eBay

jaymor8 · ‎10-16-2003

I thought about this yesterday when I was looking for Lisa. I was getting impatient wondering if anyone had seen her. I didn't want to post in another thread because it may have been mised, so I had to email her instead. (Which was no problem by the way)

Then I thought...maybe we could have a thread where we could come and ask about someone or just to say something that just doesn't pertain to anything in particular. It's always a bit weird going 'off subject' in someone else's thread.

So, this thread will be for EVERYone and it could be about ANYthing. You don't ever have to use it, but if you need to, great. Doesn't mean you can't make your own thread, it just mimics the ski chalet after a day of skiing. Say what you want - ask what you want - show your pictures - comment on the dot com threads (yuk yuk) A veritable freebie. I hope it will be useful but if it's not - then...$screw you guys - I'm going home! 🙂

Jackie...

firedept10 · ‎10-18-2003

Jackie,

The brooch I am talking about went to a newbie. I still say if you get paid, then no guilt. They just wanted it that bad. I am sure you have seen the auction floor fever. Some people just go crazy and have the money to do it. Some of us are wise and will sit back for the good deal. It is a fever. Beside that ring you have is great. Also she is new but may have been looking for a ring like this for a long time with no luck. I have had the opportunity to talk to some buyers without them knowing I am a seller and it is interesting how they think. Very different from you and I. I have even talked to buyers who watch and search for things for other buyers. Yes there is the NPB as well, but have rarely found that with selling jewelry and the newbie buyer. Tends to be the seasoned buyers more so. Once she understands eBay, I bet she goes easier. I would be thrilled. You earned it. You and all of us work hard at this. Maybe, Not! HA!

Don

jaymor8 · ‎10-18-2003

Don - will keep that all in mind 😉

Lisa - I did the searing afterall. I thought I would try it just this once. I had always heard that searing makes the broth darker and richer in flavor. We'll see. It smells pretty darned good, I'll tell ya. Will let you know how it turns out!

Jackie...

hdm50 · ‎10-18-2003

Good day all. I have been checking out this discussion area a bit lately and thought I should at least say hello. I have enjoyed my ebay experiences and find that through selling some better items on consignment that I have been granted power seller status.

Ebay is all about trust and I am amazed how many sellers take such a strong position on personal cheques. I refuse to accept Paypal because of their excessive fees. I do not hold items for shipping when personal cheques are used if the buyer has 10 or more positive feedbacks. I have had only one NSF cheque to date and that was covered right away by the buyer with many appologies. Buyers trust us by sending us money so we in turn must trust them.

Lunch is ready. Have a nice weekend all.

treasure-pot · ‎10-18-2003

hdm50, I'm afraid I have a slightly more cynical view that yours but I hope it is equally valid.

I'm not sure how you arrived at the conclusion that eBay is all about trust but you are entitled to that view. I determined some time ago that eBay is all about business. If I have a widget I want to sell that you want to buy etc...

Does trust enter into it? I'm not sure how. Most of my buyers (and yours, it seems) have never done business with me before. They have absolutely no reason to "trust" me as they don't know me from Adam. eBay provides a feedback tool to help them feel good about blindly sending money to someone they don't now. eBay also makes some efforts to weed out the "bad apples" from the selling crowd but, when it comes right down to it, buying on eBay is gambling at best. Sometimes there are safer bets and sometimes there are higher risk bets. Unless you have previously done business with a particular seller though, I don't think the word "trust" is accurate.

Now, if, as a seller, I conduct my efforts on ebay as a business that sell widgets for remuneration, I may determine that it is in my best interests to also expose myself to a level of risk. Accepting payment by any other form than cold hard cash, money orders or cashiers cheques amounts to a level of risk. You won't accept PayPal because of the fees but I am prepared to accept the costs associated with offering PayPal as a payment option because the VAST MAJORITY of buyers on eBay want it that way.

I personally choose not to accept the risk of personal cheques because of the extended period of time that is required to truly "clear" a cheque drawn on a US bank account through my Canadian accounts. I also prefer to close a sale faster with the use of PayPal than with the acceptance of personal cheques and to move my money while sitting at my PC rather than running to the bank every day with a fistful of cheques.

All of the above policies were developed to benefit my business and have nothing to do with "trust". We all need to do what gives us a warm fuzzy feeling.

