Doing Ebay The Legal Way?

[Harrywonka]

Looking through Ebay at Thai products being offered for sale directly from Thailand, I can tell from some of the auctions that the seller is obviously non Thai. My question is this: Is there any legal way in which a farang can offer Thai items for sale on Ebay while he is in Thailand?

[pedro01]

Looking through Ebay at Thai products being offered for sale directly from Thailand, I can tell from some of the auctions that the seller is obviously non Thai.  My question is this: Is there any legal way in which a farang can offer Thai items for sale on Ebay while he is in Thailand?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes - but the ebay rule is that you have to declare where the goods are & the shipping time.

Unless the products is quite high priced - postage costs are going to eat your profits....

[Thaddeus]

Looking through Ebay at Thai products being offered for sale directly from Thailand, I can tell from some of the auctions that the seller is obviously non Thai.  My question is this: Is there any legal way in which a farang can offer Thai items for sale on Ebay while he is in Thailand?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes - but the ebay rule is that you have to declare where the goods are & the shipping time.

Unless the products is quite high priced - postage costs are going to eat your profits....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not if Postage + Packing is listed as an extra charge.

[bkkbound04]

i know a few peeps who have done this to several different eu countries-they have all since been stopped

it depends on the country that the items are being sent to, as to how long u will be able to trade on ebay/get away with it

the peeps i knew that traded were all in direct contact with the "authentic" manufacturer of the goods.....the problem crops up the other end, basically it's to do with eu price fixing

you would be asked to provide details allowing you to import the goods from "the european management of the manufacturer" this is something they wont give/issue- as u are selling the items below the r.r.p

u could maybe get a week/month/4 months trade but u will be asked/forced to stop, this could mean that u get confident and invest heavily-i.e buy lots of goods(so u have them in stock and to increase your profit margins) and you are then left with goods that you can't sell

hope that helps/makes sense

[Thaddeus]

This Chap has also been at it for a number of years.

Check out his other items and his positive responses

It is doable, as long as you don't upset anyone in the process... agree with Ravisher, start trying to do it with copies of labelled goods and you would probably be pounced on, pronto!

[Harrywonka]

Useful answers.Thankyou. If I may vary the original question somewhat and ask: What are the official Thai rules for a farang actually Ebaying Thai products whilst in Thailand? I mean, presumably it cannot be done on a tourist visa so is there a visa obtainable that allows such a thing to happen without any fear of the said farang being chucked out of Thailand? I would guess there are many 'ways around the problem' but most of them could probably turn very sour if the worst came to the worst. After all, s**t does happen and can come very quickly and very unexpectedly in the Land of Smiles.

[bkkbound04]

re-read the thread

i ass umed u were talking about clothing i.e lacoste nike etc

this is why i refer to price fixing

if u buy more goods u get them at a better price(more profit)

but sooner or later u will be stopped as i mentioned before

i know peeps that export thai art work, marble tables etc

they tend to fill a container and ship it back to their own country, ebay would be an expensive way of selling for these peeps due to the postage costs, they sell them in their home country and make a very tidy profit

[bkkbound04]

the way u get around the banking side is;

u have an account in your country of birth/residence that allows u to check your account online i.e credits, debits, balance etc

when u see that u have recieved payment in your bank account you then ship the goods, the money never enters thailand

[Rooinek]

Like Harrywonka, I'm planning on staying in the LOS for a short while - maybe up to six months and I'm looking to sell the odd bit and bob to make some cash. I checked out the internet link for the guy who's selling thai clothes and he clearly knows what he's doing. I'm thinking about thai artwork, amulets, (not antiques mind); small stuff that doens't weigh much.

Can anyone give me an idea on shipping parcels up to say 3 Kg would be to either the states or the EU from Thailand...?

