No, not riding horses - although I'd like to!
I'm getting back to my ebay business. I've found a new way to create my listings that works better with my crazy day-job schedule, and my kids' needs too.
On the weekend - usually Sunday afternoon - I take pictures.
When I have 30 free minutes at lunch time during the week, I create a basic listing for an item or two. The pictures and initial descriptions are wrong...but at least the listing is up!
That night, I spend another 30 minutes once the kids are in bed making changes to my new listings - changing the picture links, adding measurements, and so on.
It's slow, granted...but 2 or 4 listings a week is better than nothing!
Of course, this works because right now I have a backlog of inventory that needs listed - both consignment items from family, as well as my own purchases. Once that inventory runs out, I'll have to find time to shop again. But I'm not going to worry about that right now!
And don't even ask me about my jewelry making...
Showing posts with label ebay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ebay. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Now what
I had this plan for the new year.
On the nights when hubby worked late, I would list items on eBay after the kids went to bed.
On the weekends while kids were at soccer/basketball/ballet practice, I would take pictures and maybe shop a little.
We'd keep paying off bills and socking away funds for a trip to Europe in 2011.
Then, hubby decided to quit his job. I can't fault him for the reasons - if you were the general dogsbody of your company, despite being a top salesperson, you'd quit too. Still, with the economy in the toilet, it's hard to see him finding another position with flexible hours at part-time, yet still making decent money.
So the extra money is gone. *poof* The extra time to sell on eBay - without guilt over using "us" time in the evenings...also *poof*. And while I know that our situation is nowhere near as dire as many people lately - it's hard not to be discouraged, even unhappy.
On the nights when hubby worked late, I would list items on eBay after the kids went to bed.
On the weekends while kids were at soccer/basketball/ballet practice, I would take pictures and maybe shop a little.
We'd keep paying off bills and socking away funds for a trip to Europe in 2011.
Then, hubby decided to quit his job. I can't fault him for the reasons - if you were the general dogsbody of your company, despite being a top salesperson, you'd quit too. Still, with the economy in the toilet, it's hard to see him finding another position with flexible hours at part-time, yet still making decent money.
So the extra money is gone. *poof* The extra time to sell on eBay - without guilt over using "us" time in the evenings...also *poof*. And while I know that our situation is nowhere near as dire as many people lately - it's hard not to be discouraged, even unhappy.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Happy eBay-versery to me
This week marks my third anniversary selling on eBay - at least under my TexasTesla name. And boy, have I learned some serious lessons! I know there are plenty of people who are still newbies to eBay (and online buying in general)...so I've compiled a list of hard-learned pointers to help everyone out.
Buying on eBay
1. Always, always, always check the seller's feedback. It's not about total score, it's how many negatives and neutrals they've had recently - and why. For high-volume sellers, I recommend using the search at www.toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs - all you need is their exact seller ID (available on the listing pages).
2. Sometimes a good seller gets a few lousy buyers, and their feedback score suffers. Read the feedback, and the seller's response (if any) - you'll quickly see if this is a basically good person, or someone to avoid. Don't expect perfect 100% - all sellers get the occasional unfair hit.
3. High-volume sales can mask a LOT of flaws...and even established sellers can suddenly go crazy (or have their accounts hijacked). Recent feedback is crucial to avoid these.
4. Use a credit card through PayPal - you'll get PayPal protection AND protection from your credit card.
5. Ask questions! Too many buyers assume something (the item is new, the item is real, they are paying $20 for overnight shipping) when the answer is unclear in the listing. Send a message to the seller, and be sure to keep their response - it's binding.
6. Be wary of buying from new sellers. Try to stick with sellers who have earned at least 20 positive feedbacks or more. Yes, it's unfair to newbies - but most scams come from low-feedback accounts.
7. Never, ever conduct a transaction outside eBay - not only will eBay potentially shut off your account, but it is VERY likely to be a scam.
8. If you are going to buy clothing on eBay, take the time to know your measurements. Pick items from your closet that fit well, measure at key areas (chest, waist, hip, etc) and compare to the listing. Be aware that many sellers do NOT accept returns for incorrect size, so be sure it fits to begin with.
