Local Pickup & How to Send Invoice

[wicks-n-suds]

I’m a fairly new seller and today will be my first time offering a local pickup in a public place.

How do I send an invoice to the buyer or do they have to check out and select local shipping ? I asked buyer to check out and they said they don’t see an option for local pickup.

I want to make sure there is a record of transaction so I can pay ebay final value fees.

Please help! Thanks!

[reallynicestamps]

The buyer confirms the purchase and eBay sends an invoice.

You meet.

You exchange goods for cash.

You mark the purchase Paid on your orders page.

No Paypal fees.

[wicks-n-suds]

Thanks for your message! This is where I’m confused. Buyer sent me a message through eBay message system. So how does buyer confirm? I want to do this above board and don’t want any problems with eBay. The item she wants is off a variation listing.

Update.. I did a separate listing for the item with local pickup only. I guess you can’t do it off a variation listing.

[reallynicestamps]

He clicks Buy.

Questions through Messages are not purchases. He has to click Buy.

If you do not have Immediate Payment Required on the listing (and most newbies are not aware of that option) he gets the invoice and can either pay via Paypal, with shipping or meet you and pay cash.

The item she wants is off a variation listing.

I'm less familiar with those.

You could set up a special listing for her, for the exact item, with Local Pickup only,  and using her name as the title.

Then she Buys, you meet, she pays cash, you hand over the purchase.

[reallynicestamps]

Be wary of Messages. Some scammers (this doesn't sound like one) will use Messages to pull the sale off-eBay, which gets eBay twitchy since, as you say, they don't get their fees.

If you ever get a Message asking you to text , don't.

There are a few other common scams on newbies, but since you have already found the Boards, just ask.

Us busybodies constant posters are happy to help because it means we don't have to do our real jobs of listing and shipping.

[wicks-n-suds]

Thanks so much for your help! I’ve been reading a lot to familiarize myself with different issues and aware of people trying to take sales off eBay which I won’t do because I’m trying to build my business here.. I never offered local pickup until someone asked recently but is a good idea to make local sales.. Most of my customers are Americans. I set up the separate listing so I could enable local pickup only. When I meet her I’m going to ask her to click on the listing and go from there. Thanks again!

[wicks-n-suds]

I just had one more question which is nagging at me...when you set up the listing for local pickup only, when the buyer clicks on “Buy it Now” do they have to give their address and credit card info to get to the checkout where there is an option that says they will be picking up locally and credit card won’t be charged? Even though they won’t be paying by PayPal? Or is giving their credit card info specifically just paying by PayPal and then pick up? This is where I’m stuck.

I won’t be doing PayPal & pickup as cash is better. This way they can’t open a case for item not received.

My end game here is I’m trying to figure out how to get the customer’s order into “My orders” section in the seller hub so it’s recorded as a transaction on eBay.

[reallynicestamps]

but is a good idea to make local sales.

Some people swear by it, but I am among those that swear at it.

Sure if you are paid cash, you avoid PP fees, but either you have to stay home hoping the buyer turns up fairly promptly, or you are making a special trip to a safe location -- and your time is money.

Here in BC the minimum wage is 23c a minute. How many minutes does Local Pickup eat compared to the buyer paying you for shipping?

Generally, in my opinion, if it's lighter than an anvil and less bulky than a snowmobile, shipping is more efficient.

Many disagree.

There are also a few safety considerations, most of which are paranoid fantasies from our neighbours to the south, although a woman selling baby clothes should not be inviting buyers to meet at her home, for obvious reasons.

If you want to make local sales there are local sites which only cover Vancouver like VancouverUsed, CL and Kijiji. EBay gives you the international coverage that attracts higher prices.

[reallynicestamps]

when the buyer clicks on “Buy it Now” do they have to give their address and credit card info to get to the checkout

No.

Only if they are paying by PP.

You never see the customer's  credit card information. That is part of the Buyer Protection.

PP verifies the card payment. That is the Seller Protection.

As long as you DON"T use Immediate Payment Required the customer only has to click Buy.

Then you can use eBay Messages to set up the meeting.

And YOU control that, politely, not the customer.

I had one customer pick up same day on my front porch on her way home, another who came from out of town to my favourite coffee shop, those went fine.

Another though, insisted on my house, because he didn't know where the local post office was. Which was on his street. One block from his house. And then he was two hours late and interrupted dinner. Without apology.

I find local pickup more expensive than shipping. For both parties.

Unless of course, you are selling snowmobiles and anvils.

[ricarmic]

I'm with @reallynicestamps  I avoid local pickup like the plague for the main reason that people don't come by, they change the times, they have perhaps forgotten some of the money etc etc all which take my time and lost time is lost listings.

I think in my 20 years here 2 times I've done local pickup and the last time was likely 10 years ago.....

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@ricarmic 

It may have to do with location, location, location. I'm in Calgary so many local buyers would rather drive across town or relatively closely out of town vs paying 15 bucks in postage to send a small parcel. Even if the bus is required only looking at 3.50 round trip in most cases. I have on average 1 to 3 pick ups per month. A few are regulars if they need a certain part will ask me to quickly list for them or have even sent their friends my way. We just coordinate it once they've made a purchase and meet up at the handy dandy neighbourhood shopping mall. Revenue is revenue.

-Lotz

[ricarmic]

Well yes, but remember my stuff is "free shipping" so there isn't any visible savings as there is when shipping is added on top.

My other problem is folks want to come out and "browse" my stuff here or at the warehouse and from the limited times I did it more than 10 years ago, it was never worthwhile from a profit vs time invested aspect, plus one never knows if they're coming out to case the joint so to speak.

Revenue is only good when it is worthwhile revenue. 

However, if someone in my wee village wanted to do pick up, I probably would, but then again, I probably would already know them! (There's only 350 people here) So I guess if I was in your situation my answer would be different....the nearest city of any size is 20 minutes away....

[reallynicestamps]

You are leaving time out of the equation.

I keep muttering about 23c a minute at minimum wage.

If the buyer wants to spend his time driving, fine, but don't make me interrupt my busy schedule for your convenience. It's NaNoWriMo and I have a novel to finish writing.