Seller novice - any words of advice?

[itstheyearzero]

I've been using Ebay as a buyer for years and years, but I have never sold anything on it. I find myself in a position where I need to make a bit of extra money this month if possible, so I thought I would give selling a go. I'll be selling good quality/designer clothes and shoes. What do I need to know to make sure I get the best out of this opportunity? I'm thinking auction start/end times, buy it now / reserves/ postage costs etc. Has anybody got a handy guide? Thanks.

Make sure you take plenty of photos. I usually add at least 2-3 photos for each item.

Add exact dimensions/ sizes correctly.

Double check postage sizes for prices as they have recently gone up slightly.

Check out the final value fees and take that into consideration on the starting bid.

Say if your happy to combine postage costs on multiple items.

The most important one I find is, always check what day/ time your item will end. That can be vital in making a sale. For example: I recently sold a load of toddler clothes so I made sure all bids ended after 7:30pm (usually kids are in bed by then)

Good luck.

ALWAYS send recorded delivery.

Detailed and accurate description.

Make sure your photos are decent quality and show the item well. If there are any marks or defects on the item take a photo specifically of that so the buyer can’t say they weren’t aware.

This is really helpful. Thanks!

ALWAYS send recorded delivery.

No longer true. As long as it’s not a letter size, you can send it non signed for (previously known as recorded) you get a reference number on the proofing of postage (so make sure you keep it) . Enter it online and you will get a delivery status. As long as this shows as delivered it’s enough to win a not received case. However you’re only insured up to £25.

Another tip is to carefully construct your item title. It doesn’t need to be pretty or a structured sentence, just try to throw in as many words as you can think of that searchers might use when looking for similar sentences.

Women's clothing are the most problematic items to sell, produce the most complaints. You cannot provide too many pictures or too many measurements. Describe any faults in blunt detail.

auction start/end times
When most people are home from work, so weekday evenings, Sunday mornings. Buy-it-now listing, the end time hardly matters.

buy it now
I like these much better than auctions, but must research carefully the right price. Use advanced search "Sold" listings to see what similar items recently went for. Can revise the price up or down before sale.

reserves
Never to this. Start price = your reserve.

postage costs
I do "Free postage" (total BS name) so no one can complain.
Under £20 regular Royal Mail will cover your loss if the item gets stolen by buyer fails to be delivered. MNers diss MyHermes constantly, but i've not had any trouble with them & they are usually the cheapest courier service that is recorded delivery.

You didn't mention minimising fees: very important.
Most Ebay listings end up being for free, you shouldn't pay for the listing; if you see a listing charge, you ticked an expensive box that you need to untick.

Ebay & Paypal together take 13.5% + 20p. make sure your start or BIN price gets you a profit plus covers the your delivery charge, and 14% that is hived off by Ebay+Paypal.

Thanks, this is really useful.