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The Secret to a Successful Craigslist Business

whateverebay — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:04:23 +0000

The Secret to a Successful Craigslist Business. You can make a living from selling on Craigslist. In fact you can really start building your fortune. I use Craigslit for ads to drive traffic to my online stores but my brother uses it to target a direct need.

My brother sells on eBay and Amazon on and off and has a website with his own merchant account. However, he was experiencing too many damage claims due to damage his items sustained while in en route to the customer. My brother as his customer is not a patient person. He was easily fed-up and decided to target only the local market in Southern California, while only offering a few listings on eBay and Amazon. He was looking to have total control of inventory (eliminating Drop Ship) and most importantly eliminating the Carrier. This allowed him absolute control from listing to opening the item in the customers presence.

Now, because he is only using a portion of his savings, he sells directly from home. In fact, has has no bedroom, its become his warehouse. He is saving enough money to eventually open his own location and hire help. He list only what he has in-hand. And if needed he will drive to the manufacturers the same day to re-stock. Living in Los Angeles is to his benefit being that many manufacturers are in City of Industry.

The secret to his success:
He lists every morning on Craigslist (no software used-Craigslit will drop you like a Hot Potato)
Does not direct traffic to his site. He wants the customer to contact him directly and will let his charming personality take over. Seriously, not one customer can get off the phone without him closing a deal. All sales are cash, he calculates a small profit includes tax and will offer Free Delivery within reasonable distance. Once he arrives for the delivery if a customer ask for inside delivery or assembly he will ask that they offer him a tip of their choice. Usually, the tip is enough to cover a full tank.

Now, my brother has several things going for him. He knows the furniture industry, has a cargo van and the strength of football player and the charm that any sales person would love to have. Because the market is fickle; he has not quit his day job as a stock boy at a local toy store. He is the best employee they have had, dedicated during his hours of work, but will not accept a full-time position there. All because he has a vision of where he is headed and a plan on how to get there.

His day job allows him to pay for his rent and gas but his Craigslist business allows him to cover all other expenses while allowing him to save and have extra pocket money. Not bad for a guy in his twenties.

Remember it all starts with an idea. It may come frustrations, necessity or simply from the ether. Take that idea and create a plan. Soon you will have developed your own Secret to Success…….

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Increase online Sales

whateverebay — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:19:15 +0000

It seems to me that many still fall under the eBay crutch category. Offering their items on eBay only limits their exposure and sales. Yet, they wonder why they are not generating any sales. My response is called though love……..Are you kidding me? If anything I have repeated over, to the point of sounding like a broken record is that you MUST drive traffic to your site and offer your items outside eBay. That can be your webstore, blog or another platform.

Now, when you place so much effort to attract buyers to your eBay store it does not make sense that on top of doing all the labor; you share the profits with that platform. If you are going to spend efforts driving traffic whether it be free classifieds or paid Ads (such as Adwords) then do you think it would make sense that you benefit?

There are many sites that allow you to build a Free online store; such as eCrater or Bonanzle. The freedom you find offering your items on your own site or blog are unparalleled. Yahoo Stores is user and SEO friendly or Volusion. These sites offer good customer support and easy tools to create a webstore overnight.

All that hard-work and dedication you are placing selling in other platforms should be placed sending the traffic to your own site. Think about the opportunities of spending half of your eBay fees in Adwords….. seems to me that your traffic/sales would have the potential to double…..

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Worth Reading about eBay by Former Employees

whateverebay — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:12:26 +0000

Worth Reading about eBay by Former Employees. Ina over at Auction Bytes wrote an interesting post about the insights of former eBay and Paypal employees. For one, its no surprise to me, as I know and continue to encourage you to sell in other platforms and to drive your own traffic.

One of the links I followed had this interesting comment from an eBay seller: (Click HERE for link)

I checked them out and sure enough the information is there. Sellers are clever (right) and are also providing their website address on the search results such as (see below). According to eBay these practices are not allowed, yet they are right there and to add insult to injusry the seller is featured as a “Top Rated-Seller”…….What do you think? eBay is too big and cannot keep track? Or is eBay purposely looking the other way????

