Sign up to sell on eBay for the first time: £20 from eBay + chance to win £300 from MN for feedback NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Are you looking to declutter, or have stuff you have been meaning to sell but haven’t got round to it yet? Selling regularly but not using eBay? This is the test for you!

We have been asked by the team at eBay, to find 1000 MNers to put them to the test and to share their feedback on a survey.

For this test we are specifically looking for UK Mumsnetters that never listed an item on eBay before (first time listers) and users that haven’t listed anything for the last 365 days.

What is eBay?
~ eBay is the world's biggest online marketplace; a place for buyers and sellers to come together and buy or sell almost anything!
~ A seller lists an item on eBay, from antiques to cars, books to sporting goods. The seller chooses to accept only bids for the item (an auction-style listing) or to offer the Buy It Now option, which allows buyers to purchase the item straight away at a fixed price.
~ In an online auction-style listing, the bidding opens at a price the seller specifies and remains on eBay for a certain number of days. Buyers then place bids on the item. When the listing ends, the buyer with the highest bid wins.
~ In a Buy It Now listing, the first buyer willing to pay the seller's price gets the item. Buying and selling on eBay is easy and it's fun.

Learn more about selling on eBay here www.ebay.co.uk/simple-selling

Note:
All testers will need to create (or use their existing) eBay account and also have a PayPal account - if you don’t have an eBay account then you will need to create one before signing up.

All testers will need to be registered members of Mumsnet.
All testers will need to agree to list two items on eBay (for at least 14 days or more) which they would like to sell. We will send selected testers some guidance and support on how to add a listing.
Limited to 1000 testers. Sign up before 10th September at the latest (recruitment might close earlier than this). T&Cs apply - please read.
Listings must start between the 21st August and 30th September.
Selling and listing an item on eBay can and does incur small fees - for more info see here and there's a fee calculator here.

All testers will need to share feedback after they have completed their listing on a survey form (we will email you a link).

If you’re interested in taking part, please sign up here.

All those selected (if selected, you will be emailed by Mumsnet) and who go through the process of listing at least two items each via eBay and sharing their feedback on a survey by 16 October 2017 will be sent a £20 PayPay credit by eBay at the end of the project (by end of October) as well as being entered into a prize draw where one person will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list) from Mumsnet.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Full T&Cs here - please read!

Standard T&Cs apply

"We have been asked by the team at eBay, to find 1000 MNers to put them to the test and to share their feedback on a survey."

How's that going, MNHQ?

I seriously need help using eBay to sell. I don't understand how to sell a product with a minimum price acceptance. For example, if I wanted to sell something but wouldn't sell my item for less than £20, how do I put this up with a minimum price? Experience is needed.

Just remember, all you folks signing up: a buyer buys your old clothing, for example, and finds it doesn't suit them. They open a case with eBay for a return.

You now have two options: accept the item back, and be down whatever you paid for postage and still haven't sold your item. OR- refuse, and ask eBay to step in. EBay will then find for the seller, that you haven't described the item correctly, and as you've refused to accept a return, tell the buyer to keep the item - at your expense. Buyer gets item and a full refund too. You get debt collecters if you try to avoid reimbursing eBay/PayPal. Quickly, too.

Best advice for would be eBay seller? Go to the community boards on eBay, have a good read, and ask any questions about eg returns there

Just signed up

As an alternative view on some of the opinions expressed....In my private eBay sales I allow for about 1 in every 20 sales to go a bit pear shaped. Its just one of those things that I accept is part of the whole gaining a bit of money by selling stuff i'd otherwise give away.

The vast majority of buyers are lovely and enjoy the whole eBay ethos. You do get bizzare, entitled people. I'd rather deal online than have people haggling on my doorstep. I tend to accept things back, offer a bit of money off or if its a really small amount of money refund and write it off. Move on with my day and more positive sales. I think the acceptance that when selling you get a few oddities belps me to just move on from it.

Whilst you can't leave negatives for buyers you can report them to ebay and give far more detail than in a negative feedback. I keep a blocked buyers list on ebay for buyers who haven't treated me with a reasonably civil manor, these are also the people I report. I did a search on a few of my blocked bidders and they appear to have dissapeared from ebay, so I think report probably works. Whilst ebay don't feedback on individual reported buyers to sellers I do believe this is something they have listened to the community on and are addressing.

Regarding cases always being in buyers favour, if you have been civil, tried to compromise and find a solution with your buyer eBay do sometimes dismiss the buyers claims (i admit it doesn't always happen that way). Its happened a couple of times for me when I've been really miffed and buyers were clearly misleading. If it reads as six of one half a dozen of other I think they give the buyer benefit of the doubt.

