Ridiculous advice to a Seller

[ronnybabes]

I was relisting a few items on ebay..... when..... before I pressed the enter button to complete the listing, I got this ridiculous advice.

I have copied and pasted it in its entirety.

To increase your chances of selling:

• Start your auction at or below £0.99 to attract more buyers.†

For a  start the items are worth far more then that, and what happens if there is only one bidder? I lose money, plus the 10% commission, plus Paypal fees, and if God forbid I were to offer free P&P then I would be in trouble.

Sometimes I wonder about these people, and who's interest they serve, certainly not the Seller, that they purport to look after.  

[ed_blackadder_1]

Agree Ronny I was advised to sell something free post and 99p. It was a hard back book which would have cost at least £2.80 To post. Daft I think they think we are.

[millielilac]

The thing is that experienced seller know that this is ridiculous advice and ignore it .....

However some new sellers think that this is what eBay is directing them to do and they go on to list the item at 99p....

The next thing is that you get a buyer on here complaining that the seller wont sell and responders advising them to neg them , report them and trash their DSRs.........

eBay does have a lot to answer for at times .....

[ronnybabes]

True Millie.... we (or I at least hope we are) experienced Sellers, but as you say, new Sellers may fall into the trap.

Another thing, there is no such thing as free P&P, experienced Sellers add it on to the starting price, plus the commission on postal charges. Can you believe that ebay get away with charging commission on our delivery charges. How is that fair?

Unfortunately at the moment ebay is by far the most favourite Site of auction buyers. Until something better comes along that will give ebay stiff competition,  I have to like it, or lump it. 

[lambsy_uk]

It says "To Increase Your Chances of Selling"

Starting at 99p would indeed increase your chanses of selling so what'sthe problem?

If people don't have good sense then they shouldn't be doing complicated things like using a computer and selling on auction sites!

[tommy.irene]

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@lambsy_uk wrote:

It says "To Increase Your Chances of Selling"

Starting at 99p would indeed increase your chanses of selling so what'sthe problem?

If people don't have good sense then they shouldn't be doing complicated things like using a computer and selling on auction sites!...................................................................................................................................

So if something costs £20.. you start your bidding at 99p and only get £4.... thats using your head..

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[lambsy_uk]

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@tommy.irene wrote:

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@lambsy_uk wrote:

It says "To Increase Your Chances of Selling"

Starting at 99p would indeed increase your chanses of selling so what'sthe problem?

If people don't have good sense then they shouldn't be doing complicated things like using a computer and selling on auction sites!...................................................................................................................................

So if something costs £20.. you start your bidding at 99p and only get £4.... thats using your head..

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No that would demonstrate a lack of good sense and a head that doesn't work properly.

However the item will have sold which is all that was said! The notice didn't say "if you want to achieve a higher selling price" or "if you wan to maximise you profit". It said "Increase you chances of selling."!

The seller has to decide whether selling at a loss is a good thing!

[tommy.irene]

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@lambsy_uk wrote:

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@tommy.irene wrote:

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@lambsy_uk wrote:

It says "To Increase Your Chances of Selling"

Starting at 99p would indeed increase your chanses of selling so what'sthe problem?

If people don't have good sense then they shouldn't be doing complicated things like using a computer and selling on auction sites!...................................................................................................................................

So if something costs £20.. you start your bidding at 99p and only get £4.... thats using your head..

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No that would demonstrate a lack of good sense and a head that doesn't work properly.

However the item will have sold which is all that was said! The notice didn't say "if you want to achieve a higher selling price" or "if you wan to maximise you profit". It said "Increase you chances of selling."!

The seller has to decide whether selling at a loss is a good thing!

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Are you for real?.. I though the reason for people on ebay was to make money..

[lambsy_uk]

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@tommy.irene wrote:

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No that would demonstrate a lack of good sense and a head that doesn't work properly.

However the item will have sold which is all that was said! The notice didn't say "if you want to achieve a higher selling price" or "if you wan to maximise you profit". It said "Increase you chances of selling."!

The seller has to decide whether selling at a loss is a good thing!

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Are you for real?.. I though the reason for people on ebay was to make money..

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For some it is to make a profit (sell an item for more than it cost), for others it is to get rid of stuff they no longer want or need (sell an item for an amount they are happy to accept, perhaps taking the item's value into account rather than cost).

Lots of items sold are second hand where the initial cost of the item has less significance. Ebay is not all about selling for profit!

[electric*mayhem*band]

Ron, you could always move your pitch over to Amazon, Gumtree, or eBid.

