Comp. Explorer » eBay

The beginners guide to safely join and use eBay

explorercomp — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:14:06 +0000

I don’t think it matters where you are these days, if you mention the name ‘ eBay ‘, there is someone there who has either bought an item on it, or who has sold something on it, eBay has become a household name around the world. I started buying and selling on ebay around 7 years ago. There are thousands of people living in the U.S. that make full time living’s selling item’s on eBay, and thousands more that buy items on it daily.

eBay was started by one man named ‘ Pierre Omidyar ‘. When Pierre was 28 years old he started writing the programming code that was to become the internet site eBay. The site was launched online on Sep 4, 1995, ‘ Labor Day ‘ here in the U.S. At first it wasn’t called eBay, but was named ‘ Auction Web ‘. Later it was changed to ‘ ebay ‘ , which was a short version of a consulting firm Pierre owned named ‘ Echo Bay ‘. eBay was free at the start, then it started charging fees to help cover it’s internet costs for hosting and other charges. At the time, Pierre was dating a woman that collected PEZ toys, she used the new eBay site in its earliest incarnation to buy and sell rare dispensers. In 1996 Jeffrey Skoll, a Stanford MBA, joined the company and by 1998 eBay had gone public in the stock market, making Omidyar a billionaire. In 2005, Omidyar’s 214 million eBay shares were worth around $8 billion. In March 1998, Meg Whitman was brought in as President and CEO of eBay where she serves still today

Let’s start by going to the eBay site and joining. Just visit: www.ebay.com and you will be taken to the main page of the website. Once there look towards the top area of the screen and you will see text that says: ‘ Hello! Sign in or register. ‘, using the mouse button, click on ‘ register ‘. After clicking on ‘ register ‘ you will be taken to a screen with a form on it, enter the information about yourself, such as your name, address, telephone number and email address. Next you will be taken to another screen where you must choose a password and ebay user name, the eBay user-name is the ID or Name you will be known by to other ebay bidders and shoppers.

The password should be something that is not common, for instance do not use your first or last name, or some common word such as ‘ pencil ‘, or ‘ computer ‘, take your time and choose something difficult and a little long, make sure you write this password down and keep it near your computer in case you forget it. I recommend writing your ebay password on a yellow post-it note and hanging it someplace near your computer.

When your done with the username and password screen, you just have to check your email for the confirmation link that eBay sends you, just click on the link as shown in the email to activate your eBay account, now you have joined eBay, and you can start bidding and buying right away, but before you do let me tell you about the different features of eBay and how some things work.

eBay is not just an auction site, I mean you do not have to bid and wait for an auction to end, in order to purchase every item on eBay. In fact many items can be purchased for a set fee, and bought instantly, these are called ‘ Buy Now ‘ listings. For an example of how listings differ from each other, let’s look at some ebay items. Let’s say you and I are looking for a ‘ singing fish ‘, the fish that look like their mounted and displayed on a piece of wood, when someone gets near it, it will start singing and move it’s mouth and tail, they are often called ‘ big mouth billy bass ‘.

To see if eBay has any of the ‘ singing fish ‘, we just go to the main ebay page (www.ebay.com) and in the ‘SEARCH’ area, type in: singing fish, and the screen shows there are currently 60 different items or listings found. I scroll down and select one of the listings, it currently shows the current bid price is $7.00 and it has had 4 bids, with 1 day and 13 hours remaining before the listing or auction ends. If I really wanted this item, and was willing to pay up to $15.00 for it, I would just click on ‘ Place Bid ‘, and enter my ebay username and password, if requested to do so. It tells me that I have to enter a bid of at least $7.50, remember I am willing to spend $15.00, so I would now enter $15.00 as my bid price. The item description page would then show that I am the current high bidder, and the amount needed to outpid me would be $8.00 or so, eBay keeps my maximum bid price ($15.00) secret, and automatically bids in increments for me as other folks bid, until reaching my $15.00 limit. If someone bids more than my $15.00 limit, there is no way I can win the item, unless I bid again and set another higher limit, if the item listing time ends with my $15.00 bid as the highest one, I am the winner.

The ‘ maximum bid ‘ option is a very neat feature, if you will be away from the computer and can not watch an auction closely while the time remaining is ending, eBay will automatically bid for you until you have reached your maximum bid limit.

Besides bidding, some items have others ways of purchasing them. Now lets go back to the screen that showed the 60 different listings for the ‘ singing fish ‘, I scroll down and notice that besides the current price of one fish, it says ‘ Buy It Now ‘ and shows a price of $8.99 near it. Clicking on this listing, I see the fish can be purchased instantly for $8.99, by clicking on the ‘ Buy It Now ‘ button. If I clicked on the ‘ Buy It Now ‘, button I would be taken to another screen where I would confirm that I want to buy it by clicking on the ‘ Commit to Buy ‘ button, or I could simply click ‘back’ on my web browser, or just go to another page to cancel my decision to buy the item. If I did click on the ‘ Commit to Buy ‘ button, it would show me other screens, and tell me where to send the payment, etc, all which are explained in simple and easy to understand terms.

There are three things to always check on before buying or bidding on an eBay item, the first is the sellers location. As you use ebay, you will see that some of the sellers live in Canada, or even the U.K. If you are like me and live here in the U.S. you may wish to just buy or bid on items that are here in the same country, to avoid a long delivery time, and large shipping fees. Each ebay item description page, tells the users address, for instance it will say ‘ Item location: Chatsworth, CA United States ‘, etc, near the top and middle area of the screen. Another thing to check is what the shipping costs will be. Some folks offer very high shipping, for instance someone may sell a shirt for only $2.00 but have a set shipping fee of $15, so always search the item description page before bidding and buying to find the shipping information. Some item description pages have a box, with a button on them called ‘ Calculate ‘, once you click on this button, just enter your zip code, and it will tell you what the exact shipping fees will be. One more thing to always check on is what methods the seller accepts as payment. Some folks only accept PayPal, others only accept Money Orders, or Checks, while some accept all methods. Look for this information on the item description screens also, it’s listed usually under the item’s description section, in an area called: ‘ Payment methods accepted ‘, all three of these things I have told you about, are easy to find and view on any item’s description screen.

As you search and look at different items listed on eBay, you will see that a lot of people only accept PayPal as their form of payment. If you are not familiar with ‘ PayPal ‘ visit, www.paypal.com. Signing up and joining PayPal is simple and free, and it has great benefits especially for using eBay. PayPal payments are secure, and the money is sent instantly to the seller, it makes eBay a lot more fun to use, when buying items on eBay I use both PayPal payments and money orders.

