There's a small team of us, and we approve posts before going live to ensure they meet requirements, and act as a Liaison between buyer\seller should anything go wrong.
So this post is aimed at helping you with all your online selling, trading, and buying transactions (be it cloth or anything!). From the perspective of an admin, a buyer, and a seller, hopefully you will find these tips helpful!
1. Always buy/sell through Paypal using invoices-never gifted!
Paypal has buyer/seller protection, which means certain things are required by the seller to keep their butt covered and to protect their end of the sell, as well as the buyer. When an invoice is created, once it is paid, the seller has seven days to ship and must update PayPal with the tracking numbers. This gives them protection in case someone wanted to say they never received their item. The buyer also receives protection in case this isn't done-you can see that the seller didn't follow through, Its likely they never shipped, and you get your money back. The buyer can also dispute if they received something that wasn't in the condition they were promised. If you do a transaction where funds are "gifted" I.e not sold with an invoice, this protection paypal offers does not apply. Always be wary of people who want funds "gifted" when buying an item.
2. Condition is everything
Be honest when describing the condition of what you are selling. Not only is it a dick move to lie about any damages or the "less than stellar" state the item you want to sell is in, but if caught in said lie, you might find yourself with a dispute claim. When buying things, ALWAYS check out everything you can-ask for pictures of any and everything you think may be an issue. Make sure you have enough disclosed info to make a smart decision.
3. Price appropriately
It's not that hard to Google search products and price them fairly. If the item is used, list by the retail value and price according to its condition. Typically used products go for half the retail price-if in excellent condition, add only a few dollars. If it's in very poor, but working condition, then subtract a couple of dollars from the price it would be if 50% from the retail value. There's no point in over pricing because for one, no body will buy it from you when they know the true value and can get it from someone else. Another factor-It's just a shady move. This really just goes back to being honest.
4. Always ship correctly!
This is a pet peeve of mine, having to deal with disputes as an admin. Most sellers aren't very dedicated, and often don't think much about throwing something in a box and shipping it away. Remember-it has to get there! Use the correct packaging materials for whatever you are shipping! Especially if your buyer is paying for it!
Below is an example of how NOT to ship a wet bag. I paid for shipping, btw...
That's right. Stuffed into a regular envelope with a little scotch tape. I was amazed it even made it. You can include proper shipping charges, that will cover everything, into the price of your own, there just isn't any excuse for something like this. Not only are you risking product damage, but something getting lost or not arriving at all. Which brings us to...
5. Follow The Rules
I included this specifically for other admins but it's so simple-if you are part of a BST group and you are supposed to provide tracking information-DO IT. If you aren't supposed to charge for PayPal fees, then DON'T CHARGE FOR THEM. If you are supposed to pay an invoice within 24hours then just PAY THE INVOICE IF YOU INTEND TO PURCHASE. A lot of issues buyers & sellers have, stem from people just not following the rules. And this is frustrating, not just for people trying to sell, or to buy, but people like me who admin a group and have to mediate between two pissed off women because someone literally couldn't take a few minutes to update a tracking Number. So in other words, be an adult-and do things like you are supposed to. Everything runs so much smoother in the long run.You get to sell things confidently, someone gets an honest deal, and an admin like me doesn't have to put up with shady scams.
Internet buying can be fun, just safe guard yourself when making purchases, and respect rules and guidelines when selling.
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