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Narcisco Rodriguez to debut Collection on eBay

whateverebay — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:07:07 +0000

Guess who is joining eBay……Narcisco Rodriguez to debut Collection on eBay. You will be able to shop like a Celebrity without spending to much and not having to be a Size 0. His line will be available on Feb. 15, 2010. For detail you can visit eBay HERE

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eBay Buyer Protection & Fee Changes

whateverebay — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:13:16 +0000

eBay Buyer Protection & Fee Changes was just announced, actually finally confirmed the fee increase. The fee increase is set to go in effect March 30,2010. I just used the calculator eBay offers to calculate your new monthly fees. Based on the new fee structure I am actually going to see my fees increase about $1,500.00 more with a Store subscription.

I plan to list more variety on eBay but will a lower average fee. Instead of offering large ticket price items, I will try to stay around the $200.00 range.

Here is the link for the eBay fee calculator ebayinkblog.com

Currently, eBay is not my main source to generate sales, my webstore is doing well. I am going to introduce a few new lines of home goods to help increase variety and sales directly.

Aside from the fee changes, eBay is now offering Buyer Protection directly. This may be a good idea for buyers but it does not serve the seller. Ultimately if ebay will determine if the buyer deserves a full refund. If eBay decides on the buyers behalf they will fully refund the buyer but charge your account in full. Whether you like it or not. Below are sections from the New eBay Agreement – to view the entire Agreement you can click HERE.

take a look at this - Line 2 – Anyone that sells online knows that handling time/shipping is always an estimate unless you are selling items you plan to overnight. Again, eBay is good for exposure but no one should make it its only source for sales.

How do you feel of the Buyer Protection ebay is offering? Do you feel that it is protecting you as a seller?

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Bonanzle a raising star

whateverebay — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:53:23 +0000

Back in October Google announced changes to be to their Shopping search engine “Froogle”. As you know I sell on several of the online sties. The top four being eCrater, Amazon, Bonanzle and yes….eBay. Up until October my sales on eCrater were about the same as on eBay, close to 30% of my total sales. Amazon came in a strong second and Bonanzle last.

eBay and Amazon are such huge Brands that you would think the changes Google made would not impact them but I find that it did. At least it was clearly evident with eBay and eCrater. The traffic and sales now generated in eBay represents only 15% of my sales each month. The change could had impacted my overall sales a great deal. Surprisingly, the difference in sales was made-up through the leads generated by Bonanzle. Bonanzle was one of the first sites to announce its full compliance with Google’s changes. For what I have seen its working and doing well for me. Help yourself and Drive traffic to your estore and other marketplaces placing Free ads.

Are you offering your items through Bonanzle? Have you experienced a decline in traffic from any of the sites since Google made changes?

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“Bill Me Later” on eBay for select Sellers and Buyers

whateverebay — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:08:21 +0000

“Bill Me Later” on eBay for select Sellers and Buyers in the coming weeks will be part of the Beta test.

eBay:

“With Bill Me Later, qualified buyers with a PayPal account in good standing will be able to purchase items fast and pay later—without using a credit card.

Sellers will be paid in the same way they are paid by PayPal today—the full amount due to the seller from the transaction will be transferred to their PayPal account just as quickly as with any other transaction.

Bill Me Later will launch initially in the coming weeks with a small group of buyers and sellers. Sellers included in the launch will be notified separately by email from PayPal. Buyers included in the launch will see Bill Me Later as a payment option in eBay checkout on items from these sellers. Buyers may also get special introductory offers such as $25 off and no payments for 90 days. The offers will be funded by Bill Me Later and credited directly to the buyer’s Bill Me Later account”

Considering eBay acquired “Bill Me Later” Fall of last year, it would had been a great move for them to do their testing during the Spring along with all the changes they implemented then. So they could had rolled out the “Bill Me Later” features to a large pool of sellers and buyers. That would had benefit everone in sales and purchasing options. Buty o course it did not happen.