Now let me just explain a little about ‘ feedback ‘ and how it’s very important when it comes to buying and selling on ebay. Let’s go back to the ebay webpage that shows the listings for the ‘ singing fish ‘. As I pick a listing at random, I look under the ‘ Seller Information ‘ area of that page, I see the sellers eBay name, and the Feedback Score. The feedback score tells you how many buy/sell transactions a user has made in the past on eBay, and the percentage of the transactions that were positive. This info is a great way to protect yourself from a seller or buyer that may not be very reputable. For example if you were interested in bidding or buying an item, and you noticed the person listing the item had a feedback number of 6 and a positive percentage of 20%, stay away from this person, but if the person had a feedback number of 6 and a positive percentage of 99% or so, they would be a lot safer to deal with.

Now before finishing this article I want to give you two more pointers or bits of information to use to make your eBay experiences good ones. Once you become familiar and can find your way around the different areas, go to your account screen, and find the option to change your password. My eBay password is over 14 characters long and contains letters and numbers in random order. I change my password every month or two, and I recommend you do this also.

The main reason I recommend you change your eBay password every month or two, is because there are a lot of nasty computer viruses and trojan horses floating around on the internet and arriving through email, and the purpose of some of these viruses is to scan your hard drive and seek out your passwords, ebay’s included, and to email this info to hackers and other websites, giving folks you don’t know access to your eBay account information.

In all of my years using eBay, I have never had one problem, and you should not either if you read and follow my advice and tips in this article, and just use some common sense or internet savy. There is no way I or anyone can guarantee you will never have trouble using ebay or any internet site, but neither can someone guarantee you won’t become involved in a wreck while driving a vehicle.

There is a great FREE eBook that describes in detail how to ‘ How To Join eBay and PayPal – and Safely Use Each ‘, The eBook contains NO AdWare or SpyWare and is available for immediate download from this website address:

http://www.rb59.com/jepasut

By Robert W. Benjamin

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

19 Secret Strategies of eBay Powersellers, Part 3

explorercomp — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:14:03 +0000

As if you haven’t already heard, millions upon millions of people of people buy and sell on eBay every single day. Some only make a few sales here and there. Others have figured out what it takes to become “Powersellers.” Powersellers are the very small minority of eBay sellers that do at least $2,000 per month in sales on eBay and maintain a 99% positive feedback rating. Powersellers are the ones that really know what they’re doing and if you really want to be successful on eBay then follow the secrets they revealed to me.

So, what are the secrets, tips and tricks that will cause you to become a Powerseller as well?

Well, I’ll be completely honest with you… I may be well on my way but I’m not a Powerseller yet. However, one thing that I know from creating several successful businesses is that if you want to become the best at something, you need to copy those that are already successful, ask them to mentor you and ask questions and take notes. And now I am going to take what they taught me and pass it on to you.

This is part three of a four part article series. You will find links to the other parts of this article series at the end of this article.

SECRET STRATEGY #12 – DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO MAKE YOUR CUSTOMER HAPPY… EVEN IF IT MEANS LOSING MONEY ON A DEAL!

Of course, we’ve all heard “the customer’s always right!” On eBay it’s even more true. Here’s something odd that you probably don’t know: when a customer tells other people that a company or product sucked, the people they told are 5 times more likely than the person that told them to not do business with that company or buy that product. Five times more likely than the person that actually bought the thing!

Now, on eBay it is even more important as a seller to make sure that you maintain a highly positive rating because every single potential customer can see the negative ratings left for you. In addition, for every 1% (for sellers that have a rating under 1000) you’re your feedback is lowered, you will lose 11% in bids. That’s why every Powerseller says that their rating is more important than money that they lose off one deal. Personally, I can tell you that I know that several bidders have purchased my information products and then asked for their money back even though I know that they are still using the product (FYI, there are certain tricks that you can use to make money off even those that rip you off.)

I also highly recommend that you subscribe to SquareTrade and register for the Better Business Bureau Online if you qualify. I’m sure that you are familiar with the BBB so let’s talk about SquareTrade. SquareTrade has been working with eBay pretty much since eBay began and they are a certified eBay partner.

Basically, what they do is mediate disagreements with customers but, even more beneficial, they immediately investigate negative feedback is soon as a customer leaves it for you and they work with eBay to remove negative feedback that is malicious (i.e. your competition buys a product just to leave a negative feedback.) If they determine that the negative feedback was indeed caused by the seller, they attempt work out a resolution with the buyer so that the negative feedback can be removed.

Many Powersellers have been subscribed to SquareTrade for years and they also told me that it pretty much pays for itself right away because when buyers see the SquareTrade logo on the listing that the seller is making every attempt to make sure that their customers are fully satisfied. Check out SquareTrade:

http;//www.a-to-z-web.com/links/squaretrade.html

Next, I believe, as do all the Powersellers that I spoke with, that you should always offer a powerful guarantee. I, for one, offer a 180-day, no-hassle, satisfaction, money-back guarantee on any information product that I wrote and at least a 30-day guarantee on everything else. One thing that I do not do is offer a “100% Money Back” guarantee although if a customer asks for all of their money back, I give them exactly what they ask for. What I do is always send them an email telling them that they will get to keep the product since there is no way me to make sure that they don’t use it. Most of the time they ask for 25-75% of their money back but very rarely do they ask 100% of their money back.

Also, for physical products most Powersellers require that items be returned in their original condition. And they charge a restocking fee for all returned items. But remember that their customer’s satisfaction always supersedes these policies. Just keep this in mind: your feedback rating is your best advertisement but can also be your largest downfall. Never let your emotions get in the way and always make 200% sure that your customer walks away happy… even if you have to bribe them with extra gifts.

SECRET STRATEGY #13 – BUILD YOUR OWN WEBSITE

While you don’t need your own website from the very beginning, every Powerseller I spoke with has their own website. Why? One, they do not want to be at the mercy of eBay. Certainly, eBay doesn’t make it a goal of theirs to hurt businesses that sell on eBay but on occasion they do. For example, a few years ago, many people realized the power of selling their cars on eBay. At that time, it cost around $60-80 to place an ad in the newspaper or AutoTrader but only a couple of dollars to put an ad on eBay.

So, many auto traders started creating businesses where they would sell their cars on eBay. Well, eBay soon realized this new popularity and then created eBay Motors. Now, it costs $40 to list a car and $40 at the close of the sale. This is still a pretty good deal but definitely more risky than it was before. However, Powersellers realize two things: 1) that it is not good to be at the mercy of others and 2) that they can make more money selling through their own web site.

