Before I begin my tale of woe, let me set the scene. You may or may not have noticed the not-so-subtle hints littered around this blog; I want an Xbox 360 (quite badly I might add). I’ll also state for the record that I was surfing on a 30″ LCD screen at the time.

So onto the story. I’m hitting eBay, looking for a bargain ‘360. There are one or two which stand out so I add them to my watch list. I then come across what looks like an absolute bargain; an Xbox 360 Premium Pack on Buy It Now for £200 + postage. I went through my usual routine – check buyer feedback (a couple of blips, but most look like they were solved amicably), read the description over a few times to make sure it seems legit. It looked OK at the time (on a high-res screen where the default eBay text looks small at the best of times). I will admit there was something not sitting right with me, but I put it down to feeling guilty about making such a luxury purchase. Looking back, I should have trusted my instinct, but instead I hit the Buy It Now button and paid by Paypal. Mistake #1.

After going out to get a sandwich I come back to two emails; the first is from another ebayer telling me the listing I just bought was a scam, while the second was from another eBayer who had bought on the same listing. He had also received emails saying it was a scam and was asking if I had received any of the same emails or had heard from our seller. The first eBayer had mentioned a line in the auction which stated the listing was for info, not a product, but I couldn’t see it anywhere. Getting a mighty sick feeling in my stomach, I mail the seller asking him what the deal was.

No response, even when I got home several hours later (though he had been quick enough to send the invoice). Moving onto my laptop, I check up on the seller. His feedback has dipped a few points after negative feedback. Checking the listing the feedback was for, it turned out to be the very one I had bought from. Checking the listing again, this time on the lower-res laptop screen I was just able to make out the line in the description I’d been told about (it was seriously tiny). Bugger bugger bugger.

The panic alarm was going off now and a mix of fear (”sh*t, I might have just lost £200!”) and anger (”some f*cker’s stealing my money!”) was beginning to could my judgement. “Paypal!” I thought, “they have buyer protection! I’ll dispute the payment on the grounds the description uses deceptive tactics to get people to bid on what they think is an Xbox 360 but isn’t.” Off I toddle to Paypal and file the claim. Unfortunately I mistakenly listed it as a “Not Delivered” dispute (there are only two options, I meant to go for the other one). Mistake #2.

Filing a dispute gives you and the seller a chance to work things out before Paypal get called in to investigate (making a claim). I state my case as fairly as I can – along the lines of “The listing uses a dishonest technique to get people to bid on something the listing is not.” but a bit more wordy. I leave the door open for a amicable resolution, thinking we can sort it “like Gentlemen”. Hah!

Almost immediately, the seller responds by escalating the dispute into a claim. At this point I’m cut off. I cannot send a message to the seller via Paypal anymore (you can contact the seller direct, but Paypal can’t review that information so it’s pretty much pointless), nor is there a way for me to provide any additional information to Paypal. The seller has since provided Paypal with a postage tracking code. I have a sinking feeling that because I mis-filed my claim this will be all he needs to get off with it. I’ll find out in a couple of days I guess. Paypal won’t investigate until then so the package has time to arrive. Of course, it might actually be

The one hope left is that eBay have since suspended the seller. This may count for me in my case against him, though I don’t hold out much hope. I suppose if I’m to be pragmatic about this, it’s a learning experience and one of life’s little tests. Yes it would suck to lose £200, but keeping it in perspective, it’s not going to be the end of the world. I also fully recognise my own failings in all this. If I were to summarise:

1. Always trust your gut; if something seems too good to be true, walk away.
2. Make sure you file any claims to Paypal in the correct area.
3. Only file if you have exhausted all communication with the seller.

Have you ever had to deal with the Paypal Buy Protection System? Ever had the misfortune of being scammed on eBay or another auction site? Share your stories in the comments.

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I love eBay. It’s a great way to de-clutter, and make a little bank back. You’ll not make much on your old stuff unless it’s something rare and valuable, but it’s still worth what you can get out of it.

In the past, I’ve tried my hand at trying to make steady profit from eBay sales, but managing a large number of auctions can soon turn into a time-consuming headache. Applications like GarageSale (which is excellent, by the way) can help a little but once you get into fielding questions from potential buyers and fending off scammers, time can get in short supply.

If I were to give you my tips for selling on eBay, they would be the following:

1. Reserves are the work of the Devil. I’ve made the mistake of putting a reserve on items in the past, usually on more expensive items. This was a bad plan. People on eBay will pay what they want to for an item – not what you want them to.
2. Pictures, Pictures, Pictures! A picture tells a thousand words, as they say. Adding plenty images to an auction can potentially cut down the number of questions you have to deal with. Save on charges by hosting your images on your own server/.Mac account.
3. Don’t over do it on postage charges. The best thing to do is to go to your nearest post office and get an exact quote before you list your auction. But lets face, not many people can be bothered to do this (I can’t!). Instead, guesstimate; err on the side of under-charging. Bidders are more likely to bid if they think you’re a fair seller not trying to gouge them.
4. Respond fast and be polite. Whether it’s answering a question from a potential buyer, or mailing the winning bidder, follow up any events quickly and maintain a pleasant demeanour.

These tips are from my own experience selling second-hand items, but would probably apply just as well to selling new items as well. I’d love to hear others’ experiences and tips selling on eBay. Have you managed to make a regular profit? How much time and effort do you find it takes? Is it worth it?

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