7 Foolish Mistakes You Should Avoid If You Are New To Selling on EBay

Author: Ben Catt

(1) Keyword spamming

This is a sure fire way to make yourself look like a complete fool.

Basically, keyword spammers list words which are not related to the auction in the title to try and attract more visitors. Often the words they use have absolutely no relevance at all to the product they are selling.

For example:

ps2 the getaway not xbox nintendo pc sega

(from a listing found 1st November 2005)

This particular title is a very bad choice. Why on earth the seller decided to put ""not xbox nintendo pc sega"" in the title I do not know.

Does he think that a potential XBox buyer will suddenly feel compelled to buy a game for another console?

The only result of this is that a huge number of potential bidders will miss this auction.

The seller has overlooked the fact that anyone searching for ""getaway playstation 2"" will miss his auction. And people searching for that term are looking for his product!

A better title would be:

Sony Playstation 2 (PS2) Game - The Getaway - As New

Even worse than those who spam in the title are the sellers who spam in the subtitle. Searches on eBay do not include the subtitle so it is completely pointless keyword spamming in this way.

Instead of spamming, make sure you use the entire character allocation of your title and cram in as many keywords as possible.

(2) Feedback Gathering

One quick way to get to 10 or 20 feedback points is to buy lots of 1p ebooks from other eBay members.

The foolish newbie believes this to be a great way to increase feedback, after all, you can spend £1 and receive 100 positive feedbacks!

The problem comes when they start to sell products and their potential customers look through their feedback. When they see that the seller has purposely inflated their feedback by buying crap, it looks like a scammer's account.

Go about your eBay business professionally from the beginning. If you need feedback, sell some things you don't need from around the house. You'll soon build up some positive numbers next to your username.

(3) Trying to sell ""resale rights"" eBooks

One reasonably well-known information marketer recently made a massive mistake by selling an eBook with resale rights. Within a couple of days her £30 eBook was changing hands for as little as 5p (£0.05).

Resale rights do not work on eBay because as soon as you sell an eBook with these rights someone even dumber than you will undercut your price. Then someone even stupider will undercut theirs. Next thing you know, several sellers are offering the eBooks, along with 10 or so more for 1p. The price drops within 48 hours and there is no real money left to be made.

If you want to sell eBooks on eBay, write them yourself and beware of other people trying to sell your work. Never try and sell someone else's work unless you have purchased the right to do so. You will get sued.

(4) They neglect to give prompt, polite service

When you list an item on eBay you can sometimes get someone who asks a very silly question or makes a ridiculously low offer. Always be courteous to these people, they may be future customers.

At the same time, when you do make a sale, ensure that the product is dispatched as soon as possible once payment is received. eBay buyers are very, very impatient. You may think that sending an item with 2 weeks is OK, most buyers want it within 2 days.

You can, and probably will, get negative feedback for being too slow or by appearing to be rude in email communication. Remember your manners, answer all questions in full and treat everyone as a potential life long customer and you will have an easier time on eBay.

(5) They sell the wrong products

The ideal eBay product is easy to source, easy to post and popular. When first starting on eBay it is a good idea to concentrate on selling small items such as CDs, DVDs, video games etc.

Buy bulk lots from eBay, break them up and list them seperately. Make sure your title, description and photos are clear and show the product for what it is. You will be surprised at the profit you can make just by doing this.

Also, steer clear of huge, bulky items. Selling plasma TVs may seem like a good idea but when you come to post your TV to the buyer, you will soon regret offering it for such a low price.

(6) They try to cheat their customers

New sellers can be very ""wet behind the ears"" and neglect to mention some damage to the item they are selling. If you do not mention a scratch or other significant damage on your item, the customer will return it and expect a refund. You may even receive negative feedback for your troubles.

And, more seriously, never, ever try to bid on your own auction to raise the price. You aren't the first person who thought of it and you won't be the last. Shill-bidding will land you in trouble with eBay and potential customers. A lot of buyers check a seller's previous sales. If they continue to see the same bidder bidding on your auctions they will refuse to buy from you and may even report you. eBay will then ban you.

(7) They over-charge on postage

Be fair with your customers and you will have a lot less hassle from them. Overcharging on postage may seem like a good idea to boost profits but what you will probably find is that any potential bidder will bid less for your item if the postage is too high. Always state your postage in your auction and you will get a higher price than if you do not.

About the author: Ben Catt is an active eBay buyer and seller and runs an eBay Tips and Tricks website found at http://www.BenCatt.com . He also runs a business opportunity information site - http://www.BizOppsUK.com

Steal the Secrets of a Regular Guy Who Made $8 MILLION On eBay Last Year!

Author: Amit Jain

Review: ""The Insider Secrets Of An eBay Millionaire"" by Derek Gehl and Brandon Dupsky

I've just finished devouring the brand-new ""Insider Secrets Of An eBay Millionaire"" by Brandon Dupsky and Derek Gehl, and I've got to tell you, it is by FAR the best system for making a life-changing income on eBay that I've come across!

Don't be embarrassed if you've never heard of self-made eBay millionaire Brandon Dupsky before. After all, he likes to fly ""below the radar"" (which gives him more time to focus on his booming eBay business!)

But what you should know about him is that he's just a regular guy who got his start on eBay by selling a few odd-and-ends he found in his basement...

... and since then, he's refined his techniques to the point where he made $8 MILLION this past year alone!

And what's really great is that Brandon has agreed to team up with Derek Gehl, the well-known Internet marketing expert who is responsible for over $40,000,000 in online sales!

... together, they can show you everything you need to know about profiting on eBay!

I'm talking about information like...

Where to find in-demand products that you can buy for cheap and resell for massive profits!

How to attract TONS of bids and make HUGE profits on every single auction you list!

How to CREATE stunning listings that grab the eyeballs of eager bidders!

How to easily rake in even MORE cash by establishing a glowing feedback rating!

How to eliminate 90% of all eBay headaches by setting up foolproof payment And shipping systems!

Techniques for driving 1,000s of qualified bidders to YOUR auction listings!

And much more!

And if you have an existing Internet business, they can show YOU how you can use your current business to tap into the 2,000,000 visitors who come to eBay every day!

I give this eBay profit system the highest rating possible!

It includes a huge 237-page guidebook PLUS over 4 solid hours of audio instruction on 4 CDs...

... and contains every tip, strategy, and secret there is for getting started on eBay today, earning your first profit by tomorrow -- and making a life changing income of potentially $100,000 or MORE in your first year!

PLUS -- the live recorded conversations between Derek and Brandon are indispensable for explaining in detail the most powerful auction strategies that other eBay ""Power Sellers"" don't want you to know!

I strongly urge you to check out Brandon's eBay profit-generating system as soon as possible! Click here for a FREE preview.

About the author: MatchABid - Auction Guide

Make eBay Selling Better by Building Trust and Credibility

Author: Doug Luthringer

You will need to develop trust and credibility to be successful, not only on eBay but in your business life as well. Trying to build a trusting relationship with someone you've never even talked to is extremely difficult, and this is what you will have to do when selling on eBay. I will cover many ways to develop trust throughout this book, but I will hit on a few simple ways to quickly become a credible source of information in this section. The first is as easy as choosing an appropriate eBay User ID. If you are selling wedding accessories, your eBay User ID should not be crazyjoe_3568. This is not the type of place most people would want to shop at for their wedding. Now if your eBay User ID is YourDay or WeddingAccessories, people are much more likely to trust your products and service over crazyjoe_3568. If people are more likely to trust you, they will be more willing to bid higher for your items.

The lesson here is that the first impression is the most important and to be honest in all your business ventures. If you are comfortable with yourself and the business you operate, then knowing that you provide a high level of service and professionalism will lead others to believe in you also. You might get banged around a little at times, but hold your head high and things will work out for the better. And don't forget, crazyjoe_3568 will have a hard time selling much of anything unless it's CRAZY!

About the author: Doug Luthringer is a certified eBay education specialist who has taught more than 150 students The Basics of eBay Selling course and The Advanced eBay Selling Techniques course. He has been selling on eBay for nearly six years and has completed over 1800 eBay transactions and has over 1150 unique positive comments with no negative feedback. Doug has also been invited to be a guest speaker to talk about how to sell on eBay and the use of Google Ad

Jewelry Wholesale and eBay Auctions

Author: Glenn J Fournier

eBay is a great place to find almost any item that you can imagine. Jewelry wholesale auctions are quite common on eBay, and in many cases, you cannot beat the deals that are offered here. However, there are also many con artists that operate through eBay, and you have to use caution.

Start by reading all of the fine details about the jewelry wholesale lots that you are purchasing. If you still have questions, send those questions to the seller through eBay's website. Make sure that you keep all of your contact with the seller through the website so that there is documentation.