If you are selling on eBay you may want to check out the Announcement Board for details. Some sellers may just opt to respond to eBay with “See Me Later”!

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Both sides of the Retailer

whateverebay — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:05:55 +0000

A post at Tamebay took me back in time. Back in the day when I was just a guppy in the eBay marketplace world. Now, I am not at all insinuating that I am a shark, but I certainly not that naive.

Today eBay presented a petition signed by 750,000 eBayers to the European Parliament, asking for amendments to EU competition law to stop brands from restricting the sale of their products on the internet.

This has affected all of us at some point of our selling career. A few years back when I sold on eBay, I decided to offer a certain line of Home Decor. Now, when I opened the account no stipulation was made on how I could market the product or even if I had to offer it at a minimum Sale Price. I did extremely well with this line on eBay. So well, that one of my competitors that had been offering the same line called the Counsel of the VENDOR we both purchased from and got my account closed. I know this because the assistant to BLANK informed me.

The house Attorney for that Vendor sent me an email that my last order was canceled and that I would no longer be allowed to carry their product. All because they claimed I offered it too low and they did not want their product line offered in a place like eBay. (Big Mistake)

I was furious. I knew exactly what occurred; it was Insult to Injury. The nerve. I presented my argument to no avail and my competition on eBay continued to sell and finally her sales picked up as I was forced to remove my listings.

The VENDOR favored the other seller; no where in the Terms of the Contract was such language expressed. I did not pursue this matter simply because I was insulted and knew that it truly was their loss not mine. I to this date check on the sales of then my competitor and she still does not sell anywhere as much as I did them. Pretty petty.

This experience thought me plenty.

1) Company name for purchasing should differ from your online – At least on auction sites – Think umbrella

2) Have them provide you with ALL Terms and Policies – Signatures from both ideal

3) There are some very sad people out there….. LOL – do not let them bring you down.

Now, the case eBay has brought before the European Parliament is a step to help retailers (online sellers) exercise their right to sell Brand Name Goods where they want too. Many retailers have accounts with Gucci, Prada etc…. Especially now, most Brick and Mortar stores need to be able to compete and offer a variety online or on sites like eBay in order to survive.

If the Vendor you are dealing with expresses their position prior to you investing money and time to sell their product; then I do feel it is fair. However, if no such stipulation exist and you impose this on your retailers then I do feel its time for retailers to unite and exercise their rights. Times have changed. Designers themselves are now working with eBay to have their Private Labels on their site. In my situation the Vendor simply imposed a restriction that did not exist to help my competitor succeed. But now, with the success so many retailers have found on the internet it is not only the Brick and Mortar store sellers (that do not want to keep with the times) but Designers that want to place restrictions on us on How, When and Where to sell…….

Does “Free Trade” mean anything?

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eCRATER adds eBay Importer

whateverebay — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:03:43 +0000

Greeat news, eCRATER has just added eBay importer. You can now easily import the products from your eBay store into eCRATER. If you are currently selling on eBay and want to help increase your sales now is a great time to also sell on eCRATER. This could not be easier. With Google remocing all eBay listings from its search; opening or moving over to eCRATER would be a smart move.

You can accept Google Checkout and ever Paypal. But what is BETTER that are currently no FEES. List as much as you want, get listed on Googles Shopping Search Engine and start making money.

Back to the eCRATER’s importer: this is how easy it is:

Importing your listings directly from eBay -

eBay xml file

It is also possible to import your eBay store listings in eCRATER. You need to download your ebay store’s export file first.

