How to Respond to eBay Buyers Who Criticize Your Pricing

Recently there was a discussion on my eBay Seller Facebook Group regarding how to respond to buyers who criticize prices. Savvy sellers do their research and know what the eBay market will bear. Have any of these scenarios happened to you?

1. A buyer sends you a story about how they "need" the item and explain all  the reasons they do not have the money to pay your asking price.

2. Your item is listed with a defect or for parts, and the customer makes a comment like, "Since it is in such bad condition, I'll give you X - you won't get your asking price."

3. Customer writes a long drawn-out narrative of everything that has gone wrong in their life and why you should come down on your price.

4. Customer compares the price of your vintage or discontinued item to a retail price. "I can get this at Costco for $10, why are you charging $30? (Obviously, they can't get it at Costco or they wouldn't be on eBay looking for it.)

The best course of action is to hold your tongue and reply in a professional way. Here are some great responses from sellers:

Lisa said, "Thank you for your interest. My price is firm but does include free shipping if that helps." Don't get drawn into rationalizing/explaining.

Amy said, "Accept, counter or decline, then move on. I have best offer on all my items. When I get an offer I glance at the offer and any message they may include and click the button and move on. There's no need for snarky replies, drawn out explanations, etc. It's a negotiation technique that some buyers use - it either works for them or doesn't. Sellers insulting them, trying to make them feel bad or just being plain out rude isn't going to stop them from making the same offers elsewhere. Just accept, counter or decline."


Sharon said, "I am sorry, I am not accepting offers on this product at this time."

These are all great answers. Bottom line, don't take it personally if someone doesn't like your price. You don't have to explain your pricing or rationalize about why an item is priced a certain way. This is business. Keep it professional.  Do your research, know the value of your item, and stick to your price. The right buyer will come along and be happy to pay your asking price.

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Resource for eBay Sellers – YardSalers.Net

Julia Wilkinson, author of “The eBay Price Guide” and “eBay Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks” has introduced her new website, YardSalers.Net. This site provides a free monthly newsletter for pickers and yard sale enthusiasts. Improve your picking and eBaying skills by reading her blog, newsletter, and visiting the links provided on the site.

A long time eBayer, Julia has been selling on eBay since 1999 and offers a variety of items in her eBay store including clothing, jewelry, art, and furniture. Her store is called Julia’s Finds and is an eclectic blend of quality products at affordable prices. Julia is located in Alexandria Virginia where she enjoys shopping at thrift stores, yard sales, and estate sales to purchase inventory to sell on eBay.

She has also written for Ecommerce Bytes and her own blog BidBits in the past, so she has a handle on what’s going on in the world of ecommerce. YardSalers.Net has a “Back Issues” section where you can read about all kinds of great flips. Back issues date back to October 2002.

Julia’s vision for YardSalers.Net is make it a yard sale resource with a roundup of national sales, links to helpful auction communities, newsletters, yard sale directories and maps, and eBay tools. Julia has a Facebook group here with over 1,000 members so far.

Make sure you sign up for YardSalers.Net newsletter here and stay in the loop.

More great eBay learning resources:

Using Facebook Yard Sale Groups for eBay Inventory

Make Money Selling Used Shoes on eBay

Make Money While on Vacation the Scavenger Life Way

Using Facebook Yard Sale Groups for eBay Inventory

Facebook Yard Sale Groups are growing in popularity. Inventory is all around you if you plug in to this resource and keep your eyes open and are willing to jump on deals when you see them.

These groups are beneficial for buying items to resell on eBay, or for selling items that are large, bulky, or difficult to ship. Some benefits of FB Yard Sale Groups:

1.  Facebook Yard Sale groups are free - no listing or final value fees like on eBay.

2. Nothing is shipped - you pick up items locally at a mutually agreeable location. No worries about what to charge for shipping, finding the right box, or tracking.

3. Yard sale groups are easy to join and navigate - users simply post a photo of the item, a brief description, and either set a price or ask for offers.

4. No selling limits.

5. No Paypal account - pay in cash. (If you are selling items on these groups, get one of these  counterfeit money detector pens to make sure the money you receive is real.)

6. Thousands of members. I am a member of 3 local groups with over 15,000 members in each.

Here is a real example of how you can use FB Yard Sale Groups to your advantage as an eBay seller.

I recently saw this Disney Mrs. Potts costume on a local Facebook Yard Sale Group for $15.

 

This costume sells for between $50 - $100 on eBay depending on size and condition. I was the first in line to say I wanted the item and was at the seller's house in 30 minutes and bought the item for $15. There were a few stains but I knew this would be a good flip.

Being 2 weeks before Halloween, I put the item on auction and it sold with 1 bid of $74.97 plus shipping. The funny thing is the eBay buyer was less than 30 miles from me.

Profit calculation:

Purchase price $15
Sale price $74.97
Shipping paid $8.95
Shipping cost (with eBay discount) $5.40
eBay fees $7.56
Paypal fees $2.47

Total profit $53.60

Buyer was happy and left positive feedback. Not bad for about 20 minutes worth of work!

Inventory is all around you - just pay attention!

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eBay is a Game Changer for this Mom

eBay changes lives. I see this time and time again with clients I work with - resilient people facing illness, big life changes like a job loss or divorce, or people determined to get out of debt. eBay is the way for many of them. Monica shared her story on my eBay Sellers' Facebook group:

I have realized in the short 4 months of selling on eBay it has given me so many wonderful rewards. It not just the extra income that it brings in every month. So here is my list.

1. eBay is teaching me a new trade.

2. I can take my 3 year old son to work and teach him colors, shapes, words , etc.

3. eBay makes my 57 year old mother feel good and useful when she finds great items and they sell.

4. I know it's not 100% quality time, but I get to be with my son and see the changes of his growth everyday.

5. A home eBay business is a place that gives me a flexible schedule that I can take care of my family needs.

6.  I have a flexible schedule through the day when I'm not feeling well (I have MS and the fatigue is crazy ).

7. I finally having a savings account and have money in it.

8. I prove to myself that I can be a single mom and support my family (going through divorce at the moment).

9. eBay has made me more money smart. I buy almost everything we need used and save the difference.

10.My eBay business a great motivation to keep learning and pushing myself that if we work hard better things will come our way. We shouldn't dwell on the negative . Get up and do something about it.

Thank you for sharing your success story, Monica. People like you are an inspiration to others looking for a way to use eBay to make their lives work!

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