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How To Make Money As An eBay Seller

Author — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:02:57 +0000

If you have considered becoming an eBay seller but are not sure whether or not you can turn a profit by doing so, this article is here to help you make that decision. Most people who become an eBay seller really do not take the time to research whether their product is something that will move well on eBay and whether or not they can actually make a profit selling it there. Thankfully you are not one of those people.

Deciding Whether Becoming An eBay Seller Is For You

The first thing you want to look at is whether or not other people are selling the product you plan to market on eBay. If they are, you are going to have to look and see what they have recently been selling at what price, both the high and low, so that you can determine whether you can make money as an eBay seller for that product. If no one else is selling what you have to offer than you may want to look online at other retail outlets to get a good idea of what the pricing for your product is. Compare that with your costs and overhead to determine whether it is a good idea to try to market that product. Most people will be unwilling to pay more for a retail item through eBay than they would through a retail store.

Next you have to figure out what all the extra costs for your product will be. Taxes, shipping and what expense (if any) there will be to ship to a foreign country. Some countries have very specific rules on what can and cannot be shipped from your location to there so make absolutely sure that you have all your ducks in a row before you start listing.

After all the financials have been worked out, your next step to becoming an eBay seller is to figure out how many items you can list at one time. Be sure to only list as many items as you have available to ship because anything more than that could result in negative feedback and that would be very detrimental to your online business. After you have figured out how much stock you can hold, you need to determine how much that overall stock will make you and how long you expect to rotate through it. This will then give you a final total for you expected annual income.

Take a look at this final number and if it is worth it to you for the amount of hours you will need to put in to manage your online business, than move forward. If not, do not hesitate to back away from becoming an eBay seller. More than likely you have overestimated your profit and underestimated your cost so be very careful of moving forward on anything that does not look extremely profitable.

Beware of the eBay Scam

Author — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:02:28 +0000

eBay is the best universal marketplace on the internet, you can buy and sell to people that are on the other side of the world. However, the amazing technology opens the door for scam artists as well. No matter how legitimate a seller may seem, the anonymity of the internet creates an open field for the con artist and scam artist.

Most Common eBay Scam

The most common eBay scam occurs when a buyer bids or does a Buy-it-Now on an item and then asks you to immediately ship out the item via express mail. Most people think that they will be able to tell the difference between a real sale and a fake but it is very difficult to distinguish. Commonly, scammers pose as Nigerians that are out of the country on business or are in the country and sending out an item to a family member overseas.

Sometimes they will do the Buy-it-Now option. In order to avoid these sorts of eBay scams, set guidelines when you have that option. For instance, you can make it so the person has to have at least 10 positive feedbacks or whatever number you choose before they can buy it now. You will notice that scammers often have zero feedback or private so others cannot view it. You can also set these qualifications for regular auctions just to be sure.

eBay scammers have gotten smarter because they now even incorporate PayPal. Normally what they will do is send an initial e-mail saying that they have bid on or bought your item and they need you to send it out immediately, via express mail. They say that they sent the money through PayPal but that PayPal will not release the money until they have a tracking number (meaning you shipped it) for the buyer’s security. This is never true! PayPal will never hold your money unless your account is frozen for some reason.

Then the scammers even go so far as to create a fake PayPal e-mail. They will use the PayPal logo and they make the e-mail look as official as possible. They make PayPal’s e-mail explain exactly what their e-mail said only in more sophisticated terminology. Therefore, don’t ever trust an e-mail. First of all, if you’re an experienced user, there are ways to tell the difference. For example, an e-mail from PayPal will be username@PayPal.com whereas a fake e-mail will be PayPal@ Yahoo or Gmail or Hotmail.com. Fake e-mails will never have the PayPal server e-mail, it is impossible. Pay attention to this. Not to mention, in most cases eBay scam artists will send PayPal e-mails with very broken English.

