Sellers on half.com, I have a question! Please help!
 

I am a seller on half.com. I have been selling for almost a year. I've never had a complaint until now. Just the other day I got a buyer communication telling me that she never received the item, but I sent it out using Media Mail. I have the receipt that I sent it out Media Mail and it shows her zip code on the receipt and it shows that I sent it out the day after she ordered. Now she filed an insurance claim with half.com, but half.com still hasn't contacted me about it. I was just wondering will half.com believe me over her? I have the receipt but no tracking number since i sent it out media mail. If they believe her I will be out $40! I don't think its right. But can someone help me out if they had the same experience or give me some pointers. Thanks!

I got one of those a while back that they claimed they never received an item that I know I shipped. I basically just wrote back that I know I shipped it. Never heard back from them so I assume they believed me.

I've been selling on Half for about a year, and had one bad experience. I sent the DVD out to a buyer across the country (I'm in NY - she was in Seattle) via Media Mail (those that are in a REAL hurry should choose Priority Mail, but never do). Two days later, she posts a 1 out of 5 stating that she "still hasn't received it, and is wondering if I was honest and even sent it out"!

Well, I was pissed to put it mildly - I sent Half.com a nasty gram on this and asked what was my recourse - so long to the 5.0 rating. It crashed to 4.4 that quick. Anyways, three days later, she adjusts the rating to a 2, and says, "Well, I finally received it - it skipped at first but I guess its ok after all". I've spent the last 9 months building it back up to a 4.9.

Never had someone claim to not receive it at Half, but did once at Switchouse.com. So, bottom line for me from now on: any thing I ship for over $10, I add on USPS Delivery Confirmation. It adds $.50 to a Media Mail shipment, $.40 to a Priority Mail shipment, and piece of mind in either case.

BTW: Half.com never responded to my email - I wasn't rude, but was very upset that I couldn't respond (Ebay style) to this negative feedback. I mean, Half.com and Ebay are owned by the same billionaires, so...

:)

I received my first bad feedback this past week in over 2 years of selling on eBay and half.com. I have 270+ feedback on ebay with no negatives and no neutrals. Up until this week, I had a perfect 5.0 feedback on half.com ... then someone ruins it.

It seems that a lady that bought a Disney VHS tape from me in December left feedback on July 17th saying that the tape doesn't work. How lovely. What a crock. Since half.com feedback doesn't list the transaction like ebay does, I had to search a long way back to find out what transaction she was even referring to. So 7+ months later, I get a 2/5 because her kids probably took a bath with their favorite Disney tape.

I e-mailed Half.com and asked if they could remove it. In their Buyer's Handbook, it says that all feedback must be left within 90 days. I guess their software isn't up-to-date enough to filter those older than out automatically.

But boy am I mad ... ruined my perfect Internet feedback.

A NEW question for half.com sellers
 

I've got a question for "sellers on half.com" too (although it's not the same question that started this thread)

Can you all tell me the advantages that you see of selling on half.com instead of eBay? Or do you all do both?

Thanks

I sell on Ebay, Half, and Switchouse. I also buy on all three. As far as buying, it usually comes down to total price, and that's probably obvious.

Selling though depends very much on the item, and good ole supply and demand. If I have something that is in high demand or expensive, Ebay is preferable, because: 1) I can probably get a better price, 2) I can reach 10 times the customer base, and 3) I like the feedback system better.

Example: I recently sold my Willy Wonka DVD in preparation for the upcoming 2001 release. I figured that if I waited until it was out, the value of my item would fall. So I started checking - at the time, Half had several listed, none south of $35. I watched over a few days, and very little changed - no sales. On Ebay, however, I watched several going for $35 and up, depending on new, etc. I listed mine, and ended up with $46. I feel that if I had listed it for $40 or more on Half, it would still be there.

On the other hand, if it is a pretty mainstream item, or a newly available item, I find Half is the better place to sell it. I almost always am able to get my asking price, and can quickly ship the item (don't have to wait for a check, etc). Also, it gives me a nice little deposit each month direclty into my account.

The only other thing that affects my choice quite honestly is how I view the audience, so to speak. I find that Half buyers are not as well informed as they could be, and therefore can sell items at or even above the new prices found at actual online retailers. It's not unusual for me to pick up a title at Costco for $16.99, view it once, not like it, and turn around and list it on Half, sell it and ship it the next day for $18. Ebay buyers tend to be more savvy, I find. I would have expected the opposite, honestly.

Good question.

bpatt hit the nail on the head. It's all about (perceived) supply-and-demand. If there's alot of supply out there, better head off to half.com and hope you can sell it lower then the current lowest offer. If it's rare (OOP Criterion), new (Die Hard Ultimate) or even just something that's hard to find in a local retail store, you should go to eBay.