Beware: The Dangers of Selling on eBay 101

Author: Brad Eden

Copyright 2005 Brad Eden

It's obvious that eBay provides internet users with an online flea market where buyers and sellers from around the world meet to conduct trade.

However, like most traders who are faced with an innovation of this sort, the first question will always be: It is safe?

The answer is yes, but devious scammers seem to be plotting daily to forward their dastardly schemes and take advantage of eBay's power.

So, what is the user's recourse? The users of eBay must learn to gather information and take meticulous care in dealing on eBay. Only then can they be less gullible to scammers.

A common consensus is that bidders are often scammed by sellers. But it is possible for things to be the other way around.

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

Fake Escrow Services

A winning bidder may request that an escrow service be used to assure both parties of a fair transaction. Unfortunately, the seller is sometimes duped into using a fake escrow system.

To avoid this situation, the seller must always verify the authenticity of an escrow service. eBay recommends the use of escrow.com. If the bidder insists on his or her escrow service, chances are, that person is a scammer.

Victims of this fraud find it difficult to reclaim their items. They may, however, appeal to the legal system afforded by the state they live in. They must also contact eBay regarding the matter for any assistance they may be willing to offer.

Deadbeat Bidders

Deadbeat bidders (a winning bidder who doesn't pay for an item at the auction's close) are more common on eBay. If the winner of your auction does not pay, you may leave that person a negative feedback.

As for the listing fees the seller shells out, eBay lays out a four step procedure that sellers can use to potentially recover lost selling fees. If sellers complete the process to eBay's satisfaction, they will receive a Final Value Fee credit and a re-list credit. Filing out an Unpaid Item dispute is the first step toward eBay reimbursing such fees. A person can report an unpaid item up to 45 days after an auction's close.

Trade Dispute

This occurs when the seller and bidder disagree on some terms of the sale. This may also happen if there is a purported violation of any of these agreements.

If communication between both parties does not help, they may consider availing of a third-party dispute resolution outfit to help. SquareTrade.com is one of these outfits that eBay recommends.

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

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

Payment Methods on eBay

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: Brad Eden is a Entrepreneurial Sciences expert with 14 years of industry experience in real estate, marketing and technical communication. He currently consults with IBM in CA. Brad owns & operates a free traffic resource for entrepreneurs. http://www.americanfreetraffic.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

How eBay Plans to Quickly Improve on PayPal's Bottom Line

Author: har

Recently eBay announced plans to buy VeriSign's payment processing business for $370 million and merge the processor with PayPal's operations. PayPal is already the largest online payment company; however, VeriSign's processor would make for a profitable asset, by enabling PayPal to compete with credit card companies known for raising retailer fees. The merge will also help take PayPal beyond its core auction-based business to now tackle small and medium-sized businesses.

VeriSign's payment gateway software creates a direct connection between web businesses and payment processors. These processors are generally run by major banks, therefore cutting out the credit card business. The addition is expected to add $100 million to PayPal's top line in 2006.

As part of the deal, eBay will also purchase up to 1 million VeriSign security tokens. Each token has constantly changing numbers that need to coincide with a synchronized central server. These tokens can be embedded in computers and other devices that along with a password, create a two-factor authentication system.

Security has always been a costly issue for PayPal as they require a large team to deal with fraud.

This merger is a huge step forward for PayPal. This shift will allow PayPal to process a greater number of transactions through banks rather than credit cards and work with more businesses than individual sellers. This in turn will lead to less credit card fees and potentially a lesser percentage of fraudulent sellers by working with registered business owners.

To know more, visit ebaypaypalblog.com

About the author: None

Bargain Vacations: Your Dream Getaway on EBay

Author: By: George W. Cannata

Do you want to get away from the stress of daily life for a few days but do not think you have the money to do it? Think again. eBay, the largest and most popular worldwide trading website, now offers people the opportunity to purchase vacation packages online at bargain prices.

Stay at a bed & breakfast, a hotel, or rent a house or condo. Purchase a trip to visit the sunny beaches of Florida, the tall mountains of Colorado, or the tropical islands of Hawaii. The possibilities are endless on eBay and chances are that if you have a destination in mind, you will be able to surf the website and find bargain prices for your vacation.