Thanks

Michael

[smacko]

i know peeps that export thai art work, marble tables etc

they tend to fill a container and ship it back to their own country, ebay would be an expensive way of selling for these peeps due to the postage costs, they sell them in their home country and make a very tidy profit

i was under the impression that in order to send a container from thailand you require an export licence, which requires a work permit, which requires a blah blah you get the idea.

[pedro01]

Unless the products is quite high priced - postage costs are going to eat your profits....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not if Postage + Packing is listed as an extra charge.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Think about it - no-one is going to pay 30 pounds postage on a 10 pounds item - postage HAS to come out of your profit if you are competing with UK based sellers...

Get a friend/family member in the UK involved - ship the goods there in bulk & have them posted out by your friend as you sell them.

I sell daily on ebay, I'm in Thailand but I have someone in the UK that does the postage.

[bkkbound04]

i know peeps that export thai art work, marble tables etc

they tend to fill a container and ship it back to their own country, ebay would be an expensive way of selling for these peeps due to the postage costs, they sell them in their home country and make a very tidy profit

i was under the impression that in order to send a container from thailand you require an export licence, which requires a work permit, which requires a blah blah you get the idea.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if u have a company/shop/outlet in the country u live/plan to sell the goods then they are bought&sold legitimately, it's up to you to pay your taxes and work out your sums and the same would apply at the thai end & the company/person who u are purchasing from

^^you are not working in thailand^^^ so i don't see how u woukd need a work permit

off topic from the thread

i used to know someone that had a very rich family, all educated at some of the top schools in the west, the family's business was exporting african/tribal paintings, statues, furniture etc

...they said that when they saw the mark-up in price in some of the countries they visited it was astronomical compared to what they had been sold at

[lukamar]

We have a supplier in CM that is willing to drop ship if we sell their goods on Ebay but it's more of a problem than it is worth for us. They deal with collecting the Thai taxes. We do sell their products in our store on occasion with drop shipping but we are guaranteed a much better price. A good business relationship has been worked out over time and we have an account with them and we both bank with the same bank and have worked out payment options from within Thailand. They also have supplied us with wholesale prices with shipping included they have been very accommodating.

[sinkorswim]

the way u get around the banking side is;

u have an account in your country of birth/residence that allows u to check your account online i.e credits, debits, balance etc

when u see that u have recieved payment in your bank account you then ship the goods, the money never enters thailand

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if you do this are you not liable for tax in your own country.

also when you transfer some money to thailand if you dont have a work permit will they not ask where you get the money from.

[Soi33]

I have sold lots of watches, Breitlings and Tags while on my trips to BKK. I sold them on Yahoo, Ebay didn't allow knock-offs to be listed. Once they sold at auction I just walked to the post office and boxed them and off they went in the mail for about B250. I never had a problem at the post office and all watches I sent arrived in about 2 weeks.

I made it very clear on the Yahoo auctions that these were "replica watches" from Thailand. I never had any complaints from any of the buyers.

Don't know the legality of doing this but it certainly worked for me.

[chuchok]

I have sold lots of watches, Breitlings and Tags while on my trips to BKK. I sold them on Yahoo, Ebay didn't allow knock-offs to be listed. Once they sold at auction I just walked to the post office and boxed them and off they went in the mail for about B250. I never had a problem at the post office and all watches I sent arrived in about 2 weeks.

I made it very clear on the Yahoo auctions that these were "replica watches" from Thailand. I never had any complaints from any of the buyers.

Don't know the legality of doing this but it certainly worked for me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Whats the difference between a knock-off and a replica?

[Soi33]

No difference at all.

When I listed a Breitling on Ebay it was taken down quickly and they said "replica" items were not allowed. This was a couple years ago and Ebay may be different now. I had no problems listing and selling them on Yahoo auctions though.

[thaiaan]

No difference at all.

