Hello <$firstname$>

First of all let me start off by wishing all my subscribers a Happy and Prosperous New Year. I must also apologise for being a couple of days late with this edition of UK AuctionLine newsletter. I have been waiting for a copy of Dan Wilsons new book “Make Money on eBay UK.” The Inside Guide to Getting Started Buying and Selling Successfully on eBay UK.

This paperback book priced at a very reasonable £9.99 is written by a true eBay “insider” Dan Wilson the eBay UK Community Manager. If anyone has access to all the true facts and figures about online auction trading then it is going to be Dan.

The aim of the book is described as to help you make your trading experience a successful and enjoyable one. You will also find a section devoted help you protect yourself against online fraud and how to minimise the risk of being ripped off.

This is a book you definitely should have in your library and I am pleased to say that I have made a special arrangement with the books publishers so that UKAuctionline subscribers can save £1 if they order the book by the 6th February. To get a copy of Make Money on eBay UK for the special offer price of £8.99 with free postage and packing in the UK call 020 7239 0360 or email sales@nbrealey-books.co.uk and quote “auctionline”

I was pleased to learn that Paypal and eBay have got together over the subject of Winning Buyer notifications. From the end of January instead of both Paypal and eBay sending out e-mail notification of a winning bid you will get just one from eBay. This will include transaction details, payment information and customised messaging. Anything that cuts down the amount of e-mails gets my vote.

Dave Bromley

eBay have announced the introduction of a new Item Not Received process. This is a new way for buyers and sellers to communicate with each other to resolve issues when a buyer has a problem with a purchase. This will replace the old Fraud alert system. And guide buyers on what do if they do not receive an item they have paid for or it is significantly different from what was listed.

EBay say that under the old system it could be unclear to both the buyer and seller as to what steps could be taken to resolve a problem. When eBay first announced the proposed changes there was some criticism over the time scales allowed. Ebay have now amended these and will now be able to initiated Item Not Received process 10 days after the listing ends.

The full details of these changes can be found on the eBay.co.uk site in the Community Section – eBay UK Announcements.

Today eBay have announced a 90 day trial of a feature to filter feedback comments by rating type.

Some ebay users have complained that they would like a way to see specific feedbacks such as all sellers negative feedback without having to wade through hundreds of positive comments. On the other hand some sellers feel that viewing just negative or neutral feedback in isolation will give an unfair picture.

To see how such a facility will be received the trial will be limited to the UK and four other eBay countries, China, France, Italy and Taiwan. It will apply only to Feedback received within the past 12 months and the feature will be removed immediately after the 90 day test.

On any of the trial sites, members will be able to access a new drop-down menu labelled “period” on the Member Profile page. After choosing a time period, special rating filters will appear. Also within the filtered view, a new icon will appear next to each feedback comment allowing members to quickly view the feedback left by both the buyer and seller for that transaction (if any).

If you have dabbled at all in the world of Internet marketing, you may have heard the term "unique selling proposition" or USP. USP is a technique that Internet marketers use to set themselves apart from the competition. Internet marketing is highly competitive and highly saturated. In order to be successful, it is vital that the Internet marketer present himself as being unique and different from his competitors especially when many of them are selling the same products.

It is also just as vital to have a unique selling proposition on Ebay. I am amazed at the number of Ebay sellers that are either unaware or just don't care about the importance of having a unique selling proposition. A case in point: A while back, I was researching some products on Ebay from a wholesale company called B&F System. B&F System is a wholesale only company that carries a variety of brand name products. One of the brands they carry is called Maxam. I came across several Maxam leather jackets on Ebay while searching ended auctions. Now here's the kicker. About a dozen or so of these leather jacket auctions were exactly the same. They all used the same image of a guy modeling the jacket that was captured from the B&F website. They even used the exact ad copy used by B&F!

What was the result? Only one of the sellers was able sell any jackets. The top bid was only $26. And since he purchased the jackets from B&F for $20, he made about $5.00 profit after Ebay fees. That's a slim profit for an item that normally retails for $95.

Always keep in mind that the amount of effort you put fourth on you auctions will be in direct proportion to the amount of return you get from your auctions. The sellers who put up the jacket auctions put fourth little effort by using stock photos and ad copy from the B&F website, and therefore received little or no sales from their auctions. The sellers in this case might think that using stock photos makes their auctions look more professional. It's just the opposite. These auctions look very amateurish. Using a picture of someone modeling a garment will not entice people to bid on your auction. Using three or four high quality pictures of the actual item along with a detailed description will entice people to bid. Remember that buying apparel off the internet is not like buying music CD's or software. You don't need to worry if a CD will fit. You don't need to see multiple pictures of a box of software to know what you'll be getting. However, when selling apparel, good quality pictures and a detailed description are vital. You should use a good quality digital camera to take pictures of the item from different angles. If you're selling jackets or coats, include a picture of the lining as well. In your description, don't just say it's a large size. Give measurements of the garment including overall length, sleeve length and chest size. If you're going to specialize in apparel, it would be a good idea to purchase a form or clothing dummy to model your apparel. Doing these things will go a long way in setting you apart from the competition and establishing a "unique selling proposition."

What ever you're thinking about selling, always look at your competition and think about how to set yourself apart. Remember that unless you're selling antiques on Ebay, there's always someone else who's trying to sell the same thing you're selling. Establishing your USP will put you on the road to Ebay success.

About The Author
Are You Tired of the scams and the get-rich-quick schemes? Greg Hayes is founding editor of http://www.mammothprofits.com/. Mammothprofits is the website devoted to helping others filter out the scams and become successful in a home based business. ghayes@mammothprofits.com

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One of the amazing success stories for eBay has been the success of the Auto sales site. Both in the US and the UK sales of all types of vehicles are growing month on month and apparently a vehicle is sold on eBay every 16 seconds.

Now I cannot help wondering how many car dealers actually use eBay to sell their vehicles. I suspect that as a percentage the figure will be quite low. This makes me wonder if there is not an opportunity for some enterprising people to offer a service listing vehicles on eBay for second hand car dealers. Because most items are comparatively high priced you could charge quite a small commission and still make a good profit.

I personally do not know very much about selling cars on eBay as I have never done it. But I do feel there could be an opportunity for some enterprising individuals who probably know a little bit more about cars than I do.

In association with 1stchoicewebhost.co.uk I have launched a new business opportunity that allows people to sell Wedding and Birth Announcement web sites.

I am granting 200 licences and if you are looking for a business that you can run from home then you can get more information from http://www.1stchoicewebhost.co.uk/wedding/newop.htm

Dave Bromley