Category Archives: eBay

eBay, How To

How to Cancel an eBay Order

As a seller on eBay you will run across a time when you will need to cancel an order that either a buyer won or used a Buy It Now.  There are many reasons why an order would need to be cancelled.  Here are some reasons why orders have been cancelled in my experiences

  • Buyer wanted to cancel because they bought it in error or they didn’t read the full description (where I sell items for parts or not working)
  • Shipping is incorrect and buyer wants me to change the address.  DO NOT edit the address on the label purchase screen.  If you edit the address you forfeit your seller protection
  • You are out of stock or item is damaged (seller defect).  Use this rule as a seller will give you a defect.  If you fall below 0.50% then you will lose Top Rated Seller, and I’m assuming if you get enough of them eBay could step in on your selling account status.
  • Seller doesn’t pay for their item after their auction, and a case is opened for unpaid item.

Buyer Requests Cancel:

For issues where buyer simply wants to cancel an order I always first request that the buyer cancel from their side.  You should have the ability to go into the listing and cancel it if its shortly after they’ve purchased the item.  If they cannot do it then I will go into the sold screen on eBay and cancel it.  Be sure to click “Buyer request for cancel” so that you do not get a defect on your account.  This will usually issue an immediate refund through PayPal.  I believe you will lose $0.30 per cancel from PayPal for the transaction.

Address is Incorrect:

Again make sure you select the right reason when you cancel this order type.  If the buyer requests that you change their address on the label then make sure you ask the buyer to cancel and rebuy the item with the correct address.  They must make the edit in PayPal before completing the transition.  If you edit it yourself and the buyer opens a case you will be fighting an uphill battle.  eBay will most likely refund the buyer and you’ll be out of the item!

Out of Stock:

If you are out of stock then you will be hit with a defect.  Understandably eBay will give you a defect because they want sellers to know their purchase will be fulfilled.  I always check my listings to validate that what I have listed is what I have in stock.  Sometimes I have seen that I will have duplicated listings and I can go in and end the listing.  As you grow your number of listings, I can see this happening.  Sometimes I will get a hiccup in the system or something will glitch out and I will duplicate listings.  Go in and look at your store every so often to make sure what is listed is what you have in stock.

Tip:  If you relist and listing that had multiple quantities, then that relist will also pull in that same multiple quantities.  Make sure to edit this number so you’re listing doesn’t have more than you physically have!

Unpaid Case:

If you setup auto unpaid case opening for unpaid auctions then this will not impact you as much in terms of cancelling an order.  If you do not have it open automatically for you, then you will have to open a case manually, and then manually close it after a certain time period.  Once the case is closed your item should be auto posted again.  In all cases make sure you check that the listing is reposted.

Sometimes I have heard some strange stories at why people want their order cancelled.  Probably the most infamous and most frequent is that “so and so” took my phone and ordered it.  The only inconvenience is that if you had watchers on your listing then it will take awhile to get that back.  I always feel that it hurts the chances of my item selling and extended it from selling.  What are some of your strangest stories on why a buyer wants to cancel an order?

Want to follow my daily progress? Click on the video and subscribe to my channel!

-Chris
LiquidationOH@gmail.com

eBay, How To

Tips for eBay Success – Listing Daily and Bundles!

As I have been listing items the last few days I wanted to share some tips that have been working for me.  Also something I’ve started doing with my slow moving inventory.

Slow Moving Inventory ($0.99 auction):
When I first open my liquidation.com box I usually list the top selling items immediately and move on to the next box.  Then there becomes a backlog of lower priced items that sit around for awhile.  These items sit because I get other lots coming in and I’ve already made my money on the box.  Here’s what I’ve started to do moving the slow items.  I will move these items as $0.99 starting auctions, but the key is to cover your shipping cost.  I will not do free shipping but start the auction at $0.99.  Even if I make minimal amount on the item, then its better than it sitting in my basement making $0.  Two take aways:

  • Start Auction on slow items only when you’ve made your money on the lot.  Start them at $0.99
  • Cover your shipping cost on these items. DO NOT DO FREE SHIPPING.
  • These type of auctions also work for items that do not work (condition: for parts not working).

