Ebay And Auction

What Is Dropshipping ?

2009-11-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

Make Money At Home Selling On Ebay Dropshipping Products

2009-11-28T21:58:00.000-08:00

Dropshipping At Ebay

2009-08-02T02:10:00.000-07:00

No Warehouse , No Store , Sell At Ebay !

What do I sell on eBay?

2008-09-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

OK, so you've made the decision to give up a few hours of your week to tap into the booming online market that is eBay. You want a slice of the thousands of pounds trading hands every day, but how do you do it? What do you sell? Where do you find the stock? How can you sell something when surely there is no room for a new niche?

Well, it's all very easy. I know its easy because I constantly find new products to sell on eBay. I find new products to sell because I know if I try and sell popular products, I will face fierce competition, and someone will always offer what I'm selling cheaper. Why would I want to sell playstation's for £5 profit when I could be selling something else for £50 profit, and selling more?

The first misconception which new sellers face is selling the wrong product. Product selection is essential. You need to be highly critical when choosing your products to ensure they will sell. For that you need a niche. I am confident there are still many untapped niches, I find them all the time. Sounds like hard work? - it isn't, and remember once you have found a niche, your profits will start rolling in. A niche can be found by applying several simple rules. These are outlined in The EBay Manual (www.TheEbayManual.co.uk).

The next hurdle is where to find these niche products. Well you can go about searching google for hours upon end, but there are faster and more effective ways. This too is covered in The EBay Manual. To make a start, you may wish to visit a wholesalers website. The best by far is www.wholesalepages.me.uk. This website covers so many categories and has recently branched out to include foreign wholesalers so you can easily get your hands on products from china and the US, which believe me is very helpful in sourcing niche products.

Once you have found your niche, and a wholesaler, there really isn't anything stopping you make thousands from ebay. Whilst you may get frustrated at first, finding wholesalers, keep at it. This is the hard work. Once you have found a few niche products, your ebay income will soon pick up. If you sold 5 items a week at £50 profit, that's £250 for barely any work. Sound too good to be true? - it's not. It's the same feeling entrepreneurs get when they sell thousands of products at once for several thousand. It's the best kind of money to be made, and I would say the easiest I've found!

Good Luck!

About the Author
EBay Seller

How to Promote Business Ebay Auctions

2008-07-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Auctions sites are a great way to promote your websites and sell any affiliate product. For example, Ebay, the largest online auction there is, will expose your websites and products to millions of people who use it on a daily basis. People from more than 100 countries use Ebay to either buy or sell products. Ever since its inception in 1995, Ebay had already hosted billions of different auctions and its rate is growing at an incredible 30% a year.

Every week, the site receives 2 billion views and it sells products in 7,800 different categories. Now, even for a traditional brick-and-mortar store, this range of products is impressive. 10 million people make it a point to visit this site at least once every week. Currently Ebay also has 192 registered users, with this kind of market, it is really no wonder that a lot of people decides to explore the potential in Ebay.

But before you start promoting your product and website using Ebay, should first make sure that you completely understand the site rules and regulation. For the most part, all you need to remember is that while Ebay allows you to have your own About Me Page and you can put your website link there, you are not actually allowed to offer your merchandize on that particular page.

For example, Ebay does not permit non-Ebay merchandize to be displayed in the About Me page as well as links to other online auction sites and trading pages. Of course, it is also quite apparent that Ebay would not allow you to link to a site that offers lower prices compared to the one on the site. Even fixed price trading websites cannot be displayed on the About Me page.

So with these kinds of restrictions, how can you effectively promote your website? Well, it previous sentence says it all; you can actually promote your website on Ebay as long as it is not linked within the trading page itself. In fact, you can even link to your individual internet store provided that it is not within other auction sites or the foxed price format. However, if the Ebay rules and regulation are not followed by the internet marketer, his About Me page can immediately be removed.

Aside from the About Me page, another trick you can utilize for promotion is the auction trick. Ebay's policy actually allows sellers to link to a page that has more images of the actual product you are selling. By simply composing a clickable sentence, you can attract people to visit your website. For example, just saying "Click here to see more images of this antique", any interested visitor will definitely click on that particular link. Once your prospect clicks on the link though, they should be able to view what they are actually looking for. You can have other links on that page though and if the buyer is interested, you might generate more sales.

The last trick you can use to promote your website in Ebay is the "more information trick". It strategy mainly works just like the image trick because you are enticing the visitors to know more about the product either by letting them see images or through product descriptions.

For example, if you want to sell something very expensive in Ebay, it is recommended for you not to put everything together in the site all at once. What you can do is to put one or two of this particular product on Ebay and entice the interested buyer to click on a hyperlink for more information or for the story behind the product. Then, once they are at your website, you can put links to more photos and your product catalogues so the buyer will be able to know all the important aspects of your product. Of course, since they are already at your website, you should give these buyers an option to purchase directly from you.

With all these benefits in mind, all online marketers cannot help but conclude that Ebay is indeed not only a tool to generate instant sales through negotiation and trading, it can also be used as an effective promotional tool as well.

About the Author
http://www.thegooglefund.com

EBay Auction Seller's Guide to Finding Hot Money Making Products

2008-06-25T04:22:00.000-07:00

You might be one of the thousands of individuals who open a trading account with eBay and dream about making auction selling a full-time home-based business.
However, before that dream can become a reality, you need to do many important things while running an auction business.

One of these important things to do is to pick the right products to sell. The right products to sell are the ones that people on eBay want or will buy.

eBay tells you what people actually want and what people actually will buy in four areas of its website.

"In Demand"

One of these four areas on eBay's site is the "In Demand" section. There is an "In Demand" link for each of the main categories on eBay. Listed in these areas are the previous month's top ten products that people wanted and the top ten searches for each subcategory. To see the data in these areas follow the link below and when you reach the page, scroll down and click on the link "In Demand" under any of the categories shown.

"Hot Categories Report"

The next area containing information on finding what to sell on eBay is the "Hot Categories Report." This report lists the "fastest growing" categories on eBay for the previous month. The explanation for what eBay considers "hot" can be hard to understand on your first reading. Nevertheless, the important thing to know is that the categories listed are the ones were buyer demand for the items under those categories are growing faster than the seller supply. This report is a PDF file so you will need AdobeÂ® ReaderÂ® to open it. Here is the link:

"eBay Pulse"

"eBay Pulse" is another area where you can figure out what people are looking for on "The World's Online MarketplaceÂ®." It contains a category's daily snapshot of the ten most popular searches and the stores with the most active listings. A subsection on "eBay Pulse," known as "Most Watched Items," reveals the ten auctions that are getting the most attention. Visit this page and select a category to study from the drop-down menu.

"Merchandising Calendar"

The last area with information on what to sell on eBay is the "Merchandising Calendar." Here, eBay shows you the categories they will promote on their homepage each month. This is where eBay "tells" you what to sell. You can ignore their calendar and sell anything you choose, but wouldn't it be easier to make sales if you took advantage of eBay's promotional influence? Look at this page and use the calendar as a guide in planning your inventory and listings.

Last Thoughts

Now that you have the links to data that tells you what people will buy on eBay, you can look forward to listing these items and making sales. The next step is finding the wholesale or drop-ship sources that carry those items that are "In Demand." That is when you will be one-step closer to achieving your goal of making a living from eBay.

About the Author
About the Author:-Please browse for more information at our websites. www.youradsenseprofits.com www.reprintarticlesite.com

Ebay Power Seller Secret: Revealed

2008-06-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

This article is going to fill you in on Ebay Power Seller Secrets that power sellers use in order to make so much profit on the internet. Believe it or not, there are certain techniques that successful ebayers use in order to make a good income. For years and years, I, just like you, struggled with selling products on ebay. Although sometimes i made some money, I could not figure out how people were making full time incomes off of auctioning items. I knew there had to be some kind of Ebay Power Seller!

. I always use to hear all these stories about individuals living off of ebay. One day while serfing the net I came across an ebook that was called "Ebay Power Secrets: Revealed," and thought it was just another scam, but decided that I would give this stupid ebook thing one more chance I read it and it changed my life Foreal! Get These Secrets Now!

I know this sounds like a sales pitch letter but believe me you, this Ebook is guaranteed to change your ebay selling problems real quick GUARANTEED! It comes with a money back guarantee, so what do you have to lose? Just try it, please, it really does work. I don't know what else to tell you cause If your anything like how I was you don't want to hear anything else about any other Lame products. I reaally hope you try it though cause this ebay power seller secret will change your life. Please just give it a try, FOR ME! LOL.

About the Author
Use to struggle wit ebay for years and years. never could get the hang of it until I found out the ebay power seller secrets.

Click Here!

How To Make The Most Of Your Ebay Auction

2008-06-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

No matter what you might have to sell, doing it through an eBay auction can be a fun, fairly easy, and profitable way to sell merchandise once or for a "second job". Online auctions have become a popular way for people to find unique merchandise, such as old books and toys, or hard to find clothing and furniture. You can buy just about anything through an eBay auction! Instead of trying to hassle with a garage sale, try selling your merchandise on eBay. You might find that you can earn quite a good living at it!

Though it is an easy way to unload your stuff, there are a few techniques involved with having a successful eBay auction. Simply posting a picture and a price will not bring the bidders to you. Make sure the merchandise you are selling is in excellent condition, and if it is not, say so in the description. Honesty is by far the number one rule of thumb to follow, because deceiving customers can get you negative ratings, which will spell doom for you if you intend to auction a lot of merchandise on eBay. It is also important to be knowledgeable of what your are selling, not only so that you can create a thorough description of your product, but so that you can answer any questions that potential customers might have quickly.

In addition to being forthright regarding the condition of your merchandise, you must be up-front when you explain your sales and shipping policy on your eBay auction. Providing complete information about your shipping rates, as well as your refund policy, will help make sales go smoothly, and customers appreciate that. Gaining repeat customers is important if you want to have continued success with your eBay auctions. So, on top of offering complete information, you will want to provide excellent customer service to your customers. Respond to questions quickly, and with a friendly tone.

Once you have made a sale on your eBay auction, it is important to maintain the same friendly and professional rapport with your customers. Remember that repeat customers and good reviews can make your eBay career successful! It is important that you inform your customers of the progress of their purchases every step of the way. First, contact them to thank them for making the purchase, including any payment information. Then contact them to let them know that you have shipped the merchandise, how it shipped, and when you expect it you arrive to them. You might also want to include any tracking numbers so that your customers can see when their packages are due to arrive to them.

It is vital that you conduct your eBay auctions and business transactions with the utmost professionalism. In addition to honesty and communication, that means that you should wrap and ship any merchandise that you sell in a way that it will not be damaged, and that it will show that care was taken in the preparation for shipment. Include a "receipt" that shows what the customer purchased, the price paid, and even include a thank you note, which is always a nice touch. Again, customer satisfaction and feedback can make or break your eBay auction experience and seller reputation.

Customer feedback and ratings on an eBay auction can mean that either you will be a highly sought after seller, or that no one will want your stuff at all. Take those ratings seriously, because the buyers on eBay certainly do! That is why it is so important to work to satisfy every customer, even the difficult or demanding ones. If that means negotiating the price of certain merchandise, or doing something else a little extra for a customer, then you need to do it. If you want to turn your eBay auction into a successful business endeavor, your pride might have to take a back seat. Try to remember that the buyer is taking just as big (if not bigger) of a chance as you are in shopping for merchandise on an eBay auction. Therefore, the easier you make it for them, the more often they are likely to be your customer.
About the Author
Learn the essential information for picking the right auction site at Ebay Auction Registration

Do You Want To Make More Money On Ebay

2008-06-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how to make more money on Ebay? How do those power sellers make thousands of dollars a month on Ebay? What encourages buyers to bid on their item? One thing that will increase your bids is to include a picture with your listing. Statistics have shown that an auction that includes at least one picture with the listing will sell 65% better and for 23% more money than the same listing without a picture. Make sure the quality of the picture you use is as high as possible. Make sure you use a scanner with a very high resolution or use a very good quality digital camera for your picture. If the picture was taken in bad lighting or is out of focus, then it will look amateurish and will not make anyone want to buy from you. Be sure to tell your buyers up front what your expectations are from them. You should give specifics on what payment methods you will accept, what shipping methods you use, when the product will be delivered, your refund policies, and any other business practices that you have. Your buyer needs to feel comfortable buying from you since they are going to be sending money to someone that they have never met and they are most likely going to be suspicious. The best way to gain your buyer's trust is to offer a 100% money back guarantee, no questions asked. Of course, you may get a couple of buyers that will take advantage of this, but you will lure more buyers to your product and make them want to buy from you and this will increase your sales by a whole lot.
Another way you can increase your earnings from your Ebay auction, is to check the completed items listed before you put your items up for auction. By doing this, you will be able to see the various auctions for the item that you are wanting to sell and see the different prices that they went for. You may notice a different name for some items that went for a higher amount. If you do see a trend with the items that went for more, then be sure to use it in your auction.

When you make the title for your product, leave out the words "wow" and "look". No one searches for those words when they are looking for items and they are just a waste of space. When you are writing your items description, be as specific as possible. Try to include as much information about the item as you can fit in. Lastly, do not charge a ridiculously high shipping price. It is okay to charge a little extra for your cost on packaging and the time you take to package it, but any more than that and people will turn away from your auction.

About the Author
For more useful tips and hints do please browse for more information at our websites.

http://www.thegooglefund.com

http://www.googleatmcash.com

Build Your Ebay Affiliate Mashup To Boost Traffic And Income

2008-06-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

Building mashup scripts for a mashup website is not as taxing as it seems. In fact, it can be incredibly easy to do and can have you up and running in only a few minutes. Most of the affiliate sites are going to provide the individual script necessary to bring content from their page.
Mashup scripts consolidate content from all over to create a dynamic and updated site full of relevant information. This helps to create a site that people will want to use. It also helps you to create an increased amount of traffic from a number of different sources in addition to your already established userbase. People love to be able to watch a video on how to use a product, see what is available on the auctions, or where they can find the best books with information on the topic of their choice.

A CJ api store combines the content and information from a variety of locations and places it in a single spot, in this instance your store. This provides something of a one-stop shop. Individuals can see what books are available and coming out from Amazon, what auctions are up on Ebay, videos and tutorials from places like Youtube all in data feeds that appear directly on your website.

A pre-made affliate script mashup are sites that have already been created and tested and are ready to go. All that needs to be done is place the appropriate affiliate information into the script and upload the script to your website. You can even obtain pre-made keyword lists that will assist you in making sure that the content that appears on your site is relevant.

If you are looking to generate your own affliate script mashup, a good tutorial will tell you everything you need. You can find both written and video guides that can show you how to write your own script and simply insert the details from your particular affiliate sites. In addition to creating your script, you will also want to create your keyword list. Your keyword list will be what pulls the information from your affiliates into your affliate script mashup. It also helps to coordinate all the data so that the information from each of the affiliates matches. This allows your visitors to watch videos on your product or relevant content, view auctions, see the latest books or relevant material; even Google and yahoo have affiliate programs that can become part of your affliate script mashup.

There are many blogs, like http://www.starwars-lego.co.uk, which are starting to use this method not only to increase traffic but also to make the site more versatile and relevant for people. The idea is to encourage people to stay on the site, increasing the chance of a sale but also to tell their friends, family and associates.

Creating a affiliate mashup store on your site can easily be done by locating scripts that provide you with the information necessary to place this content on your site. You can find these scripts by checking the affiliate information on the individual websites, doing a quick internet search for creative commons script or purchasing a custom made script for your site - read through this mashup store guide for more details.

About the Author
Tom Kranz builds and writes about affiliate mashup stores. Click the link to view an example of a Commision Junction mashup store. He has also published a Squidoo lens reviewing affiliate mashup store scripts.

How to generate the HTML Code to get a Custom Made Ebay Template

2008-05-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

***1 Go here to find an eBay package that is right for you.
For some ideas you can look at our eBay portfolio gallery.

***2 We custom design your ebay auction template and eBay Store's Home Page Template based on your products, keeping your brand consistent throughout.

***3 We guarantee your satisfaction by sending you a proof before installation. Our eBay Turnaround time is just 3-5 days!

***4 We give the Custom HTML code so that you can install the template yourself by following the easy steps in this demonstration video.

Or, we can install the templates for you.

***5 Ordering a template through our website
Geografixx.com
is quick and easy.
You can also contact our customer service and tech support if you have any questions at:
Customer Service 305-593-5288
Tech Support 305-593-5257

About the Author
Professional Creative Solutions

What Are The Best Selling Items On Ebay To Market For A Home Business Owner?

2008-05-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

It's an eBay home business seller's most frequently asked question: What should my home business sell? If you've got a hobby you're passionate about, this question is a no brainer. But if you're not sure which items to list, take a look at the characteristics of ebay's best selling items: collectibles, limited lifetime goods, and seasonal items.
Limited lifetime goods are products that are meant to be used, not put on a shelf and saved. Because of rapid changes in technology or fashion, these items will probably become obsolete before they lose functionality. They won't last forever, but they can be put to good use in the meantime. These goods typically include electronics, clothing, and the latest and greatest installment of anything in a rapidly evolving market. Current promotional posters and products from popular movies and television shows also fall under this category.

To make the most money for your home business by selling limited lifetime goods on ebay, you have to act fast. Pre-released electronics and game titles are among ebay's hottest sellers ever. Timing is important with these products; sell them before the competition does, but after there is a definite demand. This window of opportunity can be very slim, so watch the market carefully. End-of-cycle merchandise can be bought at low prices, but make sure there's still enough demand to justify such a purchase.

Seasonal items include holiday decorations and cold- or hot-weather clothing. The key to making money with these items is to list them before the competition does. Start a month or two ahead of time and write a convincing auction title and item description that will convince shoppers to buy early - from you.

Antiques and collectibles are a challenging market for a home business owner. This is due to the limit of both supply and demand. You might find a rare item that only a handful of people are interested in. Even then, one of those people would have to have enough expendable income to purchase the item. That can be difficult to coordinate, so allow yourself plenty of time to make a sale. Use other avenues of sale, too; ebay might not be enough to move some items.

The key to making a good living in your home business selling antiques and collectibles on ebay is to know your market. Buyers will be more likely to purchase from a ebay home business with expert knowledge. Customer service in your home business is also paramount. Remember, these high-ticket sales depend on quality over quantity. Buyers will not part with their cash if the home business seller ignores their questions or acts rudely. Cultivate a strong, well-deserved reputation for excellent service.

The best selling items on ebay tend to fall into one of the three categories mentioned above. Home business ebay sellers who pay attention to the fluctuations of the market, who time things right, and who donít hesitate to snatch up a good deal for later resale, will likely find great success with their auctions.

"When the Student is Ready - The Master will Appear..."

If you know the value of quality home business secrets, tips and resources - Get my personal home business rolodex of time shaving and money generating home business secrets in the Resource Box below. - Glen B. Stewart

About the Author
Enjoy this Life Transforming Home Business Resource as my Gift to you. - Glen B. Stewart If you know the value of Home Business wealth building - Get daily Home Business Secrets and Work at Home Parent Resources Sign Up Here today

Top 10 Tips for Selling on eBay

2008-05-05T22:29:00.000-07:00

NOTE: In the interest of helping our entrepreneurial readers grow their wealth, we're launching a series of articles to inspire folks to optimize eBay -- the world's online auctionplace for myriad goods and services. Here, SaleHoo's Jimmy Huber offers up pragmatic advice on how to sell on eBay...
By Jimmy Huber -- eBay PowerSeller & Community Manager

1. Start small.

If you're anything like me, once you have a good idea, you want to put it into action immediately! Although you probably know, in theory, that any business takes 12-18 months to become established, somehow you still hope that you can get there in two!

But, one mistake entrepreneurs consistently make is to throw their life's savings into buying caseloads of stock -- before they even know how eBay works. It's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security on eBay after buying just one or two items.

For buyers, eBay is meant to be user-friendly. For sellers, things are a little more complicated. All PowerSellers agree that there are new things to be learned all the time, and you'll be surprised at how much more you know after several months of selling small, inexpensive items.

Be prepared to spend the first couple of months buying and selling a variety of inexpensive items you can purchase with your loose change. Keep track of what sells best and work on narrowing down the possibilities to a few strong products. By this stage, you will also have experienced the best and worst situations eBay has to offer, so you will be much better prepared to crank things up a notch.

2. Respond to questions as quickly as possible.

Most people use the Internet because it provides what they need instantaneously: information, contacts, gifts, advice, and so on. Therefore, I can't emphasize enough the importance of checking your e-mails as often as you can, and replying to queries as quickly as possible.

3. Organize your time and keep to a schedule.

If you are holding down a full-time job and working after hours to get your eBay business in motion, then it's vital to have a list of what you need to get done and stick to it, so you make the most of the precious time available.

Once you are working on eBay full-time, this becomes even more important! It's all too easy to reach the end of another day and find that you have gotten hardly anything done. So, keep a planner or diary, and make a timetable of what needs to be done and when.

4. Do take professional photographs from the beginning.

The old saying remains as true as ever: A picture speaks a thousand words. A bad picture can look unappealing and unprofessional. Plus, if the buyer can't really see the item properly, they may be put off bidding because they can't tell if it is what they really want. So, right from the beginning, work on creating the most professional pictures you can -- even if it means spending money on a photo tent and better lighting.

5. Don't put all your eggs in one basket; use other ways of selling apart from eBay.

eBay is not the be-all and end-all of selling online -- although it is one of the best ways to start. As soon as you can, though, try thinking of other ways you can increase your Web presence. Perhaps you could place a classified ad in Yahoo! or write about your auctions in a MySpace blog. There are plenty of cheap and easy ways to build up your profile.

6. Do keep a constant lookout for other products to sell, while also monitoring carefully what you are already selling.

Don't become complacent! Even if your items appear to be stock standard -- such as chairs, for instance -- make sure you keep looking at what other sellers are doing, emerging trends, magazine articles, home decor programs, and more. There may be another related product opportunity just waiting to happen that you completely overlook if you keep your blinkers on.

7. Do keep in contact with your wholesale supplier regularly to ensure you are aware of any stock issues.

A backorder can create a lot of extra work for you, soothing customers' ruffled feathers. And if they want their order refunded, it costs you money, too. So, make life easier for yourself by regularly touching base with your suppliers, and ensuring that communication lines stay open.

8. Do carry out regular keyword and market research.

Keyword research is the way to ensure that your potential customers find you successfully. Set aside some time each day for marketing and research, to ensure that you're keeping at the top of your game.

9. Do use software to help organize your sales.

It's hard to part with the initial investment when the business is still finding its feet, but the right software will make life so much easier. My eBay quickly becomes unwieldy when you are selling more than 15 items, and software ensures that you avoid making costly mistakes -- such as under-ordering stock, forgetting to ship to a customer, and so on.

10. Don't offer free shipping as a gimmick unless you can afford it.

Free shipping is a very effective way of attracting more people to your listings. However, before you consider offering free shipping, think carefully about your profit margins, how much your item weighs, and the fact that shipping will vary depending on how far away you are sending it. Offering free shipping is a good move if you can absorb the cost in your profit margin -- but it could easily become crippling if you apply it to a variety of items of different shapes and sizes.

About the author: Jimmy Huber manages SaleHoo -- one of the fastest-growing product sourcing portals on the Internet. It contains a database of drop ship, wholesale, closeout and manufacturing suppliers offering thousands of product suppliers to consumers! SaleHoo visitors are allowed to sign up for unlimited and lifetime access to its completely searchable database of products and suppliers. The database is regularly updated -- ensuring that the latest retail products are always available for purchase. SaleHoo proudly carries the BBB Reliability Seal! SaleHoo.com © All Rights Reserved

Put Free Videos on Your Ebay Auctions

2008-05-02T02:32:00.000-07:00

Vzaar is a free program that lets you add video of the product you are selling. This is great if you have to prove something is in working condition. It seems video has become a big part of our lives online. Having video footage of the product you are selling can skyrocket your sales.
Vzaar is not needed if you are selling a brand new product still in the package. But it works great for selling everything like cars and computers. I have been noticing a lot of sellers that specialize in selling used cars on ebay have been using Vzaar. I actually found Vzaar when I was car shopping on ebay a short while back.

Vzaar actually came up with a great idea to add video to your about me page. Social marketplaces are really starting to take over. Having a video on your about me page could make your profile seem more professional and trustworthy. They actually claim you will get a good sales increase by inserting video to your auctions and about me page. I can definitely see the advantage.

Think about how big of an advantage you have adding pictures to your auctions; compared to someone who doesn't use pictures. It's pretty much the same with video. You will have a huge technology advantage over your competition that isn't using video.