To create a file of your listings:

1. Go to My eBay.

2. Move your cursor over the Account tab until you see the pull-down menu.

3. Select “Marketing Tools.”

4. In the Store Marketing section on the left side of the page, click the “Listing Feeds” link.

5. In the Search engines and comparison sites section, select “Make a file of your Store Inventory listings available.”

6. Click the Apply button.

Within 12 hours, eBay creates the file and posts it to a web address (URL) based on your Store’s URL. For example, if your Store’s name is “Fine Jewelry,” the file is posted to: http://esssl.ebay.com/GetListings/finejewelry

7. open the URL and save it as an XML file.

III. Final Step

Upload the file. The process of reviewing is manual so we do not guarantee a time frame in which this will happen. If your bulk file failed during the verification phase please click on the error link to see what the issues are and try to fix them. If you are unable to fix them please feel free to email us part of the file (first 100 row max) and we will try to help you. Please do not email us the entire file.

If you are selling elsewhere or have more than 50 products but no more than 10,000 products you will have to submit several bulk files. eCRATER also provides you with the steps to upload in bulk your products.

This should make it easier for you. Are you currently selling on eBay? If so how are your sales? Have you seen a decrease or increase in traffic? Have you given eCRATER a try? How is that doing for you?

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UPS Video Testimonial on eBay Apps

whateverebay — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:06:15 +0000

With the recent announcement of eBay’s Beta Applications it would be good for eBay sellers to understand how to properly use the apps. Here is Jordan Colletta, UPS – Vice President of e-Commerce Marketing, speaks about UPS Solutions experience with the eBay Selling Manager Applications. Find out how Selling Manager Apps can help you manage your shipping needs inside eBay.

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eBay Selling Manager Apps “Terapeak”

whateverebay — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:52:22 +0000

This is a helpful video for you to understand the advantages of using Terapeak. Andrew Sukow, CTO and Co-Founder of TerapeakMarketplace Research explains to us how Terapeak works with eBay. Now that eBay has added the apps you can efficiently use this tool directly from your selling manager.

Terapeak offers you many tools to research, products, sellers and categories. Getting to use the tools will help you have an advantage over your competitors and perhaps venture into other categories. You can also visit Terapeakfor a tuturial.

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Dr. Phil Show – “We Steal and Sell It on eBay”

whateverebay — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:48:44 +0000

“We steal and sell it on eBay”…. Laura and Matthew Eaton admit to. You’ve got to be kidding me. What were they thinking and what was the producer of the Dr. Phil Show thinking? Of course these humans would be caught.

This week I posted a question from a reader asking me about a quick way to make money online. That reminded me of the outrageous actions of these people.

If you are not aware of what occurred here is what you can find it at the Dr. Phil site:

“My wife and I are professional shoplifters,” says Allen.

“Every month, we make about $10,000, about $100,000 a year,” adds his spouse, Laura. She says they’ve amassed nearly $1 million in stolen goods over the past seven years.

“Why do you do this?” Dr. Phil asks the couple. “Why this instead of getting a job like the rest of us?”

“I think when I first started out, it was just something that was little. I had a job. I needed a little extra money, so I would do a job or something that was on a very, very small scale,” Allen replies.”……………………………..

Of course eBay since has shut down their account. Get this, they only had ONE neutral. Again, no short cuts. If you have watched the video, you its hard to understand why they would go on National TV to shamelessly admit to their actions? You can find the details about the show at Dr. Phil.

With hard work and patience you can have your own online success story. No quick or shortcuts to success.

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eBay Post Clarification Regarding Third Party Checkout

whateverebay — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:56:08 +0000

If you follow Auction Bytes you might have read the post of 4/15/09 where Auction Bytes indicated eBay would Terminate Thrid Party Checkoutout. This apperantly did not go over to well with eBay. Seems there are many discrepencies coming from eBay and Auction Bytes. No confirmation or full details where disclosed by eBay. However, you should always check all your sources or contact eBay with any questions.