Check out the person or company that is offering the jewelry wholesale. Look at their ratings and their feedback. Has there been any negative feedback? If so, you may want to reconsider your options and look into other auctions. If the feedback is all positive, and the seller's rating is high, doing business with them should not be a problem.

Make sure that you are clear about shipment costs and the shipment time frame, as well as the payment options offered. Usually, the buyer is responsible for the shipment costs, and this is added to the total and paid before the item ships. In the case of high ticket items, insurance may be required on the item as well. The seller seldom pays the shipping costs.

If the jewelry wholesale is a high ticket item, such as jewelry that is bought in bulk or rare pieces of expensive jewelry, you should strongly consider using the escrow service that is recommended by eBay. If the seller recommends any escrow service other than the one that eBay recommends, you might not want to do business with this seller - it could be a scam.

Beware of sniper's on eBay! Sniping is against the rules at eBay, but a large group of people do it anyway. Sniping is automatic bidding, which is not against the rules, but the software or service is instructed to place the highest bid in the last possible minute of the auction - leaving no time for anyone else to place a higher bid. Again, this is against eBay's rules.

Instead of sniping, place your first bid at the maximum amount that you are willing to pay for the jewelry wholesale lot. Each time the bid is raised, your bid will automatically be raised - until your limit is reached. This is not sniping, and it is a perfectly legal way to bid on auctions at eBay.

About the author: Glenn has been researching and exploring for gold, jewels and treasure for about 16 years. You can get a copy of my new ebook Getting Gold: http://www.island-publishing.com/GetGold/Index.html

Ebay - Avoiding Fraud

Author: Jay Bauder

Everything in E-bay seemed perfect: nice shopping portal, almost complete buyer's list, and a convenient place to do shopping online. In fact, it's too good to be true.

If this is the case, then it's time for the buyer's warning signal to go red alert because if things on E-bay seemed to good to be true, it probably is and may not even be worth the buyer's time and money.

There are lots of frauds and scams?going on in the Internet today and E-bay is not excused. So, it's important for buyers to detect early signs of fraudulent activities before it gets them. Here's how to do it:

1. Buyers should look for the seller's feedback section. If a seller has many feedbacks and almost 50% of it is negative, chances are transaction with this seller will turn out a hoax, even if the seller has provided positive replies.

2. Online shoppers should be aware of emails contending it's from E-bay and certifying some seller as a good one. It's already anomalous in the first place because E-bay does not send emails. Plus, E-bay would definitely not certify a seller even if he or she has a remarkable selling history.

3. Buyer should be aware of sellers that insist on wire transfers like Western Union as mode of payment. In fact, E-bay does not recommend their buyers to use wire transfer services. If the seller insists on it, then, no doubt it's a scam.

4. Buyer should also be aware of ""too-good-to-be-true"" prices. Chances are items that are priced way below their real prices are signs of imminent fraudulent activities.

5. Online shoppers should take note of phishing emails. These are emails that require subscribers to fill out forms provided in the email with warning statements saying the subscriber's account will be closed if the person concerned will not provide the required pertinent information. Once given, anomalous activities are on their way like identity theft.

6. Buyers should also be aware of sellers that let them pay the bid amount to wire transfers directly from the buyer's checking account. Worst, the seller contends that the given bank account is Escrow's.

7. Online shoppers should be weary of institutions claiming they are escrow but ask payments be made to a person instead of a corporation. This is a clear case of scam.

So, to shun away from probable scam attacks, it's a must for every E-bay buyer to keep these tips in mind. It's better to be safe than dumb.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Ebay Fraud And Risks

Author: Steve Hill

I am one of many people who have had a negative experience on the internet auction website ebay. This article describes how I nearly lost a large some of money from a man who attempts to defraud people out of their hard earned money.

I have read about many people who have had bad experiences on ebay, I hope you are not one of them. I must admit, I was having a great time on ebay, and also making some cash myself until this fraudster ruined it for me.

I had been buying and selling on ebay for a couple of years and even though I was aware of the risks involved, had traded without any problems at all. I was very careful, and if I bought an expensive item, I would always ensure that I met the seller somewhere, normally just off a motorway and I even drove to their houses. I pulled off some great deals and was even thinking that I could make it into a real income. I also pleased the wife as I made money from some of our unwanted items.

Good things apparantly have to come to an end and they certainly did with Ebay.

Where it all went wrong:

I was on the hunt to buy a particular make of mobile phone and thought I had found a real bargain. I saw an advert for a buy it now phone at a price which I thought was quite low. The advert stated that the mobile phone was an unwanted christmas present.

On the advert there was a mobile number which people were able to call if they had any questions. I therefore rang the number and a man called Tony answered. I asked him all the typical questions and he gave all of the answers which I wanted to hear. He sounded very genuine and seemed really nice, however stated that he was unable to meet me as he was as he had yet to pass his test.

As stated previously, in this situation I would normally travel to the sellers house, however he lived a long way from where I did and it was deep into the country. I had a bad feeling about the deal, however reluctantly agreed to pay via a direct bank transfer. He assured me he would post the phone that very day via Royal Mail Special Delivery, to arrive by 11am the next morning. I knew I had taken a risk however believed that everything would go smoothly, how wrong could I be.

I waited in my house the next day and to my horror nothing arrived. For some reason I waited until the next day before contacting him, hoping it would be delivered, but as you have already guessed, it didn't.

I tried e-mailing him, texting and ringing his mobile phone, guess what, there was no reply.

I realised what a fool I had been, however was not happy just to let him get away with it. I therefore decided to report the incident to the police. They were very helpful and half an hour later I had a crime number, I was however warned that it was extremely unlikely I would ever see a phone or receive a refund of the money I had sent.

Outside the police station I sent Tony a text with the police crime number. To my shock he phoned me straight away swearing at me but eventually agreed to refund me the money, if I stopped the police action against him.

I was very lucky, I am sure many other people as the police stated, never get their money back.

About the author: Stephen Hill has a number of websites including:

stammering stuttering therapy

back pain specialist

coach life london

Holiday Shopping On eBay

Author: Ron King

Whether we like it or not, the holiday season has become the shopping season. But there is a way to remove the traffic and hassles from your holiday gift buying -- eBay. Shop in the comfort of your own home, and have fun in the process.

Perfect Gifts

If you know the kinds of things your friends and family like, then eBay's categories are ideal places to get ideas. And then a few clicks later, you're shopping -- at bargain basement prices.

eBay offers a cool way to come up with gift ideas. Think of a recent item that your gift recipient bought for themselves. Type it into eBay's search box and see which category it's in, then click the link to look at everything in that category. You'll immediately have a huge list of things that they would probably love to have. If you know the recipient well, you should have no trouble sorting through the suggestions to find a special and unique gift.

Let History Be Your Guide

You have an extra tool available when the people you're buying for are eBay users. If you know their eBay usernames, you can look at what they've been buying to see the kinds of things they may want.

First, click Advanced Search on the main page, then Find A Member on the left-hand menu to see an eBay user's history. Type in the username and you'll get their user page, which lists the item numbers of everything they have bought. Choose an item number and paste it into the eBay search box to find out what the item was. Voila! You have a nearly foolproof list of ideal gifts for that person on your shopping list.

Avoid Last-Minute Shopping

Don't be tempted to use eBay for your last-minute holiday shopping, though. The prices will be high, and items might not reach you in time.

Every year there's a toy every child wants and all the stores sell out. Suddenly the toy appears on eBay -- at a premium. Holiday shoppers have to pay many times the gift's value, and still don't receive it in time for the big day. Don't get caught in this snare.

'Tis The Season

The holiday season is peak time at eBay because millions of people are shopping there. A good percentage of them are inexperienced eBay shoppers, who drive up prices far above normal. Try not to end up paying too much for an item just because it's the last one you could receive in time, or because everyone else is bidding high. Know when to cut your losses, stop bidding, and just go buy something from the local store.

Keep It Jolly

eBay works best when it's not taken too seriously. Treat it like a game, and you won't be too disappointed if you lose. It can feel somewhat like gambling, but when that really rare gift for that special someone arrives on your doorstep just in time for Christmas, it all becomes worth it.

About the author: Visit Shop Ebay to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer, visit his website at Website

Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.

Have you thought about eBay as a new sales channel?

Author: Doug Luthringer

Small businesses that complain that eBay is taking their business should jump on the eBay train before it leaves them behind. eBay is not only for baseball cards and antiques anymore. Many places have an online eBay Store to supplement their walk-ins during the slow times, and to sell off-season or obsolete inventory. Besides Christmas being a good time to sell just about anything, there are going to be seasonal slow times that will bring your sales to a crawl. Also, especially in any kind of electronics business, the products you are selling today will be very different from what you are going to be selling in six months.