Failing that, stiff upper lip, ignore, head down

[tommy.irene]

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@lambsy_uk wrote:

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For some it is to make a profit (sell an item for more than it cost), for others it is to get rid of stuff they no longer want or need (sell an item for an amount they are happy to accept, perhaps taking the item's value into account rather than cost).

Lots of items sold are second hand where the initial cost of the item has less significance. Ebay is not all about selling for profit!..................................................................

Ok ..so selling something for 99p and free posting cost you £3..is ok then ..plus sellers fees..

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[lambsy_uk]

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@tommy.irene wrote:

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@lambsy_uk wrote:

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For some it is to make a profit (sell an item for more than it cost), for others it is to get rid of stuff they no longer want or need (sell an item for an amount they are happy to accept, perhaps taking the item's value into account rather than cost).

Lots of items sold are second hand where the initial cost of the item has less significance. Ebay is not all about selling for profit!..................................................................

Ok ..so selling something for 99p and free posting cost you £3..is ok then ..plus sellers fees..

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No; you would have to be daft to thinks so. Basically it's not Ebay's job to protect daft people from themselves! Also, not all item are posted!

[ronnybabes]

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@lambsy_uk wrote:

It says "To Increase Your Chances of Selling"

Starting at 99p would indeed increase your chanses of selling so what'sthe problem?

If people don't have good sense then they shouldn't be doing complicated things like using a computer and selling on auction sites!

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Well you certainly started a lively exchange of views, between Tommy and yourself.

I never said the advice wasn't correct, of course it was, I stated the advice was ridiculous.

To increase your chances of living do not stop breathing. (good advice, yes?) 

People on the whole probably do have good sense, it's this silly (but correct) advice that is banal, and on this occasion is very silly, but still correct, yet patently obvious. This advice is like rubbing salt into a Seller's wounds.

So, on this point, it is ebay that needs to acquire some good (common) sense. 

[ronnybabes]

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@electric*mayhem*band wrote:

Ron, you could always move your pitch over to Amazon, Gumtree, or eBid.

Failing that, stiff upper lip, ignore, head down

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Thanks Embsy, but I already did on ebid, but my kind of stuff (old records, and music memorabilia) just wasn't successful there.

I've done Gumtree for local things, but Amazon, I find rather laborious. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending how you look at it, ebay remains the preferred Site for buyers of my kind of memorabilia.

[tommy.irene]

[lambsy_uk]

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@ronnybabes wrote:

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@lambsy_uk wrote:

It says "To Increase Your Chances of Selling"

Starting at 99p would indeed increase your chanses of selling so what'sthe problem?

If people don't have good sense then they shouldn't be doing complicated things like using a computer and selling on auction sites!

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Well you certainly started a lively exchange of views, between Tommy and yourself.

I never said the advice wasn't correct, of course it was, I stated the advice was ridiculous.

To increase your chances of living do not stop breathing. (good advice, yes?) 

People on the whole probably do have good sense, it's this silly (but correct) advice that is banal, and on this occasion is very silly, but still correct, yet patently obvious. This advice is like rubbing salt into a Seller's wounds.

So, on this point, it is ebay that needs to acquire some good (common) sense. 

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Well yes Babes you would be right to suggest that advice is silly, banal and unecessary; however you started going on:

"the items are worth far more then that, and what happens if there is only one bidder? I lose money, plus the 10% commission, plus Paypal fees, and if God forbid I were to offer free P&P then I would be in trouble.

Sometimes I wonder about these people, and who's interest they serve, certainly not the Seller, that they purport to look after."

@And then a subsequent poster wrote:

"The thing is that experienced seller know that this is ridiculous advice and ignore it .....

However some new sellers think that this is what eBay is directing them to do and they go on to list the item at 99p....

The next thing is that you get a buyer on here complaining that the seller wont sell and responders advising them to neg them , report them and trash their DSRs.........

eBay does have a lot to answer for at times ....."

So there was a bit more to this than saying it is silly, banal and unecessary!

[ronnybabes]

I am aware what I wrote, it may also surprise you to know that I also know what subsequent Posters wrote, so there was absolutely no point to quote  what others have written.  

We make a statement, and then put our thoughts in writing to embellish the point.

That is something that you yourself are a bit of an expert at, looking back at all your previous observations on this thread. (but I promise not to print them again, as I am aware that you know what you have written)  And..... there is absolutely nothing wrong with adding meat to the gravy.

It's why we Post.  

[itsmeyourcathy]

Ooh yummy Ronny, you're cooking a roast.  Don't forget the mint sauce and I know i'm a bit of a Philistine but some home made Yorkshire's would be divine.

[lambsy_uk]

And Horseradish, Stuffing, Bread Sauce and Cranberry Sauce.

[evoman3957]

On eBay China.........doesn't EVERYTHING start and end at 99p.