dcluttersales: August 2009

Monday, August 31, 2009

Affiliate Help?

Hello, All, Well, I'm slowly slogging through the process of setting up an affiliate website. But I am getting there!! Just wondering if eBay has any resources for affiliates anywhere, I've been unable to find them. I don't really have any specific questions right now, just want to read and learn more about having an affiliate business. I must say, I feel a bit like an eBay parasite, hoping to profit from the eBay business without actually selling anything, although the search for wholesalers does continue! Anyway, if anyone knows of any good resources for helping those trying to build affiliate businesses, please let me know. I would truly appreciate it! Peace, Tom

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Best way to list

I just opened my store and have had a few sales which is great. I'm currently working with a designer to give it a better look and can't wait to show that off. But here's my problem - I sell rock and roll pictures and each picture can be purchased in 3 sizes (8x10, 11x14 and 16x20) at different prices or in 3 different forms (prints, foam or mat or framed) at different price points. Based on eBay rules I must list each one as a seperate auction which really adds up quickly. I'm wondering is I should just list one size on eBay and list the rest on a seperate website? Has anyone had luck getting the 2 sites to play off each other? How do you market then? I don't think I want to use prostore's so I'm looking for recommendations for some that are straight-forward

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Where do you go to ship your packages ?

Where do I go to ship packages for cheap? USPS has flat rate (which is good) but if i want to send packages that are 4 lbs or below, which would be cheaper ? USPS ? UPS ? DHL ? FEXDEX ? I always lose $$ due to shipping because I don't know what the best options out there. Thanks

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is it possible?

hi all, i've been on ebay for years, but never ever took it seriously, i've always played around with a few items here and there i'll be an open book since you all are fellow ebayers can you give me some advice? i'm a single mom,last year this time, i met the man that i thought was the answer to all my prayers...he turned out to be nothing short of a psychopath. he totally charmed his way into my life, my home, my bank account. before long, i had invited him to live with me and my son. of course he made a lot of promises, i live in an old victorian and it needs a ton of work, so he was very gung-ho about fixing it up and re-painting it and making an add-on office..etc.etc. i thought i was in heaven and so much in love with him....well, since he gave me a ring, and he was doing so much work on the house, we decided to re-finance, i put his name on the deed...i know, you are screaming, what an idiot. . . . .and i was to have done something like that....well, long story short, he ended up walking out on me, taking back the ring and only (since he is such a really nice guy...do you hear the sarcasm in my voice!) he agreed to help me with the mortgage, but only for 6 months,would he agree to pay for 1/2 the mortgage. he is really paying me back the amount that he tapped off of the mortgage to pay his personal bills, in reality he took about 12K but is paying back around 9K, my friends tell me to take what i can get and move on...i agree, and so does the atty. i contacted. here is the problem. i sell mostly antiques on ebay. in order for me to survive, not get ahead or make it, or save money, just survive and pay LONG ISLAND taxes, the mortgage, heating, etc. etc. i have to make at least.....LEAST 3K a MONTH on ebay. i wake up at 2 am. in a panic attack, i've lost over 20 pounds in 2 1/2 months..i'm a nervous wreck. i've never taken ebay that seriously and to tell you the truth i don't know that i can keep it up...or can i? is it possible to make that kind of money on ebay every single month? i'm almost 50, so time is not on my side. i have a 12 year old son to raise. i get money from his dad and it is alot, but it isn't enough for all that i need, i have to earn the rest of it. i don't want to lose my house, it is the house my kids grew up in and i've had it for 18 years. yet, if i can't come up with the mortgage payments, then i will in fact lose my house. he has agreed to pay 1/2 until only december of this year, after that, for the next 29 1/2 years it's all on my lap. i can't get him off the deed yet, cause i can't afford to refinance. banks don't consider ebay a real job. plus the closing costs would make my loan go up even higher and then the monthly amount would go up even higher than it already is. as it is, i'm strapped. every single penny is alloted to a bill. i'm so scared i can't see straight. i try to list every day on ebay, but my questions are, is it possible to make that kind of money on ebay? if so, then how do you structure your day? how do you find time to photograph, post, list, pack up ebay and yet, find time to be with your family, spend time with your children and even clean the house? i'm finding it so hard to juggle it all, yet at the same time, i'm trying to deal with depression, fear and uncertainty over my future. i have no living family, they have all passed away, so basically, if i fall down, i'm down, there is no one to go to...i'm in a total panic over what to do. i have no savings account, i'm 49, a single mom, no schooling, so i don't have any real job skills, and there is no prince charming to come and save me. the psychopath ex fiancee' is already with someone new and has told me to "MOVE ON" in my life and get over him, he has left a trail of destruction behind him. i found out that he did the same thing to his last wife and she in fact ended up having to sell her home and she lost everything. he took the money from that re-fiance and upped his lawm mowing business. he is a master at lying and deceiving...the new girlfriend (he told me) and him are thinking of having a baby together...i can't believe he has moved on so quickly (just 2 1/2 months later) and that he found another willing victim to his schemes! so far, i made the first month, with a lot of work, the second month, in august, i fell apart and spent much of the time crying..this month, i'm so far 1/2 of the way there, but i have so much more to post. i have a house full of antiques that i can sell, but it's a huge job for just me, and i'm it...there is no one else to help me out with any of this. i started out on ebay hoping to sell pillows and make money that way, but i don't have time for sewing now. any suggestions that you have would be heart felt at this time. thanks so much for reading and i hope to hear back from you. Lana

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Confusion... Blackthrone, Selling Manager Pro, Accounting Assistant?

I'm just confused. I know what I want a program to do, but can't figure out which of these does the same. Plus, one comes WITH a store for free (I think Seller Manager) but not the others. I'm so confused as to what would work best for me. We are wanting to list more often, working our way to Power Seller status, but the record keeping, timing auctions, listing, are taking up too much time. I want a program that keeps records. That automatically pops in the auction name, item, buyers name, address, payment due/paid. Stuff like that. Do these programs do all that or do I have to manually add the info? I want it to show costs, fees, profit, loss. I like having a monthly report showing that or a running total in the table. I want to be able to download it to my computer to print. I want it to send emails when the person's item is shipping, and leave feedback. I also want an ebay store, and want to automatically pop things in there that don't sell in auctions. Am I pipe-dreaming or do any of these do all this AND give me a store?

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New E bay store seem to cost more. Can't get buyers to store,

I have started an e bay store and I'm not so sure if it is worth it. I don't seem to be selling much from the store and still have to list on auctions. I seem to be paying a lot more, because I slowly have to send my store items to auction to sell. I am new at this, am I doing something wrong? I haven't figured out how to send the e-mail to my 1 subscriber yet and I'm having problems getting buyers to my store. Can someone give me some tips? Thanks for reading.

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free picture servers

Hello everyone! We've started a few auctions here

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Pacific Webworks

has anyone had any experience with a web hosting company called Pacific Webworks? please leave any information you may have thanks Bob

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Qualifying for a resale certificate from a home business??

I've done some research for obtaining a resale certificate to buy wholesale. A company I'm interested in buying wholesale from requires getting the resale certificate and tax id number. I found the form for my state, if i plan on running a home-based business from ebay do i still qualify for a resale certificate? In the form it asks for an address, would i just give them my home address or do i have to have an actual "real" business to get one? Or would they need an web address to reference to?? Thanks, Stephanie

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Help! What Should I do?!

