Sell online with auctionPAL

How Much Does auctionPAL Cost?

auctionPAL gets a commission only when your item sells - so there is zero risk to you. There are no upfront fees at all to you as a seller.

The auctionPAL commission fee is 16.99% of the item's sale price up to $250. The commission fee decreases on a sliding scale for items that sell for $250 or higher, so you're not overpaying in fees on expensive items. Learn more

Q: Do I have to pay eBay/PayPal fees?

A: There is an eBay commission fee of 5% to 8%, depending on the final sale price of your item, which includes all applicable PayPal fees. Learn more

Q: When do I pay auctionPAL?

A: All fees are deducted from the final selling price of the auction item. The balance is then promptly sent to you.

Q: When do I get the money?

A: Every buyer has four days to dispute any item received. So once that period has expired we send the check out. Typically the whole process takes about 7-10 days after the auction finishes for you to receive payment.

This is how we work.

auctionPAL's mission is to make it easy for people, or organizations, to sell their stuff on-line, for a great price and with minimum hassle. We do this by using our auctionPAL Experts and patented listing technology to give your premium positioning and selling strategies in the on-line marketplace.

aP adds the most value for our sellers when their item is about seventy five dollars ($75) or more, and they provide us with a few good digital photos and answers our on-line questionnaire about the item.

auctionPAL in turn partners with the biggest online marketplaces to sell your items at the best possible price to you. Today, our major partners are eBay and Amazon. Soon we will be launching on Craigslist too and a number of other exciting specialty auction sites that specialize in selling certain categories of consumer goods.

Q: Does auctionPAL compete with eBay?

A: Not really. Some people can go through the work to become a seller. Mainly eBay is our selling partner. They bring a huge group of on-line consumers looking to buy items. 92% of eBay customers are buyers only and never try to sell. So there is no need for us to reinvent the wheel! We think of eBay as a great aggregator of buyers - but only one. auctionPAL's business is to find the BEST marketplace for what you are selling.

Q: What does an auctionPAL Expert do?

A: They will help you with anything you need! If you send pictures or have a question you may call, email or use live chat for assistance. During non-business hours or a particularly busy time, an auctionPAL will send you a text or email message with a specific call back time.

Q: Who answers questions from bidders and potential bidders?

A: If an auctionPAL agent cannot answer the question, we will send you a message asking for your assistance in answering the question. If you have not agreed to be available for questions, the auctionPAL agent will answer to the best of their knowledge.

How Do I Get The Best Price?

You can help us get the best price for your items – by just following a few simple guidelines:

1. Answer as many questions as you can on our listing page. Our patented survey questions are proven to get sellers more inquiries and a higher price. So the more of them you're able to answer, the higher selling price you're likely to get.
2. Be specific about what make/model you have so buyers know exactly what they get if they win, and you have a more accurate market price for your specific item up-front from the aP Calculator.
3. Consider sharing your “personal review” about how you felt about the item's best features/benefits while you owned it. Buyers like to read short but helpful real world experiences. It also helps your auctionExpert create a more impassioned listing for your item.
4. Take the best pictures you can. For example buyers often think that blurry photos are taken intentionally from unscrupulous sellers trying to hide defects. Read and follow our easy photography tips here for best results – or watch our on-line video.
5. Upload 3-6 pictures of each item if you can so your auctionExpert can match the best ones to the description that they write for you.
6. If you have a specific price in mind for your item – please tell us! Our experts can work with you to develop a listing strategy (marketplace, type of listing, duration) that will most closely match your expectations.

What Do I Have To Do?

1. Look up the estimated value of your item(s) on our calculator. If your item is not listed, just pick the closest category and your auctionExpert will do additional research to get a current value from the on-line marketplace sites.
2. Describe your item on our website.
3. Take 3-6 pictures and upload them to the auctionPAL site.
4. After the item sells - pack it in complimentary materials we send you and simply call the 800 number provided for pick up. Then sit back and wait for your check!

Q: What if I want to set a minimum price?

