Ebay selling thought

the buyer switch scam is still alive and kicking

Where someone buys your item, switches it for a knackered one and returns it?

I dunno where you've seen that, but I sell a reasonable amount of gear on there and haven't come across it. I suspect it's quite rare but highly publicised when it does happen.

My experience is a high BIN price just means zero interest. I don't think people would read the description to see you might take offers.

Suppose the listing title could be used to make clear offers, plus the auto 'offer' text that's included under the BIN price in the listing.

Accept that interest likely to take a hit, but thinking it's a way of pre-screening potential buyers.

Just thinking about restarting some selling on eBay and see that the buyer switch scam is still alive and kicking.

I wouldn't worry about it.  I have been selling for over 20 years and sold 1,000s of things and never had that happen once.  

I guess initial sight of the BIN price may put people off, but at least with offers made you have the chance to review the buyers and their history etc and choose who to sell to?

am I missing something obvious here. What’s stopping you looking at the history of anyone you sell to?

Another who’s sold many 100s of items and never had an issue. I’m guessing it’s maybe more of a risk with certain items (I’m always nervous about phones). Most frustrating thing I’ve had recently was 2 non paying winners on the same item (a sram mech). Listed a third time successfully . 

Sell your stuff on Facebook Marketplace with cash on collection only. I barely use Ebay now.

Thing is with putting the BiN price high and accepting offers - a lot of buyers don't seem to understand the Make an Offer option, so wouldn't look at something overpriced in the first place. 

My partner had something with a best offer option and people messaged her "Will you accept.." .. er make a bloody offer and find out!

Sell your stuff on Facebook Marketplace with cash on collection only. I barely use Ebay now

I have sold hundreds of things on ebay with zero issues.

Tried facebook once sod that. Redtricted local audience, tyre kickers and chancers.

I genuinely don't get how people struggle so much with ebay. 

I genuinely don't get how people struggle so much with ebay. 

I don't struggle with Ebay, I just find Marketplace easier – they are both full of the same sorts of people (chancers, time-wasters etc), but listing an item and communicating via Marketplace is a much nicer experience. People just message, agree a price, come to my house and hand over cash.

It's also better for large items – I have sold desks, bikes, golf stuff (for my father in law - I hate the bloody game) and I even managed to sell a car within an hour a couple of years ago.

Sorry Johndoh i see why you might have taken what i said as a comment on you. That was unintentional.

I do agree about big stuff.  I agree it does depend on what you are selling.

Mainly cameras and tools here. Ebay even with fees of old got me way more cash and often quicker than farting about with gumtree and facebook. and once posted it can be forgotten about. All managed from a single app. 

Cameras can be a bit of a "pop the broken one back in return" but i haven't had any issues ever. I just don't think it happens as often as perceived.

The biggest hassle i have is posting stuff within the meagre 2 days ebay puts aside.

Posted by: chakaping

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My experience is a high BIN price just means zero interest.

Disagree to some degree.

TBH it totally depends on what youre selling and how sought after it is.

An item, can be priced higher than others for sale, and as long as it looks to be in good condition, good truthful description etc, that can attract a buyer - must be the best of the lot, its the most expensive mentality i think plays a part.

If I've got a lot to sell, i like to do a mix of BIN and auction. The auction brings them in and they'll always look at your other items and might buy something on else BIN

So, back to the question... It appears the only downsides to the suggestion would be reduction of interest for various reasons. Not a problem - think I'll give it a go so that I can see the buyers history *before the sale is confirmed.

I can't remember the exact way it works for offers now. But double check postage. Vague memory from the ebay fees thread that an offer includes postage or something weird like that now. Ie you will be paying it out of the offer given not getting extra to cover it.

Still think you are overthinking it though.

Thanks, but the question wasn't am I overthinking something (no, I'm not new here). I'm not particularly worried, I'm just aware of the scams that happen - a friend got done, and there are plenty of Reddit, eBay forum posts about them with eBay often siding with the buyer. I was simply asking opinions on my approach - an attempt to use what is available to me as an eBay seller to my advantage. I'd much rather select which buyer offer I'd like to go with, than be stuck with someone with red flags buying an expensive item via BIN, and I think my suggested approach would give me that. YMMV.