Alright, I've got a problem. On August 20th, I one of my products sold. Anyways, for five days straight, I e-mailed the person asking how and when they would be paying. Finally, on the Monday the 27th, they e-mailed me back saying they would pay by Friday. So, I said, "Ok, sounds good. However, if you do not complete the payment by Friday I will have to file an item not paid dispute and leave you negative feedback." Then, today he just e-mailed me back with this, "Send me the negative feedback, i don't care. you need to be more patient with a cheap transaction of 25.00, that's not a transaction of 10,000.00 and then I'm not going to pay the item because I don't accept bad treats from nobody. Thanks." ... Just because it wasn't something very expensive, doesn't mean that I don't expect payment in a timely manner! I don't think that I treated him harsh whatsoever. I was always firm, but polite. I don't know what to do. I just filed an item not paid. But, I don't really want to leave him negative feedback because I don't want any negative on my account. Any suggestions? Anybody ever have an experience like this?

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Buyers taking time to pay

Hi, I've had several buyers take a long time to pay for their purchases. Some folks start the checkout process and then I wait for 1-2 weeks in limbo while they decide whether or not they need more or less yarn to finish their project than expected. One buyer right now, is on vacation and I am holding $200 of yarn until she returns because she does not want to pay via "internet cafe". Are there any incentives to get buyers to pay when they make their purchases or to pay promptly? I personally would never ask a retailer to hold several hundred dollars of merchandise for weeks while I decide what to do. Any thoughts? Tina Bead

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eBay Quick TO Sell

Would anyone know how to get into "quick to sell"? THey use an eBay logo on their advertisements...

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Is Opt-in email marketing sign up allowed on listing page?

I know that there are pretty strict rules about email marketing here at ebay and that customers have to opt-in. I've had the "sign up for my newsletter" link up there for quite some time, but I was wondering if I would be allowed to use an outside of ebay company for this? Constant contact has html buttons that will give surfers an option to opt-in to my newsletter from my website, myspace, etc., would I be allowed to put this into my listing on ebay? I'd prefer to go this route because the emails are much more dynamic and more info is given on the reports. Attitude Apparel because you are what you wear!Attitude Apparel because you are what you wear!

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New seller

I've have my site up for a week and am working with a drop shipping company. I haven't had any visit or bids on my items yet. Whats the best way to change that? I am selling kids items all are new.

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Cheap Ebooks, what's the catch?

I was just wondering what the catch is with selling cheap ebooks? I see some for .01, some for .79, and some for .99 and free shipping, what is the point? After Ebay fees and Paypal fees there is no profit, am I missing something?

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Hello Everyone can someone go into my store

Could some of you critique my store I just think I could be doing better but maybe I dont really know what Im doing...... Ya Think! LOL

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Template recommendations

Can anyone personally recommend someone that makes templates? I think I'm finally to the point where I need to have a template made and I hate to just randomly pick somebody from an ebay list of approved partners! I'm hoping one of you has used someone that you thought did a really awesome job and would like to push a little work in their direction. Thanks in advance! Frank

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Auction Management

I am looking to find a different auction management software. I have used Auctiva, then Inkfrog which has allot of features that I do like. Such as automated email notification and feedback. But you cannot edit it if the payment information is incorrect after auction end. It's just not quite all I would like to see. I have been investagating ChannelMax (free) and Meridian (cheap) websites, which I cannot find anything on the boards about. And of course Vendio, seems to be used by several sellers. Naturally I am looking for inexpensive, hosted or desktop. All input would be appreciated.

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Copy rights? new idea?

I have my own original idea....which I have never seen anywhere else. I just wonder...I really want to try this idea out on ebay...but I dont want others to take MY original idea and run withit...YOu know I dont care if other take the idea and make similar items for there own use...but I dont others to copy the item and sell it. So can I like get a copy right on the idea....and include that in my listing that the item is copy righted...will that work ...can you do that...any ideas. I am really anxious to get this out there to a test market on ebay. I think it will do very very well...Any advise would be greatley appreciated. THe item is clothing/accessory...mostly young girls....but also very appealing to all women. Thanks Kim

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Should I expand my shipping to Europe?

I have had a store for about a year now. I started out shipping to the United States only. Then expanded to Canada. I am now in my comfort zone with Canada. I had a potential buyer contact me about shipping a book to Europe. They are in the Netherlands. How much different is shipping to europe than to Canada? Buyer said global flat rate priority envelope is $10. Does this sound right? I haven't checked yet. This item is inexpensive. It wouldn't break the bank if I loss it. Is shipping international worth the headaches? Thanks Everyone Cheryl

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Terapeak - Just Curious

Is anyone else having difficulties accessing terapeaks website? Server issues? Thanks

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Why has their members search wothless now

I've noticed with my winners that when I've checked their previous auctions esp with those that haven't paid me to see if they also won another and I've noticed they only include a FEW items in the search NOW and I don't see mine in there - WHAT A WASTE - IF THEY HAVE A 30 DAY SEARCH - HAVE IT COMPLETE OR NOT AT ALL. If the buyers bids on 50 items and they show 5 what good is that!!!!

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Anyone familiar with Mahibay dropship/business program?

I came across the above website and made an inquiry. They claim to represent 50 million potential dropship products. They are asking a hefty investment of at least $5000 to sign up with their deluxe package which includes a turnkey online story. Anybody familiar with them and their ability to deliver on what they claim is an "almost guaranteed" investment?

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I Seem to always chose the wrong things to sell!!!

I started buying on ebay years ago. a little here

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How To Put~ Store Description~Into Your Store

Since many people have asked other store owners to check their sites I thought I would write about this one common mistake. Many are not using their Store Description to it's best advantage. These are the words that are used in search to pull up what makes your store special. If you don't have imitation items say that, if you are unique in your field write that. Think like a buyer when writing your description, what words would you use to search for your items? This is the sequence to put your store description in: First: Check to make sure you have the correct setting for logo being on the top left for the input of this description,(make sure you don't have it set to go the whole length!) Check under Theme Display (2nd section under Store Design)go to Change to another Theme and make sure you are using the first selection Classic Left go to 1. Manage my Store 2. click on Store Design 2. click on Display Settings 3. in line 4 Store Description 4. click change (top right) 5. under Basic information you can add your description here. This should be description not just a series of words to attract people to your store that would be considered spamming. I just thought since I've suggested people check this area that I'd share that here. Best of luck in your stores, and if I've made a mistake jump in and fix it....no ego here! Cathy

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How do I get my store logo in the stores search

I was browsing around and noticed some stores have a small logo next to them when you search ebay stores for products. How do you get your logo in there? Do you have to set your store to use the logo in Picture manager? If so, GRRR... b/c the quality always goes down when I upload to there but the logo is in there.

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What do ebayer think about products from China!

Hi I'm just a new ebayer and from China! I don't have any idea about whether I can succe here! So ,just ask for some advice!

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Startup Essentials

I'm looking for information from anyone who'd dealt with Startup Essentials. Please respond with contact information.

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ebay=Arrgghh

excuse me while I vent about this poor excuse of a company. I just had 3 listings pulled for a copyright violation. Meaning they think they are bootlegs. The item was a preorder due out on October 9. Clearly within ebays preorder policy. Arrgghh! this company makes me mad. And no help from powerseller support either.. . . "The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much." - Ronald Reagan

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False Completed Sale Reported Pricing

This posting DOES NOT apply to Buy-It-Now, Fixed Price or single bid auctions. I have been weighing whether or not to sell items on eBay regularly. Some friends do sell all the time. Like everyone else, I started some research for eBay winning bid pricings on various products just to get some idea what I could sell and what the general sales prices might be. This would be while looking at possible suppliers and costs. When performing completed sale searches, I noticed two issues. First, it takes several hours for completed sales to show up in the search, i.e. it can take 6 to 12 hours after close of an auction for that auction to show up in a completed sale search. Second and very strange. When performing completed sales search on eBay, I noticed discrepancies on reported closing or winning bid amounts. The general completed sale search page stated one final price. But when the actual auction page was viewed, the final sale price was higher. The discrepancies were sometimes 25 to 50% higher for the actual final price. This discrepancy did not occur for B-I-N, Fixed or single bid auctions. It only happened for multiple bid auctions. Of course, I did not check each and every multiple bid auction

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SEO

Just curious. Do keywords in subtitles get indexed? We need an SEO Board. lol Thanks in Advance

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Another new seller here

Hello to all, I was wondering if you folks could take a look at my store and let me know what I should or should not be doing. I need the good, bad and ugly ideas/opinions. I would like to add a logo, but I don't know how to do that. Is there something I should change/add to my store? Thanks in advance for your help.

