Selling high value item on ebay

xraycat87

xraycat87

xraycat87

Permabanned
Joined
21 Jan 2012
Posts
1,640
Location
Doncaster
Hello.

I've sold a high value collectable on ebay beyond my better judgement after the last issue I had where they switched a working computer part with a faulty and PayPal sided with them.

The buyer paid right away, respectable feedback but should the matter arise again. Is there anything I need to do beyond sending it insured, correct customs forms and tracked. I don't want them to claim its incorrect or switch items again and make off with my money, which I can't chase as they're in the states.

Probably should. If asked this before but I spent a while reading seller protection. Then I came across countless threads of sellers being stung.
 
Be prepared to ditch your PayPal account after emptying it if you're insisting in selling on eBay.

There's no recourse PayPal can actually take if your PayPal account is empty if/when they decide to reverse funds other than put your account into a negative balance and ask you to pay them.
 
spoffle said:
Be prepared to ditch your PayPal account after emptying it if you're insisting in selling on eBay.

There's no recourse PayPal can actually take if your PayPal account is empty if/when they decide to reverse funds other than put your account into a negative balance and ask you to pay them.
Click to expand...
How do you mean sorry.

I've probably sold over the years around £10000 all together, this item alone is £2500. And sure there's been a few people claim things didn't turn up and I just posted at the box with no proof of postage and I suck it up. Normally I send tracked if its above 20 quid. But I really stepped back when I lost £400 before. I had to top up my PayPal as I withdrawn the money not thinking it'll bite me.
 
Is it going overseas? Thats a big worry for me. I block overseas bidders as the traceability can be an issue and they can just claim it never arrived.
 
If you don't want to be scammed then has to be sent insured and make sure it's covered by the insurance by reading the full documentation.

A lot of things aren't covered.

Also why did you make it an international listing if you wanted to be safe. If he does scam you. Then you will have to deal with local police over there.

I'd ask for him to send a copy of drivers license and passport, etc and verify its the same as PayPal payment in terms of name and address.

That way he should be easier to find if he does do you over.


He means if he does scam you. You need to disconnect your bank account and delete that PayPal account and never use PayPal again or create another account using different details.

If I was selling something worth £2.5k it would be cash on collection personally.

No insurance will likely cover it.
 
xraycat87 said:
How do you mean sorry.

I've probably sold over the years around £10000 all together, this item alone is £2500. And sure there's been a few people claim things didn't turn up and I just posted at the box with no proof of postage and I suck it up. Normally I send tracked if its above 20 quid. But I really stepped back when I lost £400 before. I had to top up my PayPal as I withdrawn the money not thinking it'll bite me.
Click to expand...

at £2500 I'd be using fedex.
 
xraycat87 said:
Hello.

I've sold a high value collectable on ebay beyond my better judgement after the last issue I had where they switched a working computer part with a faulty and PayPal sided with them.

The buyer paid right away, respectable feedback but should the matter arise again. Is there anything I need to do beyond sending it insured, correct customs forms and tracked. I don't want them to claim its incorrect or switch items again and make off with my money, which I can't chase as they're in the states.

Probably should. If asked this before but I spent a while reading seller protection. Then I came across countless threads of sellers being stung.
Click to expand...
eBay will always side with buyers, if it's your word against theirs then sellers get screwed over. If you have evidence the buyer is fraudulent then you could take them to small claims court to recover your money, but I doubt that will be easy if you sold to someone in the states.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
He means if he does scam you. You need to disconnect your bank account and delete that PayPal account and never use PayPal again or create another account using different details.
Click to expand...
This is terrible advice, if PayPal decide a case against you and your account balance is negative then you need to pay it, otherwise they can send debt collectors after you. The correct route to recover the money would be small claims court.
 
Last edited:
I used to sell quite a lot of stuff on eBay. When the rules changed a few years back, I walked away. I may give it another go one day but not selling items over X amount. Every item I sold and included international (I vetoed certain countries), it was with the view that if the sale went belly up, I am prepared to take the hit. I was lucky, only one buyer who claimed non receipt. Biggest regret, I sold items which looking back, I really wished I hadn't!

For an item of such as that value, I don't know if selling via an online auction house (not sure if its a collectible, or tech etc) could work? Quite high commission though.

