Share Buying/Selling Tip for chance to win an iPad2

_LouisH
Contributor
Contributor

Hi, it’s Louis from the PayPal Advantage team. We really enjoyed reading and hearing about how PayPal helped you get ready for summer. The posts were so great, we wanted to invite you to come back and post more great stuff!

 

This month, we want you to post your best buying and/or selling tips.  We hope that other Advantage members can learn from each other and leverage these tips when they are purchasing or selling items.

 

Here is how to participate: Post your tip in either on the buying or selling board and give KudosKudos.PNG to your favorite posted buying or selling tip. The buying and selling tip that receives the top kudos will each receive an iPad 2. The Advantage team will also select a winner in each category. Post as many times as you’d like. Each post gives you another opportunity to win and help a fellow Advantage member.

 

Here is our tip to start things off:  Make sure to check the shipping costs before you buy. I thought I got a great deal on an item and realized the shipping cost more than the item I purchased!

 

How to share your tip:

  1. Go to the Community tab
  2. “Click Log in or Register”
  3. Enter your PayPal account email address and password
  4. Read the Advantage Community Agreement
  5. Enter a name that will be used as your “handle” or “user ID” in the community
  6. Submit your story to the folder topic “Share Your Buying Tip or Share Your Selling Tip”

Good luck and enjoy the tips!

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25 REPLIES 25

fredlee
Contributor
Contributor

I personally have used snipe programs and have been sniped way too many times.  I believe it takes the auction concept out of the community and makes it less personal.  I prefer to wait out a auction and have the thrill of the win at the end, rather that waking up next morning and checking email.  We all bid hoping to win..having a program outbid my best offer is  frustrating.

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jonesantiques
Contributor
Contributor

I have been a dealer on Ebay, using Paypal, since 1999.  This is my sole income, and I live quite well!  Join me, by Becoming a "Complete" Dealer" - offer a good product at a fair price, and make sure your business practices listed in your listing show the customer what you will offer for them - not what they can do for you.

 

Customers can buy from anyone on Ebay - make sure they pick you.  Whatever you sell, someone else on Ebay will have it cheaper.  Customers will buy from you, at a higher price, if your business is one that they want to do business with. It requires some effort on your part, but is worth it! 

 

Make sure your listings and everything you talk about  is "customer friendly" - that  what you say in your listing and practices  shows the type of business person you are.  Think about what you want as a buyer, and make sure that is what you offer to your customers.  People buy from people - make sure you think of yourself as their friend, and write your listings and information with that in mind.   This "tone" will come through, and show in your listings.

 

With Ebay and Paypal, one of the most important things tor buyers is to be able to get their money back when things go wrong.  You are going to return their money anyway, so why not do it with a smile, before they (Or Paypal) have to push you?  You will have a repeat customer, instead of someone who feels they have gotten out of the transaction by the grace of ... well, Paypal!

 

If you want to carry this further (like I did), write about yourself in the "My World" on Ebay.  Let the customers see who you are.  If you want, blog about yourself.  I, for instance, live in a wobble wagon (RV), and travel around.  My customers know who I am, and as an extension, how I will treat them.

 

I have many cyber friends - folks that I have met on Ebay, who are customers that I now communicate with as friends.  Let them know you want their business, and that you will do what it takes to make them happy.  Treat them... well, like... friends!  

 

It will pay off - you will get sales, even when you are higher than your competition, and you will get added benefits of new friends everywhere.

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jonesantiques
Contributor
Contributor

I KNOW what I don't know.... which is anything outside my area of expertise.  I DO know my area - which is holiday collectibles.  It is something that has interested me for 20 or more years, and that is what I have chosen to sell.  I still do research on just about every item I sell. I write guides about my area of expertise, and I include extra information about my items in all my listings.  My customers know that they can come to me with questions about my area of expertise.  I guarantee that everything I sell is authentic.  I have used my knowledge to become a pro at what I sell.

 

Everyone has things that interest them, and doing research on things you are interested in is fun....not work!  Specialize in things you know about,  and sell those things.  Buying and selling items you like is much more fun than buying and selling general items.  Make sure your listings let your customers know about your knowledge.  Share your knowledge about the products you are selling, through guides, blogs and more.  Look for avenues to share your knowledge.  The more you research and share, the more of a professional you become.

 

Think about what you look for when you buy - you want to buy something from someone who knows about it.  AND, you want to know the exact condition of what you are buying.  The more research you do, and the more knowledgeable you are, the more information you can give your customers about the product they are buying. 