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Advice really appreciated...slow store

Hello - I've been running my store for about 8 months now and have tried selling our products as single items and as lots. I can't say there's been a huge difference between the results. Our brand is well known in England but not at all in the US or Canada. I send items to auction etc to try to generate traffic, but would love some feedback on my store. Thanks so much.

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New Seller: Whats the best way to research wholesalers or dropshippers

Hi, im trying to transition into selling on ebay, and wanted to know any advice for how to research wholesalers and/or dropshippers and what i should look for and what i should avoid at all costs... thanks...

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Store help.

How does my store items show on google searches. Feedback from anyone would be most appreciated.

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What are the best ways to purchase cameras and various electronics

What are some of the best ideas/ways to purchase an inventory of cameras or other types of electronics for an Ebay business?

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Paypal Fee

Paypal withdrew 1.00 twice out of my account which is still pending plus the bid that I won. Does this usually happen to make sure it is a valid account and they reapply it to my account?

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How to think about customer complaints.

I read this and thought it was good, in an ebook I just bought about selling postcards. When a customer complains to you; think of it as if you are the boss and they are complaining about an employee of yours, even if you are a one man (woman)shop. Don't take it personally, remember that the goal here is to exchange your goods for the customers money. And also that the customer is not just the $5 sale he is complaining about, he is a human being and therefore worthy of consideration even though his complaint may not be.. Further, if his complaint is well handled he (she) may represent hundreds of dollars in future long term repeat business. Thats how I have always thought about it, but that author expressed it very clearly. Dennis, the artist formerly known as dht56 Selling vintage postcards, supplies, and even a book about selling vintage postcards.

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Need feedbackEnglish to French translation policies and listings: USEFUL???

Hello everyone from Montreal, I am a full time freelance translator, English to French, and I sell Pottery and Glass on Ebay. I would like the opinions of sellers on the potential of offering an English to French translation service for Ebay sellers to post their policies, some high-end listings maybe etc in French to tap into the European/Quebec market. Is this something that would interest you as a seller if the price was extremely reasonable (well below market value) and an Xfast turnaround (less than 24 hours). I am testing it in my store right now but I don't get a lot of hits. Also, what is your experience in having to answer questions from buyers in French? Would a fee for monthly translation service for questions or a pay-per-question service appeal to you? Thank you in advance, your feedback is much appreciated.

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New Store Name - which one sounds best?

I am changing the name of my store and would like opinions on which one you think sounds best. The choice is between: Brown Sugar Baby Boutique, or Sweet Pea Baby Boutique. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

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Saturday, August 29, 2009

100,000 DVD's

I am a casual seller here and started selling for friends of mine. Next thing, my number is getting past to others and I like doing it while making the extra cash. I got a phone call from someone who is closing a video store. He wants me to sell the entire inventory of movies. Its a very large task but luckily, he owns the complex and does not have to worry about paying rent while the store is closed. This gives me some luxury of time. My question is: Is there any program/hardware that I can use for the listings that would allow me to utilize a scanner to run the ISBN numbers on the back of the boxes and insert the text on each movie that Ebay provides. I would do this instead of typing in the numbers manually. This would also eliminate any photo taking and just run off a template. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

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My Item didnot Sell...WHY?

I`m new to Ebay and I just tried to sell my first item in the Auction section but failed to get it sold. I think I didnot market it right or I use the wrong keyword. It was a book about Judgement Recovery which will teach you how to start your own homebase business from start to finish. Can anyone that have gained professional experience selling on Ebay...help me? James

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Business Tax Licence Question

Hello from Australia, Can someone possibly tell me what the Australia equivalent is of a "Business Tax Licence" ? I am wanting to purchase some items, but I have been told that I need a BTL ! Thank you in advance..I hope Blue A.. Fly

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Am I auctioning these correctly?

Hey, I'm in a bit of a bind and need to get rid of some inventory quickly. Did I post my thing correctly? Am I asking too much? too little? Any suggestions on strategy would be greatly appreciated. I also have more lots/wholesale things to auction off, I just need some of your opinions. Thanks so much!!

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What made you pick your niche?

Hi Everyone, I am just curious as to what encouraged everyone to pick their particular niche? I picked mine because I fell into some great buys on merchandise. Would love to have been strickly pets or crafts but the sources never came my way. But mine is temporary. I will decide on one, one of these days. Is yours a passion or just a matter of convience? Have a great day

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Famous international trading platforms

Hello, I am a newcomer of on-line business. Any experienced sellers can introduce and contrast all the famous international trading platforms ? Thanks !

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Hiring Teenagers

Does anyone in California have experience in hiring Teenagers to help with their business? I have a 14 year old daughter who wants to help me and also her friend for no more than 10 hours each per week.. I've been on the websites for child labor laws but there is so much fine print. Any advice anyone can give me would be appreciated.

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How to pay someone to list for you

I am sure this has been brought up before but I cannot find it. Sorry. I want to hire 2 people to help me list. They will be doing it part time from home. Is it best to pay them so much per item and if so how much? Or by the hour. Since they will be working from home and listing between watching the kids and other household things it may be hard for them to keep track of the hours. Or is there another way to figure how much to pay? Thank you all very much in advance for your help.

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Has anybody been to the eBay playground...

...to see what's new and upcoming? Why is it that eBay seems to think that this venue needs all this fresh and new glitz when confused buyers can't find what they're looking for with just the basics? Mr. Omidyar, can Bill

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Why Sellers Love eBay and Hate eBay - AND a Solution

