Perfect Zeiss Dialyt 7x42 on ebay! (1 Viewer)

advice sought

I am selling a scope on ebay. I calculated that if I sell on ebay via Paypal, I am set to lose £15.00 or more in Paypal fees, in addition to Ebay fees. I think this is a joke. Essentially it means one is paying Ebay twice; once for listing, and once for payment, via their own payment arm (Paypal).

If I remove the ebay option, do you reckon that would put folk off? I am perfecly happy to accept bank transfer, cheque, or PO. I object to paying £15 of my money to Paypal Corp.

What reassurance can you give to potential buyers than upon bank transfer payment, you will actually supply the goods? I know I'm trustworthy, but how do I convince potential buyers? How do I safeguard their interests?

As a buyer I prefer sending a check. I use the sellers ebay feedback rating and number of feedbacks as a way to gauge the sellers honesty and reliabilty. That said I've never bought anything over a couple of hundred dollars.

John M Robinson said:

As a buyer I prefer sending a check. I use the sellers ebay feedback rating and number of feedbacks as a way to gauge the sellers honesty and reliabilty. That said I've never bought anything over a couple of hundred dollars.

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I'm a 1st time seller though.

Dialyt said:

I'm a 1st time seller though.

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You're kind of "stuck between a rock and a hard place" then. I know that I personally use a seller's feedback score to determine how much I'm willing to risk on the product both arriving and being in its advertised condition. This is especially true for "first time sellers" who have no feedback whatsoever.

I will often pass up a seller with little or no feedback, even if he has something I really want, just because I have no real way of gauging how risky the transaction is. Many sellers do this as well. For example, I have often seen auctions where the seller's instructions include the counsel that you should not bid if you have fewer than say, 15 feedback scores and/or if your overall score is under a certain percentage (usually 95% or so.) Such instructions usually inform you that, should you not qualify but choose to bid anyway, the seller will cancel your bid.

It might be best for you to sell some inconseqential stuff on ebay first so as to build a feedback rating before you try to sell something of high value. You also might want to exhaust all other means of trying to sell your scope first.

An other option would be to find an ebay seller in your area, with good feedback, to act as your broker. They will probably charge you more than the paypal fees, but at least it's negotiable. I'm lucky in that my friends wife is a pro ebay seller, but that doesn't mean she doesn't charge me.

Paypal is part of Ebay. So yeah, they get you twice. But both buyers and sellers seem to like Paypal because it gives a certain amount of insurance against fraud -- even beyond Ebay's policies.

Aren't there other venues for selling, though? It seems like before Ebay became so big, a lot of astronomical websites had classified ad sections. Amateur astronomers and ham radio operators seem to be two groups of people who have a kind of code of honor about selling and buying. Is this still the case?

John M Robinson said:

An other option would be to find an ebay seller in your area, with good feedback, to act as your broker. They will probably charge you more than the paypal fees, but at least it's negotiable. I'm lucky in that my friends wife is a pro ebay seller, but that doesn't mean she doesn't charge me.

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Maybe the Americans have a different view. Maybe not. But I'll propose this idea:

I listed my item on Ebay UK, for sale only within UK.

I have provided my address, and part of it is visible on my ebay page.

Ebay have my details. They have my credit card details.

What, exactly, is the problem? It's not like I am going to run off to Macedonia once I get my grubby hands on the money! I can be traced. It's not difficult.

What I am trying to say is that perhaps American ebayers have a different perspective.

I could be wrong.

I don't know if its an American thing, I'm just old enough to be wary of internet fraud and too old to fully understand how Ebay's structure totally protects you. Do you guys get those Nigerian solicitations over there? The internet has made the world very small, but not small enough for me to walk over to your house if I have a problem.

We were trying to give a guy who has zero ebay credability a way to sell his very expensive binoculars. I've only sold one thing on ebay, it was an expensive custom made long bow. I sold it through my friends wife, that pro ebay seller, she kept $50.00 for her trouble.

It makes sense not to buy expensive items from sellers with no feedback...that's partly why it's there. The advice about selling and receiving feedback makes sense.

We know you are OK but some are not. You may, or may not, know about the Swarovski scam from the states re the guy selling EL's ridiculously cheap. He too had no feedback yet people were still willing to get hurt (which they did) CAVEAT EMPTOR my friends.

Dialyt said:

I'm a 1st time seller though.

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Everybody has to start as a 1st time seller...

Take good pics.
Describe your item as accurately as possible.
Start with a low bid price to attract more bidders.
Offer money back if not satisfied (they pay shipping back).
And yes accept paypal, because so many more people will look at your auction.

I would not hesitate to buy from a newby if I paid with a credit card (but that requires you to use Paypal).

Good luck.