UK Online Auction Help

February 11, 2010

How to bid on online Auctions

Online auctions, eBay in particular, are very good places to discover bargains for a wide range of products. Whether you are looking for the latest i phone or some antiques or collectibles you are likely to find them available in online auctions.

The problem for many people is how to actually place a bid and what will happen when you do bid. The first thing you have to do before you can make a bid is to register with the auction site. In most case this is free and just requires you to submit your name, address and email details.

Having registered you can begin looking for suitable items to bid on. The easiest way to do this is to use the search feature on the site and put in details of what you are looking for. If for instance you typed in lap top computers on eBay you will find nearly 50,000 items and should be able to find what you are looking for.

When you find an item you want to bid on enter your username, password and amount you are bidding and submit. Before you actually make your bid you should make sure that you have read the listing correctly and know exactly what you are bidding on. Also check what the shipping charges are going to be applied. If you are in any doubt there is nothing to stop you using the online auctions contact the seller system to ask any questions you may have.

The bid that you make will have to be higher than the previous bid which will be shown on the listing. If someone places a higher bid than you then normally the auction site will email you to tell you this and invite you to make an increased bid.

Once you make a bid it becomes binding and if it is successful you will be expected to pay for the item. If you fail to do this you will almost certainly be barred from using the auction site again. Therefore it is important that you do not get carried away and end up bidding more than the item is worth or that you can afford.

If you are successful once the auction is over you will be expected to send your payment either through one of the online payment services such as PayPal or by cheque. The majority of online auction sales go through without any trouble but should you encounter any problems you will have to contact the seller in the first instance. If this does not work you can seek the help of the auction site to resolve the problem.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:51 AM

January 30, 2010

EBay Buyers –What are your rights?

There is a lot of confusion about exactly what rights you have when you buy something through eBay. Of course nearly every major country has some form of consumer rights laws but these do not always apply when buying from a private individual or across International borders.

The two main problems that a buyer may encounter are either not receiving the item or when it arrives it is significantly different from the description given. Despite what you may have read the majority of sellers on eBay are honest and reliable therefore do not automatically assume that they are cheating you.
Allow a reasonable time for your item to arrive but if after a few days you have heard nothing contact the seller. You can ask them to confirm that the item has been dispatched and request information on the method of dispatch i.e. mail or courier. It is always best in the first instance to make a polite request for information but do keep a record of any correspondence that you have with the seller.
If you think that an item that you have purchased is not as described in the listing the first step is to go back and reread the listing. On occasions you may have thought that the listing said one thing when in fact it said something different. Don’t assume just re check. Then if you are still certain that you have a genuine grievance in the first instance contact the seller.
Only if after trying to make contact with the seller and receiving either an unsatisfactory or no response whatsoever should you contact eBay’s Resolution Centre. You can do this anytime between 10 and 45 days after the sale. It is important to remember that you should contact the EBay Centre for the site that you actually purchased from, ebay.com , ebay.co.uk etc.
The Resolution Centre will act as a go between and try to resolve the problem. I think it is fair to say that eBay tend to favour the buyer in these matters so if you have a genuine complaint it should be resolved in your favour.
If it is a case of you making a payment but not receiving the goods you should contact the Paypal Resolution Centre or if you paid by credit card, your card company. Although it may take time you will receive your money back.
The final stage is to leave feedback. Try to be fair, if an article has genuinely got lost in the post or there has been an honest misunderstanding between you and the seller do not rush to give negative feedback. After all we are all human and mistakes do happen. However, if the seller has treat you in a bad manner or tried to cheat you then have no hesitation in giving negative feedback. If you do this it may prevent someone else having to deal with the problems that you have just had.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:49 AM

April 07, 2009

When and How to Withdraw Your eBay Bid (and Why You Might Not Want To).

Hi Everyone

A question that I am often asked, especially from new e Bayer's is When and How to Withdraw Your eBay Bid. This article answers that issue quite well and I feel is worthy of being reproduced here.

Regards
Steve H

eBay are a little strict about letting you withdraw your bid. They call it a 'bid retraction', and have a stringent set of conditions that you must meet before you are allowed to do it. Here are eBay's three acceptable reasons for withdrawing a bid.

You made a typographical error: This means that you accidentally typed the wrong amount into the bid box, bidding a far higher price than you meant to. This can be scary: imagine bidding £100 and accidentally adding an extra '0'! You are entirely allowed to withdraw your bid in this situation, and bid again if you want to.

The item's description changed: If you bid on something and then the seller updates the description, you have the right to withdraw your bid. It wouldn't be fair, after all, to force you to take something that you now realise you don't want.

The seller is not contactable: If emails to the seller bounce and they don't answer their phone, then the auction obviously can't continue, and you can cancel it.

So How Do I Retract My Bid?

eBay hide away the bid retraction form a bit, because they don't like people using it. You can find it by going here: http://cgi1.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?RetractBidShow.

Now all you need is the item number from your auction: this can be found on the item description page's top right corner. If you can't see it on the page, look in your browser's title bar, and in any emails eBay have sent you about your bid on the item. Choose one of the three allowed reasons, click 'retract bid', and you're done.

Are There Any Consequences?

Well yes, there are. The more unethical among you might have considered that you could just cancel bids anytime you feel like it by saying that you accidentally entered the wrong amount. eBay are one step ahead of you. Each time you retract a bid, it is counted on your feedback page for all to see - and anyone with a lot of retracted bids looks more than a little dodgy. eBay also say that abusing the bid retraction feature could get you banned.

So is there a way to retract your bid without facing a penalty? There is if your seller is nice, and most are. Sellers can cancel bids on their auctions at any time, and if you email them with a half-decent excuse then most will be more than happy to do this for you. After all, it's not in their interest for their item to go to someone who won't like it, as you might leave negative feedback.

Of course, retracting your bid should still be a rare thing: you won't win auctions that way! If you've followed us this far, the chances are you've won an auction by now, or you're close - but you might be a little puzzled about what to do next. Our next email will give you a few pointers.

This site has many well-written articles on eBay Marketing. Feel free to browse! There are other interesting topics at http://www.TechTutorial.org/sitemap/index.html

Posted by at 09:29 AM

September 10, 2008

Taking Advantage of “Slow” eBay Auctions.

Some auctions get hundreds of bids, but some go much more slowly, getting only a few bids or even none at all for days. Auctions are generally much slower during the summer months than they are in the winter – and sales on eBay are slowing each year, as more sellers than buyers sign up, hoping to get rich quick. There are a number of ways that you can take advantage of slower auctions to get the best price.

Regards

Steve H

Wait to Bid.

If you bid, then everyone can see you’re interested – and that might make them interested too. Leaving the item alone for as long as you can bear will make it look less popular, and keep the price down so you can come in at the last minute and get a bargain.

Make an Offer.

If the seller is selling an item using ‘Buy it Now’ and it still hasn’t sold when the auction is about to end, use eBay’s ‘Best Offer’ service to make them an offer on it. The chances are they’ve listed the item two or three times before, and they’ll be so annoyed at the prospect of re-listing it yet again that they’ll accept your offer just to get rid of the thing.

Conspire with Other Buyers.

You might not have thought of this, but if there are two auctions for the same item and only you and one other buyer are bidding, why not get together and work out a ‘you take this one and I’ll take that one’ deal? This avoids you raising the price on both auctions just to get one each. If you make a few friends, you can even work together on auctions long-term, taking it in turns to bid.

Be Snobbish.

Send the seller emails asking questions about the condition of the item, and making it very clear that you are a discerning buyer and will only accept things of the highest quality. This will make them feel better about selling you their item for less.

Don’t Feel Guilty.

There really are too many sellers on eBay now, to the point where you can get common items at very low prices. Long-term, this will probably force those sellers out of business, but that’s the way a market works – it’s supply and demand.

Buy in Bulk.

When auctions are slow, many sellers will have had the same stock for a long time. If you offer to take ten things off their hands all at once then you can almost name your price – the chances are that they’ll fall over themselves to give you a good deal. If you come back again and buy another ten items then they’ll love you even more.

The longer you spend on eBay, the more experienced you’ll become – and the greater the chances are that you’ll stumble across an auction for something very odd, and quite unexpected. In the next email, you’ll hear all about the strangest eBay items ever sold.

Posted by at 08:45 AM

April 23, 2008

Auction Lotwatch launches fifteenth free auction tool

Leeds, Yorkshire — UK based auction tools provider Auction Lotwatch
[http://www.auctionlotwatch.co.uk/free/] announced this week the beta release of its fifteenth free auction tool - auctionfinal.com. A new tool designed to work specifically with over ten eBay sites it aims to put last minute, zero-bid auction lots at the fingertips of auction buyers worldwide.

Auction Lotwatch, who have been offering free auction software for over six years, have also responded to users requests by adding additional eBay sites to a range of tools that it currently provides.

Explaining the new developments Auction Lotwatch spokesman Steve Durkin said "We are very pleased with the initial response and feedback that we have received about AuctionFinal.com and believe that it will compliment our existing range of tools."

Commenting on the additional changes he went on to say "We received constructive
feedback after our appearance on BBC Radio last year and based on that decided to make all our tools and information both easier to locate and use. This latest utility completes our fifteen free tools package which auction buyers and sellers should find helpful."

Online auctions in general and eBay in particular have been witness to a massive increase in popularity over recent years. Auction Lotwatch offers this growing community utilities and information sites aimed at enhancing their auction experience and reducing both time and costs.

Suitable for novices or proficient auction users this compilation of web based software and information should prove to be beneficial.

All the auction tools can be found here:

http://www.auctionlotwatch.com/free/

Author: Online Merchants Ltd.

About The Author:

Auction Lotwatch is a trading name of UK company Online Merchants Ltd.
which operates the Auction Lotwatch network of sites.

Article Source: http://www.auctionezone.com/article84.html

Posted by at 05:33 PM

September 10, 2007

Your Rights As An Ebay Buyer.

By Kirsten Hawkins

When you buy things on eBay, you pay the seller before they
send you anything. This means that you, as a buyer, are
vulnerable to all sorts of problems. You might not get the items
you have paid for, or they might be damaged or faulty. Luckily,
you have two very important rights when you buy on eBay.

The Right to Receive Your Item.

Maybe the seller never sent the item, or maybe it got lost in
the post. Whatever happened, you paid for the item. If it
doesn�t arrive in the post as described, you have the right to a
replacement or a refund, whether it�s the seller�s fault or not.

The fact that you bought something on eBay doesn�t mean that
you don�t have the exact same rights that you would have if you
bought it in a shop (these rights are pretty much the same all
over the world). Plus, under eBay�s rules, the seller isn�t
allowed to change their mind about selling you the item: once
the auction ends, it becomes a contract � you must buy and they
must sell, or face eBay�s penalties.

The Right for Your Item to Be as Described in the Auction.

Sometimes sellers don�t wrap items properly, and so they get
broken. Occasionally they write descriptions that are misleading
or just plain wrong to begin with, leaving out vital details
that would have caused you to change your mind about buying. If
this happens to you, you again have the right to a replacement
or a refund.

So How Do I Use My Rights?

First, you should take it up with the seller � most will be
responsive, as do not want to have their reputation damaged when
an upset buyer leaves negative feedback for all their future
buyers to see. If that doesn�t work, report them to eBay.

While eBay don�t have many people handling complaints, they do
have a relatively effective set of automatic process to handle
common problems buyers and sellers have with one another.

Finally, if that doesn�t work, then you should seek advice from
consumer groups in your country, and as a last resort from the
police. You should never have to get this far, though: problems
on eBay that can�t be resolved easily are extremely rare.

Don�t Be Too Quick.

Remember not to get too annoyed and be unfair to the seller:
nice sellers have agreed to give me refunds for undelivered
items, only for me to find out a few weeks later that they were
being held for me at the post office! Always try your best to
communicate and think of everything that might have gone wrong:
eBay works best when buyers and sellers sort out their problems
together, instead of reporting each other to the authorities
straight away.

More often that not receiving what they paid for, buyers have
an altogether different problem: they knew what they were paying
for, but didn�t realise that what they were paying for was
overpriced, low quality or a scam. The next email will give you
a list of tips on how to avoid being ripped off on eBay.

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

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:54 PM

May 24, 2007

Some Of The Most Overlooked Ways To Find Great Bargains On Ebay!

By Stan Brodka

One of the best ways to find bargains on eBay is to know what items are hard to sell. These relatively hard to sell items on eBay can often be picked up at deep discounts, So by knowing what items are hard to sell, you might be able to pick up some really good deals.