That’s why it’s very important to set up your own web site as soon as possible. Furthermore, when you have people buying through your own web site, you don’t have to pay eBay fees which can save tons of money. Finally, many Powersellers have developed ways to use eBay as a traffic generator rather than really try to make money off eBay. For example, they might have an informational product that they are selling like “The Most Spectacular Fishing Trips In The World” and to promote this product, they sell various fishing items such as lures and rods.

Of course, they want to make a profit off these items but the big money is in the back end product. In this case, one could sell the fishing guide as well as have affiliate tie-ins to companies that selling fishing tours in the areas that were talked about in the guide. On top of that, if you get the customer’s email address then you can contact them in the future about new products or services. Even if you cannot set up your own website right away, at the very least, make sure that you get their email address for use in the future.

SECRET STRATEGY #14 – ACCEPT EVERY FORM OF PAYMENT THAT YOU POSSIBLE CAN!

Powersellers make it as easy as possible for their customers to pay for an item and give them as many options as possible. Many sellers are opposed to accepting credit cards because of the fees that credit card companies charge. This is the most ridiculous belief when it comes to business for several reasons. One, the average credit card purchase is 30% higher than purchases made by cash or check. So, do the math. Do you make more money by offering credit card payments or less? Sure you have to pay 2-3% to the credit card company but you will make 30% more on the sale.

Now, many people then say “Well, why should I accept personal checks or money orders then?” Because, even though credit card payments are the safest way to pay on the Internet, many people believe that they’re just not safe. I try to tell people that using their credit card on the Internet is actually safer online than offline as the credit card companies attest but, most of the time, they simply don’t believe me. And you know what?

I hate having to go to the bank to deposit a check and wait until it clears but the funny thing is that even though I accept checks and money orders, the winning bidder rarely wants to pay via check or money order. This goes back to the first reason why you should accept credit cards… because people that pay via credit card are willing to pay more usually making them the highest bidder. Finally, when you accept more forms of payments, you’ll receive more bids and the interesting thing is that this can often times create a bidding frenzy.

SECRET STRATEGY #15 – START WITH THE LOWEST BID POSSIBLE AND AVOID RESERVE BIDS

Many sellers are terrified of starting their auctions at $.01 and not having a reserve price. They are afraid that if they do this then the item that they’re selling will sell for less than its worth. First of all, an auction is capitalism at it’s best. Whoever is willing to pay the most gets the item. Basically, whatever the highest bid ends up being IS what the item is worth.

Of course, if you have read the rest of this article then you’d know that there are many things that you can do to receive higher bids on your auction like adding photos and writing a great description. However, the Powersellers that I spoke with all told me that they begin 99% of their auctions at $.01 with no reserve; the rare exception being extremely expensive items that they have never sold before.

You see, one Powerseller that I interviewed told me about a little experiment that he conducted on several occasions. Basically, what he did was place identical items up for auction which he knew that he normally had sold for $300 (with a starting bid of $9.99) in the past, placed them in the same categories and began and ended them at the exact same times. The only difference between the two auctions was that one auction he began at $.01 and the other he began at $25. In fact, if one searched for the particular item that he was selling, these two auctions would show up right next to each other.

At the end of the auction, the one that began at $.01 had received 63 bids and ended with a winning bid of $343. That’s $43 more than he had ever made off a previous sale. The auction that began at $25 ended with only 43 bids and a final price of $287 for a difference of $56! Remember that everything was exactly the same except for the starting bid price.

Why does this happen? It’s pretty simple really. First of all, you’ll receive bids from a larger number of unique bidders and remember that every time someone is outbid, they receive a notice that they have been outbid. In affect, eBay is promoting your item for you even more.

Second, more bids draw more bidders. Ask yourself this: when you are scrolling through eBay listings, what catches your eye more: an auction with 3-4 bids or an auction with 20. Some people claim that it doesn’t make a difference but the numbers prove otherwise. Bids beget more bids.

Finally, people always want to “win!” You know, when you go to Wal-Mart and buy something, they don’t say “You Won!” do they? Of course not! But on eBay, you’re the “winning bidder!” The more people that you draw into your auction then the more people you will have wanting to win.

Don’t be scared! Always start your auction at $.01 and “no reserve.” This option always makes more money. But there is one exception to this rule: don’t do it when you are just beginning to sell an extremely expensive item that you have to put a lot of your money on the line. For example, when I first started selling sporting tickets on eBay, I really had no idea what I was doing or how to effectively list an item. But once I figured that out, it really didn’t matter how much I bought the tickets for because when I listed them at $.01 and no reserve, I made about 18% more per sale!

Special note: if you have no reserve on your auction, always put “no reserve” (minus the quotes) in your auction title or, if you don’t have enough space for that, then put “nr” in the title. Do this because many people are opposed to auction with reserves and so they will always search for their keyword plus “no reserve” or “nr” and if your title doesn’t have these keywords then they won’t see it.

Well, that’s it! Armed with these secret eBay strategies, you too should be well on your way to making a very substantial income on eBay. However, should you wish to obtain even more information about how to make money on eBay and the rest of the Internet, please visit our eBay store for some fabulous informational products.

Unleash Life Success Coaching eBay Store

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/ulsc-ebay-store.html

And be sure to check out the extremely powerful A2Z Web Building & Internet Marketing Platinum Package. It’s over $1,500 worth of the best web building and Internet marketing books and programs in the world for less than $50. Check out our eBay rating and you will see that people love this package!

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/A2Z-platinum.html

Finally, if you missed any of the four parts of this article, you can read the other three at the following addresses:

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/ebays-secrets-1.html
http://www.a-to-z-web.com/ebays-secrets-2.html
http://www.a-to-z-web.com/ebays-secrets-3.html
http://www.a-to-z-web.com/ebays-secrets-4.html

Ebay Auction & Scammers

explorercomp — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:13:55 +0000

Scammers And eBay :

Protect Yourself from Fraud Attempts by Email:-

What is a Spoof Email, and how do I recognize one?

I Received a Spoof Email, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Examples of email scammer messages – learn to recognize them

Other eBay Scams – ship to Africa, the eBay warehouse, etc.

Is there something I can do to avoid being fooled in the future?

a few happy stories

a few sad stories

Spoof (Criminal Theft Attempt) Email Messages :

The current internet email system allows a message to be sent with forged return addresses. In addition, links within HTML formatted messages can also be disguised.

