How To Sell On Ebay

Work From Home As A Search Engine Evalutator

2009-05-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

The main point of this blog is to give adivice on working at home. Selling on eBay is one of many opportunities. I have worked the month of April (as a search engine evaluator) with a company called Leapforce. You will need to visit their site for all the details.

www.leapforceathome.com

Make Money At Home Website

2009-01-26T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, today I wanted to mention a blog with tons of information about working at home. The blog is www.moneymakingmommy.com. Loads of information for anyone looking to make money at home. There is unfortunately google ads on the site but all you have to do is look on left to see all the different links to click on for all your working at home questions. Also there is a free exchange link for any bloggers. Listed are some of the areas that this site covers:

Legitimate Home Job Index
Current No Fee Job Listings
Data Entry Work
Creating Home Office Space
Online Proofreader
Clerical Work From Home
How to Start a Daycare in Your Home
Direct Sales Companies
Learning to Create a Website
Answers About Medical Billing
SEO Help
Transcription Jobs

Kelly Land is the owner of this blog and gives honest information, opinions and reviews on work at home jobs. Take a look, you won't be sorry.

Selling your ideas on eBay

2009-01-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

I have not blogged for a while, so I apologize to anyone who cares. For a couple of months now I have been thinking about how one sells their invention or idea "on eBay". When gas prices in my town rose to an outrageous $4.69 per gallon, my father started to play with hydrogen to run car engines on. This is a whole other story in itself but that's how I got interested in "how to sell your ideas on eBay". Following are a few aspects to consider:

Keep it your own - Patent, license, trademark, copyright, etc.
Prototype - is it safe, legal and does what you claim.
Manufacture - how and where would manufacturing take place. What is the cost and how much could the product be sold for.
Market and Promote - find out if there is a market (will people be interested in buying such a product). Be able to explain why it is so special and what it can do.
Disclaimers - cover your butt. Make sure if the product is complicated or not idiot proof that all instructions or warnings stated clearly.

If you follow through with selling something of your own, you need to realize that you are to become an entrepreneur. This means that every step and action stems from you. Even if you hire someone to do something for you and they screw up, it comes back on you. There is much to be written on this subject and I will continue to do just that. This initial post is to get you started thinking. Important sites are United Inventors Association and United States Patent and Trademark Office.

You Can Still Get $100 Off

2008-09-11T09:34:00.001-07:00

Hi there, just wanted wanted to let everyone know that Worldwide Brands has extended their discount from Sept. 8. Don't know how long it will last but it still going on today. Have a great day!!!!

Product Source Directory

2008-09-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

If you are unsure of which company will help you find the products you want to sell on eBay, check out http://www.dropshiparea.com/. This is a FREE directory with a staff that has and continues to research all companies claiming to have lists of drop shippers and wholesalers. Here you can find free trials and previews of well known companies such as: Salehoo, Worldwide Brands, Doba, Real Dropshippers and many more. Also you can compare these programs to find what will fit your needs. For this option look around the top of the web page on the right. http://www.dropshiparea.com/ attends trade shows on a regular basis to find and investigate companies that meet their high standards. If you are interested you can see what I think of Worldwide Brands and Salehoo.

Get $100 Off Your Online Product Source

2008-09-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Around five months ago I wrote on Worldwide Brands, the Online Source For Products To Sell On Ebay. CEO Chris Malta is, for the first and maybe last time, taking $100.00 off of the combined price for both membership to Worldwide Brands and The Whole $ale. Just a recap, Worldwide is one of the most reputable companies on providing legit product suppliers, wholesalers, drop shippers, liquidators and you name it. Also comes with Instant Market Research Tool to help you find profitable niches and they are CERTIFIED by eBay. The Whole $ale is a "product sourcing educational package" which includes a community forum with direct support and guidance from CEO Chris Malta. Of course there are bonuses like tools, resources and videos. With this package there is nothing left out for you to start selling online. There are even instruction on how to start your business with a tax ID number and so on. So get it while the gettings hot, $100.00 off the complete package. You can pay the whole amount up front or $99.00 down and three payments of $133.00. I am aware it is a little pricey but it's worth it!!!!