I am a fan and long term user. It is a good productive way to sell, even if not perfect.

Have heard too many ebay horror stories of ebay siding with buyers rather than sellers over silly things, so am not convinced in the slightest to try and sell through them.

...In my private eBay sales I allow for about 1 in every 20 sales to go a bit pearshaped

Woo that's a lot. if I had that sort of hit rate I would give up!

"Woo that's a lot. if I had that sort of hit rate I would give up!"

That's the point that someone made above. E-bay is now for businesses. A business may be able to swallow a 5% loss rate but an individual can't, especially if the 'one in twenty' happens after your third/fourth/fifth trade - who in their right mind would carry on after a bad experience like that?

DS has made a fair amount of money from selling online. He uses a popular but lowkey platform that hasn't been ruined by rogues and chancers.

"ruined by rogues and chancers."
Yes, my opinion exactly. And those rogues and chancers are facilitated by the way eBay sets the rules.

Yes please. I need to declutter

I have to admit that I've bought from ebay but not sold anything. I got so confused about how to put a minimum purchase price for my product, I could really do with this opportunity and experience in selling @ebay 💋

You're better off using local Facebook selling groups.
Free to buy and sell and you get cash in your hand same day your item sells.

eBay selling fees are 13.5% (including the compulsory PayPal fee) which is a massive whack off your sale price.

Plus as a new seller PayPal will freeze your money for 21 days until you receive your first POSITIVE eBay feedbacks from your buyers.

eBay will also sting new sellers as new sellers won't have a clue what all the loopholes are, for example when writing your ad you have to remember to UNCHECK things eBay automatically puts in for you, such as how much you charge for your item, which courier you should use, £2.50 extra fee just for a 'large photo' in search lists, etc etc

I despair for anyone starting out. Been there since the beginning and they're finally caving in to Amazon, Not on the High Street, Etsy, etc. They're still as full of faults as they ever were.

I have no idea how to really sell products on eBay. I have always found it a little confusing. I hope this opportunity will help me understand how to sell products on eBay

Iv signed to because I quite fancy £20 but I'm not surprised Ebay needs to drum up business.
Too much keeping buyers happy regardless of whether they're taking the piss or not. The end result was always going to be that sellers stopped selling and no sellers= no business

I would like to try selling bits again!

Don't recommend ebay as a seller either I am afraid

I did eBay, but stopped using it. Buyers taking the piss. Put up item and send it off, buyer says oh it's not really what I want. I'm like, ok send it back and I'll refund you. Buyer says no, don't want to do that I'll have to pay postage. eBay says, ok buyer have your money back and the seller gets nothing, except eBay fees to pay and postage fee to pay..how is it worth it.

I would have signed up for this, but after not using Ebay for a couple of years, I sold a few things on it literally a month ago, so don't fall into your user bracket! Would have loved to do the trial otherwise.

Not impressed with ebay though. I had brand new DVD's to sell, couldn't even get £1 for them, for brand new sealed boxsets that still sell for over £10 elsewhere. I only just charged enough to cover postage, so after fees, made around 75p for each one. Although that is still more than Music Magpie offer, (20p a DVD usually), but at least with MM all I have to do is box them up and they collect them!

I agree that Facebook is the way to go to sell things now.

I steer well clear of eBay when it comes to selling things. The fees are extortionate and the buyers can dispute at any time, leaving the seller without the item they sold & without the money for it. As eBay & PayPal side with the buyer.
I much prefer Shpock & Facebook selling sites as it is free to sell on there.

This is cool

I've just read the article and the accompanying comments on guardian about eBay and it basically warns you never to sell anything valuable there. If the protection is so terrible for people selling high value items, how bad must it be for those of us with only low value listings. No thanks. Can't afford to lose any money.

I just bagged up clothes for the hospice charity shop rather than try to sell them on Ebay. From past experience and hearing about recent problems friends had, I can't be bothered dealing with a bunch of toxic buyers who claim they didn't receive it, or have changed their minds. Photographing, loading description and fielding enquiries.... no thanks.

Anyone been picked for this yet or as it's within the valid selling dates listed do we just go ahead and try to sell, hoping that we will be picked?

I used to sell a huge amount on eBay. But then the rules changed. A %age of buyers are con artists and then eBay side with them even though they are in effect criminals! One guy I who bought from me was operating as a business on another ID and was claiming items were incomplete or faulty but selling them on on his other ID. EBay still sided with him. Don't do it. You will lose money!

I sold a load of stuff last year (old toys and clothes) and it was a really stressful, painful experience. Out of 20 sales, two were total scammers. That percentage is way too high.