No brand name can potentially mean a bargain. There are thousands of items on eBay. Therefore when people search for items to buy, most people will search for items by a brand name. If the item does not have a strong brand name or no brand name at all, you can potentially pick up a bargain.

Here are some items that are often sold without a band name:

Art Work by unknown artists - You can pick up some great deals, and beautiful pieces on unknown artists. Everything from water color, oil paintings, charcoal drawings and more. We at www.vitalauctioninfo.com have picked up a lot of great charcoal drawings and paintings

Many home decor items do not have a strong brand association such as lamps, light fixtures, door knobs etc.

Unbranded Attach� Cases or briefcases or purses

Costume Jewelry

Another place to look for bargains are for items that are out of season, for example: fur coats, Christmas items, and skis that are sold in the summer. Use this same logic when looking for stuff in the winter time such as weed whackers, and pool accessories.

Items that have a larger supply and not as much demand. For example Wedding Dresses, Beanie Babies and many books can be picked up inexpensively.

Older Technology - VCRs, records, tapes and even CDs. You can pick up a VCR for a great deal and can also buy a huge amount of cheap movies at a great deal.

Misspellings - Search for misspellings of items because they likely will not have as many bids due to the misspelling in the title. For example, if you are searching for Renaissance Plates, try renasance plates and other misspellings. Other commonly misspelled words include: jewelry and collectible. In addition many brand names are easy to spell wrong like Bosch. Even seasoned eBayers will misspell items frequently.

If you mostly sell on eBay use this information to avoid letting your stuff go at a deep discount

By Stan Brodka

Discover eBay selling tips and secrets at www.vitalauctioninfo.com as well as advice on how to buy and avoid fraud. What you don�t know can cost you money.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:17 AM

May 08, 2007

Top 10 Tips for Finding What You Want on Auction Sites

By Jonathan Keegan

1. Sign-up for a Newsletter from an Auction Site

Many auction sites offer newsletters to keep you in the loop. Look at one such as http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101613989976. Some items rarely come onto the market, and if you want to know when they are available, you must be in the loop. Also, put yourself out there. Send smaller auction sites an email and tell them what you are looking for and they will put you on a list and notify you when and if the

item comes available. With Business to consumer auction sites if there is enough interest they will source a vendor for the product to be put up in the auction site.

2. Try a variation in your search words

You can use many different words to describe an item. Try to think of all the variations the seller might use to describe the item you are looking for. For example, you are trying to find a memory stick for you digital camera, one user might call it a �memory stick� and another might call it a �memory card.� Try several different variations and combinations � but use just two or three words at a time to be sure you get a variety of results.

3. Do Your Research

Research the specifics of the item you are looking for to save you time and money. For instance, you are in the market for a new digital camera, find out what type of megapixels you need, and any other options you might like with the camera. Then search around for the best deal! Look for sites such as Alltheauctions.com where you can find products from a trusted vendor source, as well as amazing deals.

4. Use Niche Auction Sites

Bigger auction sites can make it harder to find what you are looking for since they have a wide variety and complex system of categories and subcategories. This can make it very hard to search for a specific item.

5. Vary your spelling

Surprise! Not everyone has perfect spelling. Often, sellers will list their auction with the item title spelled incorrectly. Try different variations of the spelling and sometimes you will get different results.

6. Use Wildcards

Like many other search engines, you can use the wildcard character (*) to indicate one or more unknown letters at the end of a search keyword. Wildcards are great for when you are not sure of a word�s spelling; the wildcard character replaces the letters in question in your query. For example, if you are not sure whether it is Kodak or Kodack, enter koda* and your results will include both spellings.

7. Search Daily

New listings are added to auction sites all the time! Try your search on different days and you will get different results.

8. Use the Advance Search Feature

You can narrow your results by adding key fields such as �Description� or the minimum and maximum prices you are willing to pay.

9. Use specific words instead of general ones

Using the term �stainless steel watch� will return fewer and more targeted results than the term �watch.�

10. Don�t use the plural

Using the plural usually will not give you as many results are you are looking for. Instead of using the term �necklaces� try just �necklace�

Try using these tips to see better results when you are browsing auction sites. Look around at different Auction sites and find the one that is right for you, and remember to search often for special items!

Jonathan Keegan has been involved with auctions for over 20-years. He currently works with www.AlltheAuctions.com as a consultant. AlltheAuctions is a new item business to consumer auction site. Bids start at $1.00.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:32 AM

May 04, 2007

Common Sense Tips For New eBay Shoppers

By Tim Ebl

Your first eBay bid can be an intimidating and confusing experience. A new shopper on eBay will have so many choices and options that it is easy to get overwhelmed with information. It is important to remember not to jump into any situation. eBay is so large, that only very unique items will never be up for sale again, and you can afford to look for another deal another day. If you are unsure of yourself, wait! Don't bid until you have done your research and are a little more comfortable with the process.

There are many helpful tutorials supplied by eBay. After your initial look at the auctions and listings, go back to the help section. Your understanding of this area will be a lot higher after you have looked around a little bit.
The eBay help resources are quite extensive, so I only want to highlight a couple of key areas that I feel are very important. The first is the seller feedback. This can be found beside the name of any seller (or buyer), and is a really good indicator of reliability and honesty as relates to items listed for sale. You can read individual feedback relevant to items the seller has listed and sold in the past, and use this information to decide if the item you are considering is up to snuff. Make sure you go over this information to gain confidence in a seller. The eBay system is quite efficient in giving sellers a reason to give good customer service and accurate listing descriptions.

Feedback is also a good reason to be a good customer! If your payment is late, you complain about problems via feedback without contacting the seller, or are disappointed due to your own lack of research (see below), you may also receive negative feedback. Now the shoe will be on the other foot, and sellers won't want to work with you in the future. This is a very good reason to try to resolve your problem with the seller directly, and only use negative feedback as a last resource.

Another subject that is very important is research. A lot of new eBay shoppers look at a listing and think, "I can't believe how low that bid is! I have to get in on this deal now!" They jump in and bid on an item, not reading the shipping terms or comparing the item to others available. This can result in owning something that you aren't really happy with, or paying more for it than you thought you were going to.

Researching the item's value before bidding will help any buyer. One source of information can be a completed listings search, and is easily accomplished using eBay's search engine. This will show you what similar items have recently sold for.

If the item is for sale at a store in your area, look in a flyer or online to see what it is worth locally. It might be enough to find out that you can save $10 on that coat through an online auction.

Reading the complete item description a couple of times will give you the chance to catch anything you might have missed, such as a "Shipping and delivery not included, as is, where is" message. If you don't notice that one piece of info, you will be arranging your own shipping from afar. Make sure you are clear on exactly what you are bidding on, and how you will receive it. eBay's shipping calculator can give you a pretty good idea of your shipping costs. If you are buying internationally, you need to find out the costs specific to the item and the import rules for your locale BEFORE you bid!

Using this information should give you an idea of what you might be willing to pay as a maximum bid. Once you have decided on your maximum bid for an item, you should try to stick to it. Don't get into a bidding war and drive the price up on that coat, only to realize that you paid more than at the local mall!

Once you bid on a few items, you will learn quite a bit about the system and can again return to the eBay tutorials. Eventually you may be ready to sell your own items and will be well on your way to eBay success! Good luck and good bargain hunting.

author: Tim Ebl

For helpful eBay info visit:

http://www.timsauctionsecrets.com/

To contact the author or for a good laugh visit:

http://doggrinnit.typepad.com/bluebeaverbeer/

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:40 AM

May 02, 2007

How to Use eBay for Buying Part I

By Sean Ray

Everybody with a computer has heard of eBay, but how many know how to use eBay effectively in internet marketing, to not only buy or sell, but to promote their website or internet business?

This article is the first of three and gives you advice on buying on eBay: how to get the best price, and the mistakes that many people make. The second and third article in this series will provide advice on how to sell on eBay (How to Complement your Internet Marketing Business by Selling on eBay Part II), and how to promote your own online business (How to Use eBay to Promote Your Website Part I). The latter is not a recognized use for eBay, but you can do so and keep within eBay rules.

Primarily you must use eBay as an alternative, not a substitute, for normal High Street or online shopping. Where it is appropriate you should check out the best prices offline and in online sales sites for the product you are looking for. In some case, antiques for example, this will not be possible, but if you are looking for a DVD or a TV set then check out prices on other sales sites other than eBay. eBay is not always the best bargain.

If you have decided to use eBay, then keep an eye on any products with a �Buy Now� price. That means that you can purchase the item immediately at the �Buy Now� price (which I will henceforth refer to as BNP) and circumvent the auction. Some items are sold only at a BNP, and some have a minimum auction price and a BNP.

A bidding war�read part II

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, �Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide�

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

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Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:23 AM

April 26, 2007

eBay Can Be Hard Work If You Let It

By Dave Bromley

Lets be honest, despite what all the gurus tell you about how easy it is to make money on eBay it can be hard work.

First of all you have to find items to sell. At first this may not be to bad as most of us have plenty of surplus items in our homes. The problem is that this supply will not last forever and when you find you partner hiding their valuable and the children putting padlocks on their toy boxes you know it is time to start searching elsewhere.

Flea markets and garage sales are good hunting grounds but lets face it this all takes time. When you eventually bring your bargains home you have got to photograph them, write up a convincing listing and set a starting price. How long can that take you if you have 20 items to list? The answer is quite a while.

Providing your item sells you have then got to package and label each item and take them for mailing. By the time you have done all of this you may just be wondering whether it is all worth it.

In some ways selling on eBay is very much like being in a concert orchestra. You could be a cello player in which case you are going to have to a huge cello case around with you whenever you going somewhere to play. On the other hand you could have chosen to play the piccolo, which will almost fit in your pocket when you are travelling. So who has it easier the Cellist or the piccolo player?

In eBay you can be the person that buys individual items to sell on eBay or you can opt to buy similar items in quantity and just relist them as they are sold. And to make life easier why not only sell items that you can pop into a padded bag. You see now how much easier your eBay life can become.

If you can find small items such as DVDs, books or jewelry and buys them in tens or twenties you will drastically reduce the amount of work that you have to put into your eBay business. Some sellers go even further and sell digital products that are directly downloaded by the purchaser.

So if you think you are cellist rather than a piccolo player then take a look at the way you work and see how you can streamline your operation for an easier life.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:08 AM

March 10, 2007

Ebay Buying Guide - 7 Tips For Bidding Success

By: Adrienne Petersen

For the past four years I've been buying and selling on ebay on a daily basis. This guide shares my tips for buying on Ebay msuccessfully. Just about anything you want to find, can be found on Ebay. I've come to believe that if you can't find it on Ebay, it either hasn't been invented yet, or it's so rare that if you do find "it", you'd better hang on to that precious item!

Ebay Membership

First of all, are you a member of the Ebay community yet? If not, visit ebay.com and register as a member. It's free and very easy to sign up. Just fill in some basic information like your name, address and phone number, pick out a username and password and you're good to go. Don't worry about giving Ebay your phone number. Ebay does call me on occasion, but just to let me know about special promotions and never to try to sell me anything. Use an email address that you check regularly, as you will receive emails from ebay about your purchases there as well as in your Ebay messages.

7 Tips for Bidding Success

Now that you are a registered member of the Ebay community, here are 7 easy tips that I find helpful for a successful buying experience on Ebay:

1. Read the listing thoroughly...every word!

2. Make a note of when the listing ends (especially if it is an auction listing). If you are very interested in the item but are not ready to purchase or bid on it at the moment, click on the "watch this item" link and then you can keep an eye on it from the "My Ebay" page in your account.

3. Do you have any questions about the condition, size, or any other information about the item? Look at the upper right area of the listing page under where it says "Meet the seller" and click on the link that says "Ask seller a question". It's always a good idea to email a seller that you haven't bought from before to ask them a question. This helps to give you an idea of their customer service. Give the seller a day or so to respond, many people sell on ebay part-time, and have jobs they have to go to every day.

4. IMPORTANT: Find out what the shipping method and cost is before you bid or buy! If it isn't stated in the listing, ask the seller, as explained in Tip #3.

5. Look at the sellers feedback rating, again in the area below "Meet the seller". Personally, I won't deal with a seller that has less than a 98% feedback and much prefer to buy from sellers with 100% feedback. If a seller has less than 100% feedback, I will always read their feedback comments to find out why they received negative comments. Often, they are from customers that just didn't understand the ebay process and so left a negative before working things out with the seller. I also like to read the postive comments. If there are a lot of comments that note "fast shipping" and/or "great service or item", then I would feel more comfortable buying from that seller.