The best and most sure way to know whether or not you have received a payment is by signing into your PayPal. eBay scam artists can send you messages through eBay or through e-mail but they cannot make it appear like you have money in your account if you do not. Never send an item out or take any action until you see that money in your account. Once it is there, it is yours to do whatever you want with. Surprisingly, eBay scammers get away with these sorts of things every day; you’d be surprised how clever they can get. There’s no way to know for sure unless you have the money in your account!

How to go about buying eBay motorcycles

Author — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 03:00:08 +0000

In case you are looking for eBay motorcycles and it is the first time that you are using an auction site, chances are that the whole experience can be quite scary for you, though if you know how to go about buying eBay motorcycles then there is not much to worry about really. Many people have had good experiences when buying eBay motorcycles and if you follow the steps suggested by experienced eBay buyers, there is no reason why you too cannot get a good deal as well.

Don’t Fear The Seller

The first tip that you will have to follow when it comes to buying eBay motorcycles is to never feel afraid of the seller, especially when you are planning on buying pre-owned motorcycles. It is always a good idea to have the seller to first of all clear up all of your concerns and doubts regarding the performance of the motorcycle as well as payment terms. In addition, you must also check the seller’s ratings and specially pay close attention to the feedback that you get about the seller, and if there are any negative comments posted regarding the seller, then you should look elsewhere.

The second important tip that you will get when it concerns buying eBay motorcycles is to ask the seller to provide you with latest photographs of the motorcycle in question. Be aware that many sellers will show photographs of the motorcycle when they bought the machine and thus try and fool buyers about the true condition that the motorcycle is in. Also, you must ask for and get photographs of the tires, wheels and engine of the motorcycles before proceeding any further.

Thirdly, you can get a good deal when buying eBay motorcycles by settling the deal through eBay itself and not off eBay because that is where scammers like to do their business, and in addition, don’t ever fall for using private message inboxes because that is their escape route after having taken your money and left you high and dry.

Finally, you should not get fooled by sellers who say they have sent the documents and wonder why you have not received them. Thus, to protect you when buying eBay motorcycles, you must first obtain a copy of the documents and only then make the payment so that you have information to track the seller down should he try and scam you.

Thus, there is a lot of good things happening at eBay and even when buying eBay motorcycles, if you pay attention to the tips just mentioned, there is no reason why you too can’t come away with a satisfactory deal.

EBay Japan: A Great Way To Tap The Second Largest Online Market In The World

Author — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:41:42 +0000

eBay Japan is not much different to eBay.com though the only difference obviously is that to view eBay Japan your browser must be able to support Japanese characters. However, once you land up at eBay Japan, you will find many of the same features that you would find on any eBay site and so, here too you would get to sell as well as buy the best items. In case you are using Windows platform and then you will need support for the Japanese language such as UnionWay as well as have a browser that also supports the Japanese language and good browsers in this regard include Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator.

Windows Or Mac

If you are using Windows 95 or 98 or even NT, you would need to install Internet Explorer 5 that in turn will automatically download Japanese fonts whenever you try and visit eBay Japan or any other pages that use Japanese language. In case you are using a Mac platform and more particularly MacOS 9.0 or later, you would need to install Japanese text entry (optional feature) as well as software for display support.

In any case, eBay Japan was launched in the year 2000 and today it has been in business long enough for Japanese buyers and sellers to find and also list items that are traded in yen and with more than eight hundred different categories to choose from that include the very popular Hello Kitty to Pokemon as well as pottery and even international items, you can be sure that using eBay Japan is as good if not better than using the original eBay auction site.

The launch of the eBay Japan site has been a milestone in the expansion of eBay in the international arena and it has certainly made life a lot more exciting and fun for the Japanese, who constitute the second largest market in the online world. In fact, you can be sure of the uniqueness of eBay Japan that is today addressing the needs of the Japanese consumer in a very effective manner and is connecting them to the international community as well as where active online sellers and buyers can trade regardless of whether they are located in Japan, London, New York or any other part of the world.

