - They seem to appreciate the effort.

Re: Ebay Hints and Tips...

Reply #7 –
I did exactly this and now have a Vauxhall Omega A pillar 3 gauge pod somewhere in my shed (although I may have chucked it when I thought we were moving) because I only wanted the gauges in it. Not VDO, I went for a set of TIM gauges, as I liked the personalised touch.