The scammer takes advantage of the combination of these two abilities to send you the “spoof” message. A spoof message is a message with a forged return address (thus appearing to come from eBay) containing a link that has been disguised (thus appearing to be legitimate).

Generally, each message starts out claiming you have some sort of problem (or occasionally, a REALLY good offer, contest win or urgent question) that must be acted upon quickly. The message usually says that you need to ‘update’, ‘prove’ or ‘validate’ your account information. It might threaten some dire consequence if you don’t respond.

There can be some indications that these are not really from eBay or PayPal, such as poor spelling, grammatical errors, salutations and ridiculous claims. But, you can ALWAYS know they are fake because they ask you to click a link (or a clickable button, like RESPOND NOW) in the message to resolve the problem. This is your first clue that it is FAKE. The scammers will eventually learn to perfect their message content, but they must still convince you to click that link (or button).

If the message purports to be from eBay, a duplicate copy will be in the MY MESSAGES section of your MY EBAY. Always check there before even considering taking any action. If it is not in your MY MESSAGES, this is another clue that it is FAKE.

If you do click the link in a FAKE message (not recommended) it will take you to a very real-looking screen with genuine logos and apparently real links, where personal information will be solicited. DO NOT not fall victim to their fraudulent attempt to obtain your personal information in this manner.

I received a spoof email, WHAT DO I DO?

—If you clicked the link or otherwise disclosed information….

• Since that disclosure of personal information has put you at risk of becoming a victim of identity theft, you should immediately go to the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft website, and follow the directions there for reporting information to credit bureaus, credit-card companies, and law enforcement.

• ALSO file an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (a joint project of the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center).

• Also, change passwords as described just below.

—If you clicked the link (because just clicking can acquire keylogging software or viruses)…

• change your password – AND – change your secret question and answer

• run a full virus scan of your computer, using updated software, removing all threats

• run a full adware/spyware scan of your computer, using updated software, removing all threats

• reboot your computer

• change your password again – AND – change your secret question and answer again

—If you did NOT click the link…

• do not respond to the email.

—And in ALL cases above…forward copies of the e-mail or file a complaint with all of the following places. They work to shut down these criminals.

• spoof@ebay.com — eBay, or spoof@paypal.com — PayPal.

• – file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission: file a complaint

• reportphishing@antiphishing.org — Anti-Phishing Working Group, or report phishing AND

• scams@fraudwatchinternational.com — the Fraud Watch International Investigation Team.

Is there something I can do to avoid being fooled in the future?

• eBay has started adding a duplicate COPY of mail they send to you in your MY MESSAGES section of your MY EBAY. Always look there to see if a copy of the email you received is there.

• NEVER use the within a message you received in your regular email account.

• Read how to turn off HTML messages from eBay to help you distinguish between genuine eBay messages and scammer messages.

• eBay recommends that you use their TOOLBAR.

Spoof Email Message Excerpts :

The messages below are taken from actual messages received that appear to be from a legitimate source but are actually an attempt to get you to GIVE AWAY your personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, bank account details, etc.

Use the rest of this page to view some of the ways criminals are attempting to steal your personal information. You may want to use the search feature, as my collection has grown quite large. Learn to recognize the many ploys they are using. Perhaps then the light will go on, and you will save yourself a LOT of hassle and perhaps a lot money, too.

If you find one significantly different than any of these, post it on the Trust & Safety board, I will see it and perhaps add it to this collection. Many thanks to those of you that have done this.

My collection of phishing messages…

• I first saw the following (Jun-2006)”Please confirm me if this is a same item with the item listed on [spoof link deleted]“. This was sent as an Ask Seller a Question. Tricky b@$trd$.

• “notebooksauction (3804) has filed a request to mutually withdraw feedback for the transaction shown below. eBay allows members to withdraw feedback for a transaction if they both agree it is no longer appropriate. … If you agree, please fill out the feedback withdrawal form [spoof link deleted]. Please note: To withdraw feedback, you must complete the online form within 24 hours from the end of the listing or within 1 day of the date the feedback was left, whichever is longer.

• “Our taxes for sending and receiving money were recalculated.PayPal must repay 4823 members including you the amount of 148.92$ .You will receive this amount of money when you will first send or receive money through PayPal. Please confirm your account,this way,the process will be considered valid.Click the link below [spoof link deleted] and enter your information on the following page to confirm your account.”

• “Hey are you going to buy the item from the auction that you won, why don’t you answer to my emails, if you don’t Respond Now I will contact ebay safe harbor and I will report you ! I am not a fool !” (They want you to click a FAKE “Respond Now” button)

• “I’m still waiting the package to arrive. What happened? Please mailme ASAP or I will report you to ebay.” (They want you to click a FAKE “Respond Now” button)

• “We are proud to announce you that you have won a $700 free shopping gift card from ebay Inc. You will receive the gift card in your email address in 3 days from the confirmation date. To receive this gift card we have to check your identification information with the security number listed below. To do this please click here [spoof link deleted].

• “You’ve been on a super sales streak and since you’ve done so well, it’s time to recognize you for your efforts. You are PowerSeller Silver! Congratulations! joining the eBay Silver PowerSeller Program. Come and join us. When you join the PowerSeller program, you’ll be able to receive more of the support you’ll need for continued success. So, why wait? Join now! [spoof link deleted]” (This particular scam message was extra funny because it was mailed to a seven day old account with only a single feedback, and that was from buying.)

• “Due to recent auction fraud, we have issued the following security requirements. It has come to our attion that 95% of all fraudulent auctions are caused by members using stolen credit cards to purchase or sell non existant items. Thus we require our members to add a Debit/Check card to their billing records as part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website. Your Debit/Check card will only be used to identify you and bill any open seller fees incase your initial credit card gets declined. If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and renew your records you will not run into any future problems with the eBay® service. However, failure to confirm your records will result in your account suspension. Once you have updated your account records your eBay® auction service will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. To update your billing records please login to your account by clicking here [spoof link deleted].” (Good thing this is a fake, I don’t even have a Debit/Check card.)

• “We regret to inform you that your eBay registration could be suspended for an indefinite amount of time due to the violation of our site policy below: * Shill Bidding, deliberate – The deliberate use of secondary User IDs or other eBay members to artificially raise the level of bidding and/or price of an item Please remember that family members or housemates should not be bidding on each other’s auctions. Click below to resolve any dispute: [spoof link deleted]Regards, eBay International AG” (eBay suspends shill bidders, they don’t invite them to click links.)