6. Check and see what types of payment a seller accepts and how long you have to pay. This will come in handy when you find an item that you'd like to buy. Sometimes the seller only accepts forms of payment that you do not want to use. For example: you want to pay via PayPal, but the seller only accepts money orders, or vice versa. Make sure you pay the seller within their time specified on the listing.

7. Buy It Now or Place Your Bid! If you are purchasing a "Buy It Now" item, click on the Buy It Now button follow the instructions to pay. If you are mailing payment, use check-out to let the seller know. You may also use check-out to request an invoice from the seller. Bidding on an auction? To avoid a bidding war and getting caught up in the heat of the moment (and paying too much), place a bid for the highest amount you would be happy with paying and then let it go. Ebay will only bid for you as much as is needed to out-bid the next highest bidder, up to the amount you entered. Make sure you consider the shipping cost when calculating your bidding amount.

Ebay can be a very rewarding experience! Using these tips will help you in purchasing that hard to find and one of a kind item that can be found on Ebay!.

About the author: Adrienne Petersen has been buying and selling on Ebay since 2003 and currently owns several Ebay Stores. Anyone over the age of 18 may register on Ebay by visiting one of the author's stores such as Discount Kitchen Faucets.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:45 AM

Searching On Ebay

By Nathan Johnson

I�m going to give you some great advice about searching on eBay. I�m going to help you find the product or products that you�re looking for and I�m going to try and help make your eBay experience a fulfilling one.

Searching on eBay is so important and is a key step in the buying process and so many people out there are doing it the wrong way. A mistake that people often make is that their search is too broad and they are flooded with way too many products, that they simply won�t be able to look through. So many products come up that they aren�t looking for, so they just think that eBay doesn�t have what they�re looking for and leave. When in fact eBay very well could have had what they were looking for, but they just couldn�t find it.

Let me give you an example of what I�m talking about. A person might want a model from a certain year or time period, but they just search for the model and then they get back thousands of model�s from all time periods. They get frustrated and leave.

It�s alright to start with some broad terms, but if you get too many products that come up, then you simply keep narrowing your search until you find what you�re looking for. If I collected Star Wars action figures and I wanted to find the original ones. That is what I would search for, if I wanted an original Han Solo action figures then I would search Original Han Solo Action Figure.

Another good tip is if you know what you want like the Han Solo action figure then you should search both the title and the description. You just check that box under your search. This will help you find the product you�re looking for even if the title isn�t very descriptive. Sometimes seller�s have the product that you�re looking for but their title isn�t very good or they misspell something in the title and that could throw the whole thing off. They should be talking about it in the description somewhere, so you don�t have to rely on the title. Hopefully this advice will help you with your searching on eBay and help you find the products you want!

Nathan Johnson is an expert on making a fortune on eBay.
Learn his secrets here http://www.trueebaysecrets.info/secretsofebay.html

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:20 AM

February 09, 2007

Tips For New Ebay Buyers

By: R Heavner

Ebay is a huge marketplace comprised of thousands of sellers. The vast majority are perfectly honest sellers operating a legitimate business. And as with any selling venue of this size, there are some also a few less than honest sellers. For the new Ebayer, telling the difference and learning to negotiate the Ebay site can be a time consuming process.

The first order of business, if you haven�t already, is to sign up for an account with Ebay. This is a relatively straightforward process of entering information and obtaining a screen name and password.

After registering, you will be directed to a few pages for new members. These pages will explain the different buying formats and give a general idea of how Ebay works. Taking the time to read these pages will make purchasing a lot easier.

Consider how you will pay for your purchases. Most Ebay sellers accept Paypal. This is also the safest method for buyers, as Paypal provides buyer protection for items not received, a system for mediating disputes, and will accept major credit cards through their system. The sign up process is quite simple.

The easiest way to find what you are looking for is through the search bar on the main page. This works like any other search engine, in that you need to use specific terms to
locate an item. For example, MP3 player brings up about 20,000 items. Adding IPOD to the search narrows it down to 5,000 or so. Experiment with different search terms to find a good combination. When you have reached a page with what you are looking for, you can then narrow down search using the Search Options box in the lower left corner. This will allow you to view only the items which fall under the categories you chose. There are several options available, among them buy it now only, listing country, those with free shipping only, and items in specific price ranges.

When considering an item for purchase, it is very important to carefully read the sellers terms. Shipping charges and return policy should be clearly spelled out. Be careful to read ALL of the sales copy. Make sure you understand whether an item is new or used, what condition it is in, and what exactly is included with your purchase. For questions about a listing you can email the seller through the ask seller a question link at upper right of page.

The one other thing that must be done before committing to buy is to check the sellers reputation on Ebay. The feedback link at upper right will give an indication of how many positive feedbacks the seller has received, what percentage of the sellers transactions resulted in positive feedback, and how long they have been an Ebay member. You can also read comments from other buyers. To go a step beyond, you may also want to take a look at the sellers About Me page.

There are literally millions of transactions on Ebay each day, and the vast majority are problem free. While nothing is perfect, the built in safeguards of Ebay / Paypal make Ebay as safe as any internet venue for the prudent shopper.

For more information about online auction buying and selling please visit our website at www.auction-lynx.com Internet Auction Directory.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 06:14 PM

November 10, 2006

5 Tips To Protect Yourself From Ebay Scammers

By Ricky Lim

Ebay is the world�s largest marketplace with millions of dollars of transactions taking place every day. As such it also attracts a fair number of unwanted personnel, ebay scammers.

Here are a few tips you should note when buying and selling on ebay to avoid falling into the traps set by ebay scammers

1) Payment Terms

Whether you are selling or buying anything on ebay, never agree to use Western Union or Money Gram for your transaction. It has been proven unsafe by numerous ebay users and it is also against ebay�s safe payment policy.

2) Beware of Phishing

Phishing is when someone sends you a spoofed email asking for your personal details usually from a recognized company or authority. Usually, they will have a link asking you to submit your details on that webpage.

Do not submit any personal information regarding your ebay login account through it. If you are not sure whether it is authentic, call ebay and asked whether an email was sent to you. In all my years with ebay, they have never me an email asking to verify my ebay account login or credit card details or any of that sort. This also applies for Paypal.

3) Monitor Your Ebay Account

You need to monitor your ebay account closely for any suspicious activity. Examples may be any feedback left, transactions closed, auctions you have listed
Without your knowledge. Inform ebay the moment you suspected your ebay account is being compromised.

4) Second Chance Offers

This seems to be the new favorite scam with ebay scammers and I�ve seen a couple of them. If you receive a second chance offer for an item you recently bid, check it is from your ebay Messages inbox with the title �ebay Second Chance Offer for ��If it is, it is authentic. If the email is not in your ebay message inbox or the email title is different, then chances are it is from an ebay scammer. If you are not sure, contact ebay and ask to verify it.

5) Ebay Toolbar and PayPal SafetyBar

Ebay provides a toolbar which can determine whether you are on a legitimate ebay or paypal site. My advise is to install it since it�s free. Paypal Safetybar can also detect scam emails in your inbox

By Following the five points above, you will reduce your chances of being scammed by a ebay con artist.

Ricky Lim is an ebay powerseller who runs an ebay selling on ebay site. Visit his site for more ebay selling tips and know more about ebay scams

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricky_Lim

Posted by Dave Bromley at 01:46 PM

July 07, 2006

Spotting Frauds and Fakes on eBay

Fake items abound on eBay, and it takes much effort not to be duped by scammers who peddle these wares. There have been many painful stories relating how a seemingly legitimate item turned out to be either fake or defective.

It is possible, however, to avoid these scams if one is careful and vigilant. Buyers should be wary of any purchase over eBay, and should take steps to ensure the authenticity of the item and to make sure the item is in reasonable condition.

Be Vigilant

Buyers should take the initiative by doing plenty of background research. They must learn as much as possible about the products before bidding on them. If the seller provides pictures of an item, they should not be taken at face value. Comparison of these pictures with the real item helps in this regard.

Many sellers will use pictures from manufacturers that do not represent the item they are actually selling; buyers should ask the seller for actual pictures of the item. If the seller balks, buyers should refrain from bidding. Collector�s items, autographed memorabilia, and historical artifacts are common items that are misrepresented on eBay.

Authenticate

Familiarize yourself with the various bodies that certify respective items. For example, reputable merchants of autographed sports memorabilia should include a COA (certificate of authenticity) from a trusted third party. Counterfeit or misrepresented items should be reported to eBay. When buying on eBay Motors, one may have an inspection service double-check if the seller is accurately representing his automobile.

Look at the Feedback

One should analyze the feedback rating of a seller. Analyzing feedback is another helpful exercise to prevent scams. Sellers who have an established history of credible sales are usually helpful and professional to deal with. Negative feedback should be a red flag as to whether one should pursue a trade with the person. The same thing applies for those who do not have feedback ratings at all.

Buyers must be careful however, since it is possible that a scammer has hijacked an account that has positive feedback.

Buyers should make sure they have read the entire product description on its eBay listing. Things to look out for are disclaimers, damages, current item condition, years of use, and others. If this information is not specified, it would do well for the buyer to contact the seller regarding such.

The Price Theory

If the price for an item is too good to be true, it probably is. Auctions that carry outrageously low prices should be taken skeptically.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:24 AM

May 08, 2006

10 Things You Never Thought To Buy On Ebay

by Jessica Roop

I have to admit, sometimes I get teased by friends or family
for what I buy on eBay. There is very little I purchase that I
don't at least attempt to buy on eBay first. Why not? There are
thousands (if not millions) of eBay listings at any given time
-- that's a pretty amazing resource for everything under the
sun. For everything you buy on eBay, there's probably at least
one other thing you haven't thought of.

To start you off,
here's a list of ten things you (probably) never thought to buy
on eBay:

1. Postage Stamps: Yes, it is possible to get a discount on
postage stamps! A lot of times companies or individuals will
purchase a mass quantity of stamps for a mailing and end up not
using them all. The USPS doesn't buy back stamps, so a good
alternative is to sell on eBay. Expect to pay between 80% and
90% of face value, with the bigger discount coming from a
larger purchase quantity.

2. Timeshares: Real estate is big on eBay, especially
timeshares! As long as you are careful in reading all of the
fine print and purchasing from a reputable seller, you can come
away with a great vacation at a fantastic value. You can easily
pick and choose from a wide variety of locations, amenities,
and prices.

3. Over-the-counter medication: Need to replenish your supply
of Advil, Visine, Airborne, or Mylanta? I buy nearly all of my
over-the-counter medication on eBay. It's almost always
drastically cheaper, and you can also search for generic or
store brands. I save hundreds of dollars a year doing this.

4. Makeup: There are certain shades and certain brands of
makeup I know I will always use. It's easy to search for these
on eBay and buy them in bulk or at a discount. It's also a
great way to find discontinued colours that you love and can't
live without! I set up a search for my favourite discontinued
items and save it so I am emailed whenever an auction matching
my criteria comes up. I've been able to keep using a certain
shade of lipstick despite the fact that it was discontinued
years ago.

5. eBay Business Supplies: I see so many people who sell on
eBay using padded envelopes or other supplies from the USPS --
not the free Priority or Express mail supplies, but the
expensive supplies sold in post offices. If you know you're
going to sell more than just a few items, buy your supplies on
eBay! Great discounts are to be had on bubble mailers, bubble
sheets, labels, and more.

6. Spices: Yes, kitchen spices! I eat oatmeal nearly every
morning and use a generous amount of pumpkin pie spice for
flavour. I was spending at least $3 every time I purchased a
tiny container of it at the store. I found a supplier on eBay
and was able to get over ten times the amount for only twice
the price!

7. Gift Cards: If you frequently shop at a certain store, it
pays (literally) to check out the gift certificates category on
eBay. People resell gift cards they aren't interested in using,
and you can often get a good discount. Some of the more popular
stores sell for nearly 100% of face value, but others sell for
70% to 90% of face value. If you're going to spend the money at
the store anyway, why not buy a gift card and save a few bucks?
I like to look at it as free money!

8. Food: The food category on eBay is huge. You can buy your
favourite overseas candy, soda flavours you can't find locally,
fresh baked cookies just like mom made them, protein bars,
elegant desserts, and much more. A word of warning though...
looking for food on eBay can make you hungry!

9. Massage Appointments: These can usually be found in the gift
certificates category. A lot of spas and massage therapy
locations will sell gift certificates for massages at
discounted rates to gain new customers. As long as you are
careful to check that the location is legit, you can find a
great deal. I was able to purchase a fantastic one-hour massage
for only $35.