So what do you do with the excess inventory? Sell it on eBay. Most people don't mind not having the next big thing. As long as your thing meets their needs, they will be happy to buy it from you.

Next, you're scared and don't know how to sell on eBay. You don't want to pay someone to do it for you, and your little brother's friend is not the best instructor. Enter eBay's education specialists. These are people who are trained and certified by eBay to teach you The Basics of eBay Selling, Advanced eBay Selling Techniques, and The Basics of Buying on eBay courses. These courses are professionally developed by eBay and the instructors have the latest data and material to help you learn how to sell on eBay.

You may have seen info-mercials, heard radio ads and tried to read eBay for Dummies, but you still aren't getting it or trusting where you are getting the information from. The classes taught by eBay Education Specialists are not designed to make you an overnight millionaire, or get you involved in some scheme that makes them more money than you will. They are there because they love what they do and want to teach others how to do it right. It is a way of strengthening the entire eBay Community to do things right, to treat people right and to know what the right things are to do in order for everyone to succeed.

In closing, do not be scared of eBay but rather embrace it. Learn how to do it right from the right people and you will succeed.

About the author: Doug Luthringer is a certified eBay education specialist who has taught more than 150 students The Basics of eBay Selling course and The Advanced eBay Selling Techniques course. Doug has also been invited to be a guest speaker to talk about how to sell on eBay and the use of Google AdWords to small and medium size business, as well as university students. You can get more information about Doug and his eBay selling book at http://www.Thefastmall.com

Ebay - Online Auction Tips

Author: Jay Bauder

Buying things in an auction is the most affordable way to obtain the item a person wishes to have. That is why even the Internet had provided such sites like eBay in order to provide more affordable items than what the typical market has to offer.

Best of all, net auctions sites like eBay can provide a number of potential profits for the small time entrepreneurs who want to, in some or way or another, earn extra income.

Through eBay, sellers do not have to build a site just to sell. In fact, there's no investment capital needed in order to start the business.

There just simple things a seller has to do in order to come up with a good sale. Here are some things the seller has to know before putting up a sale:

1. The Market Value

It's a must for every seller to do some homework first regarding the price of the item in the market. This is to enable the seller to come up with a price that is reasonable enough to compensate the purchasing power of the buyer and the much-needed profit of the seller as well.

The seller may also look for the other sites that offer the same item so as to give him or her an insight on how he or she should stipulate the price.

2. The item description.

It is important for a seller to come up with a detailed description of the item. That is, the seller should be honest enough to put everything that depicts the items actual state and appearance. It should be based more on information and not just propaganda.

3. The photograph.

Pictures are enough to sell the item. But it takes skill to get the right angle and the perfect aura of the item so as to illustrate the best point of view. If the item is clear enough for the buyer to see its specifications, chances are, the buyer will purchase it.

4. The seller's requirements.

It is an essential thing for the seller to state his or her payment requirements. It's best for the sellers to include everything especially the additional charges that will apply like shipping fees.

5. The customer service.

In order for the seller to close a sale, he or she must be well adept on customer service. That is, the seller should know that it is important to reply on a buyer's inquiry, to answer whenever there is confusion, and to do some follow-ups even if the transaction is finished.

As they say, a happy buyer makes a happy seller.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Ebay - How Sellers Get Paid

Author: Jay Bauder

Today, eBay is considered to be one of the most lucrative auction sites available in the Internet.

However, selling on eBay is not that easy, and the very first thing a seller should do is to find the ways on how he or she will get paid once the item is sold. And so, here are the different ways how a seller can be paid:

1. PayPal

PayPal is the most common and convenient way of sending and receiving money based on an eBay transaction. Here, the payment for the sold item is sent directly to the seller by means of an established bank account or a credit card.

2. Personal Check or Cashier's Check

Sellers may choose this kind of option. However, the drawback of using this kind of payment method is that the seller still has to wait for a number of banking days before the check gets cleared.

3. Credit Cards

Sellers must have a merchant account to be able to accept payments from its buyers through credit cards. This is applicable only if the buyer will be paying directly to the seller. If the buyer still wants to use credit card but wants a safer transaction, he or she may opt to pay the seller through PayPal with the use of the credit card.

4. Bank to bank wire transfers

In this type of payment, the seller can be paid through a bank-to-bank transaction. Here, the buyer will transfer funds from his or her bank account to the seller's bank account.

5. Money Orders/Bid pay

This is one of the recommended payment methods of eBay. This is considered safe because the seller or the buyer can track down the mailing address of the concerned person.

6. Escrow

This is strongly suggested for high-priced item transactions. The escrow service guarantees full protection while the transaction is not yet closed. Through this service, the seller has to wait for the confirmation that the buyer had received the product before receiving payment.

However, sellers and buyers should take extra precautions on dealing with escrow services. There are a lot of counterfeit escrow services lurking on eBay these days. It's best to check if the escrow service was approved by eBay.

8. Cash

Sellers on eBay may receive payments through cash. However, this is a high-risk activity and offers no guaranteed protection.

8. Instant Cash Wire Transfers like western Union and Money Grams

Sellers may opt for this type of payment method. But, they should keep in mind eBay is strongly against this mode of payment and that insisting this to the buyer may result to suspension or termination of account.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Ebay Gift Certificates

Author: Jay Bauder

Now that online shoppers have realized the true potential of online shopping with eBay, they offer their customers a better and easier (not to mention cheaper) way of doing their transactions with eBay. eBay Gift Certificates!

But the customers and all online shoppers must always be careful about the terms and/or conditions regarding the gift certificates. Always be alert and reminded about the expiration date of the gift certificates, this way, customers can always make full use of their eBay GCs. The gift certificates from eBay are wonderful gifts to the people dear to us. With an eBay gift certificate, we share the joys of shopping online through eBay.

eBay gift certificates are available to anyone who wishes to buy one. No eBay registration or eBay membership is required to get your hands on this baby. They can be purchased though PayPal. One of its yet better points is that while paying for your gift certificate, you can choose to sign up for your account at PayPal.

But as anything, there is a catch. The catch is not all eBay gift certificates will be redeemed. Only those that pass the following requirements will be redeemed.

1. The one who sells the item on sale accepts PayPal as one of the ways to pay for their merchandise. 2. The original price of the item on sale must be in Pounds Sterling, Canadian Dollars, Euros or US Dollars. 3. The owner of the GC has ten days after the item on sale has been closed at eBay to pay for the merchandise through PayPal.

There are rare occasions that and eBay gift certificate will expire. Customers or purchasers of the gift certificates are also not required to pay maintenance fees on unused balances of the gift certificate. If the price of the item that a customer is buying cannot be covered by the gift certificate alone, the buyer needs to supply the remaining balance through paying from another fund source at PayPal (which can either be credit card or bank account).

eBay gift certificates can be spent when the customer wishes to buy an item or have won an item at eBay that passes the requirements mentioned above. To do this, when you have chosen the item that you want, select the word Paypal for your payment method. (Don't panic if it reroutes you to the PayPal site, this really happens) Log in to PayPal and write down the redemption codes found in the Check Payment Detail. Look for the Add/Select button and click on that to enable you to use your GC. You redeem your gift certificates this way and the seller of the item receives the payment through PayPal.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Customer Support Relief for eBay Sellers

Author: Steve Hartert

Automated Customer Support Solution First to Integrate Into eBay's 'Ask the Seller a Question'

HostedSupport.com, a leading provider of affordable automated online customer support solutions for web businesses, today announced ezSupport for eBay, its new automated customer support solution customized specifically to the needs of eBay sellers. ezSupport for eBay helps sellers deal with the overwhelming volume of repetitive email questions from buyers by automatically answering 80 percent of incoming questions.

With 135 million users worldwide, eBay has become the standard in online auctions and the vehicle for millions of entrepreneurs looking to build their own businesses. HostedSupport.com has established a unique partnership with the online auction company and is the only developer of automated customer support that has integrated into the eBay API to support 'Ask the Seller a Question.'

ezSupport for eBay is a web-based, hosted solution with no special software or hardware to purchase. Targeted to eBay sellers and ecommerce companies that sell on eBay, ezSupport for eBay enables sellers to focus on increasing sales rather than dealing with redundant customer emails.

""eBay sellers deal with hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of email questions on a daily basis that are redundant and easy to answer,"" said Steve Hartert, vice president of marketing. ""As the volume of email grows, the time devoted to responding to these repetitive questions hinders the sellers' ability to focus on the needs of the business. ezSupport for eBay is proven to respond to a very high percentage of these repetitive emails faster than would be possible manually by the seller.""

