Selling photo gear through eBay Valet service: Has anybody used eBay Valet service to sell photo gear, lenses etc. ? Are the shipping charges and eBay's fees included in the Valet's...

repleo Loc: Boston

Has anybody used eBay Valet service to sell photo gear, lenses etc. ? Are the shipping charges and eBay's fees included in the Valet's 'commission'? I know Paypal fees aren't. The commission is a bit steep for lower priced items, but I think it should still net more than selling to KEH or Adorama and the process seems much easier than selling directly on eBay.

banker1741 Loc: Iowa

I sold a Nikon D3X using that service. From what I recall I paid for nothing with the exception of the commission everything else was taken care of by them. The camera did not sell the first time listed and they relisted it and it sold immediately. The price I received was very fair and I would not have gotten anywhere near that amount had I sold it to a camera shop. I have in the past sold items to Adorama.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

repleo wrote:

Has anybody used eBay Valet service to sell photo gear, lenses etc. ? Are the shipping charges and eBay's fees included in the Valet's 'commission'? I know Paypal fees aren't. The commission is a bit steep for lower priced items, but I think it should still net more than selling to KEH or Adorama and the process seems much easier than selling directly on eBay.

I never heard of that. I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

EDIT: The commission is more than I would want to pay.

OlinBost Loc: Marietta, Ga.

I tried twice. Neither time was I able to state the price I wanted or have any input into the ad. We had a big fight on the costs.

jmsail365 Loc: Stamford, Ct

[quote=banker1741] From what I recall I paid for nothing with the exception of the commission everything else was taken care of by them.

That was my experience. I had a video camera that Adorama's NYC store said they would go me $300 for but were honest enough to say that it was worth more on the private market. I couldn't list it myself for over $500 on eBay so I used eBay Valet. They did everything once they received the camera, creating the listing, etc. I netted out a bit under $500 but since I didn't pay all the other fees shipping, PayPal, eBay's usual fees it netted me a little bit more than it would have if I could have listed it on eBay myself.

Jakebrake Loc: Broomfield, Colorado

jerryc41 wrote:

I never heard of that. I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

EDIT: The commission is more than I would want to pay.

Whew, those commission's are crazy!!! When I sell my unused gear I go to my camera club first, then ebay and Craigs List. I have had excellent success using those venue's in obtaining the price I desire. My favorite is my camera club & CL, simply because there are no fee's what so ever, you meet the buyer/seller face to face and can test the equipment prior to selling or buying. Ebay has fee's involved but I list my item's with a 'buy it now' option, as well as a 'make offer' tab.

When I have a GAS attack I post a 'Want to Buy' on the club's website as well as looking on KEH, Adorama, B & H used, ebay and Craigs List. So far (crossing my fingers) I have never been burned in the 10 years I have been buying and selling in the hobby.

jmizera Loc: Austin Texas

I've sold a lot of stuff on ebay over the years. The Valet service is pretty sketchy imho. Be sure to read the fine print. You are better off by far by listing it yourself. It might seem intimidating at first, but it's really not that hard. Create a Paypal account, then create an Ebay account, link them, and click sell. I think it's worth mentioning that if you need help, Ebay has excellent phone support.

You should first do a search for "sold" items that match what you're selling. This will give you an idea what to ask. This is a very useful tool for finding the going rate of used gear.

Jakebrake Loc: Broomfield, Colorado

jmizera wrote:

I've sold a lot of stuff on ebay over the years. ... (show quote)

Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

Yeah, I used that service one time to sell a camera and it will be the last time! The seller doing the service didn't do much to promote the camera, which was in excellent condition with the original box and everything that came with it.
He was very lackadaisical in description and photos. So I didn't get what I should have for it.
Next time I will do it my self.

will

repleo Loc: Boston

Thanks to all of you for the feedback. I think I will give the direct sell on eBay a try. Its a 'challenge' I feel I should take on. Hope all goes well.

Jakebrake Loc: Broomfield, Colorado

repleo wrote:

Thanks to all of you for the feedback. I think I will give the direct sell on eBay a try. Its a 'challenge' I feel I should take on. Hope all goes well.

Please keep us updated and if you have any questions regarding ebay there are many folks here on the forum that will help you out.

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Beginners-Guide-to-Buying-and-Selling-on-eBay-/10000000000869509/g.html

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

What does the valet service provide that you can't do yourself on ebay? Do you mail the item to the buyer yourself of send it to the valet service?

repleo Loc: Boston

Bobspez wrote:

What does the valet service provide that you can't do yourself on ebay? Do you mail the item to the buyer yourself of send it to the valet service?

Its just the convenience. You just email them. They send you a shipping label and you send them the item. Then you just wait until the payment hits your PayPal account. Supposedly you can just drop the item at select FedEx offices and they will package and ship it for you as well.

Jakebrake Loc: Broomfield, Colorado

repleo wrote:

Its just the convenience. You just email them. They send you a shipping label and you send them the item. Then you just wait until the payment hits your PayPal account. Supposedly you can just drop the item at select FedEx offices and they will package and ship it for you as well.

For the 'commission' charges Jerry posted for the Valet service, I believe I will continue to post my used camera gear myself. It's quite simple with step by step listing instructions and related ebay charges. A 'no brainer' actually.