This is from a blog post I saw today: It is an open letter to eBay. I hope they read it. If you sell on eBay and you agree with this letter please click the "comments" link below and leave a respectful, courteous reply. We will not approve comments that get "hateful". A simple "I agree" will do or you can say more - it's up to you. I am just trying to communicate a simple message to those at eBay that need to hear us. There's power in great numbers...let's get their attention. Dear eBay, We love you. We really do. You represent opportunity for every level of entrepreneur from the stay home mom to the multi-million dollar corporation that wants to go global. You've changed the way business is done on the Internet. You've helped put household budgets in the black across the globe. BUT... But as the editor of one of the most read eBay newsletters on the planet with nearly 100,000 subscribers (I won't say which one because that's not the point) I have been noticing a very scary trend - and I have a proposed solution. This blog post is an open letter to eBay.com (Specifically addressed to Bill Cobb, Rob Chestnut, Meg Whitman, and any decision makers that care about eBay sellers): You are making it harder and harder for eBay sellers to sleep well at night. I just got yet another email today from an experienced eBay seller that was banned from ever using eBay again for what seems to be no justifiable reason. I get about one every week or so that sounds just like it. - I'm not talking about the JUSTIFIED suspension where someone intentionally broke the rules. - I'm not talking about the clueless new sellers on eBay that don't realize they are running a "real business". - I'm not talking about sellers that violate (even accidentally) copyright laws or your Vero program. - I'm not talking about the JUSTIFIED suspension that you see posted on the "hate eBay" sites. - I'm not even talking about those that just didn't take the time to read the policies (although there are a few gray areas we need to talk about) before they "experimented" with a new strategy that crossed the line. I'm ONLY talking about the cases where EXPERIENCED, HONEST, GOOD people with NOTHING CLOSE TO A POLICY VIOLATION are SHUT DOWN without recourse. I'm sure it's just a fraction of a percentage of sellers that get treated this way, but you have to understand...it's scary to see it happen when many of these people's livelihoods were dependent on having access to your site before they got word from "eBay Trust and Safety" of the judgment against them. I've talked with eBay sellers at all levels. One of the most recent conversations was with a seller that is in your top 10 in number of transactions monthly. They all say the same thing though. It usually goes something like this: "I wonder if eBay will randomly pull the plug some day..." "It's harder to figure out eBay than it is to figure out the IRS..." "I really need to be LESS eBay reliant - they could shut me down so easily it's scary..." These aren't words I put into their mouths. My proposed solution: We need an eBay seller "Tenure" program. In as simple terms as possible here's how it would work: Once you prove yourself to be an HONEST, RELIABLE, CARING member of the eBay seller community you are granted the honor of "tenure" and you will NEVER be blind sided by a "shut down". Set the bar high eBay. Give us something to work for. We don't mind. Don't let just anyone into the tenure program. But once we are "in" give us the courtesy of a phone call and a chance to explain our side of any situation that arises. Give us a chance to "fix" it. Give us a chance to change course if necessary. I recently attended an eBay "town hall" meeting by invitation. Rob Chestnut, Bill Cobb and a handful of other good people were there representing eBay. It was time well spent. The best question that night though (it drew an applause unlike any other I recall from the crowd) came from a sweet middle aged mom seated in the back of the room. Her question for the eBay executive panel was this: "I'm just so nervous about being shut down some day by eBay. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong but I've really become quite dependent on the income my eBay business is bringing my family. Is there anything I can do to SLEEP BETTER (her exact words) and be sure I won't be shut down for doing something wrong one day?" To be honest with you Bill Cobb, the answer you gave didn't do much to put anyone in the room at ease. You had great intentions, but the heart of the issue wasn't addressed. A better answer would have been... "Work towards getting your eBay tenure. We NEVER shut down a tenured eBay seller unless there is extreme and unresolvable issues in play. You'll get every chance to correct the situation and you'll have a live rep assigned to your case before we even think of passing a judgment against your account." Finally eBay executives, please don't play the "budget" card on this one. We aren't stupid. We know you can't possibly offer tenure to tens of thousands of eBay sellers and we aren't asking for that. We just want something to work towards. Like I said - set the bar high and let us aim for it. Hopefully the number of comments this blog gets as word spreads will be evidence for you of the need for such a program

Orignal From: Why Sellers Love eBay and Hate eBay - AND a Solution

How does one become a certified eBay Education Specialist?

I've been away from eBay for awhile. Several years in fact. Things have changed here. When I started there was the community - and we did a lot to help each other. Now there are all these tutorials available. I am certain they help many, however I still find friends and folks interested in joining eBay that are a bit intimidated with the site and all the new additions. I find the layout a bit cluttered at times and difficult to navigate, but I am not new to eBay so I work my way through it. Other folks seem to get put off. Therefore I thought I would get back into my sales and helping others with theirs by just helping them get started. I would like to be "official" in some way. And I noticed there is one person in my area that has been "certified" as an "Education Specialist" and also claims membership in something called "Voices of the Community" what ever that is. I suppose at this point many of you are saying to yourself.. "Gee she has been away a long time to not know these things". You would be right. It's been about 7 years so I could use some help on a few things. A leg back up as it were. I would be most grateful to any anyone who can give me a heads up on how to catch up and become a Education Specialist.. "officially" - in order to help folks get started who are a bit computer shy and pop into eBay now and become a bit overwhelmed. Thanks for the help. - EAJ

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logo

are there any websites where i could create a logo for my e-store website tyia

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What is a decent profit margin?

Good day folks, Well I have selling and buying on ebay for a few years now. But am thining about getting very serious with it as retirement is looming ever so close..... My question to all of you is: When you find an item you want to buy, what do you consider is a decent profit? I have never come up with a consistent figure here. I am not talking about that rare item you find for pennies and can sell fot $$$ I am needing to know when you are stocking and looking at the cost of your merchandise how do you decide what would be a selling price? What scale do you use? Thanks everyone and have a great selling week.

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Vacation setting

If someone could do me a favor I would really appreciate it. I put our store on vacation Tuesday night and a message in that we would be gone until the 19th. It was my understanding that it should be on the top of all my listing. I checked a couple of listing Wenedsday morning and didn't see it. I just checked now and I have had a sale and recieved payment. I still don't see my note added to the listings. My Ebay does say that my vaction settings are on. Is it because I am looking at my own listings I don't see it? I just want to know that my buyer knows I can't ship for a week yet as I am on the other side of the country. Would someone check my listing to see if they see anything and let me know. Or if I did something wrong. THANKS

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Got ideas for starting new business on ebay.

i have ideas about starting an ebay business but not sure where to start and I just wondered if any of you could give me some advice and help with starting it up.

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Constructive store criticisim please

would someone please go check out my store kids hq and give me feedback as to what to improve and more tips on promoting my store all of the pictures that I have available to me are posted next to the item. Also, how do you get your logo next to your name when you comment on here? All comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks

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Hello to the USA .........

from downunder . I have been lurking on a few of your boards/threads recently

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ebay Store?

Me again, the pest with all the questions If i were to open a store, would my current id be the store name? Or would i use my current id

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INTERNATIONAL shipping problem!!!

Can you help me? Im currently on the usps (paypal) site

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A couple more silly store questions

Hello, All, You were all such help to me last night in getting my store set up, I figured I'd come to you for some help with getting my listings going. I'm using Auctiva, and there are 2 things I'm wondering. 1) If I have 3, or say, 50 of the same item, can I do one listing with 50, or do I have to do a store listing with quantity 1, and then relist every time it sells? I'd like to do a multiple item listing, list quantity as 25 or so, so that I don't have to relist every time, but when I try that I get a flag on Auctiva's check for errors. Is there a way to do it? 2) My second question is, how do I differentiate which listings go to which category in my store? Is that something that I define when listing, or do I have to go back and sort it out after the listings are up? Again, thank you all so much for your help!! Peace, Tom

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Ghost Bidders

I'm fairly new, and not quite a business yet, but I've sold a good numbers of items over the years and would like to know how to deal with people who bid on items, buy them, but who don't have accounts--so you never get paid and you loose the listing fees etc. After the first few times, I now only accept paypal, but I have someone who has bid on a high priced item, and has no (0) transactions in their history. Is there anything you can do about this- any similar experiences? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!! GoddessFindings

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I Need Direction!!!!!

Hello I am a first time expectant mother and will soon be a stay at home mom. I am REALLY interested in starting an online ebay business but have NO idea where to start, what to sell, if a need certain state licenses, etc....Can anyone give me some advice and/or tools that can lead me in the right direction. Thanks so much Cassandra

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MAKING MONEY ON EBAY

I see alot of people happy about people making money on ebay, being a Power Seller and so on. But is anyone really making real money. I have an acount with a wholesaler but the profit margin so low that it would take more than its worth to make a living. I want to make a complete living off of Ebay--thats my mission.

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How to create a buyers id that can be linked to selling account?

Hi gang, I checked the board and could not find my answer so here it goes: I already have a selling id, but after reading many threads - I realize I should get a separate id for buying. I would like them both linked to my paypal account. Does anyone have any ideas or if it is possible to do this? Any help will be greatly appreciated - Thanks in advance Carol

Orignal From: How to create a buyers id that can be linked to selling account?

Silly Store Question.

