eBay marketplace fraud: How to fight it!

Author: Jason James

Did you realize that online auctions tops the National Consumer League's list of scams perpetrated online? Although the ebay marketplace has a wonderful track record of 99% honest transactions, you still need to be savvy to the sort of criminal activity that does happen within the ebay marketplace and stay clear of fraud from both an ebay seller and ebay buyers.

Below is a list of the top three offenses that happen within the ebay marketplace community.

1. Bid Shielding: This is when a pre-organized group of ebay bidders enter the ebay marketplace and team up to bid on a particular item, thus inflating the high bid to scare off real shoppers. At this point the lowest bidder (member of the scam) then has everyone else retract their bid and comes out winning the auction at at a dishonest low price. If you sense that bid shielding is going on within the ebay marketplace then report them immediately.

2. Descriptions are are totally misleading or photos that are obviously fake: This is an ebay marketplace sellers scam where the auctioneers falsely and unethically distort the description of the products they are selling. This criminal seller within the ebay marketplace will go as low as stealing photos from online and totally create a false product presentation. And when the buyer receives the shipment it is always a lesser classed product then was bought that does not match the auction.

3. Shilling of the Bids: This scam is perpetrated by the sellers of the ebay marketplace and is something that is hard to catch unless you were closely following the seller in question. Simply put, bid shilling is when a seller auctions off a product on the ebay marketplace and actually raises the bids himself in order to draw attention to it and have the price raised. How does one do this? They use multiple Ids or the enlist other separate bidders to enter the ebay marketplace and team up on the scam.

About the author: Jason James is an eBay Power Seller of 4 years. His website ""The Auction Resource Network"" reveals his inside secrets, tips, and sources that help him earn over $10,000 per month on eBay.

Claim your FREE 14 Day ""eBay Selling"" e-Course Here: http://www.auctionresourcenetwork.com

Turn Your Ebay Shipping Costs Into A Profit Center.

Author: Kirsten Hawkins

You might think that shipping costs are simple: surely you just add up the price of your item's postage and the price of packing materials, and charge that - right? Well, you could do that, but there are better ways to make your shipping costs work for you.

Find Cheaper Materials.

The key to making profit on shipping is to use the cheapest materials you can get for packing, without compromising on quality. The great thing for you is that many eBay PowerSellers have made a business out of providing sellers with quality packing material in bulk at really low prices.

To get an idea of what's out there, take a look at this category: Business & Industrial > Office, Printing & Shipping > Shipping & Packing Supplies. You might also try paying a visit to a big-box office supplies store.

Buy in Bulk.

Always buy hundreds of the same sized packing boxes at the same time. Since you should be selling the same items over and over again, you'll need the same sized boxes each time. You will always be able to get discounts for bulk - if the place where you're shopping won't give you any, go somewhere else.

Streamline Your Packing.

Try to pack every time using the same amounts of the same materials in the same way, so that you don't need to think about it too much. Have all the labels for the packages printed up in advance, and do the items in that order. The less time you spend on the packing, the more profit it is for you.

Round to the Next Dollar.

Let's say you're buying items for $2, and selling them for $4 + $1.50 shipping. Rounding the shipping to $2 would make you an extra 40 cents on each sale - considering you're currently only making $2 profit, that's a percentage profit increase of 25%!

You see, this extra money will be far more important to you than it is to the buyer, because it's on the margin. For you, it's extra profit for nothing, and for the buyer, it's too small an amount to bother caring about. Everybody wins in this scenario.

The Ideal Price Point.

Find out what your rivals are charging for shipping, and try to just undercut them while still making a profit. If you managed to buy some cheaper materials, this shouldn't be too hard for you - most of the sellers on eBay are buying envelopes and boxes one-by-one, which is a very expensive way to do things. If you work things out correctly, you should be able to offer shipping at a price point which makes your rivals look silly, and still be making a good profit on it!

If you're running the kind of operation where shipping is a big concern, then the chances are that you're listing a significant proportion of your items using 'Buy it Now', instead of going through all the trouble and uncertainty of using real auctions every time. But wait! Using 'Buy it Now' isn't always the right thing to do. Our next email will give you a few tips on when to do it and when not to.

About the author: Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

How to Be Successful Selling on EBay.

Author: houston bruce

If you want your own EBay business here's a quick start guide to selling on EBay.

Decide What You Want To Sell. Spend awhile watching others to see what sell's and how they go about selling. Make note of what items sell the best. You will see the couple of items that always sell very well. This will be your business do your research.

Before You Spend Your Hard Earned Money. Once you have chosen your product watch your competition closely. Watch for any era in their auctions. This way you can improve your strategies and avoid the same mistakes.

Finding Your Product. Find a supplier for your product. Search several different sources. If you can find one that has an auto ship you can save a lot by not having to stock inventory. If the product is selling higher on EBay than what the supplier wants your ready.

Do not Try And Start Too Big. Start slowly learn what works and what doesn't. You do not want to throw a lot of money into it right away. It doesn't cost much to try even the strangest ideas on EBay and the strangest may be one that works.

Just Keep Testing. Do not be afraid to try different ideas. You just need to find that one niche that works and then keep doing the same thing over and over.

Any Business Needs A Plan. Develop a good plan then stick to it. It doesn't have to be anything formal. Just a simple outline. Your market your strategies and your budget.

Expand Your EBay Business. Once you have found your product and niche and some success now is the time to put more of your time and money into it. Set easy goals then keep increasing them slowly as you reach each one.

Official Business. Once you really get rolling you will want to register as a business. It's not expensive or hard to do. An attorney can help you through the process.

Make It Easier. After a while you will find that you are doing the same things over and over. Software such as auto responders can help with things such as e-mails and item descriptions. They can be used with whatever message you provide.

Most Important. Do not give up.Even when it looks like the end, And everything is going wrong. If you just keep working you may find the break to turn it into the EBay business to make you A nice Income.

About the author: Houston Bruce has been selling on the Internet since 1998 and has studied and tested many opportunities. To learn more about selling on EBay visit. HTTP://startworkin.com/Ebay

Using The Ebay Anything Points Program.

Author: Kirsten Hawkins

eBay Anything points are a loyalty scheme, just like you might get in a shop. The buyer earns points on their purchases, which they can then redeem for money off when they pay for items through PayPal.

Buyers can also earn eBay Anything points when they use the eBay credit card, or exchange their frequent flyer miles for eBay Anything points. People think it's really great to take frequent flyer miles they're never going to use and get stuff on eBay for them.

How to Offer Points to Your Buyers.

Go to http://anythingpoi nts.ebay.com/offer.html and click 'Log In to Offer Manager'. Enter an item's number to offer Anything points on that item.

How Does it Work?

You choose how many points per dollar you want to offer to your buyers when they pay you with PayPal. Each point costs you 1c, and is worth 1c to the buyer - eBay don't take anything out along the way.

For example, if you sell an item worth $500, and you offer 2 points per dollar, then the seller will receive 1000 eBay Anything points - the equivalent of $10. You only pay for the points when the buyer actually receives them, and you can offer points on as many or as few listings as you like.

Each listing you add will get a big banner below the description, saying ""X Anything Points per dollar of the final price for buyers who pay with PayPal"". Buyers can click it for more information on the scheme.

Why Would You Want To?

Really, most sellers who offer points are doing it to get around a condition of their contract with their supplier. Many sellers only get access to goods at wholesale prices provided they don't list them for sale below the manufacturer's MAP, or minimum advertised price. The points allow them to offer the items at the MAP and then give their buyer money back in the form of points. It's a bit like a virtual rebate.

The eBay Anything points scheme is good for you and for eBay, as it encourages buyers to use PayPal instead of more cumbersome payment methods. eBay are keen to promote PayPal, and obviously thought this would be a good way of doing it - not to mention that it keeps buyers coming back, to spend their points. You will also get to be listed on the 'Earn Points from eBay Sellers' page, which is here: http://anythingpoin ts.ebay.com/earn.html .

