Selling Secondhand Online

Why sell secondhand items?

Those of us in rich countries own hundreds of items from clothing and furniture to tech and trinkets. In Europe, the average person buys 8kg of new clothes (equivalent to more than 40 t-shirts) every year. There are currently an estimated 18 billion mobile devices on the planet (more than two per person). And a quarter of all people in the UK own more than 100 books.

Producing these items requires massive amounts of energy, and natural resources. Consumer goods are also associated with high greenhouse emissions and waste. The fashion industry for example, is responsible for somewhere between 2% and 10% of all global emissions; yet 85% of clothing eventually ends up in landfill.

By reselling your unwanted items, you can ensure they get a much longer life. If someone is able to buy your pre-loved t-shirt or phone rather than buying something new, it helps tackle the environmental and social harms associated with overconsumption. 

Platforms for selling secondhand items

There are several different ways to sell your secondhand items online: 

Marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Depop, and Vinted allow individuals to list items, which can then be purchased through the websites’ built-in checkout. 

Other marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree also allow individuals to list items and buyers to contact them, but do not allow purchases through the platform. The sale is instead organised directly, usually with the buyer picking up and paying cash in person. 

Specialist secondhand retailers like World of Books, and BackMarket and Cex (electronics) will purchase your secondhand items for resale onto customers. This can be particularly useful if you’d like to sell multiple items easily or have tech that needs refurbishing before sale.  

How to avoid scams when selling secondhand items online

While online fraud is something most people worry about when buying online, it is also possible for sellers to be scammed. Buyers may falsely claim that items haven’t arrived or have arrived damaged or unworking. They can also pretend to have transferred payment without having done so, or can cancel the transaction before the money reaches your account. Here we give some top-tips to ensuring that you sell safely:

If posting your item:

• Take accurate images and videos of the item just before packing them up, and once in their packaging. This may help you make your case during a dispute, or raise an issue with your courier if they are damaged in transit. 
  Post items using a ‘Tracked’ service, so that you have evidence when they are delivered.
• Note that some ‘Postage Comparison’ sites (providing comparisons and selling you deals for different couriers) are themselves scams and may take your item without delivering it. Use a known delivery service like the Post Office, Evri, DPD or UPS to avoid this.

If selling your item in person:

• Show the buyer the item in detail, so they have a chance to spot any defects. For items like appliances and electronics, show them the item working and/or allow them to test the item out, so they are less likely to raise concerns about its condition down the line.
• Know how much you want to sell the item for. For items like secondhand cars, it can be quite common for buyers and sellers to negotiate a price once the buyer has had a chance to see the item in person. It’s therefore important to know how much you want to sell for, so you don’t feel under pressure to give them a huge discount.
• Ask for cash. This is one easy way to make sure you’re paid the right amount before the item is taken away.
• If doing a bank transfer, watch them make the payment and then check that it has arrived in your account before they leave with the item.

Seller protection when selling secondhand items online

Some marketplaces provide seller protection, although it’s often quite limited. Sites with protection in place have made some sort of commitment to deal with issues ranging from abusive behaviour from sellers to issues with delivery of items.

Amazon Seller Assurance for E-Commerce Transactions (SAFE-T) - policy only applies to sellers who use the ‘Seller-Fulfilled Prime program’, i.e. sellers which ship directly to buyers but advertise their products using the ‘Prime’ badge (Amazon’s own branding). This is likely to be larger or professional sellers rather than individuals selling a handful of secondhand goods. 

Depop protection for sellers - offers some protection if an item was purchased through the app’s built-in checkout and you sent the item with a Depop Shipping Label, and if, for example, it was lost in transit. 

eBay seller protection - covers issues such as abusive seller behaviour, problems with postage and delivery, protection from high-risk buyers, and support if a buyer doesn’t pay. If you offer returns and an item is sent back used or damaged, it allows you to deduct up to 50% of the refund to cover lost value. 

Fees for selling secondhand items

Below we list fees for major platforms, for sellers based in the UK as of August 2025. You’re more likely to pay fees for websites that provide ‘Seller Protection’, which we explain above.

Are secondhand online platforms ethical?

Unfortunately, there are major ethical issues with the companies that own some of the best-known online marketplaces for secondhand goods, such as Amazon, eBay and Facebook.

Both eBay and Amazon have been accused of union busting – taking action to prevent workers organising for better conditions. In 2024, for example, the UK-based union GMB took Amazon to court. It alleged that the company had attempted to coerce staff into cancelling their trade union membership. They said that the company had held hour-long anti-union seminars for employees and erected QR codes in Amazon warehouses that generated an email to a union’s membership department requesting that their membership be cancelled.

An Amazon spokesperson told the Retail Gazette that the meetings were “entirely voluntary” to help employees make an informed decision. It stated that it had erected the QR codes for those who wanted to cancel their membership.

Amazon also engages in aggressive tax avoidance. Ethical Consumer has been calling for a boycott of the company since 2012, and found in 2023 that nearly half a billion pounds (£433,000,000) could have been lost to the UK public purse from the corporation tax avoidance of Amazon alone.

While you may therefore choose to avoid these companies where possible, we do think that selling your pre-loved goods is always better than throwing them away or leaving them unused in the back of a closet or cupboard, whatever platform you use. 

Brand ethical ratings

We have rated some of the brands mentioned in this article in our shopping guides. See how they perform:

• Amazon: bookshops guide, streaming TV services, tablets/e-readers, sportswear (and others)
• Backmarket, eBay, Etsy: ethical online retailers guide
• Depop, Vinted: ethical clothing guide
• World of Books: bookshop guide

And did you know eBay owns Depop? 

How to sell successfully online

1) Research a fair price

Looking at other similar items on the site will give you a fair idea of the going rate. On eBay, you can filter to only see items that have already sold, which can be particularly useful if you want to see by auction on the site and want an idea of what to give as a starting price.

If you’re finding a buyer online but selling in person, particularly for a large item like a car or a bike that may be in variable condition, be prepared to bargain when they come to see the goods. It’s good to know your minimum price and be prepared to stick to your guns if you think they’re offering an unfair amount.

2) Provide good photos, showing size or fit

Good quality photos make all the difference. Make sure that the colour in the pictures is a reasonable representation of the actual colour of the item, so you’re less likely to get complaints.

If selling clothes and you’re comfortable doing so, you could consider including pictures of someone wearing them so potential buyers get a better idea of fit. Consider cutting out or drawing over the person’s face if you don’t want them to be shown. If selling something like furniture, include a photo of it in the space so that people get an idea of how big it looks.

3) Include dimensions

This goes for clothes and appliances as well as furniture.

4) Provide information about the age and spec

This kind of information is more important for tech and appliances, which change rapidly over time.

If you’re selling a laptop or phone, include things like operating system and storage capacity. If you’re selling an appliance, it’s worth including things like the energy rating and any special features. People are likely to trust a more detailed description.

Packaging and selling secondhand online

You may want to avoid using new plastic packaging while selling your goods online. For many items, such as clothes, it can work well to reuse parcel bags that you have received your own post in. If you have run out or would prefer to send the item in new packaging, recyclable paper boxes are a good alternative to plastic wrapping.

For more delicate items like laptops, avoid bubble wrap or other plastic options by using paper cushioning or biodegradable packaging peanuts, which are usually made out of cornstarch and can be added to your food waste bin. Both types of packaging can be bought online.