Zilok - Peer 2 Peer Rental
I recently stumbled across a rental site called Zilok, which effectively works as a peer to peer rental portal, where you and I can rent items to others in our local area. The concept works by allowing users to upload items to a specific category for a small fee, then displays these items to people in the area. Users will then pay the lender, depending on the price they set for their item, and return the item once they are done.
This is a great site to use during the economic downturn as it means you can rent out some of the things you no longer use to earn a little extra money per month. I recommend taking a look at the site and familiarising yourself with how it works.
Also do a couple of test searches, Nintendo Wii in London for example yields two results, with one available for £8 a day and one for £20 a day. This shows that a little shopping around can get you some great deals.
Lenders can also request a deposit for their items, so if you plan to rent something of value, ensure your piece of mind by attaching a refundable deposit to the listing. The transactions are secured by a legal agreement provided by Zilok, but you never can tell with some people.
In regards to cost, the listing fees for products is currently set at 10 pence per month, per item. See below for final transction fees:
| Transaction Total Amount (GBP) | Commission (before tax) |
|---|---|
| 0 to £10 | £1 |
| £10 to £50 | 9% + £0.10 |
| £50 to £100 | 8% + £0.60 |
| £100 to £500 | 7% + £1.6 |
| £500 to £2000 | 6% + £6.6 |
| More than £2000 | 5% + £26.6 |
So going by this, it seems for smaller hires you get a decent deal. I’m going to give it a try with some smaller items to see how i get on. It seems this could be a good idea for helping get out of debt, or even just for a little pocket money.
Sell your old mobile phones for cash
Make a few pounds by getting rid of your old mobiles! For any old contract or PAYG phones taking up space in your drawers - you can turn them into cash.
Old mobile phones can be converted into cash through online brokers.
If you have an old phone in your drawers - you can turn it into a few pounds by recycling. There is a booming business in recycling phones, and companies will often pay decent rates for your old phone.
How it works:
If you have a working phone (that turns on and off, and can be reused) you can often sell it to the highest bidder. There are a number of companies that will try and attract your business, but i find the comparrison sites best for finding the best price. Also take into account whether or not you have to pay for postage yourself, this can save you a few pounds.
How to sell your phone in 5 steps:
- Visit mobilephonerecycling.com and punch in your phones make and model
- Scan through the results and go to the site which pays the highest fee for your phone
- Sign up online with the recycling firm and send your details - they will often post out a self addressed envelope. If you dont want to go through the affiliate site, just Google search the company and repeat the process.
- Wait for the jiffy bag to arrive, and post your phone to them (often you dont need to send a charger or SIM card)
- Wait for the company to check the phone, and if eveything is ok, you will receive a check in the post!
Its as simple as that really! Along with my post on making money from eBay, you can quickly turn some of your junk items into cash!
5 tips to make money on eBay
Money for old rope: 5 tips to get the most from eBay (and make money doing so…)
A good way to make some extra spending money during the current economic climate is to have a ’spring clean’ around the home and get rid of some of that
Have a clear out at home: Make some spending money by selling your unwanted junk
junk in your home. Now with the advent of easy to use auction sites, such as eBay, you can literally make money from old rope.
Ok, maybe there is more money in selling your DVD’s, games, books, electronics and other assorted items - but there is pretty much a price for anything these days. The sign up process is pretty easy to, just register an account, and follow the tutorial and guides for listing an item. There are various fees associated with most auction sites, so be sure to check everything out before you go ahead.
Some basic eBay tips:
1. Optimise your product titles - A product titled “Mario game” is less likely to attract visitors, and potentially bids than say, “Nintendo Wii Mario Kart - Brand New - Free Postage”. The more descriptive and useful a page title is, the more search terms your product will be found for. Don’t shy away from enticing visitors to your auction page with an attractive starting price, but ensure you have a reserve set if the item is particularly valuable.
2. Take quality pictures of your product - If you are selling something like a car, or furniture, you will find a good set of photos will attract more interest and bids than a grainy mobile phone picture, or a generic manufacturers picture. Even put a piece of paper next to the product with your username id - to let others know you are the person who took the photos.
3. List your product at a sensible time - There’s no point starting a 7 day auction for your item at 3 am on a tuesday morning, when your potential buyers will more than likely be asleep at that time. Think about when you want the product to end and then list your product accordingly i.e:7 pm on a sunday evening as a 7 day auction. This ensures a large number of eBay will be logged on ready to put in their final bids when your auction ends.
4. Spend some time writing your product description - More often than not, listings are copied and pasted from other auctions out of complete laziness. Stay ahead of your competitors by writing an informative, honest description, and remember to spell check and proof read once finished. There is nothing more off putting than seeing a dream item at a bargain price - then seeing an careless description. It makes the buyer think - If this seller is so lazy with his writing description - how much care has he put into looking after this item?
5. Don’t loose heart if your product doesn’t sell - Sometimes a product will run its course through the auction and attract no interest. It’s quite common - so don’t worry. Often there is a free re-listing function with many sites. They will refund your listing fees if the product sells next time round. Simply re-list and wait for those bids to come in.
I’ll be looking to add more eBay tips in the future, so check back at the “money making tips” section of the site for more ideas!
