Where to sell your unwanted presents online

Got a naff woolly jumper or some dodgy socks you don't want? Here are the best sites to flog them to someone who actually wants them!

For me personally, the highlight of Christmas is when the extended family get together to share presents, although this year it might be a smaller affair due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The reason it's always such a laugh is that my Nan is absolutely barking when it comes to buying Christmas presents.

Many years ago, she bought my father a plastic toy mobile phone as his present, while my uncle got a single oven glove.

I often think it is thanks in part to people like my Nan that online auction sites really started up, where you can flog your unwanted Christmas presents to people that might actually appreciate them.

But which is the best one?

The giant - eBay

Let's start with the site we have all heard of: eBay. Chances are, if you have ever felt the need to flog something online, this will be your first port of call.

And that's understandable – not only is it free to register with the site, it has millions of auctions going on at any one time.

So, if you want to reach a load of people with whatever it is you're planning to sell, it's well worth a go.

You can list up to 1,000 items a month free, but you'll have to hand over 10% of the winning bid (including postage) to eBay.

If you want extra features to help your item sell, like adding a ‘buy it now’ price, then that will cost you as well.

If a buyer chooses to pay via PayPal, you’re also likely to pay a transaction fee, which is usually 2.9% of the total sale price plus 30p per transaction.

Thankfully, eBay has put together a comprehensive guide covering its various fees.

You should also be aware you will need to accept payment via PayPal, and the dangers involved with this.

In other words, selling on eBay has some negatives to consider particularly as the fees can soon start to rack up – but you are reaching a hell of a lot of people.

So, what are the alternatives?

The challenger - eBid

One site making a play for eBay's crown is the imaginatively titled eBid. At the time of writing, there were over three million listings on the site.

So, while it is much smaller than eBay, there is still a healthy level of activity. Your items are also arguably less likely to disappear amidst other people's auctions as well.

With eBid, it's absolutely free to list your item, no matter how much it is being auctioned for.

It then costs you 5% of what you receive from your buyer (unless you want your item to be featured on the homepage, which will set you back an additional £3.99). eBid also offers a ‘Seller+’ option with recurring fees.

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Shipping out your presents on Amazon

I've only ever sold books on Amazon, but the process was exceptionally smooth.

Sellers can list items on the Amazon Marketplace website. If you plan to sell fewer than 35 items a month, you won't pay a penny for the listings.

You will, however, face a 75p closing fee when you sell an item and may incur additional fees.

If you want to do more selling, then there is a £25 monthly subscription fee.

You can see a full breakdown of fees on the Amazon website.

Going for Gumtree

Another option you might want to consider is Gumtree. It is an online classified website, which covers at least 60 different cities worldwide.

It usually doesn't cost you anything to list an item and you don't generally don’t pay online – chances are you will need to meet with the buyer and do the exchange in person. 

This could be tricky this year as there will be various local restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic after the second lockdown ends on 2 December.  

Of course, you can opt to pay via PayPal or money transfer, but Gumtree does warn about the dangers of using these payment methods.

Gumtree has some safety advice pages on its website full of tips on how to buy and sell items as smoothly as possible.

While it's good if you want to get rid of an old settee or fridge, personally I wouldn't opt to use Gumtree to sell my unwanted Christmas presents.

I'd much prefer to list it on an auction site than have to meet up with a random stranger.

Another listing site worth a look is Preloved. Private sellers can sell items absolutely free with no listing or selling fees to worry about. 

If it's a CD, DVD or game you're trying to flog, get some extra pennies for it by going to musicMagpie or one of its competitors.

Take a look at Selling DVDs UK: musicMagpie versus Zapper, CeX, Ziffit and Momox for more information.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook relaunched its Marketplace feature in 2016 in an attempt to rival online trading sites such as eBay and Gumtree.

Users can buy and sell items locally via a smartphone app or their computer.

It’s free to sell items but you should be aware both buyers and sellers are responsible for items sold via Facebook Marketplace, and you’ll need to meet the buyer once a sale is agreed. As we mentioned before, this could be difficult due to local or national restrictions.

Facebook Marketplace has some handy tips to help you sell your items.

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Trade them in

A few retailers offer trade-in schemes where you can exchange your unwanted stuff for cash or money off certain products. 

GAME allows you to trade-in gaming goods, phones and tablets for cash or store credit (in store only when stores re-open). 

Carphone Warehouse, Vodafone, Three and O2 also offer trade-in services for cash or discounts on new products.

This is a classic loveMONEY article which has been updated

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