# Selling on Fleabay



## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

I am just about to start doing a little of this.

Have any members got any decent experience of doing this? If so any chance of some do's and don'ts/hints and tips?

It will be nothing too expensive - just books, DVDs, knick knacks etc.

Thanks

Graham :smile2:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Postage can be a problem Graham. Especially for me in France.
Things like books can be heavy although I believe there is a special rate for books.
If I put the postage from here it naturally puts people off and if I get it posted in UK by friends going over it can take weeks.

Ray.


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## Littlebt (May 19, 2012)

Hi Graham, Whatever you have best to take a look on EBay if any of your items are for sale to get a feel if it's worth while listing.

If you do have an items that's selling and your happy to achieve that level of bid then list your item "without reserve" you will achieve more interest and more bids doing this, and it's cheaper to list items.look fir the free listing days. Ensure you list under the best section. Don't make spelling mistakes as your item will not flag up if someone is searching for the item.

Remember you have EBay selling fees and PayPal transaction fees to pay also if the buyer doesn't collect and pay cash.

List your item to finish at a good time ie: 7.00pm in the evening when everyone is home is better than 8.00am when everyone is going to work.

You will win but you will loose it's a bit of an art, I look at it and think it's £'s in my pocket and better than taking up a corner of the garage or wherever.

Get listing and enjoy the rewards.

Brian.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Thanks Brian

I have put 4 books and a key finder thingy on for now just to test the water. As I get more skilled with it I'll list some other stuff I've been collecting...once I've done some research as I guess some of it could be worth a few quid.

Good tip on the 7.00pm finish time. I'll see if I can amend mine now...

ta

Graham :smile2:


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## powerplus (Oct 6, 2014)

hi graham

as said postage is the biggest problem

you are advised to only send things signed for as if it does not arrive or if someone says it has not arrived (yes there are people that do that) you will have to refund the full price including postage

also paypal charge you commission on taking the full payment including the postage part of it so make sure your postage charge covers this

when i sell something big i say that i will only accept a bid if the person comes a views first

my rating is over 500 and 100%

be honest and list all marks and faults as even if you put down no returns if the buyer contacts ebay and says it is faulty or marked you will again loose out

generally i have found it is not worth selling small items for say 99p as the postage will be more than that

barry


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

Most folks on ebay are honest and reliable, but there are plenty about who are not, but they tend not to be interested in the smaller stuff.

The scammers tend to get into fast-moving things like phones etc.

I've been on ebay since 1998, got over 3500 feedback and never had any negative feedback so far.

Watch what others do, follow the trend and read all the fine print on the listing page.

Good luck!

Peter


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

I've sold a number of things on ebay ranging from bikes (for collection only) to a few cameras, DVD players, car wheels and tyres - even the receive part of a wireless roomstat! 

Always put yourself in the mind of a potential buyer when deciding how to describe your item. Some things are generic and the description will default in. However if it's not new then a very honest description is important and if the item lends itself to it, then several photos as well. When I'm buying an auction item on ebay I will normally pay little attention to a badly described item. When typing your narrative think about different type faces and sizes - even colours but don't overdo it. You will need to think about your Returns policy. If you are new to ebay and haven't built up a favourable history then consider allowing free returns within say 2 weeks. However take photos for yourself of the item you are sending in case the purchaser returns a different one to you. I've also sometimes made secret marks on items for that reason. Another think to watch out for is scammers and people trying to pay you other than through PayPal or cash on collection. Do not fall for any of it as it is widespread!

As has been mentioned think about postage - often you will find that all sellers of similar items are choosing the same method of posting. For some items Collect Plus can work out heaper than the Post Office.


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## randonneur (Jan 25, 2007)

Items ending on a Sunday see to do better than other days of the week. Don't be caught out by the extra fees after the item has been sold, make sure all these costs are factored in.


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## philoaks (Sep 2, 2008)

Lots of good advice already but I'll add my two penny worth too.

1. If possible always offer a postal/courier service as "collection only" will immediately limit possible purchasers to a relatively small geographical area. When I started selling I was surprised how competitively price couriers like My Hermes are. With anything I sell I always offer the ability for people to collect if they are local and want to save the postage charge.

2. If I am selling an item that regularly appears on ebay then I will normally sell it as a Buy it Now. I tend to look at old listings and see what the final sale value was and then set my price based on that. Normally in the top 20% of the price range. I've found that lots of people don't want to wait for a 10 day listing to finish and a BIN item set within the normal price range becomes much more attractive.

3. As others have said, good pictures and a good description are essential. You will still get numpties asking questions that you have already answered in the description but it limits things a lot.

4. I only ever charge the exact cost of postage, I don't add any packing charge, but as already mentioned, ebay will take 10% final value fee on the item and the postage so if something is going to cost you £4 to post then set the postage charge at £4.40.

There are probably lots of other things I could mention if I thought hard but selling is a learning curve and what works for me may not necessarily work for you.

Phil

Edit: Sorry, under #4 I should have included the fact that Paypal will also take 20p + (around) 3.4% as a transaction fee so really the postage should be charged at about £4.55 just to break even.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

As said its worth checking what similar items go for but your right to start with a few small things. I gave up on books ages ago as they are so cheap to buy from Amazon now unless its something special. Not worth the hassle or selling anything for less than a tenner or fiver at the least really.

Electrical stuff like laptops, phones etc go like hotcakes. Occasionally I sell old computers and laptops etc which I get for free off jobs Ive done for a bit of beer money. I generally tart them up a bit and get them in a usable condition but ive sold plenty of stuff thats completely broken, basically a bag of bits and they still sell for good money. Its amazing. I start all my auctions at 99p. I even started a car off at 99p once. Its a bit worrying at first but they always fly eventually.