When I listed a Breitling on Ebay it was taken down quickly and they said "replica" items were not allowed. This was a couple years ago and Ebay may be different now. I had no problems listing and selling them on Yahoo auctions though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ebay is the same regarding fake brands.I used to sell on Yahoo auctions years ago but it is really dead now.Ebay is still good and I have over 1000 perfect unique feedbacks and made over $9000 just last week.When I move to Thailand I don't know if I will continue to sell on Ebay but I don't want to lose years of building feedback and reputation plus being a Paypal verified Premier member.I can sell items worth thousands because of it.

[LaoPo]

the way u get around the banking side is;

u have an account in your country of birth/residence that allows u to check your account online i.e credits, debits, balance etc

when u see that u have recieved payment in your bank account you then ship the goods, the money never enters thailand

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if you do this are you not liable for tax in your own country.

also when you transfer some money to thailand if you dont have a work permit will they not ask where you get the money from.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1. 'liable for tax in your own country'....I would think yes, since the Taxman will tax you on income.

2. I don't think this would be a big issue; you can also withdraw it with your creditcard from any teller and spend money; if you need larger sums, just transfer it to your bankaccount in TH or Region.

Or do I miss something?

LaoPo

[LaoPo]

No difference at all.

When I listed a Breitling on Ebay it was taken down quickly and they said "replica" items were not allowed. This was a couple years ago and Ebay may be different now. I had no problems listing and selling them on Yahoo auctions though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ebay is the same regarding fake brands.I used to sell on Yahoo auctions years ago but it is really dead now.Ebay is still good and I have over 1000 perfect unique feedbacks and made over $9000 just last week.When I move to Thailand I don't know if I will continue to sell on Ebay but I don't want to lose years of building feedback and reputation plus being a Paypal verified Premier member.I can sell items worth thousands because of it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interested what kind of merchandise you sell right now and from which country?

And why shouldn't you sell also from Thailand?

LaoPo

[thaiaan]

No difference at all.

When I listed a Breitling on Ebay it was taken down quickly and they said "replica" items were not allowed. This was a couple years ago and Ebay may be different now. I had no problems listing and selling them on Yahoo auctions though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ebay is the same regarding fake brands.I used to sell on Yahoo auctions years ago but it is really dead now.Ebay is still good and I have over 1000 perfect unique feedbacks and made over $9000 just last week.When I move to Thailand I don't know if I will continue to sell on Ebay but I don't want to lose years of building feedback and reputation plus being a Paypal verified Premier member.I can sell items worth thousands because of it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interested what kind of merchandise you sell right now and from which country?

And why shouldn't you sell also from Thailand?

LaoPo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm from the US and sell antiques,Laliques,Lladros,Baccarats,ivory statues,etc.Also signed jewelry like David Webb,Tiffany,Cartier,etc.There are sellers with 25 auctions a week selling Rolexes and Piagets and other fine watches averaging over $10-20,000 each auction.$10-20000 times 25 auctions equals a lot of moolah.

I may continue in Thailand if I could find good sources of high-priced quality items and can ship inexpensively and securely.I am keeping my Ebay and Paypal accounts linked to my US Everbank account so I can continue if possible.There are big Thai companies on Ebay selling rubies and emeralds and antique bronzes but they are very large companies who probably have good sources and probably government "paid assistance".

Edited February 17, 2005 by thaiaan

[ryanb741]

I did an experiment last time I was in LOS (in preparation for making a bit of extra cash when I come to LOS to live permanently). I watched all the farangs and what they were buying, and it tended to be t-shirts, shoes and things like Mortar and Pestles etc. Well T-shirts are a no-no due to the fact that the ebay market is saturated with Kratingdaeng and coke tshirts from Thailand. So I bought some ladies shoes at B150 each and 10 sets of mortar and pestles at b60 each and stuck them on ebay with Thai P+P set at b200.

The shoes averaged a 300% mark-up once sold, the mortar and pestles I sold 5 sets for the equivalent of b300 each and the other 5 didn't make reserve (maybe because I listed all 10 at once).

So yes, that was a fairly easy way of making about 2000 baht for little more than an hour's work (at Chatuchak buying the items).

