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eBay selling tips

wesk702 said:
-create an iCloud account just for the sale. This way you can set an iCloud lock password for the buyer. Once the buyer receives the item, I make sure they email me that they have the phone and that it is as described. Then I give them the iCloud unlock pass. When creating this iCloud account, don't use the phone to create, use a computer because phones are limited to starting a few iCloud accounts before it does not allow anymore. Also doing this you can set the phone to send last known location. If your extra paranoid, put in a cheap prepaid data sim to track along the way incase it can't jump on to the buyers wifi witout a password.
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I've been selling and buying on eBay since 1998 - I was one of the initial beta accounts. I'm not a professional seller, but have amassed (425) 100% positive feedback. Point is, I'm experienced in both the buying and selling arenas, and with some high dollar items.

If I purchased an iPhone on eBay, and received it with some ridiculous caveat that I had to unlock it with a particular password only to be provided by the seller, I'd immediately open a SNAD (significantly not as described) claim with eBay, obtain a full refund, and send the phone back to the seller at the seller's expense. The buyer should have ZERO obligation to contact the seller in any way once the item is received, and I suspect this is mentioned somewhere in eBay's terms of service, and could get your account terminated. eBay provides buyer and seller protection - there's no need for you to add an additional layer. People - don't do this.
 
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SisterBlue22 said:
I've been selling and buying on eBay since 1998 - I was one of the initial beta accounts. I'm not a professional seller, but have amassed (425) 100% positive feedback. Point is, I'm experienced in both the buying and selling arenas, and with some high dollar items.

If I purchased an iPhone on eBay, and received it with some ridiculous caveat that I had to unlock it with a particular password only to be provided by the seller, I'd immediately open a SNAD (significantly not as described) claim with eBay, obtain a full refund, and send the phone back to the seller at the seller's expense. The buyer should have ZERO obligation to contact the seller in any way once the item is received, and I suspect this is mentioned somewhere in eBay's terms of service, and could get your account terminated. eBay provides buyer and seller protection - there's no need for you to add an additional layer. People - don't do this.
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It's specifically in my details.
Don't do his if you don't want to.
Sellers have very little protection if someone says item is not as described.

You can't open a SNAD if it's specifically written in my details. I think I wrote this abiut 2 times now. Hopefully I don't get buyers with reading comprehension skills such as yourself. Take a note, you may forget.
 
Also, the invitation only deal from ebay has been fantastic. That will likely save us about $110. Best advice I can give for ebay is to start the auction at $0.99. You will instantly get people bidding and you'll sell it for much more than you think. Putting some ridiculous preconceived value as your starting bid will likely go unsold.
 
wesk702 said:
It's specifically in my details.
Don't do his if you don't want to.
Sellers have very little protection if someone says item is not as described.

You can't open a SNAD if it's specifically written in my details. I think I wrote this abiut 2 times now. Hopefully I don't get buyers with reading comprehension skills such as yourself. Take a note, you may forget.
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My reading comprehension is fine, thank you. I understand what you said - I simply disagree with you. My point is, I believe it's against eBay's rules to create a situation where the buyer has to contact the seller after the transaction is complete to make their item work. Just because you put it in your description doesn't make it OK. For example - eBay doesn't allow the same of counterfeit designer purses/watches, etc. Even if you clearly state in your description that it's a replica, you can still lose listing privileges. So saying it's "specifically in your details" holds zero water. If I buy a counterfeit purse and open a claim with eBay, I'm going to win and get a refund, even if the listing clearly stated it's counterfeit...because it's against eBay's rules to sell counterfeits.
 
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I avoid selling to buyers who use a PO box, forwarding service, a private mailbox rental, or otherwise as to have the item shipped to a sketchy building that looks like a warehouse. Even if the address is paypal confirmed.

All of these addresses are red flags to me. It's easy to tell it's going to be one of these things because the address will usually have some kind of long out-of-place number or identifier. I will also look up the address on Google street-view or satellite if I am unsure. For example: "Unit 5649823" or "Attn: 09435" or "Box# 0953214". If someone really does like in an apartment building with 5-digit apartment numbers, you will be able to easily see that on Google street-view. However, odds are there are no 1000+ unit apartment buildings in middle of nowhere Nevada or something.

I haven't had many issues selling on ebay, but the few issues I had always involved shipping to address like I described above. If the buyer can't provide me with a better shipping address, then I refund and make a second-chance offer to someone else or relist.
 
wesk702 said:
It's specifically in my details.
Don't do his if you don't want to.
Sellers have very little protection if someone says item is not as described.