9. If you get taken, complain. Loudly. To eBay and PayPal and the seller. Even if it's a $0.99 trinket, please complain - so there is a record of this seller being bad. Otherwise, other people will get taken too, and eBay won't know who to go after.
10. If you're going to spend serious money ($100+), become a semi-expert in the item. If you want a Louis Vuitton, do some research so you can spot the fakes. Know what kind of features a real Rolex will have, or what colors iPods are really available in. Some fakes are hard to spot, but many are super easy if you know a little about the real product.
Selling on eBay.
1. Be the kind of seller you'd want to buy from - answer emails, put lots of detail in your listing, and offer a return policy.
2. Know what you are selling, especially if you are a reseller. Fake everything is out there! (Especially at thrift stores) Plus, underpricing your items is a waste of your time and money.
3. Bad buyers really do exist - and can be anyone. Reserve the right to cancel a bid, and check on your bidders (especially those with no or poor feedback). Look for patterns of complaints for small/non-existent problems.
4. Use delivery confirmation at minimum when you ship an item. Otherwise, you have absolutely no proof of shipment.
5. For fragile items, wrap extremely well, and take a picture before sealing the box. Require insurance, and BUY insurance from the Post Office (don't pocket the money).
6. Remember, PayPal and eBay are not your friends - when a problem comes up and there's no proof, YOU will be wrong.
7. If you are considering allowing "local pick-up" of items, DO NOT meet at your house, and ALWAYS have a friend (preferably big and strong) with you. If an item can be shipped, require shipping - even if they live nearby. It's safer all around.
8. Selling to international customers can open up the range of who buys from you - but only do it if YOU are comfortable with it. It does require more work (customs forms, etc), and scams are common.
9. Not everything sells on eBay - do a search for your items before listing. This can also help you get a realistic idea of how much something might sell for. Lots of "nice" clothes, jewelry, and electronics go for almost nothing - because nobody wants them.
10. When you have a buyer complaint, do your homework and give the buyer the benefit of the doubt. Could you have missed that small hole? Was the package mis-delivered by the Post Office? Yes, some people try to get things for free (always require an item's return before refunding money!), but is it worth going to war with a buyer over a $20 sweater? Especially when eBay might side with them?
Buying on eBay
1. Always, always, always check the seller's feedback. It's not about total score, it's how many negatives and neutrals they've had recently - and why. For high-volume sellers, I recommend using the search at www.toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs - all you need is their exact seller ID (available on the listing pages).
2. Sometimes a good seller gets a few lousy buyers, and their feedback score suffers. Read the feedback, and the seller's response (if any) - you'll quickly see if this is a basically good person, or someone to avoid. Don't expect perfect 100% - all sellers get the occasional unfair hit.
3. High-volume sales can mask a LOT of flaws...and even established sellers can suddenly go crazy (or have their accounts hijacked). Recent feedback is crucial to avoid these.
4. Use a credit card through PayPal - you'll get PayPal protection AND protection from your credit card.
5. Ask questions! Too many buyers assume something (the item is new, the item is real, they are paying $20 for overnight shipping) when the answer is unclear in the listing. Send a message to the seller, and be sure to keep their response - it's binding.
6. Be wary of buying from new sellers. Try to stick with sellers who have earned at least 20 positive feedbacks or more. Yes, it's unfair to newbies - but most scams come from low-feedback accounts.
7. Never, ever conduct a transaction outside eBay - not only will eBay potentially shut off your account, but it is VERY likely to be a scam.
8. If you are going to buy clothing on eBay, take the time to know your measurements. Pick items from your closet that fit well, measure at key areas (chest, waist, hip, etc) and compare to the listing. Be aware that many sellers do NOT accept returns for incorrect size, so be sure it fits to begin with.
9. If you get taken, complain. Loudly. To eBay and PayPal and the seller. Even if it's a $0.99 trinket, please complain - so there is a record of this seller being bad. Otherwise, other people will get taken too, and eBay won't know who to go after.
10. If you're going to spend serious money ($100+), become a semi-expert in the item. If you want a Louis Vuitton, do some research so you can spot the fakes. Know what kind of features a real Rolex will have, or what colors iPods are really available in. Some fakes are hard to spot, but many are super easy if you know a little about the real product.