I've already had lunch so I'm going to the fridge for another beer...

Cheers!

Bill

Bill

thebidwatcher · ‎10-18-2003

I'm with Bill on this one, and I am a very trusting person. I have had no reason not to be. But I am a business thinker and I keep trust for my personal relationships. eBay is more about managing risk than trust.

As a retailer, I get more hits and sales by taking PayPal (like a Visa sign in a store window). The risk is far less than with personal checks, which can bounce higher than a super ball with much less effort. Especially when they come from out of the country and take up to 3 weeks to clear. Yes the customer may chargeback, but that risk is still much lower in my experience.

By far the least risk has to be with BidPay, but the cost of this service is high for the consumer, as opposed to PayPal.

deltone · ‎10-18-2003

I only started accepting Paypal a few months ago, and did so reluctantly. I waited until I had a US based account to cut down on some of the fees. I'm SO glad I bit the bullet and went with it because I cannot believe how much it has saved me in paperwork and keeping track. I used to get a bundle of payments each day at the PO which meant going through them all, figuring out what payment was for what auction as MANY people don't put anything in the envelope to let you know what the payment is for. Then the required emails to try and follow up what it's for. Then marking it all in the deposit book, and making the trip to the bank.

Now with Paypal, I'd say around 80% of my buyers (or more) use Paypal and I can get the item out MUCH faster and therefore I'm done with it much quicker and don't have to waste a lot of time answering emails from people who are wondering where their parcel is, as I'm able to send it out immediately rather than waiting for their payment.

All in all, it's made running my business MUCH easier. Is it expensive? Well perhaps, but time is money and in the long run, it's more than worth it for the time I now save. I would hate to give it up. I've only ever had one problem with a chargeback (knock on wood) and although it was extremely frustrating and infuriating that this crook was going to get away with something, in the end, I got my money when he finally admitted he received the item after I told him I was filing fraud charges (bluff). To me the risk is well worth using Paypal.

Bottom line is each person must do what makes him/her most comfortable. I think a lot of it depends on what type of item you are selling. I sell mainly exercise dvds and makeup so am pretty much selling to women. I think if you are selling video games, music cd's, trading cards, electronics etc........your risks may be higher. Depends on who your customers are.

I also do sometimes accept cheques and so far haven't had a problem. I wouldn't accept one for a large amount, and I never bother waiting for it to clear. Now that I've said it though, I've probably tempted fate. LOL

deltone · ‎10-18-2003

Oh, and forgot to say, WELCOME HDM50!!!

deb

firedept10 · ‎10-18-2003

Welcome hdm50!

I am also in agreement with Lisa, Bill and deltone. I have accepted paypal from the beginning and never received a chargeback. Roughly 700 paypal payments. Will also raise your final values. But I am careful in my shipping methods on large tagged items as paypal will protect us Canadians if we can show delivery. Which means sending Registered Mail. You are very kind to have the amount of trust you have for people. But this is business and I can almost guarantee that sooner or later someone will burn you. I am sure you will lose some of that trust then. But remember it is what works best for your business. JMO now! I sure do welcome you to the board though and hope to see you continue posting. Pleasure!

Don

muminlaw · ‎10-19-2003

Well hdm50 and all, I agree wholeheartedly on the PayPal thing! I too refuse to accept PayPal and will continue to refuse it until they can deposit US dollars into my US dollar account in Canada without double converting!

Also, I DO accept personal cheques, have done for the fairly short duration of my eBay experience plus 30 some-odd years before while we ran a fixed price, mail-order business. In that time, we've had 3 NSF cheques -- total!! Two made good quickly, one after threat of prosecuttion! I see no reason to take the hit for PayPal's exhorbitant fees -- I always ship on receipt of cheque because most people are aware that there are laws, on both sides of the border, against wrtiting bad cheques and these laws are trans-border! Besides that, I've found that most people are basically honest -- either that or collectors know what a small world it is and they know that bouncing cheques will get them on a black-list very quickly!

After that rant, add my welcome hdm50 -- keep posting!

