91% of eBay Sellers Focus on the WRONG Thing (Do This Instead)

[@2AussieThrifters]

It’s definitely an interesting discussion. I definitely agree with the part of getting those items up and listed as soon as possible as if it ain’t listed it ain’t selling. For us reseller that are doing this full time it’s pretty much our job to list consistently. As if you happen to list all the stock you have on hand you would be going out to find more stock and there for have more stock to list. Which is kinda what I took from what I have heard from the chats (get the items up as soon as possible). As well as ticking off all those shipping and communications that we all should be doing already. The other consideration is if you remove the algorithm listing vs not listing discussing And purely look at it from a search ranking perspective (for preowned items) when the item is listed and optimised it will rank for a period of time depending on how well the listing is optimised and your competition, so I would think that listing regularly would give you a wider net to draw customers in to potentially buy other products in store. I think the comparison with a single item seller is a bit different as this means the item has sales history and therefore ranks higher in search and also is restockable which most of us resellers isn’t the case. Appreciate the breakdown of the show as unfortunately we didn’t get to attend this time round

[@The_Thrill_of_the_Hunt]

I thought the data that Mel had was quite interesting and it looked as though that there was a pretty high likelihood that your ranking position decays after 3-6 months.

[@2AussieThrifters]

@@The_Thrill_of_the_Hunt yea I think that’s the life cycle of a listing. If your in a competitive or saturated category your constantly going to be knocked down based on newer listing (depending on listing optimisation, seller sales history, potentially promoted % etc) essentially if there is a newer version of your item and all things being equal your listing will start to get pushed down.

[@stuarthenry514]

I think his point is consistently responding to customer service, reading or atleast opening your emails, doin what eBay tells you, mailing on time, all these other things done consistently will push sales. Makes sense if their are two ebay accounts both list everyday but one doesn't bother reading emails eBay will consider the first seller the best and therefore push them onto the customers more through the algorithm.

[@jembartlett]

Thanks for busting the 'you must list everyday' myth. It was pretty much the number one piece of advice I'd heard from EVERY reseller with a social media presence, and they had full-blown confidence in it. It's important that when we give advice, we actually know it's true, rather than just being a hunch, or something we heard from someone else.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Straight out of eBay's mouth is a reliable source for me!! Thanks for watching :)

[@jamesbizs]

@@TheAussieFlipperLOL eBay lies about everything. You can’t possibly believe what you just said.

[@Clarke2316]

I'm a full time seller on ebay with my store, I have around 30-60 items up for sale any given time. Wish I had more but they do sell quickly as there is a quick turn around, im into the gaming side of things for example the last 3 days ive picked up 4 2DS XL consoles for around £30-£50 each and they sell like hot cakes in the £120 - £140 range. In fact I bought a box of 8 3DS consoles on monday off someone who was moving house for £100 that was a great find! What i love is finding gems, so inside that box was about 12 games and at first i thought they were all worth not much but do check sold listings and by my surprise a game called freshly picked tingles rosy rupeeland for ds was worth £80 lol. Just love the buzz!! keep up the good work mate.

[@ttinney3]

I just added free shipping to my listings on eBay and made two sales in about 10 min!! 😮Best advice I’ve ever received watching hundreds videos 😊. Thank you so much. I’m subscribed

[@TheAussieFlipper]

That’s so cool to hear! Thanks for subscribing 😃😃

[@thetreasurehuntingboomer]

I prefer preloved it's what I sell ..less landfill less junk .

[@aleshiagibson3447]

What they also need to do is punish non payers.

[@ryanlegras2919]

They might not be paying becuase of condition they didn't reliaze was there before sending offer, or maybe the quality of the items are not the best going in

[@bluedeep1707]

@@ryanlegras2919 then they shouldn't bid on an item if they aren't sure the quality is good.

[@ShariceBurrows]

I absolutely agree. Its beyond frustrating.

[@lastisfirst5618]

Ebay has all data on non-payers as they do for bad sellers.

[@ychongy]

The real question is why does ebay not want to get paid? If they dont pay right away when accepting an offer ebay and sellers lose. Come on ebay 🤦

[@trisroger]

Wow... I've been really focused on consistent daily listings the last month and saw improved sales. I borked at your advice that it wasn't necessary, but then realized I'd also increased free shipping and free returns. Maybe that was the key. Sounds like I should spend this week updating all my old listings rather than pumping out new ones. International posting will be my next challenge. A video on how you post International and any pitfalls would be golden. Cheers

[@mr-vet]

Love the Aussie eBay seller perspective. As a US based seller (KymaeraMarket), I’ve sold about two dozen items to buyers in Australia in my 4 years or so selling on eBay….from action figures to tennis rackets to shoes….. Actually, had the pleasure of visiting Australia (Canberra) in the late 1990s, when I was in the US Army, for a short work stint at the Australia Signals Directorate (formerly the DSD).