My big thing through the years is to change with the times. Most businesses fail because they don't change with technology. Use as much technology as you can. The best way to get the upper hand on your competition is to have more than they offer. Most companies won't move on with the times and will fade away. Take your chances with any new technology that will make things easier or more customer friendly.

Vzaar is very user friendly. All you do is record the video you want with a camcorder, digital camera, or cell phone. Then you upload the video onto vzaar. Then you tell Vzaar what auction you want to put your video in your ebay account. It's really that simple.

That big advantage I see having video over just photos is; You can prove that the used item you are selling is in good working order. In most cases the video speaks for itself and you don't even have to read the description in the auction. You are making it easier for the customer to make a decision about buying from you.

Some people and companies have even taken their ebay charity auctions a step up in the right direction. Instead of typing out a long description of what the winner gets, they make a video and explain/show you what you are going to get if you are the winner of the auction. Videos in your auctions or websites could be a way of the future. I really see so many advantages to putting a video in your ebay auctions.

If you think you are going to use more than 30 videos a month, you will need to upgrade your free account. If the videos are helping you sell big money items, I would suggest upgrading to a premium account. Packages cost $10-$20 per month. This is not needed unless the videos are selling your products though.

You don't need to use vzaar if you are selling plain, non-moving items. For example, you might not want to waste your video on an autograph picture. But, you might want to use video in your auctions to sell a used television or monitor while it is working. Vzaar is made to capture used items while in working condition. It's a great idea. Give vzaar a try it's free to use.

About the Author
Learn how to start your own home business by following this amazing step-by-step guide. Want to be an Ebay Powerseller? This guide will help you. Check out my Daily Blog.

Online auction sites are the largest online marketplace

2008-04-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

Selling success is about being in the right place, at the right time, with the right product.

The Right Place

Online auction sites are the largest online marketplace in the world. Including the U.S., eBay has a global presence in 39 markets. A few of these markets include Singapore, India, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Italy, Canada and Taiwan. There are thousands and thousands of different types of items that are currently up for auction on the site. eBay has approximately 276 million registered users worldwide that trade more than $2,039 worth of goods on the site every second. The online auctions has hosted over 532,000 stores worldwide and has over 276 million registered users worldwide that trade in over 50,000 categories. eBay calculates that there were 637 million new listings added in Q4-07. At any given time, there are approximately 113 million listings worldwide, and approximately 6.7 million listings are added per day. Approximately 54 percent of eBay's profit comes from international markets with the rest coming from the U.S.

The Right Time

Picking the right time to sell an item is a critical step of the auction process. Many items are seasonal in their marketability. You might have a great product at an even greater price but if you pick the wrong time period you will not reach the full potential selling price of an item. Be mindful of school semesters, vacation and travel peak times, holidays, celebrations, and those times when people prepare for them, sport seasons, and many, many other factors involving and influencing the timing of a prospective sale. You should also pay special attention to an auctions ending time. Does it really make sense to end an auction for a pair of custom oven mitts on Monday at 3:00 in the morning? Probably not. Your best bet is to end your auction on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

The Right Product

As mentioned above, eBay believes that one can achieve success if they are in the right place, at the right time, with the right product. Therefore, it becomes very important for would be and current sellers to do their homework and perform research into the nuances of the categories eBay offers. Sellers, if they master the act of choosing the correct category, can build "insider strategies" and insights that will give them a real, and potential profitable, advantage over other auctions sellers. Speaking of other sellers - if a "competitor" is selling the same type of item be sure to investigate which categories they are utilizing. Some sellers specialize in selling a particular product in a particular category. Other sellers place auctions in multiple categories. In the end, a seller must choose which item he/she prefers to sell. According to eBay, based on Q4-07 GMV, the following categories delivered $1 billion or more in worldwide annualized GMV: eBay Motors at $17.2 billion; Consumer Electronics at $6.8 billion; Computers at $4.1 billion; Clothing & Accessories at $5.6 billion; Home & Garden at $4.1 billion; Collectibles at $2.9 billion; Books/Music/Movies at $3.3 billion; Sports at $2.9 billion; Business & Industrial at $2.3 billion: Toys at $2.7 billion; Jewelry & Watches at $2.5 billion; Cameras & Photo at $1.8 billion; Antiques & Art at $1.2 billion; Coins & Stamps at 1.2 billion and Tickets & Travel at $2 billion.

About the Author
designer jeans
Submitted by: Super Article Submitter

Build A Niche Store - Monetizing Web Designing Software That Harnesses eBay Affiliate Program

2008-04-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for an e-commerce website to sell products and/or services, why not make the most of it and make money from all the major search engines, including eBay. If you never gave this any thought, then LISTEN closely. You will accomplish so much more and receive a multitude of great benefits when using BANS (Build A Niche Store).
When building a website store you want to gain an edge over your competition. And to do that, learning the right way with less costly mistakes and time wasted will be crucial to your success. BANS is a leading software, a winner for newbies yet powerful enough for advanced sellers to use that include some very interesting advanced features.

See the power of BANS...

10 Great Reasons Why You Need BANS

1. Definitely A Well Proven Money Making System. BANS is relatively new and has been selling for over a year. In that short period of time, there have been so many success stories reported Worldwide where people are making residual income, and growing exponentially. And many of them are using BANS as an additional source of income, by combining both the eBay Affiliate Marketplace and BANS clever software script. So why spend more money when you can use BANS to build your ideal professional site.

2. Without Question, BANS Is Under Priced. For a one-time fee of $97.00 you can get a superb website building software, a user manual, unlimited license (no extra cost per site you build), 9 professionally designed and customizable template layouts, complete access to BANS member area (forum), and a lifetime membership including FREE updates. Normally a package like this would be worth $297 but is available to you for $97.00.

3. Exploiting eBay Affiliate Program Means Huge Profits. BANS definitely knows how to tap into eBayâ€™s Marketplace and help Affiliates make money. You will be tapping into this Marketplace using eBay's Affiliate program opportunity, which is just beginning to be explored by others. It could take years before this program is properly understood and exploited. You on the other hand, have the opportunity to cut that time down in a matter of weeks. Thereâ€™s no other Affiliate Program out there that combines an inventory of 60 MILLIONS products/services, with many Brand Names and a Very Generous Affiliate Commission structure like eBay does.

4. Building Real Search Engine-Friendly Websites. Think about it, making money from the major search engines such as, Google, MSN, Yahoo, Ask, including eBay's Marketplace is a no-brainer. What makes BANS so unique is many other website building software applications are sub-standard and aren't helping you get FREE visitors from the these search engines. FREE visitors means potential buyers, and potential buyers means paying customers. In other words, this traffic is money extra money in the money. You want a professional looking website thatâ€˜s content rich and search engine-friendly so you can capitalize from all the major search engines.

5. The Bottom-line To Using BANS. When aspiring to become an Internet Marketer the biggest problem is information overload. This can force you into committing to too many projects and ideas at once. This will only lead you into many different directions all at once, whereas you can get ahead much quicker and see better returns if you stick with one thing and commit to it. eBayâ€™s Affiliate Program takes good care of its Affiliates by paying them well every month. Provided of course you send them active leads and/or buyers. With BANS, you will be getting a PROVEN eBay system that works but takes some commitment to master and PROFIT from for many years. Thereâ€™s nothing more rewarding than making money 24/7, 365 days a year, even while you sleep.

6. BANS Is More Than Just A Web Designing Software. BANS teaches you how to succeed online and more. When building, developing and marketing your own BANS website stores you will LEARN and DEVELOP many skill-sets. Just remember, one successful store can be duplicated into many successful stores--once you know how. This is what the major franchises do. You can take what you LEARN from BANS and make money from other ventures online as well. You will learn how to install scripts, create professional and attractive looking sites, understand niches and niche marketing, keyword research and SEO, LEARN effective marketing, converting site visitors into buyers, and much more. Once you learn these skills you are on your way to becoming your own guru.

7. The BANS Concept Is Evolving. For several years, the owners of BANS have also made money from it. Despite their involvement over the year, they are still learning how to best tap into eBay's MASSIVE Marketplace even more. As they come up with more new ideas along with BANS users and their forum, they combine all feedback and feature request from their members. And through these requests, BANS continues to be upgraded with more features and capabilities for its members.

8. Building An eBay Empire. There are many scripts and software out there that will limit you from using them more than once, without first charging you more. BANS doesnâ€™t do this and wants you to build a portfolio of stores, your own eBay empire and prosper. With BANS you simply reduce your development costs to an absolute minimum.

9. Support Is Second To None. Your concerns are BANS concerns. Members are taken seriously by providing great customer services and support. Thatâ€™s why thereâ€™s also a BANS forum, where members can go to ask questions and get more help from skilled users. Not only that but you will be given a website address where you will be taken by the hand and taught all the ins and outs, by a very skilled user.

10. So Much Fun Until Itâ€™s Addictive. BANS officials take pride on having created a successful top-rated product that not only works as advertised, but is addictive and fun to use. BANS was built to be user-friendly as possible. The software features combined with eBayâ€™s 60 MILLIONS product/service inventory, will give you millions of options and niches to explore and target. So thereâ€™s no need to be concerned that competition is too great, preventing you from making more money. You will eventually become involved with countless money making projects. Some youâ€™ll enjoy because itâ€™s making money for you and others you wonâ€™t as much. The point here is that you should have fun, LEARN and GROW. To fail 99 times only means youâ€™ll getting closer to success.

P.S. Understand that BANS isnâ€™t perfect and isnâ€™t made for everyone. But it does provide several ways to making money with some EFFORT and doesnâ€™t restrict you from using many resources to make money. For example, you can make money by tapping into various International markets such as, USA, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and many more. You can MONETIZE your website store with Google Adsense Ads, Clickbank and Linkshareâ€™s Marketplace, including other 3rd parties. Many current users have built networks of stores using the unlimited license of BANS. And you not restricted from using your own template. But it must be BANS-friendly which is explained in the manual.

If would like to LEARN more and start growing your eBay empire, just click the link below.

Build A Niche Store

About the Author
Philip Sumpter writes on Build A Niche Store to enlighten all interested parties. To learn more, go to my blog at Build A Niche Store

How To Convert eBay Surfers Into Bidders!

2008-03-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

Do you know the phrase "A Call To Action"? Well, using "A Call To Action" on your eBay Auction could help increase your sales almost immediately. As outlined in my book "eBay Marketing Wholesale SourcePak" having the right product, at the right price is crucial. But, what else can you do to entice those eBay surfers to become a bidder? Here is one key factor anyone can implement on their auctions to help increase their sales - it's called " A Call To Action!"
Some of you may be asking "What is "A Call To Action?" Well it's a simple phrase that you would add to your auction description. This phrase should tell your potential bidder what they should do next. I know what you're thinking, "Don't they know what to do next?" But really, you do need to tell people what it is you expect them to do. You cannot depend on or assume that an auction surfer is automatically going to become a bidder without telling him/her what you want them to do. You need to come right out and tell them to buy. And why they should buy. Here are some examples of phrases you could use to entice that potential bidder to take action now and make a bid.

- Bid Now! Save Money!

- Buy Now and Save on Shipping!

- Bid Now! Don't Miss This Incredible Deal!

- Buy Now! Quantities are Limited!

- Bid Now! One Of A Kind!

- Bid Now! Collector's Item!

You get the idea. If you have what that surfer is looking for any of the above phrases will entice him/her to make a bid now. And this method is not something new. Retail stores have been using this for years. You know any of the big sales where the advertisement says something like "And don't wait, Quantities are Limited!" This method is time tested. Some experts report you can increase your sales by 50% simply by telling those who are just surfing your auction page what you want them to do.

You can also use more than one call to action. And use them for different reasons in your auction. Say you use one of the above. Bid Now! One of a Kind! But what if this surfer is not interested in this item for auction. Well, don't let him/her leave without inviting him/her to view your other auctions. Say something like "If you don't see what you are looking for here - please visit my other auctions" and create a link to your other auctions, possibly your "me page" which lists all the auctions you have running.

About the Author
For More Free Resources visit www.freeearningtips.com

Shop For Profit On Ebay Game

2008-03-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

The classic Shop-for-Profit on eBay Game naturally engages shop-a-holics and bargain hunters. There are two popular strategies: Buy low. Sell high. The object is to pick a winner, and buy something in a local market that's worth more money on eBay. The fun and challenging competition is a healthy mixture of knowledge, and physical exercise, and LUCK. There is only one judge, and that's the world market.
The Shop-for-Profit on eBay game is best played while on vacation in a strange city, or even in unfamiliar parts of your own city - you can play with any amount of friends, and the activity makes great fodder for 'reality game show' home videos. It works like this; friends meet and shop somewhere they have never shopped before. Make it a special expedition. Print a map showing boundaries using an online service.

Each player buys one HERO ITEM, whatever catches their fancy, but it should be an item they think is rare and worth more money online. It's also important the item be purchased during that expedition, and the buyer save the receipt. At the end of the day's shopping trip, each player is asked to describe their Hero Item, and why they believe it will sell for more money online.

The Shop-for-Profit on eBay game is simple. The Hero Items are photographed and posted for sale under one generic account in a four day auction. Patience is rewarded. When all the auctions close, the player with the most successful return (not the most cash, but the greatest percentage of profit) keeps all the monies and the other unsold items.

In the worst case scenario, it's the player who lost the least, and if nothing sells then the player who bought the least expensive item wins. But it doesn't have to be this way. I've played very exciting games where every Hero Item sold, and the secret is simple. When shopping for profit on eBay, which is a global market, buy one-of-a-kind pieces that are rare and valuable with specialty collectors in mind.

This game requires a local search service and an eBay account. When friends travel outside their area of comfort, they are usually overcome by the sudden urge to shop, and as the travel game coordinator, you can help them.

Do Not Shop in Tourist Traps! Use a local search service to select in advance the low rent shopping opportunities where it's still possible to 'shop for profits online'. When my wife and I stayed in Vancouver, I executed a local search from the Best Western Hotel at 718 Drake Street. I used Poynt Microsoft® Windows Live™ Messenger or AIM® to navigate my group away from trendy tourist areas downtown and into more sensible mercantile venues where game winning bargains might be found. Complete with Microsoft® Virtual Earth™ scalable map interface, Poynt is a whole new way to look at neighborhoods and select better hunting grounds.

Powered by Yellowpages.ca™ for Canadian listings and Superpages.com® for American listings, Poynt is a very efficient geographic business data dispensary that yields accurate maps and easy-to-understand driving directions - its perfect graphic tool for the Shop-for-Profit on eBay game.

Use Smart Keywords in Local Search

There are certain keywords that veteran eBay shoppers now avoid; words like 'bargains, thrift', and 'discount' have lost their original meaning and are now tickets to a world of cheap Chinese imports and crap. Also, on the other end of the spectrum, do not type the word 'vintage' into Poynt in Canada for that word has come to mean premium high culture antiquities and over-priced 'vintage' used clothing. In Vancouver the word will generate results for vintage jewelry right beside the hotels first, and then in the heart of the commercial district at George and Ganville St. This is a high rent, high traffic area and should be avoided by Shop-for-Profit gamers.

Shop in Older, Not-So-Glamorous Parts of Town

Use keywords like 'second hand' and 'used furniture' to find real bargain centers. I search for 'used electronics' because this inevitably points me to pawn shops and other places that accept used merchandise from desperate people at rock bottom prices. Salvation Army depots, Goodwill and ValueVillage are great places to shop and you should look for these in the results - the secret here is to find the central donation store where the merchandise is collected to be distributed throughout the city. I know it sounds avaricious, and more than a little unfriendly, but this isn't about charity - it's about buying the perfect Hero Item and enjoying a spectacular return on your investment.

Get More Results, and even More Results.

After selecting the appropriate keywords in Poynt, smart shoppers accept the invitation to view more results, and after that they get even more results - you literally see the big picture as the map zooms out to show the whole city. Put twenty or thirty points on the map and you will begin to see thrifty 'regions'. This is how you shop for neighborhoods, and its how I uncovered the gold mine junk / pawn shops on West Hastings St at Cambie Street and Cordova St and Pender St, in what is commonly called Gastown. My best discovery was a store called Mintage located at 320 Cordova Street West Vancouver, BC.

The Shop-for-Profit eBay Game is a thrilling, real life Price is Right where players use new technology to leverage the difference between local and global markets.

About the Author
Rob Campbell is a shopping expert that uses Local Search software to find 'thrift neighborhoods'. Add Poynt to your contact list on Microsoft® Windows Live™ Messenger or AIM® to add the power of local search to your shopping skill set.

Selling on eBay Auctions and Living To Tell The Tale

2008-03-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

If itâ€™s your first time selling on eBay then you will have a couple of things in common with other people â€" youâ€™ll probably fail when selling on your first few ebay auctions. Many first timers will fail time and time again, and wonâ€™t understand what theyâ€™re doing wrong. Theyâ€™ll do hours and hours of research into what is the right thing to sell, set up their first auction, and just wait for the winning bid to roll in. Hours will go by with no bids being place, and days will go by with not one bid on their eBay auction â€" or the bids are dreadfully low. Finally the auction will end and it will turn out to be a total failure for the new eBay seller. However, considering the large amount of sellers that are running and competing by setting up eBay auctions everyday, there are a few things that you should do, with a few other specific things that you shouldnâ€™t do if you are going to be an eBay power seller.

1. Demand for a product â€" Many eBay auctions fail simply because nobody wants the product you are offering, essentially there isnâ€™t enough of a high demand for your product. You can avoid this problematic stumbling block by doing adequate research in order to determine what items will sell well on an eBay auction. You should also note which items should be avoided in your research â€" this research will take you quite an amount of time to complete, but it will be time well spent.

2. Pricing â€" Many eBay auctions fail because a new seller will put the wrong starting price on an auction. It really doesnâ€™t matter what your reserve price is, you should have a starting bid of around $50, as this will attract potential bidders to place a bid on your eBay auction. If you set the opening bid at a high price, then post people wonâ€™t even click through to read the description of your item. If you too are not researching current pricing and pricing strategies, then you could commit the mistake of setting a reserve price that is too low for your item and you should compare your product with other similar items that have sold in the past, and adapt your eBay auction pricing strategy appropriately.

3. Poor Sales copy â€" When you look over an eBay auction listing you want the written descriptions to entice you to read more about the auction. Poorly written copy, as well as bad grammar and misspellings can drive people away from your auction. You should make sure that you post up picture with you written copy, as this will compliment any details that you have given for your product.

4. Shipping Prices â€" eBay sellers who offer free or low shipping on their auction items will generally find that they will receive much higher bids than those that charge higher shipping prices. By offering â€˜no charge handling feeâ€™, a person feels they are getting a discount from you as an eBay seller and so will be more likely to bid higher on the auction item as they are getting â€˜free shippingâ€™.

5. Offering great customer service â€" If you are new to eBay and learning how to sell on eBay then you should remember one thing â€" great customer service sells, period. If the items you are selling are everything that your sales copy is stating, you offer quick responses, ask for feedback and offer great customer service then you should be on your way to receive wonderful feedback as well as generating repeat buyer from your eBay business. This rapor you have built and excellent feedback will help in your future selling on ebay auctions.

About the Author
Steph Brown is an Internet Entrepreneur with experience {a href=â€http://www.ebayablaze.comâ€}selling on eBay and teaching others {a href=â€http://www.ebayablaze.comâ€}how to sell on eBay with her online blog http://www.ebayablaze.com.need to look for in a life insurance policy.

Add Unlimited Pictures To Your Ebay Auctions For Free

2008-03-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

Well ebay fees are beginning to get ridiculously high. I try and save every dime I can when I list an item on ebay. Did you know you can list as many pictures on each listing for free? That's right, plus you can list as many pictures as you want for each listing. Why pay extra fees to list some pictures on your listings? You don't have to if you do the following.
First, you have to have a place to host the pictures. "Hosting pictures" is just a term used to say, you have a picture saved online somewhere. You can host pictures just about anywhere for free nowadays. If you have an internet service provider(ISP), they probably gave you some free space to host pictures or files. I would recommend hosting pictures with your ISP, as it is usually more convenient. It's fine if you didn't want to host pictures on your ISP. You could sign up for a free service like geocities.com or photobucket.com. They are just a few places that will let you host pictures for free.

Okay, now you have a place to host your pictures. List all the pictures you need to list on your auctions at the place you are using to host pictures. Now all you need to do is post the HTML code for a picture into your ebay auction description. The HTML code for a picture is Just copy and past that code into your ebay description where ever you want the picture to appear. Replace the web domain with the web domain your picture is hosted on.

You can do little things like center the picture on the auction page. For instance if you want to center the picture you would put this code.

If you use this trick to post pictures into your ebay auctions, you will have more control over your pictures. Your pictures will be right there in the customers face. They won't even have to click on to the picture to see it like the ones ebay make you pay for. You can have the control of putting the picture anywhere in your auction page, not just on the bottom of the page. You see, ebay is making you pay extra for pictures that you don't even have control over.

Why pay for extra pictures when you can do it for free with full control over them? HTML can do a lot for your ebay auctions. Ebay fees are so expensive now, you can't survive unless you use every trick possible to save when listing your auctions. I never got why ebay hasn't changed their picture system. They give you little exposure and you have to pay for them. But, I am very happy ebay hasn't changed the way their picture system is on their auction listings. Or we wouldn't be able to have free pictures anymore.

People that are new to ebay are not expected to know this information. Ebay probably counts on new people not knowing this trick. So they pay for ebay to host pictures and don't think about it. Ebay has to be making money on hosting pictures, or they would have changed this policy. The truth is, we pay enough already for auction fees. Most of the veteran ebay sellers know this trick and use it everyday.

If anyone has any questions or needs any help using this method to get free pictures on your ebay listings, just ask me. I would hate to see anyone pay high auction fees on ebay if they don't have to. You can use this trick anywhere HTML is accepted, not just on ebay.

About the Author
Learn how to start your own home business by following this amazing step-by-step guide. Want to be an Ebay Powerseller? This guide will help you. Check out my Daily Blog.

7 Steps To Protect Yourself When Buying/Selling eBay Vehicle Auctions

2008-03-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

Whether you purchase a car from a dealer or a local seller, there is always some risk involved in the deal for both the buyer and the seller. But what do you do to protect yourself when you are buying or selling a car on an online auction such as eBay? The following are 7 steps that buyers and sellers can take to protect themselves and secure the purchase of a vehicle from an online auction.
1. Carefully consider the buyerâ€™s/sellerâ€™s reputation. When you purchase a vehicle from a local private seller, you really have no idea with whom you are dealing. However, with an online auction like eBay, you have the advantage of learning about a buyerâ€™s and sellerâ€™s reputation through eBayâ€™s feedback ratings. If the reputation is less than stellar, read over the previous feedbacks from others and make a decision as to whether you should proceed. Although the decision is ultimately up to you, these ratings can make your decision less worrisome.

2. As a seller, require a minimum payment shortly after the end of the auction. By requiring a deposit within a few days after the auction ends, this may weed out NPBâ€™s (non-performing bidders). Non-performing bidders are those who like to play the game of placing the highest bid to win the item, yet have no intention of actually paying for it. If someone puts a deposit down, they are then much more likely to complete the deal.

3. Get verified. When selling or bidding on items such as vehicles, which tend to be more than $15,000, eBay requires that you go through either an ID verification process, or that you file a credit card number with them. In consideration of all of the fraud involved in the auto industry, this verification helps to ensure the identity of who is actually buying or selling the vehicle. This further helps to build a buyerâ€™s/sellerâ€™s credibility. eBay offers this ID service for a one-time fee of $5.00. Sellers may also choose to become bonded sellers. This really boosts seller credibility and helps to alleviate buyersâ€™ concerns. BuySAFE is one online insurance company that offers this type of insurance to online auction sellers. The seller will have a Buy Safe seal with their listing. For more information, go to www.buysafe.com.

4. If the seller is acting as the vehicle ownerâ€™s agent, get a copy of the agency agreement. This helps to ensure that the seller is bound by the agreement to complete the sale for the owner. If you are the seller and the buyer is the agent purchasing it for someone else, make sure all proper paperwork is in order and all required signatures are obtained, especially that of the actual purchaser of the car.

5. Should problems occur with the auction transaction between the buyer and seller, get mediation. This might sound like a dramatic and expensive undertaking, but it isnâ€™t. In such situations, eBay recommends a service called SquareTrade. This group specializes in making sure all sides of the deal get fair treatment in the transaction.

6. If you will be dealing with an online escrow company, check them out before you work with them. A website called SOS 4 Auctions will help provide you with information on honest escrow companies. You can find them at www.sos4auctions.com.