The travel section of eBay offers six sub-categories for vacation seekers to browse through. The airline section features airline tickets that people can either bid on or buy now. The section also includes flight-related items such as passport holders and other items for sale. The section offering cruises is where you will find vacation cruises listed for sale. Take a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas or jump on a boat for five days in the Caribbean. A cruise is a great way to kick back and relax in paradise.

The lodging section is where you will find the greatest variety of vacation destinations for sale. Currently there are 310 listings in the lodging section from everything to a condo for rent in Las Vegas to a four-night stay at a resort in Montego Bay. The highest priced vacation listed was a time share at a luxury resort in Scottdale, Arizona priced at $4,800. From there prices got considerably lower with only about ten other auctions priced at over $1,000. The bargains were extremely evident. A buyer could purchase a four night stay in Tampa, Florida for just $125 - it does not get much cheaper than that.

The luggage section typically has the most auctions and sales listed of all the sub-categories in the travel section. The luggage section is where you will find great deals on luggage to take with you on your bargain eBay vacation. Travel in style to your vacation destination with brand new luggage. The vacation package section features bargain packages for your vacation. Instead of only offering lodging, the auctions in the vacation package section typically offer all-inclusive vacations, usually at resorts or on cruise liners. The final sub-category in the travel section of eBay is the ""other"" travel section. Here you will find all other auctions that have to do with travel but do not fit into the usual travel categories. Some auctions in this section include coupon books, rental car vouchers, and other travel gear.

eBay auctions typically last for seven days but can be arranged for shorter amounts of time such as three days or five days. When you open an auction, it will let you know what day and time the auction ends and it will also provide you with a detailed description of everything the auction includes. If you choose to bid on the auction and you do not have an eBay account you will need to open an account. It is free to open an eBay account and once you open yours, you can bid on any auction you wish.

When placing a bid, the website will tell you the current price and what the next possible minimum bid is. Once you enter your bid, you will either become the highest bidder or you will be outbid by a previous bidder whose maximum bid was higher than yours. If you are the highest bidder at the end of the auction, the vacation becomes yours to enjoy. Buy It Now auctions on eBay allow you to make a purchase right away, rather than wait for an auction to end. The seller lists a set price that you can buy the vacation for at the current time. This method is more like a standard sale of an item, rather than a bidding auction.

For people interested in bargain vacations, take the time to browse through the travel eBay section. For those who have never used the World's Largest Online Marketplace, you will most likely be pleasantly surprised with what you find on eBay. By: George W. Cannata, author and publisher of the web site http://www.caveatemptorus.com

You may copy this article in it's entirety so long as you include credit to the author and links to my web site.

About the author: By: George W. Cannata, author and publisher of the web site www.caveatemptorus.com

You may copy this article in it's entirety so long as you include credit to the author and links to my web site.

Paying for Items with eBay Coupons

Author: Dechen Lau

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: ----------------------------------------------------- Dechen Lau., is an Author, Speaker and Consultant, specializing in Internet Marketing and Website Solution. http://www.ezinenewsletter.com

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

Estimating An Item's Value For Sale On Ebay

Author: David Riewe

Proper pricing of items to be listed for sale on eBay is one of the most important aspects of generating interest in one's on-line 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 seller's need for a profit.

The following steps will aid in the process of pricing an item for sale on eBay.

Step 1: Determine How Much the Original Item was Worth

First of all, one must find out how much the item cost when it was new. This helps the seller set realistic goals as to how much they can expect to profit when the item is sold.

The seller must remember that the going price for the item in today's market 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 acceptance the fact that the buying power of today's dollar is different from that of ten years ago.

Step 2: Do a Little Research

Sellers should research the current price of similar items. This gives the seller a good standard as to how much they should price their item. Searching eBay for successful auctions of similar items is one of the best ways 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 condition item of the same kind. They must then deduct a reasonable amount from the asking price based on their evaluation. Wear and tear on an item will definitely bring down the price of an item considerably. It is wise to make sure that items are repaired, or spruced-up before being auctioned.