A: You can! Just tell us via the “Other Comments” description box on the listings page what you want the minimum sale price to be and we'll make that part of your listing.

Now you should know that 99% of the time we don't recommend minimum price auctions. Why? Because our experience, confirmed by independent auction research, shows that using a minimum price auction most often reduces the number of buyers willing to consider your item for purchase. So in most cases, to maximize the selling price, it's better to get more bidders involved and let more competitive bidding drive the price up for you. This is true as well for “reserve price” or hidden minimum auctions which many buyers consider distasteful (thus reducing the bidder pool).

But if you feel strongly about getting a minimum price for your item, just let us know up front and we will include it as part of your item's sale profile. We do retain the right however to refuse listing if the minimum price is deemed ‘unreasonable' by our auctionExperts relative to recent market prices for similar items. Also since eBay charges us up-front for reserve price auctions, we must pass along this charge to you (up-front) if you chose this option.

Q: Do I have to register with you?

A: Yes. We need some basic information including your name, shipping and mailing addresses (for shipping and payment confirmation). Email and phone numbers help us contact you in touch if there are any questions on issues that arise on your listed items.

auctionPAL absolutely does not give, sell or rent any of your information with third parties. We only use it for communicating with you about your listings on our site. We also never share it with buyers or prospective buyers. If there is a need they communicate directly with us, and we in turn ask you confidentially if there is a question we cannot resolve ourselves.

Q: Do I need to create my own eBay/PayPal account?

A: No, you do not need an eBay or PayPal account to use auctionPAL's services. We list your item under auctionPAL's name and take care of all the fees, feedback and other associated responsibilities. You just sit back and let us do the work.

Q: Do I need a picture of the item?

A: As part of our fraud prevention program we need at least one photo of the actual item you are selling to validate possession. eBay policy also prevents us from using stock photos on used items. However in general we find the vast majority of prospective buyers expect to see a photograph of most items. So to get you the best price possible in the marketplace we ask that each item be accompanied by at least three digital photographs uploaded to our site.

Q: What if I have a group of items – can I photograph them all together?

A: Unfortunately no. In our experience this doesn't work in on-line auctions. Buyers like to see good clear photos, and descriptions, of each item for sale. Buyers in on-line auctions have some concern about fraudulent sellers – so our goal is to help you list your items clearly and with good photos to prove you're one of the good guys/gals.

Q: How do I send pictures to auctionPAL?

A: You upload photos through your account on the auctionPAL website.

Q: How long does it take auctionPAL to list my item after I complete the listing process?

A: Usually 1 business day. Our auction Experts review each item, write a custom description and decide on the optimum selling strategy for what you are listing. This may include waiting a day or two to start the auction to have the sale encompass the optimum days of the week. Sometimes it will take longer if there are questions about your item's compliance with eBay's listing policies, or if a piece of key information is missing that we need. If we have a question we will send you a prompt email.

What Kind Of Items Can I List?

auctionPAL wants to help you list anything that is compliant with eBay's listing rules, or the rules of any other marketplace where we post your item for sale. In general:

• Consumer and business items that you own
• That are legal, non-lethal
• Are over $75 in residual value
• And that do not have prohibitive shipping costs to buyers

are where we can add the most value. auctionPAL strives to be a fully compliant with eBay's rules as a “Power Seller”. So if you have a question about your item(s) for sale look at the prohibited items example list below, and or contact customer service.

Typical examples of what we've helped customers sell for exceptional prices are:

