what happened with eBay?

ArblemarchTFruitbat · 09/12/2021 13:01

Are you enabling 'Best Offer'? That's going to encourage people to think you'll accept less even if the item is very cheap.
I think a lot of people are moving to Vinted for 'young' fashion items.
There will always be piss-takers. All you can do is make sure you describe any flaws/wear and tear very thoroughly as well as including accurate photos. I wouldn't expect perfection for a fiver but I might be a bit annoyed if there was obvious damage that hadn't been shown (I wouldn't do anything about it for £5 unless the item was unusable).

HeatingOnHeatingOff · 09/12/2021 13:04

I think ebay has had its day now.

Boden used to sell brilliantly on there, just last week i got £2 per pair of pjs in fantastic condition.

Also many items used to get alot of views, now its 20 at the most.

TheFormidableMrsC · 09/12/2021 13:06

I'm done with eBay since they stopped using PayPal for payments in and taking massive fees. Also having to wait several days for payments. Im going to start using Vinted I think.

ChicCroissant · 09/12/2021 13:09

A couple of items I've bought recently off eBay haven't been delivered, one item couldn't be found so they refunded me and one seller informed me after the auction ended that they would be away for a week and couldn't post it (I'd have still had to pay within four days though ) so they refunded me.

I also get a lot of offers from sellers on items I'm watching - seems to be something eBay is pushing more at the moment.

buckleten · 09/12/2021 13:16

Does Vinted use paypal? I have never heard of it, but might give it a go if so, as I too have not had great experiences with ebay lately..

Eileen101 · 09/12/2021 13:18

eBay has definitely had its day. Vinted is far more popular. As a seller (kids stuff mostly), my cheap bundles of good quality clothes are barely even getting any views now.
As a seller on vinted, the process is far smoother a d without the high fees eBay charges.

FreeBritnee · 09/12/2021 13:19

Yeah I read to use Facebook now

FreeBritnee · 09/12/2021 13:19

*tend

GrowThroughWhatYouGoThrough · 09/12/2021 13:25

Vinted seems to be the new eBay at the mo

MalFunkshun · 09/12/2021 13:45

Agree with what others have said - excellent quality Boden and Joules outfits were barely making £3 and £4. I just posted 9 outfits, all good brands, and have been left with £8.50 after fees and P&P not worth the hassle.

Those that use Vinted to sell kids’ clothes - do you have more success as individual items or bundles? Any tips? I have a LOT to shift and am no longer going to use eBay.

Tommika · 09/12/2021 13:48

@microbius

I am on eBay forever, having bought and sold lots, 100% feedback always. Now, having listed some dresses, children clothes, I am surprised that eBay is not what I use to know.

1.For very cheap items, £5, people send offer of £3?
2.Not very much activity on items that previously always sold well (specific brand, etc)
3.A person just bought an item (jacket) of me for £5 and sent me a complaint it is not as good as she expected. £5???

I think of getting off eBay altogether. I mean, you will not get anything in charities near where I live for less than £10-15, not even a T shirt. I was listing things to pass them on to people who might find them useful, in an eco-spirit kind of way. In fact, I am losing money (in terms of my time) selling, packing, posting things that I sold for £5. Postage on them is £4! eBay takes percentage off. And then people complain or want things for £3? I just don't get it. I think I'll end all my listings and just take the stuff to charity near me.

It’s just people & there are some very cheeky people out there

Don’t list the postage options with the actual Royal Mail price. I have a reference list of Royal Mail / courier prices and the eBay payment fees. I then round that and either list the postage options plus free collection or sometimes call it free postage and make sure my opening price is enough to cover postage.

Eg Royal Mail small parcel up to 100grams signed for is £4.20
12.8% of eBay sale and payment processing fees = 54p
I’ll round all that up by 6p to £4.80

On my auction opening price I make sure that I’m covering the 35p extra fee plus 12.8%, and that Im willing to sell at that price
Ideally my opening price will make me some money, so I’ll consider about accepting offers.
If I put in offers then I adjust the minimum offer - making sure that I’m happy to have 12.8% and 35p deducted

I then won’t see any offers below what I’m willing to sell at (unless someone uses messaging to make an offer, in which case I will probably say no)

On your points:

£3 offer on £5 item
It can seem cheeky, but I’ve sometimes allowed for offers like that - only if I’m happy for it
there can be a lot less activity in some areas and more in others
Just what people are willing to go to eBay for
If it’s as described and as per your photos then tough.
What do they want you to do about it?
Bearing in mind that they bid a price on an auction website for a second hand item

For a better experience giving things away earns you much more in the karma and feel good bank

I buy and sell things from auctions, and I also organise team events so am always acquiring camping stuff. I might want it for myself, to lend to others, have lots of camping chairs for parties or to not care it they get broken or things to sell on. There’s always a stash of random bits not particularly worth anything, or too bulky to bother selling

A local homeless charity put the word out for compact tents and sleeping bags.
So I dropped a message, had a rummage, chucked a few in the car and turned up

I offloaded a load of worthless items that I was hanging onto using up space, got to meet very appreciative homeless people and got chased down the road by the organiser gushing with gratuitude for all the ‘wonderful donations’