Hello, All, OK, I'm really making progress, glacial though it may be. I've set up my store, and as you can see if you look below, have a new logo and link all set up too!! Now I have some REALLY basic and stupid questions, that I haven't seen addressed in the setup pages or on here. Pleas forgive the basic nature of the queries!! 1) How do I populate my store with my wonderful products? Do I need to list everything I want to end up in my store as a "store item" auction, or can I load items to the store under the category pages? Well, I'll limit it to this question, as it is really the biggie. I'm going to go to Auctiva now and start creating some store item auctions, but if there's something else I need to do, I just want to know about it. Many thanks, Tom

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Tax Question Concerning Shipping

If the shipping is a wash...i.e. the buyer pays for it...how do we handle it tax wise...do we add to our gross then deduct it as an exspense or just leave it off? Thanks!

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second chance offer?

Hello again, I just sold a hand bag

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Store Fees Again-Could someone confirm my calculation

Hey all Just quickly ran some numbers out of curiosity

Orignal From: Store Fees Again-Could someone confirm my calculation

Has Anyone Tried Build A Niche Store?

While checking my traffic report one the links looks like it might have been from a Build A Niche Store. Went to their website and they are an ebay affiliate tool builder via commision junction. Did not list the link because unclear if ebay supports this company. Has anyone heard of or tried? Thanks

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A Question About Auctiva and Digital Downloads

Does anyone know if Auctiva can set up digital download auctions. I tried posting this on their site, but their message boards have cob-webs hanging from the rafters, and I was unable to get an answer. I am assuming that since it's not an option on the listing type section, that this may be a problem. Any guidance?

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New to Ebay - Want to begin store, any ideas on deciding what to sell??????

Intrested in starting a store with ebay. Currently have a full time job that I plan to keep, and doing ebay part time. What is the best way to decide what to sell????? I understand fee's, profit margins, getting ratings up etc.... But for a NEWBIE, what is best avenue to decide what products to list??? is just continuing to research my answer?? THNKS!!!

Orignal From: New to Ebay - Want to begin store, any ideas on deciding what to sell??????

QVC or HSN items

I have noticed that many stores have all QVC or HSN items. Can anyone tell me how or where they get this merchandise? I would like to start a store with these items, but don't know where to start looking. Thanks!

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I sold multi items but buyer only paid for part of the items

Hello, I sold 3 items to the same buyer. Buyer combined the invoice for 2 of the items themselves and paid before I had time to get the correct combined invoice sent. They did not add the 3rd item to the invoice they paid. They over paid on the shipping but not enough to pay for the 3rd item. When I realized they had a 3rd item that was not paid for I emailed them and asked if they would like to combine it with the other 2, as it could go in the box for no additional shipping charge. I stated that I would hold shipment until I heard from them. 2 days later after no response to the first email. I sent a invoice on the 3rd item without shipping and asked if they would like to combine it with the 2 items already paid for. over 24 hours later they replied. "Yes send it with the other", but still did not pay for the 3rd item. I replied back that I would ship as soon as the 3rd item was paid for. That was 2 days ago. Nothing. No response. Now what do I do? Just send the 2 items paid for and file an unpaid item? File the unpaid item first? Just throw the 3rd item in the box and ship and not worry about it. Excess postage will pay for most of the item. But will still loose about $3. I plan to refund the extra postage after shipment. Anyone else have this problem before? Thanks Everyone. Cheryl

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Getting Started???????

Hi Everyone- I've been reading alot. I feel like my eyes are ready to pop out but I guess that's a good thing. I've been reading and reading and reading. I've been looking at the different options of listing an item. I was wondering if there a link or a guide that's a little more helpful at setting up shop. I am aware that it's better to start off small and allow the business to grow and go from there. It's questions such as is it better to do a sole propietor or LLC? I know it's a process, read, learn, start listing items, etc...Is there anything a little more helpful??? Just curious? My intention isn't ask the same redundant questions to annoy of you? Just looking for a little help to point me in the right direction so I can read some more yippee... thanks for your time

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AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!! HELP, Please!

Hello, All, Well, I'm really frustrated now!! I listed 14 store listings this afternoon, and was about to do a victorious, "hey, would you all take a look at my store and one of my first few listings and offer me some constructive criticism please?" posts, when I went to check my store, and NONE of my auctions is showing on the store page, either on the home page, in the promotion boxes, or on the category pages. I put a store category into each listing! So, can anyone suggest what I can do to fix it? If it helps with understanding what is up, I used Auctiva to create the store posts. Many thanks!!! Tom

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Saving eBay listings: Can't do it anymore!!?

I used to be able to save my eBay listings to my hard drive. It came in handy when I lost a listing, and I was able to reproduce it. Now, for some reason, I am getting an error message that the file can not be saved. I also tried it with Internet Explorer, and I get the same message. I do use Turbo lister, but I really liked the security of being able to save files directly. Can anyone help? Joan

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3000 postcards by Sep 30? Listing frenzy marathon

Got an idea from another thread; decided to have some fun and take advantage of the current lisitng promotion.

Orignal From: 3000 postcards by Sep 30? Listing frenzy marathon

HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD OF AUCTION SUCCESS GROUP?

HAS ANYONE TALKED TO THE SALESMAN @ AUCTION SUCCESS GROUP? I WAS SEARCHING ON GOOGLE FOR HELP WITH LEARNING MORE ABOUT EBAY SELLING AND FOUND A INTERNET AD FOR A "FREE EBAY START-UP KIT" I GAVE MY EMAIL, NAME AND PHONE #. SAME DAY A SALESMAN CALLED AND WANTED TO EXPLAIN THEIR COACHING PACKAGE. HE CLAIMED THEY WERE IN FACT AN A AFFIIALTE OF EBAY. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE FIRST SALESMAN "HE CLAIMED HE WAS QUALIFYING ME" HE TRANSFERRED ME TO " HIS SUPERVISOR" THIS GUY SPOKE WITH ME FOR OVER A HALF AN HOUR AND SOUNDED PROFESSIONAL AND WANTING TO HELP ME. AS THE CONVERSATION CONTINUED THE GUY STARTED TO ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT MY CREDIT CARDS. HE WANTED TO KNOW IF I HAD A DISCOVER CARD, HOW MANY DIFFERENT CARDS I HAD, SO WHEN I ASKED WHY THIS WAS IMPORTANT HE SAID HE HAD TO VERIFY THAT I HAD ENOUGH BALANCE AVAILABLE TO START MY BUSINESS. I TOLD HIM I HAD RESOURCES IN CREDIT TO PURCHASE LARGE AMOUNTS OF PRODUCT. THE SALESMAN WAS VERY PERSISTANT WITH THE CREDIT CARD Q'S SO THATS WHEN I ASKED SOME QUALIFYING Q'S ABOUT HIS COMPANY. IF YOU GOOGLE AUCTION SUCCESS GROUP YOU GET A WEAK LITTLE WEBSITE WITH NO INFO ON WHAT THEY WERE CLAIMING TO SELL THAT DAY. I TOLD HIM I WANTED TO RESEARCH HIS COMPANY AND WE COULD CONTINUE AT A LATER DATE WITH THE DISCUSSION IF HE AND HIS SO CALLED COMPANY CHECKED OUT. HE SAID AUCTION SUCCES GROUP WAS IN BOISE IDAHO SO I WENT TO THE BBB ONLINE FOR BOISE AND I COULD NOT FIND THEM.. THE 2ND SALESMAN SOUNDED NERVOUS WHEN I ASKED Q'S AND TOLD ME IF I WANTED TO DO RESEARCH GO TO" BRIGHT BUILDERS" HE SAID THIS IS THE COMPANY THAT WOULD DO THE TRAINING. THIS SOUNDED ODD. ANYWAY IF YOU EVER GET SHOPPED BY ONE OF THESE COMPANYS, BEFORE YOU GIVE ANY PERSONAL INFO CHECK OUT THE COMPANY AND ASK MANY QUALIFYING Q'S

Orignal From: HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD OF AUCTION SUCCESS GROUP?