10. Magazine Subscriptions: Magazines make money selling ads,
and they can charge more for their ads if they have more
subscribers. Because of that, they will let go of a lot of
subscriptions to brokers for very low prices. A lot of these
brokers sell on eBay. Imagine buying a year's subscription to
your favourite magazine for only $3! They usually take four to
eight weeks to kick in, but it's well worth the wait.

Hopefully these ideas have given you a starting point for the
wide variety of ways you can save money on a daily basis by
purchasing through eBay. Happy bidding!

About The Author: Jessica Roop is self-proclaimed "coupon
addict" who runs http://www.ShareYourReceipts.com, a site
dedicated to sharing the latest in coupon savings and deals to
show you how to save money. Share your deals with us and be
entered to win a $25 gift certificate to your favourite
retailer!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:05 PM

April 11, 2006

When And How To Withdraw Your Ebay Bid

By Kirsten Hawkins

eBay are a little strict about letting you withdraw your bid.
They call it a �bid retraction�, and have a stringent set of
conditions that you must meet before you are allowed to do it.
Here are eBay�s three acceptable reasons for withdrawing a bid.

You made a typographical error: This means that you
accidentally typed the wrong amount into the bid box, bidding a
far higher price than you meant to. This can be scary: imagine
bidding $100 and accidentally adding an extra �0�! You are
entirely allowed to withdraw your bid in this situation, and
bid again if you want to.

The item�s description changed: If you bid on something and
then the seller updates the description, you have the right to
withdraw your bid. It wouldn�t be fair, after all, to force you
to take something that you now realise you don�t want.

The seller is uncontactable: If emails to the seller bounce and
they don�t answer their phone, then the auction obviously can�t
continue, and you can cancel it.

So How Do I Retract My Bid?

eBay hide away the bid retraction form a bit, because they
don�t like people using it. You can find it by going here:
http://cgi1.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?RetractBidShow.

Now all you need is the item number from your auction: this can
be found on the item description page�s top right corner. If you
can�t see it on the page, look in your browser�s title bar, and
in any emails eBay have sent you about your bid on the item.
Choose one of the three allowed reasons, click �retract bid�,
and you�re done.

Are There Any Consequences?

Well yes, there are. The more unethical among you might have
considered that you could just cancel bids anytime you feel
like it by saying that you accidentally entered the wrong
amount. eBay are one step ahead of you. Each time you retract a
bid, it is counted on your feedback page for all to see � and
anyone with a lot of retracted bids looks more than a little
dodgy. eBay also say that abusing the bid retraction feature
could get you banned.

So is there a way to retract your bid without facing a penalty?
There is if your seller is nice, and most are. Sellers can
cancel bids on their auctions at any time, and if you email
them with a half-decent excuse then most will be more than
happy to do this for you. After all, it�s not in their interest
for their item to go to someone who won�t like it, as you might
leave negative feedback.

Of course, retracting your bid should still be a rare thing:
you won�t win auctions that way! If you�ve followed us this
far, the chances are you�ve won an auction by now, or you�re
close � but you might be a little puzzled about what to do
next. Our next email will give you a few pointers.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 01:53 PM

March 13, 2006

EBay Buying: How Poor Spelling Delivers Great Bargains

By Keith Longmire

If you ever want to sell anything on Ebay Auctions make sure you take the time to read the excellent guidance published by Ebay itself.

Fairly high up the list is the pretty commonsense idea that, before you commit to posting your advertisement, you spell check it thoroughly.

Commonsense?

You�d certainly be forgiven for thinking so. But strangely, many people choose to ignore it.

The great news for you, as a street wise ebay buyer, is that this inattention to detail can be source of some incredible bargains.

How so?

Well let�s imagine you want to buy an Armani suit. Chances are you are going to spell Armani correctly. In fact, the chances are most people searching for Armani will use the correct spelling. As Armani is a very famous and popular brand there will be lots of people viewing each of the suits on offer on EBay. Competition will be tight. Prices will be high.

Now a little time ago I had a ferret around on EBay. I found the following spellings for Armani (not all for suits):

Amani

Amarni

Amarne

Armane

Armanie

I am sure if I had spent a little more time that I would have found many more spelling variations.

So what?

Well if most people looking to buy Armani products use the correct spelling, yet sellers occasionally get their spelling wrong, it stands to reason that the auctions using the mis-spelt versions will get fewer visitors. Fewer visitors mean less competition. And, all things being equal, fewer visitors mean lower prices.

Finding mis-spelt words is easy. You can take the easy but time consuming option of just trying a few variations for yourself. To get started this is almost certainly the best option.

However, it�s not true to say there are always bargains hidden in mis-spelt words. Searching out the tastiest morsels would require patience and persistence. Not surprisingly therefore, there are a number of software packages that search out the mis-spellings for you. As you get more advanced you will certainly want to check out one or 2 packages with this feature.

Anyone for Gucci, Guichi, Guiggi,�?

Keith Longmire is extremely enthusiastic about EBay Buying. He has collated his research on his Ebay Buying Blog

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:57 AM

March 10, 2006

How To Become An Ebay Power Bidder

by Mario Giordani
The two most important things about bidding on Ebay are:
a) Avoid Getting ripped off!
b) Avoid Paying more than you should!
The difference between smart buyers and average buyers is information!

Every day a lot of people purchase overpriced items on Ebay due to lack of information. For example, how would you like to pay $100 for a widget that you could have gotten for $10 or even free?
Most Ebay information available is directed towards helping sellers make a profit instead of showing buyers how to save money, yet without bidders, Ebay would be useless.
Ebay is just too big to focus on everything that can be sold there but as a general rule, if you�re just buying generic products, you may first want to verify the best price for the products being offered at the auction. Good places to start are MySimon.com or http://shopping.yahoo.com/ and if you are buying computer parts, I suggest you also check prices with a company called TigerDirect.com. The idea here is to verify prices before you bid on anything. Sometimes what seems to be a good deal may actually be pretty close or even more than average retail prices. While price is important, take into consideration things such as manufacturers warranties, refunds and returns, options that you may not get with an Ebay auction.
Ebay also offers you a completed auction search option where you can determine what a particular type of product has been selling for or simply look at the seller�s recently sold items to see what other bidders have paid for them.
Before you do any bidding, consider the seller�s feedback both as a buyer and as a seller. Draw the line somewhere as to how many feedback counts you will require to feel comfortable with doing business with a particular seller I personally draw the line at 20. If a seller has less than 20 seller side positive feedbacks in the last 6 months, I just pass. But that�s just me. You need to use your own criteria on this. If the seller has been buying a lot of $1 items to gather positive feedback and then turns around and tries to sell something for $300, I get suspicious. The idea is to look for stability and a good track record, after all you are sending money to someone you�ve never met before.
Buying an expensive item? Minimize your risks. You can always spend a little money and learn more about a seller�s background at https://www.peopledata.com/
Another suggestion is to type in the seller�s name or business name into Google to see what comes up. This is particularly useful outside Ebay also. For example, if you get an email offer that sounds interesting, you can do a search under +scam +offer and see what comes up. Long time ago, I received an email offer stating I had just won $2.5 Million dollars, wow. Nice. Obviously I deemed this offer to be a scam so I just typed in the companies name into the Google search bar and voila, there were fraud alerts everywhere!
In the event that you�ve been ripped off so to speak, you can take advantage of Ebay�s $200 (-$25 deductible) fraud insurance. Check with Ebay for more details. The following are other resources you can use, keeping in mind that they may or may not do something about your case:
1. http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm
2. http://fraud.org
3. http://bbb.org
I have a lot more information about bidding on Ebay on my upcoming e-book but for now, let�s just use turnkey web sites, for illustration and look at some rules to help you avoid being taken by an unscrupulous Ebay seller. Be skeptical of auctions that have Private ID bids. What does Ebay say about Private ID auctions? When I read Ebay�s policy I interpreted it as a method to protect the privacy of bidders. It reads:
Please don't make your auction private unless you have a specific reason, such as potential embarrassment for bidders and the buyer.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/private.html
Ask yourself:
What could be embarrassing about this auction I am bidding on?
I believe that in cases where a buyer is bidding on adult items, for example, he or she may want to remain anonymous. Another reason for a private ID auction could be the sale of a physical business where the seller wants to keep things confidential.
But when an auction is for a non-adult web site or an e-book, etc., it�s hard to imagine why all bidders should be privy to the seller only because of potential embarrassment as stated on Ebay�s Private ID policy.
It�s easy to see instances where Private ID auctions can be abused. For example, someone could easily have 1) multiple Ebay accounts or 2) have bidding friends. If a person has another account on Ebay they can bid, conceivably, on their own auctions. This is called shill bidding and Ebay has a policy against this type of unethical practice. However, if a different account bids on an item that happens to belong to the seller, they can artificially drive prices up thus making you think you are competing against another live bidder somewhere in the system.
Power Buyers Tip: Bid late and one time Only! Don�t get into bidding wars. Find out first if the item you want may be found elsewhere and cheaper, is fairly priced or if it is listed by another seller. If it�s not a must-have, move on.
The Private ID option, can be unethically used to fool unsuspecting bidders into thinking other people are actually bidding on the item you want. When the auction is over, you will have no bid history to evaluate who you were bidding against. Even if you didn�t bid at all, you won�t be able to contact the winning bidder to see if he is satisfied with his purchase. The majority of people, especially people who are new to Ebay, usually have no idea this could happen. I see these types of auctions on Ebay every week.
Whether the fake bidder pays for the item or not, it is between him and the seller, who sometimes happens to be the same person! Ebay prohibits interaction between one or more accounts belonging to the same seller as far as bidding is concerned to avoid the possibility of shill bidding.
About the author: Mario Giordani has been marketing online since 1993. He\'s a web site designer and Internet marketing consultant. He manages over 40 websites that include a variety of affiliate programs. He resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. He can be contacted at mario@registerwire.net. http://registerwire.net.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:22 AM

January 26, 2006

BIDDING ON EBAY: WHEN IT PAYS TO KNOW THE RULES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:12 PM

January 12, 2006

Beware, There Are A Lot Of Crooks On Ebay

By Steve Hill

I hope you have not had a negative experience on ebay. I was very much enjoying the site until one day, some freak tried to steal nearly �200 from selling me an item which did not exist. This article explains what happened and also the advice the police gave to me.

As I have already mentioned I was having lots of fun buying and selling on Ebay for a number of months without any problems at all. I regularly sold second hand mobile phones and was doing very well for myself. If I ever bought anything that cost over �100, I would offer to meet the seller somewhere, normally just off the motorway. I pulled off what I believed was some good deals 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.

Unfortunately all good things have to come to an end and it certainly did with ebay.

One particular morning I was looking to purchase another second hand mobile phone, which I would then re-sell on. There was 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 decided to phone the number, his name was Tony and I 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. The alarm bells should have already started to ring, but me being a bit stupid they didn't.

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. The police advised me to be very careful as they regularly have complaints from people who have been defrauded on ebay, I was not alone!

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

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

About the Author: Stephen Hill has a number of websites including: http://www.arthritis-specialist.com http://www.std-symptom.co.uk http://www.natural-health-cure.co.uk

Source: www.isnare.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:20 PM

January 10, 2006

Spotting Fakes and Frauds on eBay

Buyers should be wary of any purchase over eBay, and should take steps to ensure the authenticity of the item and to make sure the item is in reasonable condition. Be Vigilant Buyers should take the initiative by doing plenty of background research. They must learn as much as possible about the products before bidding on them. If the seller provides pictures of an item, they should not be taken at face value. Comparison of these pictures with the real item helps in this regard. Many sellers will use pictures from manufacturers that do not represent the item they are actually selling; buyers should ask the seller for actual pictures of the item. If the seller balks, buyers should refrain from bidding. Collector�s items, autographed memorabilia, and historical artifacts are common items that are misrepresented on eBay. Authenticate Familiarize yourself with the various bodies that certify respective items. For example, reputable merchants of autographed sports memorabilia should include a COA (certificate of authenticity) from a trusted third party. Counterfeit or misrepresented items should be reported to eBay. When buying on eBay Motors, one may have an inspection service double-check if the seller is accurately representing his automobile. Look at the Feedback One should analyze the feedback rating of a seller. Analyzing feedback is another helpful exercise to prevent scams. Sellers who have an established history of credible sales are usually helpful and professional to deal with. Negative feedback should be a red flag as to whether one should pursue a trade with the person. The same thing applies for those who do not have feedback ratings at all. Buyers must be careful however, since it is possible that a scammer has hijacked an account that has positive feedback. Buyers should make sure they have read the entire product description on its eBay listing. Things to look out for are disclaimers, damages, current item condition, years of use, and others. If this information is not specified, it would do well for the buyer to contact the seller regarding such. The Price Theory If the price for an item is too good to be true, it probably is. Auctions that carry outrageously low prices should be taken sceptically.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:49 AM

Avoiding eBay Buying Pitfalls

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.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:34 AM

December 26, 2005

How To Use Ebay �Listing Tools

By Kirsten Hawkins

Listing tools automate the process of adding listings to eBay, to stop you having to go through the �Sell Your Item� process every time. There is a surprising amount of choice out there when it comes to eBay listing tools, to the point where you might not know what to choose. Here�s an overview of what�s useful and what�s not.

