eBay Safety Tips for Buying & Selling

[Agw923]

Hello all I think okay have jumped the gun on a lv Damier ebene alma on eBay I won the bid but did not have the item authenticated nor have I submitted the payment yet. The seller says they longer have the receipt.

However I won last night around 10pm. I own 5 othe Louis Vuitton handbags but by no means am I an expert. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[zoobie]

I'm a total newbie here. I don't get the marking the bag with something. Can't they just take it off and say what they got didn't have it?

Also,leaving feedback as a buyer: my first purchase on ebay with bags turned out to be a fake--I unfortunately only found this site after I bought it---the seller did refund my money quickly and took the bag back saying she didn't know it was a fake. However, after I read to read back in their feedback from others, I saw she had sold the exact same bag a month earlier. (feedback on that transaction said the buyer loved it but the pics and the text in the ad were the same so I assume she had more than one she was selling) I didn't know what sort of feedback to leave. It wasn't a total negative experience because she was prompt in taking the bag back and refunding my money, BUT it was a fake and the evidence showed her selling more than one of them. I left neutral feedback and in the comments put the bag was a fake but the seller was prompt in taking it back and refunding my money. THEN I get a email from her saying can I change the feedback to positive because the neutral was affecting her ratings. What was the right thing to do?

Zoobie

 

[JenniD13]

Hi, All!! What a GREAT thread! Thank you all so much for the advice and wisdom you've shared here!

I've just finished reading it from start to finish, and have gleaned invaluable information, and already put much of it into action! I've only been selling on eBay regularly as a Business with a Store for a few months now, and only more recently have I ventured into my passion... designer handbags!! (Have a few listings, though no sales on them yet!) But, I realized I was a sitting-duck for scammers, and now feel like I am much more protected.

My contribution/tip to this thread for sellers: imo, having a "No Refund/No Returns" policy in the listing seems an invitation for trouble. I offer the 14-Day Refund Policy which lines up with eBay's policy. While I do stand behind my products as far as condition and authenticity, and do not relish any buyer "renting" the bag, or returning it just because they change their mind or develop buyer's remorse, I believe I would rather give them this legitimate option... in hopes that they would return the bag undamaged regardless of their excuse, rather than feeling they have no other options, and in a panic do something deceitful like damage the bag and file a SNAD. Or even worse, find a way to fake a "non-authenticity" claim, in which case I am learning that eBay/PayPal will likely order the bag be destroyed, rather than returned! Even if the bag were returned in somewhat worse condition than it was sent to them in (ie, "rented/used over a week or so"), I would still rather get the bag back (though I wouldn't openly advertise this)! Just my 2 cents!

 

[LauraBay]

Very helpful! thanks!

 

[jtran3]

I am a new seller and I am concerned about being scammed since it has happened to me before. I recently sold an item for $200.00 and want to know when to purchase additional insurance or signature confirmation. How am I protected by purchasing these things and is it unnecessary if I am selling a cheaper item? Thanks in advance! Any advice is appreciated!

 

[shskelly]

Hello friends!

My two, very quickly learned, points for shopping on eBay

- check the feedback and see how many were private sales - this could just be friends of the bidder
- under no circumstances whatsoever agree to wire transfer any money AND be especially worried if the seller is stating "paypal" on the listing but then responding to your messages with "wire transfer only - no exceptions"


Here is the context. I was/am a heartbeat away from purchasing an Hermes Kelly bag and could not believe my luck when I found it in the exact color, size, leather of my dreams! I contacted the seller with a "buy it now" best offer to which the seller quickly agreed but stated I would have to cover shipping (not the end of the world) and that they would only accept a wire transfer with no exceptions. A couple of hours reading through the purse forum made me realize that this was a very BAD IDEA. I also contacted eBay who suggested that I write back to the seller, stating that the listing says its a paypal payment and that is what I am willing to make. If the seller does not agree or persists with the wire transfer idea, eBay has told me to report the item. This seller shows up on the Hermes threads as one with a good reputation (and I have no reason to doubt that) but even good sellers have bad sides, I guess

 

[cam37]

fab thread lots of great ideas I will be using!

 

[taysmom1016]

Hello friends!

My two, very quickly learned, points for shopping on eBay

- check the feedback and see how many were private sales - this could just be friends of the bidder
- under no circumstances whatsoever agree to wire transfer any money AND be especially worried if the seller is stating "paypal" on the listing but then responding to your messages with "wire transfer only - no exceptions"


Here is the context. I was/am a heartbeat away from purchasing an Hermes Kelly bag and could not believe my luck when I found it in the exact color, size, leather of my dreams! I contacted the seller with a "buy it now" best offer to which the seller quickly agreed but stated I would have to cover shipping (not the end of the world) and that they would only accept a wire transfer with no exceptions. A couple of hours reading through the purse forum made me realize that this was a very BAD IDEA. I also contacted eBay who suggested that I write back to the seller, stating that the listing says its a paypal payment and that is what I am willing to make. If the seller does not agree or persists with the wire transfer idea, eBay has told me to report the item. This seller shows up on the Hermes threads as one with a good reputation (and I have no reason to doubt that) but even good sellers have bad sides, I guess

Let us know how that one turned out!

