Selling on ebay

[Thetoothyteeth]

I have some things to sell on ebay and I really need the money at the moment. I've seen so many stories about sellers being ripped off, returns issues etc and ebay always taking buyers side. Am I overthinking it? I have an iphone to sell and I don't want to get an empty envelope returned to me after buyer has been refunded.

Some sellers mention security marking items to prevent this - how do you do this? Anyone know?

Thank you x

I don't know about security marking but I've had no end of trouble with selling electricals on eBay. And in my experience they do always side with the buyer even if there's nothing wrong. Also it doesn't matter if you have a no return policy. If someone wants to return it and they raise it with eBay, they'll expect you to take it back and fund the return too. I now only sell baby clothes and the odd Tempur pillow. Low risk things!

I would advertise something like a photo on Facebook local pages or use mobilevaluer.com

Phones and electricals are always risky.

Never sell anything that you are prepared to lose. I have sold phones and electricals, mostly transactions have been fine, but not always.
I sell £60K a year of ebay stuff- but all low risk.
Safer to sell a phone on gumtree for cash in hand.

For an iphone I'd avoid ebay altogether and try Gumtree or your local Facebook selling pages, as PP suggested.

Thanks all, just as i thought then re ebay! Will be advertising my goods elsewhere, hmph!

We've had some success selling on shpock. Less time wasters than the Facebook groups (so far!). I'm very put off eBay selling as you read so many horror stories, I'd rather not take the risk especially on something higher value

Try that music magpie for your phone - just got £40 for an old Samsung x

I sell quite a bit on eBay, tho not electricals. What I’ve learned from experience is ALWAYS to send by recorded delivery for higher value items or “signed for” for cheaper things.... we’ve had buyers claiming that items didn’t arrive, eBay always finds on their behalf, so seller has to refund.

We got DD's iphone (SE) on Gumtree, maybe £300 cash. Unlike Ebay's 10%, Gumtree don't take a % of your sale price. DH had a quick way to check the iphone wasn't stolen & could otherwise check it over for functionality. Very civilised transaction.

Main thing is Ebay expects private sellers to be as professional as M&S or John Lewis, etc. So have to accept returns, customer-is-always-right etc. If you don't want to have to behave like a large shop, then try FreeAds or Gumtree.

Selling on Ebay & posting items, I've never had anything cheap go missing, so I don't bother to pay extra for signed for-postage service on items below about £12-£15 value. Stuff above £20 can easily go "missing", though, gosh some buyers can be such scammers!

I sell clothes handbags shoes and jewellery on eBay DS sells games, consoles and records
Everything goes recorded or special delivery and I log the tracking details as soon as I've posted
I don't accept returns - have had a couple of people try it on and eBay have awarded in my favour
I'm not sure I'd risk a phone - but you can buy uv pen to mark an item

A phone I wouldn’t risk on eBay personally, I’m sure there are people that have sold phones on eBay with no issues but it isn’t a risk I would personally take. You would prob be best off with selling sites such as Shpock, gum tree and Facebook selling pages where usually people live local to you can see the phone before they buy pay in cash and that’s it done with. if phone is worth quite abit use one of those pens to check the cash isn’t counterfeit before you hand the phone over because you have the risk of scammers everywhere not just eBay. Although I’m not sure if the pens still work on the new notes might be worth looking into first.

You can advertise it on eBay as cash on collection only. You will reduce the pool of buyers, but for a high value item with a good discount, I think people will travel. That's the only sure fire way to avoid being scammed. (Check the notes are genuine though!)

Yes go for it, but send anything at all by recorded delivery and anything expensive by special delivery.
Although eBay take so much out in fees these days I would honestly try Gumtree and shpock first.

In my experience ebay sides with the buyer even with proof it was recieved. Well, my main issue was with a paypal chargeback. There was signature proof and stuff that this dress was received, but paypal still refunded buyer. Once this happened on ebay too...but that was a laptop so I kind of expected some problems.