Typical questions received by sellers include inquiries on shipping policies, and specifics about products like size, weight and color. Through a set up wizard, sellers develop their own list of questions and answers and ezSupport for eBay can be up and running in less than 20 minutes.

One example of an eBay seller that found himself bogged down in the volumes of buyer emails is Bob Allen, co-founder of MyGolfBallStore.com. MyGolfBallStore.com is an online retailer of sporting goods and an eBay platinum power seller. Allen and his customer support team utilized email, spreadsheets and paper files to attempt to track customer issues. As the business grew, this manual process became too time-consuming, complex and costly. Allen turned to HostedSupport.com to automate his customer support process and adopted ezSupport for eBay.

According to Allen, ""HostedSupport.com was the answer to my prayers. We were suffering severe growing pains trying to keep up with our customer support workload. Since using ezSupport for eBay, 70 percent of our workload has been eliminated by the system, and our customer relationships have never been better.""

Allen now uses two HostedSupport.com products - ezSupport for eBay and ezSupport Pro for his stand alone website, and has realized the following results: - Less than 10 emails per day require manual review and response - 75 percent reduction in buyer phone calls - 70 percent reduction in overall customer support tasks - No need to hire additional support staff to manage high volumes of emails - Improved customer communications channels resulting in greater customer retention. - 90% of buyer emails automatically answered.

ezSupport for eBay is priced at $9.95 per seat per month and is available on a month-to-month subscription basis. ezSupport for eBay supports Windows and Macintosh and is compatible with Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Firefox, Opera and Safari web browsers.

HostedSupport.com offers two products customized to eBay - ezSupport for eBay and ezSupport Lite for eBay, a free introductory solution that also integrates with 'Ask the Seller a Question.' HostedSupport.com also offers ezSupport and ezSupport Pro, their automated online customer support solutions for any online business. ezSupport and ezSupport Pro feature auto-answer email, FAQs, ticket tracking, live chat, advanced reporting and POP email importing, as well as free training and set-up assistance. Pricing is $49.95 per seat per month for ezSupport and $79.95 per seat per month for ezSupport Pro.

About HostedSupport.com HostedSupport.com is a leading provider of affordable customer support automation for web businesses. Its easy-to-use system can be set up in 20 minutes and eliminates many of the support ""pains"" involved in answering and tracking customer questions and problem tickets. Businesses using HostedSupport.com's products automate most customer support tasks while improving customer retention. HostedSupport.com is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Its clients and partners include: eBay, PCMall, E! Online, TicketWeb, NetMagazines.com, Salesnet, Yahoo! Search Marketing, BrandMuscle, MyGolfBallStore, eBoz, Roving, Bravenet, and ePublicEye.

About the author: Steve has more than 20 years of marketing management experience. His professional background includes running his own marketing consulting firm, where he worked with clients such as The Walt Disney Company, Blue Cross of CA, and ABC Television. He recently served as the marketing director for an electronic cash card project in Sydney, Australia. Steve has a BS in Communications from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and an MBA in M

Ebay - Finding The Hot Items

Author: Jay Bauder

In so many instances, people would always want their food hot: hot coffee, hot-of-the-grill burgers and steaks etc.

That's why even on eBay people would rather go for those items that are selling like hot pancakes, so hot that they almost burn!

Basically, eBay categorize these items as ""hot"" whenever it obtains bids more than 30. Then after, eBay would classify them as ""hot items"". There are a lot of items that are already considered hot on eBay, though; things vary depending on what category these items fall. So, to know which things are considered hot items on eBay, here are some of them to give new customers an idea:

1. Domain names.

Because of the escalating development of the Internet these days, more and more people are getting ""hooked-up"" on the Net. That's why domain names sell like hot cakes on eBay. To-date, a domain name that has only three letters on it got 109 bids. That is really a hot number considering the usual number of bids that go around eBay.

2. Computers and other high-tech gadgets.

Still an information technology aftermath, more people go rage whenever they see computers, mobile phones, PDAs, laptop or notebooks, and digital camcorders are being sold on eBay. It seems that everybody just wants to be wired and hooked-up with the latest gadgets these days.

3. Jewelries.

And to think that most of the buyers are not just women. Jewelries especially if it has diamonds in it are so popular and in-demand. But people must consider when mulling over on this items - they are just too hot to handle.

4. Books.

Books also are also hot items on eBay these days especially those that fall on the interest of young adults like the Harry Potter series, The DaVinci Code, and those that are geared to give tips and tricks to businessmen and entrepreneurs.

5. Clothes.

Clothes sell hot too, and it's the fad that keep them reaching the top rank in the hot items category on eBay. And because brand names do matter nowadays, more people are vying on items that are branded. Some of these items also include perfumes and other garments.

These are just a few of the hot items being sold on eBay. This just goes to show that eBay is, indeed, the best place to get most from a bargain especially if the items are in-demand on eBay.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Ebay - Electronic Discount Coupons

Author: Jay Bauder

There a novel idea afoot nowadays: electronic discount coupons.

This only goes to show that most good marketing ideas can be adopted for the internet. Instead of cutting coupons out from newspapers or carton boxes, eBay gives out electronic copies of such that are fast and easy to use.

eBay routinely sends out coupons that members can use to pay for items that are payable via PayPal. These coupons signify specified discounts to purchases made with PayPal.

Using Coupons

To use an eBay Coupon one must buy an item where the seller accepts PayPal as a payment method. Upon payment of the item using PayPal, an opportunity will be given to the buyer to enter a coupon redemption code and receive the discount.

Sharing Coupons

Some coupons from eBay can be shared with other people. Some can be used only the owner. If the coupon indicates that only a specific email address may use that coupon, it may not be shared.

Coupons and your eBay and PayPal accounts

To use the coupons the owner must have a PayPal and an eBay account. If the owner does not have these accounts, he or she must sign up for them to avail of the discounts. PayPal lets you pay securely over the Internet using a credit card, checking account, or a PayPal account balance.

Important restrictions

Upon winning an eBay auction, one is required to purchase the item even if his coupons are invalid for that type of sale.

Also, coupons can only be used one at a time. This means that Gift Certificates, single coupons, or eBay Anything Points are valid for one time, one at a time.

One more restriction is that the coupons cannot be used for Half.com purchases.

Items must also meet all coupon requirements and must be paid for in ten days from the closing of the auction on eBay.

Coupons have expiry dates. The owner should take note of the expiry dates noted on the coupons.

Sellers may also configure their listings to accept coupons. To accomplish this, the seller must accept PayPal as a payment mode. If a coupon is used in the purchase of one of the seller items, the value of the coupon is forwarded to the seller as its equivalent in regular currency.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

eBay University...Rah, Rah, Rah

Author: Barbara Snyder, M.A. Ed.

Remember pom-poms, megaphones, and cute cheerleading outfits from your school days. If you decide to take an eBay class, expect the opening of the course to bring about that kind of ""rah, rah"" feeling. However, eBay does have a lot to cheer about. In just 10 years eBay has become a worldwide marketplace, purporting to be the most popular and largest on the Internet. It boasts that eBay makes over 50 million items available online, with more than 5 million items added everyday, not to mention that eBay has single-handedly boosted digital camera sales. After all you can't be a profitable seller on the site without having one.

Don't get me wrong; the ""rah, rah"" business is not necessarily all bad because the instructors come to that position quite honestly. They have been very successful sellers; many of them power sellers, on eBay. They enthusiastically speak from their hearts and their own experiences. However, the eBay party line is a dominant theme during the introduction to the class and borders on being overkill. In all likelihood people would not have signed up for the class unless they were already serious about learning how to be buyers and sellers on eBay.

Despite my reservations about eBay touting its own praises, I still recommend that you do take a class on the eBay basics. One day of your time will be well worth it. You can find classes in your area by going to ""Community"" on the eBay home page. From there click on ""Community Calendar"" and then ""eBay University."" The eBay University page provides information on eBay Basics or Beyond the Basics classes.

If you decide to attend a class, act fast because eBay classes fill up quickly. Why? Stop and think about it. There are more than 1.2 million registered eBay users, and more than 25,000 members make five figure income as full time eBay entrepreneurs. In addition, more than 250,000 part timers make several thousand dollars a year of supplementary income. This has gotten the attention of many, and the many are flocking to the classes to learn how to get started right away.