Turbo Lister.

Turbo Lister is a free download from eBay, and allows you to sell on eBay without ever having to actually visit the site. You can write descriptions, save them and list them over and over again � if you want to, you can even do most of your eBay work offline, and just go online for a few seconds to upload it.

You can list in bulk and schedule your listings to start any time. Since this is eBay�s officially supported program, you�re guaranteed that upgrades to eBay�s site will never break it and leave you out in the cold. Personally, though, I find the design quite bad � it�s not really that much easier than just going through eBay directly.

Blackthorne.

Also from eBay, this is what used to be called the �Seller�s Assistant�. It�s a downloadable program, but it�s more powerful than Turbo Lister is. It lets you do everything in bulk: listing, re-listing, and even feedback. You can export your sales data to an accounting program, and track your auctions while they�re still going on. You only have to enter things like payment choices and shipping details once, and they�re saved forever.

So where�s the disadvantage? It costs $9.99 per month, or $24.99 for the pro version, which also lets you print shipping labels in bulk and manage an inventory.

Andale Lister.

If you want to try something that�s not been made by eBay, Andale�s lister is still web-based, but aims to streamline the process.

You can create �profiles� with different selections for your auctions. For example, you could create a �Normal� profile that doesn�t include any of the listing upgrades, a �Promote� profile that includes Bold and Highlight, and a �Super Promote� profile that buys Bold, Highlight and Featured Plus. This makes it easier to choose the set of options you want for each item.

It�s all about saving things you�ve done. Each time you upload a picture, it gets added to a �Picture Library� for you to use again, and you can store an inventory and choose from it to create a listing. You also get nicer-looking templates than eBay provide.

Of course, if eBay had their act together then this is what their own process would be like � but they�re happy for third-parties to make money doing the work instead of upgrading their own site. Andale Lister can cost anywhere between 20c and 4c per listing, as you get discounts for volume.

Now that you�re listing in bulk, you can spend more time trying to attract people to come and bid on your auctions. But how should you be doing your marketing? In the next email, we�ll go through some of the options available to you.

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

Source: www.isnare.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:40 PM

How To Use Ebay �Listing Tools

Turbo Lister.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:40 PM

October 20, 2005

eBay Online Auction Sniping Secrets

Since their introduction several years ago, online auctions, such as eBay, have been one of the hottest destinations on the World Wide Web. Auction sellers are attracted by the prospect of a broad venue for their products and the possibility of high profits resulting from emotion-driven bidding wars. Bidders on online auction sites are drawn to the unique shopping opportunities and potential to purchase hard-to-find items at low prices. One technique many successful auction bidders employ is called sniping.

Auction sniping is waiting to place your bid until seconds before the auction closes. In most cases, the last-minute bid precludes competing bids and assures the sniping bidder the winning bid at the lowest price. Some web sites estimate that sniping occurs on 5 percent of all eBay auctions that close with bids.

While this technique is not without controversy mostly from disgruntled sellers or competing bidders it is permitted on most online auction sites including eBay. In fact, an eBay Community Development representative related eBays position on one of eBays message boards:

From: daphne
Topic: Re: Snipers How To Workshop

Just for the record, contrary to what some people think, theres no rule against sniping, or bidding in the last moments of the auction. You will hear all kinds of debates about which method (proxy bidding or sniping) is more effective, and eBay would recommend proxy bidding, but bidding at the last moment of the auction is perfectly acceptable and legal. :)

Daphne
eBay Community Development

There are several advantages to sniping on auctions. The first is that the sniper prevents counter-bids and is more likely win the auction. The most significant advantage is that sniping prevents emotional bidding wars. These are events that auction sellers dream about two or more bidders start running up the price of a listed item because they get caught up in the excitement of the moment. More often than not, the sniper will win the auction at a lower price if they do it correctly.

There are some problems associated with sniping manually. First, you must be online to bid when the auction closes. This may not be convenient if the bidding for that PEZ dispenser youve been drooling over ends in the middle of the night or while you are at work. Second, depending on your connection speed, your last second bid may be submitted too late. The auction might close before your bid reaches eBay.

Not to worry though, there are several software and web-based solutions to automate the sniping process for you.

Sniping software programs, such as iSnipeIt reside on your computer. You simply enter the item number you wish to bid on and input your maximum bid. At the appropriate time, the sniping software connects to the internet and places the bid for you. This requires your computer to be on, the sniping program to be active, and a connection to the internet. One advantage to having sniping software resident on your computer is increased security. Most desktop applications dont require your eBay ID and password to reside on servers continuously connected to the internet. However, the timeliness of your snipe depends on your connection speed and your internet service provider. This can be a problem for some people.

Online services such as http://AuctionInsights.AuctionStealer.com mitigate these connection issues. They have high-speed connections to the internet and can place your last second bid regardless if your computer is on or not. While web based services are generally more expensive than a desktop software application, their reliability is remarkable. An advantage to online sniping services is that they respond quickly to frequent changes in eBays web site that can disable a desktop software program. The hapless auction sniper who is attempting to use a desktop solution is often out of luck until the programmer modifies his or her code and the user installs the update.

Sniping online auction sites such as eBay can be of great benefit to the bidder. It saves them money and greatly increases the chances that they will win the auction. Give it a try on the next auction you bid on!

______________________________________________

Doug Feiring publishes "AuctionInsights.com", an all-encompassing FREE resource guide that provides nuts-and-bolts strategies, ideas, and tools to build a successful eBay online auction business from the ground up, visit http://www.auctioninsights.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:32 AM | TrackBack

September 16, 2005

5 Tips for eBay buyers

by Dave Bromley

One of the reasons for the popularity and success of eBay is the fact that it is very simple to both buy and sell items through the online auction site. It has been estimated that this year 30 million sales worth $20 billion will be made so it is obvious that most people have few problems with the process. However, there is little doubt that some purchasers are paying more for items than they need to. I have identified five tips to help you ensure that even if all your purchases are not bargains they at least represent value for money.

1. Do your Research.

How many of you’re eBay purchases are planned and how many are impulse
buys? If you intend to buy a costly item such as a digital camera, DVD recorder
or other medium priced item it pays to carry out some research. Decide exactly
which model or models you want. If you can visit local shops that sell the
items you are interested in. Find out what features the models you are interested
in offer and mostly importantly find the best prices available. You can then
go onto the Internet and search the non-auction sites to find the best prices
available for the product. Having done this you are now ready to start
browsing eBay.

2. Do not rush in.

The majority of bids are made in the last few hours of an auction so there
is little to gain by putting in a bid early. In fact by putting in a bid at
an early stage you can inadvertently draw other peoples attention to the auction.
The more bids an auction attracts the higher the final bid price will be. Click
on the “Watch this Auction” but do not actually put in a bid until
thee last few hours.

3. Set yourself a top price

If you have done your research correctly you will know exactly the value of
the item you are bidding on. Make up your mind what you top bid is going to
be and stick to it. Sometimes when you find yourself bidding against someone
else there is a tendency to try to win the auction at almost any cost. Whatever
you do don’t fall into this trap once the bidding reaches your preset
limit walk away.

4. Make sure you know everything.

When you make a bid on eBay you are relying on a great extent to the description
and photograph that the seller has supplied. Many times though due to inexperience
or just plain laziness the seller does not include all the information that
you need. In this case do not be afraid to use the “Ask the Seller a
Question “” feature to send an e-mail with any further questions
you may have Quite often a listing with a poor description will not fetch as
good a price as one with a more detailed one. This can sometimes give you the
opportunity to snap up a bargain providing that you can get the information
you need before you place your bid. While we are on this subject I am surprised
at the number of people who place a bid without first checking on what the
shipping or postage charges are. You should always be sure you know exactly
what the total cost of the item would be if your bid is successful.

5. Avoid the rush hour.

Research shows that Sunday afternoon and early evening are the time that is
the busiest on eBay. The quietest appear to be early on Monday and Tuesday
mornings. It follows that with less people viewing you could expect the final
sales price to be lower. I have picked up some bargains by getting up early
on a Monday or Tuesday morning and using the “going, going gone” feature
to find auctions due to finish within the hour.It can be a case that the early
bird really does catch the worm.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 01:28 PM | TrackBack

May 15, 2005

Buying Used Dell Laptops, PC's and Servers on eBay - How to be successful.

Buying Used Dell Laptops, PC's and Servers on eBay - How to be successful.
John Gall

Two years ago I needed a way to refresh more PC's and Laptops at my company without spending more. New Dell laptops were great but expensive and over the years we had accumulated many Latitude C series parts. The C series ran from the CPX C600 C610 C400 and C640 models before their new D line of Latitude laptops were released. The docks, drives and many other parts are usable in any of these models so we decided to take advantage of this and purchase used Dell laptops. eBay was where we sourced these. Over the years I've learned some valuable things about buying these expensive items. Here are some tips and some recommendations of sellers I've found to be very reliable.

Know what you are buying.

Don't just go by the model and specs of the machine. I'm seeing two types of units out there. Those that are complete PC's sold as used units. Also refurbished units that have no serial number on the bottom or in the bios. These units can be had at very good prices and so far I've found them all to be in great condition. The problem is that without the serial you can't even get tech support from Dell and obviously there isn't a warranty. If you don't mind this from the right seller these are great. For my use at my company it just isn't worth the appearance of a model with no serial number. I'm passing on these for now.

Always pay using Pay Pal or some other service that lets you use a credit card.

Even when you use a credit card on Paypal your covered by the dispute and charge back protection provided by your credit card company. I've had two instances where the seller did not ship my laptop and I had to dispute the charge with my credit card company. In both cases I received a credit back from my company and had no trouble from Paypal. Before disputing open a formal case with Paypal as they require that before you do a charge back. I'm not sure what the consequences would be but better to appear as if you are trying to use their system.

Buying regularly? Try to form a relationship with a couple reputable sellers.

After doing business with a handful of sellers I trust I now completely bypass eBay. The sellers love the money they save on fees and I can often have them hunt down mint condition Latitude laptops. Some will even customize the laptop to your specs.

Check the sellers feedback.

Look to see that the seller regularly sells Dell equipment. This tells you two things. One that they are a reputable seller and have a history of people who bought the exact same item and were happy. The other thing is that if you see positive feedback regarding non-similar equipment you can assume that they will have no spare parts or service ability. If you see many sales of similar Dell equipment you can be sure that if you have a problem and notify them right away they will probably be able to fix your laptop.

Ask about warranty or warranty transfer assistance.

If you are lucky the unit you purchase will come with some warranty left from Dell. However Dell will not transfer the warranty into your name unless you have the original owners name and address. If you can find a seller willing to provide this you just struck gold! Note, this is not common at all. You can still get Dell to service an in warranty unit but they won't transfer the ownership to your name.

Buying Servers? Look for Dell refurbished units with a warranty.

I don't know how it works but there are many resellers of Dell Servers that are new or refurbished from Dell. These come with the Dell warranty and are transferable. When the server arrives its in the original Dell box still sealed up. The price can't be beat and I've never had a problem. My suspicion is that for those with the right connections, Dell will sell you volumes of over production and refurbished units far below pricing you'd see in their Dell Outlet site. http://www.scsistuff.com is a great vendor for this type of buy.

John Gall is a full time IT Manager and self employed IT Consultant in Minnesota. He runs several hobby web sites related to technology and travel from http://www.gallconsulting.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Had The Winning Bid, did you

Had The Winning Bid, did you
Jane Fulton

Had The Winning Bid, did you?
(c)janes-place

You arrive at an online auction and are eager to
start bidding. You start looking at the
descriptions and pictures of items you are
interested in. Then the bidding
starts.............

Wow! The excitement! You are now bidding on the
item that you really *must* have. When the
bidding ends, you are notified that you have the
winning bid! My, how excited you are! You send
your payment through Paypal or by mail. You can't
wait to receive the item! After all, it is a
*must* have item!

