You HAVE to try this!! EBAY your way to DISNEY!!

[shovelhd]

C. Ann,

Have you had an AOL update since last Thursday? They seem to break things more than they fix them. Have you tried using a browser (IE, Netscape) outside of the AOL screen? Make sure the privacy settings aren't too high. Are you running a software firewall such as Norton Internet Security or Black Ice? Any blocking messages? Did you take my advice and upgrade to AOL 8.0?

 

[shovelhd]

Regarding negs, I don't give them unless absolutely necessary. I think I've given out two in the five years I've been on. Neither had retaliatory feedback. My thresholds are three weeks w/o payment and three attempts per week to contact. I think that's reasonable.

DMRick's advice is right on the money. One thing to remember though, she is a Power Seller. Power Sellers get preferential treatment at ebay. In fact, they are the only sellers on ebay that get any kind of reasonable, timely response to problems. She doesn't need to neg someone, she can call a special Power Seller number and ebay will respond. So keep that in mind when taking her advice. Once again, I do tend to agree with what she says. Nothing against DMRick. Just the facts.

 

[DMRick]

Power Sellers get preferential treatment at ebay.

Sounds good on paper LOL. I'm the lowest end of PS, and believe me, there is no special treatment that I've seen. Next level up gets it. I get 24/7 e-mail service (but I haven't ever needed to try it out). The better perks go to the silver PS and up..I'm ony a lowly bronze. No phone number for me..just the same email you use, but supposedly they get back to me faster...uh huh LOL.

 

[shovelhd]

My brother is a bronze like you. When he had his ID stolen it made the difference between getting it resolved within 48 hours and not getting it resolved at all. You may not have had a need to use your Power Seller support yet, but if you ever had an issue with ebay before you were a Power Seller, you would see the difference immediately. Even at lowly Bronze.

I stand by the point I was making.

 

[DMRick]

I stand by the point I was making.

I'm not sure what that was since I've only been a PS for a few months..but if your brother spends any time on the PS list, I'm sure he has told you that they have the same complaints the non ps have. Lack of service. As I said, I have only been a ps for a few months (I qualified in the past, but didn't join since I sellmostly in the Fall..and you have to keep up with the average $1000 a month)..and I doubt I'll keep up this pace w/summer, so there goes that), so any of my thoughts I have written on eBay is not based on PS status, but my own non ps status thoughts. The only benefit I have noticed, is that we get to bring a friend to the eBay gathering in FL for free..other than that, I have scoured the PS board since reading this, looking for benefits and it really isn't a big deal. I think it may have meant something at one time..but so many people sell $1000 a month on eBay now (remember..it's not what you "make" it's how much you sold something for), that there is a greater % of PSer's. If you sell a few high priced items..no matter what they cost you and what you made on them..poof, you are a power seller. I don't happen to sell high priced items, so my PS is a little harder to keep...and that may be why being a PS isn't what it once was. Older PS talk about bennie's they miss...so it may have changed some since you last looked.

eBay..for a PS or non, does not help with problems related to feedback...unless the feedback breaks the rules (your website or profanity in the feedback etc) PS have the same problems with retailiatroy fb as non ps. I've not had to ask eBay for help (except for questions on what I can put up, etc..but the answers I get are all canned, and have seldom have anything to do with what I asked, and still take a couple of days to be answered) before I was a PS or since, so I have no idea the difference, but according to those on the fb board, it's miniscule. As far as having your ID stolen on eBay, according to those on the regular eBay board, it's one of the things eBay takes very seriously..even for a causual seller/buyer...if you are ps or not. Have you had problems with eBay and they haven't helped? If so, you may want to join the Auction Watch board..it's free, and they often post the eBay phone numbers...which seem to be the anser to getting needed help.
I've actually read so many things on boards about what people think PS get, I've wondered where I went wrong (since I just don't see any beneift, other than the cute symbol). I've also decided that when they take away my little symbol, I won't be sad, since I've also read some people saying they think the PS are the worse sellers (I have no idea why) and some hestitate to buy from them. That's too bad, since I think each person is an individual, and I've always run an honest Christ led business..as a PS or not.