I sold a couple of E-MTBs on eBay last year.

Both had been on FB & Gumtree for months with no interest.

I priced both slightly above what I'd sought on FB. A bnib Vitus E-Mythique VRX for £2700 & well used Haibike Xduro for £1450.

I included the "best offer" option & offered shipping.

Sold the Vitus for the full price. Got a few offers on the Haibike & took £1300. Shipped both.

What I'd say is just price stuff at slighty over what you'd expect & be willing to take offers. Even if someone offers you the full price and pays - you can still cancel the sale if you think the buyer is dodgy then block them from bidding again on the relisted item.

Not experienced the switching scam but there’s still people out there that claim the item hasn’t arrived knowing that eBay will just side with them. Had it recently with a person who had less than 10 feedback and I have over 500 at 100%, eBay immediately gave them the money back without even waiting an appropriate amount of time for Royal Mail delays. I now generally sell on Facebook marketplace or not at all. 

As a punter, I will tend to put BIN items that are a wee but above my ideal price in my watchlist, sellers increasingly seem to send offers to watchers, knocking a few quid off a bit of an inverse bidding process. The feature does work I think. 

I wouldn’t state that you’re open to offers in a listing, just put it on for 10-15% above what you really want, then after a few days see if you have a handful of watchers, and make them a reasonable offer. If some mug just clicks Buy on an item then it’s a bonus. 

More listing fees for BIN though isn’t it?

there’s still people out there that claim the item hasn’t arrived knowing that eBay will just side with them. Had it recently with a person who had less than 10 feedback and I have over 500 at 100%, eBay immediately gave them the money back without even waiting an appropriate amount of time for Royal Mail delays.

I know eBay have messed with postage options again, but I've taken to shipping everything with RM tracked 48.  

RM second class has become a complete lottery - no tracking until delivery, frequently just seems to disappear for over a week before arriving.  Tracked 48 is only very slightly more money and gets confirmation of delivery and in transit updates.  If you buy it through Ebay all the tracking is in the site - not sure how eBay can then deny delivery?

Just sold some old XTR lever/shifters on eBay. Not used it for ages and I was under the impression it was free listings now? That maybe true but I forgot about selling fees. And the fact I've not used it to sell for ages and they won't release the money until 3 days after the item has arrived at the buyers.

I shall return to using Marketplace for free and just ignoring the "is this available" or "where are you located" messages. Read the fvcking blurb in the ad. I'm just blocking people. Life's too short for this crap.

Sold quite a few bits on eBay recently and it’s all worked out great. Few things to watch out for with the recent changes. They will add the buyers fee to what you put in your BIN, so a higher price will have an even higher buyers fee added. In theory, sellers fees have gone but in my experience people will remove the buyers fee from the BIN and offer based on that. I also sell everything with free postage. With the new postage system, this means I can control who the parcel goes with. I have mine to only post with Royal Mail Tracked for smaller items and gives me the freedom to chose anyone for large parcels and add the tracking. Small value stuff is ok but their insurance rates for high value stuff is extortionate. 
Don’t sell much tech, but with the stuff I have, I’ve always made sure I post a clear photo of the serial number just in case. 

I'm another eBay user and a fan. It seems to just work - even the recent changes to the post system seem to be working OK.

I can still use Royal Mail Tracked 48 and once I've got my postage sorted on eBay I can still get the parcels collected from my home by Royal Mail.

The last four years I've been selling loads of stuff that came from my late Father in Law and we've had zero issues with eBay 😎 

What I'd say is just price stuff at slighty over what you'd expect & be willing to take offers. Even if someone offers you the full price and pays - you can still cancel the sale if you think the buyer is dodgy then block them from bidding again on the relisted item.

Good suggestion.

That's what I do (pricing slightly higher than I expect it'll go for and gradually reducing), but I don't usually snoop on buyers' histories. Not been scammed yet, thankfully.