Selling on eBay.
1. Be the kind of seller you'd want to buy from - answer emails, put lots of detail in your listing, and offer a return policy.
2. Know what you are selling, especially if you are a reseller. Fake everything is out there! (Especially at thrift stores) Plus, underpricing your items is a waste of your time and money.
3. Bad buyers really do exist - and can be anyone. Reserve the right to cancel a bid, and check on your bidders (especially those with no or poor feedback). Look for patterns of complaints for small/non-existent problems.
4. Use delivery confirmation at minimum when you ship an item. Otherwise, you have absolutely no proof of shipment.
5. For fragile items, wrap extremely well, and take a picture before sealing the box. Require insurance, and BUY insurance from the Post Office (don't pocket the money).
6. Remember, PayPal and eBay are not your friends - when a problem comes up and there's no proof, YOU will be wrong.
7. If you are considering allowing "local pick-up" of items, DO NOT meet at your house, and ALWAYS have a friend (preferably big and strong) with you. If an item can be shipped, require shipping - even if they live nearby. It's safer all around.
8. Selling to international customers can open up the range of who buys from you - but only do it if YOU are comfortable with it. It does require more work (customs forms, etc), and scams are common.
9. Not everything sells on eBay - do a search for your items before listing. This can also help you get a realistic idea of how much something might sell for. Lots of "nice" clothes, jewelry, and electronics go for almost nothing - because nobody wants them.
10. When you have a buyer complaint, do your homework and give the buyer the benefit of the doubt. Could you have missed that small hole? Was the package mis-delivered by the Post Office? Yes, some people try to get things for free (always require an item's return before refunding money!), but is it worth going to war with a buyer over a $20 sweater? Especially when eBay might side with them?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
My eBay shipping experiment
What do people most value in their eBay shopping experience? Actually spending less, or just feeling like they got a good deal?
eBay is really starting to push for sellers to offer "Free Shipping". This is, of course, an obvious ploy for more fees - after all, they earn a fee only on the sale price, not on shipping and handling. (I'm not even going to touch on the problem of fee avoidance)
The question is, does free shipping draw more buyers, and can you still make the same (or more!) profit that way.
So, for the moment, I'm running an experiment. I know my standard profit margin on items where I charge S&H - for 6 weeks or so, I'm going to offer "free shipping" but with a higher minimum bid, and see how it works out. Let's run some numbers so you understand what I'm talking about.
Let's say my standard item is a shirt. I bought it for $3.99, and typically sell it for $19.99, including $5 for S&H (total price to buyer - $24.99).
eBay takes a listing fee of $0.55 and a final value fee of $1.75. (We'll ignore PayPal fees, since they would be the same) If shipping costs $4.75 (normal price), that leaves me with a total "profit" $13.95 to cover my gas, time, bills, etc.
Now, if I move the $5 S&H price into the original listing price here's how my fees work out.
Listing fee = $0.55, Final value fee = $2.19. Profit = $13.51. I've lost $0.44 for the privilege" of offer Free Shipping.
However, if my Free Shipping listings generate more business, and my items sell for more than minimum bid...I will quickly make up that amount. Should be an interesting experiment.
And in case you are wondering - no, I don't plan to run this with Etsy as well. Mostly because Etsy, unlike eBay, does NOT list shipping cost when you search for items - so having free shipping won't catch anybody's eye in a list of products.
eBay is really starting to push for sellers to offer "Free Shipping". This is, of course, an obvious ploy for more fees - after all, they earn a fee only on the sale price, not on shipping and handling. (I'm not even going to touch on the problem of fee avoidance)
The question is, does free shipping draw more buyers, and can you still make the same (or more!) profit that way.
So, for the moment, I'm running an experiment. I know my standard profit margin on items where I charge S&H - for 6 weeks or so, I'm going to offer "free shipping" but with a higher minimum bid, and see how it works out. Let's run some numbers so you understand what I'm talking about.
