topic Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites? in Selling

Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

artforartssake — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 06:28:55 GMT

I have a number of household items (beds, wardrobes, tables etc) which I will need to sell QUICKLY prior to moving to a new apartment next month.

To expedite the sales, I’m considering listing them SIMULTANEOUSLY on eBay, Gumtree and Qsales.

If I use the “Buy it now” option i.e. NO AUCTION, is there any problem with this strategy? Do I need to mention on each of these three sites that I’m also advertising on the other two?

And what would happen if an item was sold on two of the sites at the same time?

Any other ideas as to how I can leverage this plan to EXPEDITE sales and MAXIMISE proceeds?

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

digital*ghost — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 06:57:42 GMT

As far as I know, it's not against the law to use multiple advertising channels (eBay policy is debatable - they once had a specific policy prohibiting it, but it's disappeared from the site), but you could wind up in a sticky situation if two people purchased and paid for the item, that then - legally - creates two contracts, so you'd have to break at least one of them.

I would personally only use one site where an item could be purchased on-site - if there's no "buy / pay now" type of facility via the site, I can't see the harm in using it to advertise, it'd basically be a classified, and you'd be in control of whether it sells (and can end the eBay listing if it does).

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

artforartssake — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 07:30:36 GMT

Thanks,

so what do you reckon if I do Gumtree and ebay simultaneously and leave off Qsales?

As far as I know, Gumtree doesn't have that "sudden death" facility, where you buy it and pay for it immediately. Isn't Gumtree done via negotiation first?

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

digital*ghost — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 07:42:31 GMT

I've never used Gumtree, so can't speak how it all works, but pretty sure there's no buy now facility, people send enquiries and you negotiate either online, by phone or they come to inspect - there'd probably still be a bit of danger of selling it twice, in all reality (eg, say someone from Gumtree enquired, wanted to come and inspect, you're negotiating with them etc, they decide to buy and take it away, then before you can end the eBay listing, it gets sold...)

But, if you have a smartphone (or don't stray too far from a computer) and a quick trigger finger, it'd be a bit easier to minimise that risk.

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

artforartssake — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 09:25:06 GMT

thanks

So, if I put my items simultaneously on gumtree and ebay do I need to state that fact on BOTH sites?

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

phorum_junkie* — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 23:19:42 GMT

IOf you state on ebay that it is advertised elsewhere you risk having your item removed as well as ending up with 2 buyers and if you sell to the Gumtree buyer you will get an ebay defect. You will also greatly annoy a buyer who will almost certainly leave you a neg if it is ebay and will probably be sticking pins in an efigy if it is Gumtree. Remember too that Gumtree is owned by ebay.

If your items are pick up only then you would be better not using ebay at all, stick to Gumtree and facebook.

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

englishrosegardens — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 02:03:17 GMT

You can do classifieds on qs but the site is barely alive so you wouldn't be in much danger of selling anything there.

If you list on ebay and gumtree, I'd say nothing about listed elsewhere, but if a gumtree buyer wants it I'd tell them you have to end the ebay listing before you can let them have it. As far as ebay knows, you could have been talking to your neighbour and they decided they wanted it.

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

englishrosegardens — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 02:15:58 GMT

I'd favour gumtree over ebay because your ebay buyer could turn out to be a non-payer, or not show up to collect the goods once they've paid, and you couldn't relist the item until it was sorted out.

If you're on facebook, most areas have a buy, swap & sell page. Also try the free advertising boards at most supermarkets. People who see your ads would at least be local.

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

whiznumber6 — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 04:13:08 GMT

I've bought a bit of stuff (inlcuding my current car) off Gumtree, but there's no way I'd ever sell on there!

Gumtree doesn't cater to the same type of sellers as eBay - if you're trying for volume sales, Gumtree's just not the place to go. If you're hoping to list for $5 opening price, sell for $25 final price, Gumtree's a dead loss.

From my own POV, the problems with Gumtree are:

1) Woeful lack of search functionality - it's just awful. Key-word searching is a nightmare: if you enter "leather jacket", you'll get every listing that has either of the two words. Youll get leather gloves, denim jackets, etc. The leather jackets you were actually searching for will be in there somewhere, but buried amongst a whole pile of other stuff that you're not interested in...

2) They're not "auctions", they're effectivel "fixed price" listings - if you list an item at $10, that's what it'll sell for. Fine if you were only ever doing "But It Now" listings on eBay, but you'll have no more of the old "two buyers going nuts bidding against each other" and driving the price up - opening price is final price.

3) A lot of Gumtree users search only in their local area rather than nationally - so, many of them will never see your listings. Again, useless if you're going for volume - you want your listings seen by the maximum number of users possible.