You can't open a SNAD if it's specifically written in my details. I think I wrote this abiut 2 times now. Hopefully I don't get buyers with reading comprehension skills such as yourself. Take a note, you may forget.
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again, it doesn't matter what is in your details. they can make up whatever they want and file a SNAD and you will have to pay the shipping back. No reason to be a jerk bc someone disagrees with you. They can simply file a SNAD as they can claim the password you gave them wasn't correct and now the phone is useless.

Like the poster above said....the buyer could claim it's a counterfeit item and eBay doesn't need any proof of that. They will side with the buyer. Then you will get your account frozen and not be able to sell for a specific period of time.

IMO, you are actually creating more unnecessary drama than what is needed.
 
SisterBlue22 said:
My reading comprehension is fine, thank you. I understand what you said - I simply disagree with you. My point is, I believe it's against eBay's rules to create a situation where the buyer has to contact the seller after the transaction is complete to make their item work. Just because you put it in your description doesn't make it OK. For example - eBay doesn't allow the same of counterfeit designer purses/watches, etc. Even if you clearly state in your description that it's a replica, you can still lose listing privileges. So saying it's "specifically in your details" holds zero water. If I buy a counterfeit purse and open a claim with eBay, I'm going to win and get a refund, even if the listing clearly stated it's counterfeit...because it's against eBay's rules to sell counterfeits.
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^THIS. I'm sorry OP, but I agree, having your buyers HAVE to contact you after making a purchase is just uncomfortable to say the least.
 
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I actually just sold my 6 and I had to deal with my first fraudulent buyer on its original listing.

The user had only opened an account the day my item sold and had zero account history, zero feedback. I was suspicious just from that but didn't want to discriminate against a new buyer. I've been a new buyer at one time, etc.

What tipped me off was a lack of automatic payment. PayPal lets me know right away when a buyer pays for the item they won and the funds stay pending until I ship. This payment was saying "paid" but it was an hourglass icon instead of the normal green $. I was so pissed off and immediately opened a ticket to cancel the transaction. The buyer also ended up deleting their account and proving their guilt.

Thankfully my item sold just fine when I relisted, if at an albeit lower price. Normal solid transaction that I was used to over the years.

Maybe I'm a naive seller and needed to have this experience so I updated my settings to prevent users like that from getting through but... Either way. Lesson learned.
 
I just sold my 5c on ebay, have not had a problem yet selling on ebay. I got invited to sell and get up to $100 matched on the price. Sold for $170, so I will get a $100 gift card (to use on ebay), not too bad. I use ebay quite often.
 
Clearing payments only apply to eCheck. Money hits your account, you're protected
 
neile45 said:
I just sold my 5c on ebay, have not had a problem yet selling on ebay. I got invited to sell and get up to $100 matched on the price. Sold for $170, so I will get a $100 gift card (to use on ebay), not too bad. I use ebay quite often.
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Do you have a link to that offer?
 
SisterBlue22 said:
I've been selling and buying on eBay since 1998 - I was one of the initial beta accounts. I'm not a professional seller, but have amassed (425) 100% positive feedback. Point is, I'm experienced in both the buying and selling arenas, and with some high dollar items.

If I purchased an iPhone on eBay, and received it with some ridiculous caveat that I had to unlock it with a particular password only to be provided by the seller, I'd immediately open a SNAD (significantly not as described) claim with eBay, obtain a full refund, and send the phone back to the seller at the seller's expense. The buyer should have ZERO obligation to contact the seller in any way once the item is received, and I suspect this is mentioned somewhere in eBay's terms of service, and could get your account terminated. eBay provides buyer and seller protection - there's no need for you to add an additional layer. People - don't do this.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't it make more sense to actually look into the TOS than to assume? I'm. It recommending the actions you speak so stonefly against, but I wasn't able to find anything in their TOS that states you cannot ship a locked device with the understanding that the buyer needs contact the seller to unlock, particularly of this is even stated in the listing.
 
lordofthereef said:
Wouldn't it make more sense to actually look into the TOS than to assume? I'm. It recommending the actions you speak so stonefly against, but I wasn't able to find anything in their TOS that states you cannot ship a locked device with the understanding that the buyer needs contact the seller to unlock, particularly of this is even stated in the listing.
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You're correct...I didn't check, and I should have. I also didn't state it as fact. However, my opinion remains that it's not something I would recommend doing and I would be annoyed if it was done to me. Of course, I read listing details thoroughly and would choose not to purchase this gentleman's phone based on this information, but many sadly don't.
 
Cergman said:
Very smart tips, thanks for this post. The throwaway iCloud one is actually very clever, I think I might use that one!
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I have used the throwaway iCloud account t idea for a couple of years and it works fine.

Buyer receives phone and can inspect it and then when satisfied contacts me, I give him the iCloud ID and password and tell him it will remain active for 48 hours. After he has activated the phone I change the iCloud password ready for the next customer
 
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