Aid for spain

Aid for the people of Spain. Hello many of you salesmen of the United States like of other parts of the world seen to you affected by negative votes of Spanish users by lost of the packages or because never they arrived, our postal service are a sweepings, rob the packages to us and the letters, please if seen to you affected by this to put yours here claim , is a shame that in the heat of century xxi continues passing this, thank you very much using translator , sorry for my english , thx

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Sold an auction item to Spain. Help!?

Hi Guys! I had an auction that ended with the bidder living in Spain. What the heck do I do? If not for this thread (aid for Spain) , I would have just gone ahead as usual with my international sales. But now I am concerned. Any thoughts??? _Moxa

Orignal From: Sold an auction item to Spain. Help!?

Caution Buyer Alert - VistaPrint

Like many of you, I have used VistaPrint for my business cards for several years. They do a terrific job, ship fast and have always been very reasonable. But after placing my last order, I started seeing re-occurring charges to my debit account for $14.99 for VistaPrint Rewards program. After complaints to the company that the charges more than tripled the cost of my original order, I was told I would be refunded the $60 (still pending.) My concern is that when I questioned who/when I authorized this charge, I was told I authorized the service when I clicked on a banner ad on their site. So, for those of you considering those free business cards, do a Google search of complaints on VistaPrint first. If you still decide to go ahead and order the cards anyway with a debit or credit card, PROCEED with Caution!

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Auction Management Websites

I am looking at Auctiva, I like what they seem to offer for free, just wanted to ask if they are the place to go with or if another site is available free or cheap that will suit my needs. I am looking for cool and changing templates, more than one photo for free, easy and quick listing (having all the normal stuff fill in the blanks on its own like TOS and shipping info) Check out the BK Buy N

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Would a store be worth it for me?

Hey all, I would like people's opinion on whether a store would be right for me. I sell movies on ebay, only auctions. I don't sell a huge ammount, only maybe 20 a week, sometimes more. Would a store boost my sales enough that it would pay for the cost of a basic store? Thanks!

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Should I start a store?

Hi, I had a b

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Choice listings

I keep coming across a seller when I am researching/shopping who lists all their items with a choice listing. Stating that after the purchase they will be sent a link to choose the size. This is against ebay policy, so I regularly turn in this seller when I come across the listings. After this going on for weeks I wrote to ebay asking why this particular seller continues to get away with this when I have to list each size individually. This was the response I got.... "As you know we constantly review and update our policies to improve the eBay marketplace. Currently, eBay's Choice policy does not permit listings that offer a choice of items; however, we are in the process of reviewing this policy to determine whether the enforcement approach is in the best interest of the eBay marketplace and community. In order to create enhancements that will improve both the buying and selling experience under this policy, only the *most egregious* violations of this policy may be removed from eBay during this review period. Sincerely, Suza C. Office of the President"I'm curious to hear some of your thoughts on this. Attitude Apparel because you are what you wear!Attitude Apparel because you are what you wear!

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Dropshipping

Id like to know if its a good idea to start a ebay store by looking into Dropshippers wholesale?

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shipping

How do I remove the shipping cost from my item?

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Seller Problems

I am a buyer that is quick to pay as soon as bid is done. I accidently bid on Queen bedspread (the King was just above). I told the seller this. 1 day later, paypal shows King was charged. YEAH! So I quickly paid for King. After 5 days, there was no emails about anything. Ebay showed that they also wanted money for queen. I repeatedly email them..they wouldn't communicate. Finally I called phone#, they stated they canceled queen the day they recieved payment on that 1st day, king in mail. 10 days later, still charging for queen (and email..why haven't you paid for queen?) and they had not sent king. So I gave bad review (1st time ever!). They that day, turned me in for non-payment, and stated IF I took off review they would cancel transaction! So I redid to (Neutral). Then they sent King. Why would they do all this? Maybe from sellers point of view I could understand? I was only bidder on queen, and they had more than 1, they sell tons of bedding. The accountant that I had first called, was not happy I gave them a bad review and was kind of snippy. I was fully expecting them NOT to mail King even though it was paid for. Was I totally wrong thinking they were just trying to get me to purchase both? The King was off from Ebay since I stated I wanted this in an Email, or is it all my fault for wrong bid? I have 100% and am new buyer, but am not dumb to buying stuff (done it since I was 2! haha) I'm trying to keep my score.

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EBAY COMMITS SUICIDE WITH NEW RULES

I was one of the first 10 selling on ebay and spent my day figuring out starting my own web site store as the new feedback rule is ebays biggest mistake yet. It is the straw that broke this camels back. Buyers leave negative without even notifying us of problems. I stand behind everyting I sell but you have to notify me of any problem. When a buyer leaves negative without contacting me to notify me of a problem I leave negative back and make them give me a chance to make whatever the problem is right and then apply for a mutual feedback withdrawal. This just happened again today. Ebay is tieing our hands and I cannot afford the extra time. Also letting buyers rate shipping is nuts as unless it is free, to a buyer paying shipping is bad. It is a lost cause. It all was even on our local news in Omaha, Nebraska today. Ebay is commiting suicide they said.

Orignal From: EBAY COMMITS SUICIDE WITH NEW RULES

naming a store???

I am in the process of opening an ebay store and want to know if there is a way to check store names I have in mind to see if they already exist on ebay. Any help would be great.

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How to combine shipping?

I don't sell much on here and someone bought two items I had up for auction. They requested a total and I'm guessing that they did so to see if I am combining the shipping. How do I combine shipping if they use paypal to pay for the item? Thanks!!!

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Ebay Fees

I've been on eBay since it first was popular several years ago (when the fees were more reasonable). Now eBay takes about 20% of our "profit". Basically, the only way to make money is if you get something for free and list it on eBay. I would like to hear from others about these high fees so that I know I'm not alone in this. With millions of auctions and each one charges at least 30 cents, eBay is making billions, if not trillions of dollars off of sellers. I think that eBay needs to make it a flat 5% of whatever sells. Why should eBay charge for items that do not sell? If you agree with me, please contact eBay and tell them your concerns and reply to this post as "I AGREE" so that eBay knows how many people agree that the fees are too high and that we shouldn't be charged for things that do not sell.

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Help !.. Question about feed back form

Here's the problem.. I keep a 100% feedback, but I've had to increase my sale prices over time.. When a customer leaves feedback, the amount paid for the item is listed with the item number, discription, etc....All my items in inventory are FIXED PRICE format, so no bidding or auction

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Unconfirmed ship address - help

Hi all, I have a customer who made a purchase and when i went to ship it paypal shipping informed me this was not the confirmed address. I contacted the customer and she said she was at school for a short time and was having problems with things shipping to her home address while she's at school for the summer. I told her i couldn't ship there, she'd have to contact paypal and connect the address to her account. she never replied. it's now been over two weeks, and i've sent her a total of 3 emails. i would imagine she would be home by now, but i fear a "neg" feedback if i just ship it there without her confirmation. does anyone have any advice? i thought of canceling the transaction but think that would be a bummer for her too. just not sure what to do here... ? thanks!

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buying wholesale

Do wholesalers typically work with small ebay businesses?

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My ebay sales have increased over the past month, but why?

This is a weird problem to have...actually it's not a "problem" at all! My ebay store sales have tripled over the past month. I have been in a wedding, on vacation, and had surgery in the past month, so it's certainly not that I've been promoting it or even adding new items. I'm not complaining. I'm just curious what the explanation is so that I keep on the same path. Pam

Orignal From: My ebay sales have increased over the past month, but why?

Starting out.

How long does it take to start selling when u open a ebay store?