What’s more, using eBay Japan is no different than using the other eBay sites and the same business model used in the American site is being used on the Japanese site as well. Another notable feature to using eBay Japan is its Supershops which is a merchant to person space in which individuals are allowed to bid on items that are listed by various companies.

Thus, whether you are interested in real estate or refurbished electronic items or kimonos or even jewelry items, eBay Japan provides you with what you are looking for – just like all other eBay sites.

Shopping On Ebay In India

Author — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:40:34 +0000

Why on earth would anyone who doesn’t live in India shop on the eBay India site? For variety that’s why! The United States is becoming more and more like one homogenous strip mall, with a handful of items being sold over and over again at Pottery Barn, Target, Bed Bath And Beyond, Ikea, Home Depot and the like. Has it happened to you yet, when you visit a friend’s house to find she has the same picture on her wall that you purchased six months ago? Shopping on eBay India will expose you to literally a whole new world of merchandise. No longer will you see your things coming and going. They will be unique in your neighborhood, and perhaps even in your community.

Statutes, Bollywood, Folk Art And Spiritual Items

You will find unusual statutes being offered for sale on eBay India – nothing you will find at your local Target or Ikea. Shop for rare bronze tribal spirit statues, or teak wood or rose wood Krishnas. Gemstone carvings reveal the Indian people’s fondness for lucky animal figures like turtles and elephants.

The first thing you will notice about shopping on eBay India is that it is not nearly as crowded as eBay in other countries. There are far fewer buyers, sellers and items on eBay India than eBay in the U.S. or Canada. It is no surprise that one of the most crowded selling categories on the site is the Bollywood collectible category. A recent Bollywood search revealed 1,655 items in the category – a very high number compared to other categories. Most of these items are movie photographs and posters of popular movies and popular Bollywood actors and actresses. Other miscellaneous Bollywood items for sale on eBay India include a Bal Ganesh soft toy, a Shahrukh Kajol notebook and a biscuit tin featuring an illustration of Shah Rukh Khan.

Recently, only 21 items were offered for sale on the site’s folk art category. Items for sale included tribal carved items and wall hangings featuring various Indian lords. Another relatively crowded category is the spiritual item category, with 49 items being offered for sale. Shoppers can choose from items like horoscopes, gold plated wall hangings, Rudraksh Mala beads, antique oil lamps, brass statutes and other prayer lamps.

The eBay India website is off to a good start, but the site needs a lot more sellers, buyers and items for sale before it approaches the popularity of its U.S. counterpart.

eBay Germany: The Largest Market Outside The US Beckons You

Author — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:39:09 +0000

Selling on eBay Germany is sure to provide you with another excellent outlet with which to repeat whatever successes you have had when selling at eBay and because selling on eBay Germany represents a big step up as far as your business prospects go, you must seriously consider getting into this huge European market. There are many good reasons why you would want to sell on eBay Germany including it being the largest market outside of the US.

Major Financial Powerhouse

Another good reason why you would want to sell on eBay Germany is because Germany is undoubtedly one of the major financial powerhouses of the world and thus there is huge amount of money to be earned, especially as the Federal Republic of Germany also manufactures world class products which will ensure that money is there to be earned by anyone that sells the excellent German products that are much in demand in all parts of the world.

Other reasons to sell on eBay Germany include the huge proportion of the German public that use the Internet which is believed to be as high as, it is believed eighty-two million plus Germans, or roughly fifty-eight percent of the total population of that country who shop online and thus will provide a ready source of buyers for your goods and services.

What’s more, it is believed that about forty-two percent of German Internet users have their own online banking accounts which is far higher than for both the US as well as UK and thus prospects of making an online sale on eBay Germany are much greater than even the lucrative British and American markets.

Another wonderful aspect to selling on eBay Germany is that all transactions are in Euros which can easily be converted to the dollar, especially through Paypal, and once you are able to establish your presence on eBay Germany, it will provide you with an ideal platform from where to springboard and tap markets in Eastern as well as in Central Europe.