[@Beaujamin]

Hi Matt! Thank you for the information! We would love to see more content on each of these subjects if you have more advice to give. We didn't get to attend the event, so we are grateful for your review/sum up of your time there.

[@dianelogan8822]

Yes, i agree with you. I have an above average seller rating and i dont list everyday. I just naturally focused on customer service and I use Free Shipping. I sell pre-owned. I dont offer returns but Ebay allows if item is "not as described" I dont sell clothes because I don't want to deal with size issues and returns. Thanks for the info. ❤

[@vintageandretrobazaar2843]

I have been selling on Ebay for 15 years - its simple really - coming from a retail background I just use the same skill. For instance you wouldn't tell a customer to wait while you restocked the shelves - so just post everyday and answer questions asap. Ohh and do what the boss tells you to - ie Ebay!

[@brandondeakins564]

Free postage absolutely matters in the US. If someone in kansas buys from me i pay roughly $8 in shiiping, if someone in california buys it i pay like $13 in shipping. So if my profit is $10, every sale on the west coast takes 50% of my profit

[@darylhunt9070]

big thing that is missed is seller protection on returns. In terms of the postage Free can be OK if your not sending larger items. I find a large percentage of my customers are in remote locations and the size and weight of the item is critical . In terms of returns we have no returns on some items that are larger and cost a lot to return . I have not seen it affect sales. Most new resellers need to be aware that 1-5% of sales are returns. I only sell new items but I think what you are talking about applies to sellers in general. Customers often misread descriptions so we often send email and SMS to customers confirming what they purchased if there is any doubt to reduce returns. I would also take what ebay say with a grain of salt as they are not tranparent

[@recommercedave]

Thanks for sharing the information Matt. It can get confusing especially when eBay quotes a stat but your experience is the opposite - mid-last year I converted my media account to free postage and continued my daily practices (listing, reviewing, pricing etc). My sales dropped over 50% and never recovered. Six months later I reverted back to charging postage - sales immediately improved & have now fully recovered & exceed what I was doing 12 months. I also believe the Free Return option is dependent on the category - some categories buyers have done their researched & know what they want so a return will only happen if something is wrong / damaged. Other categories lend themselves to window shopping so returns are much higher. When 7 day returns existed on eBay it provided that reasonable length of time for the buyer to receive & check the item. A stat I would love eBay to share is what % of buyers purchase using best match vs lowest price sort option as depending on the category & its saturation I believe price dictates a lot of the buying decision. Promoted listings only work in best match scenario so I don't think this stat will be "shared"

[@EthanRooshock]

Great points! I think for any business, customer service has to come before growing the business. By providing good customer service, you eventually grow the business naturally. This goes beyond just eBay businesses. From a customer point of view, when you buy online you want your goods to arrive ASAP. Therefore handling times is very key to good customer service.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Nailed it mate! Well said!

[@avrysmith7035]

With my eBay store, I list every single day doing bids only and I list everyday about 15-25 items to keep inventory flowing to not build up at home so I don’t see too much of a problem listing everyday to keep your inventory from building up

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Oh absolutely listing everyday is a good thing and if it works for you and you have the time keep doing it!

[@tasmanianpicker3042]

This has blown everything I thought about reselling out the water..so good to hear thanks for sharing...makes me more motivated

[@itsViirtueYEAH]

im reading a book called Your Next Five Moves and this video reminds me of one of the pieces of advice in that book, dont wait until your business takes off to start acting like a successfull business. Start on day 1 even if it means taking losses. Thats why i started offering the best of the best customer service even when my shop only had 5 items that werent even selling in it. TLDR youve got solid advice!

[@CemeteryMan101]

As someone who recently shifted to a full time reseller, this information was incredibly valuable! Thank you for the information. You may already have a video on it (will search later) but would love a dedicated video on how you list and focus on the optimization. Cheers!

[@TheAussieFlipper]

That’s awesome congrats on full time! Excited to follow your journey! Don’t be a stranger around here 😃

[@mihalyfreeman5928]

Reason why ECrapBay wants you to list everyday is because they are the greedy bastards that they are. If your not listing they are not making money. Simple as that. This is why the myth evolved. Greedy Ebay!

[@2dogsmowing]

Im already a business owner of a different business. Im looking into a side hustle to help out one of my kids. Out of the business now. Customer service and delivery on what you say. Are the 2 biggest things that are best for business. It could destroy a business at record time if you lack at customer service and not doing what you say.

[@hinesighthill8676]

thanks matt, had a sale this week because of you, found a certain green shirt in the thrift, heard your voice in my head saying’ if u know, u know’ had a giggle , thanku👍

[@travishandcock1211]

Have recently found your channel and loving it. Thank you. Question in regards to 1 day postage, what do you do if you go on holiday or something like that and therefore won’t be home to send? Is there something you can do on the site that says shipping will be delayed?

[@TheAussieFlipper]

You can extend your shipping time out for when you get back or go on ‘time away’ mode which lets the buyer know you’re on holiday. If you’re operational though same day or next day shipping has to be your only option

[@johannavisser4947]

Thanks Matt. Awesome sum up of the ebay meet up. It was great to see you face to face. Thank you for all your advice along the way !!

[@katherinehilloppel2756]

I sell used jewelry, usually have between 200 to 300 listings. I make more $ now than when I worked full time. Jewelry has better margins. I don't offer free ship, but I do offer no hassle free returns..which I rarely have returns. I list 3 items or so a day, optimize listing specs and promote at 5%. I have 1 day ship turnaround, sometimes same day and I will do 2 post runs since it's close by. I respond quickly to messages. I take great pride in my listings, photos and packaging the item in beautiful paper/boxes/mailers. I was surprised to see how many reviews mention how nicely I packaged items. I've built a repeat customer base, and my sales run almost 50-50 new and returning. My next challenge is to start a KZbin channel. Since I sell unusual artisan jewelry with Modernist ( brutalist, abstract, mixed metals etc) I come across interesting things. So I'm hoping that will draw viewers...which will hopefully bring buyers.

[@normaalvarez6035]

Would love to ask you some basic questions on some costume jewelry that I am trying to post on Ebay. Like identifying some pieces and how much to ask for them. It would be a great help.

[@SonyaBatten]

Great video! I have about 350 Items in store so far and been at it 2 months. Been binge watching so many fellow Aussie resellers and has helped greatly. I’m doing really well with my sales from all the tips!

[@TheAussieFlipper]

So pleased to hear it! Keep it up 😃

[@kimnordling58]

Thank you for focused content. Love that you get right into it and are considerate of my time. Appreciate the positive spin you put into the info. Best of luck with your businesses! You are clearly enjoying it.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Appreciate you tuning in Kim!

[@Puckette1984]

Mind blown about not listing daily. I still try to but no longer worry if I take a break! We're part of the 8% resellers :) Love your videos.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Thanks so much for watching Vanessa!

[@aussiebiddy1501]

So helpful I am a reseller and that information has just lightened the listing everyday stress load

[@Colleen858]

Thanks for this. Just reopened my store after a year break. Slow start so far but I will keep plugging away!

[@aleshiagibson3447]

It’s interesting just how many are selling pre owned goods. My issue is posting. I’m FIFO so sometimes my store goes into away mode and I always make sure I send a message to let them know when I’ll be posting. Doesn’t really affect me too much. Definitely time for some adjustments on my current listings now! Thanks for the info

[@erinsearle3629]

I've had a break from listing as I'm studying right now and don't the have time to list, but I'm still getting sales most days including a day of record sales and it's been a couple of weeks since I listed my 10-15 a day. Once I finish my studies then I'll get back to listing again. Definitely no pressure and it's great that we can have a break and still get sales. Oh, and I'm selling preloved items. :)

[@williamhollonds3611]

Excellent video! One of your all time best. Super informative and eye opening. Thank you for passing on all of this really beneficial info to your community here!!

[@charleneferguson7564]

Sometimes I think about the gas in the car ..to take the items to post office . So..probably good idea to do the shipping items maybe twice per week..? Thoughts?

[@chelseag5923]

This video was brilliant Matt, the idea that you don't have to list every day will take some getting used to. It really was something I thought was a 'must do', it's quite a relief that it isn't :)

[@kimfrommn7162]

Absolutely phenomenal Advise You Just Gave on this Video!!! I truly enjoy watching you correspond with the sellers for products you want to sell on eBay!! You treat them with kindness and you meet a lot of neat people on your journey of getting the lowest prices for items you want to sell!! I believe they look forward to seeing you the next time around!! I cannot imagine you not being successful in this career!! Happy Sunday!! 😎♥️

[@ace207522]

I use a draft bank so that I can manually list the same number of items everyday, even when I'm going out or sick etc. If I forget or miss my normal number of listings everyday I notice straight away. The next day I will be down by about 80% in sales and when I post the next day after that at usual time I will get a couple of sales within the hour. It happens everytime for me. So weird them saying it doesn't affect anything. Other KZbinrs like Tech say consistency is the key to good sales.

[@shoobysgirl]

Matt, the information you shared with us is priceless! Having a theory and knowing the facts are 2 totally separate things and really affect ones mindset. I will be more confident moving forward now knowing the exact changes I need to make to be successful. Thank You!

[@justicenc]

Love this! Thank you! Im a newbie so this really helps!

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@michaelduke2012]

Thanks mate. I 'fixed' 34 ending today items and only drafted one so far. I have been listing 10 a day. May not list any tonight.

[@conradolsen7600]

Hi Matt, getting lots of useful info out of you channel, I have been on Ebay since 2010, currently trying to build up my used items from 30 to 100 by Christmas. Having a 100% rating I think is a bonus for selling too. Can't wait for more content Radcon.

[@emusaurus]

Whenever I notice you post a new video I drop whatever it is I'm doing and watch I will take this advice on board and work on the 400+ listings that aren't optimised. Thanks mate. A lot of effort went into this one.

[@Minkfang]

This video is so helpful! I average just over 2 sales a day but didn’t get anything on Thursday and Friday. So Friday night I added free returns, shortened my handling time, responded asap to messages as opposed to putting it off and I turned on international post… I’ve gotten 13 sales in less than 48 hours and I’ve gotten two offers as I’m writing this 😅 No way that’s a coincidence!

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Little tweaks make the biggest difference! So glad you’re kicking butt!

[@lisaa6099]

Its a lot about shortening your postage time.

[@sundaywhiterabbit7679]

Free returns will cost your business at some point. Buyers take full advantage of free returns and eBay sides with them most of the time. You do you tho. Did you know "AD BLOCKER" blocks your promoted listings from showing up? And because the promoted listing is higher in the scroll, your original listing is way back a few pages, you're not getting seen at all and paying higher for it. Most people have ad blocker on their phones too. eBay doesn't tell you that information either.

[@eltiburon5240]

What’s a happy medium for offering returns you would recommend?

[@anthonykalow44]

Be careful this can mean your selling too cheap

[@actingthrifty]

Great video Matt , thanks for all the info. I'm only a part time reseller, but still can't believe what a small portion on ebay sellers that is !

[@misseyespy1]

HI the free shipping is scary for some of us as aust post still charges us $9.70 minimum for a small satchel so this is super challenging for us and half the items don;t always fit in the small ect that is 12.95 . the stats are very good you discussed interesting thanks amazing really, I sell new and preowned in the process of getting rid of dead wood out of my store. thanks again

[@wendysmith909]

Some great insights there. My store has been pretty stagnant lately and I'm definitely going to take on these suggestions. Thanks for sharing. 👍

[@pirie_online]

only 3200 sellers in the whole of AU solely selling preowned goods, (us op shop/ garage sale pickers) that number doesn't sit right for me

[@81hlogan]

This is a one was great content. Thanks a bunch. Pat in the back for me as I’m already onto most of this. Especially the 0-1 day turn around. I need to now focus on international sales and the 30 day returns.

[@Tonystarkes888]

Thank you man, I updated all my listings to have free shipping, still the same overall price, just when I finished that I got 6 sales in two days, you are an awesome dude. 👍👍👍the international thing Ian a bit hesitate, one step at a time. Ian still in working for the man mentality that’s a hard mindset to change but ism working at that trying to transition into a full time reseller. The resources to learn are all here on KZbin it’s fantastic.

[@vnvmode]

65 characters with the "right information" in the title definitely helps, I lost count of the amount of rare music cd's i have bought cheap for a few dollars that are actually worth up to 100 bucks just from the seller typing incorrect or limited info in the title. The item specifics and promotions I still don't agree with. If I am looking for a particular music band or dvd's, i don't see how completing these tasks , makes these jump out more to me as a buyer. As a buyer I type in what I want, look for new items or items ending soonest, not interested in a so called "best match". What appeals to me the most is the item is what i am looking for, the condition, the postage is not excessive and the buyer has good feedback.

[@cassyogden197]

I started selling all the good but unwanted/unneeded items throughout my house which I still do but have also darted to go thrifting to get more stock

[@The_Thrill_of_the_Hunt]

I'm speaking here as a Data Analyst not as an eBay reseller but I find some of those statistics very difficult to believe. In fact impossible. There is no way that there are enough people that check returns policy that it could justify an 80% increase in sales. The only time I ever check returns policy is after I buy the item and there is an issue. I know enough about customer behaviour to know that. So if that is wrong it means most of the rest could be wrong too. I've offered both free and paid postage and don't notice a difference but that's just one person.

[@avalonllewellyn7187]

I'm a psych student at uni and did statistics alongside that, I'd love a greater break down of the numbers. Of course, not Matt's fault but yes would love the raw data or more information as some of those stats felt very high! Would be interesting hey

[@raewyn7618]

Totally agree

[@The_Thrill_of_the_Hunt]

@@avalonllewellyn7187 I'm not attributing any blame on Matt at all because I'm quite sure that's exactly what he'd be told. But I also know having worked for one of the biggest companies in the country that they are quite happy to put forward myths and outright lies as truths when it suits their revenue model.

[@avalonllewellyn7187]

@@The_Thrill_of_the_Hunt completely agree!

[@raucousreg9064]

I can work out how you could trial these differences and get meaningful data but I don't believe eBay, or anyone else, has conducted those trials. I believe the data being quoted here is invalid.

[@TwoTrakMind]

The thing that bugs me about eBay that always bugged me about the retailers I've worked for over the years is that companies fail to understand that if you treat your staff well, your staff will treat your customers well. Now, of course sellers aren't eBay's staff, but the same holds true for eBay sellers. Buyers don't bring the money in, sellers do, so eBay needs to do a better job of supporting and protecting sellers. As they do, buyers will receive good service and the money will flow.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Agreed!

[@Michael-fw5ef]

The best way to sell items is to make them as buyable and attractive as possible to the buyer. If you have a great product at a great price, your conversion rate will be great too. And it won't matter if you put 1 day shipping, 2 day shipping or answer customers the same day. Sellers have to focus on gaining a competitive advantage over their competitors. If they do that and pass that advantage onto the customer, their product or listing will sell.

[@sgtrock754]

Thanks for putting free postage into perspective for me. I was of the "why!" thinking but can now clearly see why. Very interesting video.

[@sandfayreacts]

It’s hard to offer free shipping on a 2 lbs mug if someone buys it from California. From where I live, the shipping is over $17. I would have to charge $17 on all my listing to meet the high shipping cost to California and their surrounding states. Worst of all, you wouldn’t be able to take offers because your profit will take a huge hit.

[@jermaineconcern1539]

Free postage does have an out of pocket cost if you use promoted listings. Ad rate only applies to buy it now price.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Not sure about this

[@fordfalcon85]

Hi mate, I'm from country Victoria and yes I sell on ebay and have done for a few years, although not as invested as yourself! Garage & clearing sales, auctions, opp shops and secondhand shops are my main source like you. I mainly sell vintage stuff, electronics, car parts and media. I have never really explored the clothing or shoes market. Maybe I should. I have 100% positive feedback, never had a negative luckily. My best 3 month period was $5k profit but I listed a lot during that time. Cheers.

[@stuarthenry514]

Fantastic information and video Matt. Really makes a lot of sense, I've noticed quick replys to messages helps. I've been watching you from your first video when you started reselling/youtube living in your parents house as I was in the same position. Your Videos have steadily increased in quality and I appreciate your honesty and willingness to share inside information.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Thanks so much for being a part of the journey Stuart!! I really appreciate it, hope you're selling well!

[@ronniedorward7784]

I'm part time seller in UK, I always thought I gave good customer service with returns, messaging and generally nice & helpful however there are a lot of lying buyers who know ebay give "money back guarantee" only buyers can give negative feedback where only sellers have ebay fees. When I say lying buyers! buyer purchases brand new item, claims its not new and even damaged, wants full refund but refuses to send back claiming he binned the item, so ebay policy says "item must be returned in same condition as sent" buyer leaves very nasty feedback, ebay UK say he is not breaking any rules with feedback as he is entitled to his views. I use this example as one of many I've had over the years, so in my experience good customer service is rewarded by people taking you for a mug and ebay let them. I also had a situation where I contacted ebay and given information by the agent, 3 days later I contacted again to be told that the previous agent gave the wrong information so which agent was correct?

[@cringelordcollects]

I'm super happy for you that you are taking it easy with this yt. That said it's awesome seeing that new video notification pop up every time!!

[@treasuretrev1261]

Great helpful video Thankyou. 👌 I usually just list as auctions but I can't seem to change the listing to buy it now on my phone?

[@howiecourt3445]

Great video mate. I have actually been toying in my head with the idea of easing back on the daily listing numbers and focus on quality higher sale price items and less of them. Knowing that the consistently listing every single day isn't actually a thing is actually a relief. I'll still list every day but I will ease back and concentrate on quality of listing I think. I also really need to turn on returns. I did it once but the phone app keeps defaulting back to "no returns" and I forget to switch it on again. I also never really do offers. I get plenty of messages with offers which I respond to but non of my listings have offers turned on. Again. I need to work on this. I get frustrated with offers. So many times when I had offers on some items people would make an offer. I'd accept and then they would never pay. A few times it wouldn't even let me relist when I eventually cancelled the sale. I never make offers myself so I've just set up for the buyer that I am I suppose.

[@TimsBitsnPieces]

Matt, I am loving this info that you are letting us know about... wow the pond is getting smaller for us sellers.. I have an issue with the free postage part.. For me, if I add $9.30 to the cost of the item then my items are going to be that much higher than the few others selling the exact item for $9.30 less or am I prepared to sell it that much less and make only a few $$ for the same item and wearing the postage costing... I am mainly trying to sell my old model boat shop ex-stock that are fittings and parts for model boats and most are under the $15 mark and if I add $9.30 to it then I won't sell the items as someone else can buy it for X price less postage from someone who can afford to include the postage and be at the same price as me... I totally understand that someone would rather buy stuff with free postage at a lower price. So I'm guessing then the only way for me to sell most of this is in a job lot....?

[@garth6994]

Some interesting stuff to take on-board, however as an eBayer of close on 25 years, I think that eBay are at serious risk of alienating a significant number of sellers. They started in the collectables / books / magazine space, and grew from there. They relied heavily on 'hobbyists' and collectors for their early customer and seller base. I understand that times have moved on, however many of us are still around, and rely on eBay to pick up nice collector items etc. We are not 'professional' full-time sellers, and therefore cannot get to the post every day, respond to questions as soon as they come through, afford to pay for all of eBays promotional gimmicks etc. Some items are new in packaging, and therefore do not lend themselves to have more than a few photos, or perhaps a huge title listing, just for the sake of an algorithm. By forcing these things on sellers, eBay are rapidly alienating these sellers - who helped build the platform and have stuck around. Us part-time / side-gig / hobby sellers are now being forced to seek alternative platforms such as specialist Facebook groups, Marketplace, Gumtree etc to avoid eBay's 'full-time retailer' mentality. A disappointment, and although I'm still active on eBay and enjoy the platform, for my higher-end items, I'm gradually weaning myself from it.

[@garth6994]

Forgot to add a comment about tracking - Ebay are 'forcing' sellers into having tracked items, threatening potential withholding of payments if a certain % of items aren't tracked. In Australia, this adds about $5.00 to the postage price. For smaller items, under $25 - $30 for example, this makes the cost of postage almost prohibitive - why would anyone pay almost half of the value of the item just in postage? For sellers working in the space under this $ amount, why would you even bother?

[@suewinston-elliott2674]

Thank You ! Totally Agree !

[@liamrenwick3751]

Garth I do understand and agree with what your saying in some aspects. It’s going to hurt your business though to be playing the victim. eBay as a company is up against companies like Amazon therefore it needs to have these high standards to stay healthy and alive. It puts a little squeeze on us but it allows us to keep running our businesses. eBay is a HUUGE cash flow generating machine if you are treating it that way by offering competitive prices, accepting profitable offers even if it wasn’t what you were hoping for for the item and not trying to squeeze every last penny of profit out of every listing. Cash flow is king, profit is profit and compounding your revenue & store inventory & therefore your profit is the ultimate goal.

[@garth6994]

@@liamrenwick3751 - it's unfortunate that you think I am 'playing the victim'... I am simply pointing out a few of eBays flaws in the system that are increasingly difficult for smaller, 'hobby' sellers to meet. We are not all 'professional' sellers who can adhere to their demands. I come from a long corporate background in senior management within the Fast Moving Consumer Goods industry, so understand more than many about how to run a fast, effective business. Ebay have appeared to be forgetting those people who supported them at the start, in favour of the 'professional' sellers along with a hugely buyer-centric focus. Over the long-term, this policy runs the risk of the marketplace becoming homogenised, as the smaller / hobby sellers who often offer the hard-to-find and interesting items, dropping out of the system, in favour of other platforms. Ebay shouldn't pretend to be an other Amazon - they have a different market-based model, and therefore will ignore and discard their smaller, 'interesting' sellers at their own peril.

[@finjibuns]

Spot on. I'm a small UK based reseller and with every new requirement and price hike the more I look elsewhere to list my items. Their USP of being an auction site for those wanting to sell 2nd hand item (it atleast it was) is become less of a thing and they have been gradually moving their model to a new items only platform which just makes them exactly like Amazon and to be honest if I'm going to buy new items from anywhere I'll go to Amazon and their infrastructure and not eBay as sellers on eBay are often unreliable due to the various couriers they use.

[@tiffanysunshine6899]

Idk if it's a myth... Been selling on the side for 10 yrs and I have been finally having regular daily sales ever since I started listing daily 2 weeks ago. I do answer some messages but not all since some are people who are just trying to get an item for a ridiculous price. It seems like everything together: customer service, listing at least 5 days a week, and fast shipping all contribute. But the listing daily has made the biggest difference for me.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

I’ve seen the same results too to make me think listing is super important

[@audreyshearer2433]

Excellent content ! I’m going to go through your videos as a class , thank you for this , I’ve been picking for a hobby but never list , I had decided to start selling , im scared but I’m going to do it , I’ll watch your advice before I begin ❤️

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Good luck! I'm sure your first sale is just around the corner!

[@thepiratesloot8821]

Would have loved to go to one of the ebay conferences. Ive just finished my time in the ADF and am jumping into reselling FT. Been selling casually for a few years and selling my own stuff on ebay since early 2000's. So excited about this journey! im so passionate about it! Youll see more of me on the Insta in the next few months, ive loved watching your content! Please keep posting, growing and succeeding as a business as it inspires me!

[@marksimpson9815]

Another fantastically informative video Matt, thanks

[@lukeashworth5476]

So much awesome info Matt. I've been running with no returns and a 2 days handling time, I've just changed that thanks to your video. Cheers mate 👍👍👌

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Should see an uplift in sales mate good stuff!

[@PitterPatter100]

love your enthusiasm Matt. Great info!!

[@1969debz]

Thanks a milly for all this info..especially how its not necessary to list everyday👍

[@beeveedee9355]

Would love to know what the stats are for the US. How many selling pre-owned? Etc.

[@nikkirex20]

What my problem is, is TIME. I get we all dont have alot of time as resellers… but right now i work an insane amount of hours at my FT job & do reselling PT.

[@sharonjohnson7521]

I have a particular product that I sell new. It's relatively consistent and is my bread and butter. Out of 3000 listings there are about 30 of them that cater to this product. The remaining 2970 listings are vintage, collectable and pre-loved. Why do I sell pre-loved? Because I love finding the items, learning about them if it's something new and finding the right home for them.

[@ellensiddall7824]

Thanks again for the information. Love your Utube channel . Your enthusiasm is amazing and information is so valuable ⭐️⭐️

[@Vintagetoysandcollectables]

We sell 95% pre owned items. But we are based in the UK so would be interesting to know the numbers for the UK.

[@finjibuns]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. eBay's stance on free shipping I don't agree with 100% as I've had plenty of situations where I've switched from a price with free shipping to the price excluding shipping and the items have sold within hours. I'm based in the UK and some people like to see a lower price and how much they are being charged for shipping Vs not. To some it might psychologically sound better if I sell a tee for £8 + £1.80 shipping Vs £9.99 free shipping. Granted it's 20p cheaper but on paper it just looks like a much better deal. I think this applies more when you are talking higher numbers. Quite often people eek out some extra money with their shipping charges which I don't like or agree with. Transparency goes a long way IMO

[@ca53vinz2]

Thank you for these info.. did they talk about product specific? Like do we just put "NA" on any fields we don't have anything to put on? Thanks

[@MrPaulMorris]

eBay have always been keen on free (ie inclusive) shipping and, for a period, explicitly said it gave a Best Match ranking boost. However, my experience has not borne out the claimed benefits in more recent times. I ran a trial across randomly selected lines in my inventory, pricing some with 'free' shipping and some with paid shipping. In each case the total cost was the same (that is, the item price + shipping = free shipping price). Overall, across a 3 month trial with an average of 400 lines in each group there was no significant difference between free and paid shipping sell through rates. The only exception was in the cheapest products where customers frequently bought in multiple quantities, here paid shipping outsold free. That was possibly because the flat rate shipping on charged items (ie pay the same shipping regardless of quantity) was more attractive than the multiple quantity discounts. If selling for over 20 years on eBay has taught me one thing it is that there is no magic wand or silver bullet. The points about customer service are what I have always done, I promote my listings, run markdown sales, send offers to buyers but the single largest impact is, without doubt, through regular listing. I have two decades of detailed sales records and can clearly see the periods when I wasn't listing regularly. Earlier this year, for various reasons, I was unable to list very often. Impressions, page views and sales showed an immediate drop off, bottoming out over 70% below my normal averages. When I was able to resume regular listing my figures improved sharply showing a consistent 30-50% month on month growth. Nothing else had changed.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Such a great insight mate I can tell you’re a wealth of knowledge!

[@eltiburon5240]

It would be interesting to see what percentage of used products buyers buy from free shipping vs non listings considering they are the more price conscious buyers.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

I love the data and statistics behind this

[@paulcooper9943]

Hey Matt. Thrifting all the way for my selling

[@suewinston-elliott2674]

Matt Okay I' m a sometimes seller on Ebay ... Ebay used to be great to sell on,I rarely look at it. I'll cop a % of the sale fee. I don't agree with % of Postage costs,when I cleary only charge the cost without handling bubble wrap etc..

[@lindajones5584]

I'm not really not a thriftier yet because I have so much of my own things to get rid of first. That is what I am doing for seed money to build the business eventually

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Incredible! Great mentality Linda!

[@jimteja]

I'm really curious exactly how the question was asked, because there are way too many instances of sellers neglecting to list for ever brief multi-day stretches and their views suffering significantly, only for them to start listing and things start rolling back in like clockwork. If the question was asked specifically to include "every single day", then I can see how it not affecting you is the case. There absolutely is a point where no listing activity is punished by the algorithm and that period isn't more than a couple/few days. I personally list every day because I source every day and have been doing this full time for years, but I was always under the assumption that they won't punish you for not listing for 2-3 days since they consider weekends days off and it would make no sense to hurt an otherwise good seller algorithmically for not working on their non-business days.

[@E.Holliday]

Hello,.. I have a question.. Is there a reliable source in Australia for used items?. Like a thrift, yardsales, estate sales.. etc?

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Facebook garage sales flea markets thrift stores is where I find my items

[@scottstewart6217]

Thanks mate great vid again with plenty of great content.. 👍

[@janmclean2146]

Tried both Free Post and Paying Postage - Disadvantage comes when putting items into a Sale as the % is deducted on total value even the built in postage fee

[@geoffauckett2330]

My plan is to sell several varieties of one plant. Are there any recommendations that come to your mind? Thanks for your help

[@TheAussieFlipper]

i've never sold plants but 1 listings with purchase variables might work

[@lisaa6099]

What ??? Only 3,200 ppl reselling 2nd hand goods. Thats like a small suburb worth of ppl selling to ALL of Australia. Very interesting. Thanks for the info. Im in a bit of a slump, sales wise and motivation wise. To answer your question yes I do what you do….. Im a casual seller with a very small store.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

Hopefully this is a shot of motivation for you to keep listing / selling Lisa!! Try find a couple of really desirable items to add to your store.

[@zypherhd]

Thank you so much for all of this information it has helped clear my head and have a bit more confidence to try and sell on ebay in aus. Awesome video.

[@whoa2aohw]

I have the 3 day shipping as with my full time job I can be away for days at a time. Were possible I take items with me away to post at the airport or what ever state I’m in but otherwise I wouldn’t be able to fulfil my eBay shipping times.

[@cringelordcollects]

I dont do free post as I want the buyer to click on my listing initialy as it looks cheaper before they click on it if that makes sense. But you know what.. I'm going to give it a go.

[@amarsta]

Lots of good info. Thanks from USA 🙂👍👍

[@uncommonthrifts]

Could not agree more, the joy and fun and challenge is what it is all about ! The $$ follows

[@kayjay5024]

Hiya, great video and I am someone who always thought listing was key so thank you 😊 could you maybe give an example of a listing that needs optimising and show how to optimise it? X

[@TheAussieFlipper]

You just wanna make sure that blue power bar is ticked on each listing adding in as much characteristics of the item as possible

[@caseyandrew4820]

Hey matt, excellent video again thanks for the insight. You have inspired me to give this Ebay reselling Opshop thing a go. i started about a month ago after our interview, and can say im a bit addicted to it. (it being sourcing from Opshops not so much listings) lol but am loving it and all the info that you give us. Im still sussing out postage and stuff but ill get there!! I might even start a youtube channel so people can have a laugh at my expense!! Ive got 360 active listings and a death pile as big as a icecream line on a hot day ... but slowly getting rid of it. I think ive bought half of the green lid containers from Bunnings (on special at the moment) over the past month.... anyway im waffling on a bit i just wanted to say cheers for all you do for the resellers!!!! Ill be seeing you around!

[@AlexButler-ry3hj]

Eating return costs in canada would be god awful in alot of cases it would be cheaper to just give them the item and wallow in the corner in misery. I sell a ton of untracked items as well, so to give a return label it would cost me between 8-10 dollars (Canada and Us) and then it goes up to 18 and up to the UK. I understand how it would help increase sales on some items, and the actual chances of returns are low.

[@deboramorrissey7442]

I am a reseller in the USA. I would love to know the data (that you reported for Australia) for the USA. Are there really that few of used item resellers in the USA selling on eBay? I do try to focus on customer service. I usually ship within the same day or next. Great video! thanks!

[@kyles2232]

They're counting the millions of Chinese selling their new bootleg items probably lol

[@raia9]

Great Info thanks - when you say ''work out international postage"' - would that be something you could do a video on?, teaching about international postage when sending some items perhaps? would be awesome.

[@TheAussieFlipper]

I’ve already got an international shipping video for you to watch! :)

[@oztreasurehunterz]

Nice video Matt! Simple and effective