Here's another advantage for you: if you buy things from sellers who offer Anything points, you can then use those points to pay your own seller fees. Another seller gets to pay your fees for you! All you need to do is go to My eBay, then Account Management, click the Pay button, and then choose the option to use your Anything points to pay.

If you're going to offer points, then you want your auction to end for as much as you can possibly get - let the buyer pay for their own points! All you'll need is our next email, all about strategies for when to start and end your auction.

About the author: Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

Seasonal Selling Strategies for eBay

Author: Paul Duxbury

When you sell on eBay, it's important to know how to take advantage of the kinds of markets you encounter in the different seasons. As a rule, the summer months are slow and the winter period is fast, but there's more to it than that.

It Depends What You're Selling.

Your sales won't necessarily be slower in the summer than in winter - they might just be different. If you're selling sports equipment, for example, you'll probably find that surfing gear sells in summer while skiing gear sells in winter. You should make sure you are aware of any seasonal variations there will be in your particular market, and plan in advance to take advantage of them.

Selling in Peak Season.

The holiday season is eBay's peak, and the best time to be selling on eBay - the December rush is relatively short, but if you play it right then you could make half your year's profit over those few days.

In the holidays, people are looking for presents, and eBay run more advertising than usual targeted towards buyers, not sellers. Target your auctions more towards new users than experienced ones, writing easy-to-understand descriptions. If you have any items that are in demand, try listing some at auction and some with high But it Now prices, to see what works best.

The chances are you'll be surprised when the Buy it Now auctions go almost instantly and the auctions rack up bids like nobody's business. It is important to remember, however, that most of these buyers will only buy from you once.

Selling Off-peak.

For the rest of the year, the market is far slower. Don't worry though - you can still make money. It's a little like being a stockbroker: you can make money whether the market is good or bad, if you know what you're doing.

Remember that your target market is a little more 'expert': you're mostly selling to people who know what they're buying, and know what they want to pay. Cater to this by providing a service suitable for these customers. Show that you know what you're selling and sell things consistently and you'll have people coming back again and again.

Here's one extra tip that you might try. If you know of items that have a consistent value, it might be worth buying up as many as you can cheaply in the summer, storing them for half a year, and selling them during the winter rush. If you're willing to give over a little space for storage, you can make a lot of profit for little effort. After all, you don't even have to take the items out of the packaging the last seller put them in.

About the author: Paul is Head of Training for a major UK Charitable Organisation with a wealth of experience in personal development, management development, e-learning and operational management. In addition he owns PK eBooks (http://www.pk-ebooks.co.uk) two sites specifically aimed at those who want to successfully sell on eBay http://www.ebay-profits.co.uk and http://www.info-entrepreneurs.co.uk

10 Reasons To Become An eBay Trading Assistant

Author: Mark Kenny

Many eBay sellers are finding additional revenue in signing up to be a Trading Assistant. This program is beneficial to both sellers and people who wish to sell their items but, for reasons of time or technology, aren't capable. When that's the case, they turn to a Trading Assistant to help market their wares. There are many reasons that someone may choose to become a trading assistant and, in turn, why someone would want to hire one.

Reason 1: When sellers become an eBay Trading Assistant, they increase their inventory without investing any money. The client will provide his/her items to be sold and the Trading Assistant will not have any out-of-pocket expenses for the new items.

Reason 2: If a business has a large selection of merchandise, it will attract more customers and generate even more revenue. The more variety that you can offer, the wider your consumer base will be.

Reason 3: As a Trading Assistant, sellers can earn extra money based on the fees that they charge. Selling someone else's product is a service and most sellers charge a fee for that service. As a Trading Assistant, it becomes your responsibility to photograph and accurately describe the item, list the auction and take responsibility for completing the transaction. Each Trading Assistant decides what fee, if any, they wish to charge their clients.

Reason 4: Each Trading Assistant will be listed in eBay's Trading Assistant Directory, which will give added publicity to your business. And, best of all, it's free!

Reason 5: If you take on the task of selling a client's product, and do a good job, then he/she will likely return to you for future selling needs. In addition, your client may refer his/her friends to you. Word of mouth, when it's positive, is the best kind of publicity.

Reason 6: When you become a Trading Assistant, sellers may want to consider submitting a press release to local newspapers. Because it's a new development within your business, it's considered news. Press releases are one of the best ways to get free publicity for your business.

Reason 7: The eBay Trading Assistant program provides sellers with access to special training programs and other education reference materials. Knowledge of sales and marketing are always an asset to any business.

Reason 8: As a Trading Assistant, sellers can take pride in knowing that they are providing a service that is earning money for their customers. By signing up for this service, and taking on clients, sellers are helping people to earn extra cash while also clearing some space.

Reason 9: The Trading Assistant program offers a seller the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge in a wide variety of fields, including marketing, buying, sales, customer service, business management, order processing and fulfillment. Each of these tools are extremely valuable in today's job marketplace.

Reason 10: The more you sell, the more feedback you will receive. If the feedback is good, customer confidence will grow based on your reputation as a seller.

Now that you know 10 reasons to become an eBay Trading Assistant, I'll bet you can't think of one reason not to. Happy trading!

About the author: Mark Kenny creates profitable turnkey websites at http://trading-web-solutions.com. This article is taken from his eBay maximum profits mini-course showing you how to get the most out of eBay. To subscribe send a blank email to taebay@aweber.com

How to sell more on eBay by studying your competitors

Author: Paul Duxbury

If you've a savvy businessperson, the chances are you've already taken a look at your competitors' auctions. What you might not have realised is just how much you can learn if you know what you're looking for.

To begin with, don't bother looking at listings that haven't ended yet - you don't know what's going to happen with them. Instead, use the advanced search page to search for listings that sold. Just go to the advanced search page, type in the keywords that you know will find your competitors' items, tick 'Completed listings only' and set the minimum number of bids to 1. Set it to sort by 'Price: highest first'.

This will show you auctions competing with yours that have recently finished, starting with the ones that sold for the most (ignore any with prices in red - they didn't sell). Go through and take a look, paying special attention to the following points:

Titles. What information do the top sellers of your item put in their titles, and what do they leave out? If your titles are very different to theirs, it might be time for a rethink.

Descriptions. You'll probably notice that the highest sellers haven't just copied text from the company's website or an Amazon.com review - they've gone to the trouble of writing a little about the item, and about themselves. Learn from their example.

Pictures. I can almost guarantee you that the listing will have very nice pictures - not catalogue quality, but good enough to see what you're getting. With items of any significant cost, you'll probably find more than one photo from different angles.

Style. Is it written conversationally, or in terse businesslike language? The way you should write entirely depends on what the market seems to like - and the market seems to like what the top sellers wrote.

Time. It's pretty easy to ignore this as a factor without meaning to, but pay attention to when the top selling items' auctions began and ended. This might give you a few clues about the best to catch buyers who will bid highly on your item, and then you can schedule your items accordingly.

Price. If your competitors are selling using Buy it Now, you can see what the maximum is that they've managed to sell for recently, and set your own Buy it Now price slightly below that.

Shipping. Look around to see the sweet spot for shipping. If you can figure out a way to get your shipping costs lower than the highest sellers, then this is a great opportunity to differentiate yourself in the market.

Once you see what works, you can start to emulate your competitors - of course you can't just copy them completely, but you can structure your auction similarly and make sure it includes the same information.

About the author: Paul is Head of Training for a major UK Charitable Organisation with a wealth of experience in personal development, management development, e-learning and operational management. In addition he owns PK eBooks (http://www.pk-ebooks.co.uk) two sites specifically aimed at those who want to successfully sell on eBay http://www.ebay-profits.co.uk and http://www.info-entrepreneurs.co.uk

10 Tips For Selling On eBay

Author: Mark Kenny

Many people have chosen a work-at-home career and, thanks to today's technology, it's easier than ever. One such opportunity for entrepreneurs is available at internet auction site, eBay. The concept seems simple enough, but having an edge over the competition is always a good idea. For those who already sell, or who are considering a new business venture, a little knowledge can go along way. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Tip 1: Many eBay sellers accept PayPal, also an eBay company, as a way for buyers to quickly pay for their auction purchase. Payments are done immediately and are deposited directly into the seller's PayPal account. It's very important to make sure a buyer's address is confirmed, which is a method PayPal uses to verify the identity of the customer, before shipping an order. In addition, sellers should purchase tracking numbers whenever possible so that they may confirm delivery of an item.