Step 3: Start a Little Lower than Usual When Setting the Selling Price

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 the intended price actually have a better chance of overshooting the intended price.

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

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

The UK Ebay FAQ for Buyers

Author: Roger Cater

Here are some for the frequently asked questions I get:

Does eBay have a Customer Service Department that I Can Phone?

eBay are notoriously hard to contact, - it seems like they want the site to run on it's own. You can email them, but don't expect a response, that you will understand easily: go to http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/contact_us/_base/index.html You might have better luck getting an answer from another member, try the answer centre forum: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/community/answercenter/index.html

eBay Power Sellers get a dedicated phone line to customer service. If you really want to look up the phone number try typing in 'ebay [your country] phone number' into a search engine and you'll find some listed. although the chances are you'll have gone to all that trouble for the chance of leaving an answerphone message, or being told to email them.

It might seem cruel, but imagine the number of people who would call eBay each day with questions that are easily answered on the site, if their phone number was freely available.

I just received an Email from eBay, Saying They're Going to Close My Account. What Do I Do?

If this email asks for your password, Then the chances are it's going to be a scam, an attempt to make you give up your access details and steal your account. eBay will never ask for your password or any other account details. eBay say that you should only ever enter your password on pages that start with https://signin.ebay.co.uk/. They even offer a special 'Account Guard' as part of their toolbar, which lets you check that you're not giving your password to a fake site. You can read more here: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/ebay_toolbar/index.html?ssPageName=UKEEX: HP_overview

How Does eBay Make Money?

For the buyer, eBay is free. Sellers, pay all sorts of fees, As with a newspaper ad, you need to pay this basic listing fee, even if your item is not sold. (If your item sells, a Final Value Fee is charged. They can they pay optional fees for extra services; Buy it Now, extra pictures, reserve prices, highlighting the auction, bold. If Your Interested then checkout the full list of fees at http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/fees.html.

It is worth listing on eBay to the sellers or they wouldn't carry on using eBay.

How Safe is eBay?

All of eBay's safety services for buyers and sellers are handled by 'SafeHarbor'. SafeHarbor deals with fraud prevention and investigation and helps with dispute resolution, also keeping rule-breakers in check via the Vero program. Checkout this page: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/confidence/problems-support.html

About the author: Online auctions and auction sites are my hobby, business and interest. From selling on eBay to giving free advice. Checkout auction news at: http://www.auction-desk.com/news.php which also has rss feed.

Check out the help site: http://www.auction-desk.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

Where To Find Products To Sell On Ebay

Author: David Riewe

One key for business success using eBay is sourcing products to sell. The first questions eBay sellers should ask themselves are: ""What can I sell?"" and ""Where can I buy?""

There are two kinds of sellers on eBay, garage sellers and business sellers. Garage sellers are people who sell products they are not going to use any more and that are usually not new. Garage sellers are not profit driven, their main objective is usually to get rid of some stuff they don't need. They will be happy to make some money by selling something that is no longer useful to them. On the other hand, business sellers are people who will buy and sell products for profit, they consider eBay a business and need to earn profit on the products they sell.

The first key to success for business sellers is an old marketing rule, RESEARCH. The products you need to sell are products that eBay buyers will want to buy. Apart from being a massive market place, eBay offers you a cheap source of research that you can conduct without moving from your computer.

If you are a business seller, it is fundamental that you spend some time researching before you decide which products you want to sell. Follow these research guidelines:

1. Search for the categories that are most popular. The first index is the number of listings that exist under each category. In addition, you need to look at how many bids the products have.

2. Look at the ratings of the sellers who are listing products in each category and study their profiles. See how many products they are selling and how many products they have sold in the past.

3. Analyze prices. You need to become an expert in your category and you need to know at which price a product is worth buying as well as the expected final winning price of your auction.

4. Select no more than one or two categories. ""Specialization"" is another basic rule of marketing. It is better to become an expert on something, as this will inspire confidence and trust in your potential customers. Online marketing is all about trust.

For conducting good research, you need time and organization. There are different software programs in the market that can help you save time as well as optimize your research.