Im just completely honest and if its knackered or has a fault Ill always emphasise that. Ebay is full of less honest people and a humorous and honest approach attracts buyers. I probably make £500-1000 a year selling stuff that was set for the IT skip. 

https://www.parcel2go.com/ is generally who I use for couriers. They are brokers basically for a fair few couriers but if its valuable choose a well known one and pay the insurance. Couriers these days are very hit and miss but you can move large stuff like tables and all sorts around the country for under a tenner now.

Its great fun though watching the bidding wars. I always end mine around 6:30 on a Saturday or Sunday evening. Sometimes the bidding might seem slow then in the last hour it might go from 20 or 30 quid up to over a 100. 

None of Mrs D's stuff ever sells as she refuses to start it at 99p and always overvalues it.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

GMJ said:


> I am just about to start doing a little of this.
> 
> Have any members got any decent experience of doing this? If so any chance of some do's and don'ts/hints and tips?
> 
> ...


TBH Graham books and DVDs I'd not bother unless they're brand new unopened, I tried it and you get nothing for them hardly, I ended up taking them to a charity shop, they get £1-2 for them which is why you get nowt on Ebay, knick knacks will depend on what you have, start at 99p for the best results if it's just a clear out, bundling stuff helps to get rid of things.

There's always Freegle too or Preloved.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Thanks for all the great advice folks.









I'll have a little dabble and learn 'on the hoof' and then wheel out some decent stuff when I'm comfortable with things.

We do tend to donate all our books and DVDs to the Barnardo's shop in Cirencester but I have kept a few back just to have a play.

Graham :smile2:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I have two sat navs to put on e-bay spares or repair as they both boot up and show home screen. But the screens are unresponsive and don't react to taps.
I see they often sell for a tenner but again postage from France unless I can combine it with someone going back, is just too much.

Ray.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

When buying on Ebay I am often put off by paying postage. If you are selling anything with a certain value and want to put a price on it then I would put "including postage" on it. It attracts my bid!


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Based on the advice on here I have just popped 8 x film DVDs on for sale at a mix of prices; some with postage some without; all to end on a Saturday night at 7.00pm!

I researched the current offerings in order to ascertain a sensible price and offered collection to all the ones with postage on.

Hopefully based on that I can see what's what without catching a cold!

Thanks

Graham :smile2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

You put a link on Graham, someone on here may want them.

A seller problem is that even if you put accurate P&P on, they still charge you a commision on that too.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Linky ???


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Linky ???


I have 13 things listed Kev - I didn't think it prudent to link to all of them

Graham :smile2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

You don't need to, just link to one of them, we can see the rest from there


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Stop being a nosy git!


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Moi!!!


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Bet it's these and why he's saying nowt   

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/21-Barbie-Dvds-/322256591842?hash=item4b07fd5be2:g:QYIAAOSw0UdXrN5g


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Blimey Kev. You must be hard up. I know how long it took you to compile that collection. A sad day indeed.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Arse.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> You don't need to, just link to one of them, we can see the rest from there


OK - its only some books and this to start with...

The DVDs go on at 7.00pm Saturday night

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232075555576?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

Graham :smile2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Nowt for me there G, I await the rest


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Says might not post to France. Lets me out then.

Ray.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Nowt for me there G, I await the rest


*Update*

Loads more on now Kev :smile2:

Out of my first batch of trial stuff I sold...a book! Not bad for a fiver including postage, so in effect I cleared about £2! I was happy as it was only a trail batch of stuff. The other books and DVDs I'll give to charity :smile2:

Since then I have added quite a number of other items and I sold a mobile phone for £31 where the item was listed as an auction but a buyer contacted me though Ebay and negotiated a buy it now price. I hadnt listed it as a 'Buy it now' but changed the auction once we had agreed a price.

I have had another attempt at a negotiation on a sat nav which is ongoing plus loads of 'Watch'ers on other pieces.

I am following some of the good advice on here regarding auction finish times (7.00pm on a Saturday for example); and being 100% honest on the condition of the goods. I am mixing up auction prices/Buy it now prices/Postage/Free Postage etc.

Its good fun but I need to shift some stuff else Mrs GMJ will be chasing me down as our home office looks like a disorganised car boot sale at the moment :grin2:

Cheers

Graham :smile2:


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Nice one Graham. It can be good fun. I always let mine run rather than negotiate a buy it now and I think there are rules about doing that Once an auction has started but I think it's ok if nobody has bid, can't remember. Phones will always sell, DVDs not so unless they are current


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

one thing I have experienced with Fleabay is with buyers who complain and try to raise a refund when something they have bought is non functioning according to them.

I had that with 2 items - one an Arcam surround sound system that was fine when it left me (but I guess could have been damaged in transit although unlikely as I packed it well enough that it would bloody bounce if dropped!); the other was an old Technics mini-system that was collected in person from me - I even showed the buyer it all worked before he handed over the cash - yet he tried to get a refund later saying the cassette unit didn't work - cheeky git.

I ignored both and they never pursued matters further.


if you get no joy with Fleabay, there are other sites that are worth trying to sell through - Preloved is pretty good in my experience, but it's not an auction site per se


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

It's just typical of our 'grabit' society now FB.
In my personal experience it was always Asian buyers who tried to screw you..... me.

Ray.


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

raynipper said:


> It's just typical of our 'grabit' society now FB.
> In my personal experience it was always Asian buyers who tried to screw you..... me.
> 
> Ray.


nope - these were Brits.


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