The Simple Sellers Market!!!
Written: Oct 09 '01
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The Bottom Line
Half.com is a great way to get rid of unwanted books and other items while earning a quick buck too! Try it- you'll love it!
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Half.com is a wonderful resource for those of us looking for a specific title or item at a fraction of the price. Maybe you want to sell some items that you just don't need, but are a little fearful to list on eBay or another auction site. Half.com has a very user friendly format for sellers and buyers, you just need to know all of the ropes!
Sellers: I have sold many many items on half.com. I have listed hundreds of items including books, movies and CD's. I like half.com because I need not describe the item in any depth that I am listing. All a seller needs to do is find the ISBN number or the UPC number for the book, video, cd etc... Enter that on the sell your stuff page, and voila! The item you want to sell usually pops up. Then, you need to select the APPROPRIATE condition of your item, write a very brief description of the condition specifics, and then select the price you want to sell the item for. Once you hit send, the item is listed! A few things to note about selling:
* Like new means literally like new- you could give it as a gift to someone. Many people abuse the condition of items and claim they are better than the actual condition. This is fraudulent, and horrible. Luckily, buyers can leave feedback, so if you want to keep a high rating 4.9-5.0 then be sure to read the listing condition guidelines!!
* Price your items right, include specific descriptions ie- "the inside is spotless but cover slows slight wear", and be sure to update your items often.
- Since the site is half.com, you really should be trying to sell your items at about half. the regular retail, if the item is in great condition! When you price things right, they sell! Sometimes, if there is a high demand for an item, you can charge more than half the retail, but remember if you're greedy, you might not sell your stuff.
- Update/edit: you can go to your account, manage your inventory, and then see a listing of all of your items for sale. I go in every 2-3 weeks and check to see how many other items are listed, and then compare the price I am asking to others of similar condition. When you want to change the description, price or condition click edit on your listing page, and the item pops up. At this time you can change whatever you want to change. You can even delete an item that you no longer wish to sell.
* Keep all of your listed items together, so they're easy to find when you make a sale! Organization is what helps you make half.com so simple!
*Getting the sales: Half.com will e-mail you when you have a sale to confirm, or you can always check on the half.com site. If you have an order, the login screen will tell you "you have 1 order to confirm" (or "there are no orders awaiting confirmation"). To confirm, you simply click confirm order. This does not yet confirm the order. It brings you to a screen that tells you who bought the item, what it is, and for how much you sold it. Also, you will see the shipping reimbursement (I'll talk about shipping in a moment) and shipping method, as well as how much commission half.com will earn. Bottom line : amount to be credited to your account.
* Package and ship your item. Sellers can select the methods of shipping they will agree to use. I chose media and priority mail. Remember to check how the buyer wanted the item shipped. Now it is your responsibility to package carefully and ship the item you sold. You will not be reimbursed for delivery confirmation or for insurance BUT it is a good idea to spring for it when you sold an item of value, just in case the seller claims they never received the item. If that happens, you will be debited for the sale! So, be careful and insure with prudence.
- package with a lot of tape in a NEW padded mailer, or in a sturdy box with packing material when necessary. A sturdy, untorn package means that your item will probably ship safely.
- Save your postal receipts and wait to get paid!
- Note- half.com has fixed rates for reimbursement. Sometimes you will 'lose' .50 or $1.00 or so if you have a heavy item to ship. Other times, you make money when there is a light item. Keep that in mind when you list you item and decide on a price you would be willing to let it go for. (ie if the book is heavy- like 5 lbs, don't sell it for $1.00! Be sure you earn enough money after commission to recover an overage you might have to pay for shipping). In the end, it all evens out!
* Getting paid :) the fun part! You will not be paid instantly on half.com and some people feel skeptical about this. I can only say, I have always gotten every penny due to me from half.com. They are an eBay company and have plenty of assets I am sure! We sellers have 2 options for payment. We can opt for a check in the mail, or we can have the funds directly deposited into a checking or savings account. I personally prefer to get the money right into my checking account. It is very convenient. Do I trust that I'll get my money? Of course. You just need to get used to forking out the money to ship and/or insure the item.
A final note: My only complaint with half.com is that their online customer support is as slow as molasses. It is in fact ridiculous. After you send an email, you get an automated response telling you that due to their volume, you probably won't get a response for 3-5 days. HUH? That is awful!!!! Then, when you reply to that, you have to wait again.....There is a toll free number to call, and I have had much better luck talking to a warm body! I have only used it after not being able to resolve issues online, via the website. The number (which does not show up anywhere on the website) is 1-888-try-half, press1 for customer service. Really, if you are careful about representing your merchandise ACCURATELY, and package and ship as per guidelines, you really won't need to make contact with them. However, if strong customer support with a fast turn around is very important to you- you might reconsider selling on half.com!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lennybear
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Location: Western, NY USA
Reviews written: 68
Trusted by: 20 members
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