Now that you are becoming an eBay expert and have conducted a proper search, you are almost ready to start your business. Before starting to sell, you need to buy! Here are some ideas from where you can source products:

1. Write your own e-book and sell it. If you have any passion or are an expert on a subject for which you can find a niche in eBay, do not hesitate to spend some time on writing your own book. The advantage of this is that after your initial time investment, you can sell and sell copies of the book without having any additional costs. Selling information products is one of the most profitable businesses. Even if you are not an expert writer, you can find other people who can write the book for you.

2. Use drop-shipping. There are wholesalers that will sell you products and send them to the address that you tell them. The advantage of this source is that you do not need to carry inventories, so your investments are minimized. After your auction is finished, you send them your customers address and they will do all the shipping. If you decide to use this kind of source, you need to make sure that your auctions winning price can be higher than the price you will pay for the articles. At minimum you should expect to double your costs.

3. Buy from eBay. Many eBayers success comes from knowing how to buy well on eBay and sell the same products at a higher price. If you know your category very well, you can easily find opportunities that will allow you to buy and resell making profit. Again, solid research is fundamental.

4. Buy Asiatic products. If you are willing to carry some inventories, you can invest on Asiatic products and buy them for a very cheap price. You can easily start importing Asiatic products from the Internet at www.alibaba.com .

5. Sell local products. If you live in an area that produces local products which can be bought at a cheap price and shipped to other areas where people would pay more, you should take advantage of the situation.

Best wishes for your success

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

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

Selling Children's Items On Ebay

Author: David Riewe

Selling for a profit on eBay is easy when you have kids. People are earning hundreds of dollars a month by selling kid related items. Here are some general ideas to help you get started.

Kids Items You Can Sell

Clothes, toys and videos are good money makers on eBay.

Go to eBay and look up a ""lot"" of size six girl's cloths. You will find they are expensive! The average price for a lot of 20 good conditioned clothes is about $35.00.

When your kids grow out of their seasonal clothes do not throw them out. Bundle them into different lots by category. For example bundle girls dresses separate from girls play clothes, but only do that if you have at least six of each different type.

Lots of any item sell better than single items unless the item is unique or high priced. For example, a hand embroidered dress that you paid a lot for would sell better by itself instead of bundled with other basic dresses.

The next item to lookup on eBay is toys. Most toys in good condition will sell for a lot of money. One idea that works well is to buy hot items in October at Wal-Mart or Toys-R-Us and sell them on eBay. Busy people are willing to pay extra for the convenience of getting the items delivered to their home. For example, last year a Mega Power Ranger came out in stores around October and sold at Wal-Mart for about $45.00. The same item sold on eBay for up to $65.00 plus shipping. The Yellow Power Ranger is yet another example where the store price was about $6.00, while the same item was selling on eBay for about $20.00.

Have your children ever received duplicate birthday or Christmas presents? You can sell those on eBay also. Look at the eBay listings for items of interest to see if selling on eBay is worth more than returning the item to the store.

Kid's videos and DVDs are also good money-makers. Bundle about three of these together, and you can usually make about $7.00-$12.00 per bundle. Bundle more and the money goes up. Disney movies in hard cases can go for a higher amount. This also works for other types of movies as well.

Save those McDonalds toys. Some Kids Meals toys sell high. Take the new Star Wars toys from Burger King...very collectible. You will find them selling on eBay from $1.00 to $5.00, not including shipping.

Ebay has a whole section devoted to dolls and bears. If your daughter doesn't want her collectible dolls anymore sell them on eBay.

Kids Crafts You Can Sell

Around the holidays, especially, have your children place their hand in paint and make a print on some quality paper. Add a holiday related poem and you have a great craft to sell on eBay.

Have your kids make gift jars with ready made mixes. For example, hot chocolate mixes in a jar with a plastic spoon tied to it with a ribbon. Dip the end of the spoon with white chocolate.

Baby Items You Can Sell

Used baby items are very profitable. Baby items cost a lot of money, especially in their first year. Any ""gently"" used items are generally good sellers on eBay.

If you have baby coupons that you will never use, sell them on eBay! Left over diapers and formula sell well also. A lot of 35 used cloth diapers usually sells for around $38.00 plus shipping. Four Fuzzi Bunz diapers (cloth diapers with hemp inserts) can sell for as much as $40.00.