• “Thank you for being an important part of our community. As a sign of respect and recognition a little gift from all of us here at eBay. $25.00 USD – How to redeem your Gift Certificate: Log on to [spoof link deleted]. You must log in using the link provided in 3 days from receiving this message. Once you have logged in the amount will automatically credited to your account. Please allow up to 5 days for the amount to show off in your account balance.” (This way we, the scammers, will have 5 days to run amok with your personal info.)

• “Recently, our Account Review Team identified some unusual activity in your account. In accordance with eBay User Agreement and to ensure that your account has not been compromised, access to your account was limited. Your account access will remain limited until this issue has been resolved. … To restore your account you must verify your eBay records ,click on the following link: [spoof link deleted] We encourage you to log in and restore full access as soon as possible. Should access to your account remain limited for an extended period of time, it may result in further limitations on the use of your account or may result in eventual account closure.” (To ensure your account has not been compromised, they plan to compromise your account!)

• “Dear eBay Community Member, The bid that you entered for the item (1234567890) has been cancelled. You can view the reason provided for the cancellation by selecting the link bellow. [spoof link deleted].” (You did not bid on that item, I guarantee it.)

• “We regret to inform you that your eBay account has been suspended due to concerns we have for the safety and integrity of the eBay community. As we state in the User Agreement, Section 8, we may immediately issue a warning, suspend, or terminate your membership … If you feel you have been suspended in error or want to appeal this decision by providing additional information, please click here: [spoof link removed]” (Hmmm, these used to quote Section 9.)

• “This is your final warning about the safety of your eBay account. If you do not update your billing informations your access on eBay will be restricted and the user deleted. This might be due to either following reasons (bunch of legitimate sounding reasons) Your credit card on file with eBay Card number: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-4322 (Not shown for security purposes) Expiration date: 11/05. Please sign in to your eBay account and update your billing information: [spoof link deleted] If your account information is not updated, your ability to sell or bid on eBay will become restricted. (If your account information is updated, expect the unexpected, like being “deleted”.)

• “Hello, My mother purchased one item from you and recommended you as a seller I can really trust. I’d like to place an order with you but I’m wondering if you accept personal checks (no problem if I have to wait till it’s cleared).I also would like item to be shipped via USPS.What are the terms of shipping? Thank you for your answer!” (The spoof link is the “Respond Now” button, so watch out!)

• “We are glad to inform you that our department have chosen you to participate in our eBay Gold Member(tm) beta testing program. From now on you as a Gold Member can benefit from this exciting features: 50% slashed eBay fees on Selling, Gold Member’s community to share expierence in buying and selling on eBay (and lots more incentives deleted here for brevity). Ready to benefit? Just click [spoof link deleted] to activate your Gold Membership today.” (eBay is RAISING fees, not slashing them – get real!)

• “I have paid for that item. When it will be shipped ?? To view the item, go to: [spoof link deleted] Thank you, [(fake) biddername deleted]” (The link, when clicked, installs a very invasive keystroke virus – DO NOT CLICK the link AT ALL. Thoroughly invesitgate the item number and bidder name before responding to any similar messages.)

• “eBay NewYears User Agreement Update. It’s that time of year again! With 2005 only days away, we have updated the eBay user agreement. As a result of the update, your account will be restricted until you have followed the link below [spoof link deleted] and reconfirmed your contractual agreement with eBay. We apologize for any inconvience as a result of the update, but as a large e-commerce entity we are required to receive an updated agreement at the beginning of each year.” (I resolve not to click links in emails.)

• “You are the blessed winner PowerBook G4/1.5GHz SuperDrive 17″ tow-bit $2,800.00. behind the brawing out of date January-05-2005 . All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from 6,383,546 individual email addresses.Verification information appointment and address shipping please appeal to next link [spoof link deleted].” (Who’d want a ‘tow-bit’ computer anyway?)

Learn More Here

[work at Home Business Idea to Make Money Online] Discover How to Get Started Making Money on Ebay & Boost your High Income Business Opportunities

explorercomp — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:13:58 +0000

Now, I am going to give you how to get started making money on eBay & boost your high income business opportunities. eBay online market is the largest marketplace on the internet right now. I am sure that you can make big money online from home on eBay. You just have to learn EXACTLY how to make money on eBay.

READ THIS: If you are looking for high income business opportunities and way to earn big money online from home.

Are you interested in using eBay to buy the products that you need or even sell items that you no longer want? Do you want to make money online on eBay? If you are, you will need to create an eBay account, if you haven’t already done so. Although many automatically assume that getting started with eBay is a complicated task, it doesn’t have to be. All you really need to do is follow a few simple steps and you should be good to go.

You’ll discover my recommended simple steps to get started on eBay and start earning money online at home below:

The first thing that you will want to do is visit eBay’s website, which is located at eBay.com. Once you are at eBay’s website, you can then click on the link that allows you to register a new account. At that stage, you will be brought to a signup form. That signup form will ask you a series of questions. For instance, you will need to enter in your full name, your address, your telephone number, as well as an e-mail address. You will also be required to come up with an eBay screen name or sign in name, as well as an eBay password, which will be used to access your eBay account. Once you have correctly filled out the form, you will be sent a verification email from eBay.

Once you have received eBay’s verification email and followed all of the instructions, which will help you validate your eBay account, you will be able to start using eBay right away. When you first get started, you may need to sign in to your eBay account. As previously stated, you will need to use your eBay sign in name or screen name and password to do so. For that reason, you may want to write down your sign in information and keep it in a safe place. Once you have signed in to your eBay account, you can then do whatever you want; buy or sell.

That’s a real simple step for your registration on eBay. Now, you are ready for earning money online on eBay. The key factor of making big money on eBay at home is to find great & cheap products and sell those products for profits. The big major task is how to find hot selling product online in the eBay marketplace.

If you are interested in using eBay to shop online, to buy, you will want to start searching for items to buy. This can be done a number of different ways. eBay allows you to browse through their large selection of items, by detailed categories. You can also perform a standard eBay search or an advanced one. Searches are more likely to give you accurate, tailored results. When browsing or searching for something in particular, you should be able to see a large number of auction listing all on one page. The information that you will be presented with at this time is the standard, bare minimum. If you would like more additional information on the item in question, such as how much shipping costs or too see additional pictures, you will want to click on the link to view the detailed sales page. Should you like what you see, follow the instructions to buy and you will have made your first purchase on eBay!