7. Plan for your personal safety. You donâ€™t have to be overly cautious, but donâ€™t be naÃ¯ve either. First, try to bring a friend or relative along with you. Second, meet the seller at a public place. If you canâ€™t do either, always let someone know where youâ€™ll be, at what time, and arrange to call them afterward.

Finally, if after receiving the vehicle, you discover that is â€œsignificantly not as describedâ€, or you do not receive the vehicle at all, you can use eBay Motorâ€™s Vehicle Protection program, which is free and automatically applicable to anyone who purchases a vehicle through one of eBay Motorsâ€™ auctions. Your purchase is protected for up to $20,000. Following the 7 steps should ensure that your online vehicle purchase is a great experience. Good luck and happy bidding!

Justine Wright www.bestBMWauctions.com

About the Author
Justine Wright is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys BMWs and online auctions. She is always searching for helpful information to share with others concerning cars and online auctions.

How to Pull in the Sales on EBay

2008-03-04T21:34:00.002-08:00

It is the greatest feeling when you are on eBay and you are in a bidding war and right at the end of the auction when it is about to be over you pull out the win. Doesn't that feel great? Well you can make people feel like that everyday. All you have to do is start up you own eBay small business. Once you get it started you want to make sure that you have goals in place to keep you business on track. The goals that you want to have in place are take considerate detail in researching products, take into account your financial status, and take it serious that you have to send the product to the customer.
The first goal that you want to have in place when you start you own eBay small business is to take considerate detail in researching products. Get out there and research good products that the customer wants and that the wholesaler is going to give you a good cut. If you stand behind crappy products then you are not going to get anywhere with you company so make sure to do some long term research. It is also important to get a good wholesaler that way you will be able to get a good price and make a little money out of your misfortunes.

The next goal that you want to have in place when you start your eBay small business is to take into account your financial status that way you will not end up bankrupt. Make sure that you have enough money for another purchase from the wholesale so make it a goal to make sure that you do have enough money over and over again. It is very important to always be having new goals because you always want to be trying to expand you business.

Last but not least the goal that you need to have in place when you start your eBay small business is to take serious that you have to send the product to the customer because you want to have a certain time that you sit down and check out when everything has to be shipped out to make it in a timely manner. You do not want your customer's loyalty going to another online provider.

These goals are going to get your eBay small business kicked started and there will be no looking back for you.

About the Author
For more information, you can check out: Worldwide Brands.

If you are wondering what Worldwide Brands may be, it is a wholesale resource site that is certified by Ebay.

Are eBay survivors missing out on the best eBay altervative available?

2008-03-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of talk going on about various eBay alternatives, but it seems to me that the most attractive alternative is being passed over by the media- hmmm- well I guess you have to pay to get into the news-
Well, I think it's time to talk about Wagglepop as it is the best eBay alternative site available. From its clean presentation, its very competitive pricing: For only $9.95 a month you get your own fully customizable store (with your own url, custom pages, header, logo, business builder tools: such as Red Carpet, and unlimited free store inventory listings)

Not only are store inventory listings free - auction and fixed price listings are as well- so load up the store and then load up the floor for maximum traffic generation and sell thru rates- no one is holding you back on Wagglepop

Worried about those commission fees? No need - cheapest commission take I've seen - and over all lowest cost auction house start up I've come across. Sell an item for 9.99 pay a quarter ($.25) in commission- wow! And how much have we been paying? Disgusting!

I know it's fabulous- how could it possibly get better? This is how- wide open spaces. Yep, ready to stake claim in your desired niche? Tired of being one of a million competitors? Are you ready to be the foundation of the niche? This is your moment- you better jump or someone will beat you to it.

What else is blooming in Wagglepop? Community, unity, solidarity. Is there a better way to grow than to have support from those who are growing beside you? Nope! The stronger one becomes the stronger we will all become, because we will be there to share, tug, and glorify our triumphs together.

So, what was Wagglepop's appeal to those of us who have already decided this was the place to be for success?

A few of Wagglepop's community members -

Dave's Gift Line Well I came to wagglepop looking for a new place to sell. Once I joined and looked around I noticed how easy it was to get around the site. Then I went to the forums and saw how helpful everyone was and that was it.

I opened a store and started listing all in the same day. I have always wanted to have a bigger store however when I was at the other site I couldn't list as much because I was always worried about how much my listing fees were going to be. I averaged approx 80 to 120 items listed at any one time on the other site and was always worried if this item doesn't sell I am out money. But now on wagglepop I can list as many items as I want to I can give my customers a wide selection of merchandise and I can give them better deals. I already have over 300 items listed and I am still listing. So now I can have the store I always wanted but could never have over on the other site. http://www.wagglepop.com/stores/davesgiftline

Boutique Baby Treasures and More I guess the best draw to Wagglepop for me was just the site itself. The first time I saw the site, I registered and opened my store. No hesitation, didn't have to think twice. I was interested in replacing as much of my eBay business as possible on a site with more reasonable fees. I could tell at first glance that Wagglepop would be a great place to try. It wasn't until later on that all of the other great things about Wagglepop became clear like the dedicated owner, excellent management, wonderful community that has developed, and the superior search engine exposure is another big advantage. http://www.wagglepop.com/stores/BOUTIQUE-of-BABY-TREASURES-and-MORE-GIFTS-CRIB-BEDDING-NURSERY-DÉCOR

Bernings Bargains- something for everyone Hmmm... What attracted me to Wagglepop?

1) Friendly, Helpful and Fun Community - always has been, no matter how many sellers come and go.

2) The REASONABLE Fees... $9.95 is only about 8 listings worth on Ebay.

3) The versatility of designing my own store front, pages, categories.

4) The unlimited amount of inventory that I can put inside my store. No worries about getting charged more with each listing I do.

5) Customer Service - Prompt replies from REAL people, answering the question I asked in normal English that I can understand.

6) Seeing the WP Staff on the boards in a positive manner... answering questions, asking our opinions, and listening to what we say (even if they don't have the control or money to do everything we want them to.)

7) Ease of listing ... set up your desired template, create a listing, then sell similar on every one after that ... so simple (once you get the hang of it...lol!)

8) Just the name... WAGGLEPOP sounds like a FUN place to be. And although WP had some rough times starting out, and still have the Anti-WP people out there, we have gotten stronger and stayed friendly in spite of it all!

What else...? Oh yeah.... WAGGLEPOP ROCKS! http://www.wagglepop.com/stores/berningsbargains

So come on over - and see why Wagglepop is right for you!

About the Author
Ambitious auction site store owner/seller - leaving a bread crumb trail for my ambitious peers

Everyday-People Continue To Make A Killing On eBay!

2008-03-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

eBay makes up to 14% of the daily exchange of money for goods on the internet, globally. Are you ready to take your piece of the action?
If you've been firmly planted on planet Earth the past decade or so, you have come to realize the immense earning potential eBay affords just about anyone. Anyone who is keen to implement a few key steps and variables, that is.

If you've read about eBay, you would have seen the amounts of money people were making - it wasn't unusual to hear of thousands of dollars per month being generated by individuals working part-time on eBay.

Log on to eBay.com and take a close at the PowerSellers there: you'll discover there are more than a few. Each and everyone of these individuals generates more than $1,000 in sales each and every month, again and again. Fact of the matter is, the vast majority of these people started out on eBay selling a few old items that were just collecting dust in their closets.

These people started selling and simply never stopped.

Most importantly, eBay does not care who, where, or what you are. Perhaps you are quite old, or maybe quite young? With eBay, you can eradicate all rules and barriers to earning that the real world has built up. If you have a reliable supplier and the ability to post, you are well on your way to real success.

There are multitudes of people that have been selling for years on eBay as a full-time job. With a little bit of organization, anyone can make a lucrative business from being an eBay seller. Once you have reliable product wholesalers and/or dropshippers, you will earn on auto pilot!

Can you imagine this? After you've bought the stock, you're looking at pure profit! There are actually multi-million dollars companies that see less real profit than some eBay PowerSellers.

To put it bluntly, if you know where to get something at a considerably lesser price, you can sell it on eBay and make a profit. Since you can get wholesale prices when you buy in bulk, finding a great price shouldn't be too difficult. Now if you have a reliable dropshipper, you never have to lay your hands on or store any inventory. Simply make your posts and keep track of your account and orders, and you're making money with no office, staff, or any other set-up costs.

About the Author
Think you're ready to get your eBay empire up and moving? To learn more about accessing reliable wholesalers for free, click here...

Make Money Selling Wholesale Products On Ebay

2008-03-02T00:19:00.000-08:00

eBay is one of the most popular websites on the internet today. Many people today are looking at an eBay home based business. Today over 100,000 people make a full time income selling on eBay and over 400,000 people make a part-time income selling on eBay. eBay is now considered the best home bases business in the world.
Making money on eBay is very simple buy products cheap and sell them for a nice profit. The key to making good money is to find a wholesaler that will source products for you at prices that will allow you to turn a profit.

There are many business online that will sell you inventory but a large share of them will be middlemen for bigger wholesale suppliers. If you are just starting a home based auction business it is important to find a wholesaler that works with new home business and are willing to sell you product in small order sizes.

Today many home businesses that do not have allot of money use wholesale drop shopper to fulfill their orders. The advantage of drop shippers is they ship products one item at a time which is great for small businesses that can have cash flow problems.

The great thing about using wholesale drop shippers is you don't have to keep an inventory of products to sell and your business has great cash flow because you only pay for products after they have already been sold.

The key to making money selling products on ebay is to find a product niche that you can sell products at and still make a profit. To be a successful ebay seller you have to find a wholesaler supplier that will provide you with a reliable source of products at price that are competitive in the niche you are selling in.

Before you sell any products on ebay it is important that you do your home work. You must have an understanding at what price products are selling for on ebay and check with several wholesalers and determine what the cheapest price you can procure products at is.

Know your profit margin, it is vital for the success of any home business that you understand how much money you will make with each sell. You must understand all the cost involved in your business this includes all packing materials, shipping cost, product cost and auction fees.

Do not ever get set on selling one product on eBay. You should always be looking for a niche that has little competition and will give you the ability to have the largest profit margins.

When running a home auction business it is always important that you research new products and new wholesale suppliers. You must always be flexible to change your product line and move with the supply and demand of business. The key to making money on eBay is finding the right wholesaler for your business.

About the Author
Where is the best place to buy wholesale products internet. Do you want to begin selling eBay wholesale products for real money making business?

Make Money Selling Wholesale Products On Ebay

2008-03-02T00:16:00.000-08:00

Make Quick Money With eBay

2008-02-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

eBay is one of the world's largest trading communities where millions of people buy and sell new or used products everyday. Using eBay as a buyer or as a seller is fairly simple.
As a buyer, all you need to do is: " set up a paypal account " register " search the site for what you are looking for AND... either place a bid on what you want, or buy instantly; it's that simple.

Selling is a little more work ( if you wanna call it that ). But it's worth it, considering you'll be getting paid, granted your item or items sell.

As a seller, all you have to do is: " once again set up a paypal account " register " login to the site " list your product(s) and your all set.

You can practically sell anything. Everything from antique dolls to video games, clothes to musical, you name it and you probably can find it. Some people make a career out of eBay, buying products at wholesale prices, setting up an online store and selling products 24/7. Others on the other hand may use it as a way to get some quick cash, and it can be done easily !!

If you are looking to make some quick cash, here is a few tips on helping you do so. First off ask yourself what do you own that you don't use or you just don't want anymore. It might be an old jacket that you may have grown out of, or maybe you have a stereo that has been collecting dusk in your closet for the past few years. Now, all you need to do is list these products. Just remember that presentation is everything. Take some really good pictures of whatever you are selling ( always have a picture with your listing ), give a detailed description of the item and don't be hesitant in using some of the design features to give a little life to your listing, it does help .

There's two different ways to list your item, buy now and auction. I recommend using the auction option because you have the opportunity to get more for your item then you expected, rather then buy now; where you set one price and hope people are willing to pay that price. When doing an auction, set the staring price lower the what you really want, never start the bidding at the price you actually want. I would suggest taking 10% off the price you really want to start the bidding. If you are listing an item as a "buy now" remember this, don't make the price real low because people will be suspicious and hesitate to buy, and don't make it too high because most people come to eBay looking for a good deal; so their not going to pay a ridiculous amount. If used properly, you can definitely make some quick cash!

One more tip- Great places to go to find items to sell are garage sales. You can usually find some really good deals at garage sales. Buy the products take them home and list them on eBay.

About the Author
Earl Stringer & Rachel Bishop, Internet Marketing Entrepreneurs & Success Team. Check Out The Top Five Money-Making Programs Online at PlatinumReviewers, visit the website at http://www.platinumreviewers.com!

For Even More Information on How To Make A Real Income Online; Check Out Earl & Rachel's Blog at http://www.yoursuccessteam.wordpress.com.

How to Join Ebay

2008-02-20T21:41:00.000-08:00

OK. For years you have heard about Ebay, and maybe you have taken a look. But you have still failed to make the first vital step to actually Join Ebay. Well, it is the right choice? Let's take a look.

There are a number of things to consider if you do Join Ebay and join in on the fun. There are a few precautions to take, just to make sure you have a safe and enjoyable experience.

1ST: Read Auctions Carefully for Items you place bids on. Most auctions have good pictures and descriptions, but just check everything over so you know what you are getting. Many items are used, but most sellers are pretty good at disclosing what is what and showing pictures and descriptions of everything.

2ND: Check Seller Feedback. You can see a seller's feedback, and ready every comment from past buyers. Just make sure the feedback percentage is high, over 97% positive, and read a few of the comments if it is a bigger purchase.

3RD: Set Personal Limits. Ebay can be a lot of FUN if you don't get carried away. Some people align Ebay with gambling in the way that you can get a rush while you are bidding, etc. That means, like gambling, you need to say, ok I am willing to pay NO MORE than X Dollars for this item. And once you are outbid on that amount, you STOP. However, the difference between Ebay and gambling is on Ebay if you get carried away you might spend too much for something that is hopefully useful. In gambling, you don't get anything but a thank you and maybe a room comp if you keep losing big!

Well. Ebay has many advantages regardless. You can truly find many great and useful things on Ebay, both used and new, at discount prices. You can get Laptops, Nutritional Items, Personal Care Items, Cell Phone Accessories, Antiques, Hard to Find Parts for your car, etc. You can find both hard to find items, and find them at cheaper prices than you might at traditional stores or other Online vendors. Again, Ebay can be a lot of fun, and if you heed a bit of caution with what you buy and how much you pay, you can have some fun while buying, and get many good and useful things you may have a need for.

To Get Started Today and to Join Ebay go to

How to Join Ebay Blog and click on the Link at the top.

By the way, Registration for an ID and PW is 100% FREE. Take Care.

About the Author
An Internet Marketing Expert and Guru with Expertise in EBay Selling, Affiliate Marketing, PPC, and SEO.

Finding The Right Product for Your Ebay Niche

2008-02-20T03:25:00.000-08:00

When most people look to the internet to make extra cash they become very confused. There are many ways to bring in an extra income. Maybe you are one of the people who are on the sidelines waiting to make money from ebay.This article gives you the secrets of making cash online with your own ebay store. There are many stories of people who started out making a few dollars a week and with consistant drive built there businesess to be million dollar businesses. Alot of sellers on Ebay , This provides away to people to sell products on the internet that they never have to see or handle .It sounds way to god to be true, but in fact is a very simple concept. Drop shipping is selling other people's products at the price you set, and keeping the difference as a profit.
You may have looked at the website ebay and saw many hot productes offered by ebay powersellers.A powerseller is a business that has at least $1000 dollars in sales per month. The ones with sales of over $150,000 dollars a month are called titanium powersellers. Makes you want to be there,Right? You can be it just takes product and a lot of selling. A lot of people come to a ebay business thinking that they will make a lot of money on just one product. They fail to relize that there are many people doing the same thing. You may have to cut the margins to fit into your niche.Something else you can try is to bring other products that corrospond to your product, like parts or accesories for your product.

You may wonder about what to sell. A common problem is trying to find the right product to sell. You do need to find cheap products so you can resell them and make a profit.The internet is full of dropshippers and wholesale lists.It's tough to find the right one. If you search and spend time looking for the right one represents a lot of time wasted looking. There are some good ones .A few are way over priced. The key here is find the right one.

About the Author
Rick Williamson is an investment researcher and owner of www.clickbankways.com

A guide to buying antique silver on ebay

2008-02-18T21:26:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to the Silver2treasure guide to buying Antique Silver on eBay. Tips on before you buy, handling silver,affordability, where else to buy, starting a collection, our eBay guide, the silver2treasure shop and ends on modern silver.
Before you buy

It is no good crying over spilt milk or so the saying goes. There is no excuse for not educating yourself before you step into the world of buying antique silver especially on line. Research is essential especially in regard to expensive items. Having said this there is a lot of help available to you. The beauty of British silver is in the Hallmarking system. In our main website at Silver2Treasure we have pages linked to reference sites for British and Continental Hallmarks which are essential references for the new and experienced buyer alike. You will also want to consider the benefit of investing in silver and our main website contains an article with some of the benefits of investing in silver. Value has strong links to weight in the silver world and understanding the different definitions of an "ounce" can be found in another helpful page at Troy ounce Whilst the internet is a rich source of information there is nothing like a good reference book and I recommend Jackson's Silver and Gold Marks together with International Hallmarks on Silver collected by Tardy. There are many more and we have created a web page of silver books on eBay at Antique Silver Books as an easy staring point. Despite your best efforts in research be prepared to make mistakes. We all do and it is all part of the learning experience.

Handling Silver

You might think this a strange heading but I really believe you need to pick up and touch and feel a variety of silver in your early days of collecting. You can do this at Antique Fairs, Flea Markets and Auction Houses as well as high street shops. You will feel how a thick heavy gauge antique silver item such as a teapot feels completely different to a mass produced modern example. You will better understand the difference by an embossed decoration and an engraved decoration by its feel much better than reading this in any book. For me the whole beauty of silver is in its ability for everyday use. I am not a fan of leaving it locked away in a vault or cupboard. By handling as much different silver as you can early on in your collecting life you will quickly learn what styles or makers that appeal to you most and this will help to focus your area of collecting.

What can you afford to buy?

This one is purely down to you. The best tip I can give is buy the most expensive and original piece you can afford. I would always look for a quality maker and a un repaired or un restored item. If possible pieces without engravings or armorials are more desirable and will appreciate in value quicker. A quick note on condition. Any antique silver item has had many owners. It the early days of its existence it would have been owned by someone of wealth employing servants. They may not always have lavished the love and care you may be able to. Transfer of ownership over the years attracts wear and tear and you should expect some minor dents or dings on anything you buy. If you do find a piece without any wear and tear it will be rare indeed and very valuable or maybe something to be cautious about.

Where to go to buy?

Ebay obviously? Well actually yes but with some significant qualifications. First you should have visited a number of antique fairs, flea markets and auction houses to get a "feel for silver". Part of this process might also include antique shops and dealers. Here you will get a lot of advice, knowledge and help but at a price. They will have building and staff overheads which they have to pass on to the customer. Ebay however allows private collectors and dealers alike to trade without having to factor in these costs. Please read the following eBay part of this guide carefully.

Starting your collection

Your collection will be as varied and as personal as your taste allows. Some collect periods and styles such as baroque, rococo, queen anne, georgian, victorian, art deco, art nouvea etc the choice is endless. Some collect specific items such as caddy spoons or vesta cases (please see my other ebay guide on Vesta Cases). Whatever you choose there is a lifetime of pleasure ahead of you as well as creating a family heirloom which can be handed on through future generations; remember we are but temporary guardians of these beautiful items.

Our eBay guide to buying silver.

In your research phase you would be wise to read all of eBays own guides to buyers. Remember if an auction looks too good to be true it probably is! Of all the advice I would start first at knowing your seller. Why is this important? Well if what you buy has a problem you will want to get it resolved quickly and without hassle. Look for the sellers feedback and pay particular attention to the number of feedbacks and then look at as many feedback entries as you can. This will give you a good idea of how the seller conducts themselves. View our feedback Check they have a returns policy and if they don't then email them and ask. Use the email the same as if the person was in the room with you; do not be afraid to ask as many silly questions as you like. The sellers should respond positively and helpfully.If they do not, find a seller who does. Look through the eBay Shop categories, find the biggest sellers and go through their shop listings, there are many things you will never find by just focussing on eBay auctions alone.

Check you understand the paypal buyer protection and does the seller display the paypal logo. If you view a shop see if they have the best offer option on listings. A realistic offer may save you 10 - 15% off the asking price all for the cost of a click of the mouse! Be very cautious of postage charges especially where they include insurance. Most carriers do not insure antique silver to travel from the UK abroad, however this is not widely known and you do not want to discover it is uninsured if you have to make a claim, if in doubt email and ask. Remember my earlier advice on research? At www.silver2treasure.com we have web pages where you will find Most popular silver on ebay Newly listed silver on ebay Completed listings with prices made all created so that you do not have to trawl through loads of web pages.

Silver2 Treasure on eBay

If you read and follow the above advice we hope to see you sometime in our eBay shop at We only trade on eBay and take pride in our silver stock and customer service. Our website at Silver2Treasure has useful advice and guidance on silver and as well as our ebay shop it links back to eBay for specific categories of silver. The whole site has been designed to make your ebay silver buying experience a pleasure. And a final note, don't completely ignore modern silver as this is the antique of the future!

About the Author
Steve Freeman is a partner in silver2treasure a web based antique silver business. Please visit us at Silver2Treasure I also maintain websites for Jewellery and watches,Moorcroft Pottery,Military Medals,Postcards,Teddy Bears,motobility aids,myford lathes and many others for the dedicated collector. Just follow the links from Silver2Treasure

Drop Shipping on Ebay

2008-02-12T21:43:00.000-08:00

Drop shipping on ebay can be very tough now-a-days. It can also be very rewarding if you do it right. There was a time when drop shipping and ebay were much more profitable. Now everyone and their mother is trying to drop ship on ebay. It's not an easy task anymore, considering everyone else is drop shipping the same items you are. What's worse is; you have people like me, who buy in bulk to resell. I get my goods much cheaper because I buy in bulk and offer much lower prices on ebay than you can offer.
First you have to find some products to sell. Finding the best products for you is the most important part. Don't worry about what someone else is making money on. Try and find some products that sell well, without a lot of competition. Find some categories that have little or no competition.

In order to drop ship on ebay you have be creative. So, if there is competition(and I am sure there will be); you have to offer things your competition isn't offering. You have to do things differently than your competition isn't doing. I have said this tons of times, I know, but it's important. How else are you going to beat your competitions prices unless you get creative to give the customer more?

I have a great tip to offer you with drop shipping. Bundle/Combo deals.

Here are some numbers.

Let's say someone is buying bulk in wholesale. They buy 100 units for $50.00 each. The units retail for $95.00. They make $45.00 dollars profit on each unit.

You can get 1 unit for $70.00 if you have it drop shipped. You obviously can't beat the competition getting it at $50.00 each unit and you would lose customers. Plus, you will only make $25.00.

But, if you get 3 accessories that go with the unit. Each accessory costs you $20.00 each and usually sell for $45.00 in stores. You will make $75. 00 profit on just the accessories if you sell them for what they usually sell for.

Now you add the accessories into a package deal with the main unit. Now you have a package deal worth $230.00(the unit $95.00/ accessories $135.00). Now you stand to make $100.00 profit and you are offering something your competition isn't, a combo deal.

So, if your competition is selling their unit for $85.00 , it won't matter. They are not offering any accessories. Customers want everything in one place.

You stand to make $100.00 combined profit between the unit and accessories. While the competition is only making $45.00 profit. So you could actually lower your price $50.00 more and make your offer even more attractive to buyers. You will still make $50.00 profit.

The customer will get everything in a combo deal cheaper than they could get anywhere else. Because you made up your own custom unit and accessories bundle that nobody else was offering. This is why it is good to know what you are selling.

Know what you sell. Know what accessories go with each main unit. Know what kind of batteries it takes. Know every little detail about what you sell. Keep on top of everything new that comes out for it. Everyday new technology comes out that goes hand and hand with a main unit we already own.

Think about how many accessories you can use with an Ipod or cell phone. There are thousands of different combo deals you could make. Combo deals that no other seller is offering. That will make your auctions more attractive to someone who wants everything at once.

FYI; It is forbidden on ebay to put items up for auction that are not in your possession.Ebay frowns upon drop shipping and they do not allow it. Unless you use an ebay recommended company like worldwide brands. World wide brands is the only source company that ebay recommends for drop shipping. Thousands of people drop ship on ebay and have done so for years. It's something I never really got. They don't allow it, but they let us do it.