However, all transactions on eBay Germany will generally be in the German language and in addition, the German culture too is different from that of the US. Thus, it would pay to chalk out a clear plan of action to tap the German market and unless you attune you to the German way of doing things, you won’t find much success since queries from customers would be in the German language and you should be able to respond accordingly in that language.

Of course, you can get help from Sell2Germany that is dedicated to helping businesspeople adjust to and also overcome language barriers and you can also always benefit by reading their e-book that provides very useful information with regard to selling in Germany.

Counting Up The eBay Fees

Author — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:29:34 +0000

The eBay website was the first, and still the most successful, online auction site on the Internet. The eBay site was launched at a time when no one was really offering online auction services and has continued to put together revolutionary programs for the people that use its service as well as a whole line of software designed to make the online auction easier. Whole companies have grown up to support eBay users and there are thousands of people that make their living buying and selling on eBay. The service is not free as there are eBay fees and you may want to take the time to become familiar with the eBay fees before you get started on eBay. The eBay fees are outlined clearly in the FAQ and seller’s section of eBay and it is highly recommended that you spend some time getting acquainted with the eBay fee schedules before you get started. Normally eBay fees are not very expensive but they can add up if you are not expecting them. If you are buying and selling items on eBay then unexpected eBay fees could eat away at your profits. So make sure you take the time to become familiar with the eBay fees before you put your item up for sale on eBay.

The first thing you need to know about eBay fees is that only the seller incurs fees. When you buy something from eBay there is no charge to you to purchase the item. There is also no charge to set up an eBay account. If you decide to use Paypal as your payment method, which is the online payment service owned by eBay, then you do not have to pay a fee to send a seller money. All eBay fees are incurred by the seller and while this may sound a little one sided it only makes sense, as the seller is the only one that stands to make a profit on the transaction.

Watch Out Because They Can Add Up

There is a small eBay fee for simply listing an item. It is just pennies and a basic listing includes one picture and all the description you can think of. The basic listing fee allows you to create the most elaborate looking auction you can create as long as you are only using one picture. The fee varies based on the price of the item you are looking to get. You will pay more to list an item that you want to start the bidding at $200 than you would for an item you want to start at $1. That is why most items on eBay are listed with minimum bids of a dollar or less. Other fees apply if you want to use the buy it now option which allows the buyer to bypass the auction and purchase the item directly.

Add a picture, add a headline, put your auction in the gallery. It all adds up so be sure to keep track of your eBay fees. Oh, and don’t forget that you have to pay a percentage of whatever you sell your item for after your auction is over. Don’t forget the closing costs as well!

What is eBay Express?

Author — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:28:14 +0000

So most likely you have heard of eBay before, but perhaps you are not aware of what eBay express is. Basically eBay express is considered as being an exciting new way to shop, a form of eBay that was only recently made available.

What it is

The purpose here is to make your eBay shopping experiences as quick and simple as possible, and so instead of having a ton of advertisements and articles listed on the page, on the homepage there is only a search bar and some topic categories which allows you to choose exactly what you want, search for it, and hopefully find just what you are looking for.

It is a specialty site within the eBay marketplaces which is designed to help shoppers of all sorts to find and buy the eBay deals that they want quickly and easily, and hassle free.

You can check out fast without having to wait to buy an item, and there are never any auctions just hassle-free shopping which is just what a lot of eBay shoppers are looking for.

eBay express allows you to shop in confidence, knowing that you will find the exact items you are looking for, and without having to search through a ton of listings. You can also sell on eBay express if you are interested, although there are going to be a few steps that you will have to go through with in order to do this.

So Which is Better?

This is not to say that the eBay express is better than the regular eBay, and some actually prefer the latter. It is really all up to you and your own personal opinion, and how you like to shop. Maybe you are not looking for anything in particular but rather you just want to take a bit of time to browse through some random items and see if you find something that you like.

eBay in general, whether you choose to go the express route or not, is one of the best online marketplaces in the world, definitely one of the most popular.