Tip 2: If you have a refund policy, make certain that your terms are clearly noted in the auction description. Consider the conditions under which you will accept a return, how long the buyer has to return an item, whether or not you are willing to refund the original shipping price and who will be responsible for the return shipping. Do not leave anything open to interpretation because it's very important to describe your refund policy in a clear and concise manner. If you do not accept returns, it's helpful to note this in order to avoid confusion.

Tip 3: The most important part of an auction is the description. Describe your item clearly and in detail. If it's new, let your buyers know. The description should contain everything from the condition of the item to the cost of shipping, payment methods that you accept and payment due dates.

Tip 4: When possible, include a color photo of the item you are selling. On eBay, the first photo that you include is free of charge. Buyers generally want to see the item they are considering, so avoid the 'sight unseen' scenario if possible. If you do not have a digital camera or scanner, purchase a disposable camera at your local supermarket.

Tip 5: Always be polite and respectful to your customers. It's extremely important to keep the lines of communication flowing. If possible, notify your buyers immediately when they win your auction and answer any questions throughout the process.

Tip 6: Sellers should consider the best listing options for their product. Unless you are selling a very expensive item, avoid the higher priced listing upgrades. Keep in mind that, if a bidder wins and fails to follow through with payment, sellers can request a final value fee credit. However, sellers will be stuck paying for the listing fee - even if the bidder doesn't honor their bid.

Tip 7: Show appreciation to your customers. If possible, include a free gift with every purchase. Whether it's a small picture calendar or other gesture, buyers will love the added surprise.

Tip 8: After the transaction is complete, buyers and sellers should always exchange feedback for one another. Everyone loves to increase their reputation and build trust within the auction community.

Tip 9: If a buyer fails to follow through with payment, contact them to see what happened. It may be a simple mix-up, so be polite in your letter. After your contact, if the buyer still refuses to honor their bid, sellers should promptly send an unpaid item reminder. This option is available seven days after the auction closes. The last step, after an additional 10 days have passed, is to file a request for a final value fee credit and relist the item.

Tip 10: If an item doesn't sell the first time around, don't be discouraged. Through a new relist policy, eBay refunds all relisting fees if your item sells the second time. In order to qualify, you must not increase the price or change other important auction information before relisting your item.

At the end of the day, internet auctions can be a terrific way to earn extra cash or as a full-time career. Where else can you earn money 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and even when you're sleeping? Happy auctioning!

About the author: Mark Kenny creates profitable turnkey websites at http://trading-web-solutions.com. This article is taken from his eBay maximum profits mini-course showing you how to get the most out of eBay. To subscribe send a blank email to taebay@aweber.com

An eBay Seller's Checklist for Success

Author: Paul Duxbury

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

Have you found out everything you possibly could about your items? Try typing their names into a search engine - you might find out something you didn't know. If someone else is selling the same thing as you, then always try to provide more information about it than they do. Do you monitor the competition? Always keep an eye on how much other items the same as or similar to yours are selling, and what prices they're being offered at. There's usually little point in starting a fixed price auction for £100 when someone else is selling the item for £90.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Being a really good eBay seller, more than anything else, is about providing genuinely good and honest customer service. That's the only foolproof way to protect your reputation.

About the author: Paul is Head of Training for a major UK Charitable Organisation with a wealth of experience in personal development, management development, e-learning and operational management. In addition he owns PK eBooks (http://www.pk-ebooks.co.uk) two sites specifically aimed at those who want to successfully sell on eBay http://www.ebay-profits.co.uk and http://www.info-entrepreneurs.co.uk

eBay auction pricing strategies that really work!

Author: Paul Duxbury

If your items aren't selling, then you might have a bad pricing strategy. There as many pricing strategies in the world as there are buyers - if you look at two businesses selling the same thing, often the only difference you'll be able to find between them is pricing.

The 'Few Dollars More' Strategy.

Here's something you might not have thought of. If you set your auction's starting price to what you would usually charge for Buy it Now, while setting the Buy it Now price a few dollars above, you can make a profit by setting off an interesting psychological reaction in the buyer's mind.

Here's what they'll think. They want the item, but why should they bother bidding for it? After all, they could use Buy it Now for just a few dollars more, and be sure of getting it! Doing things this way makes the value of the Buy it Now option extra clear to the buyer, and makes them more willing to pay extra for the privilege.

The 'One Dollar Less' Strategy.

This is simple, but requires you to keep an eagle eye on your competition. As soon as they start a Buy it Now auction for an item you stock, start an auction for one of those items yourself. Match the title closely, but price your item one dollar less than theirs. This will mean that your auctions will sit together in the search results, and who's going to see both and go for the one that's a dollar more expensive?

The 'Free Shipping' Strategy.

Buyers really hate paying for shipping. With Buy it Now, you might find it easier to incorporate the shipping cost into the main price of the item, and then write ""free shipping"" in the auction's title. You'd be surprised how many buyers would prefer to pay one price including shipping for the auction, instead of having shipping added on at the checkout. Again, this is psychological: they pay the same at the end, but it doesn't feel like they've paid an unnecessary 'extra' cost for Internet shopping.

The 'Go for It' Strategy.

If you'd like a slightly more risky strategy, try this. List your item for the maximum duration (ten days), starting the listing on a Thursday so it goes across two weekends and finishes on a Sunday. Set the starting price to the minimum (one cent).

What you're trying to do here is give bidders as long as possible to discover your auction, so that they push the price up themselves. Pay for a few upgrades like bold and highlight, to give them a helping hand. If you do this right, you can make a much bigger profit than you would have with any Buy it Now price, especially with a medium or high value item.

About the author: Paul is Head of Training for a major UK Charitable Organisation with a wealth of experience in personal development, management development, e-learning and operational management. In addition he owns PK eBooks (http://www.pk-ebooks.co.uk) two sites specifically aimed at those who want to successfully sell on eBay http://www.ebay-profits.co.uk and http://www.info-entrepreneurs.co.uk

The 5 Mistakes That Can Lose You Money On Ebay

Author: Dave Bromley

I am often asked by subscribers to UK Auctionline web site to have a look at their eBay listings. This is usually because they are not doing as well selling their items as they had hoped. When I go and look at the listing I will often find that they have made one or more of the common mistakes that deter bidders.

1. Too many negatives. Some people, especially newcomers to eBay have a very real fear of being cheated or ripped off. Because of this they apply negatives in their listing. This can be in the form of a long list of types of payments they wont accept or conditions that they apply. Something else I have seen is the warning that thee seller will not be responsible for any item lost in the post. Even worse are threats such as negative feedback if payment is not made within a certain time after the auction ended. These sorts of restrictions and threats are a great big turnover to any potential bidder.

2. High shipping charges. Most reasonable people are happy to pay something over the cost of postage to cover packing materials. But as I saw the other day someone who charging $10 to ship a $4.99CD, that is pushing it a bit. If you doubt how the average bikdder views hyped up shipping costs just go and read the commentgs on any eBay forum and see what buyers feel about it.

3. Not using a Gallery Photograph. I assume that no one who is serious about selling on eBay would consider putting up any listing without a picture. I cannot think of any item that would not benefit from a photograph. But there are still a great number of sellers who do not use the gallery feature to have a photograph next to their listing in the search results. Ebay's own figures show that the use of a gallery photograph can increase the final bid figure by as much as 12%.

4. Setting you opening bid price too high. If you want to attract the most bids and therefore a higher final price for your item you should not set too high an opening bid price. A low opening price attracts casual browsers who place a bid just on the off chance of getting a bargain. Once a few bids have been entered other people start noticing and come to your listing to see what it is all about. Then before you know it, the price is shooting up. However, if you start with too high a price you could end up as one of the many listings that attract no bids at all.