Let's say my standard item is a shirt. I bought it for $3.99, and typically sell it for $19.99, including $5 for S&H (total price to buyer - $24.99).
eBay takes a listing fee of $0.55 and a final value fee of $1.75. (We'll ignore PayPal fees, since they would be the same) If shipping costs $4.75 (normal price), that leaves me with a total "profit" $13.95 to cover my gas, time, bills, etc.
Now, if I move the $5 S&H price into the original listing price here's how my fees work out.
Listing fee = $0.55, Final value fee = $2.19. Profit = $13.51. I've lost $0.44 for the privilege" of offer Free Shipping.
However, if my Free Shipping listings generate more business, and my items sell for more than minimum bid...I will quickly make up that amount. Should be an interesting experiment.
And in case you are wondering - no, I don't plan to run this with Etsy as well. Mostly because Etsy, unlike eBay, does NOT list shipping cost when you search for items - so having free shipping won't catch anybody's eye in a list of products.
What do you think - would Free Shipping draw you in?
Monday, September 22, 2008
My Divided Time
So, for those who don't read this blog regularly....I'm a busy lady.
I have a day job as an engineer - no stress there. Ha.
I have 4 great kids, all elementary school age.
I also have my own business - running both eBay auctions and an Etsy store.
eBay is our "fun" money generator. I go shopping, sometimes alone, sometimes with kids, then post my great finds (new and used) and make a little extra money. Last year we used the money to visit Disneyland. This year...well, to be honest, part of that money is going to bills of various kinds.
Etsy is my release - I make jewelry to relax, and express myself. That people want it enough to buy it is wonderful, but mostly it self sustains. That is, I use my Etsy profits to make more jewelry.
Except that...both eBay and Etsy have slowed down in sales. And my time has more demands this fall. So I find myself putting what little energy I have into the eBay business...and neglecting my jewelry.
Not that I don't have ideas - I sure have tons of them! I just can't seem to carve enough time to finish anything! I have a bracelet, a ring, and a pendant all semi-done. Ugh.
Oh well. In the grand scheme of life, this isn't such a terrible thing. I'm sure I'll get back to jewelry soon...and with the time for jewelry, will hopefully come time for blogging again!
I have a day job as an engineer - no stress there. Ha.
I have 4 great kids, all elementary school age.
I also have my own business - running both eBay auctions and an Etsy store.
eBay is our "fun" money generator. I go shopping, sometimes alone, sometimes with kids, then post my great finds (new and used) and make a little extra money. Last year we used the money to visit Disneyland. This year...well, to be honest, part of that money is going to bills of various kinds.
Etsy is my release - I make jewelry to relax, and express myself. That people want it enough to buy it is wonderful, but mostly it self sustains. That is, I use my Etsy profits to make more jewelry.
Except that...both eBay and Etsy have slowed down in sales. And my time has more demands this fall. So I find myself putting what little energy I have into the eBay business...and neglecting my jewelry.
Not that I don't have ideas - I sure have tons of them! I just can't seem to carve enough time to finish anything! I have a bracelet, a ring, and a pendant all semi-done. Ugh.
Oh well. In the grand scheme of life, this isn't such a terrible thing. I'm sure I'll get back to jewelry soon...and with the time for jewelry, will hopefully come time for blogging again!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
That was a pricey mistake!
I was a complete dummy.
I had a great, new, designer purse - bought it for a song, and from my research on eBay was going to sell it for a good $100 profit.
So I listed it, with Priority Mail (my standard) and Parcel Post shipping - the Priority Mail was the first listed.
I had tons of watchers, tons and tons of hits....and yet it sold for minimum bid. I only got $40 profit! It made no sense...
Until I saw what shipping was to anywhere but my zone - $28! All through the auction, the shipping said $12.
So for too high shipping, I threw out $60 profit. I'm just sick.
I had a great, new, designer purse - bought it for a song, and from my research on eBay was going to sell it for a good $100 profit.
So I listed it, with Priority Mail (my standard) and Parcel Post shipping - the Priority Mail was the first listed.
I had tons of watchers, tons and tons of hits....and yet it sold for minimum bid. I only got $40 profit! It made no sense...
Until I saw what shipping was to anywhere but my zone - $28! All through the auction, the shipping said $12.