The six modules that the eBay Basics course will deliver are:

1. The History and Safety Features - The history and background of eBay is designed as a welcome to new users. It is the ""rah, rah"" part to which I have been referring. It is interesting to have that in the booklet that follows along with the PowerPoint presentation for the class, but this could be read later if anyone is interested in that. The safety feature was an important part in the first module because it offers peace of mind to know that eBay has a safe environment with a success rate for transactions of 99.999%. There are more than 600 reps available 24 hours a day, but they do need more when you look at the ratio of users to tech support personnel. The eBay safety features include: feedback; buyer protection program; PayPal Protection; third party dispute resolution; and a security and resolution center.

2. Setting Up an Account and Researching the Marketplace - To set up an account the students learn how to register for eBay and how to set up a Seller's Account. They also learn how their ID becomes verified. In the research part of the module students are prompted to select an item to sell and guided on how to research the market value of the item. Included in module number 2 is information on restricted items that cannot be sold through eBay.

3. Enhancing Listings - This module covers the topics of pictures, pricing strategies, and PayPal. The recommended way to put pictures in a listing is to use a digital camera although using a traditional camera or a flat bed scanner are other options. There are some funny examples of what not to do when using a digital camera. The pricing strategies include starting bid; reserve price; buy it now, fixed price, and Dutch Auction. A most important aspect of this module was the information on PayPal. It is a safe and easy way to receive payment from buyers. PayPal is accepted in approximately 90 percent of the listings.

4. Detailed Listings - With this information students are shown how to choose a good title and write a good description for an item they hope to sell. The goal is to make an effective listing by including information that is honest, concise and professional. This is also where the students learn about packaging and weighing items; payment options; shipping; and returns.

5. Completing the Sale - This module guides students through the process of monitoring listings and what to do after the listing closes. It emphasizes that communication is important because a seller must be ready to answer buyers' questions on a daily basis. It necessary that a seller look at hits, bids, and email queries. When there are questions, the seller needs to be professional and helpful with responses. An easy way to monitor listings is to use My eBay. It makes a consolidated listing of all the particulars of the items which are listed. The other areas of interest in this module are the fees that are charged for the various details in the listing and the feedback information.

6. The Appendix - The materials in the reference section of the course booklet is invaluable. The samples included are: selling examples; tips on photography; item descriptions; HTML tips; basic fees summary; and a glossary of terms.

Selling products and services from a home based business can be an exciting, and profitable enterprise. To get a solid foundation on how to efficiently use eBay consider a course offered by certified eBay instructors. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with new users. Three cheers for eBay and its class offerings...hip, hip, hooray...

For more information on eBay visit the How to Sell on eBay Resources Page at http://www.sbmag.org/howtosellonebay.html. While you are there, click on the eBay banner and then on ""register"" at the top of the page and its just that easy to be up and running. Oh, and don't forget your pom-poms!!

Copyright usage: No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links included.

About the author: Barbara Snyder, M.A. Ed. is a retired California Distinguished School Principal & Coordinator For Human Resources. She has a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She holds elementary education, secondary, community college & administrative credentials. She is currently the publisher of http://EducationResourcesNetwork.com, co-publisher of Strictly Business Magazine, http://www.sbmag.org and Student Teacher Supervisor at Chapman University.

How Can You Defeat Ebay Snipers?

Author: Ron King

If you're bidding for items on eBay, sooner or later you'll end up having your bid beaten at the very last second by a ""sniper"". This can be a frustrating experience. In theory sniping is against the rules and you can report it to eBay. In practice, however, they never do anything about it.

The best way to beat the sniper is to become the sniper. Once you understand the process of sniping, you can use it to win more auctions, more often, and at a lower price than you would otherwise pay.

Sniping Manually

If you have a lot of time to spare and a reasonably fast Internet connection, sniping manually is not all that difficult. Make a note of the time when the auction you are bidding on will end. Then make sure you're sitting in front of the page at that vital last minute. Then just outbid the current winning bidder, or defend your own winning bid.

Here's a valuable tip to remember for manual sniping: make sure you set your maximum bid quite high. Otherwise you risk being automatically outbid, and the auction will have ended before you can bid again.

It's not worth your time to compete against someone who is using an automated sniping service. If their service is any good, they will always manage to outbid you. In the sniping arms race, you need to find a sniper on full auto.

Sniping In The Age Of Automation

If you enter ""ebay sniping"" into your favorite search engine, you'll find a long list of online services that will snipe on your behalf for a small fee. They usually offer a free trial, so give it a go.

If you don't want to pay each time for an online service, then you can buy sniping software outright -- for example, SnipeRight or ISnipeIt (just add a "".com"" to the name to find them on the internet). You pay once and use them as much as you want.

After you've installed the software on your computer, you tell it which auctions you want sniped and the maximum amount you're willing to pay. The software then places your bid in the last few seconds of bidding. One drawback to this method is that you need to be able to leave your computer on nearly all the time, or you might miss the end of some auctions.

An Alternative To Sniping

If you're reluctant to lower yourself to ""playing dirty,"" then there is another, more low-tech way to get around sniping. You can just email the seller and say that you were sniped at the last minute, but would really like the item. If they have another unit to sell, chances are they'll agree to sell it to you for the price at which the auction closed.

Good luck, good sniping, and good shopping.

About the author: Visit Shop Ebay to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer, visit his website at Website

Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.

Ebay Bidding Tips

Author: Jay Bauder

With the dawn of the new era of technology, the Internet has evolved in such haste that people find shopping online an alternative. That's why eBay is considered as a viable place to bid on things that they want to acquire.

The nature of eBay is based on the bidding concept of shopping. People need to bid on the item first before they can have the rights to purchase it. To make online shopping a lot more convenient, eBay uses an automated bidding system that facilitates the auction. The bottom line is that the highest bidder gets the chance to buy the item.

Shopping on eBay is relatively easier than when doing it on a traditional market. However, it could be a little more complicated especially if the bidder doesn't know how to do it properly.

Hence, it's a must for every bidder to know the process and equip himself with the principle of creative bidding.

The first consideration when bidding on eBay is the item itself. Bidders should be aware of its composition from the price down to its technical details. This is to assure themselves that what they are trying to obtain is worthy of their money.

Bidders should also take note of the descriptive details of the item. They should assess themselves if they can tolerate any blemish on the item such as scratches, slight cracks, or dents.

It's also a must for every bidder to do a little background investigation on the seller based on the seller's feedbacks, demographic profile, and the other items that were already sold on his or her behalf, if there's any. This is to ensure the buyer if it's safe enough to proceed with the bidding process.

Consequently, the potential buyer should contemplate on the item first before bidding. The buyer should make it a point that he or she is ready to purchase the item in case he won the bid. This is because the bid is already deemed as a contract that will bind the buyer to an agreement that he or she would have to buy the item in the event that they got the highest bid.

The buyer may also opt to wait until the wee hours of the listing period before bidding, that is, if he or she is really determined to get the product.

Bidding on eBay could be an exhilarating activity while shopping online; yet, it could also be a buyer's worst nightmare if done inappropriately. So, it's a must that a buyer takes bidding on eBay a serious matter to avoid any trouble.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Ebay - Buying eBooks

Author: Jay Bauder

On September 1995, one of the most prestigious online shopping sites was founded. eBay is unique because it allows online shoppers, either as individuals or as a group, a wide variety of merchandise that they can buy, sell or trade within their community, their nation or even other with other countries.

eBay's merchandise reaches to 44 million things on sale at any given time and is added with more than four million of other things to be sold everyday. Their categories include antiques, collectibles, photography, computers, art, toys, electronics, stamps, jewelry, magazines, comics, pottery, e-books and many more.

Electronic books or more popularly known as e-Books are text materials designed to be portable. They are special books that uses a program that enable readers to read it through their hardware devices - like Personal Computers, laptops, palmtops and/or even mobile phones. They are so accessible and can be transferred from one computer to another using a network.

Since e-Bay is one of the country's leading online shopping site, they also provide a selection on must have e-Books. Shopping for e-Books is fairly easy, but one must need some basic online shopping knowledge before they are able to do so. A great recommended book would be eBay Bargain Shopping for Dummies (can be found at eBay) by Marsha Collier. This book would help all online shoppers who to discover the treasure of eBay shopping. Her book spills the beans on how to outwit and outbid your competition - which is a good way to find discounts on all the items up for grabs.

e-Books can be ordered online and delivered electronically to your computer (or mobile phone). This way, there is no shipping and tax expenses and you get your e-Book at a very low price. There are numerous sites that sell e-books in this manner On the other hand, Instant e-Books do not require additional software or other readers for customers to be able to immediately start reading their e-Books after installing it. And aside from that, there are many free e-Books and other articles written by ""eBay gurus.""

With eBay, e-Books are just a click away. What could be greater news to all book lovers out there?

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Ebay Shipping Tips

Author: Jay Bauder

Shipping details for purchases over eBay is actually a misnomer. eBay is not responsible for the shipping details of an item.