You wait anxiously for the mailman to deliver
your package. You can't wait everyday until he
delivers the mail. You run to the mailbox as soon
as he leaves. This goes on for weeks! Now it's
been months. It *never* arrives.

Don't feel that you are the only one that has
experienced this. In 1999, consumers lost more
than $3 billion to Internet fraud [National
Consumer League]. People never received what they
purchased or the merchandise they did receive
wasn't what the seller had described.

What do you do now?

First, contact the person selling the
merchandise. Mistakes *do* happpen. Be sure to
keep a copy of the correspondance [mail or email],
between you and the seller.

Didn't get anywhere with that approach?

**Complain to the on-line auction site. Be sure
you can give them proof of your payment and have
copies of any correspondance between you and the
seller.

**Check to see if the site offers a dispute
resolution service. This service works for you,
the buyer.

**Most online auction sites have some type of
insurance program. Ex- eBay will cover up to
$200, minus a $25 deductible if you don't receive
your item or receive items that don't live up to
their description.

If you feel the seller is operating his auctions
dishonestly, send an email to the security staff
of the auction's web site. They *will*
investigate! The sellers account with the auction
can be cancelled in this situation. You can also
file a complaint with the Federal Trade
Commission [FTC]. You can complete a complaint
form at: http://www.ftc.gov

You can protect yourself when bidding at online
auctions by using services that have been around
on the internet for a while--eBay--Yahoo. R-E-A-D
the site's buyer protection policies. Do they
offer insurance and dispute resolution services?
Find out what other purchasers are saying about
the seller. Use a credit card to purchase. You
will have more protection and can cancel a
transaction up to 30 days after purchase. You may
also want to check out an escrow service for
expensive items.

Using an escrow service can save you money in the
long run, especially if you have a large amount
of money at stake. Insurance at auctions only go
up to a certain amount. An escrow service acts as
a middle man. You set-up the escrow account and
deposit the money that you and the seller agree
on. The escrow service will let the seller know
that the money is there and then the item is
shipped. If you are satisfied, the escrow service
releases the money to the seller. If you aren't
satified, let the escrow service know and return
the item to the seller. You money will then be
returned to you, minus the escrow fees for
handling the transaction.

Using these techniques will help you have more
confidence when bidding on merchandise at
auctions.

Happy auctioning!!

Jane Fulton is owner and webmistress of:
http://janes-place.com janes-place is dedicated
to helping newbies. If you are new to the internet,
you need to sign-up for Newbie & Affiliate SOS
Newsletter and learn to use your computer like a pro!
http://janes-place.com/sos.htm
>

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

How To Buy At Wholesale Prices

How To Buy At Wholesale Prices
Mark Eastwood

HOW TO BUY WHOLESALE

Before we get into specific sources I need to dispense some general rules about dealing with wholesalers. The first is that you need to MAKE A SMALL EFFORT to be able to deal with them. Let me explain why as I?m sure your brain is telling you that surely they should make it as easy as possible to be able to deal with them ? NO THAT IS WRONG!

For example - at the top of the chain you will have the company that makes a film. They want as many people in the world to then buy that film. Their job is to advertise and create as much interest as possible. Having created the demand there is no point if the consumer can?t get hold of the product so to supply the product we have countless retailers who will sell the film. We are talking high-street stores, supermarkets, corner-shops, Internet stores, mail-order and YOU.

The wholesaler is the middleman. Its job is to take stock in bulk from the film company and distribute it to the many thousands of retail outlets, making a profit in the process. The film company does not want to get involved in dealing with thousands of accounts ? it just wants to concentrate on what it knows best ? making movies.

So what?s the problem? Well a wholesaler is meant to be a distributor to the retailer ? NOT a retailer themselves. Given the fact they are buying cheaply from the film company, a retailer would be outraged if the wholesaler sold direct to the public. If this happened retailers would most likely not bother to sell the film companies products. This wouldn?t be good for the film company -imagine companies like Wal-Mart or Tesco not stocking the latest blockbuster releases.

So ? the wholesalers must keep up the pretence of not dealing with the public and only dealing with genuine traders i.e. retailers. This is why they erect a few barriers to put off the end user ? however the good news is that we can EASILY slip in through the backdoor by knowing what to do and by obeying a few golden rules.

Do not think for a second you are doing something wrong (you are not) and do not be nervous ? the wholesalers really want to sell as many items as they can, they really do want to deal with you, they just need you to ?play the game? correctly.

Because wholesalers are not dealing with the end-user you will find that they often appear inefficient and dinosaur-like. Remembering that they are not a retailer and so they often have lousy web sites (if they even have one). They also will advertise the RRP (recommended retail price). This is the price they recommend the retailer to be selling the product for.

To get the wholesale prices you will generally (but not always) be required to join first (for free ? avoid anyone charging a fee) before they give you the ?real? prices.

Let?s also bear in mind that as well as not wanting to upset their masters (the film company) and their customers (the retailers) a wholesaler will also NOT want to deal with millions of customers who buy occasionally, maybe only once.

So they would prefer to deal with traders who are going to spend bucket loads. How do they know this will happen ? well they can?t possibly know if you are going to become a superstar or not and this is where we come in. Even if you want to buy for your own personal use ? it?s ok - as long as you don?t tell them this.

They will not turn away potentially massive business so as long as you appear to be a trader you are in. Remember - someone running a market stall is a trader who may become a shopkeeper who may turn into a chain. Wholesalers don?t ONLY deal with huge retailers.

As well as keeping the prices under wraps the main obstacle is by getting you to fill in some application forms. You will generally need to phone or fax a wholesaler to get these ? warning, your emails can get completely ignored as customer service is way down on their priority list.

Now let?s get your story right. Many wholesalers will say that they deal with trade only. There is no need to be a shop owner. Trade can be mail-order via the Internet (i.e. eBay). If asked I would use this description as well as saying you trade via market stalls. Only volunteer this information if asked as many wholesalers won?t even bother ? they are busy people and sometimes the rules are lax.

Make up a trade name ? it sounds better to them. Using your initials is always good i.e. JB Trading.

Sometimes they have large minimum orders (i.e. ?100) to put people off although mostly they don?t. Sometimes this only applies to the first order.

If you are really unlucky then they may ask for proof of trading such as letterhead, business card or an invoice from someone. Even this is quite easy ? just concoct something using your word processor i.e. Word and they will accept it ? let?s not forget that you are not claiming to be a huge retailer just a small-time trader. You don?t have to have a limited company or be a corporation, most businesses in the world are run as one-man bands.

When you contact them ask for a catalogue. They will generally just ask for your name and address. Use your ?trading name? and use your home address and home phone number. Perhaps ask them if they have a minimum order size.

Another obstacle is that they sometimes ask for references. In my experience these are never followed up but are another way to put off the ?average Joe?. It would be quite easy to use a friend i.e. SP International Export (and using your friends address).

Applying for a credit account is not a good idea as they are then very likely to really want references. Mostly you can pay by credit card and therefore the checks on you are minimal or non-existent.

Once you have played by the rules and jumped through a few hoops you will have access to the trade prices and information. Once you are in ? you are in so this is just an initial inconvenience.

This is an excerpt from the best-selling book by Mark Eastwood entitled 'How To Buy Cheap DVDs and Games and Make Money' - this article can be reproduced and published as long as it is credited to Mark Eastwood, and the web address of www.cheapdvdsandgames.com is displayed.

Mark Eastwood is author of the best-selling book: How To Buy Cheap DVDs and Games and Make Money - this article can be reproduced and published as long as it is credited to Mark Eastwood, and the web address of www.cheapdvdsandgames.com is displayed.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Overcoming the most Frustrating Situation on eBay

Overcoming the most Frustrating Situation on eBay
Carolyn Schweitzer

It's happened to the best of us.

You've been watching the auction all week, and finally you're about to claim your prize--a rare bronze statue from the Shang Dy dynasty. Or something just as tantalizing. You log on a few minutes before the auction closes, and confirm that you're still the top bidder -- no one has challenged you in several days. You're already picturing "your" statue prominently displayed on the living room mantelpiece, your friends green with envy as you tell them about the great deal you got on eBay. You refresh the page a few times, to make sure you're still #1. You even up your bid a little just to make sure no body tries to outbid you at the last minute.

50 seconds to go...30...10...the auction has ended and the statue is yours!! You refresh the page for the last time so you can see your eBay ID announced as the winning bidder. And that's when your heart drops to your toes. It's not your eBay ID at all, but some joker who calls themselves "speedyfingers147".

How could this have happened? You were the winning bidder with only 10 seconds to go!! Speedy or not, it just doesn't seem humanly possible.

Well, you're right. No one is that fast. Speedyfingers (I made that one up, so if it's your actual eBay ID, please don't sue me!) won the auction in the final 4 seconds. It isn't humanly possible because "speedy" didn't actually place the bid. The bid was place on his or her behalf, from a remote server, using something called Bidding Software.

The act of placing a bid during the final seconds of an online auction is called "Sniping" and it's perfectly legal on eBay. Bidding wars and sniping are an eBay sellers dream and a buyer's nightmare. Why, you're asking yourself, don't these people just use eBay's trusty proxy bidding process? Why not just discreetly enter the maximum they're willing to pay at the beginning of the auction, then let the cards fall where they may? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, it's not human nature. If all you have to do is outbid the next guy by fifty cents or even five dollars to win, wouldn't you?

Second, it doesn't make economic or strategic sense to place a bid anytime before the last five minutes of an auction.

Think about it. EBay encourages bidders to use the proxy system and place bids early. What this means is that an inexperienced bidder who wants an item will to want to be the highest bidder right away, and will keep upping their bid to hold that winning position. They'll only stop when the bidding exceeds their budget. Then the next guy comes along and continues the process. If this starts at the beginning of a seven or ten day auction, and ends with a bidding war in the last 10 minutes, the final price for the item can spiral out of control. Many items sell for far more than fair market value because people get caught up in "bidding fever" -- all they want is to WIN, they're not even thinking about whether the price is realistic.

A better strategy would be for everyone to "watch" the auction until the very end. Again, there's two good reasons. One, the price doesn't spiral up as just illustrated. Two, the auction has zero bids, so it attracts fewer bidders-- less competition. It's a fact that once an auction has at least 1 bid , it becomes a magnet for additional bidders. Shoppers scanning an auction page tend to jump to the ones with bids, figuring there must be something that attracted other bidders. The more bids, the more interesting the item looks.

Wouldn't it be great if a seller started a two carat diamond ring at $0.99 and no one bid until the last five minutes, and they all bid in fifty cent increments? Someone might win the ring for just a few bucks!! Of course, that never happens, but it would be the ideal situation for a buyer -- and it would put eBay out of business in a hurry. EBay encourages early bidding and smiles upon the snipers of the world. EBay makes their profits on listing fees and "final value" fees. The more the item sells for the higher the "final value". This makes eBay very happy. That's why you'll never find any tutorials anywhere on eBay telling you to wait until the end of an auction to bid.

OK, so now that we all understand the benefits of sniping, lets get back to our friend "speedyfingers147". Speedy probably started out in life just like I did. She learned everything she knew about eBay from eBay and never realized there was such a thing as bidding software. Never knew a computer could do your sniping automatically, bid on your behalf in the last 2 to 8 seconds of an auction, and do it while you're asleep. With sniping software, you tell the software program which auctions you're interested in and how much you're willing to pay. EBay never knows you've seen the auction until your friendly sniping service swoops in and places your bid with only seconds to spare. Neither does your competition. They never see you coming. The only way you can lose is if someone else uses the same program sets their maximum bid higher than yours.

Yes, my friend, you can still lose. There is no guarantee of winning an auction no matter what system you use, if someone else is willing to pay more. If you set your maximum bid at a million dollars for a hunk of Elvis' belly button lint and some nut is willing to pay a million ten, you're still going to lose!

But, there's something about losing that's good for the soul. It's the satisfaction of knowing that you didn't lose your head and spend more than you could afford!! Trust me, I've been there, done that, and come to regret it. With sniping programs, you can "set it and forget it" and walk away knowing that if you don't win, you couldn't have afforded it anyway.

What's that I hear you saying? "But I could have had it if I'd just upped my bid by another fifty cents!" Hey, did you listen to anything I just said? Do you want to drive yourself nuts? It's only stuff, after all. You can't take it with you, and there will always be more. The beauty of eBay is that there will probably be another just like it, or at least something just as fabulous.