Selling an item of such value to an overseas buyer, you are braver than me, it could work out fine, but, that's a lot of money to gamble, the odds you could lose are stacked against you. Don't forget the stress if it does go wrong.
 
I'd guess considering the number of transactions eBay does it still only a tiny fraction of people who are scammed, at the end of the day you have the money, just withdraw it from PayPal asap.
 
jsmoke said:
I'd guess considering the number of transactions eBay does it still only a tiny fraction of people who are scammed, at the end of the day you have the money, just withdraw it from PayPal asap.
Click to expand...
The reason behind the sale was a huge car repair bill otherwise I would never have sold it. That's why I'm So scared too because without this I wouldn't have enough to repair the car right away, I'm happy to withdraw the money but now I think I've goofed up somehow. I've posted to USA, Canada, Japan etc before no issues. But never of this value.

Remember that story of the $65k collectable pokemon card that went "missing"

That's the story that worries me too
 
xraycat87 said:
The reason behind the sale was a huge car repair bill otherwise I would never have sold it. That's why I'm So scared too because without this I wouldn't have enough to repair the car right away, I'm happy to withdraw the money but now I think I've goofed up somehow. I've posted to USA, Canada, Japan etc before no issues. But never of this value.

Remember that story of the $65k collectable pokemon card that went "missing"

That's the story that worries me too
Click to expand...

Why didn't you sell locally and cash on collection?

I mean most collectors would be willing to travel.

Selling abroad is risky as it adds in so many more layers of where it can go wrong.

Personally I'd want cash on collection. You say you got £2500 for it. After eBay, PayPal and postage and insurance costs you will be lucky to walk away with what £2k.

I'd rather sell locally for £1800-£2200 than abroad just because that's where the biggest market is.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
Why didn't you sell locally and cash on collection?

I mean most collectors would be willing to travel.

Selling abroad is risky as it adds in so many more layers of where it can go wrong.

Personally I'd want cash on collection. You say you got £2500 for it. After eBay, PayPal and postage and insurance costs you will be lucky to walk away with what £2k.

I'd rather sell locally for £1800-£2200 than abroad just because that's where the biggest market is.
Click to expand...
There was no local interest really or the people who offered, sorry to judge, weren't the collector type and more jump you for it. I shouldn't make assumptions but when one person messaged to collect right away and his job was f the police. Yeah not for me haha.
 
Is ebay really the right place for selling items worth thousands of pounds?

Ebay is not set up to be selling specialised items. Their customer service agents wouldn't have a clue. The procedures they have in place are mainly for selling electronics and low value items.

I have sold 3 x £500+ items on ebay without issue in the last 90 days. Nor is it full of scammers. RMSD is what you want within the UK.
 
Will Gill said:
It's not 'likely' going to be £300+, you really need to stop guessing and perpetually offering awful and unfounded advice.

I sent a 8k watch with insurance and that cost me £218, for decent international coverage I use https://www.secursus.com/
Click to expand...

Hardly unfounded if it's hundreds of pounds and I quoted £300.

Basically it's not going to be cheap. It will also have to be adequately protected and watches in that regard are easier to package than say a £2500 delicate antique which is large in size and we have no idea what this collectible is in size, shape, material or weight. So once he does the weight, size, packaging to standard acceptable for insurance and pays for postage then add on insurance the cost isn't going to be cheap.

A watch can go in its original packaging with some bubble wrap as a small or medium sized parcel. I know because I've had to send mine to the service centre using a specific courier they recommend using and insurance was £120 on top of the postage.

My point was after adding up all the costs and the risks I'd rather sell locally for slightly less.
 
Have you sold and shipped the item overseas OP? I’ve sold some items using the ebay global shipping but had a couple of buyers raise a case. You then have to deal with ebay in the country where the buyer is and not the UK.
 
xraycat87 said:
How do you mean sorry.

I've probably sold over the years around £10000 all together, this item alone is £2500. And sure there's been a few people claim things didn't turn up and I just posted at the box with no proof of postage and I suck it up. Normally I send tracked if its above 20 quid. But I really stepped back when I lost £400 before. I had to top up my PayPal as I withdrawn the money not thinking it'll bite me.
Click to expand...
As in, I've had it happen to me before. So I just withdrew the money from my PayPal account and allowed PayPal to put it into negative balance.

It's nearly impossible for PayPal to recover the money from you, as they can't put you in debt based on a decision they've made without your concent.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom