Ten Good Reasons Not to Sell in Ebay

cccc, Yahoo! Contributor Network
May 13, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

Everyone talks about eBay. You can't escape it as it envelops the Internet in its scope. To put it generally, EBay is an online store. You can buy a wide variety of products here. On the other hand, you can also sell items which you want to get rid of.

eBay was founded in 1995 and since then, it has found its place among the huge and popular "buy and sell" places of the world. People with small or large businesses from all around the globe conduct transactions with eBay, selling or buying varied items. It provides a trading platform for the globe, wherein every person can trade or buy what they want. If you are looking for a rare or collectible item which is deemed impossible to find, it is probably already on eBay.

Whether you are trading an old pair of jeans or world-class jewelry, eBay would probably be your first destination. With its reach to other parts of the world, its customers are not only regular Americans or citizens from neighboring countries. It's scope has extended to different parts of the globe as it is hosted on the Internet.

The disadvantages of selling on eBay

While there are people who have been happy transacting on eBay, there are also those who have not been satisfied. Each day you hear stories of people being duped on this online store either because they weren't paid or they didn't receive good quality products. Here are just some of the problems listed out so you can make an informed decision when it comes to transacting on eBay.

If you intend to sell a lot of items on eBay then you will need to sign up for an account. This, in turn will mean that EBay will get a huge amount from what you have earned.
If you have a listing, you will need to pay for it right away. You will also need to figure out what the lowest amount of your bid should be. You should also be prepared to sell your listing, despite the fact that there is only one interested buyer. Further, you also need to settle extra charges for the images which you are going to display on your listings.
During EBay auctions, it is difficult to determine the actual amount that you will receive from what you are selling as the price can be indefinite.
The auctions that are conducted on eBay go on for a very long period of time. Thus there is no guarantee that you will receive your payment when you want it. You may end up waiting longer than anticipated for payment.
Not all things sell nicely on EBay and who knows when the prices for certain products will drop. There are only certain categories of items that sell well. If you are selling an item that does not fit into the 'fast moving' goods section, then your product may not do well at all.
The most disappointing thing about selling on EBay is the fact that whether you have sold your product or not, eBay still gains as you need to pay them.
The seller is often forced to ensure a safe yet expensive shipment of the product to the buyer. If the buyer doesn't receive the item or pretends not to receive it, the seller ends up with a bad review after having spent money on the shipping. Buyers often want the least price which does not cover transportation charges so the seller loses out in the long run.
If you choose to sell on eBay, you really trust who is buying from you. The matter can get even worse. Your competitors or vengeful buyers can register fake accounts, bid for your product and leave you a bad rating which could be disastrous for your business. You will not receive payment and will be left with negative publicity.
What if you face a problem? Who do you turn to? No one. EBay does not provide you with a customer service telephone number or a service desk from where you can get your problem sorted out. They only send you automated messages that are irrelevant to your concern.