• Designer Women's Clothing, Shoes & Handbags, Jewelry & Watches, Men's Clothing, Makeup, Decorative Collectibles, Fragrances
• Computer & Networking Equipment, Printers, Disk Drives, Controllers & Storage, Notebook PCs, Desktop PCs, Monitors & Projectors
• Consumer Electronics, Cell Phones, Apple iPods & iPhones, MP3 Players, Cameras & Photo equipment, Cell Phones & PDAs, Digital Cameras, DVD players & home theater equipment, Film Cameras, Camcorders, GPS Devices, Pocket PCs
• Sporting Goods, Golf Equipment, Skiing & Snowboarding equipment, Baseball Equipment, Athletic Apparel
• Collectible Antiques, Pottery & Glass, Sports Memorabilia, Baseball, Basketball Cards, Pottery & China, Collectible Coins & Paper Money, Vintage Books, Fan Apparel & Souvenirs, Magazine Back Issue Collections
• Musical Instruments, Woodwind, Guitar, Brass
• Toys & Games, High-Value Baby Items, Disney items (Disneyana), Radio Control devices, Video Game Systems & Cartridges

Q: What items can I not list?

auctionPAL strives to fully comply with eBay's rules concerning the three broad categories items they do not want listed. The three categories are items deemed “prohibited, potentially infringing or questionable”. In general if you have a question please feel free to call or email us for clarification:

• Prohibited - Items that are illegal or that encourage illegal activity. Items that are racially or ethnically inappropriate. Listings that do not offer an item or service for sale. Services that are illegal or sexual in nature. Listings that promote giveaways, random drawings, raffles, or prizes.
• Potentially infringing - Items that may be in violation of copyrights, trademarks, or other rights. Some items are not allowed, even though they may be legal, because they almost always violate copyright or trademark laws - counterfeit or bootleg items (counterfeits, replicas and unauthorized copies). Also listings that include disclaimers of knowledge of, or responsibility for, the authenticity or legality of the items offered in their listings are not allowed.
• Questionable - Listings of perishable items that do not identify the measures the seller will take to ensure that the goods are delivered to the buyer safely. Other typically questionable items include Pre-Sale Listings, Vehicle, Vehicle Equipment and Device Listings, and Cell Phone (Wireless) Service Contracts.

What Happens After My Item Is Listed?

First auctionPAL will send you an email letting you know that your auction has started. You can then track your auction's status, including bidding activity, by logging into your account and reviewing your items through the "my account" page.

We also send you notifications via email when your item is first listed and when an auction for an item has ended. And, remember, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your auction, you can always contact auctionPAL customer service for more information.

Q: How does shipping work?

A: When selling on-line, shipping can be one of the biggest hassles. auctionPAL eliminates these hassles for you! After we receive payment by the buyer, on your behalf, we send you an empty box, packing materials and a prepaid shipping label within 2-3 days. Then you just put the item in the box and call the toll free number on the instructions found inside the box. The shipping company comes to your house or workplace and picks up the item! You're done!

Q: What if I'm selling a large item like a table saw or a snow blower?

A: Local pickup is used for selling many large items including furniture or hard to ship items. For things like Motorcycles/ Cars or other motorized vehicles, specialized transport would need to be arranged for by the buyer with you.

Q: What if the item gets damaged during shipping?

A: All packages shipped by auctionPAL are insured.

Q: What if the buyer is unhappy with their purchase?

A: auctionPAL is accept returns if the item's description did not accurately reflect the item's condition. In those cases we notify you that the buyer has not completed the transaction and that your sale was not completed. You of course keep your item too. You may request re-listing the item. auctionPAL reserves the right to evaluate whether or not to re-list items based on current market conditions.

Q: What happens if no one buys my item?

A: If your auction ends without a buyer, then there is no penalty to you. The process is completed. If you are convinced however that there is good residual value with you item, then we suggest that you relist the item with more information about its value or usefulness, and/or a lower starting price (if applicable).

When Do I Get Paid?

Ninety five percent of all payments are sent to our sellers after 3 business days of the buyers confirming receipt and acceptance of the item. Buyers by eBay rules have 3 days to notify us w if they are not happy with their item. If after 3 days if we have not heard from them, we assume they are satisfied and we process your check which is then mailed to your payment address as specified in your account preferences.

Q: What is the form of payment?

A: A check is mailed directly to you. We are also working on a new feature crediting payments to PayPal accounts. This feature will be available soon

Q: How does the payment get processed?

A: auctionPAL will collect and process the buyer's payment. You do not have to do anything!