Listing Daily:
I’ve had great success listing items daily.  I try to at least list one item a night.  Now don’t get me wrong listing more than 1 is great, but getting in the habit of something every day works wonders.  I’ve heard rumors of listing daily gets you better search results for buyers, but I’m not so sure.  I usually sell between 2 to 8 items daily.  My current goal is to get 400 active listings, so I need to list more than I sell.  Plus having more listings allow for more sales!  Increase your probability of a sale!

Bundling Lower Priced Items:
Not only listing lower priced items as a $0.99 cent auction is good, but if you continuously get the same lower priced why not sell them as a bundle?  My recent example is iWatch bands that I get a ton of in my boxes.  When I look online I see bands going for anywhere between $4 and $7 depending on the band.  If I were to list each one individually it would consume all my free listings, and my time.  I’ve already made my money on these lots so netting $3 profit is not worth it assuming they’d even sell!  So I bulk listed all 40 bands for a buy it now listing of $50.  It sold within the week!  This is a greater bang for my time and my listings.  This also works for electronic items that are defective.  I have three defective PlayStation 4 headset units that I’ve bundled together.  People will buy broken items to fix and resell.  Instead of throwing them away I will make some money on them and get them out of my inventory.  But make sure to calculate shipping and your fees correctly to not lose money!

Lastly if you haven’t seen my latest video please check it out.  I’m interested in learning on how you handle local sales and how you’ve achieved success if any with them.

Keep listing and innovate how you sell your items.  There is money in everything!

-Chris
LiquidationOH@gmail.com

eBay, Scam

Scams on eBay Part 1 – Introduction

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If you’ve ever sold on eBay for any period of time you have probably come across some interesting cases.  There are many signs that give away scams. These can appear in many forms such as messages, miss typed addresses, delayed payments and cancelled auctions to name a few.  I wanted to add a series to my blog to bring some insight on how scammers are trying to exploit sellers.  I want to give you some tips on what to look for and how to react.

Most recently one example I encountered was someone with zero feedback purchased something and immediately sent me a message after purchase.  All of my Buy It Now auctions require immediate payment.  And don’t get me wrong ,all new eBay buyers with zero feedback have to start out somewhere so I’m not knocking the zero feedback.  Some indicators from his purchase raised flags immediately and zero feedback was one of them.

Zero Feedback with account opened in last few days: Everyone has to start from zero, but sometimes certain indicators will show to be a scam.  I personally lookout for weird usernames with zero feedback that were just opened.  If the username also has the issues below the BE ALERT!

Weird Addresses: The way this person’s address was written usually has the word freight forwarder written all over it.  This means the buyer pays a US based company a small fee for the item to be “forwarded” to their out of the country address.  I ship the item to a US address and if there were to be a return I can only provide a return label from that US address.  Usually in this case the buyer would have to eat the return costs.  In this case, if the buyer complains about the item and admits they are not based at the address that you shipped to then you are covered by eBay.  Call eBay immediately and they will cover you.  Stay on the lookout for US addresses with letters after the street name such as (i.e. EC-12113).
Usually this means your item is leaving the country.

Weird Messages: If the buyer sends messages after purchase saying they need the item immediately due to (insert excuse here) a multitude of reasons it could raise flags especially combined with the above issues.  Sometimes these requests are legit but always be on your toes if something doesn’t seem right.

Payment Methods: Most sellers will use PayPal and pay immediately.  Once they pay it immediately deposits into your PayPal account.  Sometimes though the payment is in a held status.  From my experience when someone pays with their debit card or using their bank checking account as their payment method it takes awhile for the payment to clear.  Now not everyone who pays with their bank account is trying to scam you, but the messages that they send you could lead to one.  In this instance in the picture below, the payment was still pending and the buyer sent me a message saying to ship the product right away for his son’s birthday.  I responded and told the buyer I was waiting for payment to clear prior to shipping.  Now if I shipped the item immediately the buyer could suspend payment and I would be out of money and out of the unit should I have shipped early
(photo: payment pending)

These a some of the signs I look for when answering questions or evaluating buyers after their purchase.  Please follow along so you can see some of the potential scams I may encounter and how I vet them out.

Chris
-LiquidationOH@gmail.com

eBay, Liquidation

End of Summer Slowdown? Focus on the Small Items!