Cheap jewellery (especially those 'healing' beads on an elasticated bracelet) would be a good earner IMHO - you could make them for about b20 material cost and easily sell them for b150 on ebay - think about it, a buyer will not hesitate to pay what to them is a relatively small investment for a piece of jewellery that looks good in a photo. If you are selling expensive items, forget it - the risk is too high. You had better have a superb feedback rating.

One word of caution - don't forget that ebay and paypal fees will eat into your profits and you can't get paid in baht - I just used my existing UKsterling paypal setup linked to my Barclays Bank account.

[LivinLOS]

One of my mates is living here eeking out a tiny living doing bar work.. Low wages, late nights etc.. I introduced him to the idea of selling sunglasses and porn DVD's through ebay..

The porn DVD's idea was because &lt;deleted&gt; A) dont care that they are copy DVD's and because they are less likely to complain or make an issue.. He lost a few in postage (middle east) but the markup from 80 - 100 to >10 USD made it worthwhile to resend or refund..

The sunnies however seemed really solid low level earner.. 100 - 150 baht quality plastic shades.. Oakley lookalikes etc.. With a good photo were getting 10 - 20 USD.. If you put up 5 to 10 a day and ship daily its probably 3 - 4 hours a work a day (photos, listing, processing orders, packing and postage) and pulled in perhaps 100 USD daily with some days about 200.

The guy is / was a total computer and internet novice and essentially I did most of his signups and helped get him started.. The whole thing flommoxed him so much he seems unable to get it going without me doing the work and I wont just work to give him an income, an hour or two's help sure, but constant support etc no.. Also the PayPal signup was a hassle of him.

All in all I think a couple of hours a day would get you 20k per week just with those items.

[jackr]

I'd like to get involved with shipping stuff back to the UK or wherever via ebay, but with all the negative reports on Paypal freezing or closing peoples' accounts when operating from Thailand, doesn't instil any sort of confidence in one. Glanced over previous threads on this subject of Paypal and it seems that people who have previously got there PP account in the UK and then tried to access it in Thailand have been frozen out, due to PP thinking someone has nicked their card. Is it possible to open a PP account while in Thailand with a visa card issued in the UK with the HSBC, for instance, and continue selling from Thailand with this set-up? I understand that using the likes of PP is the preferred payment method with both buyers and sellers alike on ebay et al, but what would be an alternative?

[ace]

I would potentially be interested in acting as a conduit for ebay distribution in the UK. Not really for my own enrichment, I do quite well as a contractor, but to make business contacts in los in anticipation of my "return to los", and I guess to help out those "living the dream" (I had to come back after a year due to 1. Having no money & 2. Being a rubbish English teacher).

Any business propositions can be emailed to [email protected]. Of course, I will not accept any financial liability on my part, and do have limited time due to full-time employment.

I think of particular interest at this time would be MP3 sunglasses: http://oakley.com/catalog/eyewear/thump/

I hope this is in-line with forum rules, if not I apologies in advance.

Thanks

[girlx]

i tried awhile ago to sell the knockoff designer bags. they were selling extraordinarily well but before the auctions ended they removed my products and warned me. then i bought what i thought were authentic bags at wholesale prices and posted them but they were removed too, to my confusion. i guess even the authorized dealers in bangkok can't be trusted to not make copies.... that or the company was paranoid. anyway i won't do it again, now i am selling only legitimate thai products. sunglasses do not sell well, real or otherwise. i have been thinking of selling those paintings that are copies of masterpieces... do you think those are considered knockoffs? obviously i wouldn't try to get the same price as i would for the original. any other ideas?