5. Not communicating. I know some eBay sellers who really resent having to answer e-mails. In fact I know some who just do not answer any questions from sellers. How stupid is this? A question from a seller is a great opportunity for you to build up rapport with a potential buyer. A quick and pleasant response will almost certainly encourage bids whilst a curt or a non-reply will not.

The bottom line is that eBay is a numbers game, the more people you can get to bid on your items the higher the price they will achieve. Therefore it is important to do everything you can to encourage bidding not trying to deter it.

About the author: Dave Bromley is a writer and Internet Marketer who specialises in subjects related to online auctions,especially eBay.You can register for his newsletter and free 6 part eBay mini course at his information packed web site http://www.ukauctionline.co.uk

How To Check An Ebay Seller's Reputation (And Why You Should Do It).

Author: Kirsten Hawkins

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

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

How to Check Feedback Ratings.

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

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

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

What to Look For.

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

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

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

About the author: Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

The top 10 reasons why auctions fail on eBay

Author: Paul Duxbury

Are you finding that auction after auction fails to attract any bidders or buyers? It happens to the best of us sometimes - take a good look at these things to see if any of them could be making your bidders avoid you.

The starting price was too high: People don't want to have to make a high bid before anyone else has - you should always start your auctions low and let the bidders bid them up.

The fixed price is too high: If you're just selling with Buy it Now, then of course your items won't sell if they're too expensive. Try reducing the price a little each time the item fails to sell.

No picture: Most buyers are reluctant to bid on something without a picture, and that goes even more for high-value items. Think of it from the buyer's point-of-view: would you want to bid on an item when you've no idea what it looks like?

You had a reserve: Reserve prices scare away buyers like you wouldn't believe, not to mention costing a percentage of your final sale price. Avoid them like the plague.

Bad spelling and grammar: If your titles are spelt wrongly, then no-one will find your auctions. If your descriptions are incoherent, then no-one will know what you're talking about. Always run your text through a spelling and grammar checker before you put it up on eBay.

Too much for shipping: You might be expecting people to pay more for shipping than they're prepared to. Give them a few cheaper options that will take longer, or use cheaper materials.

Negative feedback: If you got negative feedback on your last transaction, expect things to be slow for a while. Try selling cheap things for a while to get your account back in good standing.

Nasty terms: Don't write things all over your auction like ""I will only accept returns in PERFECT condition"" or ""Serious bidders only, no timewasters!!"" This is entirely unnecessary and just makes you look difficult to deal with.

No PayPal: Many buyers simply avoid any seller who doesn't accept PayPal as a payment method - they can't be bothered with the hassle of anything else. Even if you don't like PayPal, you should accept it if you want to business on eBay.

The items were bad. You will have to accept that there are some items no-one wants - perhaps they were hyped to begin with, but now people had heard that they're useless and stopped buying. Before you come to this conclusion, though, check everything else you can, and check if anyone else is managing to sell it. If you're sure, try to return the items, and buy in some new stock.

About the author: Paul is Head of Training for a major UK Charitable Organisation with a wealth of experience in personal development, management development, e-learning and operational management. In addition he owns PK eBooks (http://www.pk-ebooks.co.uk) two sites specifically aimed at those who want to successfully sell on eBay http://www.ebay-profits.co.uk and http://www.info-entrepreneurs.co.uk

The Five Things You Must Do Before Buying On Ebay

Author: Ian D. Major

As a consumer, you will find many great deals on items that you want and need through eBay auctions. Many people visit eBay on a daily basis looking for auctions for items that they may be interested in - simply because eBay auctions are so much fun!

However, before you start buying on eBay, there are some steps that you need to take. Here are five things you must do before buying on eBay.

1. You can't buy anything without registering first.

Registration is free and only takes a few minutes. You will be asked for credit card information, and this is required before you will be able to bid on auctions. Your email address must be confirmed before your account will become active, so make sure that you use the correct email address.

You will be given the option to sign up for a Paypal account, if you don't already have one, and you should strongly consider doing so. Signing up with Paypal is free, and many auctions will require you to have a Paypal account.

2. Once you have completed the registration process, you are ready to start bidding on auctions.

However, don't jump in right away. Navigate around the site a bit, and get a feel for things first. Some unscrupulous sellers try to take advantage of new eBay users, and you must be wary of them.

Start by searching for the items that you are interested in. Using the category list, click on the categories that you feel that you are interested in, and start looking at the open auctions in those categories. You should find the items that you are looking for quite easily.

3. Once you have found items that you want to bid on add the auction to your favorites - but don't place your bid just yet.

Instead, go find old auctions for similar items. See how much those items sold for so that you know how high to bid. Research the item as best as you can. Determine what the item would cost if it were brand new, and what you should bid now on the used item, in the condition that it is in.

4. Learn more about the seller.

Remember, not everyone is honest. Avoid buying from sellers who have low reputations. The reputation system at eBay is an important tool for buyers. This will enable you to determine whether or not you can trust the person that you are buying from.

Read their feedback page. Read the seller's 'About Me' page. Get to know who you are dealing with a little bit better by communicating with the seller about the auction.

5. Place your bid.

Once you know what item you want and how much you should bid on it, you are ready to place your bid.

There are two ways you can do this. Some sellers take bids on their auctions, with the item going to the highest bidder. Others choose to use the 'Buy Now' feature, which means that they have a set reserve price that you must meet - but you are not in competition with other bidders. This is a typical option that sellers use when they have multiple identical items to sell, or when they sell brand new items on eBay using drop shippers.

If you are entering into an open live auction - where bids are placed and the highest bidder wins - you will need to watch the auction closely to ensure that you keep raising your bid to win the item. Just make sure that you don't end up winning by paying way too much - unless it is a unique item that won't be found elsewhere!

CopyRight Ian D. Major 2005

About the author: Ian D. Major makes it easy to understand and use eBay, quickly and easily. Learn all you need to know by visiting

http://www.ebay-articles.com

How you can Obtain Life-long Customers from eBay

Author: Partha Mitra

How do you do this?

It's as simple as creating a newsletter you can offer along with your eBay ® listings.

In this article I'm going to briefly cover how you can use a newsletter to do the following:

Turn Your eBay Browsers Into Customers Turn eBay Customers Into Life-Long Customers This article will be a two part lesson. Watch for my next article (lesson) covering the basics of creating an effective newsletter. It can be very simple to create a newsletter following a few easy steps!

1.Turn Your eBay Browsers Into Customers

Remember that although your initial goal is to turn your eBay ® ""browsers"" into buyers, you can't stop there. Many eBay ® sellers assume if they don't have something the ""browser"" is looking for, then they aren't going to sell anything to that person at all. But, that is far from the truth.

You've already overcome the most difficult part, which is getting the ""browser"" to your listings. The important part is to make sure each visit counts. You have to make sure that once you get a visitor to one of your listings, they don't leave until you have tried everything possible to get their contact information such as name and email, to try and convert them to a future customer.

Let's say you sell home décor products and someone visits your listings while looking for a particular window treatment. The visitor views the auction they were led to and also visits your ""other listed items."" This particular visitor doesn't find what the item he/she is looking for. So, he/she leaves your auctions and you never have the chance to do business with this person, right? Wrong!

It would be very simple to invite each visitor to your About Me page, with something like, ""Click here to visit my About Me page and receive free, weekly tips to help you redecorate your home like a professional designer for half the cost.""

Once the visitor reaches your About Me page, you can provide them with simple instructions on how they can receive your weekly newsletter for free to get the tips they are looking for.

Sounds easy doesn't it?

It is and, in just minutes, you can have this set up and will be collecting valuable names and email addresses.

2. Turning eBay Customers Into Life-Long Customers

This is so easy, but SO overlooked in the eBay ® industry. If eBay ® is your business, than you have to treat it as such. Like any ""typical"" business, you try to do your best in every aspect of the sale to ensure your customer will return. However, online it is so easy to get lost in the shuffle.

Once you pick up a customer, you need to be sure to stay in contact with that customer so there is no doubt in your mind that, if they return to eBay ® to purchase something, they will come to you first.

