eBay Evaluation 2021: Everything You Need to Know About Selling on eBay

Whether you want to buy or sell something online, ebay is one of the best sites to do it online. eBay is the best place to sell or buy anything, including your old stuff, collectibles, unique items, and more. Because of the thousands of products it has to offer, it is impossible for you to list them all on the site. So, in this article, we will list the top eBay product categories to sell on eBay.

Selling on eBay can be daunting for new sellers, but in this recap of eBay’s findings about the growth of small businesses on the site, we’ll explain all the information you need to know as an eBay seller.

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eBay is an online marketplace best known for its auctions, where anyone can sell their goods – even second-hand – to the large global audience that eBay has built up over the years. In fact, eBay is one of the oldest online marketplaces where buyers communicate with each other. Founded in 1995, it is now one of the largest e-commerce platforms.

For

• More than 171 million active users – no worries about traffic.
• Protecting sellers from fraudulent buyers
• Excellent marketing tools: you only pay when you sell your product.
• Global brand – immediate customer confidence

Cons

• Up to 12% commission per order sold, plus sign-up fee up to $300.
• Negative comments, even those from delivery companies, can hurt your sales.

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What is eBay?

eBay probably needs no introduction. It is an online shopping platform, best known for its auctions, that allows anyone to sell their goods – even second-hand – to the large global audience that eBay has built up over the years.

In fact, eBay is one of the oldest online marketplaces where buyers communicate with each other. Founded in 1995, it is now one of the largest e-commerce platforms.

How does eBay work?

The way eBay works is simple. Sellers create listings for their products by uploading product descriptions and photos, setting prices, and selecting payment and shipping options.

Some items on the platform are auctioned, while others are offered at fixed prices. But we will discuss the different sales formats later in this article. In the meantime, let’s take a look at how selling your items on eBay works and what commissions you should consider.

Sell your items directly (without intermediaries)

When you sell your items on eBay, you’re selling directly to customers. There are no middlemen in this process, which means that you are the only person responsible for all the processes related to selling on eBay.

Even if you sell your items on eBay, eBay is not responsible for anything other than providing a safe platform with millions of active buyers.

This means that you set your own prices for your products, manage your own communications with customers and take care of delivery yourself.

eBay fees

There are two types of fees associated with your eBay listing: a listing fee and a selling fee.

Rates for both services vary depending on the product, but the first 200 ads per month are usually free. Above this threshold, you must pay $0.35 per ad.

On the other hand, you will receive a sales commission each time your product is sold. The sales commission is a percentage of the final value of your product.

The standard selling fee for most categories is 10% (maximum $750) of the price of your item.

Here is a table of eBay prices for each category of items:

Category	Insertion fee	Cost of sales (terminal value)
Music recordingsMotorcycle parts and accessoriesCar tools and accessories	Free for the first 200 ads per month. Then $0.35 per item.	10% (maximum fee of $750)
BooksDVDs and filmsMusic (except sound recordings)	12% (maximum fee of $750)
Musical instruments and accessories > Guitars and basses	Free	3.5% (maximum fee of $350)
Select the categories of clothing, footwear and accessories:Men > Men’s shoes > Sports shoes Women > Women’s shoes > Sports shoes	Free if the starting price is at least $100.	0% if the sale price is $100 or more10% if the sale price is less than $100
Select commercial and industrial categories:Heavy equipment Parts and accessoriesGraphics and printing > Commercial printing machineryFood processing > Food trucks, trailers and vans	$20	2% (maximum rate of $300)

Is eBay safe and legal?

eBay is a very safe place to sell goods online. PayPal is integrated into the platform to ensure the security of payments.

In addition, eBay has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 1998 and has an A+ rating.

However, since eBay places more emphasis on buyers than sellers, you may need to do your due diligence to avoid unscrupulous customers. All eBay buyers have a profile and sellers have the ability to rate them. Check the profile and rating of the buyer and don’t sell anything to people who have less than 5 reviews or many negative comments. Otherwise, you’ll learn that eBay almost always sides with the buyer when opening a dispute.

eBay sales format

When it was founded in 1995, eBay only offered auctions. Later, a second sales formula appeared on the platform – fixed price ads.

Today, you can even choose the most profitable sales formula and sell your goods either by auction or at a fixed price.

Let’s take a look at how each of these formats works.

Fixed price offer

Fixed price ads are also called buy-it-now sales formats. This way, you can set a fixed price for your product so that buyers know the exact price from the beginning and can buy it immediately.

This auction format is efficient and convenient because you don’t have to wait for the auction to end.

Auction

Auctions are usually open for a number of days.

When you put your items up for auction, you open a bid, which means you set the starting price. Buyers can bid from the starting price during the auction period, and when the auction ends, the highest bidder gets your item.

Auctions are usually ideal for unique items, antiques or collectibles. These categories generally have passionate fans who are willing to pay a higher price and don’t mind paying more to win the contest and get the product they want.

Good tip: Set the lowest price you are willing to accept for the item as the starting bid. This way you can be sure that you get a fair price for your product.

