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I can't understand some buyers asking for Courier delivery as this can push the price of the item up by a considerable percentage on cheaper items, and may mean that they are paying over the odds for something! In my experience large/bulky items are very expensive to ship, so the first thing I do when looking at tents on ebay is put the distance filter on so I know I can go and collect the item and the auction price is the price I will pay.

We once sold a really cheap 2 man tent on ebay (it sold for £20 I think) and someone asked for it to be shipped to Spain, which would have cost more than the price of the tent - madness!

The buyer of the army tent has cancelled the transaction with ebay so I have been credited the fees and offered a second chance to the next bidder who wants to pay cash on collection .

After several emails to arrange collection of the Relum the buyer has now emailed to say he has car problems and can't make it this weekend so having to cancel that transaction too

The 'second chancer' is collecting tomorrow morning so if they don't turn up plenty of time to relist for free . I think I will drop the offer to deliver on the Relum and put in even larger text collection in person only, NO COURIERS!

I've sold a few items on ebay but these are the first tents and the only time I've had this much hassle  I still have two other tents to sell at some point although figured I should start with the cheaper ones that have been hanging around for a while as I'm just happy to have some space back rather than concerned about the money.

Large items are always a bit of a pain on E-bay, but so far (touch wood) it's gone smoothly for us. Stick to your guns and don't be bullied by potential buyers into doing anything you're not comfortable with. If they don't like the terms of the auction, simple don't bid.

Now is the best time to list any excess camping equiptment as the season (for most, excluding the hardies) starts in May and now is when people tend to shop for this seasons new additions to their setup.

I'm sure we'll try and make a bit more room for the new kit if we can too

I can understand your frustration as I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago and think you have just been unlucky, I then went back to the drawing board and re-worded my adverts to make sure that I control what happens.

I last sold a tent about 4 weeks ago on eBay and it all went without a hitch, I now clearly marked all adverts for larger items as follows  “BUYER TO ARRANGE OWN COURIER COMPANY TO PICK UP FROM THE WEST LONDON AREA , AS NO PERSONAL PICK UP FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE”,  also state the size and weight of the item, I also made it clear that the tent would only be wrapped in 2 or 3 black bin bags and strong brown tape,  I think by advertising this way it opens up the market to the whole of the UK and not just a small radius from your home, I understand that this way of selling would not suit everybody, but it works fine for me .

I have also purchased large items myself by arranging a courier service, it’s easy and quick, all done and paid for on line, there are many companies out there fighting for business and not all that expensive, all you do is give them the 2 post codes, size & weight and you get an instant quote, you then pick the best to suit your pocket.

Arghhh, I think I must be cursed! last night I was all settled ready for bed when my brother text to ask if I could run him to the hospital as he needed a couple of stitches in his head! Other than me he only has our parents to call and didn't want to worry them so I dutifully took him and sat in A&E for three hours, basically he hadn't eaten enough before going to the gym so when he had finished his body shut down and he passed out hitting his head on the way down.

After taking him home I decided it was in my best interest to go to work so I can sleep in for a little longer this morning (I can work anytime from 6pm - 8am and its only 2 hours) so I finally rolled into bed at 3am. The second chancer was due at 9am today so I crawled out of bed at 8am, showered, dressed and sorted the tent so its near the front door then checked my emails - 7am this morning they emailed to say they have decided to decline  had they emailed last night I would still be knocking out the zzzz's.

I've got the prospector tent ready for pitching in the garden for ebay photos but really not looking forward to next week when all my auctions will end after this experience

What a pain, but you never know you may get better prices the second time around. Fingers crossed.

I cant believe people have the nerve not to ask if they can arrange a courier before bidding. The other thing that really bugs me is when they buy several items and expect you to only charge the postage of one. I always ask if they would courier and if I want to bid on more than one item ask in advance if they can reduce postage.

I've had a bit of bother on ebay this last week, had to send three items back I can only describe as fit for the bin. The abuse I've had and the stress of the refunds is seriously making me think of forgetting ebay.

I've sold many a tent and large item (one courier asked if I sold tents for a living last year!!)  I'm currently using parcels please who last week picked up an awning for me from London for £8.34 and thats next day delivery. They use UPS who I've found excellent. Theres also 7% cashback through quidco.