Auctions Articles
Benefits Of Collective Shopping
(category: Auctions, Word count: 244)
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You may be wondering to yourself...Collective shopping, what the heck is that? Really, there's not too much to it. Collective shopping is simply shopping smarter, that is shopping in places that you can compare prices.
Everyone knows that if you look hard enough, you will find good deals on the things that you want. However, this can be a very time consuming and frustrating task to undertake. That's where collective shopping comes into play. Don't waste your time searching through bunch of different sites searching for one thing. Search for it all from one site. There are sites out there that bring many major shopping and auction sites into one easy to use site so that you can shop more quickly and more efficiently. I like to call these "Collective Shopping Sites." This is a great example of a collective shopping site... Number1auctions . It brings many major shopping sites together, plus a few that you may not even know about but could have the lowest prices.
Once you have found your preferred "Collective Shopping Site" bookmark it and use it every time you shop online. You will save enormous amounts of time and you'll be getting the best possible price on the items you need and want. The internet is an extremely useful tool, but that doesn't mean that it has to use up all your time! So don't just shop online, shop smart, shop collectively.
How To Avoid Being A Victim Of Ebay Buyer S Fraud
(category: Auctions, Word count: 454)
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From everything you've heard about the risk of fraud on eBay, you might think it's only buyers getting scammed - but you couldn't be more wrong. Here are a few common scams that sellers fall for every day.
The Rubber Cheque.
This one obviously isn't limited to eBay - it's been going on for years in all kinds of business. It works like this: a buyer sends you a cheque that they don't have the funds to cover and you pay it in your bank. You then send the goods right away, only to find out a few days later that the cheque bounced.
The solution to this is simple: don't send anything to a buyer until their payment has cleared, no matter how quickly they might say they need it. Advise them to pay electronically if they don't want to wait so long for their items. Then again, if your items are quite small, you could just take the loss from an occasional bounced cheque. Think of it as a small price to pay for faster and better customer service.
'I Never Bought Anything!'
This is one of the riskiest scams to fall victim to. In this case, the credit card's real owner still has control over it - no-one has stolen their details. They have realised, however, that they can phone up the bank who issued their card to say that it's being used fraudulently and they never bought any such thing, and the bank will often reverse the transaction without even investigating. The only way to beat this scam is to make all your sales through eBay, as they keep a record of transactions.
The Unconfirmed Address.
It is quite easy to steal PayPal accounts from inexperienced users: all you need, after all, is their email address and password. PayPal tries to protect against credit cards registered on stolen accounts being used to buy things by listing a 'confirmed address' for each buyer - an address that matches what is registered with their credit card issuer.
What many scammers will do is ask you to ship to a different address - unless you're very sure of them, this is a bad idea, as they could be trying to commit credit card fraud. Be especially suspicious of anyone who wants to pay a higher price and get overnight shipping, especially if not even to the same country as the confirmed address. The fraudster is trying to make sure the item reaches them before they are discovered.
In the next email, we'll take a closer look at PayPal, and ask: should it be the only kind of payment you accept?
What You Need To Know Before You Get Started On Ebay
(category: Auctions, Word count: 514)
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So you've decided that you want to get started as a seller on eBay. There are a few things that you really need to know before you go and throw yourself in at the deep end.
What to Sell.
First off, you need to know what it is you're going to sell: what's your speciality? You'll do far better on eBay if you become a great source for certain kind of products, as people who are interested in those products will come back to you again and again. You won't get any loyalty or real reputation if you just sell rubbish at random.
When you think about what to sell, there are a few things to consider. The most important of these is to always sell what you know. If you try to sell something that you just don't know anything about then you'll never write a good description and sell it for a good price.
You might think you're not especially interested in anything, but if you think about what kind of things you usually buy and which websites you go to most often, I'm sure you'll discover some kind of interest. If all else fails mention it to your friends and family: they'll almost certainly say "Oh, well why don't you sell...", and you'll slap your forehead.
Out of the things you know enough about, you should then consider which things you could actually get for a good enough price to resell, and how suitable they would be for posting. If you can think of something of that you're knowledgeable about and it's small and light enough for postage to be relatively cheap, then that's great!