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Turbo lister

Okay, I am starting to list with the Turbo lister, but how/where do you put your policies in?

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Selling with variations and best offer

Hi. I just listed a few items with the option of adding variations and can't figure out how to also include the ability for my customers to submit a best offer. Have I missed something? or is it impossible to do both? Also, those of you who use Auctiva... can I build my listing with variations inside auctiva? The few I did, I did them the old fashion way, here at eBay and imported my html code. It took FOREVER! I certainly wouldn't want to have to do that all the time. --Attitude Apparel because you are what you wear!

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Ebay Stores

I've been buying on ebay for about 8 years, and just started selling stuff around the house 1 year ago in lieu of a garage sale. I've gotten rid of alot of stuff, and made a little extra spending money. I'm a stay at home mom and I enjoy ebay buying and selling. I would like to explore opening an ebay store, but know nothing about it. Help!

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Here is an interesting auction

Link

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How do I change my store category view in my auctions?

I have my store categories going down the left side on each of my auctions. How do I change this..to either take it off or add it to the top. Thanks!!

Orignal From: How do I change my store category view in my auctions?

Higher ranking?

Ok I have 17 Auctions currently. I been asking questions on this board for about 2 weeks now. I followed everything you all said. I got more variety this time too. Hookahs, Incense burners, Hand cuffs, and Airsoft guns, all for sale now. My thing is I went through first 10 pages of a couple of my products and cant find anything!!! How do i get bump myself up to the first 5 pages or so. Not page 15 or 20. All 17 of my items up now not one has over 4 page views No one is seeing my auctions I have 100% feedback how come Im so far back?

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Help with shipping charge feedback

I can't seem to get by feedback for shipping and handling charges over 4.7 . The items I am selling include FREE SHIPPING! I don't know what else I can do. Anyone out there with higher feedback for S/H care to share their secret? I think eBay should automatically give sellers a 5 in S/H feedback when shipping is free. Obviously some of my customers think that no charge for shipping is too high --TokenCreekSales

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Layaway requests

I have customers ask all the time about offering layaway plans. I am at a loss as to whether layaway's are really worth the time to manage and if they would really increase sales.

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Packaging

I was wondering what, if anything, everyone is doing with their packaging? Specifically: packing materials outside/inside box advertising store colors/branding custom printing new materials vs. reused/recycled promo materials, and if so, what? Thx! kat www.timelesscollectible.com

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How to rise a traffic on my listings?

I listed seven paintings and drawings and I relist them regularly second month. I wonder about the number of people who visit and look at the items. The number is really low. Is there any trick or something I do not know I should do to attract people and make them look at the listed items? Or is that just matter of good luck?

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Strategy of 99 cent sales

Can someone tell me how the strategy for selling things-like books-for 99 cents works? It certainly seems like even taking the time to ship it makes it not even worth it. Why on earth do so many sellers do this?

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Selling paintings - help please

I am artist and I am selling my artwork here. It does not attract many people to visit. What do you think is problem? Did I set high prices? Are the artworks unattractive? Is that staff suitable for selling here? Do I need some special promotions or something to get more attention? Any advice welcomed...

Orignal From: Selling paintings - help please

Feedback in the Real World Would You Even Care?

Just got to looking at all of the posts regarding all of the concerns about the new feedback process and thought, how the rest of the world outside of Ebay would function if they operated the same way. I haven't sold in a while, but plan to shortly and know the worries I've had about even getting a single negative feedback. Honestly, what's the big deal? Why do we get our panties in such a wad if someone complains? I know that feedback is important to let buyers be aware of those that are just crappy sellers, but as any experienced Ebayer knows, sometimes there are just those buyers that you can't make happy no matter what. I can tell you that when I used to work in the grocery business I couldn't make some people happy if I had the cow in the store, milked it and gave them the milk straight from the cow. I mean really, would it change your mind if you say walked into Walmart and on display was their feedback score and lets say it had tens or hundreds of thousands or even millions of neg's? Actually, it might be a good idea..........

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How can I create awareness for my products?

Can anyone please advise me how to promote products and create awareness in eBay Business? I am selling designer inspired perfume oils which I believe have good potential to grow and value for money. How can I get more people to view and discuss about my products? Many thanks!!

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Free insertion vs. Paid insertion on a $100 item

5 free listings a month is cheaper till the value of the item reaches a certain point, then it's more expensive. Link Free insertion insertion fee = $0 $100 x 8.75% = $8.75 Total $8.75 Paid insertion insertion fee = $2.00 $25 x 8.75% = $2.1875 $75 x 3.50% = $2.625 Total $6.8125

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Accounting Help Please!!

Hi I've been in business for almost two years and since I read information on Ebay main Street about taxes, the IRS and how Paypal is going to start reporting the payments you receive through Paypal to the IRS in 2012, I'm afraid of losing my business because I thought my business was small. It's not zoned as an official business in my town or anything. This was just supposed to be a part-time thing for me to earn some cash. Now, I use a dropshipper and I have NO idea how to even start to do daily accounting, reconciling between ebay's sales, subtracting shipping, ebay fees, paypal fees, and the total amount charged from the dropshipper, not to mention that sometimes the dropshipper doesn't give my my invoices on the same day so it's almost impossible to do accounting that matches up day by day and I have NO idea where to start or how to do this all by myself... All these new government rules are starting to really scare me and I HAVE to start doing accounting... Anyone having the same issues, dealing with the dropshipper, ebay's monthly invoices for fees, and such that makes it a challenge to reconcile your books?

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Shipping question - buyer not responding

Hello, I recently had a sale from my store. Buyer paid the flat rate domestic shipping price listed. When I looked at the "Sales record" the address listed was a NJ address, but when I went on to paypal to print a lable the address was South Korea. Buyer has 2 feedbacks only, both positive. I tried contacting buyer through the ebay email address given. I noticed another email address showed up with his paypal payment, so I emailed that address as well. I want him to confirm whether he wants the item shipped to the NJ address or South Korea, and if he wants it to go to South Korea it will cost more. No response yet. I am past my "3 day handling time". If I don't hear from him soon should I just ship to the NJ address, or contact ebay? I had this happen once before where a Canada resident paid the flat rate, but I emailed her and she responded

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I am looking to generate some extar income

I have been looking at Doba , I do not expect to get rich quick and would really be happy with 3-5K positive cash flow to help pay the bills and put some money away. I would love some suggestions from YOU who already do it and will accept any and all the help I can get My Name is Kevin W. I have been in the mortgage industry for the past 10 years and the past 2 yrs sucked so I have tried a couple of MLM's take a wild guess how that worked. Anyway I would love a mentor or someone with experience to get me started or at least pointed in the right direction. kwels@optonline.net

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Niche definition....in case you wanted to know

I decided to look up

Orignal From: Niche definition....in case you wanted to know

Plagarism.......

According to Webster's Plagarize- To take ideas, writings from another and pass off as one's own. As many of you know, I specialize in vintage puppets at my shop www.classicpuppets.com. I pride myself in developing a wonderful selection of TOP quality puppets that are presented with better pictures and better descriptions than my competitors........ I use selling manager and I use templates-so many of my ads use the same phrases-MY phrases-MY words....... It is frustrating to find other sellers copying my ads-not just descriptions-but my words and my phrases exactly. I know that this seller copied and pasted me b/c my distinctive phrase, "this puppet shows it's age a bit but is still VERY cool," appeared in his ad-same words, same font, same capitalize VERY. I understand if another seller has a puppet, doesn't know who it is, finds my puppets and gathers information from my listings and uses that information to write there ad........ But to STEAL my exact words and phrases? To add insult to my injury, this seller botched and hacked their information into my ad with improper spellings and puctuations......improper capitaliztion......... I hope that my customers will not spot that ad and associate it with www.classicpuppets.com in any way shape or form!!! Is there a way to prevent copying and pasteing of my ads? How would I integrate that with selling manager? I use the standard sell your item form from eBay and use the 'sell similar' link to construct new ads........ Thanks for listening....... Kat www.classicpuppets.com

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Do not know anything about EBAY

Hello - I am totally new to EBAY and I have tons of records that I just found out were worth some cash, I have read alot of information on this site , but it seems as though everything is generalized. How can I assure that I will get paid? I know you must get some type of pay pal account, but does the buyer get the item first ? or do they pay first? How is the buyer assured that they will get the item? What is the difference between an auction and a sell? I know that an auction is when people place bids on an item, but I guess you can also just sell an item? which is more profit? I have lots of questions, where can I get these answers ?