On April 15, Auction Bytes posted the following:

“eBay will eliminate its Third Party Checkout Redirect on eBay as of June 15, 2009. Sellers who use third-party checkout solutions will no longer have the opportunity to display branding, cross-sell, up-sell and other merchandising opportunities at point-of-sale. This means a loss of sales for sellers and lost revenue for vendors who collect commissions on merchant sales. eBay will do away with third-party checkout completely next year…… Click Here to read the entire post

In response to the post; eBay Dinesh Lathi, VP Seller Experience posted the following:

Some blogs have incorrectly reported that eBay is doing away with third party checkout. We want to clarify that this is not the case.

The facts: Beginning June 15, eBay will only allow third-party checkout services from approved providers who have updated their user interface according to a set of eBay guidelines. Our goal is to give buyers a more consistent checkout experience. These guidelines do not involve any changes to functionality that is consistent with eBay listing policies and existing legal agreements…… Click here to read entire post

To reiterate, we are not eliminating third party checkout on June 15, we are only asking third-party checkout providers to update the user interface.

Please keep in mind that the definitive source of information about eBay is eBay. You can find accurate information about any planned changes through this Announcement Board and through emails, calls and other official communications from eBay………………………..

Auction Bytes did update their post to offer some clarification……

“Update 4/15/09: I received an email from eBay spokesperson Usher Lieberman today stating: eBay is narrowing access to third-party checkout to approved providers and has asked these third-party checkout partners to update their user interface or UI to conform with a set of guidelines provided by eBay. This DOES NOT involve any changes to the third-party checkout functionality consistent with eBay listing policies and existing legal agreements, just to the user interface. Some of the approved third-party checkout partners may opt out of these user interface changes, in which case they will need to begin using eBay Checkout. I asked for further clarification, Usher Lieberman has yet to reply…………

The kind of situation that arose today only confirms our editorial instincts. eBay said today in its announcement, “the definitive source of information about eBay is eBay.” I eagerly await more information from eBay about Third Party Checkout changes coming in June!” For details you can click here

As a seller it is important to know what changes are coming up that will affect your seller and buyer experience. It seems that eBay has not responded to all the questions concerning the changes that are coming up. It would only be fair to allow the seller in. With so many changes all ready made in such a short period of time; how much more uncertainty can we take……. Sure, changes should be announced by eBay and confirmation should be provided to sellers and bloggers by them. But without the proper communication the “speculations” of sellers and bloggers seem to lead more to the truth. My suggestions, is to explore your options. If you are concerned your buyers from eBay cannot find you; you can sign-up for Every Place I Sell; offered by Auction Bytes. Every Place I Sell allows you to inform buyers where they can find your products.

Do you think eBay will eliminate Third Party Checkout all together? Do you think eBay should allow Third Party Checkout or simply allow only PayPal?

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eBay Implements OpenSocial Gadget on “Selling Manager”

whateverebay — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 03:33:41 +0000

Google Developers released the interview with Farhang Kassaei Principal Architect with eBay marketplaces on the implementation and benefits of OpenSocial Gadget on your “Selling Manager”. However, it is now a private video and I cannot share it with you. I can share with you this:

eBay is offering you several applications that you can now easily implement to use to help you improve your entire eBay business. These applications are integrated into eBay’s Selling Manager – so you won’t have to install or download any software. You will be responsible for any fee associated with the application, eBay will conveniently bill you for it.

You can visit eBay’s Developer Site for a additional information. The apps offered such as Tera Peak is a valuable apps for any seller. Tera Peak allows you to search the Selling Price on items. Many of the Apps being offered are sites that offer you many tools to understand and find success on eBay.

Of course, you should always explore other sites to offer your items and other sites that offer you tools for your use Free of Charge. This is definitely a good step forward.

These are some of the Apps being offered:

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Selling on eBay Questions & Answers

whateverebay — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:29:54 +0000

I have received many emails with many of the questions similar to one another. I am only posting the question, keeping personal information private, if you have additional questions please keep sending them in. I will respond to the questions every Thursday on my blog. If your questions really needs an immediate response, just let me know in your email and I will respond to you within a day.

