We-bay takes the hassle out of eBay auctions

That’s when Arley Clark left sporting goods giant Bass Pro Shops after 21 years of managing customer support for its catalog and Internet sales. Clark said he noticed the eBay potential because people either don’t know the tricks of the trade of Internet auctions or don’t have time to manage them.

“With our service, they avoid the hassles,” Clark said, adding that his company also reduces the risk of fraud. “We’re an established seller, so we have a reputation in the marketplace.”

The company’s sales have earned it status as an eBay Platinum PowerSeller, registering monthly sales of $25,000 to $149,999 and a buyer-approval rating above 98 percent. Links from the company’s Web site at www.4uweauction.com reveal its approval rating as 99.4 percent.

The types of items listed run the gamut.

“We do quite a bit with musical instruments, audio equipment, antiques and one-of-a-kind items that have some appeal,” Clark said. “And computers – not desktops and monitors, but Macs do well and laptops. We sell quite a few bicycles, road bikes, dirt bikes and more expensive stuff, where people have either upgraded their equipment or changed hobbies or moved. We’ve also sold a fair number of cars and boats, and more recently, we’ve been doing work with businesses selling used or obsolete equipment.”

Longtime customer Jim Thompson said he and his wife have sold “all types of stuff” with We-bay’s help.

“I took in one newspaper that had headlines about the death of Marilyn Monroe. That newspaper sold for $48,” Thompson said.

Where it begins

A We-bay transaction usually starts when a customer brings in an item to sell, Clark said. He then researches it on eBay.

“We may find something identical and look at the last 30 days of completed auctions, which is a lot of transactions,” he said. “Based on that, we’ll advise the person if there’s a market for the item or not. I don’t want to take their $8 setup fee and not have a good chance to sell it for them.”

From there, the customer fills out a consignment agreement and We-bay creates the eBay listing, taking pictures, writing the description, choosing display options, setting the pricing and determining packing and shipping charges to be assessed to the buyer. It then uploads the listing and monitors the auction.

If the item sells, We-bay e-mails the buyer payment instructions, processes the payment, packs and ships the item, deducts all appropriate fees and sends the customer a check for the balance.

Customer fees include setup – $8 to We-bay and $1.05 to $5.25 for eBay – and commissions. The eBay commission is computed on a sliding scale from 8.25 percent, and We-bay’s is 15 percent. “That’s on general merchandise,” Clark said. “Motor vehicles, real estate and some industrial equipment have different fee schedules, and we have a different commission structure on those goods.”

If an item doesn’t sell, We-bay can relist it for a second auction at no extra charge. If it fails to sell again, the customer can relist it at a lower price, again paying setup fees, pick up the item or instruct We-bay to donate it to charity.

Shipping and receiving

One hassle many eBay sellers want to avoid is shipping, which We-bay carries out through its franchised Sunshine Pack and Ship operation in the same building. “We’ve sold quite a bit of furniture,” Clark said. “Since we’re full-service packaging as well, we can arrange for the transport of furniture and other large items, including the building of crates, if that’s required.”

Clark’s son, Ryan, handles packing, shipping and receiving. The biggest auction items he’s shipped were “a 6-foot dollhouse to Germany and a motorcycle to California,” he said. “We also do shipping rate quotes, schedule pickups and arrange motor freight when necessary. We also handle shipping for other eBay sellers.”

Clint McDaniel, one of four employees, said he handles “a lot of the tech work” at We-bay, including taking the digital pictures that accompany the auction listings. “We have a small picture studio to make it look as professional as possible,” he said.

Other We-bay services include researching items for salability, the fee for which is $4 (waived if the item is listed), and acting as a buyer for clients. “We charge 15 percent as a buyer,” Arley Clark said. “Usually, it’s something rare that people want to get their hands on or they don’t have a PayPal account or a computer or the Internet.”

Customer Thompson said he’s been satisfied with his outcomes.

“Arley is a good judge of the items, and he makes a point of accuracy,” Thompson said.

The Clarks say they are continually looking to improve their service.

“I’d like to see us get the business model down and someday franchise it out,” Ryan Clark said. “Every month gets better than the last.”

We-bay

Owner: Arley Clark

Founded: 2003

Address: 1927 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO 65804

Phone: (417) 891-9874

Fax: (417) 891-9873

Web site: www.4uweauction.com

Services: Internet auctions of consigned goods; eBay research; eBay buying

Employees: 4

We-bay Items on eBay

Most expensive item sold:

• Chinook motor home for $97,000

Most unique items sold:

• astronaut food canisters from Apollo 11 for $1,200 “It was a promotional thing the manufacturer put out.”

• shotgun shell manufacturer’s booklet celebrating the 1920 Olympic shooting team for $300

• newspaper with headline on the death of Marilyn Monroe for $48

• 6-foot dollhouse, sent to Germany for about $800

Easy sells:

• musical instruments

• audio equipment

• antiques

• Apple and laptop computers

• bicycles and motorcycles

• cars and boats

• businesses equipment

Hard sells:

• Beanie Babies “They mass-produced those things. You almost have to give them away or sell them in lots.”

• clothing

• Barbie dolls

• baseball cards

Internet Auction Rule of Thumb: “If it’s not going to sell for $25, people are basically wasting their time,” Arley Clark says. “By the time they pay the $8 setup fee and the eBay fees and our commission, they would end up with $10 or $11.”[[In-content Ad]]