So for too high shipping, I threw out $60 profit. I'm just sick.
Monday, May 19, 2008
I HATE eBay today
In case you haven't heard the buzz today...eBay changed their feedback system. Again.
But this time, it's truly awful.
I went from 142 feedbacks, 100% positive
To 144 feedbacks, 98.3% positive.
Why? Well, because the % positive score is now based on a rolling 12-month average, for one. (Stupid, huh?)
For two...in the last 12 months, I had exactly ONE neutral feedback. It wasn't from a BUYER. It was from a seller...a seller who piddled around for two weeks, always promising to ship "tomorrow" but never following up. I left that seller a neutral - for shipping time, and for lack of communication. She slammed me back for being "unreasonable" when I expected her to live up to her promises.
Be that as it may...somehow, the idea of a neutral feedback is now lost on eBay. It counts as a negative, period. Neutral = Negative. That's some creative math.
I am SO angry. Seriously, to the point that I'm going to start researching other venues for my auctions. Etsy is great for jewelry, but my designer clothes need a new home. Anyone have a suggestion?
But this time, it's truly awful.
I went from 142 feedbacks, 100% positive
To 144 feedbacks, 98.3% positive.
Why? Well, because the % positive score is now based on a rolling 12-month average, for one. (Stupid, huh?)
For two...in the last 12 months, I had exactly ONE neutral feedback. It wasn't from a BUYER. It was from a seller...a seller who piddled around for two weeks, always promising to ship "tomorrow" but never following up. I left that seller a neutral - for shipping time, and for lack of communication. She slammed me back for being "unreasonable" when I expected her to live up to her promises.
Be that as it may...somehow, the idea of a neutral feedback is now lost on eBay. It counts as a negative, period. Neutral = Negative. That's some creative math.
I am SO angry. Seriously, to the point that I'm going to start researching other venues for my auctions. Etsy is great for jewelry, but my designer clothes need a new home. Anyone have a suggestion?
Monday, April 7, 2008
April 7th Double Feature!
Since my Double Features seem to be so popular, I’m doing it again – but this time, with a twist!
Today’s first featured seller is in the UK! Calexandra is a fun collection of handmade goodies ideal for gift giving. Purses, brooches, toys, greeting cards…all made with love and fun.
Calexandra is run by 30-something mum Charlotte. Charlotte has been on Etsy since October of 2007 – she stumbled across Etsy looking for something similar in the UK, and is very glad she did! (With 52 sales so far, I’m sure her happy customers are glad she did too)
Charlotte has been making her goods for about 3 years now. She originally trained in photography, so naturally started with making greeting cards. Her business has just grown from there, with each new specialty being self-taught. Charlotte confided to me that her work just “comes naturally”, although she claims it’s not really inspiration. Instead, she looks at the materials she has, thinks of nice ways to combine them…then gets to work.
A working mom to 20-month-old daughter Molly, Charlotte stays up late in the evenings to create her lovely items – but as she says, “I love working whilst the world sleeps.” Molly has no doubt played a role in the creation of Calexandra’s toy and baby sections – including the cute felted Whale – but she sneaks in other places too…like the adorable New Baby greeting cards. (Guess whose feet those are!)
My second featured seller is actually on *gasp* eBay! She’s a dear friend of mine, and her store is absolutely wonderful…so I decided to feature her!
Piwykit’s Designer Closet is a store run by my friend Emily, a newlywed living in Dallas. Piwykit specializes in designer clothes – both new and gently used – for absolutely stunning prices. If you love Coach, Chanel, St John, Gaultier…then visit Piwykit’s store frequently!
Emily started her Piwykit eBay store in August of 2000, listing whatever steals she could find in the upscale thrifts of Dallas. Fortunately, there’s a lot of charitable Fashionistas in Dallas…and eventually she needed to take on an assistant…me!
I’ve known Emily since 2001; we are both engineers and worked at the same company until 2006. When she approached me in early 2005 about working as her eBay assistant, I was thrilled. She taught me the ropes of designer clothes (improving my tastes at the same time) – and eventually I was able to launch out on my own.