Using Video To Help You Sell On Ebay

2008-08-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend having video on your listings especially for large and expensive items. For instance: automobiles, watercraft or off road vehicles. Most sellers only use video for moving items like stated before, but it works well with any type of merchandise. If you have an antique bedroom set, you can walk around the items showing every angle and speaking of its importance at the same time. If you have a camcorder, great, if not usually a digital camera will do since most have at least a few minutes of video capability.

Don't make your video long and pointless. Make a list beforehand of what is important.
Have adequate lighting. Do not make a video outside at night with a house light on, wait until daylight.
Only the item should be seen. Anything else can make the eye wonder.

There are rules to abide by. All of eBay's normal policies apply and here are a few to really look out for. Your video must not include any software that harms or interferes with the customers computer, like viruses. Video must deliver in Flash Animation Format. Also, must be hosted by a site that provides safe content. Use YouTube or Vzarr. iwantcollectibles gives some instruction on using YouTube. So, I hope I have succeeded in you thinking about using video to sell on eBay. In some cases it can help you get more money for your item. If nothing else video can be a fun way of delivering lots of information about your item.

Ebay's Free Relist Policy

2008-08-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

When your item does not sell the first time it is listed, eBay offers an Insertion Fee Credit. You only get this refund if the item does sell after being listed for the second time. If you are eligible eBay automatically notify you. Listed are a few of the requirements.

Only first re list.
Re listing within 90 days of closing date of original listing.
Must be single listing, not multiple or dutch.
Listing can not be store inventory format or Real Estate.

Once your listing qualifies be careful not to change the auction type or category from the original. Also, the price must be the same or lower. To re list an item simply go to your eBay, then under "all selling" go to "unsold" and check "re list". If you sell a large amount of items at one time there is software to re list automatically for you. Ebay's Selling Manager Pro, Andale and many more. Hope this was helpful!!!

What To Do When Buyers Don't Pay

2008-08-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Once a buyer commits to purchasing from you they are obligated to pay for the item. Ebay's User Agreement says so. Ebay expects you to exhaust every option of communication with the buyer before getting assistance through their dispute console. After 7 days from the time of sell, you (the seller) should file an Unpaid Item Dispute. After that eBay also trys communicating with the buyer, making clear the obligation to pay. The buyer makes the next move which is hopefully to pay immediately. If not then there must be some kind of communication between the two of you to resolve the matter. When there is no resolution, the buyer recieves a strike on the account and the seller has the option to recieve a Final Value Fee Credit. A strike does not count on the buyers feed back score which I believe is unfair considering we are no longer allowed to leave negative feed back for buyers. How are we supposed to know if a buyer is a payer or not? So, the wisest thing to do is clearly state all aspects of your item in the listing and hope for the best. For example, payment options, costs and timing of shipping. By stating ever detail of the listing you leave little room for the buyer to come up with an excuse for not following through.

Selling On Ebay Motors

2008-07-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ebay Motors is where you can sell automobiles, boats, parts and accessories. As being an arm of of eBay there will be fees. Selling on eBay motors requires a bit more information and legalities than a normal listing. The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is required if manufactured after 1992, but should be listed no matter how old. As with any listing you need to be extremely accurate and truthful in your description. Once again I will say to list everything you as a buyer would want to know. Start with the vehicles history and do not keep out any important information that can come back on you later. For example, if you know the auto was in a serious accident or an accessory may work well, you must disclose that information. Next, be as accurate as possible about the condition. If there is a dent or a burn in the upholstery, say so. State wither the title is clean or not and how it runs or is it smog able. I like saying the good, the bad and the ugly because you get a chance to list everything in a category. Finally, check all laws in your and the buyers state. There can be title or registration requirements. Ebay offers selling services such as: vehicle purchase protection, financing, auto shipper, vehicle inspections and dealer services. I believe it could be pretty tricky constantly selling automobiles or boats. So, remember the monetary possibilities in also selling accessories and parts on ebay motors.

Selling On Ebay Without Buying Products

2008-07-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Basically what I am talking about today is selling other people's digital products. This is not a new idea but is rarely taken advantage of. This way of selling means not having to deal with drop shippers, wholesalers or shipping. There are a few different ways to go about this. One way is how Dave Fransko discussses in "Ebay Crusher". Listed below is just a taste of what "Ebay Crusher" has to offer.