How to sell items on eBay

Step 1 – Find your product

Figuring out what you want to sell is definitely the first step in starting to sell online. Whether you want to sell your own product or produce goods for sale, you must first think about a product and choose it.

Step 2 – Create list

If you have an item for sale, it’s time to create an eBay listing. Creating a listing on eBay is not a complicated process.

Whether you’re participating in an auction or selling your item at a fixed price, you’ll need to upload images and descriptions of your item. Don’t forget to include the cost and delivery time in the ad.

Just go to eBay.com/sales to make your first listing.

Step 3 – Send

Upon receipt of your order, you must ship the goods to the buyer. Here are all the steps you need to take:

1. Pack your belongings – safety is very important, so tape the cardboard and use bubble wrap, peanuts or newspaper to pack breakable items.
2. Print a shipping label – you’ll find discounted shipping labels in your eBay account.
3. Shipping – just give the package to the postman or bring it to the post office.

Step 4 – Receive the money

eBay will hold your money until the buyer receives your item. And they give you the money after the delivery is confirmed by either the shipping company or the buyer.

You have 3 options for receiving payments.

eBay payment options

• PayPal is the easiest option
• Credit or debit card – requires a merchant account with the credit card company.
• COD
• PayPal balance
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• Bank-to-bank transfers (also called bank-to-bank and bank-to-cash transfers)
• Controls
• Transferring money
• Online payment services (e.g. Escrow.com, Allpay.net, CertaPay, Fiserv, Nochex.com, XOOM)

eBay seller protection

When you sell on eBay, policies, transaction monitoring, and data collection systems protect you so you can sell with confidence.

Here’s how eBay’s seller protection works:

• Indicate to the customer if he/she has violated the rules of purchasing behavior
• The eBay Resolution Centre is an easy and safe way to resolve problems with eBay transactions. eBay can even help you if you’re dealing with just one problem client.
• The unpaid goods assistant helps you resolve cases of unpaid goods and ensure you get paid.
• Automatic error correction corrects transaction records when they get out of hand.

Pros and cons of eBay

Professional

• The global audience has 182 million active users.
• Sell anything – on the platform you can offer and sell any product you want.
• Win new customers for your online store. If you get a sale on eBay, you can use this opportunity to introduce your brand to eBay buyers.

Cons

• High sales commission. Each time you sell your item, you will be charged a commission of 10% of the final value of your item.
• Strong competition in certain niches. While you can benefit from eBay’s 182 million members, it can also mean strong competition in certain niches.

eBay alternatives

eBay vs. Craigslist

Craigslist is a classic alternative to eBay when it comes to selling used items, but eBay offers more advanced services, including secure payment processing and customer service. You cannot set up an auction, contact a buyer, or contact customer service to resolve an issue on Craigslist.

eBay v Listia

Listia is the biggest alternative to eBay when it comes to auctioning your items. Just like eBay auctions, Listia makes it easy to set up your auction listings and allow buyers to bid. Although Listia offers a lower commission per sale than eBay (3.5% commission vs. 10%), eBay has a larger audience – 182 million users worldwide, while Listia has 10 million.

eBay vs Amazon

Although eBay and Amazon are the largest marketplaces in the world, there is a big difference in the way you sell your products on both. The biggest drawback to selling products on Amazon is that Amazon itself competes with third-party sellers like you. They have their own products, which in most cases are superior to those of independent suppliers. And it makes sense, people trust Amazon after all. On the other hand, eBay doesn’t compete with you and you can literally sell anything, whether it’s your own brand, collectibles or second-hand goods.

Should I sell my stuff on eBay?

Overall, I would say that selling items on eBay is definitely an option worth considering. This platform allows you to make your products available to more than 182 million users worldwide.

At this point, you already have all the information you need to decide whether or not to sell on eBay. So take another look at the pros and cons of selling on eBay and decide if the pros outweigh the cons for you, or vice versa.{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How do you sell on eBay for Beginners 2021?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:” You can sell on eBay for beginners by using eBay’s auction format, which is a listing that includes a fixed price and an end date. You can also list your item in a fixed price listing, but this is not recommended unless you are an experienced eBay seller. How do you sell on eBay for Beginners 2022? You can sell on eBay for beginners by using eBay’s auction format, which is a listing that includes a fixed price and an end date.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”How much does eBay take from a sale 2021?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:” eBay takes a percentage of the sale price.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Has eBay stopped 1 selling fees 2021?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:” No, eBay has not stopped charging fees for sellers.”}}]}

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you sell on eBay for Beginners 2021?

You can sell on eBay for beginners by using eBay’s auction format, which is a listing that includes a fixed price and an end date. You can also list your item in a fixed price listing, but this is not recommended unless you are an experienced eBay seller. How do you sell on eBay for Beginners 2022? You can sell on eBay for beginners by using eBay’s auction format, which is a listing that includes a fixed price and an end date.

How much does eBay take from a sale 2021?

eBay takes a percentage of the sale price.

Has eBay stopped 1 selling fees 2021?

No, eBay has not stopped charging fees for sellers.