Is It Safe To Sell On Ebay?

This is truth, I got few packages recently in time.

But yesterday, when tried to ship some small item to US, the clerk received the package and labelled it and told that it will not be shipped out till strike will be ended.

Could be she not 100% knowledgeable, but any way...

It is not a full bloomed postal strike. It is a rotating strike that affect different cities every day. So if your city is not affected, the mail will go through.

I've been buying and (mostly) selling on ebay for about 16 years now. There were ups and downs but for the most part it has been very positive. Is it safe? Yes, but I've learned a few things:

1. Despite eBay/PayPal's claim, there is no such thing as "seller protection". I lost 2 fraudulent cases (gold coins that even had signature confirmation!). ALWAYS ship with tracking information AND insurance. I'm using a low cost ShipSaver. For high value items it definitely pays to be insured. Also state in your listing that shipping cost includes insurance and tracking. This drives the crooks away.

2. Remember, the seller is always responsible for items that are "lost" or "damaged". Even if the USPS/UPS/Fedex tracking information shows that it was delivered. The buyer can claim that he/she never received the item and he/she will win the case. YOU NEED INSURANCE.

(One a side note, I received a non-delivered package 2 years after it was shipped. USPS does mess up at times)

3. Never change shipping method or mailing address even at the cost of receiving bad ratings. I was able to have ebay remove a negative comment about shipping time when it was clearly stated "10-15 business day shipping" and in fact the item was received within that timeframe.

4. Personally, I no longer sell outside of the country. Unfortunately, shipping costs, duty and insurance are too high and the majority of complaints were due to long shipping delays which I had absolutely no control over. It's up to you. I don't run a coin business... so I can wait for the right buyer. The Global Shipping Program may be a solution but that increases shipping costs even more.

5. For proof silver coins, be VERY careful when taking photos. One buyer thought that the coins was gold plated when in fact it was just a reflection. Gold plating was never mentioned in the title nor the description. It was not my intention to lure anyone. But the buyer won the case regardless.

6. Inspect the coin very carefully before listing. Any dings, nicks or scratch MUST be listed if not obvious on the pictures. We do see pictures on ebay that are blurry sometimes. Don't take any chances because - again, the seller is responsible. Even if returns aren't accepted. The buyer will win the case.

7. Use the "block buyer" option at the first sign of a problematic buyer. For example, asking you to sell outside of ebay. That's a big red flag. Or asking you to ship to uncle Joe close to the border to save duty.

I once received a message from an ebay member who said I should be ashamed of selling Canadian coins in the US. RED FLAG!


Enjoy!

Very nice and useful tips, Canadian Coins.
Everything correct, and following this way, the seller will be more safe.

There is just a problem, like you mentioned - our shipping services (Canada Post) are expensive.
To Canada and US - well, relatively OK, but overseas with tracking the prices are disastrous.

I am also not in coin or any other selling business, just turning some different collections into cash, so to attract the North American buyers, I almost always set the shipping charge less than actual in a few dollars.
Mentioning this, I always happy to help to the overseas collectors to get the items....despite the risk.

The seller will lose the case regardless if it was shipped in a bullet-proof container on live TV.

It's not about how an item is shipped, it's about how it is received by the buyer.

The ONLY solution is to ship with tracking AND insurance. Plain and simple.

Certainly, video evidence will not prove a package has been delivered. It will not protect against a lost package. That would require tracking and insurance protection.

That's why I mentioned it (filming) is not definitive proof. I only mention it as an extra measure of protection as an ebay seller. I would imagine that video proof would bolster your case if the buyer claims that the item received is different from what was listed, or that it's condition is inaccurate. If anything, you could use the evidence to prove to the shipper that the item was damaged during delivery. Of course, it doesn't absolve you if you do a piss-poor job at packing the item.

If eBay/Paypal does not accept video evidence, does that apply equally to buyer & seller? How is a fraud claim substantiated (except non-delivery or lost delivery) if no proof is accepted? It seems kind of silly that a buyer can claim fraud with no proof. Certainly, the buyer *must* provide some sort of evidence?!

Right. Packing videos are completely useless, in case you're wondering. They can be so easily faked that it's not even a thing.

Tracking, insurance and other services spell it out. I have been selling on ebay for a considerable time and have never been scammed. Be smart and you'll be just fine!

To be clear, that program retains (and maybe increases ) the shipping cost for the buyer. The seller (in the US, at least) pays normal shipping for the specified service to Kentucky (for me) and ebay handles customs forms.

I have not had any negative experiences using the GSP and that includes packages sent to a few different continents other than my own.