How to sell affiliate products upon launch and with no e-mail list. This one of the ways that you can make money on the net without sending those annoying junk e-mails to people.
Find out what sells without doing days of research yourself.
Learn how to continue selling digital products even though they were recently banned by eBay.

All of these aspects are perfectly legal with eBay. You do not need to design a website or any software. Also the hard issue of obtaining traffic as an affiliate marketer is covered. What I find most interesting is how all of this is done with no PPC costs. I have gotten burned and burned by paying for advertising, I just don't do it anymore. So this one sounds like a winner, check it out and let me know what you think. For more info GO HERE!!

Ebay's Changing Some Policies

2008-07-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

So, it looks like eBay is trying to rectify relations with sellers. In last week's "General Announcements", the first aspect covered was neutral feed back counting as negative. In short, starting in late August neutrals will no longer be counted as any part of your feed back score. Also better and more efficient ways to remove negative feed back when deserved. In one way I believe eBay is trying to show their sellers some consideration. In another way I think they really don't care but realize that more and more sellers will leave unless things at least stop becoming worse for them. I have heard many say they don't mind that their feed back has lowered a percent or two because they still stand out as power sellers. The fixing of this stupid policy means more of a chance for the newbies to get up to power seller status. Unfortunately, as your volume increases there will be customers that you can not make happy, no matter how well you perform. Here is an eBay site that may be able to help you. http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/report_problem.html. Let me know your opinion on eBay supposedly trying to make life easier for sellers.

Ebay's Selling Options And Upgrades

2008-07-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, we are going to dabble into eBay's many listing options along with upgrades. "Buy It Now", "Fixed Price" and "Buy It Now" all co inside with each other. Buy It Now gives your customers the option to bid (as normal) or just pay the asking price. When the customer decides to pay the asking price, the auction ends and your customer gets the item without having to bid and wait until the auction is over. Fixed Price basically means there is a set price with no option to bid. When listing with Fixed Price you can add on "Best Offer" which means you are willing to negotiate and you can counter offer. Of course there are requirements for you to be able to use these options such as: feed back rating of at least 10 or be ID Verified which costs $5.00. Now for the upgrade options. When it comes down to pictures, highlighting, bold or design I believe that there's not a whole lot worth paying for. Pictures are a must but can be done by yourself. "Featured Plus" is sometimes worth paying for because your ad gets placed in the featured category which does appear on the search page above the normal search results, but if your normal page rank would be page two then that is what it will also be on Featured Plus. So, it really is up to you to figure what you want to add to your listings, just make sure you keep track of what works for the money and what doesn't.

Selling On Ebay Fees

2008-07-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, I just started a night auditing job so sorry I have not posted in a while. Unfortunately, selling on eBay does cost money. Out of the many eBay fees most are optional. Remember when you list, that once a month you will be billed and expected to pay your fees. Not doing so can cause your account to be suspended and that looks bad to customers. No matter what you will be charged an insertion fee (listing fee) when you list your item(s). Costs can vary from .35 cents (based on a starting or reserve price of $1.00) to $3.00 for items $200.00-$499.99. When an item sells you are charged the Final Value Fee. Costs ranges are from items $25.00 and under=8.75%of the closing value (sold price). "Fixed price" and "Buy It Now" have a minimum of $1.00 so you would want to consider that if you are selling items under $10.00. For more ranges of costs go to www.pages.ebay.com/help/sell/fees.html. Some power sellers are eligible for a discount on the Final Value Fee. You can find out if you are eligible from your seller's dashboard. There are different schedules for all of eBay's fees and selling options. For example, items under "Reserve Listings" that range from $25.00-49.99 cost $20.00. Under "Dutch or Multiple Item" auctions, you only pay for one auction verses an individual auction for several similar items. Then there are Listing Upgrade Fees such as Photo Gallery and Featured Plus which I will discuss on my next post. Thanks for listening!

Selling Ebooks On eBay's Classified Ads

2008-06-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

One of eBay's latest restrictions was to disallow the selling of ebooks. You can still list your electronically transferred products on eBay's classified ads because all your doing is writing a catchy title and a brief-detailed description with a link to buy directly from you. So, this means many of the normal aspects of listing your items are different. There is no "bidding" or "buy now", only your asking price. On the upside this also means no feedback scores, but you still need to abide by eBay's privacy policy. Not all items are eligible. To find out if yours are go to the homepage, to advanced search, to the format drop down menu then classified ads and categories with no zero's are eligible. Ebay's classified ads show up with the other listings but you need to remember that it is more like an ad pointing to your web-site so you can sell your ebooks there. For more information on fees and rules go to http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/f-ad.html
for the most part the costs is $9.95 for a month. Thanks!!!