There are auction programs such as Vendio that offer great customer management software. You can easily include a ""join my mailing list"" link to all of your post-sale emails. Remember, once you sell to an eBay customer, they are your customer so you're allowed to email them off eBay ®.

You want to present them with an offer such as, ""Join my monthly newsletter and receive updates on my product line including notification of newly listed items, and member discounts.""

Doing this allows you to stay in touch with your past customers to keep you fresh in their minds. And it also gives you the opportunity to invite them to your auction listings on a regular basis. But, remember you have to treat your customers well. You have to provide them with good offers so they appreciate you and want to return.

Whether you obtain the names and emails of those who are visiting your auctions, or those who have bought from you, collecting the information of those who are in the market for your type of product is absolutely priceless.

If they are on eBay ® to purchase a product ""like"" the products you offer, they are more than likely going to purchase this type of product again in the near future. If you offer them sound information and special discounts, as well as keep in touch with them, chances are they will come to you first for their next purchase.

About the author: Janiece Smith is the author of Internet's top-selling eBook teaching everyday people how to make their own small fortune selling on eBay®. Discover The Secrets Janiece Smith Used To Earn Up To $11,212 Per Month Selling On eBay. Her New eBook allows you to easily and quickly apply the author's secrets of finding and selling products on eBay® to create huge amounts of instant profits! For more details see http://ebay.dotpacket.net

Top Ebay Business Secrets Revealed

Author: Jason James

Ten million-let me say that number again-over ten million people visited the Ebay website last month. With everything from online auctions to drop shipping opportunities, the Ebay business website has something for everyone. If you are thinking about joining in on the hysteria and trying to make your fortune with an Ebay business of your own, here are some of the best things you can do to maximize your chances for success.

Do Your Homework

To begin with, you want to know as much as possible about the items you plan on offering on the Ebay auctions. This not only helps you create more interesting descriptions, but it also helps when trying to answer the barrage of questions that inevitably fly at you from potential buyers. The more knowledgeable you appear, the more likely you are to make a sale!

You also need to know if there is actually a market out there for what you are planning to sell. While you might occasionally hear about some off-the-wall item commanding big money at auction, these are the exceptions and not something to base your Ebay business upon. Run a search on the item and see how many items for that keyword come up to get an idea about your potential market. Chances of success are poor if no one else is selling a similar item.

Keywords and Descriptions Will Make or Break You

People find their way to Ebay auctions by using keywords to find the items they want. Your listing will use keywords to draw people in to bid on your item. If you try employing a keyword that no one uses, then who will come to bid on your item?

There are websites out there that will allow you to type in a keyword and see how many people used that keyword in the past month. These sites are free and a great way to test the keyword you intend to use. Just go to any search engine and type in ""free keyword selector tool"" and a number of sites will come up offering help finding the perfect keyword to attract people to bid on your item.

Once you have the people coming in to look at your item you are going to need a great description in order to get them to actually bid. If you are not the best writer but are serious about succeeding with your Ebay business, you may want to consider hiring a freelance writer to compose stunning descriptions that will awe people into bidding on your item. But, by doing your homework, it is usually possible to write a great description simply by being knowledgeable about the item and simply conveying some of that knowledge in your description.

Post Items During ""Hot Periods""

Anyone serious about succeeding with their Ebay business needs to know when to post items and when to hold onto them. Online auctions offering leather jackets in July may solicit a few bids but they will obviously be lower than they would be had the item been posted in late fall or early winter. If you have an odd item and are not sure what the best time would be to post it on Ebay auctions, try searching for the item on the Internet. Find out what the current buzz is or whether there is any for your item. Also, try finding other sellers on the Ebay business site offering the same item. If you find a lot of people selling the same item now, then clearly it is a good time to post. Timing can really make a difference in the final price you receive for your item.

Now there are of course other things you need to do if you want your Ebay business to succeed such as: post the item in the right category, make buying easy by offering a number of payment options, and keeping your shipping costs to a minimum. All of these are essentials to a successful Ebay business but are not likely to have the same effect upon your chances of success like the other ideas mentioned earlier.

There is no doubt that Ebay auctions are a great way to make some serious money. By doing your homework, using the right keywords and descriptions, and by posting during the hot periods for your items, you significantly increase the odds of your Ebay business succeeding and making all of your financial dreams a reality. So what are you waiting for? Start doing your homework now!

About the author: Jason James is a 10 year Internet marketing veteran and an eBay Power Seller of 4 years. His website ""The Auction Resource Network"" reveals his inside secrets, tips, and sources that help him earn over $10,000 per month on eBay.

Claim your FREE 14 Day ""Learn How to Sell on eBay"" e-Course Here: http://www.auctionresourcenetwork.com

Seven Secrets to Making a Killing on Ebay

Author: Daegan Smith

The world's biggest marketplace is the Internet, and its biggest bargain and auction store is Ebay. Here, sellers put their items up for bid with a starting price of their choosing. Buyers bid for a limited amount of time, while sellers wait until their desired price appears before terminating the bidding. Buyer and seller then agree on how the product will be shipped and paid for.

Ebay gives people a chance to buy anything they want to buy, sell anything they want to sell, and perhaps get rich trying. Everything can be done at home, with very little investment.

Are you ready to earn money through Ebay? All you need are seven simple strategies.

First: Study the market. Ebay is not only an online bidding and shopping center. Some companies actually post their wares on Ebay to see how much people are willing to pay for it.

To market test your product, post it three times with three different starting bids: one comfortably low, another at the price you expect it to fetch, and a third comfortably high. Monitor each product post and see how fast the prices rise with the bidding.

This way, you know how much people will be willing to pay to purchase your product. There is a caveat to this, however: you can incur the wrath of people on Ebay if you choose to terminate bidding of your two other products should you choose to retain and sell the one for which you got the best price.

Second, sell something old but new. Now this may sound strange, but all it means is that you have to sell something that has a use or a following, something that is unique without being obscure. Ebay is filled with hundreds of thousands of people loud and proud of their wares. You can't sell something anyone can find in the nearest grocery store, but you can't sell something no one will know about either.

For instance, you can sell Used Ball Pen Art - it's something you certainly can't pick up at the local Wal-Mart, but it isn't something everyone might be interested in either. If you are unsure, see Strategy Number One. If you believe in your product, however, move on to Strategy Number Three.

Research. Some sellers make the mistake of calling their product certain things: plaid when the pattern is checkered, large when it is actually medium, brand new when it has a tear across its front. Make sure you know everything about your product, so that if someone is finding something specific, they stumble upon your wares. Don't make the mistake of advertising something your product doesn't have. Do so, and your buyers - and everyone else on Ebay - will walk away very unhappy.

Fourth, take a great picture of your product. Showcase its best side, but show any flaws it might have without highlighting the flaws or hiding them. When you have taken the picture, crop it to include only your item, then shrink it down to 72 dpi to make it load faster. This will allow buyers to not only see your item, but see it quickly. If it loads too slow, buyers will turn away in impatience. If you have no picture, you will appear unwilling to sell and wary of showing your product.

So what have you got to hide? Take out that camera and snap those pictures!

At this point, you are ready to get your item onto Ebay, so list your product correctly. What some sellers do is to put their items in the most general category, thinking that more people will see it. This is not true for Ebay, since buyers will be searching for specific things. Put your item in the general categories, and you could miss out on those precious page views.

Sixth, work on your writing. Ebay requires you to have a written description of your product, along with an auction title. Make your written description short and true, and your auction title specific. Remember that some buyers may not have the right Internet speed - and patience - to wait for your picture to load, so you have to grab them immediately with a delicious description.

As a rule, the best descriptions are those which will answer any questions your buyers might have.

Your product is now online and ready to be sold - but how do you sell it right, and when do you stop the bidding? It's all about timing.

Know when Internet traffic is loose so that you can post your item without much difficulty on your part, and know when traffic is high so that you don't terminate bidding when people are actually trying to get through to your site but are stuck in an online traffic jam.