As I review August 2017 sales numbers, I can’t help but think where did all the sales go?!  Earlier in the summer I was selling anywhere between 5 to 10 items a night.  Now I’m selling between 1 and 3 items a night on average.  Now my dilemma is how do I handle this turn in sales?

Now here is a little history on my journey into liquidation in liquidation.  I learned about liquidation through a newspaper at about someone who bought liquidated cell phone cases.  The kicker was that he eventually went full time in it.  Now how could he do this?!  This intrigued me as I have been into part time reselling on eBay since 2003, but I only sold items around the house and the occasional flip from goodwill.  The idea of getting store return merchandise to sell in bulk was very interesting! And now here I am only 1.5 years into it, so I’m still learning.  I will save the full story for another post!

My dwindling sales have led me to a couple of issues both good and bad!  Let’s begin with the good.

Good Issues:
Listing Inventory and Creating Sales:

The downturn in sales have given me more time to list instead of ship.  I have been going through all my merchandise and making sure it’s listed to sell.  I also am able to run more sales so to entice more buyers.  Creating these sales has enabled me to blowout some old inventory to create room for new inventory but I haven’t been buying as much as I used to at the moment.

I’m able to put more of my focus on the smaller value items and get them listed.  Usually I concentrate only on the high value items in the lot, sell them, profit, and move on to the next lot leaving the small items sitting on the shelf.  This is a lesson learned as these items have been the ones selling consistently.  If I can learn to thoroughly go through the lot and list everything before going to the next I will step up my sales to the next level.

They say the more you list then the more you’ll sell.  I agree with this as I keep listing more and more, the likelihood of a sale increases.  Who knows if I didn’t have as many listing as I do now, then I probably wouldn’t have ANY sales.

Bad Issues:
Less Inventory Coming In:

Sales have slowed going out which also has slowed inventory coming in.  Since I’m not selling as much I have been hesitant to bring more stuff in.  Not only would i be tying up capital, but i would my shelves would be overflowing.  I would rather grow inventory slowly, even though I love the thrill of buying new boxes of product!  If I had the help to bring more product and list more then I would continue to buy even though I would be selling less.

This downturn in sales has allowed me to learn how to not only grow my business but enhance my overall profitability per lot.  If I slow down buying inventory and consistently list each and all items in the lot then I will be able to move more inventory.  Developing processes and creating consistency is key to efficiently moving product!

-Chris
LiquidationOH@gmail.com

Want to learn step by step how to excel in the liquidation business or do you simply have questions?  This book will answer everything for you!

http://bit.ly/LiquidatorsGuide2017

eBay

How to add item photos to eBay

Stock Photos vs. User Photos
I always make sure to have the best photo as my first photo in the listing as this is usually the next best thing next to the title that the buyer will see.  A great photo will take your listing to the next level.  If I enter a UPC I will never use the stock photo.  These stock photos are not personable and usually do not give the buyer a good sense of what they are buying or bidding on.

I have read that more pictures in the listing then the better the listing will show in search results.  I cannot say for sure if this is fact, but I will include as many photos as necessary.  If I am selling something still in the box I will only take a picture of the front and the back.  If the item is open and has multiple pieces I will take pictures of all items to not only show the buyer what they are getting but to have proof on the listing should a case get opened up as “Item not as Described”.  I will go more into this in eBay cases later on.  The more pictures the better.

Some people use special lighting apparatuses or hanging backgrounds for pictures, but I usually just place the item on a table or the floor.  If I had lots of clothing then I might invest in a mannequin.  I make sure that nothing else is in the photo if possible so the user can focus specifically on the item.

Cover Yourself:
If there is a serial number I always make sure to include that in the listing.  This covers yourself if the buyer sends back the item for a return.  You can validate the serial number you received back against the serial number against the photos.  Plus if a case is opened against you, you can prove to eBay the items are different.  If items are being sold with defects then take pictures of which areas of the items are defective for the same reasons.

How to add photos to your listings:
There are multiple ways to get photos added in to your listings.  You can use an external camera, take your pictures and upload them to your computer to add onto the listing.  You can also strictly list and copy listings from your phone and take photos that way as you’re going through it.  What I do is start the listing on my computer, save as draft, and finalize it on my phone by taking the photos and listing it.  It is super easy to open the saved draft on your eBay application on your phone and add the photos as you take them in the listing.  Once you take the pictures, complete the listing!