First of all, it should be duly noted that eBay is an online market/transaction facilitator. It merely becomes a means for the buyer and the seller to meet. It is also a regulating body that helps develop fairness of trades among parties.

However, the terms and details of the trade are subject to the agreement of both buying and selling parties.

For most cases, the details of a trade the payment modes, conditions, and shipping details are specified by the selling party. Taking note of, and understanding such is important to avoiding disputes over shipping details between buyer and seller.

If the buyer does not pay attention to the terms stated here, he may find himself on the losing end of a trade. He must, therefore, be vigilant in studying the terms before agreeing to a trade.

The buyer should also note that shipping is usually exclusive of the bid price he may have agreed to on the auction. He should weigh in the costs of shipping and handling when considering trades.

Sellers on the other hand should ensure that the mode of delivery he specifies is convenient, cost-efficient, and attractive to most buyers.

Buyers should review the shipping details for an item listing. He must specifically take note of insurance, shipping and handling charges, sales tax and return policy.

In the case of insurance, if the seller does not specify any details for such, the buyer should discuss the possibility of including one in the purchase. One walks on the safe side if he does not assume that all will go well on the delivery.

The buyer should also inquire about the return policy ?the rights available to a buyer if desires to return an item for whatever reason may it be dissatisfaction, damage, etc.

Depending on the size of the item and its location, shipping costs can add significantly to the total cost of the item. The buyer should make sure the shipping details are clear and fair before agreeing to them.

The buyer should also take advantage of the safety mechanisms available to him. The buyer and seller should agree upon such and contact their shipping company of choice to request measures to address their delivery concerns.

Again, the key component to considering the shipping details of an item over eBay is good communication.

In the end, one could say that shipping plans over eBay items can be safe ?as long as one takes great pains and meticulous methods to ensure a hassle free delivery.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Ebay & PayPal

Author: Jay Bauder

E-Bay and Paypal are two giant firms which are involved in sales transactions of customers. E-Bay is an online portal in which buyers could auction and bid items for sale. On the other hand, Paypal is the most popular online payment system used through credit cards. The teaming up of both firms is inevitable because E-Bay provides the goods to be purchased while PayPal provides the resources to be used.

E-Bay has indeed grown as the number one destination of online shopping through auctions. E-Bay offers a variety of choices when it comes to books, food, gadget, technology stuff, and many others. The variety and diversity of E-Bay makes it the most visited site whenever buyers are thinking of something to purchase. It is also a favorite destination for online shoppers who want to have a quality bargain of the items they want to buy. On the other hand, Paypal is the most reliable online payment system utilized whenever holding transactions. The firm claims that they have 16 million users worldwide. Despite of such successes for both firms, there are still many criticisms regarding the nature of both businesses.

E-Bay is often criticized as a portal that is not pro-buyers instead, it some people consider it as pro-sellers. Some buyers accuse E-Bay as not being true to their business and does not really live up to their word. On the other hand, Paypal does not really receive a lot of complaints but when it does, no one seems to mind. This is because their customer service department does not do their job well. No one really assists the customers and when they reply, it seems like the customer waited for 20 years before an action was done.

Due to the partnership of these two companies, many speculated that E-Bay would acquire Paypal. Many people were not in agreement to this deal because they believe that once E-Bay had acquired Paypal, the rotten service of the firm would eventually be more than worst. Aside from that, competition would also diminish in the market. Despite the said speculations, both firms deny that a joint venture or acquisition between the two companies would happen. Both firms insist that they would continue each other? operations separately and not as a joint company. Both firms also expressed that their partnership between each other is solid but not to the point of collaborating with each other.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Ebay Getting The Sale

Author: Jay Bauder

Since its inception, eBay seemed to be godsend entity to many especially those who want to find a lucrative way of earning a living. A lot of people contend that it is only with eBay that they were able to supplement their finances and extra necessities.

But the question of the majority still remains. Do people really need to sell something first before they can profit from eBay?

The answer is, undeniably, yes! Here some facts about eBay to support the answer:

The nature of eBay is focused on one thing: ONLINE MARKETING.

The concept behind eBay is the fact that it is an auction website. Therefore, to gain profit in a site like eBay is to sell something. It involves monetary transactions and deals, a niche market, and some strategies that can be commonly found in a typical market site.

Hence, a person that has no intentions of selling something on eBay does not actually have any business on eBay.

However, others may contend that buying a quality at the same time affordable product can also be considered as a profit. But nevertheless, taking a closer look at what profit really means, all of these boils down to the fact that whoever earns money benefits more.

Everything is a commodity.

Nowadays, everything seems to be a commodity, from mobile phones to even ideas. With an increasing rate on financial crisis, everybody seems to be finding ways how to earn a living. This goes to show why there are people who sell even the weirdest thing on eBay.

Some may assert that these things may not be true at all. But the question is, what if it is, indeed, true? What if there is really somebody out there who is in dire need of money and that there is nothing that he or she can trade but his or her own virginity?

These things may seem like too nuisance and may seem cheaper than what they had bargain for, but when necessities butts in, it's down to a now or never battle in life.

Indeed, the realities of life are clearly manifested on the kind of transactions that goes on in eBay. In fact, what eBay has on its context is the same as what goes on in real life. Like eBay, life is like an auction, there are those who win and there are those who lose.

With all these facts, the concept of whether a person has to sell something first just to profit from eBay breaks down to two realities in life: money, thus, makes the world go round, and that profit is claimed where there is money.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Ebay - Appraising Items

Author: Jay Bauder

How Much Is It Worth? Estimating Your Items Value for Sale on eBay

Proper pricing of items to be listed for sale on eBay is one of the most important aspects of generating interest in one auction listing.

If the price is too high, interest will be low, and the possibility of a sale decreases.

If the price is too low, the seller generates enormous traffic, yet the final bid might be too low to satisfy the sellers need for a profit.

The following are steps that will aid in that process.

Step 1: How Much Was this Item Originally Worth

First of all, one must find out how much the item was when it was bought. This helps the seller set realistic goals as to how much he will expect to profit from that item.

The seller must remember that the going price for that item nowadays will be different from its original price. And depending on the demand for that item, he may get a price that is better, or worse than the original price.

The seller must also come to an acceptance of the fact that the buying power of today $1 is different from that of ten years ago.

Step 2: Do a Little Research

Sellers should research on the current price of similar items. This gives them a good standard as to how much they should price their wares. Searching eBay for successful auctions of similar wares is the best way to do this.

Step 2: How Much Has the Item Depreciated?

The seller must check the item for damages and other irregularities from a mint conditioned item of the same kind. He must then deduct a reasonable amount from his asking price. Wear and tear tends to bring down the price of an item considerably. It is wise to make sure the items are repaired, or spruced up before being auctioned.

Step 3: Start It a Little Lower than Usual

It is wise to start an auction a step or two (or even three) lower than a sellers intended price. This generates interest in the item. It may be hard to believe, but auctions that start lower than its intended price actually have a better chance at overshooting that intended price.

Professional opinions are available if the seller is in doubt of the value of his or her item. Third party appraisal companies help in this regard. A list of such is available at the Authentication & Grading link under Protection and Authentication on eBay.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Basics of Shipping on eBay - Tips to Start Strong

Author: Mason Hipp

1) Always Pack the Item Properly

The biggest mistake you can make when shipping an item is to go lighty on the packaging and send an unportected item. Buyers will instantly leave negative feedback if the item arrives damaged due to bad padding. Make sure you look into the proper packaging for the item you are shipping - a book is different then a china doll, and both require proper materials.

2) Never Pay For Packing Materials

Right behind improper packing is over paying for shipping materials. There are far too many sources of free boxes and free padding to need to buy them. I have been a powerseller on ebay for 4 years and not once have I paid for packing materials. EBay and USPS offer free boxes, UPS offers free shipping labels. Local retailers will generaly have old boxes lying around also - this is perfect for those large items.

3) Ship Promptly After the Auction Closes

So you've just spent $400 on the newest game console - purchased it from an eBay Seller. Do you want to wait a week just for the seller to ship the item? Neither do your customers. Visit this website for more informaton about eBay shipping Always ship the item as soon as possible after the ebay auction is closed.

4) Box the Product Before the eBay Aucton is Over

It is a good habit to get into packaging your items before the auction is finished. This makes it exceedingly easy to ship within a day of the buyer paying. Shipping quickly will grab good feedback more than anythign else.

5) Use UPS Ground Shipping for Large Items

It is generally the best to use UPS ground for anything that weighs more than 10lbs. It is very inexpensive to ship large items with UPS. Though slower than USPS, it is far more cost effective on larger frieght.