Emily’s eBay statistics are stunning – she’s a PowerSeller with a rating of 1839, 99.6% positive. Someday, maybe, I’ll be as good as she is. In the meantime…if you’d like an authentic Chanel dress, a fun Coach purse, or affordable cashmere top – visit Emily at Piwykit!
Today’s first featured seller is in the UK! Calexandra is a fun collection of handmade goodies ideal for gift giving. Purses, brooches, toys, greeting cards…all made with love and fun.Calexandra is run by 30-something mum Charlotte. Charlotte has been on Etsy since October of 2007 – she stumbled across Etsy looking for something similar in the UK, and is very glad she did! (With 52 sales so far, I’m sure her happy customers are glad she did too)
Charlotte has been making her goods for about 3 years now. She originally trained in photography, so naturally started with making greeting cards. Her business has just grown from there, with each new specialty being self-taught. Charlotte confided to me that her work just “comes naturally”, although she claims it’s not really inspiration. Instead, she looks at the materials she has, thinks of nice ways to combine them…then gets to work.
A working mom to 20-month-old daughter Molly, Charlotte stays up late in the evenings to create her lovely items – but as she says, “I love working whilst the world sleeps.” Molly has no doubt played a role in the creation of Calexandra’s toy and baby sections – including the cute felted Whale – but she sneaks in other places too…like the adorable New Baby greeting cards. (Guess whose feet those are!)And all my crafty friends, be sure to check out Charlotte’s other Etsy store, The Supply Shop!
===============================================
My second featured seller is actually on *gasp* eBay! She’s a dear friend of mine, and her store is absolutely wonderful…so I decided to feature her!Piwykit’s Designer Closet is a store run by my friend Emily, a newlywed living in Dallas. Piwykit specializes in designer clothes – both new and gently used – for absolutely stunning prices. If you love Coach, Chanel, St John, Gaultier…then visit Piwykit’s store frequently!
Emily started her Piwykit eBay store in August of 2000, listing whatever steals she could find in the upscale thrifts of Dallas. Fortunately, there’s a lot of charitable Fashionistas in Dallas…and eventually she needed to take on an assistant…me!I’ve known Emily since 2001; we are both engineers and worked at the same company until 2006. When she approached me in early 2005 about working as her eBay assistant, I was thrilled. She taught me the ropes of designer clothes (improving my tastes at the same time) – and eventually I was able to launch out on my own.
Emily’s eBay statistics are stunning – she’s a PowerSeller with a rating of 1839, 99.6% positive. Someday, maybe, I’ll be as good as she is. In the meantime…if you’d like an authentic Chanel dress, a fun Coach purse, or affordable cashmere top – visit Emily at Piwykit!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
It's Been a Busy Weekend
And not just because of all the Easter festivities.
Saturday, I met a fellow Etsy jewelry maker - Rachel of Oak Moon Designs. We had a fun hour and some talking and bead shopping in downtown Hillsboro. We even hit an antique store and browsed the cases...and I found a vintage necklace I can't wait to repurpose! Great chance for us both to spend kidless time on a gorgeous Saturday - and I hope we can do it again soon.
Tomorrow will be busy in another way. I have several items to list in my ebay store (including some great Coach sunglasses), and I need to finish writing the Monday feature. Makes me tired just thinking about it - guess I'll head for bed!
Saturday, I met a fellow Etsy jewelry maker - Rachel of Oak Moon Designs. We had a fun hour and some talking and bead shopping in downtown Hillsboro. We even hit an antique store and browsed the cases...and I found a vintage necklace I can't wait to repurpose! Great chance for us both to spend kidless time on a gorgeous Saturday - and I hope we can do it again soon.
This was also a weekend of finishing projects. I finally got the pearl toggle attached on my embroidered cuff. I won't be selling it- it's not quite perfect, but was a lot of fun to make. I can't decide if it's worth it to perfect my skills on this kind of cuff...it sure was a LOT of work! Still, I like it enough to keep for myself - it's kinda cute, if slightly imperfect!
I also completed a set of dangly earrings and a peridot pendant I've been thinking about for some time now. Pictures of both are posted here, and both are available for sale in my Etsy store.