Just be careful and be smart about the drop shippers you choose to work with. There are some terrible drop shippers who don't care about your ebay reputation. Drop shipping on ebay can get pretty risky if you don't know what you are doing. I have seen some great ebayers reputations ruined from bad drop ship companies.

Ebay and drop shipping can be a great experience. Just be careful who you choose to do business with. Be careful about the products you sell. Get creative and make some profit. Try offering something your competition doesn't offer. Make up some bundle and combo deals so you offer something original that everyone wants.

About the Author
Learn how to start your own home business by following this amazing step-by-step guide. Want to be an Ebay Powerseller? This guide will help you. Check out my Daily Blog.

The Only eBay Tutorial You Need - Sky High Auctions

2008-02-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

Do you want to take your eBay auctions to the next level? Or would you like a head start over other eBay sellers, if you're just starting out? You can enjoy both and much more with one amazing, all-encompassing eBay tutorial web site: Sky High Auctions.
What is Sky High Auctions? It is one of the most comprehensive courses online for people who want to make a full time income on eBay or other online auction sites. Sky High Auctions is a thorough solution for anyone who wants to succeed with online auctions.

What makes Sky High Auctions so amazing? Well, if I were to list all the features of Sky High Auctions in this article, it would exceed the limits of an "article" and turn into a small report of eBay training material that would make you salivate. I will, however, give you a slight preview of what they have to offer:

16 Hours of Step-by-Step Video Lessons

In-Depth Training for eBay Tools that will Maximize Your Profit

Learn the Secrets to Incredible eBay Titles and Descriptions

And for Beginners - 6 Simple Steps to How eBay Auctions Work
And that is really only the tip of the eBay iceburg. Sky High Auctions takes every bit of information that is scattered across the Internet (and some that is not), organizes it and gives you access to it. You will have the resources needed to make a full time income on eBay in no time. They even have a special feature where they interview eBay experts (PowerSellers) so you can learn from people already making a living on eBay.

So, if you want a thorough solution for how to make a full time income on eBay, Sky High Auctions is the answer.

About the Author
Do you want to learn how to get into your eBay buyer's head to increas your bids and maximize your eBay profits? Learn how to take your eBay business to the next level

Ebay Business: 10 Tips for Increasing Your eBay Response

2008-02-10T21:43:00.000-08:00

So you've got the buyer in front of your auction, and they've read the description. They're must be interested, or they wouldn't be lookingâ€¦ but just how can you push them over that line and make them leave a bid? Read on for some tips.
Improve your picture: In all that description writing, you might have missed the vital importance of your item's picture. A picture with bad lighting or an intrusive background looks amateurish and won't make anyone want to buy from you.

Add an About Me page: You'll be surprised how much you can reassure bidders just by creating an About Me page and putting a little bit about yourself on your business on there. You can also have a few special offers there for people who bother to look at the page, and let people subscribe to your mailing list so that you can email them updates.

Use SquareTrade: Signing up at SquareTrade and displaying their logo on your auctions shows that you are committed to have them resolve any disputes that arise. You always see this on PowerSellers auctions - it makes you look more professional.

Write terms and conditions: Have the 'small print' clearly visible on all your auctions, giving details of things like shipping times and prices, your refund policy, and any other business practices you might have. This helps build confidence with buyers.

Show off your feedback: Copy and paste a selection of the feedback comments you're most proud of to each item's description page, instead of making bidders go and look for it. If you have 100% positive feedback, be sure to write that on every auction too.

Add NR to your titles: If you have extra space in a title, put 'NR' (no reserve) on the end. Bidders prefer auctions that don't have a reserve price, and doing this lets them see that yours don't.

Benefits not features: Make sure your description focuses on the benefits that your item can give to the customer, not just its features. This is a classic sales technique. If you have trouble with this, remember: 'cheap' is a feature, 'save money' is a benefit.

List more items: If you want more people to respond to your items, then list more items! You might find you have better like listing items at the same time, instead of one-by-one. There's no need to use a Dutch auction - you can just keep two or three auctions going at once for an item you have more than one of in stock.

Accept unusual payment methods: To reach those last few buyers, accept payment methods that many sellers don't, like cheques.

Buy some upgrades: The best upgrade is the most expensive one, which makes your item appear first in search results. In crowded categories, you might find that this is worth the money.

Once you've got some buyers, you want to keep them coming back to you. The next email will show you how to turn one-time buyers into long-term customers.

About the Author
Please take the time to visit my website www.manomanju.com to Learn how to start your home based online jobs.

How to become a ebay powerseller

2008-02-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

Become a Ebay powerseller in 90 days! Make Hundreds Per Day, And Work From The Comfort Of Your Own Home... 100% Guaranteed! Earn Hundreds Of Dollars "Consistently" Day-After-Day, by Following this Step-by-Step Program That Will See You Become A Fully-Equipped eBay PowerSeller In 90 Days Flat!
Dear Friend, I have been around in Ebay for 4 years selling ebooks. I was selling about 4-5 Ebooks every week, which was terribly disappointing. I noticed that at the same time my competitors became powersellers. I was wondering what I was doing wrong until I found this step by step guide for any seller to become a powerseller! In about 70 days my business was sky rocketing. I became a powerseller which boomed my business to a new level. Now I make thousands every month.

Ask me how? One of the fastest ways to become successful is to follow someone else who is already successful. Find someone who is already where you want to be and model them. Do as they do and use the same tools, systems and strategies they do. This System Places Everything On 100% Auto-Pilot...And it is by An eBay PowerSeller Who Has Been Using the same system & strategies for years successfully!! And, when I say success... I am talking about being an eBay PowerSeller that earns hundreds per day and thousands each and every month consistently!

There will be no frustrations for you. There will be no excessive workloads! You are not going to have to worry about all these "requirements" or the "start-up workloads" necessary to gain PowerSeller status. I'm serious. You will not have to worry one Single second about any of this! Its amazing!

Even if you half used this program, you could make money in your sleep. Everything is fully automated for you. You simply set it all up, and presto! You are making money! As your status grows, you make more and more while your system grows and grows!

The system also has a 56 days money back guarantee!

Click Here to Read More!

It is nothing short of Amazing!

About the Author
Are you tired of not achieving a PowerSeller status on Ebay? Read on as I tell you how you could be a powerseller, GUARANTEED in 90 days flat! The system I followed also has a 56 days money back guaranteed, so you can test drive it!

Buying and Selling Domains Makes Easy Money on eBay

2008-02-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

January 28, 2008 - Dallas Texas: Just released, an comprehensive guide to buying and selling domain names, teaching how to make thousands of dollars of passive income from eBay. The website www.Domain-flipping.com announced today the release of a buy-low, sell-high eBook detailing how to making easy money "flipping" domain names. This informative book gives 6 actual case studies on how other eBay sellers are purchasing various domain names at low prices, obtaining valuations of the names, and then selling the domain names for significant profits. Intended for the beginner, the Domain Flipping book is extremely easy to read, requires no html knowledge and allows the user to make money quickly.
The buying and selling of domain names has become a very lucrative market, for both experienced and new domain name buyers. This book provides an informative step by step process for the beginner in getting a quick head start to learning the many secrets to making large profits, from just buying and flipping domain names.

The Domain Flipping book contains:

- How to get started.

- Where to purchase domain names at low prices.

- How to determine the value in a domain names.

- The various venues for selling your domain names.

- How to position the domain properly.

- Learning how the other sellers use effective advertising tricks.

- How to find the ideal forums for reselling your domains and much more!!

For those that want to be a success, buying this book will be a great start when following the simple instructions in this book. In this book you can learn EXACTLY how to start building your fortune today!

Don't let this opportuinty pass you by... order today... start building your passive income now!

Contact: Mark Armstrong http://www.domain-flipping.com

About the Author
The author of Domain Flipping has written many informative books on internet marketing ideas.

What To Sell On Ebay

2008-02-03T21:14:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that Ebay offers the potential to make extra money.But what happens once you have sold all the stuff you have sitting around the house?
You are left with the same question almost everyone else has at this point.What to sell on Ebay next.This alone stops most people in their money making tracks.

Well,wonder no more.I am about to let you in on a surefire Ebay market.

Get ready.

Have you considered the used cell phone market?

If not,you definitely should.

Over 250,000 cell phones are listed on Ebay each month.

Cell phones are one of the top 20 most searched for items on the internet with over 4 million searches a month.

There are over 170 million registered cell phone users in the United States alone.

The average cell phone user replaces their cell phone once every 10 months. Once the phone is replaced,the owner usually leaves it lying around unsure what to do with it.

Have the ideas began to run around in your head yet?

Maybe you have 1 or more used cell phones collecting dust in your house at this moment.Imagine how many used cell phones are just wasting away at this moment.

Here is the real kicker.All of those phones are worth something.From a few dollars,all the way up to hundreds for certain models.

Take it from me,there is plenty of money to be made from the Ebay used cell phone market.All it takes is a little effort on your part.No large inventory.No bulk imports.Little up front start up cost.Actually,you can start with whatever amount you feel comfortable with.

You no longer have to worry about what to sell on Ebay.No more market research.No more pulling your hair out trying to decide what sells.This is a proven niche market that will continue to grow.More and more people replace their cell phones as newer models are released.

I hope this article has excited you.You should now be thinking of all the money that is just sitting there.Perhaps you have even have a used cell phone of your own.

There is no better time to start than right now at this very moment.

Best of luck in all your ventures.

About the Author
David Griffin is the author of Cell It On Ebay.This ebook is a step by step method for selling used cell phones on Ebay.This method is great for making extra cash or starting your own Ebay business.For more information,you can visit my website at http://www.cellphoneriches.com

Buy on Ebay to Resell on Ebay

2008-01-25T21:32:00.000-08:00

Did you know? There is a lot of money in buying on ebay to resell it on ebayâ€¦You can find some great deals at off peak times of the day. As I have said before, itâ€™s a good idea to have a secondary account on ebay just to buy goods. Then have a separate ebay id to sell. This way, if someone looks at your feedback, they donâ€™t know you bought that item to resell it for more. The customer will think you are just giving a good deal on an item you are selling.
The best time of day to buy on ebay is in the early morning. Four am to eight am are probably the best times to buy items without a bid war. Most of the good items end at night time, so you need a plan to win items at night time for a good price. The problem is; the most people are shopping on ebay during the evening hours. Get a system going of some kind to get around all the bid wars. The following tricks should help you, just in case you do get in to a bid war with another ebay member.

There are tons of buying tips you can use on ebay. The best tool you can use to win auctions all the time are bid sniper programs. These are programs you can use to make sure you always win the auction. You tell the program what you want to bid for maximum bid. Then the program waits until the auction is about to end and bids automatically until it reaches your maximum bid amount. I am sure you have been outbid at the last second before. Chances are; that person was using a bid snipe program.These programs are usually fool-proof. They almost guarantee you to win the auction. You can download them for free all over the internet. The bid sniper programs are named all kinds of things; from bid sniper to auction sniper to power sniper. Look around in a search engine, youâ€™ll find one that is good for you. If I had to recommend one, I would say bid sniper or bid snipr. They are both very simple to use and very accurate.

Another great way to win auctions is by using the penny bids. You donâ€™t have to use a program for this strategy. This is a manual system. Instead of bidding nice round numbers, use penny bids to win your auctions. For instance, if someone wanted to win something for $12.00 but not more than $13.00, they would probably bid $12.00 or $12.50â€¦.Donâ€™t use those nice round numbers. Throw off the other bidders. Bid $12.01 or $12.51 or $12.99, anything that is not a nice round number. Then when the other bidder sees the auction at $11.00, their first instinct is to bid a nice round number. Then you win the auction by pennies. This will also save you some money. Your bids wonâ€™t go up by dollars.

Even if you are using the bid sniper program, throw in a nice penny bid for your max bid. $12.01 or $12.99 are ideal bids if you want to keep the max bid under $13.00. I have won countless numbers of auctions by using this system. Give these systems a try and let me know how you do. There is really good money from buying and reselling the same item on ebay. Most of the time, you find the lowest prices for goods on ebay anyways. Why not use it to your advantage?When you see a great deal to buy, do some research to see if you can sell it for profit. Chances are, if you found that good deal, it can be resold on ebay for a great amount of profit.

About the Author
Learn how to start your own home business by following this amazing step-by-step guide. Want to be an Ebay Powerseller? This guide will help you. Check out my Daily Blog.

Amazing EBay Income - Uncover 3 Effective Steps to Amplify Your EBay Income

2008-01-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

Are you currently making money by selling items on eBay? Just like you, there are a lot of people from all over the world who are making a living from this online shopping site. If however, you feel that the competition is getting stiffer due to the number of buyers joining every minute, these 3 effective steps can help you amplify your eBay income and stand out from the rest.
1. Choose a password that is easy to remember but hard to guess. As a buyer, you must know the importance of keeping your password confidential as much as possible. There are a lot of people who are doing fraudulent activities on eBay and can use your account to run fake auctions and leave negative feedback to your buyers. This can greatly ruin your eBay career. To make sure nobody can hack your eBay account; use a password that is a combination of letters and numbers. Never use your surname, birthday, favorite color or anything that can easily be associated with you.

2. Transact with buyers with negative feedback with caution. Before you choose a winning bidder, review their feedback first. If a lot of sellers claim that the buyer did not pay for their merchandise, think twice. However, never rule out the possibility of transacting with a buyer with a negative feedback especially if the good feedback outnumbers the negative ones.

3. Do your research. Before putting up your items for auction, search the site for similar items. Check to see if these items are getting more bids and how many have been sold. This is a smart move if you would like to profit from your investment. If similar items are not selling, then by all means search for other products that you can sell.

About the Author
If you would like to know more about Amazing EBay Income... To take a look at more articles just like this one, click here: Amazing EBay Income
G Allan Roberts http://www.superiorimageusa.com

Buying Wholesale Products and Reselling on Ebay

2008-01-20T21:36:00.000-08:00

For people who have not had a prior experience in online selling, understanding the intricacies and workings of eBay can be difficult. The newest trend on this very popular auction site is that of buying and selling wholesale products.
Before going into the complicacies of online auctioning and selling, a description of the actual way of using eBay to put products up for sale must be provided. Known to most as simply a website, eBay is, in reality, much more than that. There is no physical store called eBay and what this online store does is helps you buy and sell goods at the best possible prices. All that one needs to do to sell goods on eBay is enlist with the online store which only takes a few minutes; however, the entire process of a sale takes just about a few days. The initial price is specified by the seller after which the product stays online for sometime and finally the buyer who is also the highest bidder gets to grab the goods!

More recently, auctioning of wholesale goods has become extremely popular. Most online sellers these days are seen aiming at sources that sell wholesale goods that maybe resold via an auctioning site. These sources can range from online sellers to flea market dealers. The products that small retailers have the capacity to sell like hot cake and as a result are bought by sellers who want to resell them online. Selling wholesale products on an auctioning site like eBay obviously has its own advantages.

But in order to gain the most advantage from an auction site, you would need to establish your business as a "real" one. Otherwise, you will always face the risk of being declined by wholesalers. Establishing the authenticity of your business is to ensure that your enquiries do not get turned down by the wholesalers. If you want your business to be regarded as genuine, then the first step to ensure it will be to get a tax number (known by different names in various countries) seeing which the tax authorities will provide a business license. Once this is done you are ready to approach a wholesaler who can provide you with fast- selling goods that are bound to create ripples on auctioning sites like eBay. The best thing about buying wholesale from small but established wholesalers is that you get access to the best goods at an unimaginably reasonable price. You could even try drop-shipping which can further reduce pricing and investment in wholesale goods.

Arranging for sales on a site like eBay can actually get your financial status a great lift. How? Again going wholesale is the answer. For eBay sellers who get hold of products from wholesalers, it is always easier to earn profits. This is because auction sites like eBay allow sellers to put up sale for individual products. Thus, as soon as a person is acquiring goods from a wholesaler he just needs to part with a highly discounted sum of money (due to purchase of volumes), while during the sale of the same goods he can earn individual profits (selling retail).

The best thing about eBay is that it reaches out globally to many consumers and any individual putting up a sale can expect the simplest of commodities to reap in the greatest of fortunes. This happens because the seller can wait until the highest price comes his way and this further ensures that the profit margin remains high every time. Selling on eBay is "a dream come true" for every one out there contemplating to make good business. All that a seller needs to pay is a minimal amount during the time of enlisting and then another meager sum when the product ultimately gets sold. There are no hidden costs and the seller gets the price he wants. There are no middlemen involved and trading on eBay means you get what you see!

About the Author
Serhat Palali is an experienced internet marketing specialist. His web site Ezgoo is a great resource for people who are looking for wholesalers, china manufacturers, wholesale lot auctions, ebay and auction resources.

Lucrative EBay Income - Discover 5 Best Ways to Jumpstart Your EBay Income

2008-01-16T21:24:00.000-08:00

EBay has indeed changed the way we shop. With over 27 million members from all over the world, it is considered one of the giants in the online industry. With this number, eBay is considered one of the most profitable ways to earn money online. Here are the 5 best steps you need should you consider giving eBay a try:
a. Discover the secrets of eBay powersellers. Before you start listing your items, look for the listing made by powersellers. Take note on how they price and market their items to understand their winning strategies.

b. Know how to price your item. Search eBay for similar listings to get an idea on how much you can sell your item. You do not want to put a higher tag price; otherwise you will drive your potential buyers to other sellers that offer the same item for a lower price.

c. Avoid misspellings. In order for your items to show up on search results, you have to make sure that you spell your titles and description correctly. Too many times, eBay sellers take this for granted until they realize that it can adversely affect the number of bids on their auction listing.

d. Add spice on your listing. Depending on the preference of your potential buyers, you can add attractive colors and design to your photos to make them look more enticing. In addition, you can put pertinent information like shipping cost and payment where your potential buyers can easily see them. The more information you provide upfront, the more tempting your offer gets.

e. Take advantage of tools that can make your listing easier for you. If you intend to make eBay your full time job, you can use the available tools to make your tasks a lot easier. For example, you can use automated listing software when you list several items so you will save more time and list all your items in just few clicks.

About the Author
If you would like to know more about Lucrative EBay Income... To take a look at more articles just like this one, click here: Lucrative EBay Income
G Allan Roberts http://www.superiorimageusa.com

Reselling Ebooks on Ebay

2008-01-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

Selling ebooks on eBay that are resell rights or public domain is an exciting idea cause you don't have to do all the work it is done for you . Your content needs to be in high demand and on the internet there is so many niches and ebooks that you can literally find one in just about any subject you want. These products sell over and over again. I know cause I do this on a daily basis. So you one time investment can bring you great long time income. But you need to know that just placing a ebook on ebay does not automatically make it sell.
Though ebooks are easily delivered through digital delivery on ebay or you can send an email to the buyer with the product. But I recommend listing it as a digital product and having a download link for your customers to download right away cause instant gradification is very popular with the world and everyone wanting their products instantly.

I also have ebooks on cd for those that need the space on their hard drive and they build libraries of cds which can be kept for a lifetime and people will pay extra for that service. Some people still have dial-up and can't download the product if it very big anyway. So I have learn to do both.

Now you should know just because you put a ebook up on Ebay to sell does not mean it will sell. You need to know that you have to be unique in the way you sell it. Write good sales letter for your product and create good clear graphics unique for your product helps sell the product cause then you do not look like every other ebook seller out there.

You need to look at your ebook selling not as a hobby but a full time business and set up a ebay store. You need to look professional not just the occassional seller so customers will take you serious and you will get repeat business. Selling ebooks can be a professional business and if you want to make any money at it you need to treat it like one.

Be Unique.

Thousands of the same ebooks are sold everyday on ebay. You will see the auction titles look the same , the graphics are the same. So when you go into the group competition all you can do is hope for a sale which most ebook sellers do and they fail. You have to get a unique quality to your ebooks , think outside the box.

Read Differently

Write good sales copy for each of your auctions. Give it the look and feel of originality and uniqueness. Develop your sales pitch to make it stand out from the crowd. It boils down to the fact that you need to stand out to be seen. Find Resale Ebooks and see how others are selling them. Then use there tactics and ideas but package and write it with your words.

There are literally thousands of ebooks on writing great sales copy but I do have a couple on my website so check it out in the link at the bottom of this article.

Offer Something More

Check out the competition and offer something more on each of your auctions. People love bonuses so include them. At one time you could beat them by having a better feedback or better price but not anymore. The market for ebooks has grown and you need to find a new sales gimmick for each product you sell.

Take several of the same subject ebooks and bundle them together and sell them. You will get a better response for your efforts. Make sure you read through each ebook you get for resell rights and its links and you have sales copy for your customers and graphics and ebay sales letters because if someone buys it and wants to resell it make it as easy as possible for them to resell and you will be above 50% of the sellers out there.

About the Author
Candy Wormdahl is a recognized expert in republishing and reselling ebooks on ebay. She has research and found several niches and easy ways of creating income online from her ebook business. You can find her ebay business at http://e-booksdownload.com

Why eBooks and Other Information Products Are Popular Choices of Most eBay Sellers

2008-01-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

Finding perfect products to sell through eBay is one of the biggest problems faced by sellers. There are many sellers, who face the challenges even though they earn good profit by selling their products through eBay.
What's the ultimate eBay product and what characteristics would it have?

* The product should be highly profitable * The product should have unlimited supply * The product should be easy to ship and deliver * The seller should own and control the product * The product should have no or less competition * Product should lend itself to up selling and cross selling

Information products do not imply the adoption of quick schemes, as that's what usually comes to the mind of the sellers. Information products means knowledge based products that:

* Assist people * Teach people * Solve people's issues * Amuse them

Information products are the best selling products on eBay and people love to buy informational products like eBooks on:

* How to make money doing home business * How to make money with home based photo studio * Pinewood Derby plans * Race winning secrets * How to become rich by starting a home based Antique photography business * How to design and install beautiful Garden Ponds

Are you perplexed about eBooks? Don't be, as the information includes lots more than original music, videos, photography etc. Some people sell craft items like patterns. Pet lovers sell videos on dog training, grooming and nutrition. Musicians and bands also sell newly composed music. There is no end to the information product range and you will get tired imagining the topics available. Informational products can also include:

* EBooks and printed books * Informational Web page access * Videos * Audio files or tape CD's * Pod Casts * Software products * High quality digital photographs * Printed and electronic material combinations in the form of DVD or workbook * Original music CD's of DVD's delivered digitally in MP3

Why information products are most sought after

* You can control the product, as you own and set the price for it. * Informational products are expensive, but easy to create and lasting. * You have the liberty to deliver many products automatically through eBay. * You don't have to face heavy competition. * You set the price and deliver the products, as you own the copyright of the product. * If you fail in one then you can switch over to the next product or opt for more than one product. EBay gives you endless opportunities to up sell or cross sell additional products along with information products.

Why is eBay a perfect site for selling information products?

* 92 million members access this site. * EBay members usually search for products by keywords. * It is very easy to operate through eBay. * EBay embraces digital products.

About the Author
Want to know more? John Thornhill trades on eBay under the username planetsms and constantly earns over $1000 per week on eBay on autopilot. To see how he does it visit http://www.planetsmsblog.com/

eBay Sellers: The Importance of Communication

2007-12-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

Are you an eBay seller? If you just recently became an eBay seller, you may still be learning the ins and outs of eBay, particularly how to make a profit. While there are an unlimited number of tips that could help increase your chances of making a profit on eBay, like detailed product descriptions and such, there is one way that is relatively simple; having an open line of communication with all of your eBay buyers. Although you may not necessarily think about it at the time, communication goes a long way when it comes to online business transactions, particularly on eBay.

When it comes to keeping an open line of communication with your customers or potential customers, there are three main situations that you should take advantage of. First, if you are selling a popular item, you may have a number of bids or even a number of questions. If your product description wasn’t very detailed, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you to have messages from other eBay members seeking more information. While some of these questions may be good, valid ones, others may seem a little bit out in left field. In fact, some eBay member questions may leave you wondering if they even looked at your auction listing. Still, it is advised that you answer all user questions in a polite and timely matter. Doing so will increase the chances of your item or items being sold.

Once an eBay buyer has agreed to buy an item from you, whether it be through a traditional auction listing or a “Buy It Now,” sale, you will want to send your customer an invoice, showing the total amount of money that they owe you. After you have received payment, there is a good chance that you will box up the items sold and head to the post office. A great way to make a good impression is to send your customers an update email; an email that can let them know that their items were just shipped. Many eBay buyers like this because it gives them an estimated arrival time frame. Should you have purchased a package tracking number, you will want supply your customers with that information.