There you have it. Plenty of ideas for selling those leftover kids items on eBay...and you can even make a nice profit while you are at it!

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

The Five Things You Must Do Before You Can Start Selling On Ebay

Author: Ian D. Major

Many people make a full-time living on eBay. This is not only possible but it is also quite easy once you know what you are doing. Some people just make a little extra money through eBay auctions simply because it is fun - it becomes a hobby.

Whether you just want to sell some old items lying about your house, or you want to build a business by becoming a PowerSeller, there are five things you absolutely must do before you can start selling on eBay.

1. You must Register. Begin by registering as a member of eBay.

This registration is free, and it will allow you to participate in auctions - as a buyer. As soon as you have completed your registration as a buyer, you can register as a seller simply by logging into your eBay account and clicking on the 'Sell' tab at the top of the page. The information that you will enter is very basic information, but as a buyer, you will need to enter a credit card number, or sign up for a paypal account.

2. Sign up with paypal.

Paypal has become one of the most popular payment gateways on the Internet. This website allows people to transfer money from their bank accounts or credit cards, and to transfer money from one Paypal account to another. Signing up is quite easy, but you will need to verify your account with a checking account, and you can optionally add a credit card to the account. Paypal is very secure. As long as you don't give your password out to anyone, you shouldn't have any problems.

Paypal is not required to sign up with eBay, but it is highly recommended. This will allow you to give your buyers more payment options. Signing up with Paypal is free.

3. Find items to sell. You may already have items that you want to sell.

For instance, if you have recently cleaned out your attic or your garage, you probably have tons of stuff that you want to get rid of. Some items won't sell well on eBay, while others will sell like hot cakes! So a little research to see what sells well before you set up any auctions.

You can also find items to auction by going to yard sales around your area.

Many eBay PowerSellers sell brand new items through drop shipping companies as well. It is all just a matter of determining how you want to profit from eBay, and what items are hot sellers.

4. Set up your auction. Once you are signed up, and you are ready to set up your auction, eBay has a form for you to fill out.

Here, you will determine how you are going to sell the product. You can choose to sell a group of items, or just one item. You will have a list of categories to choose from, and these categories determine where your item is listed on eBay. Choosing the proper category for your item is essential - this is how people will find your auction.

You must choose a title for your auction. You want to use your title to catch the buyer's eye. Coming up with a great title isn't always easy, and it does require some thought. Look at some past successful auctions to get some ideas. Make sure that you follow eBay's guidelines for titles!

Make sure that you use the form to add as much information about your item as possible.

The more information you can include, the more successful your auction will be.

Look at the history of past auctions for items similar to yours. This information will help you determine your title, your description, and even your reserve price. The reserve price is the absolute minimum bid amount that you are willing to accept.

You will be allowed to include pictures of your items, and it is very important that you do so.

Make sure that the pictures are clear, and take several different shots from different angles. Pictures will help make your bid more successful. Many bidders won't even look at auctions that do not include pictures.

You will also need to determine how long your auction will run. Don't make the auction too short - give bidders time to find your item and place their bids - but at the same time, don't make it too long. Force bidders to act by getting their bids in before the auction closes!

eBay has many upgrade options that will make your auction more noticeable.

Depending on the reserve price of your item, it may be well worth it to take advantage of these upgrades to get your auction noticed more easily.

5. Communicate with your bidders.

Make sure that you monitor your auction, and keep the lines of communication with your bidders open. Bidders will have questions about the item you are selling. Make sure that you respond to the questions and comments in a timely manner.

Think of yourself as a shop keeper, and reply to the bidders just as you would to a customer who was standing in your shop!

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

an entirely FREE source of information about eBay.

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.

How to Create the Best Title for your eBay Auction

Author: Brian McGregor

The auction title you use is vital, and you only have 55 characters to play with.

In these 55 characters you have include strong keywords to make sure you are returned in as many relevant searches as possible. Plus you want to persuade prospective bidders to click through to read your auction page.

In effect the title is the heading of your advertisement.