As a sidelight, I've lost count of how many eBay listings I see with a version of "I reserve the right to end this auction at any time, as the item is listed elsewhere" spiel, particularly on higher-dollar items: cars, motor-bikes, etc.

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

artforartssake — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 05:29:00 GMT

thanks for the advice,

BUT I'm really just selling once-off items like a cupboard, dining set, bed, desk etc, not volume items, so would Gumtree not be appropriate for these types of items COMBINED with ebay as well, WITH the disclaimer that you mention?

Altho someone else on this thread has warned me that saying something like:

"my item is listed elsewhere AS WELL as on ebay",

could get my item removed from ebay

Is that not the case?

And what about Gumtree? Can you say on Gumtree that your item is also listed on ebay?

I have a 100% perfect scoresheet with ebay and wouldn't like to jeopardise that and NOR would I like to upset any buyer, but as I said in my opening post, I need to sell my stuff quickly and for max price as moving is an expensive business as you all know

And yes I am aware that ebay also owns Gumtree but from my perspective that is irrelevant

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

elusiveeditions — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 05:37:23 GMT

Hi OP- some great advice here! that I can't add to much- except to say this can be done, if you're diligent/fast about it.

Eg, I've frequently purchased some small/cheap items from an ebay seller who simultaneously lists the same stock on gumtree. Every time I've purchased an item on here, this seller whips the ad off gumtree quick smart (I've checked).

Yes, you could get yourself in a right pickle, and it is riskier the higher-priced the items are... but it's not impossible. And def. not illegal.

Best of luck regardless.

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

elusiveeditions — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 05:50:28 GMT

Oh, I just realised most of your items are pick-up only. So, the rules are:

1) No paypal for pick up. Cash on collection only.

2) You immediately lose all seller protection by not accepting paypal- c'est la vie, but it works just fine provided the buyer inspects, agrees and pays in cash as they collect.

3) Legality doesn't immediately come into it- you're not acting illegally by listing on 2 sites- you could list on 20 selling mediums if you had them. Legality rears its head only when things go bad- and they won't if you're careful. Eg- don't dangle 2 buyers at once etc.

I'd list these items on both ebay/gumtree. Yes, use BIN not auction. If it sells on one pull the ad off the other. QS has such low selling rates I wouldn't bother, it's just more admin for no return.

Sounds like you've a fair task ahead of you... enjoy and good luck again 🙂

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

englishrosegardens — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 06:21:48 GMT

I assume with gumtree they just ring you and can't actually buy on the site. If this is the case I wouldn't bother saying anything about it being listed elsewhere. When people contact you, just tell them the first one to hand over the money and pick up the item gets it, otherwise you could have people asking you to hold it for them so they can have first look at it and then never turning up. If they can't actually buy it on the site, they'll have no idea who else has contacted you, and for all they know you could have sold it five minutes before they got there.

I'd probably hold it long enough for someone to drive there (the time it takes for their trip) but no more. We once advertised a fridge and several people wanted first option on it but none turned up. We had to re-advertise it but we were smarter by then and said first one to show up with the money got it - and it sold it a few hours.

It used to be the rule on ebay that you couldn't list here and somewhere else at the same time, but I have no idea what the rules are now. They keep changing things and it's hard to keep up, but I'd imagine the rule still applies because everything is about "the buyer experience".

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

artforartssake — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 09:30:27 GMT

thanks for the help!!

I think that settles it then: Ebay and Gumtree only B.I.N., no auction, and no need to mention the dual listings!

Is it ok to state that the only payment method accepted is cash on collection?

I thought it was COMPULSORY to accept Paypal for ALL sales

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

englishrosegardens — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 09:45:33 GMT

I don't know much about gumtree but I'd assume you can stipulate cash on collection only. From other threads I've read, there's no paypal protection for buyer or seller on gumtree, but if they pay by paypal and don't pick it up you could run into difficulties if you've still got the items when you're ready to move.

I'm not sure about ebay but I'd assume paypal is compulsory. There'd be nothing wrong with saying "cash on collection PLEASE". I'd have something at the very top of the description saying the items have to be picked up within X number of days, and give yourself plenty of spare time.

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

elusiveeditions — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 12:15:15 GMT

Hi again OP,

No, it's not compulsory to ACCEPT paypal. It's compulsory to OFFER paypal, as an option.

That is- to sell on ebay, you must 1) have a paypal account, 2) link your paypal account to your ebay account & 3) offer paypal as a payment option (whether people use it or not).

Yes, you should put 'cash on collection only' in big letters in your ad. Ebay don't prohibit this at all- it's well within policy- they just don't encourage it.

