Selling on Ebay

[scanney]

Hello Ladies and Gents,
I have purchased many items on Ebay, however have never sold an item. I am considering listing a one or more of my bikes for sale on Ebay. Can anyone provide some advice - do's and don'ts, or any other useful information before I take the plunge? Thanks in advance. Sean

 

[Bushyeyed1]

What ever you sell an item for just be aware you will have eBay and PayPal take about 10%.

 

[cra-z1]

Its pretty straight forward. I have sold one of my Z1900 on Ebay, Ask for a deposit by PayPal say like 500, then require the rest in cash when picked up or cashiers check to avoid PayPal fees. Make sure you state the bike will not be released until the check clears. If the bike is a classic you will get people from all over the world. The more info on the bike the better plus lots of pictures.
There is a set fee when selling a vehicle I think I paid 125 for Ebay and the guy paid cash so no PayPal fees

 

[member28833]

Hello Sean, I have also purchased items on Ebay which is easy and convenient. I have also tried being a seller on Ebay on just small items. That is much less fun. There are Ebay fees, PayPal complications, WA taxes. Shipping expenses. And dealing with the low bidding game. I just stopped that experiment right away. Now selling a whole motorcycle? Whoa that is scary to me too. See I've aided in the hired contract transport of one nice XS650 and I'll tell ya when that driver pulled up to load up the bike, that was scary. Poorly equipped and late and hurried was the problem. Fortunately it did all work out.
My advice, with spring coming, wait for the sunshine and you can sell any bike easy and in a more fun way..
Just my opinion. -RT

 

[cra-z1]

Once you get the money it's al up to the buyer. If the transport company looks shady take pictures of the bike as they are loading it to prove condition. It can be scary so just be wise about it. If the bike is your run of the mill then sell it on Craigslist. However that has become a pain also with offers from companies trying to sell you a service. However I have had good results with Craigslist. In the case of the Z1 I was getting bids from all over the world. It did end up going to a guy in Washington. I would have never gotten the price I did if I just listed it locally.

 

[Mailman]

I realize you get more exposure on eBay. But I’ve had good luck selling on Craigslist. It’s easy to set up and free. And here’s a hint, you can run an ad more than just locally, you can run ads in nearby major cities, even neighboring states.

 

[member28833]

I've enjoyed selling 2 XS's locally in person. Those buyers and now friends are occasionally still in contact with me and still very happy. I think I could sell my current XS project with just a phone call or two. It is an enjoyment to be part of the local vintage bike community. Everybody who has followed my threads know I roll this simple and personable way as these XS's are not at all about the money to me. If it were, I'd be doing very badly

-R

 

[jetmechmarty]

If you want to maximize the price on your bike, you should sell some less meaningful items first. More experienced eBay users will shy away from someone without an established reputation as a seller. High value items are not a good place to learn the pitfalls of eBay sales. Yes, even with the fees, if you do it right eBay should reap you the greatest reward.

 

[halfmile]

I used to sell a lot of Go Kart parts on eBait but that was 5+ years ago. eBait has since become a buyers market. Be sure to read the sellers agreement from top to bottom, especially the seller liability`s. The item description is very important too. I sold a 40+ year old MC91 Kart engine on eBait and the buyer ran it for 2 races then tore it down and mikked the crankshaft and complained to eBait that it was .001 out of factory specks and tried to get a full refund. The only thing that saved my ass was the description (For Parts Not Working). If I had listed this as Used eBait could have automatically taken money from my account and refunded it to the buyer. Read the seller buyer arbitration agreement. Feedback is a whole other story. I haven`t signed any of their agreements for years and unless I`m totally disparate I probably never will. I monitor CL in Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska and other states daily just for XS650`s. I`m sure others do too. Just my.

 

[scanney]

Thanks everyone. I'll start with CL early spring and list all three. I'm not interested in "screwing" anyone, just want a fair price.