2nd January, 2021 (thank goodness)
Here's some advice if you're thinking of selling something on Ebay: make sure you have the item first. This perhaps needs some explanation.
In a bid to get things out of the house (!!!), and with the charity shops' doors firmly closed during another national lockdown, I've been selling a few things on Ebay. Or rather, I should say, giving them away. And here's how.
I came across a nursing top that did nothing much for my figure, so decided to sell it, even though I will be nursing again very soon. Then I had the bright idea to sell it as a pair, knowing I had a white one, too, and might be more successful selling them as a duo. So I snapped the grey one on my iphone, taking different angles and making sure I had the John Lewis label photographed and put it on for the measly price of £4.
Fast forward a few days and I had unexpectedly sold the item and now came the palaver of finding an appropriate envelope, putting the items in and going to the post office. Wasn't sure this was worth £4, really. But wait... where was the other item? The grey one was to hand... but the white one... nowhere to be found. This is not great Ebay practice, so something had to be done. I messaged the buyer and asked if she'd mind if I just posted her the one, but for free, just asking for the postage to be covered. She said that was fine. Oh. I was a bit disappointed that she didn't thank me for the freebie.
Rather disheartened and deflated, I trotted to the post office, toddler in tow, and sent it off. Except it actually cost a bit more than the postage I'd charged, so I was now at a loss of 20p. If you count the envelope, maybe 60p. Throw into the mix the 30 minutes or so it took me to get to the post office, the chocolate I bought to placate Isaac whilst there and the rummaging around for the white top, that was a heck of a lot of wasted time which I was paying someone else to spend.
Why not try bigger items? I hear you ask. Well, I did that too. I sold a nice cashmere jumper and some other nursing vests, which can get quite a bit on Ebay. But alas, in this climate, cashmere doesn't seem to go for very much and there was no bidding war, which meant it went for the lowest possible price, the good old starting bid. As did the nursing vests.
I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it and have decided to pack my car up tonight with the things to donate to St Anne's Hospice charity shop tomorrow morning, at my pre-booked appointment. Take that, Ebay. You'll be sorry.
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