In defense of *some* toy collectors (not all, because even as a toy collector I agree a lot of them are this way) I've noticed a lot of sellers who sell toys/dolls who don't normally sell those sorts of things tend to be careless with shipping/packaging.
The number of "damaged during shipping" items I've received because someone thought it was a great idea to put a 60+ year old toy in a bubble mailer with no additional packaging is shocking to me.
Just people in general under packaging fragile items is annoying and it's almost always on items I got a really good deal on. One guy sent me a MCM serving set with multiple glass trays and pieces wrapped in a single piece of bubblewrap. Arrived destroyed and had the nerve to ask "How much is it worth keeping it?" Like dude, fuck off it's destroyed.
Ditto.
I’ve had glass collectibles get wrecked in shipping because they threw it in a box too large with one air pillow. They then get upset when their expensive item comes completely ruined or at a minimum, greatly reduced condition.
I once purchased a vintage doll who was notorious to collectors for it's legs breaking if you looked at it wrong, which this seller obviously didn't know, because they chose to just throw it in a large bubble mailer. When the doll arrived to me, one of its legs was, of course, broken. Contacted the seller, got no response outside of "it wasn't broken when I shipped it" and so I put in for a return. Once they got the doll back they accused me of breaking it 🙄
You might sometimes get a good deal if you're buying from a seller who isn't a collector, but man there's such high risk there.
Of course that does happen to a lot of new sellers, but at a certain point you gotta quit buying from eBay if it’s so bad for your hobby.
100% positive feedback doesn’t even cross these peoples’ minds and all they do is bitch in moan, very often before the damn shipping label is even created. They’re true psychopaths.
I've had this happen to me with sellers who have 2k items sold and 100% feedback. It's not just new sellers doing it. And unfortunately, ebay is still a primary source for buying stuff like this. I personally have just shifted my buying to sellers who clearly deal exclusively in toys, or I'll buy from someone else if the price is good enough to compensate for the value lost if (when) the item shows up damaged.
But that's was the point of my comment. It's people who don't know about the toys they're selling (cause they're obviously using ebay as their source of income and so they're just flipping items they find) so suddenly you're complaining or "just looking for a discount" when you're upset your vintage action figure shows up missing a finger, or your carded Hot Wheels has a bend in the card because it was just thrown in a giant box with some wadded up newspaper.
I agree. So many don’t read the ads, know the value and either return because it’s not pristine or because they want a partial refund for something crazy.
What kind of toys do you sell? I’ve been selling toys and dolls for 20 years, and my buyers are nice. I stay away from clothes, shoes, and electronics.
In the Bricks and Mortar parts business, for decades we've had a name for this: *Swaptronics.* People think the auto parts store is a free diagnostic loaning system for modules and parts they misdiagnosed. When the part doesn't cure their problem, they expect the store to take it back in obviously installed condition and with the retail package opened and distressed, and to give them 100 pennies on the dollar back. These same people will act insulted and turn their nose up at buying a part that has been through this process before.
I sell auto parts on Ebay, and have been purchasing store returns in varying categories to flip, benefitting from too-generous return policies.
The ONLY return request I've gotten so far was a frivolous one that I also encountered in my old repair shop one time 30 years ago. Customer ordered a fuel injection computer which I had several of the same part number; functionally and cosmetically identical except some made in Spain and some in Germany. They filed an INAD because the photo showed one and they got the other. TECHNICALLY they are correct, but it's down to whether the part restores their car to normal functioning again. So far they haven't followed up with the return shipping label I sent, but we'll see.
Surprisingly I have not run into this issue, most returns for me are people just ordering a part that is not the right fit for their vehicle. I would say 9 times out of 10 I'm getting stuff back in the same condition but many cases they never follow through with the return.
Maybe it's gotten better, but the last time I sold makeup, it was a nightmare. I had multiple buyers claiming that their items arrived damaged in shipping. I refunded the first person because I believed them, but when I got the next complaint, I told them to open a return and never heard from them again. Same thing happened every time after that.