-Chris
LiquidationOH@gmail.com

eBay, Liquidation

Some Tips at How I List my Items on eBay

I had a great Friday night in sales.  After shipping, PayPal and eBay fees I made over $175 in profit.  While I usually do Buy It Now on eBay, it does provide some unpredictability when expecting to ship items.  My main channel of selling items is through eBay.  Here’s how I list my items on eBay

Some Tips at How I List Items on eBay

Tips for listing on eBay

  1.  Buy It Now. When you know the value of your product, or the price at which your comfortable to let it sell for.  This option provides some unpredictability when you’re expecting to sell stuff, but does allow multiple items to be listing and relisting is automatic if you set the timing to “Good until cancelled”.
  2.  Auctions. Rarely do I use auctions anymore as you have to continuously relist items when they do not sell.  Plus you use up all your free listings on this option.
    • I never list the starting price at $0.99.  I start the auctions at a price I’m willing to let them go for even if I only get one bid.  I also research prices that that item is currently listed for on eBay and try to list below the lowest listed.
  3.  Shipping. I have the best success when I list items with Free Shipping.  I feel buyers are attracted to auctions where shipping is free.  Sometimes I will add shipping when I’m not as concerned with an item selling, so if its sells even better.
  4. Returns. I also accept returns.  I feel that no matter what you select (no returns, 14 day returns or 30), eBay will always force the seller to accept a return no matter what.  So accept the return and resell it.  90% of the time my returned item sells very quickly.

Please reference my videos for more tips and tricks! at:

http://www.youtube.com/c/liquidationOH

eBay

How Do I Take Returns on eBay??

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How do I take returns from buyers on eBay?

When and How to do returns on eBay

As a seller on eBay you will eventually have to deal with returns.  I wanted to give you tips and tricks on how I handle them.  As a good seller its always best to offer returns.

How do I offer returns on eBay?

  • Buyer needs to request return on the listing
  • Once they request a return you will get an alert and/or email asking if you will accept.
  • The seller must go in and click one of many options, and some of them are as follows,
    • Offer return – once you click this you can send a prepaid label
    • Offer partial fee – seller gets to keep the item and will be reimbursed partially
    • Offer full refund – seller gets to keep the item
    • Reject
    • Message the buyer – I usually send a message any time there is a return to let the seller know that I am working with them to resolve the issue.  I feel a personal touch goes the extra mile in avoiding negative feedback.
  • Buyer remorse – this is where the buyer just didn’t want the item.  It is up to the buyer to pay for return postage.  If everything is explained about the item in the description that also falls under buyer remorse.  I have lot of buyers that never read the description and didn’t realize that there is something wrong with it.  In that case they pay for returns.  If you have any issues with the buyer not wanting to pay for postage then I would reach out to eBay support and verify that you are in the clear.
  • Damaged – If the item is damaged then I always offer returns and I will pay for the postage.  If its a very CHEAP item then I will tell the buyer he/she can keep it.  If its a more expensive item then I will pay for postage to return.  Usually in 90% of these returns you will be able to resell the item and recoup your shipping fee loss.  Also sometimes the item isn’t damaged and most of the time either you can coach the buyer on how to use the item and resell it when it gets back.
  • Buyer requests return but…. – Alot of times the buyer will request returns due to a multitude of reasons, but sometimes they disappear off the face of the earth.  If you’ve sent them a label through eBay and they haven’t used it, then you won’t be charged.  You shouldn’t be charged for the label unless the label is scanned on the return.
  • Negative Feedback – It is always in your best interest to message with the buyer at all costs.  I always make sure to offer the best customer service.  If I have any questions on if I will be covered by eBay I usually call them and explain the situation.  I always double check on if they will back up my case given the circumstances.

Special Tip:  Sometimes the buyer will message you asking for a partial refund due to certain issues.  If you feel that the buyer is trying to get money back I do a couple of things.  If the buyer says there is an issue with the item then request that they send you pictures of the item through eBay’s messaging system.  This will usually scare enough of them away.  In most cases they are honest buyers and will show you issues that they can live with.  If that is the case then I will gladly send them a percentage off of the total cost.  A partial refund is almost always better than getting the item returned and trying to resell it.  Other times if I feel like the buyer is trying to get the item for free, otherwise know of manipulating the system to hold your feedback ransom while getting what they want.  I will only off the buyer to send back the item for a full refund.  I would rather eat the return cost then allow the buyer to keep the item for free.

