Here’s a visual guide to help you understand buying, selling and/or trading (BST) in the Oscha Slings International Community Facebook group (OSIC). OSIC is the place to be to ask your questions, “geekery”, to have fun and admire Oscha items, and for buying, selling and trading said items.
First, set up your feedback link. It’s tried and tested though in no way fool proof way to leave and receive feedback on transactions (buying, selling and trading). You can read more about how to set one up here.
Next, familiarise yourself with the “standard etiquette” and best practices when buying, selling and/or trading. In short: pay using PayPal’s goods & services option, send securely and well wrapped, check the item upon receiving it and always stay in contact with each other. More info in detail below.
I’m selling stuff, what should I do?
Start by making sure you actually want to sell 😉 and while you’re thinking about that, create a PayPal account if you don’t already have one. If you’re certain, prepare to make a ‘for sale’ (FS), ‘for sale only’ (FSO) (indicating that you’re not looking to trade it), ‘for sale or trade’ (FSOT), or ‘for trade only’ (FTO) post.
Check your item to be able to accurately describe its state, take a picture of it and include it in your post. Then, write your FS(OT) post, wait for a buyer, have the buyer pay you using PayPal (more on that below) and stay in contact until the item has arrived with its new owner. Finally, ask your happy buyer to leave you some feedback. Everybody happy ;). Should something go wrong, never hesitate to contact admins.
Need more detailed info? You can find it below!
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PayPal does not only benefit you as a buyer
You’d think PayPal’s buyer’s protection is for buyers only. Every so often somebody tries to scam people. They offer something for sale, ask the buyer to pay, and then do not send anything, or send something cheap instead, or have not described the item accurately enough.
But scammers aren’t always sellers, they can be buyers too. Apart from that it makes buyers feel more comfortable to buy from you if they can rely on PayPal’s buyer’s protection. And what’s more, if you’ve sent your item tracked (and possibly insured), you can prove to PayPal that at least you’ve sent the item with care (you can upload tracking information in PayPal). If it gets lost, the buyer can claim money back by opening a dispute, but the money won’t be deducted from your PayPal account.
Note: PayPal’s buyer’s protection terms and conditions change over time so the information above may not be accurate at the time you’re reading this – you can check PayPal’s website for current terms and conditions.
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How do I describe my item honestly and clearly
There are a few terms you’ll find most often when engaging in BST-ing. They are centered on describing the state of a piece of fabric, most commonly a wrap, but can be used for other items too.
- Brand new in bag – BNIB
This means just that – it’s brand new, hasn’t been out of the back/packaging it came in, hasn’t been unfolded, used or washed even once. Variations might be “BNIB, just unfolded for this picture” which is generally fine to do, as long as that’s literally the only thing that’s happened to it since arriving from Oscha.
Please note that occasionally, items may arrive from Oscha with pulls, broken threads or other unexpected defects/mistakes (for instance it may be the wrong size). It’s good practice to check your item over upon arrival since you can only return your item within the stated time period as per Oscha’s T&C! Always be aware of the state of the item you’re sending, even if it’s brand new. Buying BNIB contains a small risk on the buyer’s behalf because of this. - Excellent used condition – EUC
One of the most used and often not entirely accurately used descriptions. If it’s in Excellent Used Condition, that means it’s as good as new, but has maybe been used once or twice. It practically can’t be distinguished from an item that has freshly arrived from Oscha, apart from the fact that it may have a crease or two extra. If you’ve washed the item, always mention that. There are, of course, no defects or stains to be found, nor any other marks from usage. - Very good used condition – VGUC
The item has been used and washed a number of times, but it’s been well taken care of. It has creases (though not permanent creases), will probably have some pilling (wool blends) or ‘fuzzies’ due to usage, and may have a few faded spots. If it has any such slight marks, always mention them. It has no stains or defects such as pulled threads or even broken threads. - Good used condition – GUC
This, together with VGUC, is probably the most common state of items found in OSIC. A GUC item has been visibly loved. It may have faded a bit from washing (hard to judge if you don’t have a brand new item to compare it with), it has pilled (especially wool blends) and it has fuzzed a bit around the edges. There are probably repaired pulls or maybe even repaired broken threads (always mention!) and it has been washed multiple times. However, it’s still safe to use and ready for another round of keeping your loved ones close. - Poor used condition – PUC
This is for slings that have been used, often intensively, and have suffered for it. They’ve encountered mishaps with food or liquids, have been snagged or may even have multiple broken threads. (If there are holes, please don’t sell it as anything other than scrap.) These defects should all be mentioned and illustrated with pictures.
Wrap care is another thing you may want to elaborate on in your post. While all cotton wraps can be washed warm and tumble dried (but always refer to the care tag please), there are blends that do not fare so well with machine washing.
If you trust your machine and use an appropriate (liquid) detergent, wool and silk blends can be washed thus, but it’s greatly appreciated if it’s mentioned if you’ve done this. Also note if you’ve used fabric softener (do try to avoid it) and if you use scenting in your home. Some people are sensitive to smells or just don’t like it.
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Always send your item tracked. By default. Make sure your price includes the extra cost for that. Also, it’s a good thing to include PayPal fees – being paid “goods & services” will incur a fee (but it’s worth it). If your prospective buyer wishes to take the risk to have the item sent untracked and without PayPal’s buyer’s protection, that’s of course up to them, but make sure they understand the risks!
Do make sure you standard include these costs, it’s not a very nice thing to sell something and then tell your buyer that oh, if they want this or that, it’s extra.
When packaging up your item, make sure it has at least one layer of waterproof packaging (Ikea bags are very useful for that). Do try to recycle your plastic layer(s) to reduce environmental impact. It’s common courtesy to include the bag the item came in (for carriers/wraps). If you don’t have it anymore (or never received it in a 2nd hand purchase), it’s nice to mention it in your post.
Make sure that your outer layer(s) are sturdy and tear-proof, especially when sending stuff internationally (and most definitely when sending intercontinentally!). Packages have been known to be eaten by conveyor belts and to be left alone in the pouring rain. It’s the seller’s responsibility to make sure the item arrives safe and sound, in the condition it was sold for, so please keep that in mind.
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