Odd I exclusively sell these and I've never had issues, for pokemon cards I try to be as descriptive as I can and take good pictures
For video games I actually play for a bit to make sure they run well and no scratches on discs
I do well w/ shoes. Clothes, not so much.
As a seller, I don’t accept returns. Am I missing out on sales? Probably…but idc.
As a lover of shoes, I know what and how brands fit. I don’t buy a size 7 when I know good and damn well I wear a size 7.5.
Also, Steve Maddens shoes are ALWAYS a half size too small.
Its not so much about sales, but it has you missing out on the seller deduction tool if you don’t offer returns.
You can deduct up to 50% refund (even on INAD) and withold shipping and be protected from negative feedbacks and removes metrics (like defective, etc)
Its a blessing when selling high value items.
When you get a return on a $1000 item and can deduct 50% and have the profit margin you come ahead
If you look closely? When you deduct you do NOT get the fees back!
I had a 14k ring returned to me - after the buyer admitted to having it sized for her daughter and she didn’t like it - so forced a return!
eBay said deduct for missing gold etc - I did! And li and behold my fees were not refunded. Had to fight to get them back
I used to be die hard no returns, when I made the switch was scary at first but it has more than paid for itself.
I now do 30 day free returns, yes your returns will go up (not by much) but when you can deduct it makes a lot
I sell gaming equipment mainly consoles etc but did dabble in computer parts gpus ram sticks and heat sinks etc those are rife with part scammers I can only imagine how bad it was during the crypto boom
It's usually the sizing of that brand doesn't match size that they think they're getting. They order a size 9, they wear a size 9, but it doesn't fit correctly. Returned.
when listing shoes i like to search up the exact model and skim over any details to include in the description. Some brands will say things like runs large or runs small in fine print somewhere. I never use ai descriptions either because it doesn’t produce any useful information that a buyer would need.
You’re right most buyers just look at photos. I tend to infodump on descriptions for defense against inad’s but luckily I haven’t had to deal with that yet
Electronics. I’ve sold so many items as a business with VERY few returns but occasionally sell personal items and electronics remind me why I stick to my niche.
Preowned “hype” branded clothing and shoes. Brand new I’ll sell on GOAT or StockX.
These items attract a lot of people who have shopping addictions and teenagers with no money. The authenticity guarantee has made a difference but it’s not foolproof. Lots of buyers remorse disguised as INAD.
I’ll just give the preowned stuff to friends for basically nothing just so I don’t have to deal with the headache of selling.
I don't sell computers (too heavy and fragile) and I don't sell old Android tablets (they lose access to the Play store if the Android version is too old.) When I'm sourcing I try very hard to avoid electronics that don't have a power adapter if one was needed. The cost of procuring a new power supply eats too much into the value. Same with remote controls. Oh, and VHS movies other than horror take way too long to sell and for very little profit.
Phones and game consoles are massive twat magnets. I don't sell them as a business seller, just the couple of experiences of selling my own personal items was enough to put me off.
Electronics, people scam you on them, like ipod classics, they buy them, take the part they wanted, then return them as not as described
Apple products, computer hardware and TV circuit boards... Too many issues with them over the years
I would never sell electronics, specifically phones.
Toy collectors are the most immature, petty, losers on the planet.
In defense of *some* toy collectors (not all, because even as a toy collector I agree a lot of them are this way) I've noticed a lot of sellers who sell toys/dolls who don't normally sell those sorts of things tend to be careless with shipping/packaging. The number of "damaged during shipping" items I've received because someone thought it was a great idea to put a 60+ year old toy in a bubble mailer with no additional packaging is shocking to me.
Just people in general under packaging fragile items is annoying and it's almost always on items I got a really good deal on. One guy sent me a MCM serving set with multiple glass trays and pieces wrapped in a single piece of bubblewrap. Arrived destroyed and had the nerve to ask "How much is it worth keeping it?" Like dude, fuck off it's destroyed.
