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Original poster

New Year 2015 Declutter Challenge

139 replies

HiccupHaddockHorrendous · 30/12/2014 16:24

Anyone fancy joining me?

I am in the middle of de cluttering misery and making a bit of cash out it might ease the trauma Grin

As it's free listing at the moment, I am taking advantage and getting a few things on there.

I have at least two big bags of things that have been pushed into a cupboard to be ebayed one day Hmm. Going to try and make a start on them this evening/tomorrow.

My target is £300 by Feb half term.

OP posts:
Dumbledoresgirl · 12/02/2015 16:23

Well, grrr, I have my first hiccup since starting my latest bout of selling last August: a buyer has emailed to say the item she bought hasn't arrived. Why am I automatically suspicious of people who say parcels haven't arrived? I suppose it is because you hear so much about people scamming on ebay, plus the fact that I have never had a parcel sent to me go missing. I know Royal Mail do lose lots of items in the post each year, but not as many as ebayers seem to claim!

Anyway, fortunately, I had my proof of postage slip which I photographed and sent to her. I know it means absolutely nothing, except that I did post the item, but last time someone claimed not to have received something and I sent them photographic proof of postage, the item miraculously turned up the next day. I hope the same happens in this case.

Other than that, I have been doing ok lately. I sold 6 items over the weekend. How is everyone else doing?

millymae · 12/02/2015 16:59

Have you asked her to check at her local sorting office/ with neighbours etc. It shouldn't happen, but sometimes the Post Man forgets to put a card through the door to say that he's tried to deliver.

I use Royal Mail all the time and have never ( touch wood) had a parcel go missing. I've had two buyers contact me as yours did. One got back to me within the hour to say that it was with her neighbour and the other the next day to say that it had arrived.

The Post Office do not consider a parcel lost until 15 days after it should have been delivered, so I would try and hold on doing anything until this has passed. If your buyer is reasonable he or she should be prepared to wait that long before expecting a refund.

Dumbledoresgirl · 12/02/2015 17:23

Yes, Milliemae, I did suggest she checked with the sorting office and told her sometimes cards don't get put through the door. Like you, I have had experience of this. I once went to the sorting office on the off chance as I knew I had a parcel coming to me and it hadn't arrived within reasonable time, and there it was! There had definitely been no card through my door.

Another time, I sold something on ebay and it didn't arrive and again I suggested the buyer checked her local office. I don't know if she did or didn't - she said she had and I ended up having to give her a full refund, all the time seething and thinking she was scamming me. Then months later, the parcel was delivered back to me: her sorting office had had it all along! So I still don't know if she checked with them and they had temporarily lost it and she then didn't bother them again as I had refunded her, or whether she never checked with them in the first place and they didn't notify her they were holding the parcel for her.

Either way, as I said before, Royal Mail had not lost the parcel and I don't think they have now either. It was only posted 10 days ago, so thanks for the tip about waiting 15 days. I will let her know that if she gets back to me.

Dumbledoresgirl · 12/02/2015 17:24

Sorry. Millymae

glammanana · 15/02/2015 11:14

Sales not to bad really this last 10 days made £61.00 approx in total all with BIN sales and just mentioning on missing parcels they have all arrived thanks goodness,I had one buyer give me feedback that it was fast delivery then 10 days later said INR when I sent her copy of feedback she said she had forgotten she had it ?? was she trying it on I don't know but since then I always state that I keep copy of posting for their peace of mind when I send the invoice and have not had one go missing since then (maybe I have just been lucky)
With regard to free listing I did not get an email invite last week just an accept offer on my selling page (down with my free/schedualed listings) and I nearly missed the offer as I usually get email in early hours of Saturday mornings but this one was from Sunday-Tuesday so be aware girls. xxglamma xx

PurpleFrog · 15/02/2015 11:43

Yes - I accepted the offer on my selling page last Sunday morning. The email from eBay to tell me I had the free listing offer arrived on the Monday afternoon! I have checked both days this weekend just in case!

I have sorted out a few more things to photograph. I'll go upstairs and do it now before the sun goes in.

robin64 · 15/02/2015 16:32

There is an offer today in case you havent seen it - 100 free auction or BIN but with Best Offer. You need to accept the offer to use it.

PurpleFrog · 15/02/2015 16:53

robin64 - I definitely don't have an offer this week...

glammanana · 16/02/2015 11:51

No offer for me this week either,I must not be top of their popularity list at the moment as they are not making as much money from me as this time last year.

PurpleFrog · 16/02/2015 12:22

I think nowadays that sellers are sent the offers in groups, so we might get one next weekend glammnana.

I got a message at the end of last week from a buyer that I had sent a hand knitted cardigan to earlier in the week. My heart sank, but when I opened it I found that she was highly delighted with her purchase - it fitted perfectly and she wondered if I had any more! It was really nice to get good news for a change! I am feeling quite positive about eBay at the moment, and I have a couple more things to post during my lunch break today. Smile

robin64 · 16/02/2015 22:43

Purple I didn't get the one last weekend so I think they are spreading them about. I had one before that though so has been useful. This weekends offer is auction or BIN but have to add best offer if you BIN - which hasn't been too bad. Just sold an item I have relisted quite a few times so hurrah! Things are going pretty steadily I am doing a mix of auctions and BINs.