Questions &Answers

Q: My account has been limited on eBay and PayPal. How can I open another Paypal account?

A: First of all, you need to have any issues with both eBay and PayPal resolved. I do not suggest that you continue to sell without resolution. If you have tried to resolve all issue or have resolved them and they will not reinstate your account. They only way for you to have another eBay and PayPal account would be to ask someone you know to open the account for you. Open the PayPal account as a business. Keep in mind that PayPal will again and can limit your account due to the lack of history. Ultimately, your goal should be to have sold on eBay for at least 6 months with a good track record to avoid lengthy limitations. Also, look into getting your own Merchant Account and opening and account with

Q: Sales are slow on eBay, where can I list my items that would provide the same traffic as eBay?

A: Amazon. From my sales at Amazon and others that I know, Amazon is the alternative marketplace to eBay. They are a bit more expensive, payments are processed through them and the listings system is not like eBay. However, they provide you with Customer Service support, high traffic and many tools to help you analyze your competition.

Q: How can I get images to appear larger on my listings?

A: You can accomplish this several ways. On eBay you can pay a fee for a larger image to appear during search. For larger images inside your template you can insert the HTML code from photobucket or where it is you host the images. You can indicate to link on the image for Larger or you can simply just insert the image at 600×600 pxls.

Example: This image is small than 300 pxls

(click to for larger image)

Q: My account with eBay was suspended. The email said it was found to be related with another suspended user……………….?

A: This has happened to me in the past. I worked for a large volume seller that sold on eBay. One of the employees’ there also had her own account selling on eBay. She apparently logged in from the companies computers to check her emails, auctions and PayPal account. When she started having problems in her personal life, so did her eBay account. Eventually, eBay suspended her account. A few days later my employers account was suspended.

The reason offered was the employees account was delinquent and had several complaints for Non Shipment.

First, ask eBay for the information of whom they are associating you account with. Find out who has used your computer or ISP to log into their accounts. You best bet, is to contact your Account Manager with eBay and ask for help.

From now on, once this is resolved. Do not allow anyone to log in using your Computer or Internet. If you have employees; it would be best to post it on the wall as a reminder and have them agree in the Employment Agreement.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

I hope you find this information helpful. There are many more questions I have received and will address some next Thursday. If you have any questions and do not want to comment, you can always use the contact form above to reach me. I always look forward to comments and suggestions.

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Make Money Online NOW Selling or Blogging

whateverebay — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:59:46 +0000

This is how you can make money online using DOBA. Doba has been recognized as the most trusted drop ship solution in the industry. Doba is an eBay Certified Service Provider and dedicated to providing you with quality service and products.

You can start making money online immediately. Doba is a product sourcing company. Doba gives you instant access to hundreds of manufacturers and suppliers. The products are shipped directly to your customer by the supplier.

Instantly connect with distributors & manufacturers. Doba guarantees the lowest wholesale price.

All you need to do is:

Browse their site for product

List the product on eBay or your own website

Collect payment

Submit your order to Doba

Take advantage of the Free Trail they offer. With your Free Trail you receive:

Access to name brand products

Browsable, searchable product catalog

Push to Marketplace Tool (easily list on eBay auctions)

Easy and secure product checkout

Products shipped directly to your customer

Education resources and multi-media tutorials

Toll-free phone support

You are not limited to where you can sell the item and how much profit you can make. With over 1,000,000 different products from 200 unique suppliers you are sure to be able to stock a niche store in a few hours.

Drop ship is great for anyone wanting to sell online without the hassle of shipping or stocking inventory. You can now get started with a Free Trail.

If you are looking for other ways to earn money from your blog. Then Making Money using Doba referral program is for you. When you place banners and text links on your blog, or promote Doba products via email or search engines, you will be paid.

They offer two Options:

Option 1 – Free Trail Leads

Earn $10.00 per lead

Option 2 – Commission on Sales

Earn $30.00 commission for every sale

As you can see, whether you want to start your online store today or recommend Doba to your readers you can start making money now.