So, seventh, watch your market. Watch TV, so you know when popular shows are on. Chances are, people won't be at their computes during that time. Watch the Weather Channel. In harshly cold or harshly hot weather, people will be indoors surfing the net.

Marketing is all about timing, and in selling, timing is everything. Ebay is no exception, and it can be a great place to earn cash if you strategize and plan.

About the author: Daegan Smith is the leader of the fastest growing team of successful home business enterpernuers on the net. Find out how we're creating financial freedom all across the globe and how to get in on the action FREE =>http://www.comlev.com Team Blog: http://www.turnkeyinternetbusiness.blogspot.com

Passing The CCNA and CCNP: Home Lab Shopping On Ebay

Author: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Whether you're just getting ideas for your Cisco home lab or adding to your existing lab, ebay is a great place to get ideas for your lab as well as pick up some great bargains.

Of course, the internet being what it is, there are always going to be a few people looking to take your money while shipping you inferior merchandise, or worse, no merchandise at all. While these ""dealers"" are in the minority, you still need to be careful when purchasing Cisco equipment on ebay. In this article, I'll give you several tips on browsing ebay ads for home lab ideas, and a few things to look out for when purchasing equipment on ebay.

For those of you just starting your Cisco certification pursuit, the idea of purchasing a home lab kit -- a set of routers, switches, and perhaps some cables and study guides -- seems like a good idea. Instead of putting your lab together one piece at a time, these kits allow you to get a head start on your studies.

One thing to watch out for in these kits is outdated equipment, or the inclusion of outdated study guides. Often, vendors will use these kits as a way to get rid of unwanted inventory.

The Cisco 1900 family of switches falls into this category. A recent search on ebay for ""ccna lab"" showed seven different CCNA lab kits that contained 1900 switches. The problem here is that the current CCNA exams do not test on the 1900 switches, which are menu-driven and do not have an IOS. You'll need to be well-versed with switches that do have an IOS, such as the 2950s.

The plus side here is that you will probably save money by using 1900 switches. If you're on a tight budget, having a 1900 switch is better than no switch at all. If at all possible, though, get a Cisco switch with an IOS.

The cables and transceivers included with these kits are generally exactly what you need to set up that particular kit, and this can be very helpful to those CCNA candidates who are new to the various cables needed to physically configure a home lab. Just make sure you're not buying a kit with 10 transceivers (used on AUI ports) when you've only got two routers with Ethernet ports.

Watch out for kits that include outdated study guides. I've seen four-year-old CCNA books included with some kits. If you already have your study guides, feel free to ask the vendor how much the kit costs without the books.

That leads me to the most important point. Get to know the vendor before buying anything. Visit their website and check their ebay feedback. If buying from an individual as opposed to a reseller, find out what conditions the router or switch has been kept in, and make sure to define the terms under which they will accept returns.

There's nothing wrong with buying equipment from someone who's selling their CCNA/CCNP/CCIE home lab, but just make sure you ask the right questions first. Professional resellers generally have their return policy right in their ebay ad; if they don't, ask for a copy.

Building your own CCNA and/or CCNP home lab is a little intimidating at first, but speaking as someone who has climbed the Cisco certification ladder from the CCNA to the CCIE, I can tell you that it is the best investment you can make in your career. Use a little caution, ask the right question, and soon you'll be leaving the world of ""router simulators"" behind - and you'll be developing your skills as a true professional should: On real Cisco routers and switches!

About the author: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of FREE CCNA and CCNP tutorials , The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. Video courses and training, binary and subnetting help, FREE tutorials, and corporate training are also available.

For a FREE copy of my latest e-books, ""How To Pass The CCNA"" or ""How To Pass The CCNP"", send a request to chri

How To Find Items To Sell On eBay

Author: Ian D. Major

When it comes to eBay auctions, many people are unsure as to how to select items to sell - and where to find them. While figuring out which items sell best on eBay may be a little difficult, finding those items isn't difficult at all! You just have to be creative in your search, and keep an open mind!

Start your search at your own home. Clean out the garage, the attic, and the closets. You will most likely be very surprised at the items that you will find.

Don't make the mistake of throwing things out, thinking that they are useless.

What is useless to you may be very useful to someone else, and you should try to auction it off! Of course, items that are worn out to the point of not working are not useful to anyone - but if the item is old, and it still works, it can be auctioned off...in fact, it doesn't even have to be old or valuable!

Offer to clean out the attics and garages of older people as well.

Older people tend to hang onto things for years and years, and as that time passes, those items become more valuable. Offer to buy items that you find in their attic or garage. Most people don't realize the value of what they have, and you will probably pick up many high selling items very cheap. In fact, as a way of thanking you, the items may even be given to you at no charge!

Visit the yard sales and garage sales in your area.

People sell things for next to nothing at these sales. If it is in good shape, and you think you can sell it on eBay, buy it. Even if it turns out to be an eBay dud, you can always resell the item in your own yard sale to get your money back out of it. However, do some research before you start hitting the yard sales. Find out what items and brands are selling well on eBay.

Flea markets are also great for finding items to auction off at eBay.

Keep up with how much you pay for items at the flea markets, and when you post the items for auction at eBay, make sure that your reserve price is not less than what you originally paid for the items!

Go to storage auctions.

Most storage businesses auction off the contents of the storage units when people fail to pay their storage bills. This is a fabulous way to find items to auction off on eBay. Estate sales should also be attended to find high value antique items.

Another option is to use drop shippers for new items.

Setting up an account with a drop shipper is really quite simple. You can auction off brand new items using either the auction feature or the buy now feature at eBay. Just make sure that your reserve price for auctions is not less than what the item will cost you! Once your item is sold, the drop shipper will ship the item directly to your customer.

The most important thing about selling is that you need to make sure the items that you pick are in good shape and are saleable. This doesn't mean that the item has to be in perfect condition - but if it is in less than perfect condition, you need to convey this information when you set up your auction.

Use your imagination, and keep your eyes open constantly for items that you can auction off on eBay. Again, do your research and find out which items and brands do well on eBay. Make a list, and carry it with you wherever you go!

CopyRight Ian D. Major 2005

About the author: Ian D. Major makes it easy to understand and use eBay, quickly and easily. Learn all you need to know by visiting

http://www.ebay-articles.com

How To Buy A Motorcycle On Ebay

Author: David Riewe

If you want to buy a motorcycle or accessories then the eBay motorcycle section is the perfect place to look. You should look for eBay motorcycle listings of interest by taking advantage of the browse and search features. You can specify the make, model, year range and even color for your search within the eBay motorcycle section.

It is important to use the search functions to their maximum capability when you are looking for an item within the eBay motorcycle section. The more information you can put into your search terms the more likely you are to get the exact result that you want from the eBay motorcycle listings. For example, if you are looking for a red Honda VFR you will get the most accurate results if you search for ""red Honda VFR 750 2000"" rather than simply entering ""Honda VFR"" which may well give you a listing including decals, spare seats, owners manuals and other items for every Honda VFR that has ever been built.

Another point to consider when you search the ebay motorcycle section is to specify the location that you want the motorcycle to be near. Any eBay motorcycle that you are interested in should be close to your home address so that you can go and see the motorcycle before placing a bid. This also makes collecting the motorcycle much easier. The search function allows you to specify that you want the eBay motorcycle to be within a certain radius of a town or zip or postal code.

The eBay motorcycle section is sub-divided into brands so it is a good idea to browse the appropriate category as you may find an item that you have never thought of. For example, if you look in ""Honda"" within the eBay motorcycle section you may well come across a framed print that would look great on your bedroom wall or a Honda team cap that you can wear when you take your motorcycle helmet off.

Most importantly, you need to be particularly cautious when you are searching for an item in the eBay motorcycle section to prevent you from being ripped off by unscrupulous con artists. On no account should you send an advance payment for any item in eBay motorcycle section. It is important to do your research and check the vendor's details and verify that the time for sale in the marketplace is legitimate.