When there are cheeky gits around moaning about bargains there’s always someone else deserving and grateful quiet in the corner

santasmuma · 09/12/2021 13:51

I stopped using eBay about 10 years ago. It used to be a great place to buy and sell clothes but then it was flooded, everything was devalued and the fees are a piss take.

luverlybubberly · 09/12/2021 13:53

FB market place is much easier. There are people who don't turn up to collect but it's cash based and the buyer can look before they pay so saves them the hassle of returning stuff. I would look on FB before eBay now. It's good for some things but not others any more.

traka · 09/12/2021 13:55

I only buy on eBay, never sell. Too much hassle

Two golden rules for me, UK seller only and always read seller's reviews first esp if you can find ppl who have bought the item too

drpet49 · 09/12/2021 14:08

* Also having to wait several days for payments. Im going to start using Vinted I think.*

^You have to wait until the buyer receives the item to have your money paid on Vinted

Original poster

microbius · 09/12/2021 15:09

Thanks all, for extensive advice and confirming what I found. Need to move on to vinted!

OP posts:

LizzieMacQueen · 09/12/2021 22:47

I hated Vinted. Cheeky offers and the whole waiting until your customer clicked a box to say they'd received & were happy before money is released. Sometimes taking 2 weeks to get paid when I've laid out for postage. No thanks.

OneInEight · 11/12/2021 09:32

We find if we counter offer then it is often accepted but to be honest it is more trouble than its worth to sell very low value items. If we want to clear then we try bundling up into a joblot so that we rather than the post office get the money.

Sprostongreen21 · 11/12/2021 09:37

I don’t sell but I do buy on Vinted and as a buyer I like the process as find it easy to use/search etc. I’ve had good sellers and deliveries although atm it’s taking a while because of Christmas I presume. As soon as I receive the item I always go on the app so the money is released asap.

I can see it being annoying for those selling and waiting.

Sprostongreen21 · 11/12/2021 09:40

I’ve never been a cheeky type person though and pay for stated price or sometimes the seller offers a lower price to get rid. Postage charges are to the buyer ( once funds released)

I think the cheekiness is everywhere though from eBay to Facebook marketplace and more. People can be just entitled when it comes to second hand.

shelbyy · 11/12/2021 10:34

Yip long gone are the days u got gd money for stuff.

The set up of eBay is constantly trying to drive ur sale price down or more likely make sure I get a sale so they get their commission. The commission is even more expensive now. I only list when it's heavily discounted on final value fees.

I only list on buy it now and I don't allow offers u can change it so it's only a buy it now price. Sometimes folk still msg me saying will I accept £4 for something that's on at a tenner 😂 They expect discounts now.

Folk know if they complain eBay always lets them win. In this instance ask for the time to be returned. Yes it will cost u more postage and then a Faulk refund so u cld end up £6 odds out of pocket but if they are chancers they maybe thought u wld just refund and they keep it so light not actually post it bk.

You still get more on eBay compare to Vinted though. I tried it though and it was easy to list but not as user friendly. I can make more money on eBay even with the fees as bigger number of users. Took me ages to figure out how to delete a listing as I had sold it on eBay instead.

Tommika · 11/12/2021 13:00

@shelbyy

Yip long gone are the days u got gd money for stuff.

The set up of eBay is constantly trying to drive ur sale price down or more likely make sure I get a sale so they get their commission. The commission is even more expensive now. I only list when it's heavily discounted on final value fees.

I only list on buy it now and I don't allow offers u can change it so it's only a buy it now price. Sometimes folk still msg me saying will I accept £4 for something that's on at a tenner 😂 They expect discounts now.

Folk know if they complain eBay always lets them win. In this instance ask for the time to be returned. Yes it will cost u more postage and then a Faulk refund so u cld end up £6 odds out of pocket but if they are chancers they maybe thought u wld just refund and they keep it so light not actually post it bk.

You still get more on eBay compare to Vinted though. I tried it though and it was easy to list but not as user friendly. I can make more money on eBay even with the fees as bigger number of users. Took me ages to figure out how to delete a listing as I had sold it on eBay instead.

Note that with fees eBay isn’t now more expensive. There are two fees on eBay - the sale which remains at 10% + 35p and payment processing now via eBay payments, which is less than the PayPal fee was.

You pay ‘more’ directly to eBay, but less than was paid to eBay and PayPal combined

If you make a low value sale and reverse calculate the percentage then the 35p fixed charge makes the net percentage high - but it was that high before

Monolithique · 23/12/2021 14:33

With offers i set a minimum so I don't get silly offers. I've only been on it about 3 years and it hasn't got worse in that time Imo.
I do find a weird variation in what will sell and what won't.

I have had one complaint after I sold a really nice popular with teens brand bag to someone, barely used, for £6. They had a shop f some kind and were trying to sell it on.

lljkk · 30/12/2021 16:09

I tried a few items on Vinted but zero interest -- they sold for higher price on eBay. Women's clothes has always been a difficult category to sell in.

Outlyingtrout · 30/12/2021 16:16

I’ve given up on eBay. Sold loads of stuff on there over the years but it’s terrible for sellers now. Items that used to get tons of views now routinely get less than 20. This is a deliberate move by eBay as they direct buyers to more “relevant” listings (I assume that means business sellers or power sellers).

I’ve had a bit of success on Facebook marketplace but it’s hit and miss. Not sure what is the best platform to sell kids clothes which is primarily what I sell.