eBay Your Old Gear

What to do with your old gear after the irresistible upgrade? It seems a shame to let a perfectly good camera or lens languish in storage while you cavort with your new fling. Better to let your unwanted gear find a new home and get some cash back in return. eBay makes it easy, but you need to pay attention to the details if you want a good price and a trouble-free transaction.

eBay Basics
If you’re new to eBay, it’s essentially an online auction, where users buy and sell just about anything you can imagine. You’re dealing with strangers, so there’s always the risk of a problem. You’re protected in a number of ways, however.

As a seller, your chief risk is a buyer who doesn’t pay. It’s inconvenient, but there are ways to avoid potential pitfalls that we’ll cover later in this article. Ship only after you receive payment, use a trackable, insurable shipping method and you’ll eliminate most of the risk.

Good sellers put themselves in the buyer’s shoes, so it’s good to know what protections the buyer has. As a buyer, eBay has programs in place to help recover your costs if a transaction goes sour; however, this system can be a lengthy process and there are limits to the amount of money a buyer can recover. Pay with PayPal or your credit card, and you’ll have additional protection through your bank. Fortunately, most people are honest, and in nearly 100 transactions buying and selling, I’ve had only one bad experience, which was eventually resolved to my satisfaction through my bank.