6) Use USPS Priority Mail for Sending Small Items

Anything less than 10lbs is best shipped with priority mail. Priority mail is very fast, and very inexpensive for small things. Shipping with priority mail is also very good for your buyer, as it will get them their item quickly and effectively.

7) USPS Media mail is Best for Shipping Media Items

If you are shipping a book, cd, dvd, or any other item that fits in the media catagory - it is probably best to ship with media mail. This is a very cheap service, and is great for the items it is meant for. If your item is expensive, however, it may be better to use priority mail to please your buyer.

8) Include a Thank You Note in Each Package

This is one of the most overlooked methods of creating return customers. You need to ship the package anyhow, why not attempt to get another eBay purchase out of each customer? Almost all of the big players on eBay use this tactic.

9) Use Paypal to Print Shipping Labels

Printing eBay shipping labels from Paypal is one of the easiest and most time saving features availible to new sellers. Larger eBay sellers might want to look into furthor automation, but for everything under 50 packages per week - electronic labels from Paypal are the way to go.

10) eBay Shipping Takes Getting Used To - Don't Quit

Not everyone gets into a rythm immediatly. Shipping on eBay can be a trying task - but keep going and you'll soon be rewarded with happy customers and efficient practices. It is important to learn and rethink and establish you're own personal best practices. With time, anyone can ship like a PowerSeller.

About the author: Mason Hipp has been spending the past two years helping young eBay Sellers get to powerseller level. He has written many selling guides and articles aimed at helping new sellers. More information about shipping on eBay can be found here.

Ebay - The Power Of Words

Author: Jay Bauder

It is a known fact that a business could never be successful without the aid of advertising. In fact, it is considered as the lifeblood of almost all kinds of businesses. That's why sellers and entrepreneur wannabes on eBay understand the impact of an effective advertising technique on their items listing.

Basically, the sale of an item on eBay is dependent on the so-called eBay keyword program. This program asserts the fact that the probability of an item to be sold is based on the keyword used by the seller.

The eBay keyword program suggests that the maximum number of keywords to be used in an eBay ad is 100, the least is 50. This is because the essence of the description of the product or the ability of the ad to promote the item against a thousand similar items is lessened.

This does not necessarily mean that the sellers will also limit the amount of keywords that they will use. The eBay keyword program further suggests that the number of keywords should be congruent to the identity of the product. That is, it should be very specific even down to the last details of the product.

For example, one seller may make his or her descriptive title and ad using the word ""mobile phones"". Then, another seller posts the same item but used the words ""Sony Ericsson mobile phones"". And lastly, another seller does the same but used the words ""Sony Ericsson k700i"". Applying the keyword principle, the third seller will most likely gain more exposure than the other two, such that when a person search for a Sony Ericsson k700i, that person will most likely be lead to the third seller's listing.

Choosing the best category for the product is another effective advertising technique.

There are those online shoppers who search items on the category first. The reason behind this is that they don't have any specific product in mind. For example, a buyer may be looking for a mobile phone but doesn't know what brand to have. So, it's a must that the seller places his or her item in a category that is active or is frequented by most buyers.

But the most important advertising technique of all when selling an item on eBay is to create a sales pitch that comes from the heart. Clich? as it may seem but, in reality, it is the basic concept of selling. A good seller believes on the product that he or she is selling, other wise, he will have a hard time convincing people of he personally doesn't accept it as true.

About the author: Jay is the web owner of http://www.the-lowest-prices.com Online Shoppping , a website that provides information and resources on online shopping malls and discounts. You can visit his website at: Online Deals

Sittin' on the Dock of eBay

Author: Barbara Snyder M.A Ed..

Remember when Otis Redding sang, ""Sittin' on the dock of the bay, wastin' time..."" For those of you too young to remember, suffice to say that it is a classic. It is a catchy tune that drones through your head all day long after you have heard it, and the whistling at the end is habit forming, too. So why would I infer that eBay has anything to do with ""sittin' and wastin' time""?

If you don't know what you are doing as you strive to become a seller on eBay, you could be wasting your time or fooling yourself into thinking that you have found a way to make a fortune. What is it you should know about eBay and the cost of doing business on eBay? This can best be summed up with two things - many kinds of eBay fees and PayPal fees. I bring this to your attention so that you go into an eBay relationship with your eyes wide open.

It would be like having a garage sale at your home and not factoring in the cost of placing an ad in the newspaper and paying your kids to watch and help sell the items. Sometimes you can go to all of the work of having a garage sale, and it can be a bust after you deduct the cost of having the sale. The same goes for auctioning items on eBay. After you pay the eBay fees, sometimes there isn't much left. So you ask yourself as you look at the quarter, two dimes, and a nickel in the palm of your hand, ""Was this really worth it?"" Could be ""yes""; could be ""no.""

The old phrase, ""...nickel and dime you to death,"" comes to mind when I think about the eBay insertion fees, the eBay seller fees, and the PayPal (also owned by eBay) fees. One of the keys to being successful on eBay is to get the most from your listing and minimize the fees that you pay for listing your item. A person needs to do research to come up with a price that will allow for a reasonable profit after the ""cost of doing business"" is subtracted from the selling price. Taking an eBay class would help beginners with making the most out of their listings where the following costs are explained.

Insertion Fees - This is the price that you are charged for listing an item on eBay. When you list an item, the fee is automatically charged to your seller's account. These fees are not refundable. The basic insertion fees follow a sliding scale. For example, if an item is listed for $1.00 to $9.99 the insertion fee is $0.35, and an item listed for $50.00 to $199.99 cost $2.40 in insertion fees. However, there are many other things that can be done to enhance a listing. They all have a cost factor. The first picture is free, but additional pictures are $0.15 each. To supersize a picture it would be $0.75. What if you want a border, subtitle, bold, gallery, 10 day auction, and gift services? Yes, you can do that, but each has a cost factor from $.0.50 to $3.00. It can certainly add up if you are not careful.

Buy It Now - This is the feature that a buyer clicks if he or she wants to buy an item immediately. They are prompted to use PayPal and to pay for the item. To protect the seller the item does remain available to other buyers until the payment is completed. A buyer who is the first to send the PayPal payment through gets the item. This feature can be used with any of the other selling formats. However, the ""Buy It Now"" disappears once a bid is placed (if it is an auction item). Of course, there is a cost for this feature which ranges from $0.05 to $0.25.

Reserve Fees - As a protection to the seller, a reserve price may be initiated so that you don't sell the item below a certain price. A seller reserves the right not to sell below that designated price, and the seller uses this option to motivate buyers to bid. A potential buyer may be discouraged if the starting price is too high, but a low starting price could backfire if a reserve is not preset. There is a fee for this, of course. The good news is that the reserve fee is refunded if the item is successfully sold. The bad news is that the fee is not refunded if the item doesn't sell. Kind of like a double whammy, in my opinion.

Final Value Fees - When your item is sold, eBay charges a Final Value Fee. Even if the sale is not completed the fee will be applied. However, you can request a full credit if the buyer did not buy the item or backs out of the deal. Depending on whether the sale was from a regular auction, a store inventory, or eBay motor vehicles the costs may vary on the final value fee .

Pay Pal Fees - Signing up for PayPal is quick and easy. It is a real advantage for sellers because you are able to receive payments very quickly. There is no monthly fees or set up fees. The other good news is that the transaction fees are less than most merchant fees for taking a credit card. The other positives are that there is fraud protection., and Paypal is all available in 38 countries.

As you can see there are many ways that eBay makes money from the fee structures in place, but they are in business to make money. One rationale that is touted as the party line in the eBay schools is that it would be much more to sell items if a person opened a store instead of using the Internet. We are reminded that there would be rent, utilities, and many other things a store owner would need. Their contention is that it has to be worth something.

Just think about how many times someone has complained about wanting to get rid of some items stored in the garage? And how many times has someone else said, ""Why don't you sell it on eBay?"" It is such a widely known entity and has such a worldwide Internet presence that you just about have to do it. Knowing up front about the various fees and the best way to list your item could help you be successful. You need to plan carefully and work wisely so that you are not ""sittin' on the dock of eBay, wastin' time.""

Copyright usage: No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links included. Comments or questions can be sent to Barb@sbmag.org

About the author: Barbara Snyder, M.A. Ed. is a retired California Distinguished School Principal & Coordinator For Human Resources. She has a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She holds elementary education, secondary, community college & administrative credentials. She is currently the publisher of http://EducationResourcesNetwork.com, co-publisher of Strictly Business Magazine, http://www.sbmag.org and Student Teacher Supervisor at Chapman University.