As it was previously stated, if you are interested in selling on eBay, to make a little bit of extra money, you can also do so. The only difference is that you are required to pay small fees to become an eBay seller, unlike eBay buyers who have completely free accounts. The amount of money that you are charged will all depend on your auctions, particularly how much you list each item for, as well as how well each item sells. To get started with selling, you will want to click on the “sell,” link at the top of the eBay webpage. What is nice about listing items for sale on eBay it is relatively easy to do. For example, you need to choose a category for your item, make a headline for your auction listing, write a description of your product, upload pictures of what you are selling, outline shipping costs, as well as accepted forms of payments, but everything is outlined for you, in a step-by-step matter.

Whether you are interested in becoming an eBay buyer or an eBay seller, you can do both, in as little as a few minutes. eBay, as previously mentioned, is considered one the most shopped at online marketplaces. For you, this means that if you are looking to make money on eBay from home, you should be able to do so and if you are interested in buying on eBay, you should be able to find millions of products to choose from. This is a real home based business opportunity you should NOT miss! You’ll discover a lot of golden high income business opportunities on eBay. It is a global marketplace in the world!

Finally, I am sure that making money on eBay is one of great ways to make big money on the internet at home. It is a real home based business opportunity. You’ll discover a TON of homeworker business opportunities to make EXTRA money online from home.

Learn more about how to make money over $8,000,000 selling products on eBay. You’ll discover step-by-step, tips, techniques and insider secrets of how to become a millionaire internet entrepreneur selling products on eBay.

Why You Should Become an Ebay Seller

explorercomp — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:14:08 +0000

Why You Should Become an eBay Seller

Are you currently looking for ways to make money online? If you are, you may have come across eBay. eBay is known as an online auction website. What is nice about eBay is that just about anyone can become an eBay seller, including you. What does this mean for you? Essentially, it means that if you have items to sell, you can do so on eBay; while making money at the same time. So, if you are currently looking for ways to make money online, you are urged to examine becoming an eBay seller, as there are a number of reasons as to why you should.

Perhaps, the greatest reason as to why you should become an eBay seller is because there are no minimum auction requirements. For you, this means that you could just test the waters if you wanted to. If you were unsure as to whether or not you should rely on eBay to make money, you may want to sell a few items that you no longer need and see how it goes. Should you like the eBay selling experience, you could continue on. However, if you were not satisfied with the results, you could stop selling on eBay right away. eBay is flexible to all sellers, particularly those just getting started.

Another reason why you should become an eBay seller is because it is easy to do. eBay has a relatively easy learning curve. When listing an auction or selling an item on eBay, you are given step-by-step instructions on how you list your items and get your auctions up and running. As long as you follow the instructions provided to you by eBay, you could have your items listed online in a matter of minutes. It has been said that those with minimal computer experience are also able to sell on eBay, without any problems.

Speaking of the items that you want to sell on eBay, you will find that you can sell just about anything on eBay, within reason. There are only a few restrictions, which include inappropriate content and such. For a detailed list of prohibited eBay items, you will want to visit eBay’s help center. Despite a few restrictions, there are a large number of items that can be sold on eBay. These items include real estate, vehicles, clothing, toys, movies, books, gaming consoles, computers, beauty items, and much more. Whether you are looking to sell something that you have in your home, something you bought from a yard sale or a thrift store, or something that can be dropped shipped from another company, you should be able to do so online with eBay.

The ability to make a profit is another one of the many reasons as to why you should become an eBay seller. What is nice about eBay is that they let you set your own price for your auctions. In fact, if you would rather outright sell your products, instead of selling them in a bidding auction, you can do so with “Buy It Now,” listings. The ability to set your own prices is one the many reasons why you should check out eBay. Having the ability to set your own prices increases your chances of being able to make a profit on eBay.

If you would like to become an eBay seller, and as previously mentioned there are a number of reasons as to why you should, you will want to register for a free eBay account. Although your eBay account is free, it will cost a small amount of money to sell items on eBay. Your eBay selling fees will all depend on how much you list your items for, as well as how much they sell for. Despite having to pay small fees, eBay is more than worth your time. The least that you should do is give it a shot. As previously mentioned, if your eBay selling experience doesn’t go as well as you had originally hoped for, you can stop and look for other online money making opportunities.

For more info on how you can sell on eBay click here

19 Secret Strategies of eBay Powersellers, Part 4

explorercomp — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:14:00 +0000

So, what are the secrets, tips and tricks that will cause you to become a Powerseller as well?

This is part four of a four part article series. You will find links to the other parts of this article series at the end of this article.

SECRET STRATEGY #16 – OFFER DISCOUNTS

Every single Powerseller that I interviewed offers some type of discount. It could be something like buy one and receive a second at 50% off. Or it could be that you offer free shipping on another purchase. Just make sure that you offer some type of discount and also keep in mind that “free” always works much better than anything else. For example, rather than say “Buy two and receive 50% off” say “Buy one get one free”. “Free” is a trigger word that really hooks people.

Furthermore, I have found that for most items, that offering free shipping can actually make you more money than if you didn’t. For example, a few years back, I wanted to find out if this was actually true. I had two whole rows at a concert and for the front row, I had people pay for the actual shipping costs which was like $9 to send them via FedEx 2-day delivery. A set of two tickets sold for about $400. The row in the back had free shipping and they sold for about $490 a set.

I made $81 more by offering free shipping. And it had to be the shipping because everything else about the auction was the same. In fact the better tickets made me less money. Now, I am sure that there are some exceptions to this rule (like maybe you are selling bulk items for $.01 and really making your profit off the handling) but I can’t really think of many examples. In fact the only exception that I can think of is international shipping.

But my point is that “FREE Shipping” works because it is very noticeable on search pages. Remember that the word “free” is a trigger word that catches people’s attention. The only other words that catch people’s attention like “free” is “you” and “sex”. Hey, I’m scared to think of what might happen if you put all these words in the same sentence!

Finally, with regards to the word “free”, always include it in your title IN ALL CAPS by simply adding “FREE bonus”. And then give your customers something for free. You can tell them what it is or not but always be sure to put a dollar value on it. For example, when I sell my information products, my bonus is a subscription to my email newsletter which I always give away for free but I put a value on it of $9.95 per month because I really believe that it’s worth that much since I know that I always over deliver. So I always tell my buyers that they are going to get a “bonus worth almost $120 per year!”

But here’s the key: it’s doesn’t really matter what the bonus is… all you are trying to do is get eBay users to click on your auction because you can’t start selling your product to them until the open the listing! Remember this every time you create a new listing. Your first objective is to get them to click on the auction listing. Think of it this way, you can’t sell to someone unless you get them in the store!