About the author: Discover 101 Ebay Auction Tips in this FREE ebook http://www.push-button-online-income.com/ebooks

Payment Methods On Ebay

Author: David Riewe

Gone are the days when only cash (or cattle in some cases) was the only accepted mode of payment for trades. As the concept of trading evolved, so did the means of paying for items.

Today's electronic world pushes the envelop further. With the advent of online trading systems such as eBay, many new forms of payment have flourished.

First of all, on eBay, the mode of payment depends on the agreement between the buyer and the seller. Most often, the seller will specify his or her desired payment method. In these cases, the seller often has primacy in the decisions regarding payment modes. However, the buyer may still communicate with the seller regarding a viable alternative if it suits both parties.

The following is a list of common eBay payment modes.

Cash On Delivery

Cash is, after all, still cash. This payment method can be done through a third party courier system or by the buyer and seller meeting each other at an agreed place. The advantage of a cash transaction is that the exchange of the item for payment is done in the presence of the buyer and the seller (or the seller's representative). However, some people will not accept the risk present when two strangers meet.

Personal Check

One popular method of payment is personal check. Writing checks is easy and safe. However, many sellers do not like accepting check because they are easy to cancel.

PayPal

PayPal is the payment of choice on eBay. In fact, eBay owns PayPal.

Using PayPal is easy, convenient, and relatively safe. PayPal acts as like an internet 'wire transfer.'

After signing-up for PayPal, one may send cash to anyone with an email address using the PayPal system. PayPal also has security features that safeguard against fraud in case there is a dispute between the seller and the buyer. This system is best for transactions up to $1000.

Escrow.com

Escrow.com is the payment of choice for purchases over $500. Escrow.com holds the buyer's money from the seller until the seller delivers the item. Only then will the funds be released to the seller. This system makes for a very safe, although highly procedural transaction.

Wire Transfer

This is the payment of choice for countries that do not carry the PayPal service. Wire transfers are risky because the buyer usually has to wire over the funds before the seller sends the items. The chance for non-delivery of items is high.

Other Payment Systems

The number of third party payment services is steadily on the rise. Their systems for payment vary. However, to be successful they must be convenient to use and safe as well.

About the author: Discover 101 Ebay Auction Tips http://www.push-button-online-income.com/101ebaytips.zip

My near nightmare on ebay

Author: Stephen Hill

I am not sure how many people have had bad experiences on Ebay, I hope not too many. I was having a great time on there until some man tried to defraud me out of £170.

I had been buying and selling on Ebay for a number of months without any problems at all. If I ever bought anything that cost over £100, I would offer to meet the seller somewhere, normally just off the motorway and this was working very well. I managed to pick up some real bargains and also managed to offload some of my unwanted items which I either had no interest in anymore or that I had no longer a need for.

Good things apparantly have to come to an end and unfortunately it did with Ebay.

I was looking to purchase a mobile phone and saw an advert for a buy it now phone with the asking price low but not extremely low.

There was a mobile number to phone if I had any questions. I therefore rang him, his name was Tony and asked him the general type questions. He sounded and seemed really nice, however stated that he was unable to meet me as he was unable to drive as he had not past his test.

His house was a long way from where I lived and reluctantly I agreed to pay via a 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. He seemed very genuine, they always do your thinking and that was that.

Next morning have a guess what arrived, yes nothing at all, nor the next day, nor the next.

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 decided to go to the police. They were very helpful and half an hour later I had a crime number however was warned that it was very unlikely I would ever see a phone or recieve a refund of my money which was £170.

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.

Stephen Hill

About the author: Stephen Hill runs a speech centre in Birmingham, England. He has a number of of websites at:

stuttering treatment

stammering information

stuttering cure

A crash course in having your Ebay merchandise drop shipped

Author: Jason James

Having your ebay products drop shipped sounds like a great idea on the surface but the real question is; can you drop ship ebay goods and realistically count on them to arrive to your buyer on time, having the correct product, and in one piece? Most often the answer is yes, you can.

Having a 3rd party company drop ship ebay merchandise for you ideally works like this: Once you find a distributor to drop ship ebay goods for you then you place those products online in your ebay auction with a full description and a photo caption to go with it.

When your customer purchases this product and the payment is processed, you send the order to your distributor. The distributor in turn will always drop ship ebay merchandise to your customers. What makes it ""drop-shipping"" is that the package should always show that you were the actual shipper with the return label your business name and information without you actually having shipped it out.

If your distributor will drop ship ebay products for you and it all goes smoothly then this practice is a win win for everyone. You do not have to stock ebay inventory and your distributor has no worries of the retail sales end of things.

On the other hand, there are definitely stories of unreliable distributors that will offer to drop ship ebay products for you that you will want to stay clear from. You customer does not care who messes up a job if your distributor is supposed to drop ship ebay products to them and the product never arrives or comes damaged. Can you blame them? No way. If you had ordered a product from Ebay and the product never arrived then the owner of the auction would be to blame, regardless if that person claimed to have distributors drop ship ebay merchandise for them.

The best way to test new distributor is to place an order and have it shipped to a friend or family member so you can see how the shipping procedure goes. You will find out if they will drop ship ebay products for you on time and with the correct labeling. Good luck!

About the author: Jason James is an eBay Power Seller of 4 years. His website ""The Auction Resource Network"" reveals his inside secrets, tips, and sources that help him earn over $10,000 per month on eBay.

Claim your FREE 14 Day ""eBay Selling"" e-Course Here: http://www.auctionresourcenetwork.com

Avoiding Ebay Buying Pitfalls With These Friendly Tips

Author: David Riewe

As with any market, trading on eBay is not without its hassles and snags.

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.

Because of its online nature, eBay's auction listing provides the buyers with a wide selection of goods. The buyers are also enabled to review the seller through the seller's feedback rating. This helps the buyer decide whether or not to pursue the trade.

The sellers on the other hand, benefit from a wider audience due to the popularity of the Internet and eBay. eBay enables them to post easily, quickly, and extensively.

When eBay connects buyer and seller, the transactions truly begin as well as the headaches.

Even with the automated nature of most of today's transactions, eBay is still built on the basic foundation of trading: trust.

A good deal of trust is involved in eBay trading. The buyer has to trust that the seller is listing a legitimate item, and that he or she will deliver that item when paid. The seller, on the other hand, has to trust the buyer to pay fully and without any hidden catches.

Here are a few of the problems one may encounter when using eBay.

- Seller does not deliver product

This is a buyer's biggest fear. However, it is also one of the most common snags buyers encounter. Usually, when closing a deal, the seller will email purchase instructions to the buyer. This will usually include instructions for payment. The seller will then promise to have the item delivered upon receipt of payment.

If the buyer, after fulfilling his or her part, does not receive the item within the agreed upon date, he or she should immediately try contacting the seller. If this proves to be fruitless, he or she should file a complaint with eBay for assistance regarding the transaction.

- Seller delivers a different/defective product

Sometimes the trading is smooth. Everything goes according to schedule. However, upon receipt of the item, the buyer finds out that the item is significantly different from its description on eBay.

What should the buyer do about this?

Good communication between the buyer and seller usually brings about a speedy and satisfying end to any trading dispute. This should always be the first step when handling a dispute.

- Seller cannot be contacted for questions when closing deal

Most disputes come about due to miscommunication between seller and buyer. But if the seller can not be contacted, that presents a bigger problem for the buyer especially if that person has already fulfilled payment of the item. Contacting eBay may help to resolve this problem and they are sometimes willing to supply further information about the seller.

About the author: Discover 101 Ebay Auction Tips in this FREE ebook http://www.push-button-online-income.com/ebooks

Why it Makes Sense to be Cool on eBay - Selling the Unusual

Author: Brian McGregor

Have you noticed how many people - and I have to admit that includes me - suggest that sellers offer hot selling products on eBay.

It's undeniably true, selling a product that is in demand can be a sensible commercial strategy.

However, there are some potential downsides in concentrating on ""hot selling"" products.

You could be left with stock on your hands, as your hot selling items move out of fashion.

You could find it difficult to shift stock at a profit, as the number of sellers offering identical hot selling products increases.