It is also advised that you follow through, within a few days or a week, to see if your customers received their items. You may also want to send a personal note asking them how they liked the items and such. One thing that you definitely want to include in a follow-up message is a thank you note. You will want to thank each of your eBay customers for doing business with you. You should also state that you hope to do business with them again. In today’s society, many consumers are not thanked for their business anymore, although many wish that they still were. Sending a thank you follow-up note will only take a few minutes of your time, but it is something that your customers will likely remember for sometime to come.

As it was stated above, having an open line of communication may increase your eBay profits. Why you may ask? Well, you need to think of it from a consumer standpoint. If you could shop at two different retail stores, which both had the same products available for the same prices, which store would you choose? If you are like most consumers, you would respond with the store with the best customer service. eBay is no different. With competition increasing each day, you need to be able to set yourself apart from other eBay sellers. The best way to do this is to go the extra mile for your customers.

Keeping an open line of communication before, during, and after each sale will help give you a good, positive reputation among many eBay buyers. It will also likely result in return customers; customers who can help to increase your eBay profits.

Christmas Shopping On eBay

2007-12-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

I'm doing most of my Christmas shopping on eBay this year. I guess,you could say eBay, is like window shopping, without the windows. Ebay is perhaps the world's most widely recognized market place with millions of items being displayed for sale on any given day.

Now that Christmas is rapidly approaching we're scrambling around trying to get our shopping done. At first, I wasn't too sure, and a little nervous about the whole on-line shopping thing, but the convenience of it all convinced me, especially, after a couple successful eBay auction purchases, because personally,now that I've discovered eBay, I donâ€™t particularily like to go shopping outside my home and will do my best to find all my Christmas items on eBay this year. No need for long lines or getting up at 4:00 am to â€œCatch a Saleâ€ shopping on eBay will make my shopping experience content. And for a safe, secure and fun online shopping experience, eBay advises members review and follow the Safe Trading Guidelines by clicking on the Security Centre on the home page.

The allure of snapping up a bargain online is as strong this Christmas as ever: eBay research has found that shoppers can save around half the retail price on brand new products on eBay every day. Ebay is a perfect place for folks to buy stuff for Christmas and not even have to leave their house to do so. As Christmas gets closer and shoppers can't wait for an auction to end, eBay's "Buy it Now" is the perfect solution for buying presents instantly. "I love that I can find amazing bargains at the click of my mouse, and have them delivered to my door, saving me from the craziness and madness of the Christmas hoards.

Remember if you are Christmas shopping on eBay you should shop early, so that you make sure you have your item(s) delivered on time. I will love Christmas shopping on Ebay this season and plan on doing it again next year. I have had several people tell me that they did most of there Christmas shopping on eBay and it saved them a lot of time and money. With the great buys available and consumers feeling the financial pinch this Christmas, eBay is predicting this year will be the biggest online shopping Christmas yet. So go to eBay now, as I want people to be aware what a fun, safe and economical shopping option eBay is for the holidays.

Article Written By J. Foley

About the Author
J. Foley Has A eBay Auction Site, And If Your In The Spirit, You Can Do Your Christmas Right Here!

eBay’s Turbo Lister Program: Should You Use It?

2007-11-24T00:15:00.001-08:00

Are you an eBay seller? If you are, are you familiar with eBay’s Turbo Lister program? If you are not, you may want to take the time to familiarize yourself with it, as using eBay’s Turbo Lister program can make selling on eBay as easy as can be.

eBay’s Turbo Lister program is a program that is available for download, free of charge on eBay’s website. What is nice about eBay’s Turbo Lister program is that it is easy to install and use. In fact, like eBay’s traditional way of listing items for sale, you are given step-by-step instructions. Even if you have minimal computer knowledge, you should still be able to use eBay’s Turbo Lister program, without any problems.

Now that you know exactly how you can get eBay’s Turbo Lister program, you may be wondering exactly what it is or how it can help you. See, when you download eBay’s Turbo Lister program to your computer, you can access it at anytime, even if you are not connected to the internet. eBay markets its Turbo Lister program to those who are high or medium volume eBay sellers, but it is also great for those who have dialup internet. Listing a large number of eBay auctions can tie up your phone lines, but with eBay’s Turbo Lister program you don’t even have to be online!

The eBay Turbo Lister program sets up all eBay auction listings or “Buy It Now,” listings the same way as it is done online, through their website. For instance, when using eBay’s Turbo Lister, you need to assign your item to a category, make a headline for your auction, write a detailed description of the item that you are selling, upload pictures if you have any, mention how your item will be shipped, as well as outline what methods of payment you will accept. As stated above, this process is easy, as everything is explained to you step-by-step. With eBay’s Turbo Listing program, listing on eBay is still as easy as it was before, if not easier with the ability to do so while not connected to the internet.

Speaking of not being connected to the internet, you may be wondering how your eBay items can be listed on eBay’s website if you are not connected to the internet. This is where the internet connection comes in. eBay’s Turbo Lister program enables you develop as many eBay auctions as you want, even thousands of them, without being connected to the internet. When doing so, you have the ability to save your listings for a later date; a time when you can sign online. Once you are connected to the internet, a simple click of the mouse and your eBay listings will automatically be uploaded to the eBay site. In addition to giving you the ability to work offline, you also have the ability to time your auctions, like if you want them to start or end at a certain time.

As mentioned above, if you are interested in downloading eBay’s Turbo Lister program, you can do so through their online website. Since downloading and using eBay’s Turbo Lister program is free, you are urged to at least give it a try. Should you not like the way that the program works, you could always return to listing your eBay items the traditional way, though the eBay website.

eBay Sellers: How You Can Use Completed Searches to Your Advantage

2007-11-21T21:52:00.001-08:00

Are you an eBay seller? If so, are you successful at what you do? Perhaps, the better question to ask yourself is if you are making a profit selling on eBay? If you aren’t, there are a number of steps that you can take to increase your chances of making a sale.

When it comes to improving your chances of making a sale on eBay, your first impulse may to be change the way that your eBay items are listed for sale. For instance, it is often suggested that you upload detailed pictures of your items, provide detailed descriptions and such. While you will want to try doing so, you will also want to focus on the items that you are trying to sell. Your problem, with making a profit on eBay, might be the items that you have listed. If you have a poor quality item, you may not be able to sell it, but you would still be responsible for paying your eBay fees. In this case, you will not only be unable to make a profit, but you may also end up losing money.

When it comes to knowing which items you can profit from selling on eBay, there are many sellers who think that it is impossible to do. While it may seem impossible, it isn’t. Before actually trying to list a particular item for sale online, like an old music CD, you can check to see if that item has been sold on eBay before. If that particular item was sold before, you can also figure out exactly how much money it sold for! This will give you a good idea as to whether or not it would be worth it for you to spend the time creating your auction listings and paying eBay’s fees. Although the decision as to whether or not you still want to post your item for sale is yours to make, it may give you inside information; inside information that you will want to take into consideration when making your decision.

To perform a search of completed auctions, you will want to perform an advanced search. The link to the advanced search form can be found by eBay’s traditional search box. The only thing that you will to do differently is check the box labeled “Completed Listings Only.” Your results will include auctions that meet your searching criteria, but that have already been completed. If an item sold, its price will be outlined in green print. If an item did not sell, the asking price will be outlined, but in red print. As previously stated, performing an eBay completed search gives you the ability to tell whether or not you have a good seller on your hands.

In fact, you can not only use a completed listing search to determine if an item you already have is worth money, but you can also use this eBay tool to help you make money. If you are like many eBay sellers, there is a good chance that you are always on the lookout for great deals, bargains, or antiques. Familiarizing yourself with popular eBay items, ones that can be considered “hot sellers,” is a great way to make yourself a profit on eBay. Should you have the ability to do so, you may want to have a partner at home looking up eBay completed listings, while you are out shopping for items to sell at yard sales, flea markets, or thrift stores.

Performing an eBay completed listing search will only take a few minutes of your time. Despite only taking a few minutes of your time, eBay completed searches can help you make money as an eBay seller, not lose it.

Tips on Making Money on eBay, Not Losing It

2007-11-21T21:50:00.001-08:00

Are you interested in becoming an eBay seller or are you a relatively new eBay seller? If so, you may still be learning the ins and outs of eBay. Selling on eBay is a great way to make money on the side or even enough to support yourself, but you have to be successful at what you do. Unfortunately, it can take time to fully learn the ins and outs of eBay, particularly how to become a profitable eBay seller, until now. Below some helpful tips are outlined; tips that you won’t necessarily find explained on eBay.

eBay sellers are all required to pay fees to list their items for sale on eBay. You are charged two separate fees, a listing fee or insertion fee and a final value fee. For the final value fee, you are charged a percentage of the price that your item sold for. The insertion fee or listing fee is figured out a little bit differently. Instead of being charged a percentage, you are charged a set amount. For instance, at the current moment, it costs .20 to list an item up to .99 cents and .40 to list an item for sale between $1.00 and $9.99, and the fee scale continues up in a similar fashion. Please remember that this is just a sample. eBay regularly changes their fees; therefore, you are urged not to rely on the aforementioned fee samples.

Although eBay sellers must pay the eBay fees mentioned above, many do not take the time to thoroughly understand those fees. You are advised against doing that, as it may end up costing you money. For instance, many of the price ranges for eBay’s insertion fee scale ends at .99 cents. For you, this is a great opportunity to save money, but you must know how to do so. As stated above, if you list one of your items at $9.99, the sample insertion fee would be only .40 cents. Did you know that if you listed your item for $10.00, your insertion fee could jump up to around .60 cents! An extra .20 cents just for a penny is pretty expensive, especially if you list a number of eBay auctions that way. Before listing items for sale on eBay again, examine eBay insertion fee sale and see how you can easily save money, sometimes by just shaving a few cents off your asking price.

It has often been said that to be a successful eBay seller, you need to have good product descriptions and clear digital pictures of the item or items that you are selling. Of course, having a number of pictures in your eBay listings is a great way to increase your chances of making a sale, but it can be expensive doing so. eBay allows sellers to post one picture for free. Additional pictures can be purchased for a small fee, but that small fee can add up overtime. For that reason, many eBay sellers limit the number of pictures they put in their auctions; however, you do not want to do this. Instead, you will want to examine photo sharing sites. Photo sharing websites, like PhotoBucket are a nice, fee way to add more pictures to your eBay auctions. Register with a photo sharing site, like PhotoBucket, follow the instructions and you should be saving money in no time at all.

The above mentioned ways are just a few of the many ways that you can save money on eBay, not lose it. In all honesty, you should do a little bit of research first. Using the internet is a great way to research selling on eBay, as many other eBay users will share their money making secrets with you, free of charge.

Introducing the New eBay "Buyer's Credit" Program.

2007-10-28T02:45:00.000-07:00

In an effort to compete with more 'traditional' shops, eBay has started to offer finance agreements though PayPal for expensive items. This means that, if the seller decides to offer it, you can now spread the cost of an item into affordable monthly payments.

This is good for buyers, good for sellers, and good for eBay. Buyers can get the kind of credit agreements they're used to in shops. Sellers can make their items more attractive to buyers who might not have all the money then and there, but eBay still pays the sellers upfront - they don't have to wait to be paid each month or anything like that. Buyers make their monthly payments to PayPal's credit provider instead.

The APR of the Buyer's Credit program is currently 12.9%. You can pay back $999 or more over 12 months, or $1,999 or more over 24 months. There are also interest-free options for purchases of $199 or more over 3, 6 or 12 months.

The reason why some of these credit offers sound better than others is that it is up to the seller to decide how good the credit offer should be and pay extra to PayPal to offer it. To give their buyer the best promotion, for example, of no interest for twelve months, the seller must pay 3.75% of the item's cost to PayPal.

Basically, this means that sellers pay less when the buyers pay interest, and sellers pay the cost of the interest on the interest-free offers. PayPal makes its interest either way, buyers are happy to get credit, and sellers are happy to sell more.

Can I Get This Credit?

On items over $199, Buyer's Credit is now being automatically offered to buyers in the USA only. Just click the link when you buy something for more than $199 and you will be taken through the application process, which includes a 30-second check on your credit history. Then you just go through the buying process as normal, and you get your item before you've paid a penny.

Why are eBay Offering This?

eBay say they want to "level the playing field", to allow eBay businesses to compete with the big chain stores, and they also want to promote PayPal as a payment method. Relatively few buyers can afford the more expensive items on eBay all at once, and so the introduction of Buyer's Credit seems likely to significantly increase prices and sales at the higher end of the market.

It is worth noting that you can use Buyer's Credit anywhere PayPal is accepted, not just on eBay. PayPal say it's "like a credit card - minus the card!" You don't get a card number - you can pay with credit with just your email address and password.

The only thing left to do now, then, is find the best deal for that really special item - the expensive thing you've been wanting for ages but could never afford. But how can you be sure you're getting the best price?

Ebay Ebook Success: 5 Factors Behind Building an Email List

2007-10-19T03:03:00.000-07:00

Why would you want to build an email list? There are many potential reasons. In this article I discuss five top reasons why eBay ebook sellers should be building their mailing list.

To start we can look at the typical eBay ebook sale. The customer finds your auction or your eBay store. They like the look of the ebook you're selling so they make the purchase. They may even add you or your eBay store to their favourites. However, after the customer has purchased your product there is no motivation for them to return to your eBay store, look at your other products and purchase more. Sure some people will come back, some will make repeat purchases and some will keep checking for updates. However, the majority of customers will not return. They will have completed the transaction then your relationship with them is finished.

However, if you get that customer on your mailing list you have much more chance of them coming back and making a repeat purchase. Therefore, if you are not building a mailing list your are not maximising the value you can get from each customer. Below I have outlined a number of reasons why you should be building your email list:

1) REPEAT TRAFFIC:- Instead of customers visiting your eBay store just once you can now get them coming back again and again. If you've updated a product, re-designed your eBay store, created some new products etc then you can send an email out to your list and have your customers revisit your eBay store.

2) REPEAT CUSTOM:Your customers have already purchased from you. There's no reason they will not buy from you again. If you've got a new product then coming out then you can send an email out to your list notifying your customers. In this email you can send your customers directly to the auction. Even better, you can provide people on your email list with an exclusive subscriber discount. The customer gains because they're getting a great deal. You gain because you will get some repeat custom.

3) YOU CAN DIRECT CUSTOMERS TO ITEMS OF INTEREST:- Your mailing list is not just a means of selling more to your customers. It's also about building a relationship and being more interactive with them. For example, if eBay make any changes which will affect ebook sellers I can let you know through this email newsletter. Plus, I can also provide you with free ebooks - a task that would be difficult without a list.

4) YOU CAN BUILD A BRAND:- As I mentioned in the previous point your mailing list is not just a selling platform. It also allows you to build a relationship with your subscribers. If you provide customers with quality content and information that is relevant to them they will keep coming back. They will start to trust you and the strength of your brand will grow. With The Ebook Cavern Newsletter I try to provide you, the reader, with quality content that is related to selling ebooks on eBay. I hope that as a reader you trust me and keep coming back.

5) YOU CAN DIRECT CUSTOMERS TO AREAS OUTSIDE OF EBAY:What if I find something highly useful for my customers but it's not located on the eBay site? Maybe I've found a good source of resellable ebooks and I want to let you know about it. You cannot link to external websites from your eBay auctions. However, with a mailing list you can let your customers know. Again, this allows you to build a better relationship with your customers.

Hopefully, this article has helped you realise how selling ebooks on eBay and building a mailing list go hand in hand. All that you need to do now is take action and start building your list.

About the Author
Tom Parker has been selling ebooks on eBay for a number of years under the ID: EbookCavern. You can learn how he runs and automates his eBay ebook business by visiting: http://www.theebookcavern.co.uk/

Benefits of Buying on eBay

2007-09-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Are you one of the millions of Americans who prefers to shop online? Shopping online is popular because it is quick, easy, and convenient. It is also popular because, when shopping online, you have a number of different options, as there are a number of different retailers that you can choose to shop online with. One of those is eBay. If you aren’t already shopping on eBay, you may want to look into it, as there are a number of benefits to doing so.

Perhaps, the greatest benefit of shopping on eBay is all of the products that you have to choose from. eBay isn’t like a traditional retailer. They are actually an online auction website. eBay has other internet users sell products that they have to consumers, just like you. With this type of set up, eBay has an unlimited number of products to choose from. For instance, you can buy real estate, cars, clothing, toys, pet supplies, home décor, entertainment items, and much more on eBay. Basically, anything you are looking for, within reason of course, you should be able to find on eBay.

Another one of the many benefits to shopping on eBay is that you have a number of sellers to do business with. As it was previously mentioned, eBay allows all internet users to sell items that they no longer need or want to own. Over the past few years, the popularity of eBay has reached an all time high. This is what has lead to an unlimited number of eBay sellers. Since many sellers are selling the same products or similar products, you should have the option to choose who you want to do business with. When buying a product online, particularly one that is offered for sale by a number of different sellers, you are advised to examine product costs, shipping and handling costs, as well as each seller’s feedback. Doing so will make shopping on eBay a positive experience for you.

It is also important to note that eBay is easy to use. In fact, ease of use is one of the many other reasons why eBay has become so popular in recent years. As an eBay buyer, you need to create a free eBay account. That account will allow you to buy on eBay. Once you are a registered eBay member, you can easily start searching for products that you are looking for. For instance, if you are looking for a particular music CD, you can just type the artist name and album name into eBay’s search box and you should be presented with a number of auctions which have your CD available for sale. If you are only looking to spend a certain amount of money or purchase a CD that is located in the United States, you can perform an advanced search. An advanced search makes it easier to find what you need.

The above mentioned benefits, to doing your online shopping through eBay, are just a few of the many that exist. In fact, even if you are unsure as to whether or not you want to start shopping on eBay, you are advised to at least examine it. eBay guests can navigate the site to get a taste of what items can commonly be found for sale on eBay. With a large selection of products, a number of sellers to choose from, and ease of use, there is a good chance that you may find yourself doing the bulk of your online shopping on eBay. And, if you end up doing so, you will definitely not be alone.

Why You Should at Least Explore eBay

2007-09-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in doing more of your shopping online? In the past, a large number of consumers were worried about doing so; however, as online security continues to improve, more consumers are finding themselves shopping online. If you are interested in becoming one of those individuals, you will want to examine eBay.

When it comes to shopping on eBay, there are a number of first time eBay users who are worried about security, among other things. Of course, there are always internet scams that can be found on eBay, but, for the most part, you should be able shop on eBay without any concerns. If you are still wondering whether or not eBay is right for you, you may want to think about at least exploring the site.

When it comes to exploring the eBay site, you will want to examine it as a whole. For instance, if you are wondering about eBay’s security, you may want to visit eBay’s help center. There you can find information for first time eBay users, just like you. You can review eBay’s policies, as well as information on how they handle eBay scams, should you end up falling victim to one. eBay, like many other online websites, has a customer service department. Should you have any questions that you can’t find answers to on the eBay website, you may want to think about contacting their customer service department.

In addition to safety and security, there are a number of potential eBay users who wonder about what they can buy on eBay. The good news is that you can easily find out what is for sale on eBay, without even having to create an eBay account. If you are looking for something in particular, you can perform an eBay search with the item of your interest. If you are just looking to explore the site, you can also browse through the unlimited number of eBay selling categories. Just a few of these categories include home and garden, baby, clothing, entertainment, and much more.

Another question commonly asked, by new eBay users, is the methods of accepted payments. As you likely already know, eBay is actually an online auction website. This online auction website allows other internet users to post items that they have for sale. For this reason, you will find that different methods of payment are accepted. In all honesty, it depends on the seller and their own personal preference. Despite a possible variance among many eBay sellers, PayPal, personal checks, and money orders are often acceptable forms of payment. To get an idea of the payments available, you are urged to click on active auctions. Towards the bottom of the auction listing page, you should see the accepted forms of payment outlined, from that particularly seller.

As it was previously mentioned, you can easily explore eBay without having to register for an account. If you like what you see and if you want to start shopping on eBay, you will need to register an account with them. As a buyer, your account is free. Within a few minutes at the most, you could be bidding on the products that you want to own. You may even be able to find listings that are known as “Buy It Now,” listings. These listings enable to you to make your purchase right at that moment, without competition from other eBay buyers. To get started today, visit eBay.com.

eBay Sellers: How You Can Use Completed Searches to Your Advantage

2007-09-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

Taking Advantage of "Slow" eBay Auctions.

2007-09-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

Some auctions get hundreds of bids, but some go much more slowly, getting only a few bids or even none at all for days. Auctions are generally much slower during the summer months than they are in the winter - and sales on eBay are slowing each year, as more sellers than buyers sign up, hoping to get rich quick. There are a number of ways that you can take advantage of slower auctions to get the best price.

Wait to Bid.

If you bid, then everyone can see you're interested - and that might make them interested too. Leaving the item alone for as long as you can bear will make it look less popular, and keep the price down so you can come in at the last minute and get a bargain.

Make an Offer.

If the seller is selling an item using 'Buy it Now' and it still hasn't sold when the auction is about to end, use eBay's 'Best Offer' service to make them an offer on it. The chances are they've listed the item two or three times before, and they'll be so annoyed at the prospect of re-listing it yet again that they'll accept your offer just to get rid of the thing.

Conspire with Other Buyers.

You might not have thought of this, but if there are two auctions for the same item and only you and one other buyer are bidding, why not get together and work out a 'you take this one and I'll take that one' deal? This avoids you raising the price on both auctions just to get one each. If you make a few friends, you can even work together on auctions long-term, taking it in turns to bid.

Be Snobbish.

Send the seller emails asking questions about the condition of the item, and making it very clear that you are a discerning buyer and will only accept things of the highest quality. This will make them feel better about selling you their item for less.

Don't Feel Guilty.

There really are too many sellers on eBay now, to the point where you can get common items at very low prices. Long-term, this will probably force those sellers out of business, but that's the way a market works - it's supply and demand.

Buy in Bulk.

When auctions are slow, many sellers will have had the same stock for a long time. If you offer to take ten things off their hands all at once then you can almost name your price - the chances are that they'll fall over themselves to give you a good deal. If you come back again and buy another ten items then they'll love you even more.

The longer you spend on eBay, the more experienced you'll become - and the greater the chances are that you'll stumble across an auction for something very odd, and quite unexpected. In the next email, you'll hear all about the strangest eBay items ever sold.

Common eBay Scams to be on the Lookout For

2007-09-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

Are you looking to start buying on eBay? If you have never used eBay before, you may not necessarily know that it is relatively easy to fall victim to an eBay scam. While eBay is considered a safe place to shop online, there are a number of eBay scams that you should be on the lookout for. Knowing what these scams are, before you start shopping on eBay, will help to reduce or completely eliminate your chances of becoming a victim.

Before we start to examine some of the most common eBay scams that you should be on the lookout for, it is important to mention why those scams exist. eBay is considered an online market place or an online auction website. Just about anyone with an internet connection and an eBay account can start eBay sale auctions. This is what makes it possible for scammers to trap innocent shoppers like you. While eBay does work to combat these scams and eliminate the individuals behind them, there are some people who slip through the cracks. That is why you will always want to be on the lookout for eBay scams.

Speaking of common scams to be on the lookout for, one of the most common scams involves selling a product that the seller actually doesn’t have. This type of scam is sometimes difficult to spot, but there are signs that you should look for. When posting an eBay auction, an eBay seller should have pictures of the item or items that they are selling or at least accurate descriptions. With some items, such as books, CDs, or movies, eBay sellers are given the option of using a stock photo; one that is provided by eBay. All other items should have a genuine photo, taken by the seller. If not, you may want to refrain from making the purchase, as it may mean that the seller isn’t even in possession of the item or items that they are trying to sell you.

In addition to selling items that they don’t even have available, another common eBay scam involves lying about the items that they do have. For instance, there are some eBay sellers, although a small number of them, who claim that they have an item, like a car radio, which is in brand new condition, but it isn’t always. It is not uncommon for some eBay seller to outright lie or strength the truth a little bit. Unless you have a watchful eye, you may not find out until it is too late. That is why it is advised that you not only purchase items from eBay that are accompanied by pictures, but that you also examine those pictures. You will want to try and see if something really does look new or if it is in “like new,” condition.

Another common eBay scam that you will want to look for involves those who want your personal information. This type of scam is implemented in two different ways. First, there are a small number of sellers who tell you that they need your credit card information, but they shouldn’t. Whether you pay by PayPal, personal check, or money order, you shouldn’t give out any personal information to any eBay sellers, even if you are buying an item from them. If you are not using PayPal, just send a check or money order to the address given to you, nothing else needs to be done.

The second eBay scam that involves trying to get your personal information is phishing. Phishing scams are increasing in popularity, making it easier to fall victim to one. With phishing scams, a scammer sends out an email that looks like it is from eBay. The email is often accompanied with a message stating that something is wrong with your account and that you need to click on the attached link, sign in and fix it. This is a scam. What they are trying to do is get your eBay account information. Once that has been done, they may have access to stored personal account numbers, as well as the ability to use your eBay account to make fraudulent purchases.