 

Make sure you list any flaws.  If you are a pro, you know what the flaws are that folks look for.  There is nothing more aggravating than buying something, and when you receive it, it has flaws YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.  That is the key - not the flaw, but that you didn't know about it.  Flaws don't mean your item won't sell.  It just means that it won't sell for as much.  Make sure you list all the flaws, and price your item accordingly.

 

Make sure you write your listing as if you are describing it for your best friend to buy.  You will get repeat business, and it will pay off in the long run.

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wgnmaster
Contributor
Contributor

Every time I sell what I don't know, there is some problem.Smiley Mad

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coolblew5
Contributor
Contributor

When trying to get the item your looking for at the best price this is my method of looking, bidding and buying.

First I put in the keywords in the advanced search. Then after the search, instead of leaving the results on best match, I put the search results tab on Auctions Ending the Soonest. This way I can see if the item that I'm looking for is ending soon and for a low price. If so I wait until the last 8 seconds to bid, and bid the amount you are willing to pay for it. If the item your looking for is not ending soon (usually I want something ending within an hour or so) I change the tabs to: Buy it now & Price plus Shipping Lowest first. This way I can sort out all the high price sellers and go directly to the sellers that are reasonable in price. I also do not always go with the lowest price. I look at the sellers history, how long he has been a seller and member. Also, do not forget to look at their feedback, are their scores good? What about the shipping, are they getting good scores on the cost and time to deliver the sold items?Sometimes the lowest price is not always the best. Do the research on the seller and stick to the sellers that are Consistently getting good scores in all areas.

Now after I find an item that I do not have to bid on, I will sometimes ask a question. I usually ask the seller if this is the lowest price they will take. Sometimes they will drop their price. I just did this last night on a higher priced item and the seller came down $65.00. Not bad just for asking! Also, you could mention that you will be looking for more items and his site or store will be the first you look to. I do a lot of R/C building. The other thing you could do is build a relationship with the sellers. I mostly buy R/C products, so I have built relationships with about 6 sellers. They all give me their best pricing on But it Now items. All you have to do is ask and be a loyal customer. Never try to get them to sell it to you by threatening not to shop at their store. Most sellers will give you the best price they can but remember, they have to make a profit or they would go out of business. Most business margins or mark ups are small to begin with. The sellers are competing with hundreds of other sellers and they know this. Good sellers will always work to earn your business and will give you their best price if asked.

When bidding, do not place bids on items that no one has bid on until the last 8 seconds or less. No use in starting a bidding war that no one wins. Enter an amount in the bid area and wait until the last 8 seconds to place it. Always enter an amount you are willing to pay and no more. Remember, the same item will come up again. Patients is the key to paying the right and fair price. A lot of times bidders will end up being the one who will not lose, even if it means overpaying for the item. Let them have it, like I said, the same item will come again and you will usually end up paying a lot less and have no buyers remorse! Smiley Tongue

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wgnmaster
Contributor
Contributor

I buy the same waySmiley Happy

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pinkcloudz
Contributor
Contributor

Here's a great tip, and although I would love to take credit for it - it was actually given to me by an Ebay customer rep. 

 

Immediately after shipping an item, send the buyer an email letting them know the following: 

1.  Thank them for the purchase. 

2.  Their item went out today. 

3.  When the item was packaged, it left your home in condition as described, however, if it should arrive in any other   condition to please contact you as soon as possible (this will hopefully avoid the possibility of a hasty neg fb). 

4. You would appreciate a 5 star rating, and hopefully their repeat business.

 

I also send a note inside the package with the same information - just in case they haven't checked their account since the purchase.

 

This tip should give you a 5 star rating with communication as well as avoid problems with newbie buyers who just don't know any better.  Good luck!

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dougmedia
Contributor
Contributor

I use Google to search within the shopping category for whatever item I'm looking for and include the words "Paypal accepted" or variation thereof so I know which online retailers accept Paypal.  The big advantage, of course, in using Paypal is that you do not have to share your credit/debit card number with anyone!

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ceo108
New Community Member

When buying, you need to make sure that the seller has good feedback from other users, and also is located in a non suspicoious area eg. Hong Kong. 

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mrslimee
Member
Member

I use paypal for all of my purchases. On and off line. I use it to pay all of my bills. Its great to know that I have the protection of paypal in case a purchase transaction goes bad. Paypal is alway there to help if I have a problem. I always feel safe when using paypal.

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