Speaking of which, there's another big advantage to using bidding software. Two things, actually. (again). First, on eBay, it's a huge no-no to retract a bid. You can only do this under the most dire of circumstances and if you do it too many times you'll be politely asked to leave. Permanently. Second, sniping programs allow you to do something called "contingency bidding". Suppose you're interested in several very similar items and you want to win at least one of them but not all. Provided they're not all ending at the same time, you can create a contingency plan telling the bidding software to cancel your bids on the other items as soon as you win one of them.

In all cases, you can change your mind about an item you're bidding on at any time (except in approximately the last 15 minutes) because eBay doesn't register your bid until the Sniping program enters it for you, at the very end of the auction. Isn't that nice? No more "watching" an auction you're unsure about, and then forgetting to bid on it. No more finding out you've read the description wrong and you're bidding on an item you don't want. No more finding something you like better after you've already committed yourself to another item, and having to pass on it. Or worse, spending way too much on both!

There are several sniping programs out there. My personal favorite is PowerSnipe, at www.PowerSnipe.com?af=netbrainer , because their "Auto Search" feature makes the bidding process even easier by allowing you to browse auctions through the program?s built in web browser. You can check out competitors with a simple search in Google.

Take a no-risk tour through the Power Sniping program with their trial version. Believe me, the first time you snatch an item away from Speedyfingers147--or anyone else for that matter--you'll be hooked.

© 2004 NetBrainer LLC. An eBay PowerSeller and rabid eBay shopper, Carolyn Schweitzer is the owner and editor of www.NetBrainer.com, a site dedicated to improving the performance of buyers and sellers on eBay, and teaching eBay as a business. Carolyn provides weekly recorded tips on eBay for Third Mind USA Small-Biz radio at http://thirdmindusa.com/.
href="mailto:netbrainer@verizon.net">netbrainer@verizon.net

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Real estate auction action - Buying a home at auction

Real estate auction action - Buying a home at auction
Jakob Jelling

Due in part to the popularity of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s home auction program, more potential homebuyers than ever are buying homes at auction. Homes for auction aren't limited to just HUD, however. Many government entities auction homes for payment of back taxes, and some homeowners even auction their homes on eBay.com!

Homebuyers considering buying a home at auction should take some steps in advance to help them with their bid price, and even whether to bid at all on a specific home. There will always be a degree of risk when buying a home this way, but with a little diligence, potential homebuyers could save a lot of money buying in this manner.

Before the auction, you should have your financing arranged, and have enough cash on hand or in your bank account to cover a deposit on your purchase. You need to check the features, location, condition, and ownership history first. Afterwards, be sure to learn what the property is worth by looking at sales of comparable properties in the same area. Compare homes with the same number of rooms is possible, but be sure to allow for price differences due to pools, decks, carpeting, window treatments, etc.

At the auction itself, resist the temptation to get into a personal bidding war, just "to beat out the other guy". Have a set price limit and stick to it. Other houses will come along, and you don't have to win the first auction that comes your way.

You should know that the price of a home at auction is typically the loan balance (if foreclosed), plus any back taxes owed, plus legal fees and other expenses in foreclosing the property. This will typically be the opening bid amount, and the price will go up from there. Even so, it's possible to get a great deal in an auctioned house, with a little research and planning first.

Also, know that you probably won't be able to get an inspection, and are buying the home "as is". If you can't do any needed repair work yourself, or can't hire it done within your budget, you may not end up getting such a bargain in the end.

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Six steps towards successful buying at eBay auctions

Six steps towards successful buying at eBay auctions
Stephen Reynolds

Buying on eBay can be very rewarding, either in terms of being able to pick up items cheaply or for hunting for hard to find items. Although generally the experience is good, there are instances where things can go badly wrong. These tips, based on experience over the last seven years, should help to avoid some of the potential pitfalls.

1. Make use of the various tools provided on eBay to ascertain the target price of items you are interested in. A simple way to do this is to 'search' for completed items.

2. Always check that there are no hidden costs associated with your potential bargain. These may may include unspecified unspecified postage costs, or paypal fees chargeable to the buyers. If in doubt e-mail the buyer and if you don't get a response then don't bid. Remember that when buying from overseas postage costs can be significant compared to the price of the item and also for more expensive items you may be liable to customs fees.

3. Check out the seller's feedback. You should be aiming to buy from sellers with feedback of at least 98 per cent - if it is less and you are interested in an item read the feedback comments to satisfy yourself that the buyer provides a good service. In particular, read the neutral and negative feedback posts to try to work out what may have gone wrong with previous transactions.

4. Don't get carried away and end up bidding more than need or want to. Some items appear very frequently on eBay and it may be worth setting yourself a limit and waiting for the next one to come along.

5. If you find you are often being outbid at the last moment, consider using a sniping software which you can use to automatically submit a bid in the last few seconds of the auctions.

6. Where possible, use Paypal to pay for items on eBay. The sellers get their payment quickly, and there is a degree of protection for buyers if things go wrong. eBay (via My eBay) provides a number of tools for monitoring progress on your transaction.

Stephen Reynolds

After a number of years in music retail, I now run popular music site MusicShopper.info

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Slack Economy Fuels eBay Shopping

Slack Economy Fuels eBay Shopping
Jim Edwards

With the current economic outlook appearing fairly bleak
for many individuals and businesses, most feel the need to
make every dollar count.

But, no matter how bad the economy does or doesn't get for
every one of us, one fact remains a constant of human
nature: People love a bargain!

This fact came home quite clearly to me last week when I
used eBay to turn an expensive business purchase into an
almost guilty buying pleasure.

I needed to purchase a very specialized piece of equipment
for my home office called a "Mimio Board." It converts a
standard "white board" you draw on with erasable markers
into a digital board you use with your PC. In short,
everything you draw on the board shows up in the computer.

I really wanted this equipment, much like a 5-year old
child really wants a new bike! Unfortunately, a new "Mimio
Board" cost $400 minimum. But, unlike the 5-year old who
stamps his foot and screams "no fair", I did something
about it. I went to eBay!

I did a quick search for "mimio" in hope of finding a used
model at a reduced price. Much to my surprise I didn't find
a used one, but I did find a brand new one still in the box
and available at over 75% off!

It seemed such a great deal that I actually felt a bit
skeptical and thought I smelled a "scam." But, like the 5-
year old, I really wanted that bike, I mean "mimio board!"

So I enlisted the aid of a professional "eBay Power Buyer"
with many years' experience (my wife) to help me evaluate
the deal and whether or not to go for it.

As a veteran of hundreds of successful transactions, she
gave me this eBay buying advice, which I now pass to you,
my new bargain hunting friend:

Check Feedback - Every seller receives public feedback from
past buyers. Carefully check this feedback and pay special
attention to any negative comments. Look for trends and
volume of negative comments. You should avoid sellers with
lots of negative feedback, especially recent bad behavior
indicating a decline in service.

Check Descriptions - Carefully read the item description to
make sure it's exactly what you expect to receive. Look for
any guarantees and always ask the seller questions before
bidding. You can email the seller for a particular auction
right from the item page.

Shipping Charges & Insurance - Before bidding, find out
exactly how much it costs to ship an item to ensure the
seller doesn't inflate the shipping charges to add profit.
Though you must pay for it, always insist on shipping
insurance for one-of-a-kind, fragile or expensive items.

Payment - Make sure you know how the seller accepts payment
and how it affects product delivery time. Some sellers
won't ship your product until after your check clears.

Overall, eBay makes a great place to find bargains for both
home and business if you shop carefully and use common
sense to avoid any obvious pitfalls.

Jim Edwards is the co-author of an incredible new ebook that
will teach you how to write and publish your own highly
profitable ebook in a week or less... even if you failed
high school English class
mailto:7dayebook@getresponse.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Tips to Avoid Online Auction Fraud

Tips to Avoid Online Auction Fraud
John Lynch

While most buyers and sellers on internet auction sites are
honest, there is always the threat of underlying fraud.

Auction sites have had instances of sellers posting pictures of
items for sale, only to include in extremely small print that
buyers are only bidding for the photo rather than the item itself.
When the photo arrives in the post and not the product, buyers
are obviously outraged.

Steps to avoid online auction fraud

1)Check seller's feedback

One of the best ways to judge a seller's honesty is to check his
or her feedback. Most buyers will give feedback on a sale,
rating the seller in the seller's Feedback Profile. If the feedback
is negative, it will be very difficult for that seller to buy or sell
anything on that auction site in future. Check the seller's
feedback and if it is not overwhelmingly positive, do not buy.

2)Find out seller's contact details

Before you enter into a deal, try to establish contact with the
seller. On eBay you can search information on a member by
visiting the Find Members page. If you can get a phone number
or an email address, you have a better chance of solving any
future problems. You could establish contact with the buyer by
requesting further information about the nature of the product
in which you are interested.

3)Payment Methods

Credit cards are the safest way to buy anything online for the simple
reason that, in the case of fraud, most credit card companies will
cover the cost. Online payment services such as PayPal and FastPay
are also popular with auction site users because of their safety.
These are account-based systems that send money via credit card or
bank account.

4) Use an Escrow Service

For higher priced items you should consider an escrow service.
An escrow service acts as a middleman between the buyer and
the seller to ensure a fair transaction.

The escrow service holds the item and the money until the buyer
has inspected and approved the goods. Only then does it release
the money to the seller.

The only downside is that it will cost the buyer extra to use this
service. However, it is something to bear in mind when buying
more expensive items.

5) Complaints/ Fraud Protection

Most online auction sites have a complaints' procedure.
For example,if you're unhappy with the goods or you have not
received them, Ebay operates a fraud protection program. For
more information go to :
http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/fpp-guide.html

FlipShark has a useful site on internet auction scams.
www.flipshark.com/scams/ebayindex.html

The US Federal Trade Commission has a useful guide for
buyers and sellers on internet auctions which has relevance
to other countries.
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/auctions.htm

To sum up, most buyers and sellers on internet auction sites are
honest. However, if you use the above tips, you should not fall
victim to auction fraud.

? 2003 John Lynch

Visit http://www.merchant-account-service.com/ebay.html for a
FREE extensive auctions course on how to start a successful
online auctions business.
==========================

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Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Using The Power Of Government Auctions & Wholesalers For Massive Discounts

Using The Power Of Government Auctions & Wholesalers For Massive Discounts
Tukshad Engineer

I step into my local mall, and into a leading top brand clothes store. I see a jumper I like and while feeling the soft material casually lift up the price tag - and I almost feint with disbelief. How much??? That's more than I make in 2 days! I quickly stop caressing the fabric and head toward Big Als Unbranded Clothes Discount Centre for a sweater within my budget range (which unfortunately will no doubt look as if it were knitted by my 5 year old Niece.)

Sounds familiar? Well it really need not be this way. It actually amazes me how many people do not use wholesalers and government auctions to save 50%, 70% or even a whopping 90% on just about anything they could ever wish to purchase. That's right - it's incredibly easy to get regular 50% discounts on top brand items just by knowing WHERE to shop.

Let us begin by looking at Government Auctions. While this article will focus on the USA and UK it's worth noting that government auctions are held in many other countries too. A government auction is held to auction off various items (often at rock bottom prices)
that the government has legal ownership of. The type of items auctioned by various government agencies include vehicles, electronics, real estate, computers, jewellery and a lot more.

In the UK, the types of government agencies that will offer up bargain goods and properties include the police and C&E - there are also private liquidation's due to corporate bankruptcies. Many hundreds of auctions are held yearly and there are many outrageous bargains to be had in most of them. It's not unusual to pickup a brand new widescreen TV at ?30 or top spec PCs and laptops from a mere ?200. It's possible to learn more here:

http://www.global-ebooks.com/UKGovAuctions.htm

In the USA there are also similar bargains to be had, and the government agencies often auction off cheap land and properties in addition to the usual range of electronics, vehicles and household goods. Just some of the bargains in recent times include assorted jewellery $600 in value being sold for just $20 and an actual house being sold at 50% below its market value. More information on
government auctions in the USA is available here:

http://www.global-ebooks.com/US_GOVERNMENT_AUCTIONS.htm

So are there any catches? Surely not anyone can just turn up and help themselves to all the bargains that they can carry home? Well actually, that's just the way it is. Anyone can attend, you just need to know where and these auctions take place.