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Propay Online Payment Service Update

whateverebay — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:43:36 +0000

CrazeeNYDriver is back with his experience using ProPay online payment service on eBay. He is also providing an update with his daily eBay bumps.

I have a LONG list of reason why I do not like to use Paypal. I am considering ProPay as a payment alternative to Paypal for the use on eBay. I prefer using my Merchant Account and would consider Paypal on eBay. I do not accept Checks or Money Orders. When a company is purchasing directly and wants to pay using a Company Check for the purpose of the Purchase Order, I will consider them and the transaction will not take place on eBay.

With the changes eBay is constantly making to their marketplace its important to maintain informed and have the all options available to you.

If you are selling on eBay only, create a blog inside the eBay community and outside. You will find that your buyers will enjoy the open communication and will visit often in hopes to find those Special Discounts you offer on your site.

CrazeeNYDriver you can watch him on his YouTube Channel HERE

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Meg Whitman former eBay CEO – For Governor of California

whateverebay — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:53:53 +0000

Rumors are now confirmed. Meg Whitman plans to run for California Governor in 2010. Reading the comments from people that claim to have closely worked with her, they are NOT happy. Of course you have two sides, both making strong arguments.

$40 Billion budget gap in California and no current plan of action and eBay sellers still upset (regardless that Meg Whitman is NO longer with eBay) with the changes eBay has made and the dire sales.Do you really think this is the time for Meg Whitman to run for any Governmental Office? Would she be effective? Was it a stroke of genius the early success of eBay or simply luck?

Vote here:

For additional information you can visit
Meg Whitman
Wall Street Journal
Betty Confidential

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Is eBay Confused?

whateverebay — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:26:43 +0000

Auction Bytes has an interesting post. If you recall eBay has removed the option to pay with Checks on their site. They informed sellers NOT to accept Checks or Money Orders only Paypal (Considering, they had not approved any other payment method).

eBay does NOT allow sellers to accept Checks or Money Orders. Here is a story of a seller that complies with the Policy of No Checks.

A buyer emails the seller to inform them that they have NO Paypal account and must mail them a check. The Seller informs the buyer he cannot accept a Check as form of payment.

Note: eBay responded to the SELLER not the Buyer

Buyer Complains to eBay that Seller will NOT accept Check for payment.

eBay response:

“If you’re still unable to reach the seller by email or by phone after a reasonable amount of time, we encourage you to leave appropriate Feedback. This will alert other bidders about your experience. Here’s how to leave Feedback,…“

Are you kidding me?? eBay’s representative for one, sent the email to the wrong party. Secondly, to encourage the BUYER to “leave appropriate Feedback”. Why? The seller is following eBay’s Policy. Scenarios like this are not uncommon. If you recall back in October, I shared with a story about Ben an online seller that had a bad experience with eBay and Paypal. eBay sent his buyers a damaging email. You can review the posting eBay & Paypal crush seller.

You can read the full posting of titled “eBay Not standing with Sellers…..” HERE

Have you had any similar experiences such as this? What are your thoughts on eBay and their NO Policy to Stand behind their Policies?

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Online Auction Sellers Require License

whateverebay — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:06:26 +0000

Online auction sellers may be required to have license to sell. eBay recently emailed out a request to join Ebay Main Street site. The site is a membership based program. Looks like eBay wants to keep us informed on the Laws Governing online auctions. Recently, government officials have passed and are hoping to pass laws that will change the way we run our online business.

As I previously informed you, one site that may have the largest impact could be Etsy . Recently, The CPSIA Mandatory Test & Certification announced they will suspend the proposition for One Year. This is great news for all on Etsy (details will follow). However, there are many other regulations that can affect your online business now.

eBay always staying ahead of the game created a site called eBay Main Street Member Program.

eBay description of eBay Main Street Program and what it means to you:

“eBay’s Government Relations team invites you to join the eBay Main Street Member program. We’ll keep you informed and help you take action on government regulations affecting your ability to trade on eBay.