The above mentioned eBay scams are just a few of the most common ones that you may run across. Although there are those on eBay who are trying to scam or take advantage of you, the chances of falling victim to a scam on eBay are actually quite low, as long as you proceed with caution.

eBay Sellers: How You Can Use Completed Searches to Your Advantage

2007-09-10T22:45:00.001-07:00

Useful Tips

2007-08-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

Quality merchandise at reasonable prices definitely is the winning combination when attracting buyers to bid on your auctions, but the one thing that can make you stand out from your competition is outstanding customer service. Customers will buy from you again if they liked the service that you provided them.

Where does service start? The very instant that you email them after they have purchased your product from a winning bid is when you either create a long term customer or just a one time fly by the night purchase.

Your welcome email should be very detail oriented yet display compassion for their needs. In today's article we are going to give you 10 very important Ebay tips that you should take into consideration when emailing your customer after they have won their bid and purchased your products.

Ebay tip number 1:
You need to let your new Ebay customers know approximately when they are going to get their product. I realize that the timetable for shipping varies but do the best you can based on the shipping option that was chosen. For example if you indeed ship the product out via second day FedEx delivery then you know it will take 2 days but on the other hand if you use the US Postal Service then it could take longer so try to do your best to guess.

Ebay tip number 2:
Provide your Ebay customers with the name of the item that they bought and the auction number. This is also another way to double check their orders and to avoid unnecessary refunds from Ebay. Yes of course it is their responsibility to record this information but it is insurance on your part to go the distance and remind your Ebay customers of this information.

Ebay tip number 3:
Be sure to make it clear and verify what the closing purchase amount was. Although this is probably already known it is still nice to remind the customer of how much they have paid for your products.

Ebay tip number 4:
When allowing your new Ebay customers to pay with checks, let them know how long it will take for you to hold the product while waiting for the check to clear. This usually takes about 5 to 14 days for your Ebay customers.

Ebay tip number 5:
Another piece of advice to take into consideration when accepting checks or money orders is to be sure to be very specific as to what location that you want them to send the payment to. List your name and address as clear as possible.

Ebay tip number 6:
If you are making any quantity number of sales then you probably have experienced payments being sent in without any information as to what product the customer ordered. You can remedy this by making it clear in the email to your buyers that they need to write down the item name and auction number with their payment.

Ebay tip number 7:
Get a confirmation of the shipping address and the phone number of the customer. Even though there this information is provided when the bid was won it is wise of you to verify this in your welcome email. Do not risk a bad testimonial from a buyer just because you did not confirm the shipping address.

Ebay tip number 8:
If you accept credit cards online from your Ebay business then be sure to guide your new Ebay auction winners through the process of paying with their cards. Some online payment systems may confuse people and you do not want to risk a chargeback because of confusion on your buyer's part. With the strict rules that Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover have these days, you will want to be careful with your Ebay charges.

Ebay tip number 9:
Entice your Ebay customers by trading a good testimonial for them (the buyer) if the entire exchange and delivery goes smooth. This may help insure a smoother transaction on your customers part.

Ebay tip number 10:
Last but not least, be sure to include your phone number for contact info when selling your Ebay products. This may help expedite the process faster if your customers can call you for questions or concerns.

How to Get eBay Coupons

2007-07-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

You have to be very lucky to be one of the chosen few who receive an eBay coupon by email. These coupons are just like cash that you can use towards anything you buy on eBay - the only conditions being that you pay using PayPal, and that you are using eBay in the USA, Canada or the UK.

There are two ways to get eBay coupons.

Wait for that Email.

Of course, if you just wait, you'll be waiting for a long time. You have to do something to make yourself look like the kind of person eBay would want to tempt back with a coupon. If you open an account, buy a few medium-value things and then suddenly stop, the chances are you'll find yourself with some kind of special offer - but still, not always.

Go Searching.

The better way, of course, is to go and find the coupons that are out there on the web. This is quite hit-and-miss, as eBay don't always have an offer on, but when there's a valid code you can guarantee that it'll be everywhere within a few hours. Just type 'ebay coupon codes' into your favourite search engine, but be prepared to pick through some rubbish. You might find you have better luck if you use a more obscure search engine, where people haven't taken the trouble to game the results.

If going through search engines is too much for you, then just keep an eye out at any community forums you frequent, where someone might just post one. You probably have the best chances if you make a few friends on eBay's own forums at http://hub.ebay.com/community. It can be fun and educational to chat to the regulars there too, so you really have nothing to lose.

How do You Redeem Coupons?

A coupon is basically a code, with some being quite long. All you need to do is pay with PayPal as usual for the item you want to use the coupon towards. After you choose PayPal as your payment method, you will notice a heading that says 'Coupons, Gift Certificates and eBay Anything Points'. Type the coupon code in here: they can be long, so you should use copy-and-paste to make sure you get it right. Just click 'Redeem', and it's good to go.

Don't worry about causing problems for sellers by doing this, by the way - they have no way of even telling that you used a coupon, as eBay just pay them for the item as usual. Coupons are good for sellers as they attract more buyers to eBay, meaning that they get more bids on their auctions. After all, why would they object to getting more money without you actually having to pay it?

Since you're interested in making your eBay shopping more affordable, you might be interested to know that you can now buy eBay items on credit. Our next email will tell you all the details of eBay's new 'Buyer's Credit' program.

Get Your PayPal Account Here

Using PayPal on eBay

2007-07-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

PayPal and eBay were made for each other - and now that eBay own PayPal, using them together is getting even easier.

What is PayPal?
People with PayPal accounts can send money to each other securely online. You can deposit money in a PayPal account from a bank account or a credit card, and withdraw money to your bank account. It is the most common way of paying on eBay, as well as being in widespread use on the rest of the Internet.

Opening a PayPal Account.

It's very easy to get a PayPal account. Just go to www.paypal.com and click the 'Sign Up' link. As a buyer, you should get a Personal account - you can always upgrade later if you decide to start selling. Then all you need to do is enter your address, phone number and email address, and create a password, and two secret questions. You'll be emailed a confirmation, and then you're done!

If you want to deposit money into the account now, then you need to register a credit or debit card or your bank details, and if you want to withdraw money then you need to register your bank details. There's no need to do anything like that just yet, though.

Paying with PayPal.

Paying with PayPal is very simple. When you win an auction and click 'Pay Now', you'll be given a list of payment methods the seller accepts. You should always check what the seller accepts before you bid, as there are still some sellers who won't take PayPal. If the seller does accept PayPal, it will already be chosen for you on the payment page.

Now you just need to press 'Next', type in your PayPal username and password and confirm the amount you want to pay. The first time you pay with PayPal you will need to enter the details of your card or bank account, but after that it will remember for you.

Becoming Verified.

You might have noticed that there is a limit to how much money you can send or withdraw using PayPal before you need to be verified. Verification has two steps. First, PayPal deposit some very small amounts of money in your bank account and you need to tell them how much they deposited. Second, they need to phone you to confirm your address and phone number. Once you've done that, all the limits on your account will be lifted. Log in at paypal.com and click on 'Get Verified' for more information.

While you've been paying for your items, what you might not have realised is that eBay occasionally offers money off coupons. But where do you get them? The next email tells you all about it.

Get Your PayPal Account Here

SafeHarbor; eBay's Own Scotland Yard

2007-07-12T23:17:00.000-07:00

SafeHarbor are the eBay police department. If you break the rules, commit fraud or try to buy something you're not supposed to, they'll be after you.

When You Don't Pay.

This is the most common rule buyers break - it's all too easy to just change your mind and try to get out of the auction. eBay regards every auction as a contract, and will punish you if you don't go through with your end of the deal. If you decide not to pay then expect to get a few nasty warning emails from eBay threatening you with banning if you do it again. Not to mention, of course, that you'll get a big negative 'DID NOT PAY' feedback comment from the seller.

So There Are Things You Can't Buy on eBay?

Yes, there are: more things than you'd expect. It makes sense that you can't buy firearms, for example, but you also can't buy fireworks - eBay are worried about the risks of sending them in the post. Laws in many countries mean that you can't buy alcohol or tobacco. You can't buy illegal or prescription drugs, stocks and shares, or lottery tickets. No underwear, either. You can't buy any little pet puppies or kittens, as animals are banned. If items infringe on copyright, like pirate CDs or software, then they're not allowed either.

eBay's policy is controversial, not least because it is somewhat random in its enforcement - and there have been accusations that they're more responsive to the copyright concerns of big businesses than to auctions for items that might actually be dangerous. If they do decide to go after you or the seller, though, they will cancel the auction and may also suspend your accounts.

Fraud.

eBay runs remarkably well considering how unregulated it is, but there are still fraudsters. If you are a victim of fraud - for example, you pay for an item that never turns up - then SafeHarbor will investigate for you. eBay's standard purchase protection will give you up to $200 back if your claim is successful. Be aware, though, that this can take a few months.

In addition, if you paid by PayPal, then they can usually reverse the transaction relatively easily and get you more (if not all) of your money back. This is another reason why many buyers prefer to use PayPal. Some sellers are a little scared of the effectiveness of the refund system, as they can send out items in good faith only to find that their buyer was fraudulent and the transaction has been reversed. If you're worried about fraud, as a buyer, you should always use PayPal.

What's that? You don't know how to use PayPal? Well, luckily for you, the next article is all about using PayPal to improve your eBay life.

The eBay Buyer's FAQ

2007-07-01T01:17:00.000-07:00

So you have a question? Has something gone very wrong and you don't know what to do? Well, fair enough. Here are the questions that I hear all the time from buyers.

Does eBay have a Customer Service Department I Can Phone?

eBay are notoriously hard to contact, should you ever need to - it sometimes seems like they expect the site to run itself. You can email them, as long as you don't have your heart set on a coherent response go to: http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_us/_base/index.html. You might have better luck in a 'live help' webchat here http://pages.ebay.com/help/basics/n-livehelp.html

Only eBay Power Sellers (sellers with a very high feedback rating) Power Seller Thinking! get to phone customer service. If you really want to try your luck, type 'ebay [your country] phone number' into a search engine and you'll probably find something. Unfortunately, the chances are you'll have gone to all that trouble for the privilege of leaving an answerphone message.

It might seem cruel, but imagine the number of people who would call eBay every day with the silliest questions if they gave out their phone number everywhere. Its Wild West nature is, in a way, part of its charm.

eBay Sent Me an Email Saying They're Going to Close My Account. What Should I Do?

This email asks for your password, right? It's a scam, an attempt to frighten you, make you give up your details and then steal your account. eBay will never ask for your password or any other account details by email. eBay say that you should only ever enter your password on pages that whose addresses start with http://signin.ebay.com/. They even offer a special 'Account Guard' as part of their toolbar, which lets you check that you're not giving your password to a dodgy fake site. You can read more here: http://pages.ebay.com/toolbar/accountguard_1.html.

It Seems Too Good to be True. How Does eBay Make Money?

For you, the buyer, eBay is free. Sellers, though, pay all sorts of fees: a listing fee for each item they list, a final value fee (a percentage of what the item sold for). They can they pay optional fees for extra services, including Buy it Now, extra pictures, reserve prices, highlighting the auction, putting it in bold, listing it first in search results or even putting it on the front page. You can see a full list of fees at http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/fees.html.

It's obviously worth it to the sellers, though, or they wouldn't carry on using eBay. The system is quite efficient, and basically forces both eBay and the sellers to keep their profit margins as low as possible - otherwise prices will simply go too high and the buyers will stop buying.

How Safe is eBay?
Well, as it happens, that's the subject of our next email! All of eBay's safety services for buyers and sellers are in one place, called 'SafeHarbor'. SafeHarbor handles fraud prevention and investigation, helps with dispute resolution and keeps rule-breakers in check. Read all about it next time, and be safe.

You Won that eBay Auction! Now What Do You Do?

2007-07-01T00:35:00.000-07:00

It's a heady feeling when you win your first eBay auction: a mixture of happiness and perhaps just a little fear. After all, there seems to be so much to do before you can actually get your item. What do you do next?

The simple answer is: you send payment to the seller, as quickly as possible. The quicker you pay, the more your seller will like you, and the sooner your item will arrive. But how you go about it? That all depends on how you plan to pay.

PayPal.

PayPal is one of the most popular options for paying on eBay, to the point where eBay decided to buy the company. It allows instant electronic payment across the Internet. Money goes instantly from your credit or debit card to the seller's PayPal account, where they can either use it for Internet purchases or transfer it out to their bank.

eBay offer incentives for using PayPal, and almost all sellers now accept it. Its instant nature makes sellers very happy, and means that they can have your item packed and sent and leave you some positive feedback within a few hours of the auction ending. When paying by PayPal, you will be covered by PayPal's own insurances and guarantees, as well as any that your card might have.

Cheques and Money Orders.

This is payment the old-fashioned way, and will lead to a long wait to your item. You need to post the cheque or money order, then the seller has to take it to the bank and get it cleared, and only then do they send the item. The only reason to use this method is if either you or the seller distrusts electronic payment methods. If you're willing to go to the trouble with these sellers, though, you might get an item very cheaply, as most buyers just can't be bothered.

When you pay by cheque or money order, make sure to print the eBay order confirmation page (it will be emailed to you) and put it in the envelope with your payment. Underline or circle key information like your mailing address and the item number. Finally, remember to be patient: keep in contact with the seller, as it really can take a month or two before everything falls into place and your item turns up.

Money Transfers and Bank Deposits.

Some sellers may ask you to pay them using a wire service like Western Union, or simply give you a bank account number and ask you to pay money into it. Unless you really trust the seller, this is generally a bad idea - these methods are hard to trace and you're unlikely to get any money back if anything goes wrong. Paying in cash, it hardly needs to be said, is an even worse idea.

It's all a lot to take in, isn't it? I'm sure by now you've got a few questions, which is why the next email will be a little eBay buyer's FAQ. Let's hope we can solve any problems you might have.

When and How to Withdraw Your eBay Bid (and Why You Might Not Want To)

2007-07-01T00:20:00.000-07:00

eBay are a little strict about letting you withdraw your bid. They call it a 'bid retraction', and have a stringent set of conditions that you must meet before you are allowed to do it. Here are eBay's three acceptable reasons for withdrawing a bid.

You made a typographical error: This means that you accidentally typed the wrong amount into the bid box, bidding a far higher price than you meant to. This can be scary: imagine bidding $100 and accidentally adding an extra '0'! You are entirely allowed to withdraw your bid in this situation, and bid again if you want to.

The item's description changed: If you bid on something and then the seller updates the description, you have the right to withdraw your bid. It wouldn't be fair, after all, to force you to take something that you now realise you don't want.

The seller is uncontactable: If emails to the seller bounce and they don't answer their phone, then the auction obviously can't continue, and you can cancel it.

So How Do I Retract My Bid?

eBay hide away the bid retraction form a bit, because they don't like people using it. You can find it by going here: http://cgi1.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?RetractBidShow.

Now all you need is the item number from your auction: this can be found on the item description page's top right corner. If you can't see it on the page, look in your browser's title bar, and in any emails eBay have sent you about your bid on the item. Choose one of the three allowed reasons, click 'retract bid', and you're done.

Are There Any Consequences?

Well yes, there are. The more unethical among you might have considered that you could just cancel bids anytime you feel like it by saying that you accidentally entered the wrong amount. eBay are one step ahead of you. Each time you retract a bid, it is counted on your feedback page for all to see - and anyone with a lot of retracted bids looks more than a little dodgy. eBay also say that abusing the bid retraction feature could get you banned.

So is there a way to retract your bid without facing a penalty? There is if your seller is nice, and most are. Sellers can cancel bids on their auctions at any time, and if you email them with a half-decent excuse then most will be more than happy to do this for you. After all, it's not in their interest for their item to go to someone who won't like it, as you might leave negative feedback.

Of course, retracting your bid should still be a rare thing: you won't win auctions that way! If you've followed us this far, the chances are you've won an auction by now, or you're close - but you might be a little puzzled about what to do next. Our next email will give you a few pointers.

eBay Auction Buyer's Tips and Tricks

2007-06-30T23:18:00.000-07:00

eBay isn't just an auction and a marketplace: often it can feel quite a lot like a game. Like any game, you can get ahead if you think strategically, using your head to outwit the other buyers and get the best price. Here are a few things you can try.

Shop in the Summer.

This is simple, but effective. Summer is the quiet season on eBay - almost everything sells for less. While everyone else is out enjoying the sun, invest a little time to find some real bargains.

Beat Them by a Few Cents.

Outbid people by a few cents instead of a few dollars - if they don't check back before the auction ends, then you will be the winner. To avoid people using this tactic on you, though, always bid strange, hard-to-guess amounts instead of round numbers.

Play Dirty.

If you know when the auction ends, you can get in there at the very last second and outbid your rivals. The chances are that they won't have the time to sit in front of the auction waiting for it to end - as a rule, he who stays wins. If someone else does retaliate at the end of the auction, though, try not to get carried away in those last few seconds and end up paying too much!

Take Risks.

This is a strategy for the braver eBay buyer. All of the advice you will see for eBay beginners tells you to buy items that have good pictures, clear descriptions, trustworthy sellers and all the rest. If you're brave, why not take a risk and do the exact opposite?

Many buyers won't want that item from the seller with a feedback rating of 5, no picture and a one-line description. If you take a calculated risk and bid anyway, you might be able to make a tiny bid and win by default. There are people on eBay who make their living from winning auctions like these, taking good pictures of the item, writing a good description and then reselling it at a huge profit. Be careful, though: do this for long enough, and you will inevitably lose your money at some point. It's especially unwise to try it with very high-value items.

Avoid Bidding Wars.

There are few things on eBay that are so rare that you'll only see them once and never again. There are usually quite a few sellers who have an item. What's more, they will generally have more than one to sell, even if they haven't listed them all at once. Always check your seller's history to see whether they sell your item all the time - and if they do, then wait for the next one instead of bidding to the skies.

Now, there may come a time in your eBay life when you realise that you've screwed up your bid, and you wish there was an 'undo' button. Here's the good news for you: there is! The next email will be all about withdrawing your eBay bids.

When to "Buy Now" and When to Bid

2007-06-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

You will often find yourself facing the choice of whether to pay a fixed price or keep on bidding. This choice might be presented to you in a single auction, or you might be choosing between different auctions of the different types. So should you use that 'Buy it Now' button or keep on trying to outbid everyone else? It's all a question of weighing up the advantages and disadvantages.

Buy it Now.

- The Advantages.

When you use Buy it Now, you know the asking price and you can take some time to decide whether to pay it or not - you can even negotiate. You don't need to keeping your eye on the auction, or get caught up in the last-minute bidding frenzy that is now inevitable on any popular item. Not only that, but the seller will be happy to get a fixed price for their item, and they're likely to nicer to you than usual. Some sellers can be a little resentful when they feel that you got a little too much of a bargain on their item.

- The Disadvantages.

You will almost certainly pay more for the item, especially with more expensive items. Also, it takes some of the fun out of eBay. Aren't you there for an auction, after all? If you want to pay a fixed price then there are thousands of online stores you could be visiting. It's like pressing 'collect' instead of 'gamble' on a fruit machine: it's the boring option. But then, maybe that's what you want.

These rules are relatively constant: there are few times when using Buy it Now would allow you to get something cheaper, or when bidding would be an easier way to do it. In the end, as with so many things in life, it's a simple question of price vs. convenience, and it's up to you.

There are those times, though, when the strategic use of the Buy it Now button can be a useful tool to help you outwit your competition. If the current bid is almost as high as the Buy it Now price, then why bid higher and keep the contest going? Clicking that button is a no-brainer. The same goes for times when a seller has, for some reason, set the Buy it Now price only slightly higher than their starting price for bids. Why bother to go through all the hassle of bidding?

You might also find that there are times when you should leave the Buy it Now button as a last resort: it can be a useful way of ending last-minute contests with a decisive 'this is mine' gesture.

In fact, there are all sorts of tricks you can use on eBay, if you want to get ahead of the game. Remember that most buyers on eBay are casual, and don't know what they're doing: a little knowledge can go a long way in getting you an advantage. Our next email will have a few tips and tricks for you.

Understanding the Different eBay Auction Types

2007-06-21T23:14:00.001-07:00

Over the years, eBay has introduced all sorts of different auction types, in an effort to give people more options when they buy and sell their things on eBay. There are many people who don't like the idea that their item might sell for a far lower price than they intend. Equally, there are people who have hundreds of the same item and don't want to sell them individually. This email gives you an overview of the different kinds of auctions and how to spot them.

Normal Auctions.

These are the bread-and-butter of eBay, the auctions everyone knows: you bid, others outbid you, you outbid them, and the winner gets the item. Simple.

Reserve Auctions.

Reserve auctions are for sellers who don't want their items to sell for less than a certain price - a concept you'll know about if you're familiar with real auctions. They work just like normal auctions on eBay, except that you will be told if your bid has not met the reserve price set by the seller. If no-one is willing to meet this price, then the auction is cancelled, and the seller keeps the item.

You can spot these auctions by looking out for 'Reserve not met' or 'Reserve met' written next to the current bid on an item's description page.

Fixed Price ('Buy it Now') Auctions.

Buy it Now auctions can work in one of two ways. A seller might add a Buy it Now button to a normal auction, meaning that you can choose either to bid normally or to simply pay the asking price and avoid the whole bidding process. Some sellers, though, now cut out the auction process altogether and simply list all their items at fixed price. Recently, eBay added a twist to fixed price auctions: the 'best offer'. This means that you can negotiate a price to someone who offers their items using Buy it Now, which could be a great way to get a bargain on things that don't seem to be selling.

Fixed price auctions are easy to spot, as they have a little 'Buy it Now' logo either next to or instead of the current number of bids on the search listings page.

Multiple Item ('Dutch') Auctions.

These are auctions where a seller is selling more than one of a certain item. Dutch auctions can be done by bidding. Buyers bid a price and say how many items they want, and then everyone pays the lowest price that was bid by one of the winning bidders. If you have trouble getting your head around that, then don't worry - everyone else does too! These auctions are very rare.

What is more common is when a seller has a lot of one item, and lists it using a combination of two auction types: a multiple-item fixed price auction. This just means that they say how many they have, and offer them at a fixed price. You can enter how many you want and then just click Buy it Now to get them.

After all this, you might find yourself facing a dilemma: when you have the option, should you bid, or should you just use Buy it Now and save yourself the hassle? That's what the next email will be about.

How to Check an eBay Seller's Reputation (and Why You Should Do It)

2007-06-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

When you buy something from an eBay seller, you are giving them your money and hoping that you will get something in return. However many guarantees of safety eBay might make to you, nothing is certain: if you just give your money to scammers all the time without doing any checks then the chances are you won't get all of that money back.

That's why you should always check the seller's reputation, or 'feedback rating'. This is a quick and easy-to-read summary of their history as an eBay seller, which gives you some idea of whether or not you should trust them with your money. Buying anything is a calculated risk: you want to minimise that risk.

How to Check Feedback Ratings.

On each item's description page, there is a box in the top-right hand corner about the seller, with the title 'Seller information'. This contains the seller's name, their feedback score, and their positive feedback percentage, as well as any stars they have earned.

Different coloured stars are given to eBay sellers depending on their rating, in this sequence: yellow, blue, turquoise, purple, red, green, shooting yellow, shooting turquoise, shooting purple, shooting red. Anyone with a 'shooting' star is an experienced eBay member who you should be able to trust.

If you click on the seller's name, you can get to a more detailed view of their reputation - their 'member profile' page. This page shows the total number of people who gave them a positive or negative rating, as well as a breakdown by time. You can also see a complete history of all the comments that have ever been left about them, with the most recent first.

What to Look For.

You might assume that anyone with a very high number can be trusted, but that isn't always true. It is more important to look at their positive feedback percentage - and you should really consider anything below 99% to be a red flag and investigate further.

Take a look through the first visible page with the most recent transactions: are there any negative comments? What do they say? Take others' experiences into account, as they could happen to you if you deal with this person. Be careful not to punish sellers unfairly, however, if they did bad things in their past on eBay but have improved since. You should look at the breakdown by time and ignore any negative feedback that was left a long time ago. Equally, though, you should sit up and pay attention if a seller seems to have been left an out-of-character amount of bad feedback in the last month or so.

Now that you know who to trust, it is worth learning a little more about how the different kinds of auctions work, so that you don't accidentally slip up and make yourself and your feedback page look bad. Our next email will be about the different kinds of auctions you can expect to encounter during your time on eBay.

