e-bag selling questions

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matthon

matthon

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So I listed a car last week, set a reserve, and let it go.
Didn't reach reserve, and I'm not being ridiculous with it, I know its not worth what you have in it, what it would have sold for in 2006, etc.

The problem: all of the messages I get are ridiculous;
Please send me your phone number- from a guy who's been a member since 2007 and has never bought or sold anything!
What do you need to get out of it?
What's the reserve set at?
What would you sell it for locally?

OK, so I won't be sending my phone number, but if I wanted to disclose the reserve, or what I 'need to get out of it' I would have listed it as $X.XX amount or best offer.
I've sold and bought many cars on-line, and if I'm interested in a car- I give my number and go to see it, then ask what they want for it or make an offer.
And sometimes I just bid up to what I would pay for it and let it go from there.

How do you guys respond to questions like these?

Basically, I just didn't because no one seemed serious.
 
Most buyers hate to see a reserve, I don't even bid on reserve auctions... I've ran a few auctions with reserves, I just tell them the reserve, their either interested or thay leave you alone..
 
just be wary of the side deals.
The I'll send you a money order and you wire the shipping cost to the shipper scam.

Remember postal money orders only !

good luck
 
trapster said:
just be wary of the side deals.
The I'll send you a money order and you wire the shipping cost to the shipper scam.

Remember postal money orders only !

good luck
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x2, but watch the post money orders too, I was selling a motorcycle on autotrader and received an envelope full of them. Looked totally legit, but werent. Anyone asking for your info, I would email back asking for their # and you contact them. Quite often if it doesnt meet reserve, the highest bidder may come close to it. Might not sell on egag, but it gets ton of exposure
 
answer the questions-- it shows the potential buyer you are paying attention.

Something like I have a fair reserve set on the car--- thanks for your interest, all contact must be made through ebay due to the ebay policies, etc....
You have seen it here people will spout off just to see it in print-- it comes with the territory. don't take it personal & remeber most all selling on ebay happens in the last few hours of the auction---- so if you have lots of watchers-- you should be fine, Lawrence
 
I just sold a car on there. When I listed it a month ago it never met the reserve. When I relisted it without a reserve it went above what the reserve was in the last auction. I think like another poster said when there is a reserve some people shy off.
 
Car selling and "pick up only" items are more a regional thing, I saw a Choo-Choo Custom El Camino sale for $150 one time, just because it was in a bad region of the country, the front air dam was worth more than that.. I'd start the car out at my asking price, thats the way I sell all my parts on ebay, I've been burned to many times starting them out cheap....
 
ebay can be a roller coaster ride if you don't sale on there a lot, I listed a pair of aftermarket cobra II side window louvers on there awhile back, $40 starting price with a $55 buy it now, 5-days went by no bids, so I removed the buy it now, thay bid up and sold for $114........
 
.........Im on ebay a fair bit.......if a seller has a bit or reserve.......they dont actually want to sell their car/parts.............kim..........
 
Not true, oldkimmer. When I list an item on ebay, I already know what I'd like to get for it before I list it. If it's not a high dollar item I don't put a reserve. If it is a rare or valuable piece I will put a reserve on it for what I would take for it.

Case in point... I recently listed the center console with tachometer and sending unit can from the 64 Sport Fury I am parting out. I knew it was worth $300.00 at least, and I would take $300.00 from anybody interested, so I set my reserve at $300.00. I always include in my description that my reserve is very fair and based on the value of the part. Sold it for the reserve price. The reserve didn't scare anybody away that wanted it, and I had over 40 watchers and 27 bids.

On the matter of reserve and pricing, I will always check the listings a couple weeks ahead of time to see if anybody has the items I am planning to sell. That way I can see what like items are going for before I list mine. Also, I don't like to list an item when there is already 1 or more already listed. You just can't overprice your items like so many people I have seen on there. Everytime I see a part listed that I also have and it is priced out of the stratosphere, I don't think my part is worth that. I just laugh and list my part for what I'd be willing to take.

Bottom line...be informed before you list your parts as to what they're worth and describe them to the best of your ability. That way you won't be disappointed when they don't sell or meet your reserve. Geof
 
After allmost 6 years of searching for parts on e-bay ( affectionally known as YA- BUT)
I have had people ask me the following set of favorites too many times to remember: I have listed the idiotic questions and my comparable answers ( when in rome)
Background NOTE: all of my ads have multiple pictures at various angles, all of my ads have the words "I do not deliver." all of my ads have specific pricing details and exactly what I will accept and not accept. etc etc point is my ads are pretty specific...
njoy!!
1. Q. Exactly how much rust is on the car? A. About this much
2. Q. What is the absolute lowest price you will take? A. What is the absolute highest price you will pay?
3. Q. Does that need RESTORED? A. NO it needs to BE restored
4. Q. How far will you drive to deliver the part? A. How far will you drive to pick it up?
5. Q. I know your ad says PAYPAL only but will you take a personal check for half and paypal for the rest? A. Sure you can send me the full amount on PayPal and the bonus via personal check
6. Q. I know it says you do not ship overseas, but will you ship to India? A. NO
( getting tired of it)
7. Q. Your ad says the tires have 10/32 left on them...how much is that?? A. 10/32 Q. is that good? A. to some
8. Q. Can I have your number? A. Q. Can I have yours? QA. NO!
9. Q. WIll you take HALF if I offer cash? A. If you offer the full amount, Sure!
10. Q. the car in the pictures is RED...do you have a blue ONE? a. YES for an additional 3k!