Glenda

Glenda

gloriaguides · ‎10-19-2003

Hi Htm50 (Welcome!) and others. Although i don't like paying the extra fees, I think Paypal pays for itself. I started it last January and my final prices went up, I sell a greater % of my items and i don't dread the mailman anymore--he just brings me a bit more postage money!! I used to hate receiving 30 envelopes around 1 pm and trying to get things processed before the kids came home. Now I get the letters all day, but I know exactly which auction, what item etc and I don't have to spend so much time at the bank. Never been burned, but use expedited on more expensive items. If I didn't know I was going to need expedited, I figure the auction was a pleasant surprise and the extra couple dollars well worth it for peace of mind. I also mail upon receipt of a check or cheque--only 2 or 3 in hundreds have bounced and I only didn't get repaid once--and I was new then and not as savvy as i am now about how to deal with it. I'd love to get Paypal free, but that isn't going to happen and I know it! Glori

hdm50 · ‎10-19-2003

Well it sure feels nice to be welcomed and I am glad my posting created some good discussion. There is no doubt the accepting of Paypal may result in some higher bids. Maybe I am too easily satisfied as my sell rate is running at close to 90% and the vast majority of what I list exceeds what I had hoped to get for the items. Ebay is not my only channel for selling and I have the luxury of only listing items I feel confident will sell. I do buy some items for ebay listing only but mostly I still prefer face to face selling.

I tend to be quite conservative and slow to implement change. I did not start on ebay until I had studied how several friends were doing it. The two most successful ones I have used as my role models. Their approach is to list low(9.99) with no reserve. It sounds dangerous but it is amazing how seldom I have had an item sell for less then I have paid for it. They told me that was the case and I have been pleasantly surprised. Low starting and no reserve creates far more activity. The only items seen on my listings with reserves are consignment items.

I have babbled long enough for this evening.

Thanks again for the warm welcome.

jaymor8 · ‎10-20-2003

It's -2 degrees C here today. It's beginning to feel a lot like Chrrrrristmas 🙂 Shoot me now 😞

Jackie...

treasure-pot · ‎10-20-2003

Ahhh, yes... the festive holiday season... snarly department store crowds, 6 lbs. of sale flyers at your door each day, Canadian Tire "Save Like Scrooge" commercials... that's what the holidays are all about.

Shoot me next. :<(

Bill

jaymor8 · ‎10-20-2003

Bah humbug in the biggest way...and I'll tell a story out of school here but my family (God love them) are the biggest patsys of all. My poor parents who are elderly and on a fixed income buy gifts for ALL of the grandchildren and they love it but there's no return in it for them and I keep telling my sibs to let the parents off the hook. I mean seriously, it's all crap anyway. And as far ad the parents are concerned, it's Christmas all year round. I was just there at Thanksgiving and my Mom was bringing 4 large gift bags of gifts. I told her that this wasn't a gift giving holiday and she really didn't know that. Early stages of Alzheimers. So...once again the retail moguls who are heartless and souless are making good their escape with our inheritance and an old lady's grocery money!

HUMBUG...... Jackie...

Sorry Bill...I need an airing out 😉

treasure-pot · ‎10-20-2003

No problemo Jackie... please don't let your parents shop my store... I like to think I still have a heart and soul although they have been damaged by years of abuse. lol

I was just in the warehouse (my wife still calls it the garage) with the door open so I have already been aired.

Have a great eBay day!

Bill

jaymor8 · ‎10-20-2003

Bill - why do I have the feeling that your wife is right?? Anyway...keep your chin up...let your hair down and have a great week yourself!

Jackie...

jaymor8 · ‎10-20-2003

I couldn't resist this...

Are you the only guy who has a 'Warehouse Sale' sign at the foot of his driveway on a Saturday morning????

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 🙂

Jackie...

treasure-pot · ‎10-20-2003

Yes, but my neighbour made me take it down because the neon lights kept him awake at night.

(rimshot in the backgound)

Actually, I did put a "Treasure-Pot Employees Only" sign on the house door to the warehouse. My wife and daughter both reassure me that I needn't worry. :<)

Toodles!! I'm off for my nap...

Bill

Bill

jaymor8 · ‎10-20-2003

I have a question about the Power Chicks. Is that what they're called...the ones with the exclusive group? Anyway...whatever it's called....is this a Canadian group or an American group...or did they lower their standards and let Canucks in (yuk yuk)???

LMK Jackie...

thebidwatcher · ‎10-20-2003

It is an American group (I guess). They lowered their standards and let me in. I think there a few other Canadain chicks.

If you just ask nicely they'll let you in too.

Lisa