Ebay Selling Warning.

[Tourershine]

This might be common knowledge to many people, but it wasn't for me, and i've been buying and selling on eBay for years.

I listed my old 19" Savini wheels on eBay for £1000 a few months ago. The listing ran, I got all the normal messers and dreamers send the daft questions they normally do, the listing ended and they didn't sell, end of.

I then got a message from a chap who'd missed the listing end, and asked if they were still for sale, which they were, just not on eBay at that time.

Anyway, after a few messages back and forth, we exchanged details and he purchased the wheels off me, smooth and straight forward, for cash.

Now... This wasn't a sale through eBay, but the guy did message me through there after the listing had ended.

On Monday, I had nearly £90 taken from my account by eBay, and when I dug deep into what this charge was for, it transpired that they'd seen the messages we sent, and as it was a sale from the result of this, they are well within their rights to charge a Final valuation fee, even if they don't sell through eBay, OR surprisingly even if the sale didn't actually go through.

I've been through the terms and conditions, and this is stated deep within them, so I have no option but to just swallow this.
Consequently, I more than likely won't ever sell anything of value through eBay again, and because of the idiots you get on Gumtree, this is also an outlet I no longer use, leaving very few options to sell things I no longer require.

Word of warning, read the Terms and Conditions carefully

 

[VDubnewby666]

Seems a bit harsh @Tourershine , that leaves you with one option - T6forum for sale threads!

 

[Tourershine]

Seems a bit harsh @Tourershine , that leaves you with one option - T6forum for sale threads!

I always list things here first anyway, and have sold a lot of stuff with zero hassle, but even in here we get some rather strange questions about the bits you are selling.

 

[Spaghetti]

I feel your pain @Tourershine ...

I listed a Jetski for my father in law. He just wanted rid, and it was CHEAP. It was a 2001 Seadoo, one owner, 130 BHP and only 121 hours on it, for £1500.

I advertised it for £1500, but as a ‘buy it now’. I had about 30 emails within the first few hours. Most were offering silly low ball prices, but everybody wanted to see it.

Two guys wanted the address to view it, so I gave them the address, and one came up to see it, and bought it. My father in law even knocked off £300 for him!

Thing is, eBay saw the email traffic, and assumed he’d sold it, at £1500. So they based the fee on the £1500, even though he sold it for less!

Twist in the tale though..... about two days before I listed it, I’d signed up to a promotional listing thing, where the max fee was £1 if you listed in specific categories. I’d listed it in the correct category.

Spaghettiboy78: 1 eBay: 0

I wasn’t trying to evade fees (my father in law was paying), but these buyers needed to view before making a decision, and I couldn’t fathom how to make that possible. Evidently, you can use a classified, and include contact details.

I don’t bother with eBay much now. They take a large bite out of everything.

 

[Tourershine]

I feel your pain @Tourershine ...

I listed a Jetski for my father in law. He just wanted rid, and it was CHEAP. It was a 2001 Seadoo, one owner, 130 BHP and only 121 hours on it, for £1500.

I advertised it for £1500, but as a ‘buy it now’. I had about 30 emails within the first few hours. Most were offering silly low ball prices, but everybody wanted to see it.

Two guys wanted the address to view it, so I gave them the address, and one came up to see it, and bought it. My father in law even knocked off £300 for him!

Thing is, eBay saw the email traffic, and assumed he’d sold it, at £1500. So they based the fee on the £1500, even though he sold it for less!

Twist in the tale though..... about two days before I listed it, I’d signed up to a promotional listing thing, where the max fee was £1 if you listed in specific categories. I’d listed it in the correct category.

Spaghettiboy78: 1 eBay: 0

I wasn’t trying to evade fees (my father in law was paying), but these buyers needed to view before making a decision, and I couldn’t fathom how to make that possible. Evidently, you can use a classified, and include contact details.

I don’t bother with eBay much now. They take a large bite out of everything.

Tell me about it.
I sold those Winter 17" steels I had on here only yesterday through eBay and the guy who purchased them paid instantly by Paypal, which I wasn't expecting for something of that amount without actually seeing them, but Paypal instantly deducted £27 from the transaction! plus what ever final fee I get charged, it really wasn't worth the whole sale, but it's done now, and you live and learn.

 

[Loz]

I had the same this week, put a load of beekeeping equipment up for sale with a buyer must collect payment cash or PayPal.
Guy wins the auction then immediately pays by paypal! FFS you would have thought as he was picking it up he could have just brought cash with him...

 

[Spaghetti]

I do think eBay are getting greedy, and it’s alienating people.

It’s a bit like when governments charge exhorbitant tax rates, people will swallow it when it’s reasonable, and then ship all their tax affairs offshore when it ramps up. Net effect, the government loses tax revenue.

 

[zombie_T6]

When I sold my Mavic pro drone through eBay I couldn’t believe how much they took as final value and then again with paypal..... Its not worth selling expensive things through eBay now.