I have a saved file of them that I review ocassionally ( very) when I need a laugh..... dont get angry.....just smile and respond..... Just like when the window sales people call me on Sunday at 6pm asking if I am interested in replacement windows.... I smile and say SURE.... I will be out of prison in 2 years and I am certain my house will need them by then, can you call me back? click LOL

My point is dont get mad...you are dealing with people that have more money & time than brains..... just answer and move on, someone will buy your stuff and likely give you a decent price for it......patience
 
I second anserwing questions regardless if they are dumb or not. IMO It seems to make the auction more real and like was said above it shows your paying attention.

But I would say you nailed it not many serious buyers out there for most items. It probably wouldn't have made a difference if you responded to those questions. A firesale price seems to be the only thing that will get any bids. at least from me:-D
 
All good input, and I am happy to report that I practice what everyone else is doing- thank you for confirming that I am sane!

I sold my 64 Nova SS years ago and set the starting price at what I wanted- 1 bid later at the last minute and it was sold.

This time around I thought I'd try the reserve deal, to protect myself from it getting stolen from me dirt cheap, (both from the economy and it isn't really the best time of year to sell), and thinking maybe it might go above the reserve by a nice chunk of change.

Truth is, I see the same thing lately and its very strange- items not selling with a BIN, and selling much higher when relisted.

When I bought my last car off eBag I called the guy and made an offer, he countered, I countered, done deal!

I might just respond with 'I can't buy it and sell it- make me an offer!'
 
Intersting thought Zhand..... my experience tells me a lil something different. THE MOST number of complaints have come from people who have gotten a "fire sale" type deal. If I have gotten tired of messing with an auction...and reduced the price to fire sale level.... the buyer is over joyed to make the deal then spends hours/days bitching that what they got for peanuts isnt perfect! So I think it is far better to decide on a price that is fair and market solid, and stick with it..... VERY VERY few people that have paid a fair price for a fair part have ever complained if at all.
 
I always answer any and all questions.. I listed 4 cragar s/s spinners three days ago, the first hour into the auction I get a question, do thay have any pitting?? yep, 2 of the bars have minor pitting, no chrome loss.... 5 minutes later the guy bought them at my buy it now price...
 
I have found when selling on ebay having good feedback helps. If you have a lot of feedback and it is good it puts the buyers at ease and also the sellers if you are bidding on something. My feedback is almost 1500 and its 100%. When I bought my Duster off eBay a couple years ago the seller commented to me he was glad I got it because the other bidders had low feedback numbers, he felt I was serious about business....just my 2 cents worth.
 
383Duster said:
I have found when selling on ebay having good feedback helps. If you have a lot of feedback and it is good it puts the buyers at ease and also the sellers if you are bidding on something. My feedback is almost 1500 and its 100%. When I bought my Duster off eBay a couple years ago the seller commented to me he was glad I got it because the other bidders had low feedback numbers, he felt I was serious about business....just my 2 cents worth.
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You would think that helps but I just had a buyer buy my car and show up expecting 1/3 off the price. I wonder what he will think when he is served to appear in court.
 
Please send me your phone number from a guy who's been a member: :munky2:Just ask him for his and his address to verify and you prob wont hear from him again.

What do you need to get out of it? :munky2:Just tell him your bottom line maybe he has cash


What's the reserve set at?:munky2: I feel a Reserve is the dumbest thing on EBAY, were not barret jackson. I sell A LOT on ebay all I do is start my aucton at my bottom line for the item, weather its 99 cents or a million dollars, it avoids the dumb questions and keep the B!S! bidders from getting my hopes up and wasting the buyers time if he wants to spend $4500 and its $15000 he wont wast time bidding 20 times.

What would you sell it for locally? :munky2:I just tell them he could be 2 blocks away with a $20,000 check burning a hole in his pocket.
 
What is with all the sellers who won't give up their phone number? Do you want to sell or not? Why don't you keep what it is a secret, and for that matter, where it is too? Hell, you don't really want to sell it do you?

On Ebay, I kinda understand not putting a phone number but the ads on craigslist that say "email me your phone number" get flagged. Also if I gotta click on the ad to see what the heck they are selling I might as well flag it while I'm there.
 
BronxMopars1 said:
Please send me your phone number from a guy who's been a member: :munky2:Just ask him for his and his address to verify and you prob wont hear from him again.

What do you need to get out of it? :munky2:Just tell him your bottom line maybe he has cash


What's the reserve set at?:munky2: I feel a Reserve is the dumbest thing on EBAY, were not barret jackson. I sell A LOT on ebay all I do is start my aucton at my bottom line for the item, weather its 99 cents or a million dollars, it avoids the dumb questions and keep the B!S! bidders from getting my hopes up and wasting the buyers time if he wants to spend $4500 and its $15000 he wont wast time bidding 20 times.

What would you sell it for locally? :munky2:I just tell them he could be 2 blocks away with a $20,000 check burning a hole in his pocket.
Click to expand...


couldn't have stated it better!

sellers who appear to have something to hide are not trustworthy and not worth my or anyone else's time
 
For everyone who has a problem with Epay auctions, here are 3 options.
1. Set a high starting bid with no reserve. This gets rid of all the tire kickers. Anyone who is serious will not be frightened away.
2. Include a Buy It Now price slightly higher than your reserve.
3. List with only a Buy It Now price.
 
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