What is it?

eBay Main Street is a grassroots network that allows eBay to keep you informed of legislative matters that may affect your ability to buy and sell on eBay. In order for you to receive Main Street notifications, eBay needs your permission.

What issues does eBay Main Street monitor?

eBay wants to make you aware of legislative threats in your state and in Washington, D.C. We currently monitor and are involved with many issues relevant to the eBay community, including:

Auctioneering License Requirements – Some states are attempting to require eBay sellers to become licensed “auctioneers.” Some states require up to $1000 in annual licensing fees and time-consuming auctioneering schools, where you will learn important online skills such as “voice modulation.” Without a license you could be subject to thousands of dollars in fines for selling on eBay.
Distant State Sales Tax - There are 45 states and the District of Columbia that have sales taxes on goods. These states have sought for years to make out-of-state sellers collect sales taxes on their distant sales. The states have proposed a new scheme that will be debated in Congress to require eBay sellers to collect and pay these taxes to the states (with thousands of local jurisdictions) where your customers are located. Without your help, you could be required to file and pay a monthly tax bill in each state and be subject to yearly audits in each state.
And more: Including pawnbrokering licenses, auto dealer requirements, event ticket restrictions, etc!

What does the eBay Main Street program do to protect me?

eBay spends countless time, energy and money working to protect you. Our government relations teams and eBay executives speak on your behalf with state and federal government officials every day. As effective as we are, our voices with policymakers pale in comparison to yours. Simply put, government officials listen best when they talk to you – their constituents – real eBay users. We may ask you to write letters, send emails or call your elected officials on crucial issues. At other times, we may ask you to join us in your state capitol or Washington DC to educate and speak to your legislators in person!”

Running any business online or not; brings with a lot of responsibility. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. It is your responsibility to learn all you can of your local regulations and Federal Laws that apply to you.

If you have questions take notes on who you contact, when and where. In the event you ever have any issues you can offer proof of your diligence.

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Bonanzle Takes First place as eBay Alternative

whateverebay — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:38:56 +0000

Bonanzle Takes First place as eBay Alternative named by Small Business Computing and in Second place eCrater.

Now, I list on both sites and continue to recommend both. I am not surprised that Bonanzle took first place. As Bonanzle is easier to list in. Say you have 50 items on eBay or more and you want to offer the same items on your Bonanzle store. This could take you a few hours (even more if you have a larger inventory) Bonanzle can transfer this information for you. All you need to do is allow them into your eBay account (all information is secure; I highly recommend that you change your password) and they will transfer this information.

This is greatly appreciated, as you know that listing items is time consuming.

Both sites are user friendly, but the listing tool and feeback can be great motivators. However, I generate more sales using eCrater than I do with Bonanzle. This could be due to the items I offer. eCrater has been around longer and I have built trust in the community. Whereas with Bonanzle I just opened the account. I get leads from them but no sales yet.

I have set up on both sites recently stores using “Whateverebay” user ID. I opened these to offer you as examples and will be stocking them soon. Once I do, I will let you know and we can watch if I sell or don’t.

Both sites charge you no listing fees! You know that in real estate it’s all about Location, Location, Location…. Well, I am all for Exposure, Exposure, Exposure… Of course FREE helps. Get your brand out there for all to see. I understand you want to generate SALES; one way is to have people see you in various sites offering your products. Eventually, they will buy from you and you will grow as the Market picks up.

Did you know that President Barack Obama uses Volusion ? Check out the article HERE for details.

Are you using Bonanzle or eCRater? What do you think about the services they offer? Does it meet your expectations?

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Buying and Selling on eBay Made a Little Easier

whateverebay — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:08:41 +0000

Buying and Selling on eBay Made a Little Easier with this new software for Mac users. For details watch Chris Pirillo’s video. As you know having a great template is helps a great deal to promote your product. Making the shopping experience easier.

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