Selling your used diapers can be a great way to make back a bit of your investment and make cloth diapering even more affordable. You can sell those that you've tried and didn't work as well to purchase those that do...or to clear out your stash once baby is out of diapers. This is certainly one of the great advantages of using cloth...who wants to buy a used disposable!? Personally, I prefer to sell locally- either via an online yard sale type site, Craigslist or my local cloth diaper store. I'm lucky enough to be in a larger area where I've never had any troubles selling my used cloth...but many are not in that position and instead have to sell them online. This is still a great way to destash your old diapers, but is not without its risks.
A few weeks ago, I shared some tips for buying cloth diapers used online. Most of these steps were to insure that you knew exactly what you were getting and avoid getting scammed. Sadly, there are all too many scammers out there, and it's not just the buyers getting taken. Sellers are not safe from scammers either.So, how does the SELLER manage to get scammed? The most common ways I've heard are either claiming the item was received not as described...or not received at all. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to protect yourself as the seller as well:
Give Detailed Descriptions & Photos.
For buyers, its important to ask questions, but for the seller it's important to be forthcoming with every last detail of the diaper(s) you are selling. Is there is small, barely there stain, a slight stretch in the elastics? Anything that can be seen as a flaw, make notice of...with pictures ideally. Describe the quality to the best of your ability. It's better to over describe than risk someone claiming item was not as described. Many groups ask that posts be removed once an item is sold, if this is the case, consider taking screenshots before deleting. Also be certain to include the full description in your invoice.
Always Use Paypal.
Paypal is there to protect buyers and sellers, so be sure to use it! If seller offers to mail a check, send via Western Union, etc...just say no. You are likely to be out your money and your product.
No Money, No Shipping.
Always make sure that the payment has cleared before heading to the post office. Unfortunately, if you ship first before payment is received, there is really no way to get your money if they decide not to pay. Of course we want to believe the best in people, but unfortunately, that's not always the case.
Get Tracking.
As I said, one of the common scams on the seller is for the buyer to claim the package was never received...if you include tracking, this will let you know exactly where your package is going and provide proof that you did in fact ship. Of course, sometimes accidents truly do happen and packages are lost in the mail, so purchasing insurance is a good idea as well.
Keep Track of Everything.
Hold on to your correspondence with the buyer, take screenshots, keep the photos of the product before shipping, etc. Chances are your transaction will go smoothly with no issues at all, but on that chance that something goes wrong, this will help to prove that you were in the right and protect your from scammers.
Have YOU sold cloth diapers online? What tips and tricks do YOU have to share?
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