Don't worry if you think the thing you're selling is too obscure - it isn't. There's a market for almost everything on eBay, even things that wouldn't sell once in a year if you stocked them in a shop. You'll probably do even better if you fill a niche than if you sell something common.
Tax and Legal Matters.
If you earn enough money, you should be aware that you're going to have to start paying tax - this won't be done for you. If you decide to sell on eBay on a full-time basis, you should probably register as a business.
Prepare Yourself.
There are going to be ups and downs when you sell on eBay. Don't pack it in if something goes a little wrong in your first few sales: the sellers who are successful on eBay are the ones who enjoy it, and stick at it whatever happens.
Anyone can sell on eBay, if they believe in themselves - and if you do decide it's not for you, then the start-up costs are so low that you won't really have lost anything.
If you're ready to start selling, then the next thing you need to know is the different auction types, so you can decide which ones you will use to sell your items. Our next email will give you a guide.
Auction Tips For Sellers And Bidders
(category: Auctions, Word count: 586)
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At first glance, selling and buying items online would appear to be as easy as sending an email or downloading a song after a few clicks of the mouse. But with the rate at which several online auction and shopping websites pop up and disappear, and the growing number of bidding frauds done online, one can say that online auctions are getting to be risky undertakings.
The popularity of auction and shopping sites trivialized the issue of security against fraudulent transactions. As online companies such as eBay continue to pile up on customer complaints of varying degrees, online sellers, buyers or bidders should enter into online transactions with a discerning eye, and armed with at least the basics of online auctions.
Essentially, there are two parties to an auction. One is the seller, and the other one is the bidder. They come to an agreement as to the purchase of the item involved by one party from another. For the seller, the main motivation is the amount of the maximum winning bid. On the other hand, the bidder's motivation is the item subject of the auction. While it involves different transactions, both are exposed to the risks attendant to online transactions.
Tips For The Seller/Auctioneer
A good auction site must have good traffic, because the wider the user base, the greater chances for the item to be sold. One must also look out for the clear-cut privacy and disputes policies and procedure in case of a botched transaction. Fees and commissions must be laid down in black and white, and it must offer a reliable payment method such as escrow or Paypal. Be professional. From writing a background about your item to doing the sales pitch to interested buyers, make sure that you get your terms and conditions of sale with clarity to avoid misunderstanding. Make yourself available for queries online via Skype, YM, AIM, or YM because people will always transact with people who have good communication lines. After-sales does not mean the end of a sale transaction because a sale is perfected by delivery of the item to the buyer or winning bidder. Follow a closed sale and shipping of items with an email or phone call, or make yourself available for follow-up inquiries.
Tips For The Buyer/Bidder
An online buyer/bidder has more reasons to exercise more caution and proceed with any online sale with greater prudence. The rising number of fraudulent activities in many online businesses is enough reason to be more vigilant and take extra care before we part with our cash or pay with credit or debit card. Always be on the safe side by always checking on the seller's reputation or feedback, which are usually provided by online auction sites. While one cannot be sure if your bid price is the right price, at least have an idea on how much is the going rate for the item that you're bidding for. You can do this by checking out final winning bids for similar items in other auction sites. Do not hesitate to call or email the seller if you have queries. Make sure that the seller is giving sufficient information about the item being auctioned. One indication that the seller is hiding something is when the information is given in deceptive or confusing language or in very small prints. Last but not the least; do not just cast aside your second thoughts. If you sense something dubious, don't waste another second on it.
The Hazards Of Shopping On Ebay
(category: Auctions, Word count: 730)
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Buying online at auction websites such as ebay is becoming ever more popular and there are some great bargains out there to take advantage of. There are however risks involved and in this article I am going to write about a bad experience a friend of mine went through, an experience which would cost him a lot of money.
I have used ebay many times in the past and have not only bought a great many items but have also sold a few. I have to say it is quite a buzz and is a great way of offloading some of the things that I no longer have a use for. I have even been surprised at the amounts of money some of these items have sold for.
During a recent evening out, I was discussing ebay with a friend of mine, his name is Ian. Ian has recently attempted to make money from online auctions and was hoping it would earn him a type of second income. He would buy a particular item at what he thought was quite a low price and would then re-list the same item a couple of weeks later, hoping he would make a tidy profit and some easy money.