What are some ways that you deal with buyers and their returns?

-Chris
Liquidation@gmail.com

Want to learn step by step on how to get into the wholesale liquidation business?  Follow the link below for the all encompassing book!
http://bit.ly/LiquidatorsGuide2017

eBay, Shipping

What Shipping Supplies do I Use?

Shipping Supplies

How to use the most effective methods for shipping items sold on eBay

I wanted to share with you how I manage my shipping expenses through choosing the correct method of shipment to choosing the most effective shipping supplies.  Keep in mind this is how I currently do it, but there may be more efficient methods.  Please let me know if there is something I could be doing better.  Currently the items I buy and resell on eBay are bought in bulk from Liquidation.com

I currently buy all my shipping supplies from amazon.  I buy packing tape and padded mailers in bulk from amazon.  I save all boxes that I get when I order items for myself.  I also save a lot of money on tape and inkjet ink using my Dymo 450 thermal ink printer.  You can purchase the same items I use on my shipping page at http://www.liquidationOH.com/shipping.

Process:  I always weigh my own items and print my own labels from eBay.  If an item surpasses 16 ounces, then I will mostly likely ship it priority.  If I have to ship it priority then I will weigh the item, and price out both the flat rate mailers/boxes and compare to regular priority.  I’ve saved a few bucks here and there but those add up when you’re shipping out 75 items a month

First Class rate:  You can use this option when your item weighs 16 ounces or less.

Padded bubble mailers – I buy my padded mailers in bulk from amazon.  They come in packs of 100 and measure 14.5 x 9.5 inches.  I find that the majority of my products are able to fit in these mailers.  These average about $0.23 per mailer.  These are invaluable not only in price but also saving me time.

Packing tape – I buy my tape in bulk from amazon as well and the come in packs of 6 (shown on my other page).  These last me a long time and are very durable.  Now that I use my label printer, I don’t nearly buy as much packing tape to attach my mailing labels to my mailers.

12 x 10 x 8 boxes – I buy these boxes in groups of 25 from amazon.  These are great as they almost never exceed the measure requirements for pushing mail into the next bracket due to oversize requirements.

Priority Mailing Boxes – I ALWAYS keep the medium square and rectangle boxes on hand.  Any time I price out a box that is over 1 pound in the priority mailing class, I make sure it falls below $11.  If it happens to cost over $11, then I will probably mail it in a flat rate box.  These are definitely key to keep in your shipping supply arsenal.

Grocery Paper Bags – This is a great tip that I continue to use.  If you get any paper bags from the grocery store then save them.  They are great to cut and wrap your boxes up if those items won’t fit in a box and are sturdy enough to be mailed solo.  If the box is going to be wrapped with this paper, its good to use to protect against scuffing.

Bubble Wrap/Packing Paper – I always save the packing paper from the liquidation.com auctions.  This paper is great for protecting your own items from shipping out.  I also save all the bubble wrap from shipments that I receive from amazon.

What do you use to cut down on your shipping expenses??

-Chris
LiquidationOH@gmail.com

eBay

So You Want to Open an eBay Store?

So you want to start an eBay store?

When should you start an eBay store?

When I first started selling on eBay, I was awarded 50 free auction listings a month.  Keep in mind for those starting out now, your free auctions amounts might be different.  There are also selling limits for each buyer.  Starting out that was awesome for me as I never approached the 50 item selling threshold. On top of that if I listed items as a Buy It Now I was getting charged a $0.20 per listing.  I started out selling auctions that would only sell with auctions.  When I started buying liquidation items, I frequently surpassed the 50 item auction limit and auctions weren’t the greatest option.   So thats when I started to question if I was losing money on listing fees.

Listing fees become an issue if you’re listing more than 50 auctions a month (or what ever your current threshold is for free listings), and if you’re keen on Buy It Now auctions.  When you start a store, Buy It Now auctions are included in your “free” listing quota.  If you’re listing a ton of items it makes sense to start a store.