Tomorrow will be busy in another way. I have several items to list in my ebay store (including some great Coach sunglasses), and I need to finish writing the Monday feature. Makes me tired just thinking about it - guess I'll head for bed!Monday, March 17, 2008
Stupid @#&! Chico's!
For those of you who have never browsed my ebay store...(and I assume that's most of my readers)...
I sell gently used women's clothes from the higher-end stores. I carry many labels, one of which is Chico's - a label aimed at middle-aged women, usually priced in the $70-$150 range per piece. (I usually charge $18-$30 per item) Chico's has a very popular line called Travelers - it's a knit blend that resists wrinkles and drapes rather well on the body.
Unfortunately, Travelers knit tends to look "thin" compared to standard knit items. If you bought it in the Chico's Store, the saleslady would tell you all the great reasons for it. When you buy it off ebay (and don't know Travelers very well)...to many people, it looks WORN.
So today, I'm issuing my second refund for "worn" Travelers. I have a return policy for just this reason...but it's only been used for these items.
Considering the demand for Chico's pieces in general has been declining...paired with THIS problem...I'm seriously considering NOT offering it anymore.
BTW - I personally won't wear Chico's. Too school-teacher looking to me!
I sell gently used women's clothes from the higher-end stores. I carry many labels, one of which is Chico's - a label aimed at middle-aged women, usually priced in the $70-$150 range per piece. (I usually charge $18-$30 per item) Chico's has a very popular line called Travelers - it's a knit blend that resists wrinkles and drapes rather well on the body.
Unfortunately, Travelers knit tends to look "thin" compared to standard knit items. If you bought it in the Chico's Store, the saleslady would tell you all the great reasons for it. When you buy it off ebay (and don't know Travelers very well)...to many people, it looks WORN.
So today, I'm issuing my second refund for "worn" Travelers. I have a return policy for just this reason...but it's only been used for these items.
Considering the demand for Chico's pieces in general has been declining...paired with THIS problem...I'm seriously considering NOT offering it anymore.
BTW - I personally won't wear Chico's. Too school-teacher looking to me!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Look out for refugees from ebay
I still have my ebay business - women't clothing mostly - and the blogs there are just burning up with anger over the changes. It's kind of immature, really, lots of talk about how the feedback change "isn't fair". Ha - life isn't fair. This is a business, ebay needs to make money just like you do...and they've been losing buyers with the retailatory feedback issues lately.
What I find interesting is that the people most angry are the ones defending a seller's right to hold feedback over a buyer's head! I've been on both sides - and darn it, if I pay on time and give you a correct address, I deserve a positive. Period. Me not being happy with YOUR service (slow shipping, no response to emails, item disappointing)...that's not MY fault.
Let's think about it this way. Say you go to Macy's to buy a shirt. You pay for it, and walk out - but when you get it home, you realize that it's not 100% silk like advertised. So you want to take it back - but they tell you they'll have to penalize you, perhaps with a ding on your credit report. Does that make sense? Of course not - the seller needs to take responsibility here.
Anyway, that topic has been done to death on ebay, so enough from me....but the overall impression is that plenty of people are threatening to leave. Some will (some will probably return in a few months) - no doubt all the auction/ecommerce sites will see an upsurge.
And before anybody points out that *I* am new...I opened my etsy store in December, well before ebay's announcement!
What I find interesting is that the people most angry are the ones defending a seller's right to hold feedback over a buyer's head! I've been on both sides - and darn it, if I pay on time and give you a correct address, I deserve a positive. Period. Me not being happy with YOUR service (slow shipping, no response to emails, item disappointing)...that's not MY fault.
Let's think about it this way. Say you go to Macy's to buy a shirt. You pay for it, and walk out - but when you get it home, you realize that it's not 100% silk like advertised. So you want to take it back - but they tell you they'll have to penalize you, perhaps with a ding on your credit report. Does that make sense? Of course not - the seller needs to take responsibility here.
Anyway, that topic has been done to death on ebay, so enough from me....but the overall impression is that plenty of people are threatening to leave. Some will (some will probably return in a few months) - no doubt all the auction/ecommerce sites will see an upsurge.
And before anybody points out that *I* am new...I opened my etsy store in December, well before ebay's announcement!
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