One of his ways of attempting to pull off a good deal was by phoning or e-mailing the seller and offering them a price to close the auction early. In fairness to ebay this is something they strongly advise against and Ian is aware that he was taking a risk by doing this. In his first few transactions everything went well and all of the items arrived safely and in good condition. He eventually made what he called a small but worthwhile profit on most of the items. In his mind, the more he could buy and sell, the more he would make.
As no doubt you have gathered his luck was about to run out. He contacted via telephone, a seller of a camcorder. Ian offered a price which was duly accepted. The seller advised him where to post the money to and agreed to post the item via registered post. Ian then posted him the amount in cash, also registered post and then waited for the item to arrive. The camcorder did not arrive and Ian started to become slightly worried. He waited a number of days but still it had not been delivered. He contacted the seller who stated that he had posted it. Ian asked him for the registered postal number and to his horror and annoyance the seller stated that he had not sent it registered post, but had sent it first class.
Ian argued, that what they had agreed to, was that he would post the item via registered post due to its cost. The seller denied agreeing to this and put the phone down in disgust at being called a liar. Ian tried by e-mailing and phoning the seller to obtain a refund but the seller just kept saying that he had sent it, so he had no reason to pay him his money back. Ian will never know whether the camcorder was posted, however strongly believes it had not been.
Ian is aware that he had been a bit of a fool and had taken an undue risk. It is a lesson he has learnt from. There was no real comeback apart from possibly travelling two hundred miles to the address of the seller. Even if he had paid via paypal, he had bought the item outside of ebay, which again ebay advise you not to do.
In conclusion if you are going to purchase items on online auction websites such as ebay, use your head and do not let greed cloud your judgements. There are many people out there who are more than happy to take you for a ride and to con you out of your hard earned money. Follow the guidelines set and you are more likely to have a positive experience.
Ian now still uses ebay but not as a way to earn extra cash, he merely uses it for enjoyment. He can not quite believe what he did and actually believes that he deserved it. He realises that if it had not have happened when buying the camcorder that it would have happened eventually.
How To Use The Ebay Checkout Service
(category: Auctions, Word count: 536)
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Back in the 'old days' of eBay, getting payment for the item was entirely left up to sellers: you had to choose your payment service, sign up for it and then send links to your buyers. Now, though, eBay handle most of the complexities of payment for you with their checkout.
How Do I Offer the Checkout?
The checkout will be offered to your buyers automatically. When they win an item, eBay send them an email with a 'Pay Now' button that takes them to the checkout, and they can also access it through their My eBay page.
It is in step 4 of the 'Sell Your Item' process, the payment and shipping step, that you can choose which kinds of payment you want to accept through the checkout and which you don't.
PayPal: You should be accepting PayPal. You might want to click 'Edit Preferences', however, to either select or de-select the 'tell buyers I prefer PayPal payments' box - you don't want to tell people you love PayPal when you only tolerate it. If you're selling Buy it Now items, you can also tick the box to require immediate PayPal payment for them.
Money orders and cheques: tick these boxes if you want to accept the more 'traditional' payment methods. Your address will be revealed to your buyers so that they can post the payment to you - you should make sure eBay have the correct address.
You may also tick credit cards to accept, which you should do if you have your own merchant account or an account at somewhere like NoChex that you'd like to use.
It's also worth writing any instructions that might be needed in the box on this page, such as who to make cheques out to or a warning that international non-PayPal payments might take a long time.
What Happens When Buyers Use It?
Once you've set the checkout up on your items, buyers will be able to choose which way they would like to pay you out of the options available, and eBay's checkout will take them through the process step-by-step. This will save you the trouble of having to explain things.
When the buyer pays or agrees how to pay, eBay will send you an item letting you know what happened. If might tell you that the money is now in your PayPal account and you should send the item, or it might say that they've put a cheque in the post. Remember to wait for payments to clear before you send anything.
That's it - the role of the checkout is over. You just configure the checkout; it's the buyer who deals with it the most. You might have noticed, though, that you can configure the checkout differently for different items. This is sometimes worth doing if you some of the items you sell are worth more than others, and you'd prefer not to accept PayPal for the highly-valued ones, for example.
By now, you might be a little sick of going through the 'Sell Your Item' screens each time you want to list something. The next email will show you how to use eBay's automated listing tools.