International Shipping/Selling On Ebay

2008-06-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

There are many aspects to consider when internationally selling on eBay. When shipping you should be careful about places you choose to have on your "ship to" list. Find out what places your carrier of choice will not deliver to, before you list your item. You will be better off using eBay's costs and time in transit calculators. Also you must clear customs for your item to enter another country. Documents needed for this are: Invoices-no matter what, Shippers Export Declaration-for single items over $2,500.00 and U.S. Certificate of Origin. UPS automatically includes everything you need. For the costs calculator, time in transit calculator and much more info on selling and shipping internationally go to http://pages.ebay.com/internationaltrading/internationalseller.html

Selling On Ebay Internationally

2008-06-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Internationally Selling on eBay can be profitable because half of eBay buyers are out of the U.S.. There are two ways to do this: when listing an item select the international site visibility or if you are fluent in another language you can list on that countries eBay site. I say add the international site visibility. To do so on your item form, choose maximize your item's visibility and this is where you find the international site visibility option if it is available for your item. typical of eBay you must qualify to sell internationally. Needed is a minimum Feed back score of 10 positive, account in good standing, PayPal verified account(only use PayPal) and qualification on the sites you want to be visible on. Other options for use are: internet language translaters and escrow services, if you are not comfortable accurately communicating or feel a third party should be involved. Here are a few sites to look at for a lot more information.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/intrnational-site.html
http://pages.ebay.com/global/trade/SellingToolkit.pdf
http://pages.ebay.com.international/trading/sellertips.html

Selling On Ebay Live Auctions

2008-06-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

Ebay Live Auctions will be retired on Dec. 31, 2008. This way of selling on eBay will not be for most people but I believe you should know about it. These auctions are listed in eBay Live Systems and are held in auction houses with a live auctioneer. Millions of online bidders can view your auction in a catalog months before the actual event. $1,500.00 is the insertion fee to be listed in a catalog, so obviously this would be for people with expensive or several items to sell. There are 10,000 lots to a catalog and lots are groups of one or more items. Winning bidders pay directly to the Auction House which also ships the items for you. If you are interested go to http://www.liveauctions.ebay.com/.

Consignment Selling On Ebay

2008-06-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Selling on consignment means you are doing business as usual but you are selling another persons products. You do the listing work under your name. This way of selling can be profitable for you because there are many people who want to sell items on eBay but don't want to bother actually listing it. Consignment sellers are called Trade Assistants. To become one you must have 50 feed backs which need to be 98% positive and at least four listings in the last month. Find out more at www.owners/ebay.com/ta. Advertising your services is important and besides eBay's Trading Assistant Directory, I would try local advertising such as newspapers. There are a couple of things to be careful of such as: the owner of the item can change their mind once sold or miscommunication on your commission. So, start by explaining to the owner that you need to have the item in your possession before you list it. Write a contract between the two of you stating who pays what and how the process will carry out. The owner can pay for the listing fees and shipping, or you can. I think the easiest way is for you to pay all fees, shipping and get paid a hefty commission, between 30-40%. There is also the flat rate option but I like the percent method better.

Selling Electronics On Ebay

2008-06-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

The number one rule to selling electronic products on eBay is to find what is selling for a profit but is not highly saturated with other sellers. Keep in mind that there are companies selling electronics on eBay for cheaper than you can. I've said it before and I will say it again, finding your niche is vital to your eBay business. Start by making a list of what products you would be interested in selling then investigate how many people are selling the same. Next find out the usual selling price and how much you will pay for the products to resale. To see prices do an advances search on eBay and go to Completed Listings. To get an idea of your price to purchase you can go to www.wholesalecentral.com/Electronics.html which is a free list of wholesalers. Then I would choose a company with a free 7 day trial such as Megagoods so you can investigate. When you really get started I recommend signing up with Worldwide Brands or Salehoo for your wholesalers needs. Don't be scared of new items or brands. There are many high quality but less expensive brands that just aren't that well known. Look at Vizio, it took a while to get noticed but I think they sell high quality less expensive electronics. Do not ever sell fakes. If you are not sure wither an item would be considered a fake or not, walk away from it. Remember that you need to find unique products to sell because most electronics are in a highly saturated market. Hope this helps, see you next time.