Just make sure that you take the proper precautions when buying off eBay, to make sure that you get what you want for the price you want, and of course to ensure that you do not get ripped off. As long as you take your time and are cautious, as you should be whenever you are buying anything over the Internet, you should not have any problems.

Ebay Customer Service: Getting Help When Using Ebay Systems

Author — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:03:40 +0000

A lot of people quit using the ebay tools simply because they encounter some problems that they were not able to resolve on their own. If you are one of those people who have quit using ebay after encountering some technical problems while using the system, you should not stop using ebay altogether.

If you encounter problems while using the ebay systems, simply go to the ebay customer service panel and get help. The ebay customer service is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you ask for help even during unholy hours of the night. No, you need not worry about disturbing people in their sleep. Ebay customer service officers do not sleep and they are always ready to assist you anytime you need their assistance.

Contacting Ebay Customer Service

The fastest way to contact ebay customer service is through their Live Help system. Just click on the Live Help button on the ebay site and start chatting with an ebay customer service officer. When contacting ebay customer service through Live Help, provide as much information as you can about your concerns.

For instance, if you were not able to upload pictures of your products, you need to provide the ebay customer service officer information regarding the kind of pictures that you want to upload, how big is the picture and the likes. You should also give some details as to when the problem occurred and what steps you took to resolve the problem so far.

Note that the ebay customer service officer does not really know what happened to you so you need to tell him or her exactly what is the problem. After giving all the necessary information to the ebay customer service officer, wait for instructions. The customer service officer will give you directions as to what you need to do to solve the situation.

If you do not have time to interact with the ebay customer service officer through the Live Help system, you can just send an email to customer service describing the problems that you have encountered while using the ebay system. Be specific about the problems that you have encountered and give as much details as you can. In most cases, you get some answers to your questions within 24 to 48 hours. If you are satisfied with the answers that you got through email, go the Live Help section and chat with a customer service officer.

Successful eBay Consignment Companies

Author — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:02:13 +0000

eBay consignment businesses have gotten more and more popular as eBay has grown. To consign means to give to another’s care so if you’re an eBay consignor, you’re selling someone else’s products on eBay. This is very popular in many different situations, for example, a person who has no knowledge of eBay finds that they have a lot of goodies to sell. You would then photograph, create a description, and sell their product. That sounds easy but there is more to having a successful eBay consignment business than that.

Ebay Consignment Business Contract

First of all, you must always create a consignor contract. This contract protects you and your consignor in the case that something goes wrong. This document should outline the particulars of the consignor, the items being sold, and the auction terms (which should be agreed upon). A great model eBay consignment contract consists of four sections and is as follows:

First is the consignor’s information. Here you will list their name, address, phone number, e-mail, and driver’s license number. This information is needed for your security reasons for example if something goes wrong, you will need to locate them.

Next is the item’s information. You’ll want to know the name of the item, age, model number, serial number, condition, defects or deficiencies, cost new. This is mostly for you to be able to sell the item and know what you’re trying to sell.

The next part of the contract is the Auction Specifics. This includes format of the auction (auction, fixed price, buy it now), number of days to list, starting price, reserve price, or buy it now price, enhancements to listing (bold, gallery shot, highlights, and more).

Lastly but most important is the Auctions Terms. On this part, you will have the consignment terms ( i.e. commissions based on final value fee), auction fees (enhancements, listing, final value),disposition of item if it does not sell (return to consignor or relist).

More Tips for an eBay Consignment Business

Once you’ve taken care of the contract, you must make sure that the item is in your possession. This makes sure that there are no problems once the sale has been made and also so you can answer questions during the duration of the auction. Promote your business so that you get a lot of customers. You can do this so easily by creating flyers, newsletters, e-mails, speaking to your friends and families, and more: just spread the word!