Your Rights as an eBay Buyer

2007-06-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

When you buy things on eBay, you pay the seller before they send you anything. This means that you, as a buyer, are vulnerable to all sorts of problems. You might not get the items you have paid for, or they might be damaged or faulty. Luckily, you have two very important rights when you buy on eBay.

The Right to Receive Your Item.

Maybe the seller never sent the item, or maybe it got lost in the post. Whatever happened, you paid for the item. If it doesn't arrive in the post as described, you have the right to a replacement or a refund, whether it's the seller's fault or not.

The fact that you bought something on eBay doesn't mean that you don't have the exact same rights that you would have if you bought it in a shop (these rights are pretty much the same all over the world). Plus, under eBay's rules, the seller isn't allowed to change their mind about selling you the item: once the auction ends, it becomes a contract - you must buy and they must sell, or face eBay's penalties.

The Right for Your Item to Be as Described in the Auction.

Sometimes sellers don't wrap items properly, and so they get broken. Occasionally they write descriptions that are misleading or just plain wrong to begin with, leaving out vital details that would have caused you to change your mind about buying. If this happens to you, you again have the right to a replacement or a refund.

So How Do I Use My Rights?

First, you should take it up with the seller - most will be responsive, as do not want to have their reputation damaged when an upset buyer leaves negative feedback for all their future buyers to see. If that doesn't work, report them to eBay.

While eBay don't have many people handling complaints, they do have a relatively effective set of automatic process to handle common problems buyers and sellers have with one another.

Finally, if that doesn't work, then you should seek advice from consumer groups in your country, and as a last resort from the police. You should never have to get this far, though: problems on eBay that can't be resolved easily are extremely rare.

Don't Be Too Quick.

Remember not to get too annoyed and be unfair to the seller: nice sellers have agreed to give me refunds for undelivered items, only for me to find out a few weeks later that they were being held for me at the post office! Always try your best to communicate and think of everything that might have gone wrong: eBay works best when buyers and sellers sort out their problems together, instead of reporting each other to the authorities straight away.

More often that not receiving what they paid for, buyers have an altogether different problem: they knew what they were paying for, but didn't realise that what they were paying for was overpriced, low quality or a scam. The next email will give you a list of tips on how to avoid being ripped off on eBay.

10 Tips for Increasing Your eBay Response

2007-06-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

So you've got the buyer in front of your auction, and they've read the description. They're must be interested, or they wouldn't be looking… but just how can you push them over that line and make them leave a bid? Read on for some tips.

Improve your picture: In all that description writing, you might have missed the vital importance of your item's picture. A picture with bad lighting or an intrusive background looks amateurish and won't make anyone want to buy from you.

Add an About Me page: You'll be surprised how much you can reassure bidders just by creating an About Me page and putting a little bit about yourself on your business on there. You can also have a few special offers there for people who bother to look at the page, and let people subscribe to your mailing list so that you can email them updates.

Use SquareTrade: Signing up at SquareTrade and displaying their logo on your auctions shows that you are committed to have them resolve any disputes that arise. You always see this on PowerSellers auctions - it makes you look more professional.

Write terms and conditions: Have the 'small print' clearly visible on all your auctions, giving details of things like shipping times and prices, your refund policy, and any other business practices you might have. This helps build confidence with buyers.

Show off your feedback: Copy and paste a selection of the feedback comments you're most proud of to each item's description page, instead of making bidders go and look for it. If you have 100% positive feedback, be sure to write that on every auction too.

Add NR to your titles: If you have extra space in a title, put 'NR' (no reserve) on the end. Bidders prefer auctions that don't have a reserve price, and doing this lets them see that yours don't.

Benefits not features: Make sure your description focuses on the benefits that your item can give to the customer, not just its features. This is a classic sales technique. If you have trouble with this, remember: 'cheap' is a feature, 'save money' is a benefit.

List more items: If you want more people to respond to your items, then list more items! You might find you have better like listing items at the same time, instead of one-by-one. There's no need to use a Dutch auction - you can just keep two or three auctions going at once for an item you have more than one of in stock.

Accept unusual payment methods: To reach those last few buyers, accept payment methods that many sellers don't, like cheques.

Buy some upgrades: The best upgrade is the most expensive one, which makes your item appear first in search results. In crowded categories, you might find that this is worth the money.

Once you've got some buyers, you want to keep them coming back to you. The next email will show you how to turn one-time buyers into long-term customers.

eBay Description Writing Tips - 2

2007-06-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

Once you've drawn the buyers in with your title, the next thing to do is to tell them all about your item with the description. But just what should you write in your description?

At its heart, your item description is an ad. Without making it too obvious, you should be writing sales copy. You're trying to get buyers excited about your products, and that's usually hard - but on eBay, if you have the right thing to sell and give enough details, the buyers almost excite themselves.

Technical Details.

Include every technical detail you know, including the item's manufacturer, its condition, how big it is, where and when it was made, its history, and anything else special about it. Don't be too boring, though: the best descriptions are written in friendly, conversational language, and show a real knowledge of the item. Whatever you do, make sure you tell the truth!

Remember that most of the people who'll be buying your item will be just as knowledgeable about it as you are, if not more - this is their hobby, and they're experts. Don't feel like you need to explain the basics of the item: just go into as much technical detail as you can. As a rule, don't write anything in the description if you don't know what it means, as the chances are someone will, and if you've got it slightly wrong then you'll look like you don't know what you're talking about.

Interesting Details.

You might find that you enjoy writing a few things about how you got the item, why you're selling it, and who you think might like it. This isn't strictly necessary, but it gives your auctions some character and a personal touch, and can make people more likely to trust you. People might wonder what you're doing selling 500 CDs all at once, and if you tell them the reason, then they'll feel reassured that nothing dodgy is going on. If you're selling them because you're having a baby and you need the space, just say so.

Write as Much as You Can.

Leave nothing out of your description, even if that seems to you like it makes it cumbersomely long. There is no way you can be too thorough: someone, somewhere will appreciate that you took the time to write the extra information.

Don't assume that anyone who wants extra information will email you to ask a question: many buyers are shy and won't do it. Think of questions that buyers might have and add the answers to your description, as people generally tend to ask the same questions over and over again.

Each time a buyer does email you with a question, you should both answer their question and update your description so that it will include the answer next time. If people ask questions that are answered in the description, try putting these parts of the auction on a line alone, or in bold, to make them easier to notice.

In the next email, we'll focus on increasing the number of buyers who respond to your auctions.

eBay Title Writing Tips - 1

2007-06-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

Trying to be help your buyers find your auctions can be a truly daunting task. Most people only search eBay by title, not by description, and that means that you only have those 55 characters of the title to cover all the possible search terms. That's not easy. In this email, I'll give you a few pointers.

Don't bother with eBay clichés: There are plenty of eBay auction titles that say things like "Super rare camera wow look low price". These are stupid things to put in your title, as no-one is going to search for them.

Think like a buyer: If you were looking for your item, then what exactly would you type into that box? If you think it'd help, try searching yourself to find someone else selling your item. What were the first things you thought of typing?

Think like other sellers: Keep an eye on which sellers are doing best with items like yours, and try to copy their title styles - if it works for them, it can work for you.

Be specific: You should be sure to write the item's brand and specific model number in the title, as people will often search only for this information. Make sure that you also say exactly what the item is.

A Few Examples.

Here are a few examples of good titles. They're real, and they're on eBay right now, making their sellers money. So what makes them good?

"Dell Latitude Laptop P3 500mhz Notebook PC Computer"

If you know about computers, you'll know instantly what this auction is selling. It has manufacturer (Dell) and product line (Latitude), followed by a few technical specifications (P3 500mhz is the processor speed). Notice also that the title includes the four words 'laptop', 'notebook', 'PC' and 'computer', as the seller wants people looking for any of those words to see his auction.

"OASIS Don't Believe the Truth CD Album (New)"

This auction for a CD is well formatted: it gives the artist name in capital letters, followed by the album name. It then manages to include the two key words 'CD' and 'album', as well as the word 'new' - that means that anyone searching for 'new oasis cd', 'oasis new album' and so on will find this auction.

"1840 Penny Black stamp, certificate, four margins"

Here's a slightly more obscure one, from the exciting world of stamp collecting. A penny black is one of the oldest and most famous stamps. It uses a few key words that collectors will consider important: 'four margins' indicates that the stamp has been cut out with some margins around it and so isn't damaged, and 'certificate' tells you that the item has a certificate of authenticity - it's a real penny black. Remember to use every bit of space to squeeze in as much important information as you can in the title.

So now that you've written a winning title, you need to start on a great description. The next email will show you how.

How to Choose the Right eBay Product Category

2007-06-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

Some people think it's easy to choose the right eBay category, and often it is. Sometimes, though, it might not be quite clear exactly what to go for.

Why is it Even Important?

Plenty of people use the category system to find items, when they're not looking for something specific. If your item is listed in the wrong category - or you've just given up and listed it in 'Everything Else' - then these people aren't going to find your auction.

Also, listing items in the wrong categories is against eBay's rules, and eBay say they will remove any auctions that are wrongly categorised. They don't often actually do this, but it's not worth the risk - especially since breaking any rules can cause them to penalise your account, including losing PowerSeller status if you have it.

So What Can You Do?

eBay will suggest categories for you when you sell your item, if you type in a few words to describe the item on the category selection page and click 'search'. You can make the best of this feature by typing in exactly what your item is, with brand name and model number (if any), so that eBay can find the best category for you.

If that doesn't work for you, then search yourself for items like yours, and pay attention to which category most of them seem to be in (you can see this near the top of each item's description page). Try different words and see which ones come back with the most results. You can also browse through all the available categories from eBay's front page.

Remember that the more specific the category is, the better - use as many subcategories as are appropriate. Don't just list your HP laptop in the 'Computers' category, for example - list it in 'Computers > Laptops > HP'. Don't worry: your item will still appear in the 'Computers' category, as well as 'Computers > Laptops', because items listed in subcategories are always listed in every category above.

Take some time to look through all the categories and get familiar with the way eBay as a whole is laid out. After all, that's better than getting a few months down the line and finding that you still think of eBay's category system like it's some kind of scary jungle.

What if More Than One Category Fits?

Don't worry, eBay have you covered. For a small extra fee, you can list your item in an extra category, to increase the number of potential buyers who will see it. This isn't always worth it, though - some items only really fit properly in one category, and listing them in extra categories is just a waste.

Once you know where to list your item, the next step is to write your auction's title. The title is the most important thing about your auction - the difference between a good title and a bad title can be the difference between $10 and $100. That's why I'll take you through the dos and don'ts in the next email.

An Introduction to Bidding and Buying on eBay.

2007-06-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that whenever you open a newspaper, watch the TV or have a conversation, people seem to be talking about eBay? If you've never used it and you've no idea what it's all about, then the chances are that you're starting to feel a little left out. But don't worry! This email contains everything you need to know about the basics of bidding and buying on eBay.

So What is eBay?

eBay is an online auction website - and not just any auction site, but the biggest one in the world. If you know how an auction works, then you already know how roughly eBay works. Someone adds something they want to sell to the site, and then buyers come along and place bids on it. The highest bid wins the item! It's that simple.

eBay being an online auction makes a big difference, though. Buying and selling are not reserved for any elite. eBay accept almost any item, no matter how small, and will then advertise it on their sites all over the world. It's a powerful combination of an auction and a slightly chaotic marketplace.

What is Bidding?

Bidding is when you say how much you will pay for an item in an auction. Bidding on eBay, however, doesn't work in exactly the same way as a normal auction, at least in theory. On eBay, you tell the site what the maximum you are willing to pay for each item is, and then eBay places the bids on your behalf. That means you could say you were willing to pay up to $100 for something and only have to pay $50, if that was the highest maximum bid anyone else placed.

It's not as complicated as it sounds - the best way to get used to it is to give it a try. First, the best thing to do is to go to the eBay website designed for your country. If you don't know the address for it, just go to www.ebay.com and it will tell you there. Now, on the front page you should see a big box marked 'search': just type in anything that you'd like to buy there.

Wasn't that easy? Now you should have a list of items for sale in front of you, along with how much people are currently bidding for them and the time when bidding ends for each item. If you click one of these, you can read the description, and then - if you're happy with the item and happy to pay more than the current highest bidder is - you can bid!

How Do I Bid?

Go ahead and scroll down to the bottom of an item's description page, and type the maximum you are willing to pay (your maximum bid) into the box. Then simply press the 'place bid' button - you will need to sign in once you press the button, or go through a quick registration process if you don't have an eBay username).

If someone else's maximum bid on that item is higher than yours, then eBay will tell you and give you the opportunity to bid again. Otherwise, you're now the new highest bidder! All you need to do now is wait until the end of the auction - if someone else outbids you, then eBay will email you and you can bid again.

All sounds great, doesn't it? But by now you might be wondering whether a site as chaotic as eBay can really be all that safe to buy from. That's why the next email in this series will be about your rights when you buy from eBay.

Taming the eBay Search Engine

2007-06-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

If you know what you're doing, you can quickly find what you're looking for on eBay - and the more you know about how buyers find you, the easier you'll find it to be found. Here are a few golden searching rules.

Be specific: If you're searching for the first edition of the original Harry Potter book, you'll get further searching for 'harry potter rowling philosopher's stone first edition' than you will searching for 'harry potter'. You'll get fewer results, but the ones you do get will be far more relevant.

Spell wrongly: It's a sad fact that many of the sellers on eBay just can't spell. Whatever you're looking for, try thinking of a few common misspellings - you might find a few items here that have slipped through the cracks.

Get a thesaurus: You should try to search for all the different words that someone might use to describe an item, for example searching for both 'TV' and 'television', or for 'phone', 'mobile' and 'cellphone'. Where you can, though, leave off the type of item altogether and search by things like brand and model.

Use the categories: Whenever you search, you'll notice a list of categories at the side of your search results. If you just searched for the name of a CD, you should click the 'CDs' category to look at results in that category only. Why bother looking through a load of results that you don't care about?

Don't be afraid to browse: Once you've found the category that items you like seem to be in, why not click 'Browse' and take a look through the whole category? You might be surprised by what you find.

Few people realise just how powerful eBay's search engine is - a few symbols here and there and it'll work wonders for you.

Wildcard searches: You can put an asterisk (*) into a search phrase when you want to say 'anything can go here'. For example, if you wanted to search for a 1950s car, you could search for 'car 195*'. 195* will show results from any year in the 1950s.

In this order: If you put words in quotes ("") then the only results shown will be ones that have all of the words between the quote marks. For example, searching for "Lord of the Rings" won't give you any results that say, for example "Lord Robert Rings".

Exclude words: Put a minus, and then put any words in brackets that you don't want to appear in your search results. For example: "Pulp Fiction" -(poster,photo) will find items related to Pulp Fiction but not posters or photos.

Either/or: If you want to search for lots of words at once, just put them in brackets: the TV example from earlier could become '(TV,television)', which would find items with either word.

Don't get too tied up learning the ways of the search engine, though: a surprising number of eBay users don't search at all, preferring to look through eBay's category system and save their favourites in their browser. The next email will show you how to make sure these people can find you too.

How to Use eBay to Grow Your Other Businesses

2007-06-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

Most of the people who make money from eBay don't actually make all of that money on eBay. There are all sorts of ways you can use eBay to give your existing businesses a helping hand.

The Supply Side.

If you have any leftover stock or used items from another business you run, then why not sell them on eBay? You can make this a regular thing, using it to get rid of things that won't sell for the premium you ask for in a shop, or items that are no longer in demand in the town or city where your business is based.

You can really make a lot of money this way, if you know what you're doing. You will, of course, already be an expert in the items you're selling, as you use them in your business, and you'll know that the items are of high enough quality to be sellable. This is a whole new market for your old inventory!

Not only that, of course, but remember that your good eBay reputation will make you a great buyer! If there's ever anything you want to get for your business, the chances are you'll be able to get it on eBay for a discount.

The Sales Side.

Here, though, is where the true power of eBay lies. eBay give you an 'About Me' page, where you can write anything you like and link anywhere you like. This means that you can get traffic to your business' website by linking to your website from your About Me page and linking to your About Me page from each auction.

To create an About Me page, just click on 'Community' on the toolbar, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click 'Create an About Me page'. You then get the option to either enter your own HTML or let eBay guide you through the process. All you need to do is write a little about your website, link to it, and you're done - you'll notice that more people start to come to your site straight away.

There are thousands of people who swear by this technique to drive traffic from eBay to their website - with a little persuasive sales copy on your site, they say, you can sell directly to buyers, cutting out the eBay middleman. What's more, all the traffic you'll get will be targeted - because the people who click through were interested in your auction to begin with.

This can be a really powerful technique, especially if you've already got an e-commerce site. Even if you haven't, you might find it worth your time to set up a website that does nothing but list your eBay inventory with a few dollars off each item, with a PayPal 'Buy Now' button for each item. Then simply make the link to your About Me page read 'Visit my website for even more bargains!', and you're done.

Now that you've seen how to drive visitors to your website, maybe you'd like a little help getting your auction in front of buyers. That's why our next email will show you the secrets of taming the eBay search engine.

How to Think Like an eBay PowerSeller

2007-06-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

So what's a PowerSeller? PowerSellers are the people on eBay who've made it, recognisable by the little 'PowerSeller' badge next to their name. You've probably seen these people around - and to succeed on eBay, you want to think the way they do.

How to People Get the Right to Call Themselves PowerSellers?

eBay gets to decide who can be a PowerSeller and who can't, and they have strict requirements. To get in at the minimum PowerSeller level, you must have a feedback rating of at least 100 (minimum 98% positive) and sell at least $1,000 worth of items every month for three months in a row. There are different levels of PowerSeller membership as you sell items of greater value: $1,000 total is bronze, $3,000 is silver, $10,000 is gold, $25,000 is platinum and $125,000 is titanium.

If PowerSellers ever fail to meet the required amount of sales, or their feedback falls below 98% positive, then they lose their PowerSeller status. In short, the only people who get to be PowerSellers on eBay are the people who have been successful for a good while, and are on track to stay that way.

The Shop and the Marketplace.

This is the most important part of understanding how PowerSellers think. They don't see what they're doing as being some random bazaar, or a hobby - instead, they see themselves as a business.

Put it like this. If you run a stall in a marketplace, the chances are that you have a general area of business, but you mostly just sell whatever you can get your hands on that week. If your dodgy buddy got his hands of a job lot of something at a discount, then that's what you'll be selling. This might be fun - and when you have a good week, you'll have a really good week - but it's no way to run a real business in the long-term.

PowerSellers think far more like shops. They sell the same things again and again, every week - regular stock for regular customers. They do 'boring' business things like keep inventories and budgets. They know what they're going to be selling, how much they buy it for and how much they expect to sell for. Just like a real shop, there can be hard times sometimes, but their income is stable and their business can grow slowly.

The best advice I can give you on thinking like a PowerSeller is this: don't take long-term risks for short-term gain. Look after your reputation, manage your selling properly, provide good customer service and the rewards will come to you in due course. And you'll get a little badge next to your name that makes people trust you more!

One possibility that you might have realised so far is what eBay can do for any other businesses you might have. Remember, millions of people visit eBay every day - why keep everything separate when you're starting to tap into that kind of power? The next email will show you a few ways you can use eBay to grow your other businesses.

eBay - Part Time or Full Time

2007-06-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

Going full-time as an eBay seller is living the dream: making a real income, working from home, being your own boss and all the rest of it. It's the promise of a million scams, and it's finally come true - at least for some.

What they don't tell you in the success stories, though, is that becoming a full-time eBay seller is by no means for everyone. You really, really ought to try it part-time before you even consider taking it up full-time, and even then, caution is advisable. Before you burn your suit, here's a list of questions you should ask yourself.

How Much Do I Earn From eBay Now?

Work out how many hours a week you spend doing eBay-related things (be honest here), and divide it by the average amount of profit you make in a week. If you were doing full-time hours, would you earn as much as you earn now?

Do I Have a Good Job?

Think about what you might lose if you give up your job to focus on eBay. If you're in a well-paid job with good promotion prospects then it's well worth reconsidering: you might get a few years down the line and wish you'd stayed in your traditional job, as you'd probably be the CEO by now.

Would I Really Make Much More Money?

Unless you're selling a large quantity of small goods, most of what you do on eBay will be waiting for auctions to end - and you can wait at work just as easily as you can at home. This is why whether you would make more money on eBay really depends on what kinds of items you're selling - for low value items, going full-time could be a good move. For high-value ones, the chances are you'll hit the limits of how much money you have to invest in inventory long before you hit the limits on your time.

Is my Home a Good Place to Work?

Quite apart from anything else, you might find that the dream of home working is more of a nightmare in reality. People can start to depend on you to get things done that need to be done during the day. If you have a wife and children then they can resent the fact that you're in the house but refuse to have anything to do with them for large parts of the day. Giving in to any of these things and stopping work for a while will cause your profits to fall.

Can I Survive if it All Goes Wrong?

In the end, would you be able to get by if you had a month or two where you sold literally nothing? Or would you be desperately looking around for a job and cursing the day you ever discovered eBay? That's the real test.

If you made it through all these questions, then I guess you're cut out for the eBay life - and even if you didn't, you'd be surprised just how far you can get part-time. In our next email, we'll show you how to think like the eBay elite: the PowerSellers.

10 Steps to Successful Selling on eBay.

2007-06-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

So you want to be a successful seller with your own eBay business, do you? Here's a simple, ten-step path to eBay enlightenment.

Step 1: Identify your market. Take a while to sit and watch for what sells and what doesn't out of the items you're interested in. Any market research data you can collect will be very useful to you later on. You'll probably see the 'sweet spots' quite quickly - those one or two items that always seem to sell for a good price.

Step 2: Watch the competition. Before you invest any money, see what the other sellers in your category are up to, and what their strategies are. Pay special attention to any flaws their auctions might have, because this is where you can move in and beat them at their own game.

Step 3: Find a product: Get hold of a supplier for whatever it is you want to sell, and see what the best rates you can get are - don't be afraid to ring round quite a few to get the best deal. If the eBay prices you've seen are higher than the supplier's, then you're set.

Step 4: Start small: Don't throw thousands at your idea straight away - get started slowly, see what works and what doesn't, and learn as you go. Remember that it's very cheap to try out even the craziest ideas on eBay, and who knows, they might just work!

Step 5: Test and repeat. Keep trying different strategies until you find something that works, and then don't be ashamed to keep doing it, again and again. The chances are that you've just found a good niche.

Step 6: Work out a business plan: A business plan doesn't need to be anything formal, just a few pages that outline the market opportunity you've spotted, your strategy, strengths and weaknesses of the plan and a brief budget. This is more for you than it is for anyone else.

Step 7: Invest and expand: This is the time to throw money at the problem. Buy inventory, and start spending more time on your business. Set a goal number of sales each week, increasing it each time.

Step 8: Make it official: Once you've made a few thousand dollars worth of sales, you should really register yourself as a business. Don't worry, it's not expensive or hard to do - a lawyer is the best person to help you through the process.

Step 9: Automate: You'll probably find that you're writing the same things again and again in emails or item descriptions. This is the time to give up on the manual method and turn to automated software that can create listings for you, and respond to completed auctions and payments with whatever message you provide.

Step 10: Never give up: Even when it looks like it's all going wrong, don't stop trying until you succeed. If you keep working at it then you'll almost always find that you make a real breakthrough just when things are starting to look desperate.

Once you get into the swing of things, you might start thinking that you should quit your job and take up eBay selling part time. But it's not always as easy as that - there are all sorts of factors that you need to consider. The next email will weigh up the case for and against taking up eBay full-time.

10 Sure-fire Ways to Kill Your eBay Business.

2007-06-06T22:52:00.001-07:00

It's surprisingly easy to kill your eBay business, if you're not careful - sure, you can start over from scratch without it costing you anything, but do you really want to? Still, if you want your business to end up dead in the water, here are some simple ways to do it.

Lie about an item: Say it works fine when it sometimes doesn't work. Say it's in perfect condition when it has a scratch. Your customers will hate you!

Post whenever you feel like it: Make sure to leave your customers hanging around, wondering when their item is going to turn up. This makes sure they buy from someone else next time.

Let items end anytime: Few people will be around to care about your auction if it ends in the middle of the night. Why go to the trouble of working out whether auctions will end at a good time?

Don't bother with email: Customers are just timewasters anyway. eBay businesses are supposed to run themselves! Never give informed responses to questions about your item.

Sell rubbish: Really, it's just eBay. You can just sell any old tat from the market for a 200% profit. Let quality be someone else's concern - I mean, really, what do they expect for that price?

Refuse to give discounts: You know what your items cost, you know what your profit margin is going to be, and you're not going to negotiate. Remember that giving customers special deals might make them feel good and come back to you again.

