Jump to content

Selling on the Internet


Recommended Posts

Finally, after more than a year 'preparing' myself, I've gotten around to advertising something for sale on the Internet. As it happens, a pair of shoes I don't want, that rather oddly are my most recent purchase. :( [i often work backwards...]

I've found buying on the Internet to be a bit of a mixed experience. Provided I'm getting a 'fixed feature' product, or a branded product I've seen before, it's a bit of a lottery. Sure - we win many more than we lose, or the idea wouldn't have worked .... But the duff 'uns really do cause heartache, for me at least.

After some initial success with ASOS, and some PU ankle boots (as worn to the HHp 2008 World Meet), everything else from them has gone back, at some expense. Frustrating because the return address is only 10 miles from my front door :o and they only take postal returns. :confused:

Buying shoes is becoming less of a nightmare, as I'm starting to find out what brands fit, and what brands over or under size. Consistently worst is Schuh, who think their 8 should match everyone elses 7. :( Twice now, their products have gone back or been resold for the sizing problem.

Anyway, I've gotten some experience now, at putting something up for sale. Hopefully, all the other pairs (about 6 of mine, and perhaps 10 of hers) will be up for sale soon. :oops:

More space for the next batch! :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you are right, I would have to say that if trying on shoes in a shop, I am likely to forget the brands and if they fit or not, buying on-line is different, if they don't fit or the quality is poor, the hassle of sending them back or disappointment of being stuck with them sticks in your mind.

We quite often buy a bargain and are very happy but they are soon back on ebay if they are not right. Interestingly I have had quite a lot of success selling the big sizes for us guys in the free ads paper. they are always a little shy when they come to collect the shoes, boots or whatever, but are usually so scared they dont even argue about the price, not that I am trying to profiter from guys like us albeit shy guys, but it does mean we dont have to take quite a loss on the deal.

just a thought, be prepaired for lots of weird txts and funny phonecalls if selling in the free ads. you do get used to it and soon work out who are genuine and who are timewasters.

Nigel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm.

Not having much luck with Plan A.

As reported I'd put some shoes back on that well known Internet auction place. Listing took a little massaging because when doing a search on the fields I'd completed; Like Size 7, Black, Heels, etc etc. The listing didn't appear.

"Okay" thought I, I'll make everything as standard as possible, and replicate the data fields of other products that did come up on my search. An example would be size, I'd put "UK 7 - EU41" which is non-standard given the options originally offered. So I put the size to "UK 7" which was one of the listed options.

First 12 hours, and now 24 hours later, despite plenty of time given for the 'indexing' to sort itself out, a Size 7 search doesn't find my shoes. Nor in fact does a search that includes "Black". So two days into my seven, anyone actually searching for a shoe like the one I've got on offer, won't find it if they specify the correct colour. And that's something I do EVERY time I do a search, to keep my results as pertinent to my buying choice as I can. :confused:

I've just sent off a second 'help' message to the Auction Support Team. Hopefully they'll actually read what I write this time...... Their initial response to it can't be found in a search was; "it's there." Well I know it's there, I can see it. But can anyone else? - is the issue. And if they are searching for Black + Heels, the answer is "no they can't".

Frustrating? You bet. No wonder it took me a year to start this..... :oops:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gotta love the support teams in these places. I always like the fact they start with the assumption that whatever is wrong is something you did, not their software. A great example is the Microsoft report a problem popup which asks you to detail anything YOU may have done that caused the problem. The help always starts by blaming you or third party software or drivers.

As for selling on Ebay, that seems to be an art form in itself, and probably involves some kind of ritual using arcane symbols and hard to find ingredients gathered in certain areas of dark forest.

Will do a search and see if I find your shoes and report back

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The story so far .....

I've re-written my query and included some further detail. Like, for example ..... What criteria will find the shoes, and what additional criteria will exclude them.

Including the colour 'black' in a search, excludes them .... 'Stilletoe' excludes them too.