Payment Types To Accept

2008-06-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Out of the several types of payments to accept Paypal is the most often used and reliable. Yes, there is a fee and it is worth every penny. See more at www.paypal.com/row/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_display-recieving-fees-outside, this site shows fee schedules for the U.S. and at the bottom you can click on other countries, also has search box for questions. My favorite aspect is the Seller Protection Policy that protects sellers up to $5,000.00 against charge backs. To be protected under this policy items must be shipped to an address confirmed by Paypal, be confirmed as delivered on the tracking number and be only in the U.S., Canada, U.K. Also, once you have received payment the merchandise must be shipped within seven days. So, next best would be merchant accounts like Visa, Master card and other credit cards. If you use Paypal you are asked by eBay to also use merchant accounts which you should anyway. Checks for smaller amounts are okay, not over $100.00. Even if a buyer has high feedback I still wait to ship until the check clears, so make that known to the buyer. I do not recommend money orders because it can take weeks or even months to find out it's a fake and definitely no out of country money orders. Lastly NO CASH, it's not even allowed.

Ebay Recalled Items Policy

2008-06-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

Ebay frowns upon selling recalled items and expects you to investigate before you list. To view eBay's policy go to http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/recalled.html and to http://www.cspc.gov/ to view recently issued recalls. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissions (CSPC) latest recalled items are listed below and most are related to lead paint hazard.

horse toys
paint brushes
tinker bell wands
Pirates of the Caribbean sleeping bags
little rider toys
children's blankets due to strangulation hazard

I would always do a quick check at the CSPC before listing anything because I definitely would not have thought of these items being a hazard.

Worldwide Brands New Free Information

2008-05-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

Onesource (Worldwide brands) is launching a new product on June 3, 2008. Along with this will be new and fresh free information. The new product will include 19 chapters of everything you need to know about building your own eBay business including:

Top Recommended Resources.
Research Analysis Indicator.
Online Demand Analysis.
Competition Analysis.
Keyword Analysis.
Advertising Analysis.
Auction Price Analysis.
Smart Search for Product Suggestions.

If nothing else be sure to check out the free information. Worldwide Brands always has extensive information products, so I'm sure this will be another winner. To learn more go HERE.

Is Amazon The Alternative to eBay

2008-05-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

So it seems to be getting harder and harder to sell on eBay, especially for beginners. A couple of eBay's new policies are: Digitally Delivered Products (e-books) are now banned and neutral feedback from customers counts as negative towards your toward your seller rating. Rising fees are also a big complaint against eBay. Amazon has more than 76 million active customer accounts so don't think this is small potatoes. There are no listing fees but a monthly membership cost of $39.99. If your item sells you pay a referral fee between 6% and 20% depending on the item, but only if your item sells. Amazon has seller tools to help setup and manage your accounts. There is even phone support for sellers. I have not sold on Amazon but the way things are going over at eBay it's sounding better everyday. Interested, go to www.amazonservices.com/promerchant/ to learn more. If you decide to give it a try visit Steve Lindhorst's Selling On The River. Steve was one of the six national eBay University Instructors and has figured out the tricks to successfully sell on Amazon.

Selling Used Goods On eBay

2008-05-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

In most cases selling used goods is an excellent place to start for beginners. Remember the rule of thumb is products you are familiar with. If you grew up collecting Beanie Babies or worked on the Chevy with Dad, you probably know a lot about these items. Selling used goods means that you go out and buy items yourself at places like flea markets, thrift shops, estate sales or garage sales and so on. Once you pick a product to sell go investigate where the best place is to find it. Junk yards and and flea markets may be best for Chevy parts. Always look in paper advertisements. There are also specific antique and vintage items but that is a whole other conversation. If you buy something whole, for instance an engine, sell each part individually so you can make more money. Only sell items in good to great condition and be very clear of this in your description. You need to cover your behind when selling used goods. In the end, customers buy used goods on eBay because they don't want to go out and look for it themselves, so remember that when deciding how much to mark up the price from your cost. Take into account the condition and how hard the item is to find. Skip McGrath has more information on this.