Tips for selling items online

While you’re packing away your winter woolies and preparing for summer in Barcelona, you may also find it’s a great time for a bit of a general spring clean. An unappealing task for most of us, it can be made a little less burdensome by taking the opportunity to make some cash from the things you’re no longer using or needing. Apps like Wallapop, the self-described free and mobile virtual flea market/classifieds app, make it easy to sell such items. Check out these tips for a smooth and swift sale that can also be applied to other online selling/buying sites in addition to Wallapop.

Be responsive

It definitely pays to be responsive when selling items online especially if the item you’re listing is similar to others. From experience, buyers won’t wait around if you don’t reply promptly and instead leave them in silence for hours on end. So if you’re going to be without access to the app you’re using or perhaps you can’t reply during business hours, then you may like to include these details as part of your listing so buyers have an expectation of when to hear from you.

Do your research

Take some time to explore other items listed on the site to see how sellers are describing and pricing their items. Look at what works well and what doesn’t­ – think like the buyer and what you would be happy/willing to pay for the item you’re offering.

Use great photos

Make the most of the number of photos allowed for the listing and select ones that may answer questions buyers are likely to ask. If it’s a new item that’s still boxed, then show the seals intact. And if there are some slight imperfections, then show these too. It’s worth everyone’s while if you’re honest and upfront with the items you’re selling and the photos are what the buyer is most interested in.

Accept cash only and in person

Be sure to finish the sale in person and with cash rather than using any sort of bank transfer or even PayPal. The app Wallapop is all about being able to sell items locally and easily, with face-to-face and cash-in-hand the tried and tested method for this type of sale.

Don’t dismiss your discards

The saying ‘one person’s trash is another’s treasure’ is spot on when it comes to sites such as Wallapop. So don’t discard any items that are no longer of any use to you as they may be just what someone else is trying to find. And while almost everything can be listed, there are some items that aren’t allowed, which are mostly the very obvious such as animals; medicine or prescriptive drugs; and food, alcohol and tobacco. You can view the full list as part of the Wallapop FAQs.

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