My first tip is to use eBay’s store fee calculator which is located here: http://www.fees.ebay.com/feeweb/feeillustrator

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For me the Basic Store was the best option.  I am now able to list 250 items per month for “free”.  I get charged a $24.99 (I believe you can pay 12 months up front and it works out to be $19.99) fee per month.  If I didn’t have a store I would definitely lose money on my listings as I’ve increased my purchases.  The calculator will give you an idea of how much money you can save if you increase the number of listings per month.

Keep in mind every month you get get those 250 free BIN listings free a month, but that ALSO INCLUDES YOUR RELISTED LISTINGS for items that didn’t sell.  So if you have a ton of rollover every month then your free insertions will be eaten up pretty quickly.  You either have to make the decision to end those auctions, or do something to try and get it to sell.

My next step is figuring out if I need to increase to the Premium store as I increase my listing frequency.  As I buy more and more frequently from Liqudation.com my limits are getting eaten up pretty quickly.

Investing in the eBay store option definitely has paid for itself!

-Chris
LiquidationOH@gmail.com

eBay

eBay Partial Refunds Verses Full Refunds

Full Refunds Vs. Partial Refunds

What is the process on when and how to offer partial verses full refunds??

I see a lot of noise online about what is the process for refunds when selling on eBay.  I wanted to give you some insight onto how I look at and handle returns.  There are instances where I will offer a partial refund or I will offer a full refund.  The main point is to offer the best customer service possible.  I always offer a return policy as not only does it offer comfort to the buyer, but more than likely the buyer will find a way to return the item if they want too.  Keep in mind if the sale is within 45 days and buyer claims there is an issue, most of the time eBay will require you to take the refund.  When in doubt, call eBay and explain your case.

PartialRefund

Partial Refunds

I offer partial refunds as a first option when I more than likely do not want to take a return (if item is working), and based on what the buyer says they more than likely want the item anyways.  I will not offer a partial refund if the item is defective, item is under a certain price point, or the buyer thinks its not as described (even though it is).  Here are the instances where I start with a partial refund,

  • Item is heavy as I don’t want to eat the shipping costs of returning it
  • Item is still functional
  • Buyer hasn’t completely stated they don’t want the item.  There is still some inkling in their voice they want it
  • Item is expensive and I can handle a partial profit loss while still keeping the customer happy

If a partial refund is rejected or not offered based on how I feel they are requesting a return then I will offer full refunds.

FullRefund

Full Refunds

I offer full refunds in most all cases.  Usually I can take the item back and resell it, so most of the time I’m out the shipping cost for both ways on the original sale.  Refunds are part of the game of selling, but its how you handle them to minimize their impact.  Here are the instances where I offer full refunds,

  • Buyer clearly states they don’t want it
  • Buyer opens an Item Not As Described (INAD) case for a return
  • Item can be sold as soon as I get it on return
  • Appears buyer isn’t using the item correctly even after coaching
  • If I feel the buyer is fishing for a partial refund.  This forces the buyer to return the item prior to full refund.

NEVER FULLY REFUND THE BUYER UNTIL YOU GET THE ITEM IN YOUR POSSESSION!

Secret Return Tip: I will offer full refunds on items if they’re not functional, but I won’t offer them to return the item if they are below $9.  For me, if the item is broken, I more than likely will lose money on the return shipping.  Its easier for me to eat the loss than pay for return shipping.

noRefund

No Refunds

Here are the only times I will not offer refunds,

  • Buyer tries to return an item after 45 days
  • Buyer breaks the item or uses it in correctly per their messages.  In these instances I will call eBay and explain the situation.  In most all cases where this has happened eBay as stated they would back me and refute any negative feedback should any issues arise.

Buyer Pays Return Shipping

In all cases, I will make the buyer pay for return shipping in the following scenarios,

  • Buyer states they don’t want the item
  • If buyer is outside the return window and item is still functioning
  • They threaten negative feedback
  • Buyer claims item isn’t described, but description clearly states what buyer is refuting.  An example of this is when I state item is “For Parts or Not Working”, and buyer states he wants to return as the item isn’t functioning.

In all cases, I treat the buyer with respect and hear them out.  It works out better for all parties if you treat everyone with respect and understand what they are saying!

When in doubt, call eBay support, explain your case and understand your options!

-Chris
LiquidationOH@gmail.com