A Beginners Guide to Selling on eBay (from Japan)
In this guide you will learn how to set up an eBay account, set up your payout processor, find products to source, and learn how to price your products competitively.
This guide does not cover topics about taxes and legal matters. Please consult a professional.
Setting up an Account
In order to sell on eBay you will need to set up two accounts: an eBay account and a Payoneer account. eBay is where you will list your products and Payoneer is how you get paid.
Upon successful setup, eBay will automatically sync your accounts together.
Important note: When setting up your eBay account from Japan, do not use the eBay app on your phone. The app defaults to the US setup process. If you try to set up your accoung from the app, eBay will think you are in the US and you will have problems listing your products. I learned this through a lot of frustration and trial and error. Only set up your account through a desktop and set your location to Japan and you won’t have any problems.
Setting up your profile
In my experience, you don’t need to put much thought into your bio. A lot of people leave this section. However, if you want to tell people that you specialize in a particular product, or want to explain for example that you make everything by hand, or your items are sourced from small business owners in rural areas, then by all means go for it. What’s more important is your feedback and customer service which we will go over later.
Finding products to sell
There are a few ways to approach this area. If you sell your own handmade items then you won’t have to do much research because everything you sell will be original. However, if you want to sell products that you did not produce, then you’ll want to do some research before you start listing products.
If you want to make money on eBay, it’s very important to research products you are thinking about selling to see how many other people are selling that same product (your competition), how much they are selling/have sold for and if there is any demand for them.
Using eBays product search tool
eBay provides a free product research tool inside of the platform for you to get data on any product you are thinking about listing.
Inside the Product Research tool, type in a product you are thinking about selling, Ex: Pokemon High Class pack”. You can filter your results by Sold item (to see what past products sold for) or by Active Listings to see how many other sellers are selling the same product.
Determine demand by seeing how often the product is selling. A good rule of thumb is that is the selling percentage is over 30% (meaning over 30% of the listings that get listed are being sold) it’s in high demand. This is not a rule that you need to go by to list good products, but it’s just something to keep in the back of your mind.
Listing your Products
Listing your products is pretty straight forward. Make sure to take good pictures of your items. Take pictures of all angles and make sure to write any defects that your product has. Forgetting to write that your product is scratched or had blemishes is strictly forbidden. The buyer will leave you a bad review, report you, and return the item which will hurt your account.
Before you list the item, put yourself in the buyers shoes. How would you feel if you received the item.
This goes for packing and shipping. Make sure you pack your item well and prevent it from getting damaged in transit – especially if it’s something fragile.
Buy it Now or Auction
You have two ways to list your item, But it Now (people can buy your product as soon as you list it) or Auction (people bid on your item during a time that you specify (3,5, or 7 days) then the highest bidder buys your item.
Use your best judgement to determine the type of listing you want to choose. Experiment with both to see which style you like best.
Promoting Your Products
If you want more people to find your items on eBay, you might consider promoting them. Promoting an item means that eBay will prioritize your listing when people search for it. eBay allows you to set your own rate by percentages. For example, promoting at a rate of 10% means that eBay will take a 10% fee of the sale price. The higher your promotion rate, the more people will see your product when they are searching for it.
Be careful with this option. Even though more people will see your item, the more the fees will cut into your profits. Experiment and find a rate you are comfortable with.
Shipping
As said earlier, use general common sense when packing your items. After your item sales, eBay will present a list of shipping services to use when you are ready to ship. Use the service that you put in your listing and make sure to ship your item on time to avoid any bad feedback.
Always contact the buyer inside of eBays messaging too if something unexpected happens. Buyers are spending their money with you so be respectful and prompt at all times. This goes a long way on eBay.
Payouts
If the buyer receives your item with no problems eBay will send your payout (minus their fees) a week or two after the item has been delivered. Even though the product was delivered and there were no complaints from the customer, you will see a message that says “Funds on Hold.” eBay holds your funds just in case there are any problems on the buyer’s end.
Expect up to two weeks to be paid out. It’s a little frustrating, but that’s how the platform works.
Moving forward
As with any platform, the rules and procedures will be updated periodically. Stay up to date with any platform via eBays notifications. Run your business professionally and you’ll get positive ratings from your customers. The more positive ratings you get, the more trust you build on the platform, which will lead to more business.