Fifty five characters isn't much when you consider what the title has to achieve.

1. Bidders will use eBay search to find auctions matching their requirements. As you may know, by default eBay's search facility only checks auction titles for the presence of the keywords input by the searcher.

So, the title has to contain keywords which bidders might use to locate auction items such as yours.

(Just in case you weren't aware, eBay's auction search takes no account of capitalization. So a search for madonna would return titles which included madonna and Madonna - and indeed mAdonna, if someone's finger had slipped when typing the title in.)

2. And, assuming as a result of the search your auction has been returned in the list along with many others, the title now has to persuade the searcher to click through onto YOUR auction description page - your sales pitch.

So, in your 55 character title what you're looking for is a mixture of:-

a) Keywords b) Powerful influencing words c) An outline of your item.

Well, that sounds easy, doesn't it?

One of the determining factors in assessing the weight to give to each of those three elements is the item itself.

Branded item with model ID In this instance the title is all about the specific item. Bidders who will be interested in this item will know the make and model they're after.

For example:

Aiwa HV-FX5850 6 Head Nicam Hi-Fi Stereo VCR

There is no need to expand on this title, unless to add the word NEW as appropriate.

Unbranded item with no obvious model ID The vast majority of auctions will be like this. There is no standard brand, model or reference number, so you need to describe the item yourself.

As an example, I was recently selling a tool set for use on mobile phones. This is the title I went with:

Torx Hex Mobile Cell Phone Tool Set - NEW

Mobile cell phones is a ""hot topic"". To work on a Nokia (the most popular make) mobile phone requires a torx screwdriver.

I added NEW, as it is still one of the most persuasive marketing words you can use.

Named item If you have a name to latch onto, this can bring plenty of keyword hits. For example, anyone interested in Hank Marvin and his musical instruments would find this auction through eBay's search.

Rare Hank Marvin autographed guitar STUNNING

Note the use of a couple of power words to encourage the viewer to click through to the auction page.

Additional tips on auction titles

1. Capital letters Many people on eBay now create their full auction title in capital letters. This advice is given in several of the established ""how to sell on eBay"" books. Capital letters do have one significant advantage over lower case - they're larger and therefore take up more line space. So, with all capitals, your auction title is more likely to run to two lines on search returns, giving your entry a bigger physical presence on the screen.

My own opinion is that a mix of capital letters and lower case is a slightly better option. Your auction title will take up more space than all lower case, but it allows you to give emphasis to selected words.

2. Use of underscore If you use underscore between words, rather than spaces, this will make your title physically longer - and therefore look bigger than other peoples'. This is because eBay uses a PostScript font where the underscore character is longer than a space.

3. Power words to optionally use sparingly in titles Be aware that searchers will not normally key in words such as those in the list below. But where a title is returned in a keyword search results list, and it contains one of these influencing words, you could get more click-throughs to your auction description page. Here are some of the words that can help in this respect:

Stunning Limited edition Unique Rare New One-off Exclusive Distinctive Dramatic Striking Vivid Unusual Handsome Beautiful Vibrant Brilliant Mint Exquisite Perfect Quality

Use power words selectively and appropriately in your title, bearing in mind your item.

4. Unusual characters Don't be tempted to use characters in words such as L@@K or save $$$$ or **** see here ****. First of all, it's usually a waste of your precious 55 characters limit and conveys nothing. Second, who searches on 4 $ signs or 4 asterisks? Also, in my mind it portrays the seller as someone slightly suspicious, perhaps unprofessional, who isn't confident enough to let their words do the talking. Finally, think now as a bidder, do you react positively to this kind of device or not? I know I don't.

5. Be creative There are opportunities to think creatively about your item. For example, if you're selling a device which is a nasal hair trimmer, there's not much more you can put in the title is there? Well, whilst the item is primarily advertised as a nasal hair trimmer, it is also useful for trimming ear and eyebrow hair.

So the title could include the words ""nasal hair, ear and eyebrow trimmer"". This way your entry will be in the results of people searching for nasal hair trimmer, ear hair trimmer and eyebrow trimmer.