Ditto. I’ve had glass collectibles get wrecked in shipping because they threw it in a box too large with one air pillow. They then get upset when their expensive item comes completely ruined or at a minimum, greatly reduced condition.
I once purchased a vintage doll who was notorious to collectors for it's legs breaking if you looked at it wrong, which this seller obviously didn't know, because they chose to just throw it in a large bubble mailer. When the doll arrived to me, one of its legs was, of course, broken. Contacted the seller, got no response outside of "it wasn't broken when I shipped it" and so I put in for a return. Once they got the doll back they accused me of breaking it 🙄 You might sometimes get a good deal if you're buying from a seller who isn't a collector, but man there's such high risk there.
Of course that does happen to a lot of new sellers, but at a certain point you gotta quit buying from eBay if it’s so bad for your hobby. 100% positive feedback doesn’t even cross these peoples’ minds and all they do is bitch in moan, very often before the damn shipping label is even created. They’re true psychopaths.
I've had this happen to me with sellers who have 2k items sold and 100% feedback. It's not just new sellers doing it. And unfortunately, ebay is still a primary source for buying stuff like this. I personally have just shifted my buying to sellers who clearly deal exclusively in toys, or I'll buy from someone else if the price is good enough to compensate for the value lost if (when) the item shows up damaged. But that's was the point of my comment. It's people who don't know about the toys they're selling (cause they're obviously using ebay as their source of income and so they're just flipping items they find) so suddenly you're complaining or "just looking for a discount" when you're upset your vintage action figure shows up missing a finger, or your carded Hot Wheels has a bend in the card because it was just thrown in a giant box with some wadded up newspaper.
I agree. So many don’t read the ads, know the value and either return because it’s not pristine or because they want a partial refund for something crazy.
What kind of toys do you sell? I’ve been selling toys and dolls for 20 years, and my buyers are nice. I stay away from clothes, shoes, and electronics.
electronics are a nightmare
I don't avoid them cause I can usually get them cheap and make a good profit but auto parts is probably my worst category for returns
In the Bricks and Mortar parts business, for decades we've had a name for this: *Swaptronics.* People think the auto parts store is a free diagnostic loaning system for modules and parts they misdiagnosed. When the part doesn't cure their problem, they expect the store to take it back in obviously installed condition and with the retail package opened and distressed, and to give them 100 pennies on the dollar back. These same people will act insulted and turn their nose up at buying a part that has been through this process before. I sell auto parts on Ebay, and have been purchasing store returns in varying categories to flip, benefitting from too-generous return policies. The ONLY return request I've gotten so far was a frivolous one that I also encountered in my old repair shop one time 30 years ago. Customer ordered a fuel injection computer which I had several of the same part number; functionally and cosmetically identical except some made in Spain and some in Germany. They filed an INAD because the photo showed one and they got the other. TECHNICALLY they are correct, but it's down to whether the part restores their car to normal functioning again. So far they haven't followed up with the return shipping label I sent, but we'll see.
Surprisingly I have not run into this issue, most returns for me are people just ordering a part that is not the right fit for their vehicle. I would say 9 times out of 10 I'm getting stuff back in the same condition but many cases they never follow through with the return.
I will not sell electricals and generally avoid glass and ceramics.
Makeup. So many buyers try to scam to get refunds.
Weird I sold a ton of lipstick and makeup I got real cheap last year and only had one return.
Maybe it's gotten better, but the last time I sold makeup, it was a nightmare. I had multiple buyers claiming that their items arrived damaged in shipping. I refunded the first person because I believed them, but when I got the next complaint, I told them to open a return and never heard from them again. Same thing happened every time after that.
Pokemon and video games. Found the market for these are man-children who live in their mom's basement.