Mindful they are black stilletoes, sorta makes a targeted search pointless. Or put another way, they're effectively hidden. :confused:

Response late today; "It's being passed to our Technical Team". I think the listing has 3 days to run. Wonder if I'll have an answer before I have to pay again to have them relisted? :oops:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well ......

The listing ended today. "18 views" and no bids. And if the counter includes me looking, that "18" figure could all be me? :-).

Free listings tomorrow, (25th June) so maybe I'll try again.....

Heard nothing back from Ebay, so left a query in the Discussion Forum. :-(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does. and the counter starts at 1 when you preview your advert!

Great! :-) So the only person who saw the listing, would have been me!

Gonna be re-listing them sometime later today. I'll try putting less information in the "index" fields......

Initial response from the discussion forum .... Put anything pertinent in the title. The other fields (size, colour, shoe type) are unreliable at best. :-(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Item now listed again. (NOT re-listed using old advert).

Rather oddly, I got a system remark; "Thanks for putting up your first **** listing." Odd, because I thought it was my second?

Internet selling company Technical Support was worthless. 3 emails sent, one directly to the guy in charge of Searches. And the final outcome? "Sorry it took so long, but as the listing is now closed, we can't help."

Anyway, the new ad can be found with a regular search. :-) So whatever I did wrong first time around, I didn't make the same mistake(s) again.

1 pair listed, only about 20 to go .... :-(

....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Sorry it took so long, but as the listing is now closed, we can't help."

Now that's a creative way to make progress on technical issues! Wait until the problem doesn't matter anymore and then declare victory!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I used to go down to Evans or priceless shoes quite often, at least for the last 6 years anyway, this year is different though, no real bargains for a few quid that I could either keep or pop on ebay for others to have. quite often there was enough profit to pay of the pair I kept for myself.

with Evans website now taking paypal and having a sale section and the well documented problems at priceless, there does not seem to be the bargain there for the occasional reseller. I think there are loads more professional resellers out there now. I was in a charity shop and there was this woman buying armfuls of clothes, all different sizes, some of which were good makes. I think these were for resale on ebay.

I see there are warnings about Primark on ebay now, nothing wrong with primark, just that some sellers are buying a

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Slightly off thread ... but ..... it is to do with Internet selling..... ;-)

I often click on the advertising links around the forum. Sure doing that helps pay the rent, and sometimes they're pertinent to my shopping needs.....

What I don't understand, is why Leatherworks continues to pay Google to advertise their web site that is "off-line for maintenance"? :lol:

...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I noticed that during the summer there were New Look shoes being sold on ebay going for more then you could buy in the shops. All the time men are unable to feel comfortable in buying ladies shoes in shops, there will always be a market for men buying ladies shoes on internet. I also think that being the case some men won,t mind paying a little more then in the shops.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unsurprisingly, I had thought to do something along this line myself. It would never make me rich, but I'd sure get a lot of pleasure buying/selling goods I enjoyed being around.

I'd quite like to move to the US and ship shoes/boots around the world. My reason for moving there, is the range of styles and prices seems enormous. Maybe Hong Kong/China might be the same?

Many people turn a hobby into a business. Selling womens shoes/boots would be a perfect job for me. :cool: :roll:

...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Just sold four pairs of heels this week on ebay. Almost bought another 2 pairs from Ebay. 1 pair of Leatherworks went for more then I bid on and the other pair (Faith sandles) got me thinking where am I going to wear them. I bought 4 other pairs of heels in the last 3 months that not been worn much.

The last time I bought a pair of heels off Ebay I told the guy about HHplace and I think he did join.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just sold four pairs of heels this week on ebay. Almost bought another 2 pairs from Ebay. 1 pair of Leatherworks went for more then I bid on and the other pair (Faith sandles) got me thinking where am I going to wear them. I bought 4 other pairs of heels in the last 3 months that not been worn much.

The last time I bought a pair of heels off Ebay I told the guy about HHplace and I think he did join.

Fantastic, good move... :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...