Orignal From: Do not know anything about EBAY

Traffic WAYYYY Down - Sales holding Steady - How About you?

The following is based on the Omniture Traffic Reports included for free with my Basic Store subscription and accessible on the "My eBay" page. I've noticed that for August the traffic to my listings is WAY down. It used to be that on a Sunday when I had 50 auction/store combined listings I'd regularly get over 200 "views" on my items. Even in July traffic was over 150/Sunday. This past Sunday, when I had 133 combined auction/store items open, 62 auctions end, and a Coach Purse end my total traffic for the day was 50. My items sold is down, but thanks to the coach purse this week the $$$ count is good. I have not made any notable changes to my product line or key word usage. Aside from Auctiva's revamping their Google Base feeds this past weekend (they do my picture hosting) have there been any other changes that I'm not aware of? Has anyone else noticed a similar drop in traffic (not sales)? I would really appreciate if we can start a conversation on traffic patters to try to resolve this. Thanks! Sandi Like New Suits

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wholesale jewelry

I want to retail Guess jewelry. She said ( the sales rep) they sometimes don't like to sell to internet stores because it competes with their Guess.com. But that sometimes they will agree to sell. She sent me a form to fill out and send back. It asks questions like the type of merchandise you usually carry, key manufacturers you currently carry in your store, number of stores you currently operate, etc. she said she doesn't know why they pick one person over another. What do you all think? How do you think I can make myself one of the "chosen ones"? Thanks! I already have a business license and a TIN.

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ecrater and bonanzle?

Have you all tried ecrater and/or bonanzle while also selling on ebay? If so, what did you all think of it? Looking for ways to maximize and cut down on excessive amounts of $$ going out the door...and looking for input.

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Too bad we can not make a special offer to watchers only

Right now I have 96 items being watched. It would be cool if we could set up a special offer for watchers of fixed price 30 days. "The item you are watching "Turquoise wolf necklace" is ending in 24 hours. Buy it now and save 10%. Instead of $20 your cost will be only $18.00"

Orignal From: Too bad we can not make a special offer to watchers only

Has everyone's sales tapered lately, or is it just me?

I've only been full-time since November of last year, but things were growing pretty much every month since then, finally settling around a pretty steady number, which I assume would kind of be unprofessional to post in something like this :P. Over the last 4 weeks or so, there was an abrubt down-turn in sales, about 30%. It occurred right after I made a large update to all my listings, which I thought would actually make things better. So, was it a coincidence that sales have dropped... or did I screw up majorly and need to get back in there and somehow undo what I changed?

Orignal From: Has everyone's sales tapered lately, or is it just me?

New USPS International Shipping Requirement?

Hi, Just got back from my local PO after trying to mail a box to Canada First Class International. The postal worker showed me a memo they had been given saying that all international items that are merchandise must have 2 copies of an invoice attached to the outside of the box. It specifically mentioned that this includes Ebay and online purcahses. This is new to me; the worker didn't know if it's a new rule or one they are just now enforcing. Anybody lese run into it yet? Amy

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Your own brand?

Have any of you started your "own" brand? We're planning a section called "Abella Boutique Baby" or "Abella Baby"...with handmade baby items. Abella is our last name (from Cuba), so it's not like French froo froo high dollar as I've seen attached to "Bella and Abella". Anyone tried to start with their own brand, and if so, what thoughts, ideas, etc have you tried? Will be also bringing the new idea to the off ebay stores we're in..main street and bonanzle, and maybe another.... Getting more items made, found some new for resale items to embellish, etc, and working on redoing some things in the ebay store to show the name. Also...for models...use your own kids...or use hangers/mannequins/whatever is available?

Orignal From: Your own brand?

Ducks in a row...

I have several sources of goods to market and a strong desire to sell on ebay. I am concerned about the following: Shipping: what is the best way to ship? USPS, UPS, etc. what level of service do most customers expect? next day, ground, etc. How important is cost? Ebay pushes "incentivises" "free" shipping from the seller, which means sellers absorb the cost. Anyone know what percent of sellers offer that? I don't plan on profiting from shipping, but why should I eat it? Those that have been doing this for a while have elaborate, sophisticated listings, stores, websites and many features. They have lower costs (powersellers) and a support network. I know, I know that sounds like whiny, crybaby stuff, but they also have automated responses to customers, and so much more. Does a simple, easy-going guy like me have a chance to compete? I can barely figure out how to make a listing. OK, I can do more than that, but still, it is very daunting. I would love to speak to an experienced ebayer, maybe 5 minutes, no more, just to see what the possibilities are (and the risks). As I read more and more about ebay selling I feel overwhelmed. Thanks, Bruce in Nebraska

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I will never be a power seller

September of year before last I sold over $800. I thought, "Wow, I only have120 items listed, if I list 600 items I should make over $2,000 a month." Actually I was hoping for $3,000 a month. I do between $400 and $700 a month. Most month I am closer to the $400. I will say that except for wholesaling and direct retail sales, Ebay is the only venue that makes me money. I have a prostre and advertise it in a magazine for a total monthly cost of $70, and I only sell about 20 to 40 dollars a month there. I have reduced my 30/day fixed listings by 40 listings which will save me $14 a month. I will be listing 5 items in my store for every 1 item I list in 30 day/35 cents in an attempt to keep costs down. I make a good profit on the things I sell. Perhaps I demand too much per item, but I do sell consistently every month. Unless I figure out a new niche to add to my ebay selling, I am quite confident that I will never be a power seller.

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Looking for ebay expert for a new venture!

We are an existing self storage business in the southern california area and we are trying to create an on site ebay store at our locations. We are looking for someone to help us operate the back end of a drop of store. Does anyone know where to find someone very experienced in Ebay?

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I think I am done selling on Ebay.

I just cant continue to sell on Ebay. I can no longer sell without accepting Paypal, that is an additional cost (and risk) that was not required for the longest time here. I used to take US postal money orders, but now I cannot, Ebay is forcing me to use their bank and that is just a way to control sellers. I would often purchase locally to avoid paypal, I would buy and pay cash. Over the last year I have noticed a change in what is available on Ebay around me, many of the smaller sellers have just quit, and I am one. Now with the "Buyer protection" the buyer can make my life much more stressful as a seller, I am not selling on Ebay as a business model, and if I wanted to go into retail and provide money back guarantees I would do just that. I am not going to sell an expensive item only to have a charge back if the item fails or dies, or if the buyer just decided they dont want it and claim damage etc.. And dont get me started on selling overseas with paypal, I will never do that again. Way to easy for a buyer to claim it never arrived and the buyer has to pay out. Im done. Hello "Other sites"

Orignal From: I think I am done selling on Ebay.

How could this have happened?

I sold 2 display cases to a lady who lives in the same state I do. She paid w/ an echeck via Paypal immediately upon purchasing (I didn't have to send an invoice--and of course, I had a waiting period for the echeck to clear). When I started packing her items/printing out the packing slip, I noticed that the s

Orignal From: How could this have happened?

Monday, August 31, 2009

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