[thaiaan]

i tried awhile ago to sell the knockoff designer bags. they were selling extraordinarily well but before the auctions ended they removed my products and warned me. then i bought what i thought were authentic bags at wholesale prices and posted them but they were removed too, to my confusion. i guess even the authorized dealers in bangkok can't be trusted to not make copies.... that or the company was paranoid.  anyway i won't do it again, now i am selling only legitimate thai products. sunglasses do not sell well, real or otherwise. i have been thinking of selling those paintings that are copies of masterpieces... do you think those are considered knockoffs? obviously i wouldn't try to get the same price as i would for the original.  any other ideas?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You mean you wouldn't try to get the same price for a Mona Lisa copy as for the original?

Go for it!

Seriously there are millions of painted copies,prints,posters,etc.,of all the major masterpieces known and it is legal to sell them.There are just too many sellers of art reproductions as well as sunglasses.

There are too many sellers for the amount of buyers and the only way you can stand out is to sell unique items and in demand collectibles and not common items anyone can pick up in a drugstore or gift shop.

I deal in antiques and famous crystal pieces and signed jewelry which are well known and highly desired by collectors.One of a kind items like fossil dinosaur eggs,Speed Racer lunchboxes,signed The DaVinci Code hardcovers,historical autographs,etc.,all get the bidders.There is a seller who sells strands of hair from Marilyn Monroe,Lincoln,Napoleon,etc.,and they are actually just one strand of hair mounted on a frame with photo and he gets hundreds for a strand of hair.Next time I get a haircut I will save some and mount it and claim its really Jesus' or Moses' hair.

[bangkokian]

HOW much does it cost to ship motar and pestle....Been wanting to sell PP for a long while now, but have always thougt that mailing cost would be too high... Or do you only sell miniature ones? Do you use diff type of mailing for diff items... What about insurance?

Many Thanks

B

quote=ryanb741,2005-02-17 16:23:55]

I did an experiment last time I was in LOS (in preparation for making a bit of extra cash when I come to LOS to live permanently). I watched all the farangs and what they were buying, and it tended to be t-shirts, shoes and things like Mortar and Pestles etc. Well T-shirts are a no-no due to the fact that the ebay market is saturated with Kratingdaeng and coke tshirts from Thailand. So I bought some ladies shoes at B150 each and 10 sets of mortar and pestles at b60 each and stuck them on ebay with Thai P+P set at b200.

The shoes averaged a 300% mark-up once sold, the mortar and pestles I sold 5 sets for the equivalent of b300 each and the other 5 didn't make reserve (maybe because I listed all 10 at once).

So yes, that was a fairly easy way of making about 2000 baht for little more than an hour's work (at Chatuchak buying the items).

Cheap jewellery (especially those 'healing' beads on an elasticated bracelet) would be a good earner IMHO - you could make them for about b20 material cost and easily sell them for b150 on ebay - think about it, a buyer will not hesitate to pay what to them is a relatively small investment for a piece of jewellery that looks good in a photo. If you are selling expensive items, forget it - the risk is too high. You had better have a superb feedback rating.

One word of caution - don't forget that ebay and paypal fees will eat into your profits and you can't get paid in baht - I just used my existing UKsterling paypal setup linked to my Barclays Bank account.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[octave]

<quote>Useful answers.Thankyou. If I may vary the original question somewhat and ask: What are the official Thai rules for a farang actually Ebaying Thai products whilst in Thailand? I mean, presumably it cannot be done on a tourist visa so is there a visa obtainable that allows such a thing to happen without any fear of the said farang being chucked out of Thailand? I would guess there are many 'ways around the problem' but most of them could probably turn very sour if the worst came to the worst. After all, s**t does happen and can come very quickly and very unexpectedly in the Land of Smiles. </quote>

You can enter thailand on an entry stamp, just tick business. You get 30 days. You tell immigration you are a buyer.

Totally legal as long as you dont sell it or collect money in Thailand.

You should keep shipping/fedex/ems reciepts.

[BKKdreaming]

I shipped a couple boxes in the post on March 25th by surface mail,

they have not arrived yet in California.

If you are going to sell on ebay you will need to airmail the products,

not sure how long SAL takes, its a good deal cheaper than Air