Make your listings ugly: As many colours, flashing lights and animations as possible will really give those customers a headache. Write as much in CAPITALS!!!! as you can. Preferably big, red capitals. Be sure to use the fonts Impact and Comic Sans. For an extra special touch, see if you can figure out a way to add some music.

Don't take photos: It's such trouble, after all. If buyers are picky enough to actually want to see items before they bid on them, then screw 'em, that's what I say.

Write short descriptions: Be as brief as possible, and use lots of mysterious abbreviations. This obviously makes you look very cool. You can even just write the title again in the description box. Think of the effort you'll save!

Use reserve auctions: Now, this is a fairly controversial final choice, but it really is one of the best ways to scare away your customers. They'll see 'reserve not yet met', and click that 'back' button before you know it. Luckily, they can always bid in a normal auction for the item somewhere else.

Now that you know the ten ways to kill your eBay business, how about we explore what to do if you want to do the opposite, and make a success of it? The next email will give you ten steps to successful selling on eBay.

EBay Customer Always Right ?

2007-05-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

I can answer this question for you right now: the answer is 'yes'. In fact, the answer is 'YES!' - the biggest yes you've ever heard. Of the course the customer is always right. If you want to be a successful eBay seller, you should go miles out of your way to make sure every single one of your customers is 100% satisfied, however much time or money it might cost you.

A dissatisfied customer will leave negative feedback, and negative feedback is to be avoided at all costs. That one piece of negative feedback will always cost you more than it would have to deal with the complaint, whatever the value of the items you sell. You should consider any positive feedback percentage under 100% to be an absolute disaster, and a personal failure on your part.

But what if…

But nothing! There is no situation where you, as a seller, should get into any dispute with a buyer. Here are a few common situations and how to handle them.

They say the item never arrived: Politely ask the buyer to wait a few more days to see if it turns up, and then email you again if it still hasn't arrived. If it still hasn't arrived, you should assume it was lost in the post somehow and offer to send a replacement if you have one, or give them a full refund otherwise. No, I don't care what that costs you. Are you serious about selling on eBay or not?

The item has been damaged in the post: You must offer to replace it or take it back for a refund without hesitation.

They say the item doesn't match the description: Resist the urge to email back with "yes it does, you just didn't read the description properly". Take the item back for a refund, and edit your description if you need to, to make any confusing points extra clear.

I'm sure you're spotting a pattern by now. Offering a refund will make almost any problem go away, and it really will cost you less in the long run. Remember, one piece of negative feedback will stay with you forever, while having a 100% positive rating is like owning a bar of solid gold.

You should always handle customers' complaints before they complain to eBay - in fact, you should email them pre-emptively to ask if they have any. Going through the dispute process is time consuming, reflects badly on you and is downright unnecessary.

Are you still not convinced? Think this would only work with cheap items? Well, you see, the higher the price of the items you sell, the more your reputation is worth to you. Let's say you were selling $10,000 worth of items each week, for example, and making a $1,000 profit per week overall. You might think that refunding one customer's $1,000 purchase would be a tragedy, losing you your whole week's profit. It's far better to look at it this way: if you don't give that refund, then not only will you lose the next week's profit, but you'll probably lose a few weeks' profit after that too. Now which option looks better?

I absolutely can't emphasise enough the importance of really believing that the customer is always right. But trying to make excuses for complaints isn't the only thing you need to avoid. There are a lot of pitfalls that you need to avoid if you don't want to kill your business before it's even started properly - and I'll show you in the next email what they are.

Is EBay Reputation Really Worth ?

2007-05-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

Your eBay reputation is everything you are on eBay - without it, you're nothing. Your reputation is worth as much as every sale you will ever make.

If you've ever bought anything on eBay (and the chances are you have), then think about your own behaviour. Buying from a seller with a low feedback rating makes you feel a little nervous and insecure, while buying from a PowerSeller with their reputation in the thousands doesn't require any thought or fear - it feels just like buying from a shop.

A Bad Reputation Will Lose You Sales.

In fact, a bad reputation will lose you almost all your sales. If someone leaves you negative feedback, you will feel the pain straight away, as that rating will go right at the top of your user page for everyone to see. Who's going to want to do business with you when they've just read that you "took a month to deliver the item", or that you had "bad communication and sent a damaged item"? The answer is no-one.

Your next few items will need to be very cheap things, just to push that negative down the page. You might have to spend days or even weeks selling cheap stuff to get enough positive feedback to make anyone deal with you again.

It's even worse if you consistently let buyers leave negative feedback - once you get below 90% positive ratings, you might as well be invisible.

You Can't Just Open a New Account.

Besides eBay's rules about only having one account, there are far more downsides than that to getting a new account. You literally have to start all over again from scratch.

You won't be able to use all the different eBay features. Your existing customers won't be able to find you any more. Your auctions will finish at a lower price because of your low feedback rating. Opening a new account is like moving to a new town to get away from a few people who are spreading rumours about you: it's throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

A Good Reputation Will Get You Sales.

When a PowerSeller tells me something, I tend to believe them. They can be selling a pretty unlikely item, but if they guarantee it is what they say it is, then I trust them - they're not going to risk their reputation, after all. This is the power of a reputation: people know you want to keep it, and they know you'll go to almost any lengths to do so.

This is true even to the point that I would sooner buy something for $20 from a seller I know I can trust than for $15 from someone with average feedback. It's worth the extra money to feel like the seller knows what they're doing, has all their systems in place and will get me the item quickly and efficiently.

You really will find selling on eBay so much easier, and there's only way to get a good reputation: make sure you please your customers every time. But some customers can be, well, just a little difficult to please. In the next email, we ask: is the eBay customer always right?

Checklist For EBay Sellers

2007-05-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

Being a seller is a lot of responsibility, and sometimes you might feel like you're not doing everything you should be. This simple checklist will help you keep on top of things.

Have you found out everything you possibly could about your items? Try typing their names into a search engine - you might find out something you didn't know. If someone else is selling the same thing as you, then always try to provide more information about it than they do.

Do you monitor the competition? Always keep an eye on how much other items the same as or similar to yours are selling, and what prices they're being offered at. There's usually little point in starting a fixed price auction for $100 when someone else is selling the item for $90.

Have you got pictures of the items? It's worth taking the time to photograph your items, especially if you have a digital camera. If you get serious about eBay but don't have a camera, then you will probably want to invest in one at some point.

Are you emailing your sellers? It's worth sending a brief email when transactions go through: something like a simple "Thank you for buying my item, please let me know when you have sent the payment". Follow this up with "Thanks for your payment, I have posted your [item name] today". You will be surprised how many problems you will avoid just by communicating this way.

Also, are you checking your emails? Remember that potential buyers can send you email about anything at any time, and not answering these emails will just make them go somewhere else instead of buying from you.

Do your item description pages have everything that buyers need to know? If you're planning to offer international delivery, then it's good to make a list of the charges to different counties and display it on each auction. If you have any special terms and conditions (for example, if you will give a refund on any item as long as it hasn't been opened), then you should make sure these are displayed too.

Have you been wrapping your items correctly? Your wrapping should be professional for the best impression: use appropriately sized envelopes or parcels, wrap the item in bubble wrap to stop it from getting damaged, and print labels instead of hand-writing addresses. Oh, and always use first class post - don't be cheap.

Do you follow up? It is worth sending out an email a few days after you post an item, saying "Is everything alright with your purchase? I hope you received it and it was as you expected." This might sound like giving the customer an opportunity to complain, but you should be trying to help your customers, not take their money and run.

Being a really good eBay seller, more than anything else, is about providing genuinely good and honest customer service. That's the only foolproof way to protect your reputation. Of course, you might be wondering by now whether it's really worth all the hassle to get a good reputation on eBay. Won't people buy from you anyway, and couldn't you just open a new account if it really comes down to that? Our next email will set you straight.

5 Simple Steps to Posting Your First eBay Auction

2007-05-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

It's surprisingly simple to get started posting your very first auction on eBay. Here's what you need to do.

Step 1: Open an eBay seller's account.

If you've bought things on eBay, then you already have an account - just log in with it and click 'Sell' in the toolbar at the top of the page, then click 'Create a seller's account'. If you've never used eBay before, then you'll need to open an account first using the 'register' link underneath the toolbar, and then click 'Sell' and 'Create a seller's account'. The eBay site will then guide you through the process. For security, this may involve giving card details and bank information.

Step 2: Decide what to sell.

For your first little experiment with eBay, it doesn't really matter what you sell. Take a look around the room you're in - I'm sure there's something in there that you're not all that attached to and could put in the post. Small books and CDs are ideal first items.

Step 3: Submit your item.

Click 'Sell', and you're on your way to listing your item.

The first thing you need to do is choose a category - it's best to just type in what the item is and let eBay choose for you. Next, write a title and description. Include key words you think people will search for in the title box, and all the information you have about the item in the description box.

Now set a starting price. $0.01 is the best starting price, as it draws people in to bid who otherwise wouldn't, and items will almost never finish at such a low price. The next thing to set is the duration of the auction: 3, 5, 7 or 10 days. This is up to you: longer sales will usually get more bids, but will also seem to drag on forever. If you've taken a picture, add it now - items with pictures always sell for more. Finally, tick the payment methods you will accept (just PayPal is best for now), and where you will post to (limit yourself to your own country to begin with). Submit and you're done!

Step 4: Wait for it to sell.

This is just a matter of sitting back and letting eBay do its thing - buyers will find your item and leave bids on it. Some bidders might email you with questions about the item, and you should do your best to answer these questions as quickly as you can.

Remember that if your item doesn't sell then you can list it again for free.

Step 5: Collect payment and post it.

eBay will sent your buyer emails guiding them through the process of sending you payment for the item. Make sure you have the money before you send anything.

Once you've got the payment, all you need to do is pack the item for posting (make sure to use some bubble wrap), take the buyer's address from the confirmation email eBay sent you, and write it on the parcel. Put some stamps on, post it, and you're done!

I hope you enjoyed selling your first item. Now that you're starting to get into it, the next email will give you a checklist of things you need to do to be a successful seller.

Learning the eBay "Lingo"

2007-05-12T01:09:00.000-07:00

Do you have trouble sometimes understanding when people talk about eBay? Don't worry, some of the jargon is really obscure, and you can't be expected to understand it until someone's told you what it means. Here's a little list of some of the most useful lingo to know, but you don't need to memorise it - even the most common jargon is only used relatively rarely.

Words.

Bid: telling eBay's system the maximum price you are prepared to pay for an item.
Dutch: an auction where more than one of an item is available.
Feedback: positive or negative comments left about other users on eBay.
Mint: in perfect condition.
Non-paying bidder: a bidder who wins an auction but does not then go on to buy the item.
PayPal: an electronic payment method accepted by most sellers.
Rare: used and abused on eBay, now entirely meaningless.
Reserve: the minimum price the seller will accept for the item.
Shill bid: a fake bid placed by a seller trying to drive up their auction's price.
Snail Mail: the post, which is obviously very slow compared to email.
Sniping: bidding at the last second to win the item before anyone else can outbid you.

Abbreviations.

AUD: Australian Dollar. Currency.
BIN: Buy it Now. A fixed price auction.
BNWT: Brand New With Tags. An item that has never been used and still has its original tags.
BW: Black and White. Used for films, photos etc.
CONUS: Continental United States. Generally used by sellers who don't want to post things to Alaska or Hawaii.
EUR: Euro. Currency.
FC: First Class. Type of postage.
GBP: Great British Pounds. Currency.
HTF: Hard To Find. Not quite as abused as 'rare', but getting there.
NIB: New in Box. Never opened, still in its original box.
NR: No Reserve. An item where the seller has not set a reserve price.
OB: Original Box. An item that has its original box (but might have been opened).
PM: Priority Mail.
PP: Parcel Post.
SH: Shipping and Handling. The fees the buyer will pay you for postage.
USD: United States Dollars. Currency.
VGC: Very Good Condition. Not mint, but close.

The chances are that you'll find more specific jargon related to whatever you're selling, but it'd be an impossible task to cover it all here. If you can't figure one out from your knowledge of the subject, then type the term into a search engine, followed by the word 'ebay'. The chances are that someone, somewhere will have seen fit to explain it.

While it's good to be able to understand others' jargon, avoid using it unless you really need to (for example, if you run out of space in an item's title). Many people on eBay are not experienced buyers and you will lose them if you write a load of gobbledegook all over your auction.

By now, you're well prepared for eBay life, and you're probably ready to get started with that first auction.

Staying Out of Trouble with eBay's Listing Policies

2007-04-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

While you can sell most things on eBay, quite a few things are banned. If you try to sell any of these things then eBay will remove your auction and all bids will be void.

Here is eBay's full list of prohibited or questionable items:

Academic Software
Airline and Transit Related Items
Alcohol (also see Wine)
Animals and Wildlife Products
Anti-circumvention Policy
Artifacts
Authenticity Disclaimers
Autographed Items
Batteries
Beta Software
Bootleg Recordings
Brand Name Misuse
Catalog Sales
Catalytic Converters and Test Pipes
Celebrity Material
Charity or Fundraising Listings
Comparison Policy
Compilation and Informational Media
Contracts and Tickets
Counterfeit Currency and Stamps
Counterfeit Items
Credit Cards
Downloadable Media
Drugs & Drug Paraphernalia
Electronics Equipment
Embargoed Goods and Prohibited Countries
Encouraging Infringement Policy
Event Tickets
Faces, Names and Signatures
Firearms, Ammunition, Replicas, and Militaria
Fireworks
Food
Freon and Other Refrigerants
Gift Cards
Government IDs and Licenses
Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Items
Human Parts and Remains
Importation of Goods into the United States
International Trading - Buyers
International Trading - Sellers
Lockpicking Devices
Lottery Tickets
Mailing Lists and Personal Information
Manufacturers' Coupons
Mature Audiences
Medical Devices
Misleading Titles
Mod Chips, Game Enhancers, and Boot Discs
Movie Prints
Multi-level Marketing, Pyramid and Matrix Programs
OEM Software
Offensive Material
Pesticides
Plants and Seeds
Police-Related Items
Political Memorabilia
Postage Meters
Pre-Sale Listings
Prescription Drugs and Devices
Promotional Items
Real Estate
Recalled Items
Recordable Media
Replica and Counterfeit Items
Satellite and Cable TV Descramblers
Slot Machines
Stocks and Other Securities
Stolen Property
Surveillance Equipment
Tobacco
Travel
Unauthorized Copies
Used Clothing
Warranties
Weapons & Knives
Wine (also see Alcohol)

Most of this is very obvious - of course you can't sell illegal things like drugs, pyramid schemes or stolen goods. Almost everything that is on the list is there because there is law against selling it. Some of the reasons, though, are a little strange.

The 'autographed items' entry, for example, doesn't mean that you can't sell anything that's been autographed - it just means that you can only sell it if it comes with a certificate of authenticity. The 'artifacts' entry prohibits you from selling Native American graves; 'celebrity material' means you can't sell unauthorised pictures of celebrities; 'embargoed goods' means that you can't sell anything that comes from Cuba… on and on it goes, and most of it you never need to know.

If your chosen kind of item seems to be on the list, though, and you're concerned that you might not be able to sell it, then check the full list at http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/items-ov.html to see whether the item is banned entirely or there are just a few restrictions.

eBay says it will remove any items that it believes violate copyright law, but in reality they don't have that many people to monitor the site. You will generally only find that your auction gets removed if someone decides to report you - and even then, they might not get around to it.

Really, buying and selling on eBay can sometimes feel more complicated than it really is, thanks to all the rules surrounding it - not to mention the jargon.

A Beginner's Guide to the Different eBay Auction Types

2007-04-29T01:13:00.000-07:00

Over the years, eBay has introduced all sorts of different auction types, in an effort to give people more options when they buy and sell their things on eBay.

For every seller who doesn't like the idea that their item might sell for a far lower price than they intend, there's another who wants to shift hundreds of the same item quickly. eBay tries to cater to all tastes. This email gives you an overview of the different kinds of auctions and their advantages for you.

Normal Auctions

These are the bread-and-butter of eBay, the auctions everyone knows: buyers bid, others outbid them, they bid again, and the winner gets the item. Simple.

Reserve Auctions

Reserve auctions are for sellers who don't want their items to sell for less than a certain price - a concept you'll know about if you're familiar with real auctions. They work just like normal auctions on eBay, except that the buyer will be told if their bid does not meet the reserve price you set, and they'll need to bid again if they want the item. If no-one is willing to meet your price, then the auction is cancelled, and you keep the item.

Fixed Price ('Buy it Now') Auctions

Buy it Now auctions can work in one of two ways. You can add a Buy it Now button to a normal auction, meaning that buyers can choose either to bid normally or to simply pay the asking price and avoid the whole bidding process. Some sellers, though, now cut out the auction process altogether and simply list all their items at fixed price. This lets you avoid all the complications of the auction format and simply list your items for how much you want them to sell for.

Recently, eBay added a twist to fixed price auctions: the 'best offer'. This means that buyers can contact you to negotiate a price, which could be a good way to get sell some extra stock at a small discount. The only downside to reserve and fixed price auctions is that you pay a small extra fee to use these formats. In general, it is more worth using reserve auctions for higher-priced items and fixed price auctions for lower-priced ones - but remember that you can combine the two formats.

Multiple Item ('Dutch') Auctions

These are auctions where you can sell more than one of a certain item. Dutch auctions can be done by bidding. Buyers bid a price and say how many items they want, and then everyone pays the lowest price that was bid by one of the winning bidders. If you have trouble getting your head around that, then don't worry - everyone else does too! These auctions are very rare.

What is more common is when a seller has a lot of one item, and lists it using a combination of two auction types: a multiple-item fixed price auction. This just means that you can just say how many of the item you they have, and offer them at a fixed price per unit. Buyers can enter how many they want and then just click Buy it Now to get them.

Now that you know about the different types of auctions, you should make sure that the items you plan to sell don't violate eBay's listing policies. The next email will let you know what's allowed and what is a big no-no.

Getting Started On Ebay

2007-04-06T03:05:00.000-07:00

So you've decided that you want to get started as a seller on eBay. There are a few things that you really need to know before you go and throw yourself in at the deep end.

What to Sell On Ebay

First off, you need to know what it is you're going to sell: what's your speciality? You'll do far better on eBay if you become a great source for certain kind of products, as people who are interested in those products will come back to you again and again. You won't get any loyalty or real reputation if you just sell rubbish at random.

When you think about what to sell, there are a few things to consider. The most important of these is to always sell what you know. If you try to sell something that you just don't know anything about then you'll never write a good description and sell it for a good price.

You might think you're not especially interested in anything, but if you think about what kind of things you usually buy and which websites you go to most often, I'm sure you'll discover some kind of interest. If all else fails mention it to your friends and family: they'll almost certainly say "Oh, well why don't you sell…", and you'll slap your forehead.

Out of the things you know enough about, you should then consider which things you could actually get for a good enough price to resell, and how suitable they would be for posting. If you can think of something of that you're knowledgeable about and it's small and light enough for postage to be relatively cheap, then that's great!

Don't worry if you think the thing you're selling is too obscure - it isn't. There's a market for almost everything on eBay, even things that wouldn't sell once in a year if you stocked them in a shop. You'll probably do even better if you fill a niche than if you sell something common.

Tax and Legal Matters.

If you earn enough money, you should be aware that you're going to have to start paying tax - this won't be done for you. If you decide to sell on eBay on a full-time basis, you should probably register as a business.

Prepare Yourself.

There are going to be ups and downs when you sell on eBay. Don't pack it in if something goes a little wrong in your first few sales: the sellers who are successful on eBay are the ones who enjoy it, and stick at it whatever happens.

Anyone can sell on eBay, if they believe in themselves - and if you do decide it's not for you, then the start-up costs are so low that you won't really have lost anything.

If you're ready to start selling, then the next thing you need to know is the different auction types, so you can decide which ones you will use to sell your items. Our next email will give you a guide.

Income Possibilities With Ebay

2007-04-05T23:29:00.000-07:00

If you've ever read an article about eBay, you will have seen the kinds of incomes people make - it isn't unusual to hear of people making thousands of dollars per month on eBay.

Next time you're on eBay, take a look at how many PowerSellers there are: you'll find quite a few. Now consider that every single one of one of them must be making at least $1,000 per month, as that's eBay's requirement for becoming a PowerSeller. Silver PowerSellers make at least $3,000 each month, while Gold PowerSellers make more than $10,000, and the Platinum level is $25,000. The top ranking is Titanium PowerSeller, and to qualify you must make at least $150,000 in sales every month!

The fact that these people exist gives you come idea of the income possibilities here. Most of them never set out to even set up a business on eBay - they simply started selling a few things, and then kept going. There are plenty of people whose full-time job is selling things on eBay, and some of them have been doing it for years now. Can you imagine that? Once they've bought the stock, everything else is pretty much pure profit for these people - they don't need to pay for any business premises, staff, or anything else. There are multi-million pound businesses making less in actual profit than eBay PowerSellers do.

Even if you don't want to quit your job and really go for it, you can still use eBay to make a significant second income. You can pack up orders during the week and take them down to the post office for delivery each Saturday. There are few other things you could be doing with your spare time that have anywhere near that kind of earning potential.

What's more, eBay doesn't care who you are, where you live, or what you look like: some PowerSellers are very old, or very young. Some live out in the middle of nowhere where selling on eBay is one of the few alternatives to farming or being very poor. eBay tears down the barriers to earning that the real world constantly puts up. There's no job interview and no commuting involved - if you can post things, you can do it.

Put it this way: if you know where to get something reasonably cheaply that you could sell, then you can sell it on eBay - and since you can always get discounts for bulk at wholesale, that's not exactly difficult. Buy a job lot of something in-demand cheaply, sell it on eBay, and you're making money already, with no set-up costs.

If you want to dip your toe in the water before you commit to actually buying anything, then you can just sell things that you've got lying around in the house. Search through that cupboard of stuff you never use, and you'll probably find you've got a few hundred dollars' worth of stuff lying around in there! This is the power of eBay: there is always someone who wants what you're selling, whatever it might be, and since they've come looking for you, you don't even need to do anything to get them to buy it.

So you want to get started on eBay? Well, that's great! There are only a few little things you need to learn to get started. Our next email will give you the lowdow.

The First 11++ Years Of Ebay

2007-04-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that correctly: eleven years. eBay was created in September 1995, by a man called Pierre Omidyar, who was living in San Jose. He wanted his site - then called 'AuctionWeb' - to be an online marketplace, and wrote the first code for it in one weekend. It was one of the first websites of its kind in the world. The name 'eBay' comes from the domain Omidyar used for his site. His company's name was Echo Bay, and the 'eBay AuctionWeb' was originally just one part of Echo Bay's website at ebay.com. The first thing ever sold on the site was Omidyar's broken laser pointer, which he got $14 for.

The site quickly became massively popular, as sellers came to list all sorts of odd things and buyers actually bought them. Relying on trust seemed to work remarkably well, and meant that the site could almost be left alone to run itself. The site had been designed from the start to collect a small fee on each sale, and it was this money that Omidyar used to pay for AuctionWeb's expansion. The fees quickly added up to more than his current salary, and so he decided to quit his job and work on the site full-time. It was at this point, in 1996, that he added the feedback facilities, to let buyers and sellers rate each other and make buying and selling safer.

In 1997, Omidyar changed AuctionWeb's - and his company's - name to 'eBay', which is what people had been calling the site for a long time. He began to spend a lot of money on advertising, and had the eBay logo designed. It was in this year that the one-millionth item was sold (it was a toy version of Big Bird from Sesame Street).

Then, in 1998 - the peak of the dotcom boom - eBay became big business, and the investment in Internet businesses at the time allowed it to bring in senior managers and business strategists, who took in public on the stock market. It started to encourage people to sell more than just collectibles, and quickly became a massive site where you could sell anything, large or small. Unlike other sites, though, eBay survived the end of the boom, and is still going strong today.
1999 saw eBay go worldwide, launching sites in the UK, Australia and Germany. eBay bought half.com, an Amazon-like online retailer, in the year 2000 - the same year it introduced Buy it Now - and bought PayPal, an online payment service, in 2002.

Pierre Omidyar has now earned an estimated $3 billion from eBay, and still serves as Chairman of the Board. Oddly enough, he keeps a personal weblog at http://pierre.typepad.com. There are now literally millions of items bought and sold every day on eBay, all over the world. For every $100 spent online worldwide, it is estimated that $14 is spent on eBay - that's a lot of laser pointers.

Now that you know the history of eBay, perhaps you'd like to know how it could work for you? Our next email will give you an idea of the possibilities.