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Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

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Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#21
Heres the issue (and a opportunity for a startup?) - eBay remains the main place to sell second hand goods.

There are other options (craigslist, amazon) but the fact is it takes longer to sell and still flush with scammers.

What does the solution look like? A costco style paid membership with more information given back to the user? Ability to 'vouch' for yourself via facebook/twitter/etc. ?

With all of this, its still chicken and the egg. Hard problem to solve.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#22

> " If youre thinking of selling an expensive item on eBay, think again. " I would say, this type of fraud is exclusively targeted at cellphones, ipods, netbooks etc. If you're selling something like an antique grandfather clock, you should be fine. Of course anything that requires collection, or couriering is going to be more traceable and secure. I have sold hundreds or maybe thousands of items on eBay. The only on…

>If you're selling something like an antique grandfather clock, you should be fine. Paypal orders buyer to destroy antique violin: http://www.regretsy.com/2012/01/03/from-the-mailbag-27/

One bad incident out of millions doesn't set a precedent.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#24
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gazelle is worthless and preys on the poor and uneducated. You get less than 50% what you would from selling on ebay. http://www.gazelle.com/iphone/iphone-4s/at-t/iphone-4s-64gb-... vs http://www.ebay.com/sch/Cell-Phones-Smartphones-/9355/i.html...

Which in this case is zero, because eBay is rife with scammers preying on the *well-educated? Gazelle and Amazon present almost zero risk to the seller, hence the price differential.

The chance of getting scammed like this on eBay is less than 2% (maximum chargeback rate)

Hence you are better selling 100 iPhones on eBay and taking the hit for two then sell all 100 on gazelle and not.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#25
post #9

To jump on a point totally unrelated to the post's complaint but related to selling smartphones, I've found that if I'm selling electronics (especially generation-behind iPhones for the family) I can do much better than eBay, even before you discount both their listing fee and paypal use fees. And there's comparatively no risk. For cash: gazelle For slightly more cash (usually just a few percent), in the form of a gi…

Gazelle is worthless and preys on the poor and uneducated. You get less than 50% what you would from selling on ebay. http://www.gazelle.com/iphone/iphone-4s/at-t/iphone-4s-64gb-... vs http://www.ebay.com/sch/Cell-Phones-Smartphones-/9355/i.html...

I would think selling on Craigslist for cash would be a much better option if you live in any sort of city.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#26
post #19

Everyone who's been in the internet for a long time know that there are dozens of sites for people to go tell their "got screwed by paypal" stories. Why paypal has always been the most used site for online transactions? That i don't know.. I know i would never use it.

Maybe because people who have bad experiences tend to want to publish them more than people who have good experiences. I sold a damaged iPhone 4 (listed as such) on eBay+Paypal earlier this year. I got paid, the buyer was happy, and I did not write a blog post about it.

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#27
post #11

I stopped selling things like this on eBay a long time ago because I do not sell things frequently enough to keep up with the scams du jour. My local craigslist is where my for-sale items now go. Sure, I may get a little less than top-dollar for an item, or it might take a little longer to sell, but I'm never left with some after-the-fact dispute where I have no control (note: I'll only accept cash). eBay was fun whi…

Shameless plug; we've built one for automotive enthusiasts: https://www.styckyd.com Our target is to serve the C2C market and make shipping less painless as well as eliminate some of the risk on the buyer's side. With the current climate for buying goods online companies serving the space are at risk for opening themselves up to scams like this one by buyers. The reality for anyone accepting credit cards is that you'…

What's the value prop for "make shipping less painless"? :)

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#28
Have you called an attorney? If you have one that you're on any kind of friendly basis, I've generally found that you can get a quick read on your case (30 minutes' worth of time) without any cost.

IANAL -- first and foremost -- but I would think the best tactic may be to go after PayPal to get them to discharge your supposed debt to them, given that you've already swept the money out. Their seller's assurance contract terms would seem to be vague around what is required for the item to be determined "not as received" -- also, as you mention, there is a a pattern on behalf of the seller -- is EBay/Paypal acting dilligently to protect your interest in return for your seller's fees and auction fees?

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#29
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which in this case is zero, because eBay is rife with scammers preying on the *well-educated? Gazelle and Amazon present almost zero risk to the seller, hence the price differential.

The chance of getting scammed like this on eBay is less than 2% (maximum chargeback rate) Hence you are better selling 100 iPhones on eBay and taking the hit for two then sell all 100 on gazelle and not.

[deleted]

Re: Thinking of Selling on eBay using Paypal? Think Again

#30
post #11

I stopped selling things like this on eBay a long time ago because I do not sell things frequently enough to keep up with the scams du jour. My local craigslist is where my for-sale items now go. Sure, I may get a little less than top-dollar for an item, or it might take a little longer to sell, but I'm never left with some after-the-fact dispute where I have no control (note: I'll only accept cash). eBay was fun whi…

Shameless plug; we've built one for automotive enthusiasts: https://www.styckyd.com Our target is to serve the C2C market and make shipping less painless as well as eliminate some of the risk on the buyer's side. With the current climate for buying goods online companies serving the space are at risk for opening themselves up to scams like this one by buyers. The reality for anyone accepting credit cards is that you'…

Small UI gripe, why do I have to click a button that says "Engine Start" just to realize its a registration link? No idea what that context is supposed to mean.
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