Issues with Ebay?

thndrstk6

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So I'm planning on selling a bunch of my instruments and amps and such to save money for a really expensive bass. I'm new to selling stuff on e-bay but I've bought a few things on there. I have a few questions regarding the way things go down when your selling stuff.

1.) Is having a paypal account worth having?

2.) How does the paypal system work when I've sold something to someone?

3.) Is selling something with paypal more safe than any other method?

I've heard a lot of horror stories around here and was wondering if paypal is the best way to go.

Every time I bought something on e-bay I just sent the seller a cashiers check and they sent me the item. No problems at all.
 
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1.) Is having a paypal account worth having?
-yes, it is very convenient especially if you are someone like me who dont ever have a chance of getting good gear within my continent because they arent available in stores, or they are way overpriced.

2.) How does the paypal system work when I've sold something to someone?
-you post it on ebay... seller pays... you give ebay a % ... you give paypal a %... if you decide to 'withdraw' the money, you will end up with a debit in your credit card and paypal gets $5 off you. suffice to say, you will never see the money in bills form *lol* if you do, then your bank is way cooler to the ones we have here in the Philippines.

3.) Is selling something with paypal more safe than any other method?
-safetywise, its basically the same. you have better records with paypal though. someone ripped me off $75 before... and i won the dispute claim... i still dont have the money and its been 6 months. apparently, paypal can only give you back the money if the one you are making a claim against has the money in his account.

with the thing i have now with Jake Day... well, Paypal must have his card details... if they dont, then we can all generalize paypal is really crap.

as for now, IMO, they arent that safe, but its the best option someone like me has.
 

thndrstk6

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So what is the % that e-bay and paypal takes out of the sale?

How does paypal work with your bank?

If I sell something can I have that money transfered to my bank account?
 
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Paypal do take a significant percentage (2.5?) and they charge a lot for changing currency.

Just make sure you work out and factor in the fees when deciding on your minimum price to sell something. And be very careful selling something abroad with the current financial markets.

I sold my SS1 to a guy in France and I made sure that the buyer understood that the price he was paying was in Sterling and he had to worry about the exchange rate.
 

thndrstk6

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Nice. Thanks for the heads up guys.
 

BassPlyr Randy

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I've not sold anything via ebay yet, but I do buy off it quite a bit and I search things on it daily.

I am starting to see a real trend with sellers that won't take paypal. They are asking for cashiers check or money order and don't send the item until the check clears.

Also make sure to take steps to cover your butt. The buyer pays for shipping and insurance. Only ship with insurance. Also, only ship to a residence or business, no PO boxes or APO/FPO address and with a method that ensures a signature is required. Another trend is to only ship to a verified address.

Read all of Ebays, and Paypals small print and know exactly what to expect. As it was stated in a previous post, factor their charges in your minimum amount you will take.

And last point, remember, knowledge is power. If possible, don't get into a rush, learn as much as you can and get your plan down first, then start off with a cheaper bass or whatever to get your feet wet and see how it goes before you start auctioning off your more expensive items.

Good luck bro.
 

thndrstk6

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Cool. Those are some really good ideas to remember.

I'm getting rid of almost all my guitars and my Marshall half stack. I don't
ever play guitar anymore so I figured I could replace all the gear with one
great bass.

Thanks for the advise.

I'll post the sales on here too just in case anyone needs it or knows
someone who needs it.
 
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thndrstk6 said:
Cool. Those are some really good ideas to remember.

I'm getting rid of almost all my guitars and my Marshall half stack. I don't
ever play guitar anymore so I figured I could replace all the gear with one
great bass.

Thanks for the advise.

I'll post the sales on here too just in case anyone needs it or knows
someone who needs it.

Another option is to check out your local Music-Go-Round (if there is one near you). You can sell on consignment - which might net you more in the end than selling on eBay. I've had great luck selling two amps, two cabs, some rack gear and a Strat this way...
 

thndrstk6

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Hmmm... I'll look for that. THanks.
 
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I've sold quite a bit of music gear on eBay, and have bought a few things as well. While I'm not a big fan of the PayPal seller fees, if you don't offer it you'll get less bids on your auction - so you'd actually lose more money in the long run. Even if it is an illusion of safety, there's plenty of buyers out there that won't bid if they can't use PayPal. Especially on high-dollar items...
 
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many buyers will not buy unless you accept paypal. that's for sure. I find paypal secure. just be careful about getting emails from "paypal" asking you to change passwords and stuff somcetimes those are scammers.

check the general info and account informations on ebay and paypal and they will tell you their fees. Unless you have a business acount with paypal (just a regular account with several steps of verification such as verification from the bank and other things) will allow you to receive or withdraw more than $500 per month. if you have a regular accoun tthis will be the limit you can get per month. if you go aherad and make it a business one (free) you can get whatever amounts you get.

beware with fees.


ebay charges you a posting fee as well as picture fee, recerve price fee, buy it mow fee (depends what type of ad you have). then at the end of the auction they will charge you another fee which is a percentage from the final value of the item (not the shipping costs).

paypoal then will not charge you to receive the money into your paypal account but will charge you a fee to accept that money and then it will be free to let it go into your account and then transfer it to your debit card or to your banjk acccount.
 
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All great advise guys.Paypal is definatly worth having thndrstk,no question.
If I can help out with anything,just ask.
 
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what marshall head are you selling thundrstrk? :)

just curious
 
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As a rule of thumb I used to factor that eBay and paypal fees would eat into about 10% of the final sale value. New rules mean that you can't access the money that someone pays you via paypal until after the buyer leaves positive feedback on eBay! Plenty of room for debate as to whether this is a good or bad move. :wink:
 
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I've never had any problems with paypal to date, the most expensive thing I've bought through ebay was my wick (£400) and the most expensive thing I've sold was my rockbass (£130)

I always ALWAYS check out the other person in the deal (buyer or seller) as best I can for feedback and how many other transactions they have been involved in, and I'm always a little wary of ppl with less than 5 transactions.

At the end of the day there is always going to be a small amount of risk involved, but so far I've not been stung.

Just remember though: Fees, fees fees....it aint cheap!!!
 
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Meh, I personally hate paypal and ebay. The fees and withholdings are ridiculous. I sold all 3 of my basses through here and craigslist. Craigslist FTW. Nothing like an envelope full of cash and no fees.
 
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+1 I also do a lot on Cragslist because of the no fees and no shipping many times.
 

thndrstk6

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I'll definitely check out Craig's list. Thanks guys.
 
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and also Craigslists posts are free and last 45 days (though I would post them and then next week take them down and repost so they stay at the top since many people do not go through several days' worth of posts.
 
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