The problem with accepting paypal for pick-up items is that your buyers can potentially claim INR (item not received)- in which case ebay & paypal will almost always find in favour of the buyer, UNLESS you can prove 'delivery' of the item. What they like, as proof of delivery, is a tracking number from Australia Post or a courier- eg, something from a 3rd party they can check online and is independant of the seller. (there is much argument about this.. I'm summarising here a tad).

Clearly this can't be done for pick-up items like furniture (what tracking? They just turned up & took it away) however, EB/PP will find in favour of the buyer no matter what other eveidence you have (such as, a signed receipt, a photo of the buyer loading the item into their car, a photo of the pope doing the chicken dance)- historically all these things have failed.

As such, for pick-up items ALWAYS take cash only, and make that point hard in the ad. Some people won't read it, but that's not your fault. If someone pays by paypal and wants to come collect it- refund their money back via paypal and send a polite msg saying thanks, but it's cash on collection ONLY.

Also, if/when you have buyers turning up to buy/take the stuiff away- make sure they INSPECT it beforehand. Don't let them fob you off with "I don't have time now, I'll just take it, it looks fine". That opens the door to claiming SNAD (significantly not as described)...another long story.

Apologies for giving you more **bleep** to follow! And, well done to you for doing your research beforehand. Pls don't be put off, this can work out well, it just takes some work 🙂

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

i-love-my-sheep — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 12:23:14 GMT

Sorry Elusive, but even if the buyer uses PayPal for a pick up item, there is still no buyer protection, so they can't claim INR and can't claim SNAD. The only risk to the seller is if the buyer paid through PayPal with a credit card and they can then claim a chargeback for the card.

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

elusiveeditions — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 12:37:53 GMT

Ah ok, that's a good point. No need to be sorry.

OP- pls accept this adjustment to my rantings.

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

artforartssake — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 01:29:15 GMT

thanks guys, I think I've got the idea

HOWEVER, you won't believe but I just got a HUGE and UNPLEASANT shock from Ebay today

I have been preparing my listings over the past 2 months or so and storing them in Ebay's new "drafts" feature, thinking that they'd be there for ever until submitted for sale

Some of them I haven't edited for a few weeks as I was just waiting till closer to the time of moving out, (which is shortly) and was planning to upload them all at the same time

Imagine my shock when I went to check them today and they've ALL DISAPPEARED!! that's about 7 or 8 carefully prep'd listings that I've spent hours on, and they're gone

So I took a closer look at the rules around the Drafts and it says that they will be removed if not edited for 30 days

I just cannot believe it!! All that work gone and now I'll have to start all over again and the pressure is on

Is there anyway I can get my drafts back??

Re: Is it LEGAL to advertise items SIMULTANEOUSLY on different e-commerce sites?

springyzone — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 02:07:55 GMT

We had exactly the same situation last month when clearing an estate. We had bedroom suites, tables, a lounge suite, garden seats etc to move. Gumtree is very successful for these sorts of larger items that are pick up only. It is almost useless for small items, so remember that if you ever have to buy as it is a buyers market for small stuff.

Here is what we did.

-We listed the large items on ebay but not as buy it now, we had auction format but ending in 5 days (7 days is better, depends on your time line though. We wanted auctions to finish by Thursday so people would pick up on thew weekend as we were not living in the house where the things were stored).

-At the same time, we listed the items on gumtree.

----------------------------

Here is what we found.

-Gumtree buyers will try to beat you down in price, so always ask a little more for the item to allow for this.

-Ebay auctions go up, so start them at the lowest price you are prepared to accept. Be realistic as you do have to move it all.

-On no account pull the ads off either ebay or gumtree till you have a sale.

You will be in control as you will know exactly when the ebay auction is due to end.

-If someone from gumtree contacts you, you should be keeping a close enough eye on your ebay ads to know if there has been a bid or not. If there has been no bid, no problems, let the gumtree people come and have a look and hopefully buy. If they do buy, all you then need to do is delete the ad off ebay.

-But what if someone has already bid on ebay in the meantime? You would simply need to go into the ad and list it as item no longer available.

-. As soon as an item had an ebay bid, we waited it out and if we had any queries from gumtree people, we actually told them we would contact them if the ebay buyer did not turn up

Gumtree is great in that you are not paying any commission.

Results? Ours varied. We ended up selling a couple of things on ebay for the same price we could have sold on gumtree (we had buyers waiting), so we lost out, and on a couple of other items we made more on ebay eg wall unit that did not sell at all on gumtree @ $30, got about $77 on ebay.

I tried Q sales but got not one enquiry. Looks like a good site but I don't think it is well known.