Not a lot of people realise it, but it's also possible to pick up massive wholesale bargains, just by ordering goods from a good wholesaler. There is a lot of apprehension with a lot of people when it comes to buying from wholesalers - many people are afraid that they will get turned away, that wholesalers will only sell to huge retail stores with many thousands of dollars to spend. While some wholesalers do have minimum orders, many do not at all and will gladly accept orders from you and me. You can check out some really good wholesalers here:

UK
http://www.global-ebooks.com/UKWHOLESALEPAGES.htm

USA
http://www.global-ebooks.com/US_WHOLESALE_PAGES.htm

So there you have it - a way to save a lot of money on just about anything that you want to buy. The best thing is that you can just as easily use this information to actually make money. How? eBay is the worlds biggest auction site by far, enjoying billions of page impressions per month (and this number is growing!). People will buy and sell almost anything on eBay, and some sellers have actually
made selling on eBay their full time jobs. Many of them use the government and wholesale sources to buy stock cheap before reselling on eBay at huge profit margins (100%+).

Whether you're looking to save money or make money on top brand goods and services, wholesalers and government auctions are the way forward. Find out a list of auctions and wholesalers that you can visit and then just DO IT! You may well be pleasantly surprised with what you come home with!
Hundreds of money saving ideas, tips & websites at
http://www.my-online-powerpack.com/subscribersite.htm
Get the best discount websites & money saving alerts by subscribing to my newsletter ? send an email mailto:tukshad@global-ebooks.com

Hundreds of money saving ideas, tips & websites at
http://www.my-online-powerpack.com/subscribersite.htm
Get the best discount websites & money saving alerts by subscribing to my newsletter ? send an email mailto:tukshad@global-ebooks.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Want to blow up a city Try Ebay.

Want to blow up a city Try Ebay.
David A. Saharkhiz

Want to buy a missile launcher? This decomissioned Soviet FROG Missile Launcher, capable of launching a massively leathal ballistic warhead, was put up for sale on ebay recently.

Shiny*Things, the seller of this beast, claims:

"I believe this is the biggest Petrol Twin V8 14ltr SUV you will find, and will easily make Humvee's look like tiny dinky toys."

At least he's honest.

Ebay wanted to take the item down because it originally included the actual warhead! Shiny*things has since removed the warhead as part of the offer, but if you are itching to to drive this 10-ton fiberglass monstrosity into the sun, your titanium chassis towering above the street, AND if you have about $40,000 to spare, this decomissioned FROG missile launcher is for you.

Originally posted by David Saharkhiz at GoArticles.

David Saharkhiz is a computer science major and National Merit Semifinalist at America's Clemson University. He provides comprehensive web-help and HTML coding tutorials, codes free HTML scripts, and works to help novice webmasters set up new websites.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

April 18, 2005

How to Buy Used Baby Clothes Online

Sharlene Rollins

There are multitudes of ways to purchase used clothing for your baby. In this article I will cover only the online options available in the hopes that it will help you to maximize your spending money with the least amount of hassle, stress or risk. I hope to cover some of the key issues of buying used clothes online such as private sales versus online stores, the use of PayPal and other forms of payment, purchasing through ebay and non-ebay auctions or non-auctions alike, online classifieds and more all in the hopes that you will benefit from some of the things I've learned and avoid the mistakes that I as well as others have made.

First of all let's talk a bit about where to find used baby clothes online from private sellers. There are some areas on the web which allow you to post used clothing ads such as ebay and classified sites. Some classified or "for sale" sites are even specialized in either family or baby related items. Ebay, for those of us who are familiar but not necessarily all knowing about it, is a giant online auction with items being posted constantly in all possible fields and topics. Those selling can choose to list their items in an auction format in which the sky's the limit. Bids can start as low as one penny or they can choose to invite people to purchase the items out right by using a buy now feature in which they set a price for their items. As a general rule the buyer pays all shipping costs on top of the selling price and most payments are made through PayPal, which I will cover later.

Baby clothing on ebay tends to be mostly new with or without tags attached and is either sold in batches of items known as "lots" (grouped by gender and size) or individually as outfits. Since I am focusing on used baby items let's discuss those. Batches of baby clothing on ebay tend to get bid very high as there is a seemingly large number of people wanting to buy in this way and very few meeting the demand. I have found that items and batches of clothing of any note on ebay tend to sky rocket in price above what is reasonable for used clothing -- particularly if they toss in a few name brands such as Gap, Osh Kosh, Gymboree etc... and more often than not a bidding war ensues and you are inevitably outbid or worse you get caught up and spend more than you'd originally expected for items you haven't even seen and have no quality guarantee!

Auction and classified or selling sites other than ebay can be very chancy -- since ebay is established it has the ability to set down rules which keep most dishonest people out while the smaller sights haven't the same pull with those posting. Quite often these sites (this doesn't really apply to local purchasing) are riddled with people who are no longer allowed to post on ebay for one reason or another. I have had experiences myself in which items promised ended up being fewer than what I'd paid for and set a price based entirely on quantity! I can't tell you how upset that made me, and what was worse -- I was informed that three of the items had small stains when in truth about 50 fell into the stained category. So what had originally been a good deal turned out to be very disappointing!

There are of course no guarantees with a private seller, no return policy or customer service after the sale is closed and once the sale is complete you must find a new seller down the road when you need clothing again and you run the risks of stumbling across a swindle or a sour deal every time.

One rule to follow in all private sales is to use a traceable method of payment like PayPal. PayPal is a third party which will ensure payment and receipt of product from both parties. Do not use Western Union in any online transactions, or any other non traceable forms of payment! There is no guarantee you'll ever get the items you paid for when you use this method as it is meant to be untraceable!

So now let's discuss the second option of buying used baby clothes online -- the non private sellers or online used baby clothing stores. There are over 50 stores currently running online who specialize in selling used baby clothing. As with all things online there are stores which are shabbily run due to poor web design skills and such to no fault on the part of the store, they just don't have the skills to make the process simple and enjoyable for you. They have great items and competitive prices and if you don't mind a little extra effort when placing an order they do have more security than the average private seller -- especially since you know where they are going to be when you need them. There are a handful of sites which are a little better for service - for example you do not need to email them detailed descriptions of the items you'd like, mail them a money order or some such and then wait for them to receive it before they even send you the items these sites often have PayPal as an option and some even have shopping carts if a little confusing to use. There are an even smaller number of high service sights who offer credit card payment options, low shipping costs and things similar to those offered by online stores in general. Quite a few of all three levels of sites have quality guarantees for a week or so after you've received your order -- one even offers a full year quality guarantee! This ensures that the items you buy from them have been inspected thoroughly by people who have a more universal understanding of the words "in great condition" and it is in their best interest to satisfy as they ideally would like you to come back and tell others! Shopping with these stores can be fun and you can save tons while getting the quality you are looking for!

Should you choose the more dangerous route of shopping through private sellers with ebay and non ebay sites please take care and remember to never use a non traceable form of payment, don't be afraid to ask numerous questions -- if something seems off in their responses trust your gut -- there will always be another seller. Should you choose to explore the option of purchasing through an online used baby clothing store I wish you all the fun of shopping for baby clothes at bargain prices (doesn't that mean you can buy even more?!) with none of the hassle or risks associated with private sellers and the added benefit of quality guarantees! Happy Shopping! I will cover more on this issue in later posts.

Sharlene Rollins owns and operates a unique second hand online store www.gentlylovedclothing.com. Her email address is shar@gentlylovedclothing.com.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 05:37 PM

Ebay and Dropshipping, A Marriage Made In Heaven

Ron Keegan

Believe it or not, eBay is the 'BEST' opportunity you can use right now to make money online in the dropshipping business from the comfort of your own home.

Thousands of people just like you use eBay auctions on a daily basis to sell and buy products on the Internet; now it's your time to START your own dropshipping home-based business and succeed in the eBay auctions 'game'!

There are no special skills required for this dropshipping business, all you need is a computer, Internet access and some basic computer / Internet knowledge.

Dropshipping is when you sell products on the Web, forward the orders to the dropship supplier and, in return, the dropshipper ships the product to your customer (buyer).

You act as the middleman between the dropshipping supplier and your buyer. You can take orders by credit card, PayPal fax or any other method you can think of. You can sell via your own Web Site, Yahoo store, or even through e-mails.

Your profit is generated on the difference between your selling price and the price the dropshipping supplier charges you.

Thanks to dropshipping you can start making money 'instantly' without any investment in inventory, warehousing, shipping, equipment, employees or office space.

Having products drop shipped by suppliers, allows you to concentrate on truly important aspects like advertising, sales and promotion.

Pay attention! There are lots of companies claiming to be 'Drop Shippers'. However, a legitimate drop shipper is a factory-authorized wholesale distributor, or sometimes the actual manufacturer of the product. A legitimate drop shipper should not charge you an 'account setup fee' or ask you to place a 'minimum quantity order'.

Make sure you find legitimate drop shippers who have the product(s) you want to sell, talk with them on the phone or by e-mail and let them know that you are truly serious about doing business with them.

Customer support counts in the dropshipping business, so don't hesitate to contact dropshipping suppliers before you proceed to work with them.

This will help you decide if you really want to do business with a particular drop shipper or not.

To succeed in the dropshipping business you'll have to LOOK for hard-to-find products that people desperately need and want to purchase.

The key is to sell products with little or no competition.

Do some research for product's you want to sell that you think will have little or no competition on eBay.

I suggest you RESEARCH for quality products & legitimate dropship suppliers, MONITOR the eBay auction listings to see if there's any competition and TEST the market (e.g. find out if people really want to spend CASH on the product you want to sell)

Remember! Dropshipping makes it EASY for you to start and run your own home-based businesses on a shoestring budget; and eBay is the 'perfect' MEDIUM to expose your product to potential buyers all over the globe!

Ron Keegan runs Megastar Distributors a red-hot Web Site jam-packed with lots of FREE Resources, Tips & Reports on DropShipping & eBay. Pick-up your *FREE* ebook at http://www.Megdis.com to learn more about making-money dropshipping!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:30 PM

Buying Fitness Equipment On eBay Deals or Duds

Jane Simms

With tens of millions of registered members and more than 12,000 items listed, eBay is, without a doubt, the world's largest Internet marketplace. And you can buy just about anything there--from CDs, movies and vitamins to first edition books, new businesses and even someone's last breath of air. But--what you want to know--is it the place to shop for fitness equipment?

The answer is yes, but that?s if you don?t mind sifting and, in most cases, bidding.

On a given day in June 2003, there were 1,026,771 items listed under the ?Sports? category; and there were 344,705 items in the "Sporting Goods" subcategory, which is broken down into more than three-dozen subcategories. Under "Exercise & Fitness," a ?Sporting Goods? subcategory, there were 7,146 items. And that subcategory is divided up into six subcategories. Hope you?re not too confused.

On that given June day, I took a look at several fitness products sold on eBay. I wanted to find out how low prices on new (never been used) popular or quality products go on this mega auction site. The good news: They can go pretty low.

One product I examined was Total Trainer, and there are several models listed on eBay. I zeroed in on the 3000 model, which is supposed to be comparable to the Brinkley- and Norris- endorsed Total Gym 3000. On eBay, Total Trainer is offered in two pricing formats: Name your own or Buy It Now (skip the auction process) for $277. Off eBay, Total Gym retails for, on average, $500.

I also compared a few other infomercial-marketed products. One, a knock-off of the Fast Abs bodybuilding belt, an electronic muscle stimulation device, runs for about $10 to $15 on eBay (with free shipping). Off eBay, the real product will cost you around $30, plus shipping/handling. Another, Smart ABS, is priced at $50 on eBay; off, it ranges between $70 and $80. A third product is a Fitness Quest glider similar to the Tony Little Gazelle Freestyle Elite. Buy it on eBay and you?ll pay roughly $220, almost half of what you would spend at Little?s official site.

The last product I checked out was Jolie Weights, one-pound attachable fitness shoe weights introduced this spring by Jolie World. At JolieWeights.com, these weights cost $19.99. An independent eBay seller was auctioning them for $14.99. That?s a 25 percent savings. Plus, shipping/handling charges are exactly the same.

The bottom line is: You will find some good deals on eBay. But there are a good number of duds there too. The best advice? Do your research before buying. Compare prices; read the fine print; ask the seller whether it?s a discontinued or irregular product; and be vigilant of bloated shipping/handling charges (a common practice among eBay sellers). A final tip: before buying anything, read the seller?s reviews, where buyers post their positive or negative shopping experiences. If the eBay seller has too many negatives, then you may want to pass on the deal. If the seller seems legitimate, and you?ve confirmed it?s a steal, jump on it. The price--the product-- may be gone tomorrow.

Jane Simms is a Florida-based health and fitness freelance writer. E-mail Jane at: fitsimms@aol.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:35 PM