About to sell a lot of bags on ebay...how can I protect myself?

lovekoobabags

lovekoobabags

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O.G.
Jun 21, 2006
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3
#1
Hi guys,

I have accumulated a lot of bags last year and want to start recooping my money.

Is there anything I should be careful with - any helpful hints to protect myself as the seller? What kind of security locks can I put on my bag (where can I obtain them) so if cut - it is unreturnable. I don't want to sell and get a fake back either.

Regarding paypal - any hints there?

thanks for ANYTHING you could forewarn me about!
I truly appreciate your time and knowledge.
 
#2
Here's some things I can think of off the top of my head...


-Do not accept bids from anyone with zero, negative or low feedback (20 or less or something like that, up to you), or those with excessive negative feedback (especially for non-payment). Also state in your auction that you have the right to cancel any bids that violate that.

-If you don't want to deal with the hassle of shipping internationally (dealing with customs, etc.), state so in your auction and also disable international buyers from bidding on your items.

-Don't trust anyone who offers to buy your stuff outside of ebay... if you do that and the person scams you, there's nothing ebay can do for you.

-When you post pictures of your bags, make sure to post large, clear pictures of all parts of the bag. Also make a watermark thing on all your images so other people can't steal them.

-Keep your bidders list private so that people won't try to spam your bidders with fake Second Chance Offers, and also because it's a big purchase so most buyers would appreciate it being kept private.

-Only ship to CONFIRMED PayPal addresses, otherwise if they say they don't receive it, you can't submit a claim to PayPal about it.

-Ship by priority or express mail only, and definitely get delivery confirmation on that, as well as insurance just in case.


Hm.. yea that's all I can think of. Some of it might be pretty basic ebay stuff. I'm not sure about any info on the security tag thing for bags >.<
 
#3
Put tamper-proof tags on them. Make sure they are very visible so that someone won't be tempted to either wear the bag and send it back or switch the bag for something fake.

I use individually numbered tyvek wristbands like they use at concerts. You can get them on Ebay for about $5/100 tags, or at a party supply store. Keep track of the numbers and take pictures of the tags on the bag.

Make it clear in your auction that you won't accept any return without the tamper-proof tag in place.
 
#4
definitely hit up a party supply store and get those tags, otherwise try the party paper bracelets that break if removed.

follow the paypal seller protection policy: ship to confirmed paypal address within 7 days of payment, use delivery confirmation if item is under $250, and signature delivery if over that amount.

go the extra step and include insurance with your shipping quote if you are selling a high ticket item. It protects yourself more than the buyer!

ditto on international buyers, too much of a PITA to deal with!

I would also consider signing up for bidpay, you may lose some bidders that way but it protects the seller more than the buyer.
 
#5
I love the idea of the tamper proof tags!

I would recommend NOT shipping outside the US. Not to discriminate BUT don't most of the fakes come from overseas anyways? I would feel like I were running at a higher risk that way.

Good luck!
 
#6
I live in the uk and when I sold authentic bags most of my buyers where in the usa

i had no problems at all I feel sad you are advising no international shipping
it will also without doubt effect the price you get
 
#7
I'm sorry if it sounds discriminatory, it is just my 2cents. my personal experience has been someone bad with international sales. I had a switch pulled on my about a year ago and haven't been able to let it go.
 
#8
please do NOT ship an expensive bag with just delivery confirmation!
If the buyer has any problems and you ship it w/ DC and even if it says it was delivered paypal will side with the buyer...ship using SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION!!
 
#11
Okay, I have a quick question (don't mean to hijack thread)....if you ship a bag, and the value is over $250, and it has delivery confirmation and insurance, will that be enough? Is there a difference between delivery confirmation and signature confirm?

Because, I know when you have insurance on it, you have to sign it for it at the post office in order to pick it up....

Thanks!

And, as a seller myself, I always make sure that the packing is very good on the item. I always make sure the bag is wrapped in plastic so that if the box got wet (heaven forbid) the bag would be safe.

If you are going to ship overseas (and I've had good buyers in Canada and Germany), DEFINITELY ship Global Express. Do NOT ship anything else. Nothing else can give you a tracking number...and make sure that the address is confirmed. Some countries cannot be confirmed so you can offer Bidpay as an option, or MO...but only postal.

Also, do not allow bidders to convince you to ship your package as a gift. If you ship it as a gift, it will NOT be insured for the full amount, and you WILL lose your money/package if the USPS cannot find your package.

Just some things for you to consider.
 
#12
rethreads said:
I love the idea of the tamper proof tags!

I would recommend NOT shipping outside the US. Not to discriminate BUT don't most of the fakes come from overseas anyways? I would feel like I were running at a higher risk that way.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

I never sell to international customers anymore myself. I sold a Chanel bag to a UK buyer and she filed a chargeback 60 days later. I lost the money and she kept my bag. I contacted her local law inforcement agency and they told me they couldn't do anything. At least in the US I could have filed mail fraud charges.

There is a diference between signature and delivery confimation. If the value is over $250, Paypal requires signature confirmation.
 
#13
All excellent points. Personally I always use signature confirmation for bags, even if the amount is under $250.

I think everything was covered very well in this thread. Good luck!
 
#14
One more thing I thought of -- be careful with your pricing. Some bags sell very well on eBay, and some do not. Don't get discouraged if you don't get the price that you're hoping for. Make sure you do a search on the bag you're selling first before you list it to make sure you're in line with other similar items.

I know this from experience -- I bought 3 Luella Bartley bags for over $500 each and then wound up practically giving them away for $199 when I went to sell them.
 
#15
if you sell to international customer only accept bank transfer. for us make sure you only accept money from people with a confirmed address and i would put this at the top of your auction. also a tag on your bag. never never send out the bag as soon as the money clears paypal, give it a couple of days to clear into your bank account to make sure everything will be alright. good luck you will learn as you go. just come on here if you have questions.
 
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