Raise £350 for Christmas - the new eBay challenge

[DinosaursHateUnderpants]

Post your listings and questions here. The purpose is to raise money for Christmas and I'll start by showing my (so far) meagre listings here

Lol. The under stairs cupboard is still full of stuff to list! I seem to have bags of things everywhere I look! In the corner of the kitchen there is 2 or 3 bags of soft toys to list that DD2 decided she didn't want anymore. Some nice hello kittys to list as soon as possible!
I'm not expecting the summery items to sell. Hoping DSs bloody bed sells this time!

Everyones doing so well! I wasnt sure if Id bother listing this weekend, and in the end just relisted about 50 things and listed 10 new. Anything that doesnt sell will be re-relisted next month. Have a few child free days and I cant decide what to do with myself. HAd this mad idea of just taking off to London or Paris for 2 nights which I could fund with ebay sales...but then theres all those wee jobs at home that need done....and about 300 more items that need listed! Trying to decide if two and a half days spent listing things on ebay making money is better than two and a half days in a big cultural city spending money...

all my items.
Couple of watchers already which is good.

I got a few things listed yesterday, and some craft items too!

Aargh - I'm really cross. I went by ebay's postal costs for 2nd class recorded and they are wrong! They are using the prices for standard 2nd class. If I send things recorded, I will be losing around 50p an item :(

Would it be really awful of me to post them standard 2nd class? Should I tell people that or ask them if they want them recorded and to pay the extra? Some of the things it wouldn't be worth it but some stuff has gone for quite a lot. If I don't send it recorded, can I still get a refund if the PO loses it?

Sorry, all I do on here is ask loads of annoying questions

Cristinaaa I'm not sure what I would do. The trouble is, if you post standard 2nd class you may get marked down on the star ratings on feedback. Think you may just have to take on the extra cost this time and use royal mail site for postage calculator next time. Very annoying for you though.

I have a bid on an item that I have relisted loads of times!

I agree with Tortoise, if you don't post by the method stated your buyers could not be happy and could also trash your stars or feedback

Also sending without a signature you are leaving yourself wide open for buyers to open not receive claims against you.

It's my fault - I've had another look and didn't read the info properly it seems - it wasn't that clear. Although sending something that cost 99p recorded mail seems insane. Oh well, you live and learn. I suppose I'll only lose about a fiver all told but it's annoying :(

Thanks so much for the advice too - perhaps they'll give me extra good feedback for charging them less for postage than they actually paid :o

Greetings everyone!

I've had a break from eBay for a week - sold a few things Sunday night a week back including one of the Svan highchairs which fetched £56! Am up to £266 exc fees but now need to get listing again. Re children's clothes ... is there any point in putting summer stuff on at this stage? I've it bagged up and it can sit in the cupboard until the spring if necessary! Have some Wilton cake tins to sell, girls trainers and odds and sods. I ought to have a peek on eBay to see what sells well.

Can't believe how much everyone is selling - I take my hat off to you bulk sellers ... it takes so long to photograph and list things.

Millie - I'm not sure re out of season clothes. I was thinking over the weekend that people might still be looking for things for holidays etc. I have a sunshade for a buggy and watched an identical one sell for £14 last week. At this time of year there will be less competition maybe. I suppose it depends which is most important - more space or more cash. At the moment, for me, it would definitely be the space.

Christina I wouldn't send a 99p item recorded to be honest - but anything of value is worth sending with a signature.

I am having palpitations. I listed loads of stuff last night and I have bids on 7 things already They are all from the same buyer so it is clearly worth adding the, "Please take a look at my other auctions. I am happy to combine postage." at the end of your listings, especially if you are selling a lot in the same age range in children's clothes.

It is very encouraging to have bids already. They have gone for the Monsoon, John Lewis and Gap stuff so they obviously know their labels. Fingers crossed they are a good ebayer. I have checked their feedback and it looks ok.

Now to wait and see if anyone bids against them.

Christina I am constantly asking annoying questions and really appreciate the support of this thread. I would be in a right mess by now without it.

It sounds like you have to put this one down to experience but at least we all learn by each others' experience.

I have posted my New Zealand parcel. I charged £3.50 for postage and it was only £2.60 or something like that. Do I just leave it that way? I usually charge a 30p or so for postage materials but not 90p. That said, it seems silly to try to refund them 60p.

I still have one non payer from last night, otherwise they are all in the post.

Has anyone else got watchers or bids yet?

Sorry, another question. Am just looking at the grey mailing bags on eBay ... are all sellers selling the same bag or how do I know that I'm not going to buy a flimsy bag? Also, is it best to buy many bags in a large size or a pack of Multi-sizes? And bubble wrap - same question. All the same quality? Is it just a case of taking a chance? if I get off my bum and order packing materials, then I'll be able to list!!