SECRET STRATEGY #17 – KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR GREAT DEALS!

Every single Powerseller that I spoke with told me several stories about one little deal or something that they found for free that made them a ton of money. One of them told me about how he goes to swap meets and watches the buyers all day looking for one item that a bunch of them seem to be buying. He then buys one for himself and tracks down the manufacturer so that he can sell the product on eBay. This is an awesome idea because really what he is doing is market research by watching the buyers at the swap meet. In addition, this same Powerseller oftentimes buys a large quantity off a swap meet seller at a really low price right before the seller is about ready to leave for the weekend because would the seller rather make a little money or haul everything back?

Another Powerseller went to Africa for his honeymoon and while he was there he found some fabulous African headdresses. He struck up a deal with the maker and bought 500 of the headdresses at $2 a piece for $1,000 total. When he and his bride returned home, he sold the headdresses on eBay for about $75 a piece, made over $36,000 and got to write off his $10,000 honeymoon as a “business expense”! He did so well selling the headdresses that he decided to “take a business trip… tax deductible of course… back to Africa” and order 2000 more. Also, to share the wealth, he “gave the maker a raise” and paid $5 each without the maker even asking for it! I bet he was pretty happy. But here’s the really funny thing… he got such ecstatic reviews for his previous buyers that the headdresses became much more in demand that his average sale increased to over $125! With these headdresses, he has made over $270,000!

So, keep your eyes open and snatch up those great deals. On thing to remember, if you see a bunch of people buying something, then you can be sure that you will be able to find others that will buy. At the county fair? Ask the popular vendors if they would like you to sell their products on eBay and split the profit. See a great deal at Wal-Mart for some killer product? Buy a bunch of them and sell them to people that don’t live near a Wal-Mart or other discount store (and always list your items internationally because international buyers will often pay you more and even pay the shipping for certain items because many times that item is much more expensive in their country… even if it’s made there!) Basically, make offers that you can profit from everywhere you go. Sure, you’ll get dozens of “no’s” but one “yes” can make you thousands of dollars.

SECRET STRATEGY #18 – INVEST IN YOUR BUSINESS

Of course, you don’t want to waste money on your business but I constantly see people that don’t want to spend money on their business to make money. eBay, in particular, has some features that can make you more money when you use them and others that may not make a difference for your product.

For example, one of the biggest mistakes that sellers make on eBay is not spending $.35 to have the product’s photo show up in the gallery. This is the biggest listing mistake! Gallery photos draw considerably more clicks and bids and yet do a search for a specific product and you will see that about 1/3 don’t have gallery photos and always have lower highest bids. Without exception, all of my auctions have a gallery photo and are listed in bold as are just about every Powerseller listing.

And don’t be afraid to invest in your business by purchasing things like auction software, a digital camera (especially now that you can get them for under $100), a postage system (I use Stamps at http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/stamps.html) or a web authoring program like DreamWeaver. Definitely be sure to invest in a high-speed Internet connection like the ones below because they will save you an incredible amount of time and frustration.

Comcast High Speed Internet Cable – http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/comcast.html
Earthlink High Speed Internet DSL — http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/earthlink.html
Qwest High Speed Internet DSL — http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/qwest.html
Verizon Online DSL — http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/verizon.html
Time Warner High Speed Internet — http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/tw.html

Or my personal choice:

Time Warner Digital Cable High Speed Internet — http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/tw-dig.html

Just do some research and determine how it will make you more money before you buy anything.

SECRET STRATEGY #19 – ALWAYS BE LEARNING… ALWAYS BE UP TO DATE

As a personal coach, I recommend that people reinvest 10% of their income in their personal education so that they constant grow. And I suggest something similar for your business. Constantly read books about eBay and the Internet all of the time and you will grow year after year after year. Here are a few titles that I suggest to get started on eBay:

The Silent Sales Machine Hiding on eBay by Jim Cockrum

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/silent-sales.html

eBay Cash Machine by Sebastian Foss

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/ebay-cash.html

What to Sell on eBay and Where to Get It by Chris Malta

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/what-to-sell.html

eBay Powerseller Secrets: Insider Tips from eBay’s Most Successful Sellers by Debra & Peter Schepp

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/powerseller-secrets.html

eBay Timesaving Techniques for Dummies by Marsha Collier

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/ebay-timesaving.html

In addition to these titles above, the is one other great resource: EBAY!

Check out the following eBay pages:

Learning Center — http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/ebay-learning.html
eBay University — http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/ebay-university.html
Security & Resolution Center — http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/ebay-security.html

Unleash Life Success Coaching eBay Store

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/links/ulsc-ebay-store.html

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/A2Z-platinum.html

Finally, if you missed any of the four parts of this article, you can read the other three at the following addresses:

http://www.a-to-z-web.com/ebays-secrets-1.html
http://www.a-to-z-web.com/ebays-secrets-2.html
http://www.a-to-z-web.com/ebays-secrets-3.html
http://www.a-to-z-web.com/ebays-secrets-4.html

Selling Problems on eBay and Their Solutions

explorercomp — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:52:04 +0000

eBay provides internet users with an online flea market where buyers and sellers from around the world meet to conduct trade. However, like most traders who are faced with an innovation of this sort, the first question will always be: It is safe?

The answer is yes, but devious scammers are daily plotting means to take advantage of eBay’s power to forward their dastardly schemes. The user’s recourse…information and meticulous care in dealing on eBay. Only then can he be less vulnerable to the scammer. The common consensus is that bidders are often scammed by sellers. But it is possible for things to be the other way around.

Here is a list of the common problems sellers encounter and the means to handle them.

Fake Escrow Services

A winning bidder may request that an escrow service be used to assure both parties of a fair transaction. Unfortunately, the seller is sometimes duped into using a fake escrow system. To avoid such, the seller must always verify the authenticity of an escrow service. eBay recommends the use of escrow.com. If the bidder insists on his or her escrow service, chances are, that person is a scammer. Victims of such find it difficult to reclaim their items. They may, however, appeal to the legal means afforded by the state they live in. They must also contacteBay regarding the matter for any assistance they may offer at that juncture.

Deadbeat Bidders

Deadbeat bidders (a winning bidder who doesn’t pay for an item at the auction’s close) are more common on eBay. If the winner of your auction does not pay, you may leave that person a negative feedback. As for the listing fees the seller shells out, eBay lays out a four step procedure sellers can use to potentially recover lost selling fees. If the sellers complete the process to eBay’s satisfaction, they will receive a Final Value Fee credit and a relist credit. Filing an Unpaid Item dispute is the first step towardeBay reimbursing those fees. One can report an unpaid item up to 45 days after an auction’s close.