10 Tips For Increasing Your Ebay Response
(category: Auctions, Word count: 509)
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So you've got the buyer in front of your auction, and they've read the description. They're must be interested, or they wouldn't be looking... but just how can you push them over that line and make them leave a bid? Read on for some tips.
Improve your picture: In all that description writing, you might have missed the vital importance of your item's picture. A picture with bad lighting or an intrusive background looks amateurish and won't make anyone want to buy from you.
Add an About Me page: You'll be surprised how much you can reassure bidders just by creating an About Me page and putting a little bit about yourself on your business on there. You can also have a few special offers there for people who bother to look at the page, and let people subscribe to your mailing list so that you can email them updates.
Use SquareTrade: Signing up at SquareTrade and displaying their logo on your auctions shows that you are committed to have them resolve any disputes that arise. You always see this on PowerSellers auctions - it makes you look more professional.
Write terms and conditions: Have the 'small print' clearly visible on all your auctions, giving details of things like shipping times and prices, your refund policy, and any other business practices you might have. This helps build confidence with buyers.
Show off your feedback: Copy and paste a selection of the feedback comments you're most proud of to each item's description page, instead of making bidders go and look for it. If you have 100% positive feedback, be sure to write that on every auction too.
Add NR to your titles: If you have extra space in a title, put 'NR' (no reserve) on the end. Bidders prefer auctions that don't have a reserve price, and doing this lets them see that yours don't.
Benefits not features: Make sure your description focuses on the benefits that your item can give to the customer, not just its features. This is a classic sales technique. If you have trouble with this, remember: 'cheap' is a feature, 'save money' is a benefit.
List more items: If you want more people to respond to your items, then list more items! You might find you have better like listing items at the same time, instead of one-by-one. There's no need to use a Dutch auction - you can just keep two or three auctions going at once for an item you have more than one of in stock.
Accept unusual payment methods: To reach those last few buyers, accept payment methods that many sellers don't, like cheques.
Buy some upgrades: The best upgrade is the most expensive one, which makes your item appear first in search results. In crowded categories, you might find that this is worth the money.
Once you've got some buyers, you want to keep them coming back to you. The next email will show you how to turn one-time buyers into long-term customers.
Online Auctions How To Turn Online Auctions Into Successful Home Based Business
(category: Auctions, Word count: 113)
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Nowadays most people are aware of what Online Auctions are all about. Most of us have, at some time or the other bought or sold something on Online Auctions. But very few people know that Online Auctions can be a very profitable home-based business. A lot of people worldwide have made a lot of money with their online auction sites.
To start a home-based Online Auction business is very easy. Unlike other home-based businesses, it requires no investment. All it requires is a few moments of your time to get started. The advantages of starting a Home-Based Auction Online are -
The Easy Way To Make Sure You Never Overpay On Ebay
(category: Auctions, Word count: 398)
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Buying in any auction either on or offline can be an exciting experience. You see an item that you are interested in and you make a bid. But then someone else bids and you are no longer the high bid. Well, your bid was a bit low anyway so you might as well raise it a little and get control because there are only a few minutes to the end of the auction.
And so up and up go the bids until the end of the auction arrives. One of two things will have happened, you will either have won the item and paid way over the odds or you will breath a sigh of relief as someone else has the winning bid.
As sellers we love two or three people to be interested in our item and bid against each other. That is how items reach two or three times the amount we expected but as a buyer it can leave us a bit flat and not a little poorer.
There is absolutely no reason why this should happen to you. Bidding in the last few minutes of an auction can become frenzied and it is not the place for value for money seekers like us to be. And the good news is that we do not have to be.
These days I make all my bids by Proxy. It is very simple and straightforward and you will often pick up a bargain. What you do is decide what is the maximum price you are prepared to pay for any item. And this is a decision you make ideally a few hours before the end of the auction although you can bid as soon as the item is listed if you wish. Personally I do not like to attract too much attention to an auction by bidding early if I can avoid it. But sometimes it can be necessary if I am going to be away from a computer for a while.
Once you have decided on the amount you are prepared to pay enter that as your bid.
Now do not worry all that will happen is that your bid will be recorded at the level of the next bid increment. For example if the current bid was 99c and you were prepared to pay
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