To think it’s harder to get an eBay bargain these days?

[MotherOfDragons90]

I’ve used eBay for years and I have always been able to get some lovely items for a couple of pounds. But this seems to have changed recently and people are starting listings at six or seven pounds! Just for basic high street items of clothing. Add on the outrageous postage and it ceases to be that much of a bargain! I hardly ever see the old 99p listings anymore.

I bought a kaftan (you know those super light small things!) for holiday and postage was £6.95!

Is it just me? AIBU To think eBay isn’t as good as it once was?

I don't use eBay as much as I used to because I went on there for second hand stuff to use for the stables/dog walking, like jeans and jumpers for me and DC. It's just flooded now with new stuff from China and you have to wade through hundreds of those to find the real stuff you want, and I don't have the time or inclination. If I do use it I have a 'maximum' I'll go to for both the price and postage and bid that amount, if I win then I win.
I've also been put off by being scammed - most recently a book. Yes I got my money back but it was ages before I could raise the case, then give seller chance to respond. It was supposed to have been a present and arrive by a certain date, but didn't at all. Didn't know whether to hang on and wait or order from somewhere else.

I sell as a business on ebay mostly vintage and antiques and breakable

if I sell something for £20 that I paid £10 for with free postage

ebay fees 10% so £2
paypal fees 3.4% plus 20p so 88p
actual postage second class small parcel purchased online £2.85 it is 10p more in the post office
add on cost of a small box, 25cm of bubble wrap and a few packing peanuts another 38p
total profit =£3.89

if you sell something starting at 99p with £3 postage and it sells for 99p
charges ebay 40p (10% of 3.99) paypal 33p
you make 15p on postage which needs to cover the box/ envelope
total profit 27p ie not worth it

if you buy your postage on ebay and print label at home even ordinary second class has a tracking number so harder for scammers

it is not always cheaper before christmas some used but recent lego sets were being sold at higher prices than in official lego shop brand new

Ihaveabloodyheadache you can use search preferences to hide the Chinese tat and search UK only, used only etc. The secret is to read what is on the page.

Same applies to buyers who don't read the description or ask questions and then open a not described case against the seller, which is why there a lot less private sellers on there now. It affects their ability to sell, as does marking the stars down so people will merrily bugger up the stars and then wonder why there is nothing left to buy.

Star ratings, defaults, returns all affect where the listings appear in search, or if they appear at all in spite of being listed.

There are fewer people bidding on auctions because eBay seems to be dominated by BuyItNow commercial sellers.

I used to sell my dcs' clothes on eBay - nice brands, almost new. I don't bother anymore. I spend hours listing, weighing them for postage, tracking the auctions, then packaging as and when the buyers pay, then going to the post office for days in a row, only to make £24 net after fees and postage/packaging.

No thanks. I donate it to a charity shop instead.

If I did list, I no longer list at 99p like I used to. As there are fewer bidders, auctions rarely increase the price by much more. Therefore, I will list at a price I am happy to sell at and get one or 2 bidders, rather than a low price hoping to attract competitive bidding.

I really try to avoid purchases from the US now as the postage can extortionate. I try to buy in UK only. I very rarely sell. Too many CFs.

Has anyone tried buying or selling on Vinted?

It's a swathe of chinese shit and dodgy sellers these days. Even amazon is too.

I agree eBay is no longer the bargain place it used to be such a shame used to love it but I don't shop on it often now

SpringForEver Filtering out items by UK is no guarantee of filtering out Chinese tat. If a Chinese seller has a uk registered office they can claim to be in the uk, even when really they aren’t.

CurcubitaPepo I know, I always check item location (Liverpool, Kent, Middlesex etc.) then sellers country which is usually China or some other far away place, estimated delivery time is also a giveaway, so then it is easy to double check by reading the feedback left, I read the negs and often after a few there will be a comment about the location, and some about slow delivery, plenty for non arrival.

However you can filter out an awful lot of them by using the search terms to start with. It is a pain having to weed them out though but if you are looking for used clothing the Chinese stuff shouldn't come up if you have used the search options, only the many pages of identical skimpy things on very slim Chinese models.

Just try finding a genuine UK seller of metal tea infusers, that is a job and a half. Used jumpers are a doddle.

We sold items on Facebook recently to local buyers and found it rather profitable as no fees or postage to deal with. Worth a try if you live in a big enough city.