Now, this may not happen to you. You might find you can make a good living listing ""hot sellers"".

But here's an alternative, or an additional, strategy for you to consider.

We all know that virtually anything will sell on eBay. In other words, you don't necessarily have to offer hot selling products.

Instead of looking for the best selling items, why not study some PowerSellers and see what they offer? You might be surprised.

As an example, there's a PowerSeller who makes an excellent living selling magnets.

Another PowerSeller sells CDs which he creates for specific markets.

There are several who concentrate on selling Public Domain information. One offers prints of house plans from very old properties.

Then there's the seller who specializes in greetings cards of days gone by.

What I find intriguing is that items which I might consider to be uninteresting always seem to have a group of buyers who will bid on eBay.

The message here is that the most successful sellers may just give you an idea of a new market for you.

Don't be afraid to try the less obvious. The hottest items may not always be the best strategy.

Be cool!

About the author: Brian McGregor is an eBay and internet entrepreneur. He recently created the 'eBay Master Class' for eBay sellers. For your free copy, please go to http://www.work winners.com/ebm-request.htm

Storing your categories when looking for ebay auctions in the future

Author: Jason James

Currently, each month there are over 14 million people whom are looking for ebay auctions online in order to purchase goods and services without having to leave the comfort of their own home. If you are one of those shoppers looking for ebay auctions online then we have some great search tips to help you find exactly what you are looking for when starting your ebay experience.

When you begin to search for ebay and start looking for ebay auctions of your choice you should take advantage of ebay's search features. These tools will make it easier on you when looking for ebay auctions. Some ebay shoppers like to use the search page while other shoppers like to use the browse feature.

Either way you slice it, looking for ebay auctions takes a bit of trial and error to get it just right for your preferences. Always attempt new techniques to help you find the exact products that you are looking for on ebay.

Bookmarking categories that on ebay that interest you is also a great way to save information when you decide to go looking for ebay auctions in the future. You can do this by using your browser tool and saving the particular ebay page in your bookmarks.

Otherwise, if you wanted to go looking for ebay auctions by saving your pages with your ""My eBay page"" then you can. Here is how:

1. Click on the ""My eBay"" button at the top of the page. 2. Click the categories link. 3. Review the information that you see when looking for ebay auctions. 4. Delete any categories you do not want by clicking on the box and then the delete button. 5. You may add new categories to the list by clicking on the Add new Category link (upper right corner) 6. You can store up to four favorite categories that you can return to when looking for ebay auctions in the future.

About the author: Jason James is an eBay Power Seller of 4 years. His website ""The Auction Resource Network"" reveals his inside secrets, tips, and sources that help him earn over $10,000 per month on eBay.

Claim your FREE 14 Day ""eBay Selling"" e-Course Here: http://www.auctionresourcenetwork.com

Paying For Items With Ebay Coupons

Author: David Riewe

There's a novel idea afoot nowadays: Using electronic discount coupons to pay for items people are interested in purchasing.

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 coupons to purchase merchandise. The coupons are fast and easy to use.

Coupons are routinely sent by eBay to members who then use them to pay for items through PayPal. The coupons signify specific discounts that can be applied to the purchase of items.

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 while some can only be used by the owner. If the coupon indicates that only a specific email address may use the coupon, it may not be shared.

Coupons and Your eBay and PayPal Accounts

To use the coupons the owner must have a PayPay 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, the bidder is required to purchase the item even if the coupons they are holding turn out to be invalid for the auction.

Also, coupons can only be used one-at-a-time. This means that Gift Certificates, single coupons, or eBay Anything Points are valid for only one auction and only one type can be used each 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. Coupon holders 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's items, the value of the coupon is forwarded to the seller as it's equivalent in regular currency.

About the author: Discover 101 Ebay Auction Tips http://www.push-button-online-income.com/101ebaytips.zip

Take care of your eBay customers' needs to grow your business

Author: Cristina Diaz

After the auction for your item has finished and there is a highest bidder, you need to ensure that the sale is finalised, you get paid and your customer is happy with the transaction.

This is because to sell successfully on eBay you need your customers to be satisfied as they reflect your service in the comments they leave. This feedback is the way other prospective buyers will judge whether or not to make business with you.

Be prompt in sending the winner of the auction an email to ensure good communication. In this email, it must be clear:

-the item they have won -the total price they are to pay, detailing postage -how to pay for the item and the payment options that you accept -when you will post the item and when they can expect it

It is also a good idea that you offer to be contacted through eBay if they have any questions or problems. This builds trust with the buyer and ensures good customer service on your side.

Once after you have received payment from the buyer, you should send another email thanking them for the payment and informing them of when and how you will post the item, and when they can expect its delivery. Again, offer to be contacted if they need it.

Pack your item neatly and ship it promptly. Inform your customer that you have sent the item; they will be looking forward to receiving it and glad to hear it is on its way.

It is normal that once after the customer has received the item, they post feedback for you. If this is not the case, send the customer an email, requesting them politely to leave feedback for you if everything was all right with the item. Offer to be contacted.

Leave feedback for the buyer in return. Usually everything goes fine and your buyer will have left positive feedback. Give positive feedback as well in return.

If you follow all these steps you are very likely to receive excellent feedback comments from your buyers. Think of how you would like the customer service to be if you were the one buying, and offer even better service. In the end, this is what makes the difference between a good and an excellent eBay seller.

About the author: Cristina Diaz is a writer and co-editor of various websites. Visit her eBay store at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/eBooks-and-Bits

I'm new to Ebay, What Scams Are Out There?

Author: VickieScanlon

I have been looking at the possibility of doing some Ebay trading. And, since I have been on the Internet for a while, I decided that I should see what Ebay scams, if any, was floating about. Why? It is always good to be aware of the good, the bad, and the ugly of any online venture. And since, I've seen all sides - it's wise to have cautious optimism.

Wholesale List Scam

With this scam, the wholesaler gives you a photo of say, a computer monitor or DVD - the buyer is under the assumption that they are buying a monitor or DVD, right? Wrong? You may only be buying a wholesale list. This is what they call a ""bait and switch"". They are hoping that the individual is in a hurry or cannot read English well, and they blindly buy. Rule of thumb: read everything before buying.

Note: Wholesale List scams are very common for monitors, laptops, camcorders, DVD players, flat screen televisions and mp3 players; cutting-edge electronic devices.

Fake Money Order

The buyer sends the seller a fake money order, a bad check - and the seller sends the item before the money order or check has been successfully cashed. Seller is out the item and the money.

Credit Card Chargebacks

The buyer pays with a credit card through Paypal. Once the buyer has received the item, the buyer initiates a chargeback. This is where the novice come in, if you do not have proof that the item was sent - you are out the money, the item, and you have to pay a chargeback fee. Rule of thumb: Send your item through UPS, or certified mail to protect yourself.

Fake Escrow Scam

The scammer says that they want to buy your item, but they want to use an escrow service. The purpose of the escrow service is to add a layer of protection for the buyer. They will hold on to the money, and once the buyer has received the item from the seller, the escrow service will release the money to the seller. This is where the scam comes in - The buyer will request that you use the escrow service that they, so they say, have used with other transactions. The escrow service is a front - set up by the buyer.

Email Ebay Scam The email Ebay scam - is an email that says it has come from Ebay. The email will state that it looks like your account has been compromised and they would like your to verify the information,for your protection, of course. Never click the link. Open a new Internet session and manually type the information to get into your account.

Other email scams, include the fake payment received email. You will receive a payment-received notice, that looks authentic, but be aware, it could have been sent by the buyer. Never send anything, until you have verified that the payment has been received and the info received is valid.

To conclude, when you are looking at any new venture, it is always good to do the research and be aware of what you may be up against. It hard enough to start any business - and you definitely don't want anyone running off with your hard earned money. Being aware - can keep your business moving forward.

About the author: Vickie J Scanlon has a BBA degree in Administrative Management and Marketing. Visit her site at: http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz for free tools, articles, ebooks, affiliate oportunities, and how to info for the affiliate marketer.