 

[Tourershine]

I had the same this week, put a load of beekeeping equipment up for sale with a buyer must collect payment cash or PayPal.
Guy wins the auction then immediately pays by paypal! FFS you would have thought as he was picking it up he could have just brought cash with him...

One wonders if you have the option to add a Credit Card to your Paypal account, this is the reason some people do this for the high value items.
Personally I always contact a seller and ask if they'd prefer cash or Bank Transfer to avoid inflated fee's, but I guess not everyone thinks outside that tiny box.

Beekeeping @Loz? Your spectrum of interests never fails to disappoint me. I've said it before, and I will say it again, I wish I was one of your neighbours.

 

[TEESIXY]

Its a pity e bay dont put more effort into stopping the scammers which the site is littered with. The scammers list, say 200 items, all ridiculously cheap, together with the dodgy e mail addresses in the listing, and yet ebay's "advanced software" doesent spot them.

 

[Sjacko20]

Tell me about it.
I sold those Winter 17" steels I had on here only yesterday through eBay and the guy who purchased them paid instantly by Paypal, which I wasn't expecting for something of that amount without actually seeing them, but Paypal instantly deducted £27 from the transaction! plus what ever final fee I get charged, it really wasn't worth the whole sale, but it's done now, and you live and learn.

@Tourershine I had this a while ago and to save the PayPal fees, if the buyer is willing, you can refund the PayPal payment at no cost and he can bring cash to collect. Saves giving them money

 

[Martinf]

If you think ebay is expensive then you should go along to a conventional ‘old fashioned’ auction. I hadn’t been for years but recently went to one and read that in addition to to Seller fees the Buyer also paid I think it was 22%.

Makes ebay seem cost effective and with a bigger potential audience.

 

[Tourershine]

@Tourershine I had this a while ago and to save the PayPal fees, if the buyer is willing, you can refund the PayPal payment at no cost and he can bring cash to collect. Saves giving them money

I always transfer large amounts out of Paypal and into my bank account straight away, simply because of all the scams through Paypal you read about, so it's too late now.

 

[Davenjo]

Ebay rates (10% of final valuation, which now also includes post and packing costs) and Paypal rates (3.4% of Ebay's final valuation plus 20p) are extortionate but so long as you go into it understanding this it can still be a great place to sell things; you will reach a far bigger audience than you would otherwise and, in many cases, get a much better price that will more than recover the costs.

Personally, once something is listed on eBay, I will only take bids and offers via eBay and always insist on payment via Paypal for the (perceived) protection in gives me and avoidance of any ambiguity and/or problems further down the line.

Don't get me wrong - we are not big Ebay sellers and we tend to go in fits and starts; we list a few things in quick succession then get mentally scarred by all the dumb questions and stupid offers, etc., decide it's not worth the hassle and walk away for a couple of years. We are now in one of our "selling phases" and 3 items we no longer use and have sat in the garage untouched for 2 or 3 years have just gained us £240 net of all fees and costs - there is no way we would have got close to this, with the same minimal level of effort on our part, selling elsewhere - the goods would have just sat in the garage until the next major clear out in a few years time, by which time they'd probably be worthless, and put in a skip.

Currently we have 3 more items on there, one of which I nearly gave away a couple of years ago and have already had an offer of £135 for - happy days (for now!).

 

[Loz]

Beekeeping @Loz? Your spectrum of interests never fails to disappoint me. I've said it before, and I will say it again, I wish I was one of your neighbours.

Not the time I had 6 colonies of angry bees, came home to find a possy waiting for me.. "About your bees!" "they're stinging everyone on the allotments.."... Opps

 

[Tourershine]

Not the time I had 6 colonies of angry bees, came home to find a possy waiting for me.. "About your bees!" "they're stinging everyone on the allotments.."... Opps

I hear Honey is good for stings I'd of said

 

[Loz]

I hear Honey is good for stings I'd of said

I know, it cost me loads..

 

[Murdoch]

I do think eBay are getting greedy, and it’s alienating people.

It’s a bit like when governments charge exhorbitant tax rates, people will swallow it when it’s reasonable, and then ship all their tax affairs offshore when it ramps up. Net effect, the government loses tax revenue.

"think" - ha, ha, ha

They are greedy and if you use PayPal as well, they get a 2nd bite of the cherry too

And hardly pay any UK taxes either ..............

 

[N58amx]

Hate ebay/paypal with a vengeance..

Pp froze my acc and held just short of 16k for roughly 6 months.
Refuse to do anything through ebay/paypal ever again
They even have the power to go direct into your linked bank account/card and withdraw money you have withdrawn from paypal from selling items

 

[Shredder]

@Tourershine ..... thanks for the reminder. It's been a while since I used the scammers that are eBay and PayPal.

Large value items can be put on as a 30 day 'Buy it Now' listing. As people have said, serious buyers always want to come and view. Exchanged messages only contain discussions about viewing arrangements. Viewing goes well, cash given and they take the item. Then don't de-list. Let the item expire as unsold.