If you've room in your 55 characters therefore, think ""outside the square"" and try and appeal to groups of potential buyers who may not necessarily have been the immediate target for your item. (The torx hex tool set mentioned earlier is another example of this)

6. It's not an English exam Writing titles is difficult enough without having to worry about grammar. Don't be too concerned that your title doesn't ""scan"", or tell a story. Remember the objective with titles is to be returned on searches, and then to induce a click-through to the auction description page.

Here's an excellent example of an auction title - it contains strong keywords, and also uses humor to tempt the reader onto the auction page.

ANTIQUE BRASS BELL-PULL ""You rang m'Lord?""

By the way, it worked well. At the time of writing the auction was still open. The item had a starting price of 99p (50c), and is now at £117 ($240), having had 18 bids and 240 auction page views.

Spend as much time as you can on your auction titles. It is your best chance of being found by bidders amongst those 1 million other items on eBay.co.uk or 10 million items on eBay.com.

Having decided on your title, the next element is a sub-title.

This is an optional facility which allows you to show more information about your item. If you use it, whenever your auction is returned in searches or is listed via a category listing, your sub-title appears directly under the auction title.

As the name implies, sub-title provides you with a special area to add information about your auction item. You can use this in any way e.g. to mention some specific term or condition such as a moneyback guarantee, or to add further details about the item itself.

Within sub-title, you have the same size limit as the item title i.e. 55 characters.

The downside of sub-title is that it is not searched when a bidder enters keywords into eBay's standard Search Box. For searching purposes, eBay treats sub-title as being part of the auction description.

Also, it is a fixed fee facility. This makes it a more attractive option the higher the value of your auction item. For low value items you will need to weigh up carefully the additional cost of this facility against the likely increased exposure i.e. click-throughs to your auction page.

I hope this article outlining the considerations for auction title creation proves useful to you in your eBay activities.

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

Ten Tips for eBay Buyers and Sellers

Author: Brian McGregor

1. Keep secure

Make sure your passwords are really complicated. A mix of upper and lower case letters plus interspersed numbers is best. Use what are termed as ""dictionary obscure"" names too, not obvious ones such as a Christian name.

2. Save time

Whenever you find you are typing the same thing over and over e.g. usernames, use a lovely piece of software called ShortKeys Lite. It's free, and you can download it from www.shortkeys.com

3. Get organized

If you use eBay regularly you will already know how quickly the emails mount up. Get your folders in your email program set up properly now! Don't delay, you will save loads of time in the coming months.

4. Squeeze your graphics

Whenever you put a picture on your auction page you add download time. You can make sure your images are compressed to the lowest file size possible by using SmartSaverPro. You can download a free trial version from www.ulead.com.

5. Quote the auction

Whether buying or selling, always quote the auction number in the subject and body of any emails about that auction. So, whenever you get a query about it from your seller or buyer you can always find the email communications about that auction.

6. Accept credit/debit cards

If you're selling, you WILL attract more bidders if you offer to take credit/debit cards. Fortunately you don't need a merchant account to be able to do this. Just open a free account with PayPal - the most used payment mechanism on internet auctions. With PayPal you can accept all the usual credit cards plus Solo and Switch debit cards. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can instantly create one by going here:- www.workwinners.com/PayPal_application.htm

7. Become a Search expert

When you're looking for items on eBay, don't forget the Advanced Search facility. Next to every search box you will see an Advanced Search link. You can be much more specific, and save yourself hundreds of hits which you have might have to scroll through to find the one item that you really wanted in the first place.

8. Be polite

Whether buying or selling, always try and be polite. As a priority, you want to avoid any negative feedback. Although it might appear that feedback is more important to sellers than buyers, this isn't necessarily the case. Even if you're only a buyer at the moment, you might find sellers exclude you from bidding if your negative ratio is poor. Also, even though you might only buy on eBay at the moment, you could decide to try selling in the future. Your eBay feedback rating remains with you whether buying or selling. 9. Become a Help expert

I recommend you spend some time on eBay Help pages. Hidden in there are jewels like Proxy Bidding. No, I'm not going to explain this for you - have a look in Help!