Trade Dispute

This occurs when the seller and bidder disagree on some terms of the sale. This may also happen if there is a purported violation of any of these agreements. If communication between both parties does not help, they may consider availing of a third-party dispute resolution outfit to help. SquareTrade.com is one of these outfitseBay recommends.

Prevention is Better than Cure

A seller’s life may be made terrible because of the constant scamming attacks unscrupulous individuals undertake. But, with proper information and care, he or she can continue trading on eBay with relative safety.

Ebay’s Weirdest Items

explorercomp — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:59:47 +0000

Indeed, E-bay is today’s most sought-after shopping portal in the Internet. It has created in itself a worldwide phenomenon that people get inflicted with. The joy and the thrill of bidding online create a certain diagrammatic representation of life’s drama.

Consequently, due to its underlying nature, the success of E-bay can be well attributed to its wide range of market reach. Hence, a lot of people are going in or out of the arena with a number of diverse products at hand.

Because of its diversity, people all over the world resort to e-bay to sell just about anything, from the basic necessities to computer techies, and even weird stuffs.

The most common case of weird auctions on E-bay was about virginity being on sale. There were about a dozen of auctions that put one’s virginity on the limelight. There was even one auction that sold for $10,000,000 with 17 bidders at the most. Though, there was no clear implication if the report was true enough.

Next, there were cases of auctioned letters from a serial killer being sold at 1500 pounds each.

Then, there was one auction about a man who is selling his “fully functioning” kidneys. The reported bid amount was $5.7 million. There was no way to verify the truth, but reports said that the sale did not push through.

There is much other weird stuff like one night stand with someone’s wife, ghost in a jar, ghost cane, and air guitar, which were all sold, just for the heck of getting a sale onE-bay. But among all, the report about a 10-year old Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich that sold for $28,000 was the most sensationalized and the weirdest stuff ever sold onE-bay. The seller was an old woman from Miami, Florida.

According to MSNBC, (this means it’s for real) E-bay had deliberately post back the auction last November 2004 after it inadvertently pulled the auction out from the list, thinking it was just a hoax. The Golden Palace, an online casino, had won the auction. Executives of the company said that $28,000 was nothing compared to the privilege of getting to own this 10-year old half-bitten sandwich bearing the face of Virgin Mary.

Consequently, the fact that the Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich was already 10 years old and still it did not bear any traces of mold. That made those who read and have seen theauction go “Huh?”

When Selling On E-Bay Matters

explorercomp — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:39:02 +0000

With the comfort credit cards offer by filling up application forms without having to go personally to a bank or see a sales agent, online shopping had tremendously escalated to greater heights.

Here, there, and everywhere, people seemed to be charging everything they see online. Because of this a lot of e-commerce enthusiasts these days have ventured into a more lucrative way of earning money. For many surfers, E-bay is one of the world’s easiest and money-spinning online shopping portals. But despite the convenience it offers to most online shoppers, it has its own set of pros and cons as far as its sellers are concerned.

The big question is: Is selling items in E-bay advantageous or not? Here are some things to ponder:

PROS

Selling items on E-bay is a great way to start a small business. For business wannabes who are low on cash, an E-bay is a good way to start things right.
It’s the best way to earn money while discarding some “trash”.
Sellers get to expose their items 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Items being sold on E-bay have a wider market reach.
Selling items on E-bay is also a good way to complement an existing venture.
No hard selling. Selling is made easy through E-bay.
Selling items had never been this fun. It only happens on E-bay.

THE CONS

Payments can be risky especially if it concerns an international market.
Frauds and scammers are just around the corner. The seller might be the next victim on-the-waiting.
The buyers are unidentified or most are new buyers, thus, increasing more risk. Besides, it’s easy to create false identities over the Internet.
There are possibilities of unscrupulous mode of payment like use of a cashier’s check.
Feedbacks are provided. There may be instances wherein people might play with the seller’s feedback section. This will definitely ruin the seller’s reputation.
The seller is gradually becoming a part of a corporation that seems to be monopolizing the industry. If this were case, then everybody would do transactions one-bay alone, giving the other businesses a no-chance fight.
The seller will be missing life’s real drama, witnessing other people’s reactions and talking to them face-to-face.

Whether selling on E-bay is good or bad, only one thing’s for sure: it’s definitely more money to those who benefit from it.

Buying Tips For Maximum Profits On EBay

explorercomp — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:29:09 +0000

Buying on eBay can be lots of fun and profiting. If you love bargains, and am yet to see anyone who doesn’t, i stand corrected, if there is anyone one out there who doesn’t, then eBay is the right place for you. 24 hours a day and the whole year through in the comfort of your own home, you can find and profit from lots of bargains.

From eBay antiques to eBay motors, real estate to sought after event tickets, consumer electronics to collectibles, there is something for everyone on eBay. And these are just a few of the categories i have mentioned. At any one time, eBay has hundreds of thousands of items for sale on its network of sites.

Items are organised into categories on eBay, and these are listed down on the left hand side of the screen. It’s amazing what’s on sale on eBay. Rather than moving through all this categories, it’s a better idea to use eBay’s search facility.

Because eBay has such a massive number of items for sale, its very likely you will be presented with hundreds if not thousands of items when you search for items to buy on eBay. The first thing to have in mind, when you need to buy on eBay will of course be the price.

EBay is supposed to be the bargain warehouse, but over the years, there have been so many items that have exchanged hands for way above their retail value because of the bidding frenzy that comes with certain items offered for sale on the auction site.

It’s always a good practice to compare bids if you are involved in an auction, and if this has already exceeded the pre – determined amount you are willing to pay, don’t be tempted into a bidding war, just move on and find similar items with a different seller, you are always bound to find these because remember there are thousands of items available for sale on eBay.

Items you buy on eBay will be mailed to you unless stated otherwise, so be very wary of postage and delivery costs when determining the amount you are willing to pay for an item. When you have decided on these, also consider the condition of the item. EBay is an auction site, and as is the case with all auctions, there are always old and newitems for sale. So be very careful, usually the seller’s description of the item should give you an idea about its condition.

When in doubt you can always email the seller through eBay’s mail system. All good sellers will answer questions regarding their items.

Some auctions come with a “Buy It Now” icon, you can end the auction immediately by paying for the advertised price using the “Buy It Now” icon. I suggest you should only do this if the “Buy It Now” price is within the pre – determined amount you are willing to pay.