 

[CC2014]

Hello all, As soon as your asked to pay outside of eBay an alarm should go off. eBay cannot offer you buyer protection if the transaction is done outside of eBay. I even have sellers send me more pictures of items using eBay messaging never to my email or cell phone. That way if anything happens eBay has documentation of everything. Hopes this helps!

 

[whateve]

I need to know how to protect myself if I ship something to another country. I have a watch listed for $200 and I've had two inquiries from people in other countries. I've signed up for the GSP but I understand most buyers don't want to use that. I've compared the shipping charges that ebay charges and it doesn't seem that out of line. I assume ebay overcharges on the duties, is that correct? I've sent one thing to Canada using first class with tracking and didn't have a problem, but it was a much cheaper item. My current interested buyer is in Australia. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[AnneHedonia]

I buy and sell a lot of expensive Blythe dolls on ebay and definitely adhere to the same rules as everyone here. We get a lot of people re-posting photos from old listings to try and rip people off... so knowing the market is a good thing (I recognise them as having been sold).

Ask questions and ask for photos, if they are annoyed by this then they don't want your money.

Never agree to pay via any means other than paypal (preferably with a credit card).

 

[AnneHedonia]

I need to know how to protect myself if I ship something to another country. I have a watch listed for $200 and I've had two inquiries from people in other countries. I've signed up for the GSP but I understand most buyers don't want to use that. I've compared the shipping charges that ebay charges and it doesn't seem that out of line. I assume ebay overcharges on the duties, is that correct? I've sent one thing to Canada using first class with tracking and didn't have a problem, but it was a much cheaper item. My current interested buyer is in Australia. Any advice would be appreciated.

People in Australia are used to paying a lot for shipping for expensive items/registration They may be OK with it.

 

[whateve]

People in Australia are used to paying a lot for shipping for expensive items/registration They may be OK with it.

Thanks. I just got another request to ship to Spain. I quoted a price, which is close to what the GSP would charge him but doesn't include duties. If I have GSP on my listing, can I add alternate international shipping to my listing? What happens if the buyer decides not to pay the duties when it gets delivered?

 

[Lily]

I need to know how to protect myself if I ship something to another country. I have a watch listed for $200 and I've had two inquiries from people in other countries. I've signed up for the GSP but I understand most buyers don't want to use that. I've compared the shipping charges that ebay charges and it doesn't seem that out of line. I assume ebay overcharges on the duties, is that correct? I've sent one thing to Canada using first class with tracking and didn't have a problem, but it was a much cheaper item. My current interested buyer is in Australia. Any advice would be appreciated.

GSP isn't really that bad for buyers in Australia. Our import tax threshold is $1000 AUD, so if you shipped it via GSP, your buyer would only have to pay for the postage costs and would not be hit with any customs charges.

Cost wise, GSP postage is comparable to what individual sellers charge to ship internationally from US to Australia. I've found that the only difference is in the postage time (+ 1 week approximately) and also with the packaging (GSP items get shipped in a box with no padding or protection for the item, even if it was originally meticulously packed by the seller - rumor is that the GSP shipping company removes all that to save on weight...).

In regards to your question about what happens when a buyer decides not to receive a package due to customs charges, they forfeit their buyer protection on eBay, but can still file a case for item not received through Paypal and/or their credit card company, who will force you to refund the buyer. For that reason, I suggest that you use the GSP so that all customs charges are paid for upfront and there are no nasty surprises for you and your buyer.

Good luck with your listing!

 

[whateve]

GSP isn't really that bad for buyers in Australia. Our import tax threshold is $1000 AUD, so if you shipped it via GSP, your buyer would only have to pay for the postage costs and would not be hit with any customs charges.

Cost wise, GSP postage is comparable to what individual sellers charge to ship internationally from US to Australia. I've found that the only difference is in the postage time (+ 1 week approximately) and also with the packaging (GSP items get shipped in a box with no padding or protection for the item, even if it was originally meticulously packed by the seller - rumor is that the GSP shipping company removes all that to save on weight...).

In regards to your question about what happens when a buyer decides not to receive a package due to customs charges, they forfeit their buyer protection on eBay, but can still file a case for item not received through Paypal and/or their credit card company, who will force you to refund the buyer. For that reason, I suggest that you use the GSP so that all customs charges are paid for upfront and there are no nasty surprises for you and your buyer.

Good luck with your listing!

Thank you! I prefer to using GSP for the protection but I've only sold two items through it, both to Canada, compared to the 20 or so international customers who have asked for shipping costs. When I look at the calculated postage for Australia or most other countries, the postage charged by GSP is comparable to what I would have to pay to ship it myself. I could have sworn I saw a customs charge for Australia on my $200 watch when I checked it last week, but it isn't there now. I assume that buyers can't get the customs fee refunded if the charge isn't really that high.

Quite a few people on this forum complain that they wouldn't buy through the GSP because it is a ripoff. One of the posters in Australia I talk to quite often says she won't buy through GSP because it is too expensive, but maybe that is because she is buying relatively cheap items so the postage cost is high compared to the price of the item. As far as I can tell, the main difference is that GSP ships by priority mail international and for cheaper items I would ship by first class international.

I hope they won't remove the padding I put around my watch when I ship it.