Finally, you will noticed this is only nine tips, and I promised you ten! Well, my tenth is, if you're looking to sell professionally on eBay you should read my ebook 'The eBay Formula'. This shows you how to create successful auctions on eBay time, after time, after time. You can find out about 'The eBay Formula' at www.more-auction-sales.com

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

7 Tips for Selling Expensive Collectibles On eBay

Author: Sydney Johnston

Recently, a friend asked me to help her brother sell his collection on Lladro glass figurines on eBay. These are expensive glass collectibles and I knew nothing about them - but I don't have to. The principles for selling expensive collectibles on eBay are the same, regardless of what is being sold. Obviously, like any eBay auction, the seller must have a powerful listing with great pictures. This is always true regardless of what the merchandise is. Expensive collectibles offer splendid opportunities, but also need special precautions.

1. Price: decide the lowest amount you will accept for each figurine and set that price as a reserve. Then make your opening bid absurdly low - yes, absurdly.

Example: if you will accept $1,000 - make your opening bid $25. There is no risk in this, because you don't have to sell unless the bidding reaches $1000, but the low price attracts buyers, (assuming there is demand, of course). Looking at completed eBay auctions allows us to track prices, Again and again we learn that starting the price where the seller hopes it will end is not a wise tactic.

For instance, a seller wants to get $750 for his figurine. An opening bid of $750 won't attract nearly as many buyers as an opening bid of $25 and - surprisingly - the lower bid almost always gets higher prices. There is some psychology at work with the cheap price. It may not make logical sense, but it's the reality of life on eBay. 2. Devote space in your auction listing explaining how you will pack your item to ensure safe transit. This is critically important because in the back of every buyer's mind is the dread of receiving a package that rattles. A collectibles buyer will inevitably be thinking of the hassle she will have to go through - and the possible loss of purchase price - if her item is broken. She needs to know that the seller has carefully considered this issue and has a solution.

3. For the protection of both of you, insist that the buyer pay for appropriate insurance. Don't allow this to be an option. You definitely do not want the liability of a broken collectible that costs hundreds of dollars. In fact, if a customer objects to paying for insurance, this might possibly be a red flag. A genuine collector is very eager to add to her collection and wants her figurine to be protected.

4. We can safely assume that every Internet buyer has heard stories of fraud on eBay and elsewhere on the Net. Therefore, anything you can do to prove the authenticity of your collectible is well worth your time. Is there a marking on the bottom? Do you have the original box or other container? Does it have a label? Is there a certificate of authenticity or an appraisal by a respected organization? If the answer to any of these is "yes", then be certain to emphasize your authenticity in your auction. Taking pictures of your proof is especially effective.

5. I don't suggest offering a guarantee except in the most general way - that is, you, the seller, are telling the truth about the product. Anyone bidding on a collectible is knowledgeable and therefore they know what they're buying so there should be no reason for a return. If someone expresses dissatisfaction and mails your merchandise back, there is every likelihood of it being broken. You do not want the hassle of trying to collect on broken merchandise or putting yourself into a litigious situation with someone who refuses to believe that the collectible was broken via return shipping. Also, you don't want to take a loss on your eBay fees, which might be substantial if the price is high.

6. With a really expensive item, always offer the option of an escrow service - at the buyer's expense, of course. They may not take want this service, but make certain they have the option. You, of course, know that your merchandise is legitimate, but the buyer isn't so certain. eBay recommends an escrow service that is available to all members.

7. If you're willing to ship worldwide, you need to take special steps to protect yourself. In the US we have AVS (Address Verification System) which offers some protection. A very large portion of the fraud suffered by buyers occurs outside the United States and you are justified in protecting yourself. Losing the purchase price on a $5 item isn't such a big deal - but a $1,000 collectible absolutely does matter.

Your bank can advise you on the time it will take to verify foreign funds. Be certain to let any prospective buyer know in your auction that there will be a delay if they are outside of your country. Do not let your merchandise out of your hands until you are sure!

If you follow these 'rules', the chances of selling your expensive collectibles at the highest possible prices will be greatly increased.

About the author: Learn how to sell on eBay with 16 hours of online instruction taught by a 10 year eBay veteran. Own an eBay business instead of an eBay hobby.