Dumbledoresgirl · 17/02/2015 17:17

It's been 5 days since I was messaged by a buyer saying her parcel hadn't arrived. I replied with a photograph of my proof of postage to show her that I had sent it. I have heard nothing since. It is now 15 days in total since I sent it to her. Would you assume that her silence means she has now received the parcel or was lying in the first place about not having received it and can I now relax, or would you message her and ask for an update?

Auburnsparkle · 17/02/2015 17:40

no I wouldn't message her asking. Just assume silence means it has arrived. And send tracked next time.

glammanana · 17/02/2015 18:39

Yes I would leave well alone and presume it had arrived,this happened to me last year and about a month later I got a positive feedback from the buyer but she never confirmed delivery until she left the feedback so don't worry at all.Always send tracked it stops you getting grey hair !! lol.

Original poster
HiccupHaddockHorrendous · 18/02/2015 00:32

Right, I'm back from my break and feeling motivated to get ebaying!!

My next target is £300 by Easter...30 items at £10 each...starting tomorrow, after work (fingers crossed it's a calm day Grin)

Also, from today, I'm on a paypal-spending ban...again!!!!

OP posts:
Dumbledoresgirl · 18/02/2015 09:55

Please could someone explain tracked postage to me. Isn't it expensive? Or is that recorded delivery I am thinking of?

The items I sell are very cheap - usually no more than £5 at most - and so a basic £2.80 second class small packet rate already adds to the cost by more than 50%. So surely sending tracked will up the cost even more?

On the other hand, everyone here seems to swear by it. What am I missing?

Auburnsparkle · 18/02/2015 15:28

You can send Hermes - £2.98 fully tracked if under 1kg. Royal Mail signed for is more pricey and posties don't often bother with a signature. Why don't you list for £10 bin with free postage and best offer? Guaranteed 5 stars for postage then.

Btw it is part of the agreement that you send with online proof of delivery. The email telling you payment has been received tells you to send tracked.

glammanana · 21/02/2015 13:49

Hiccup Welcome back hope you got your stuff on and listed,this week has been amazing for my sales done 6 x BINs all at good prices so everyone must be coming out of their shells after the big xmas spend up.
I am also keeping clear of pay-pal only thing I bought was a mannequin for display purposes I got it for just over £10 so was well chuffed so the Las Vegas pot looks as though it may be healthy by the time we are due to go.Grin

Dumbledoresgirl · 23/02/2015 14:34

Hello again everyone. Smile

I seem to come here only with questions but you are all so helpful so here I go again! As stated before, some of the items I sell on ebay are things I make myself. Over the weekend, I received a message from an ebayer asking me if I would make something specific for her. I replied saying I could - by which I meant, I was physically able to make the item she wanted, but wasn't necessarily agreeing to do so, though she took it to mean I was. Anyway, she then bombarded me with emails with different extra requirements, all of which I read and tried out some ideas, but didn't actually respond to (because I was working out whether I was capable of doing what she wanted before replying).

I then get another email pushing for a reply. I took this to mean she was keen (I was thinking of just not bothering as I don't really like being pressurised) and emailed back some photos of what I had made, asked her how much she would pay, etc. She isn't very clear in all her emails so I am not entirely sure where the negotiation stands at the moment but it has just occurred to me: where do we both stand legally here? I won't send anything until she has paypaled me the money, but what would happen if, for instance she didn't like what I made, or the item was lost in the post, or she claimed the item was lost? Am I right in thinking she wouldn't have a leg to stand on? Are there any potential hazards for me?

Dumbledoresgirl · 23/02/2015 14:36

Also meant to add: has she got any security from paypal if she isn't happy? Could she claim the money back from paypal if I didn't agree to refund her?

Auburnsparkle · 23/02/2015 14:59

yes she could claim back the money from paypal - and you would need to send with proof of delivery so she can't claim not received. But if she is this much hassle already I would be inclined not to sell her anything tbh.

PurpleFrog · 23/02/2015 15:31

I have done something similar and sold through eBay. When it was finished I listed it as "Reserved listing for eBay_Username". I then emailed the buyer the listing ID and she bought as usual. Would your item so personalised that you would be unlikely to resell it if she returned it?

MummySara · 02/03/2015 21:16

what is everyone selling?

glammanana · 03/03/2015 08:47

MummySara I am just having a complete clearout of personal stuff and stuff belonging to DD (she works full time so has no spare time really)
I am selling good named clothes (Boden/Box2/Autograph etc and just sold a handbag which I find always sell well when I decide to get rid of them.This week I have sold shoes and good named mens shirts so quite a good mixture really,I sell all my stuff with BIN prices & include P&P in the price.

Dumbledoresgirl · 03/03/2015 16:52

I sell clothing too, but anything really as long as it is in a decent condition. Most women's wear goes eventually. My teenage daughter is my gold mine as girls' clothing is pretty much guaranteed to sell every time. She is always demanding new stuff and tiring of stuff that, in my eyes, is absolutely pristine!

I also sell my younger son's clothing if there is anything worth selling, occasionally toys, games, household items, dvds. I list loads and loads of books, both on ebay and Amazon, mainly my youngest son's or my daughter's, as they are both big readers and, if you are prepared to just leave them listed for month after month they do go eventually but they aren't big money makers.

The other thing I sell is homemade craft items but I am thinking of starting an etsy shop for those as I think they will sell better there. I did well before Christmas though, I suppose people were looking for gifts then.

How is everyone doing at the moment? I did a bit better in February - £76 profit - but the last couple of weeks have been dire.