Re: E-Bay and PayPal: What should I know?
Thank God I only sell small items.
Years ago, before e-Bay went public and became so sophisticated, I sold an odd-ball camera.
I got this Fairchild airgraft (reconnaissance) camera that took 70mm cassettes and had a complex electrical plug. Iput it uop for auction with out a picture (pre digital) and it went to some guy in Japan. We exchanged e-mails. I Rede scribed the camera in detail using formal English to avoid misunderstandings (no Google Translate). We agreed that it would ship the least expensive (slowest) way. He mailed me a money order, I sent the camera. Six weeks later he e-mailed me that it had arrived and that he was delighted.
That must have been thirty years ago.
Re: E-Bay and PayPal: What should I know?
I got into eBay with my dad in 1996, when I was about 13. We sold collectible trading cards online. I used to go to big trading meetups at malls and conventions in Atlanta, then sell my big scores on eBay. All of that was money orders - never had any issues.
Later on my mom ran a business selling women's clothes on eBay. Still mostly checks and MO's. At some point she began having issues with fake MO's, almost all of which came from sales of a high number of items all at once, but pretty soon PayPal came on the scene and fixed all of those issues.
I used to sell...well a lot, on eBay, camera and pro audio, but I've mostly stopped for other reasons, not least of which that the well of estate sales and pawn shop finds has seemingly dried up, for the moment. The few times I sold big-ticket items to China it went fine, including a $2500 Xenotar to a non-English speaker there. I've got other stories, but...not the time :).
Re: E-Bay and PayPal: What should I know?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Corran
I got into eBay with my dad in 1996, when I was about 13. We sold collectible trading cards online. I used to go to big trading meetups at malls and conventions in Atlanta, then sell my big scores on eBay. All of that was money orders - never had any issues.
Later on my mom ran a business selling women's clothes on eBay. Still mostly checks and MO's. At some point she began having issues with fake MO's, almost all of which came from sales of a high number of items all at once, but pretty soon PayPal came on the scene and fixed all of those issues.
I used to sell...well a lot, on eBay, camera and pro audio, but I've mostly stopped for other reasons, not least of which that the well of estate sales and pawn shop finds has seemingly dried up, for the moment. The few times I sold big-ticket items to China it went fine, including a $2500 Xenotar to a non-English speaker there. I've got other stories, but...not the time :).
Sorry to say but with the economy the way it is, I think pawn shops will start getting a lot of camera stuff again as people need money to live.
Re: E-Bay and PayPal: What should I know?
A well known camera collector/seller on a FB group posted this today:
"I sold a nice Leica IIIA body on EBAY to the highest bidder. I get a request for a return with these exact words: "I wanted to see if I would like a Barnack Leica IIIA compared to my IIIC. I think I will stick to my later model. Thank you for letting me try this particular model though, it is a beauty." There aren't enough words to describe my feelings toward someone who would do this to someone else who is selling on EBAY or to treat any seller like this, anyplace or anywhere. By the way, he has ONE MONTH to return the item, meanwhile PAYPAL has my funds on hold."
Many replied similar things happening to them, like this one: "I had a buyer return a Nikon D800 six weeks and 15k actuations later, claiming the camera did not take sharp pictures."
eBay can crash and burn for all I care after all their changes leaning towards these type of scamsters. Like Drew, I sold to many delighted buyers over the years. I made friends even, who should contact me later to show the photos they were taking with my item. But it became increasingly rare. Then last year I sold 5 camera items over the year, and got scammed 4 out of 5 times. Most going to China. I quit.
Re: E-Bay and PayPal: What should I know?
Unfortunately, getting into large format photography requires buying used, at least for lenses.
Re: E-Bay and PayPal: What should I know?
Oh buying is great. You buy an 88 year old lens, use it a while, then complain and send it back. Just like at Walmart. Except Walmart is a multi-billion dollar company, not Fred Gump selling at a yard sale. Fred gets burned selling.
Re: E-Bay and PayPal: What should I know?
I have used eBay and PayPal for several years with only one problem.
This was a Nikon camera with a [buyer's] delivery address to London (UK). Subsequently I got a ‘not as described’ message from Georgia (in Eastern Europe].
PayPal immediately withdrew the whole buying fee from my PayPal account without warning and held until I argued the illogicality of the claim. Also PayPal did not accept the buyer’s reasoning for the item’s travel from the UK to Eastern Europe, nor the fact that addresses and eBay user-names in three countries were involved.
In this case I got the camera back at the buyer’s expense from Georgia and had the full sales value refunded to my PayPal account.
But it took a long and frustrating time to sort out.
By habit I always take photographs of the item(s) sold and the packaging.
My listings are only for the UK, and have the no returns condition specified.
Regarding cost of using eBay/PayPal my average nett profit over five years {selling price -[shipping cost + eBay & PayPal fees]} is 72%
Unfortunately, there is no real alternative for selling photographic items.
Alway be a Buyer and/or Seller aware
Regards
Tony
Re: E-Bay and PayPal: What should I know?
Just a thought to help.
Have you given consideration to selling on rangefinderforum.com? Or here on this forum?
Like minded folks there.