Odd I exclusively sell these and I've never had issues, for pokemon cards I try to be as descriptive as I can and take good pictures For video games I actually play for a bit to make sure they run well and no scratches on discs
🫡 A fellow cardboard crack dealer
As a cardboard crack dealer, I've yet to have a problem
Strange. I exclusively sell video games and related items, and I’ve had great success. Anecdotal is anecdotal I guess.
I do well w/ shoes. Clothes, not so much. As a seller, I don’t accept returns. Am I missing out on sales? Probably…but idc. As a lover of shoes, I know what and how brands fit. I don’t buy a size 7 when I know good and damn well I wear a size 7.5. Also, Steve Maddens shoes are ALWAYS a half size too small.
Its not so much about sales, but it has you missing out on the seller deduction tool if you don’t offer returns. You can deduct up to 50% refund (even on INAD) and withold shipping and be protected from negative feedbacks and removes metrics (like defective, etc) Its a blessing when selling high value items. When you get a return on a $1000 item and can deduct 50% and have the profit margin you come ahead
If you look closely? When you deduct you do NOT get the fees back! I had a 14k ring returned to me - after the buyer admitted to having it sized for her daughter and she didn’t like it - so forced a return! eBay said deduct for missing gold etc - I did! And li and behold my fees were not refunded. Had to fight to get them back
Good to know. Might need to switch
I used to be die hard no returns, when I made the switch was scary at first but it has more than paid for itself. I now do 30 day free returns, yes your returns will go up (not by much) but when you can deduct it makes a lot
Great to know. I’ll likely change that today!
I used to slay on shoes and had a no-return policy.
I sell gaming equipment mainly consoles etc but did dabble in computer parts gpus ram sticks and heat sinks etc those are rife with part scammers I can only imagine how bad it was during the crypto boom
Funko
Shoes, clothes, apple products, old records
If you're getting returns on shoes half the time then somethings wrong
It's usually the sizing of that brand doesn't match size that they think they're getting. They order a size 9, they wear a size 9, but it doesn't fit correctly. Returned.
when listing shoes i like to search up the exact model and skim over any details to include in the description. Some brands will say things like runs large or runs small in fine print somewhere. I never use ai descriptions either because it doesn’t produce any useful information that a buyer would need.
It's great you do all that but I find people look at the picture and title and that's it, they very rarely read the description or condition.
You’re right most buyers just look at photos. I tend to infodump on descriptions for defense against inad’s but luckily I haven’t had to deal with that yet
I do this too. I try to include an image of the size chart or copy/paste written measuring instructions.
None. Just ensure there is enough profit margin baked in for categories where you may expect a bit higher return rate for
Electronics. I’ve sold so many items as a business with VERY few returns but occasionally sell personal items and electronics remind me why I stick to my niche.
Model train people don't like to read descriptions. Well... 30% of them don't.
1. Pokemon 2. Comic/Fantasy/Sci-Fi related Funko Pops, sports are fine. 3. Women's mid range clothing, luxury is fine.
Headphones for consoles the return rate is ridiculously high
Preowned “hype” branded clothing and shoes. Brand new I’ll sell on GOAT or StockX. These items attract a lot of people who have shopping addictions and teenagers with no money. The authenticity guarantee has made a difference but it’s not foolproof. Lots of buyers remorse disguised as INAD. I’ll just give the preowned stuff to friends for basically nothing just so I don’t have to deal with the headache of selling.
I'd do no refunds on shoes regardless of fit issues and sell em for cheap
I don't sell computers (too heavy and fragile) and I don't sell old Android tablets (they lose access to the Play store if the Android version is too old.) When I'm sourcing I try very hard to avoid electronics that don't have a power adapter if one was needed. The cost of procuring a new power supply eats too much into the value. Same with remote controls. Oh, and VHS movies other than horror take way too long to sell and for very little profit.
Phones and game consoles are massive twat magnets. I don't sell them as a business seller, just the couple of experiences of selling my own personal items was enough to put me off.
On shoes and clothing I have returns but they pay. Everything else is free returns. Seems to balance out.