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Posting photo items sold on ebay, Facebook etc

Written By Steven

On 9 December 2020

Posting out photographic (or any valuables) sold on eBay, Facebook or similar outlets can be fraught with problems.

I have heard of items damaged in the post or by couriers. Items lost, or reported as missing or people opening parcels and claiming a piece of wood or a brick has been sent instead of their item.

The following will not stop damage, loss or thefts, but if it does happen will help you document what you did and help in any investigation and help get your money back.

  1. Closely photograph the item you are sending, showing the condition of the items and clearly showing any serials numbers. If needed make a video of the item working.
  2. Package the item appropriately. Use as much protective packing materials as possible. And again photograph the packing and how it sits inside the box/package.
  3. Place a slip of paper inside the package showing your return address just in case the outer labels come off.
  4. If the outer packaging is an original box and it shows what’s inside the box, then wrap the box in plain paper to disguise what’s inside.
  5. Once you happy, then don’t seal the box but record its weight.
  6. If you are taking the package to the post office, I recommend not sealing the box, and make a video of yourself at the post office showing the contents of the box, sealing it and then taking it to the post office counter and handing it to the counter staff. Some post offices may leave your parcel on the outside of the counter until they collect several of them. Tell them you are not willing to leave it un-attended. Also the post office should normally record the weight on their receipts.if you are using a courier, do the same but seal the box when they arrive (don’t show them what’s inside) and show the parcel being handed to the courier and ensure you receive a receipt from the driver.Its important that there are no breaks or pauses in the video otherwise you could be accused of removing the item from the box before handing it over.
  7. Ensure you have full insurance cover for the item.
  8. Ensure the recipient and your own address is clearly marked and that if necessary, mark the box as fragile.

You can buy packing material such as bubble wrap, tapes, boxes, and protective foam on Amazon.

Selling on eBay

Watch where your buyers are located and their feedback numbers. Everyone starts somewhere and a low feedback score doesn’t mean they are fraudsters. Consider only selling to buyers from your own country. Anyone wanting to take communications off eBay or use a non-eBay payment method will most certainly be a fraudster.

If you meet someone to hand over an item, ensure you don’t go alone, especially if they are going to hand over cash. I have heard stories of people being robbed of expensive items.

 

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