Thanks

For parcel bags I use o.c.l packaging. And I buy the pink bags just because I think they are less likely to mingle in and get lost lol!
Normally buy 2 different sizes. Not bought bubble wrap so I don't know about that.

That should say o.d.l packaging!

Thanks Tortoise - will check them out

Argh - someone's opened a case against me demanding a refund on a phone as 'it's not what I expected' - given that it's a working phone of the correct model number, as clearly depicted in the photo, and with a link to the online manual given, I have no idea what their problem is, other than they clearly can't read 'please send me a message if there is any problem'.

Though then when I went to look at the listing, Ebay said 'refunds offered', whereas I know I have never put anything in the box where you can put in a refund policy! I've sent a polite message asking what is unexpected about it and will see what they say, but that's a pain in the backside.

Guy wanting item sent to non-Paypal address has been polite and said will send PO to me, so fine by me!

Hopefully futon will get paid for and collected tonight...

I bought multi size bags and they were from g.s.b packaging they were in multi colours as well. Seem ok to me. They are great for sending things out with though.

In other news - someone has bidded on my moses baskets and have 5 watchers.

One thing I would like to see (but you can't - as far as I can see) is who is watching you. Some people must bid but not watch iyswim.

Carrots - I'd refund the 60p postage - I do for anything that's more than 30p over the actual P&P cost and end up doing it a few times a week, the upside is that they tend to leave you great feedback/stars for postage - just make sure you do it ASAP and before they receive it! Oh, and update the sales record too and add a note to mention the refund then save it. I think buyers might swallow 30p but any more significant and they tend to reflect that in your star ratings for postage costs.

Millie - I'd sell bundles of Summer clothes now if you want shot of them (unless they are Monsoon/Boden which I'd list individually) and maybe wait for another free listing weekend to hike the starting price above 99p. I've been selling a load of bikinis and separates over the past month starting at 99p and done OK with them all so far, I just want them gone to free up space:)

Tonight I'm sorting through the boys games and when I add that to what I already have photos of it will mean no more than 30 things to list tomorrow, ending Sunday, and then I shall be done bar automatic relisting, until my Mum finds more things!

Notcitrus - that's annoying. I hope it gets sorted quickly.

I have a question - I bought an item last week and was charged £6 postage but the seller only paid £3.38. I emailed them on Saturday asking if they'd be refunding the difference. I got a reply a few hours later asking me to check what the exact postage cost was so I emailed back straightaway and haven't heard from them since. Should I email again or accept that they don't want to refund the difference or am I being impatient and just wait a bit longer ?

Ooh exciting C&c! I was constantly refreshing at the end of my bids last night - I can see how this can become addictive :o

Millie - I listed a couple a pair of shorts and a couple of short sleeved shirts but no bids so I reckon better to wait until spring. You also might get a better price - I'm sure the timing is why I sold some things for so much because the things that went for the most were the winter coats and waterproofs.

Still mystified as to why the Boden jeans only sold for £2 though!

Thanks fergoose - I may not bother sending the couple of things that went for 99p by recorded then. One of the things I sold for 99p went to a woman who lives about 1.5 miles away so it seems ridiculous!

notcitrus - refunds are compulsory by default I'm afraid, I know some sellers say no refunds allowed but that is incorrect. You've done the right thing in asking the buyer what the problem is - just make sure they aren't trying to scam you by returning a same model but not working phone to you (one they already had) - tell them you are happy to refund when the phone has been received by you and your security markings verified. After reading of scams where the buyer returns a similar but not original item, we used to say this to buyers trying to return high value items we sold like laptops, phones, satnav, PDAs and games consoles - to date not one has ever been returned to us and we've not had to refund. Although now we do actually security mark our items.

mogs0 - I'd send 1 more message saying that I was still waiting for my overpaid postage of £xx to be returned, wait 2 days and then leave feedback and reflect your opinion on the P&P with your star rating.

Whilst I accept that buyers bid knowing the P&P cost upfront it is on the basis of trust that the seller's charge will honestly reflect the actual cost of postage plus time and materials for packing. If there is a large disparity between what you paid and what it cost the seller then you have every right to express your dissatisfaction when you leave feedback and DSR ratings.

Hooray - nice chap has just handed over £100 in cash and carted off the futon with his mate!
I like cash!

Dinosaurs - am I right that if someone wants a refund just because they don't want the item, returning it is at their own cost? That should put them off I hope...

I went to a car boot sale for the first time in 20 years on the weekend - people were struggling to get more than 20-50p for anything, despite 1000s of buyers. It did make it really obvious that condition and being exactly what someone wants is everything - mere Stuff just doesn't have value any more.