Ebay Shipping - 10 Tips To Start Right

Author: Mason Hipp

There are about as many different ways to ship ebay items as there are ebay sellers. That being said, there are many eBay sellers who don't ship using the correct packaging or the least expensive service. These 10 tips are written to help sellers get started shipping their ebay items correctly.

1) Always Pack the Item Properly The biggest mistake you can make when shipping an item is to go lighty on the packaging and send an unportected item. Buyers will instantly leave negative feedback if the item arrives damaged due to bad padding. Make sure you look into the proper packaging for the item you are shipping - a book is different then a china doll, and both require proper materials.

2) Never Pay For Packing Materials Right behind improper packing is over paying for shipping materials. There are far too many sources of free boxes and free padding to need to buy them. I have been a powerseller on ebay for 4 years and not once have I paid for packing materials. EBay and USPS offer free boxes, UPS offers free shipping labels. Local retailers will generaly have old boxes lying around also - this is perfect for those large items.

3) Ship Promptly After the Auction Closes So you've just spent $400 on the newest game console - purchased it from an eBay Seller. Do you want to wait a week just for the seller to ship the item? Neither do your customers. Always ship the item as soon as possible after the auction is closed.

4) Box the Product Before the eBay Aucton is Over It is a good habit to get into packaging your items before the auction is finished. This makes it exceedingly easy to ship within a day of the buyer paying. Shipping quickly will grab good feedback more than anythign else.

5) Use UPS Ground Shipping for Large Items It is generally the best to use UPS ground for anything that weighs more than 10lbs. It is very inexpensive to ship large items with UPS. Though slower than USPS, it is far more cost effective on larger frieght.

6) Use USPS Priority Mail for Sending Small Items Anything less than 10lbs is best shipped with priority mail. Priority mail is very fast, and very inexpensive for small things. Shipping with priority mail is also very good for your buyer, as it will get them their item quickly and effectively.

7) USPS Media mail is Best for Shipping Media Items If you are shipping a book, cd, dvd, or any other item that fits in the media catagory - it is probably best to ship with media mail. This is a very cheap service, and is great for the items it is meant for. If your item is expensive, however, it may be better to use priority mail to please your buyer.

8) Include a Thank You Note in Each Package This is one of the most overlooked methods of creating return customers. You need to ship the package anyhow, why not attempt to get another eBay purchase out of each customer? Almost all of the big players on eBay use this tactic.

9) Use Paypal to Print Shipping Labels Printing eBay shipping labels from Paypal is one of the easiest and most time saving features availible to new sellers. Larger eBay sellers might want to look into furthor automation, but for everything under 50 packages per week - electronic labels from Paypal are the way to go.

10) eBay Shipping Takes Getting Used To - Don't Quit Not everyone gets into a rythm immediatly. Shipping on eBay can be a trying task - but keep going and you'll soon be rewarded with happy customers and efficient practices. It is important to learn and rethink and establish you're own personal best practices. With time, anyone can ship like a PowerSeller.

About the author: Mason Hipp has been an eBay Powerseller for over 5 years. During the last two years he has dedicated most of his time to helping people learn to sell on ebay. More information can be found at his website. Click here to learn more about eBay Shipping.

How To Post Your First Auction On eBay

Author: Jason Cooper

It's very easy and simple to get started posting your first auction on eBay. This article will cover the steps you need to follow to get your first auction up.

The first thing you need to do is set up your eBay seller's account. If you have already bought things on eBay in the past, then you already have an account. Just log in and click ""Sell"" on the toolbar at the top of the page and then click ""Create a seller's account"".

If you have never bought or sold on eBay, then you need to create a new account. First click on the ""register"" link beneath the toolbar, then click ""Sell"" and ""Create a seller's account"". From there the eBay website will guide you through the process of getting set up. For security reasons, this may involve including providing your card and banking information.

You can register for your eBay account here: eBay. com

Now that you're registered, you need to decide what you want to sell. It doesn't really matter what you sell, this is just your chance to get your feet wet. Check your garage and attic, I'm sure you can find something that you're not attached to and something interesting. Small items like books and CDs are great for your first time.

Once you have your item picked out, it's time to submit it. Just click ""Sell"" and you're on your way. The first thing you need to do is choose the best category for your item. eBay makes this easy, you just type in your item, and eBay suggests the best category for you. It's usually best to just go with the category that eBay comes up with.

The next step is writing the title and description for your item. You want to make sure to include any keywords that people might use when searching for your item in the title. Include all the rest of the information in the description.

Now you need to set your starting price. In order to draw people to bid on your auction, set a starting price of $0.01. Don't worry because items almost never end up as such a low price. Next set the duration of the auction. You have the choices of 3, 5, 7 and 10 days. This is really up to you, the longer the auction the more bids you are likely to get. Add a picture to your auction because items with pictures always sell for more.

Great, now you're ready to select the payment methods you want to accept, and where you will post to. I would just go with PayPal for now, and limit yourself to the country you are in. Just click the ""Submit"" button and you are done!

Now you can just sit back and let eBay work it's magic. Potential buyers will search for your item and submit bids on it. Some bidders may email you with various questions about your item. Just do your best to answer the questions as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

Don't worry if your item doesn't sell the first time. The great thing about eBay, is that if your item doesn't sell the first time, you can list it again for free!

Once the auction closes and you have a winning bidder, eBay takes care of all the work. eBay will send your buyer emails guiding them through the process of sending you payment for the item your are selling. Just make sure you have the money in hand before you send the item.

eBay prefers that you use PayPal to send and receive your payments. PayPal is very safe and secure and you will get your money instantly so it's a good idea to use them. It's also free to create an account with PayPal.

You can create your free PayPal account here: PayPal.com

As soon as you have received the payment, all you have left to do is pack up the item and send it to your buyer. If you're not sure of the best way to get this done, just take your item to your local post office and they can help you. Use the buyers address from the confirmation email that eBay sent you and write it on the package. That's it, you've made your first successful sale on eBay!

About the author: This article was written on behalf of eBayBusiness.net by Webmaster and Internet Marketing Specialist Jason Cooper. Visit http://www.ebaybusiness.net and download 3 Free eBay Business eBooks today! (c) 2005, eBayBusiness.net. This article may be reproduced in all venues so long as the content and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are set live.

How to Make a Full time Income With Ebay Online Auctions

Author: Greg Willis

First let me tell you a little about myself. I'm an eBay Powerseller. I did about $100,000.00 in sales on eBay over the last year. I love eBay, and I regularly preach the virtues of eBay to my friends and family. I even gave out eBay gift certificates for Christmas! I'm also a student of the business. I like finding ways to increase my sales and grow my business. Believe it or not, I went to Barnes & Noble bookstore and dropped about $300.00 on eBay books. Now those were some hefty bags of books I walked out with!

With my eBay experience and knowledge I decided to write an ebook about ""how to make a full time living by selling on eBay"". I researched my ""eBay library"" from the bookstore, and I searched the internet for other resources. What I discovered was a few things... First, the books from my collection of books from the bookstore were generally more out-of-date, and less practical from an entrepreneurial point-of-view in comparison with many online resources. The books contained a lot of valuable information, but often fell short where the rubber meets the road in terms of true money-making ability. The second thing I discovered was that the eBay opportunity is so huge, and so many thousands of people have found success, that many have already written excellent material that covered everything I was planning on writing and more!

I'm not a lazy person; I could have written the book, but I decided my time would be better spent on other endeavors since I would essentially have been repeating the same information already written by others. In fact, since that time, I have written a book on a completely different topic. And with my ambition to spread the good news of eBay I decided to create a website to spotlight some particularly helpful resources.

The reason I've written this article is to warn you that there is a lot of outdated information out there, and much of it that was never good to begin with. Before purchasing an Ebay ""how to"" book, please check out the author's credentials. The best Ebay books are typically written by real Ebay Powersellers--NOT by famous authors or internet marketers.

The next thing I want to make you aware of is that there are many, many ways to make a full time income on Ebay. Some of them require more work than others. Some involve importing, others involve dropshipping. Some involve keeping a physical inventory, and others utilize virtual downloadable products. The ways of making money on Ebay are as diverse as Ebay itself. There are hundreds of categories, and a myriad of different types of people who shop Ebay. All this goes to say: find your niche. If you're new to the business, I do recommend buying a guidebook from a successful Ebayer, but if that author's system is not appealing to you, do not give up and decide it's not for you. Simply find another niche or another system that IS appealing to you.

I hope this article has inspired you to find your own niche and join the millions who have already discovered a life of eBay success!

About the author: Greg Willis is a veteran Ebay Powerseller who left his day job to go full time on Ebay over 4 years ago. You can read all his secrets and recommended resources at www.auctionsprofit.com