 

[shovelhd]

This will be my final comment on this topic. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I stand by my point. All ebay sellers are not created equal. Lowly Bronze or not, Power Sellers get special treatment. Negs are the only remedy available to non Power Sellers when it comes to deadbeat bidders, shill bidders, and all the other lovely tactics unscrupulous people use on ebay. Safe Harbor is a joke.

Power Sellers at least get an email address with a guaranteed response time. The rest of us do not. Ebay taking ID theft seriously? You've got to be kidding. The only reason my brother's case was resolved in a timely fashion was because he was a Power Seller. Anyone else that I know personally that has had their ID stolen on ebay was lucky to get anything other than a canned email telling them to change their password, etc., and it took 2-3 weeks of constant nagging to get it.

I have had issues with buyers three times in five years. I am not a Power Seller. I got nowhere with anyone at ebay in resolving them. Yes, I do read the forums and yes, I did post and no, I got nothing of any use at all from them.

I could describe in one paragraph here how to steal someone's ebay ID. It would take one change in their procedure to nullify 99.9% of these cases. I've made suggestions to Safe Harbor, to the forums, to the forum moderators. Nothing changed. But you can bet that if I was a Gold Power Seller that they would at least listen.

Let's face it, ebay is a multi-billion dollar trading market. It's really no different than the stock market in concept. To have this kind of cash flowing in a system where the buyer and seller have no real protection until you sell $xxxx/month is appalling. It should be criminal. But ebay is the only game in town. Like it or leave it. I choose to stay and make a few bucks here and there but I know the flaws in the system, and I accept the risks.

If you are a Power Seller and are getting the support you require, then that's great! You deserve it! My point is that everyone deserves it, especially when it comes to security issues, and the reality is that everyone does not.

If anyonre has any questions just PM me. For this thread on Power Sellers and support, I'm done. Rack 'em!!!

 

[cindala]

Cindala reporting for class here!

My first batch of items listed at Ebay have finished, and here are my results:

Of ten items listed, 10 sold.
So far I have already received emails on 6 of the items from the buyers getting info to send payment.
Total sales: $212.12 !!!(Maybe I should play that number!)
I already listed some more things, but have been careful not to go crazy. When all the auctions end on the same day, it can get wild.

I noticed that most of the action happened within the last day or so of the auction. Initially I would have 1 or 2 bids when the items were first listed, then nothing. I did price everything reasonably, based on what previous items like them had sold for before. I also took time with the descriptions of the items, as I know I like a lot of details when I purchase something, especially something that you can't see in front of you.

The only thing I may have underestimated in some cases is the shipping charge.
For example, if there are 8 priority mail zones, I would estimate the weight of the item to be shipped to zone 5, figuring that was right in the middle. I didn't want to list an inflated shipping charge to cover shipping to zone 8. However, I live in zone 1, and a few of my buyers are from zone 7 and 8! So, the shipping charge I listed will actually fall short of what I need.

How do you guys determine the shipping with zones? Do you just pick a middle fee for the weight like I did, and just figure that things will even out between those items that you wound up undercharging, and those you wound up overcharging?

Anyhoo, I'm happy with my start on Ebay, and can't wait to show DH how wrong he was. (But I think I'll wait until the payments come in the mail!)

 

[C.Ann]

My goodness! The "teacher" leaves the room for a minute, and look what happens!! Time to settle down here and get back to selling..

First off, thanks for the PM, DMRick.. I'll be sending one back to you in a little bit here..

Secondly, I haven't tried to list again today so I don't know if my computer situation is any better..

Thirdly, I'm going downstairs to check the mail and if there is not a check/money order from the buyer who is not responding to my emails I will be filing a NPB this afternoon.
--------------

cindala , that is a GREAT start and I'm SOOOO proud of you!! Now do you already have a trip to Disney planned or are you trying to see if you can come up with the money first?

Would love to hear how the rest of the class is doing..

Anyone out there?????????????????

 

[shovelhd]

Congrats on a job well done.

When your auctions perform like they did, it tells you two things. First, you had reasonable prices on a popular items.Second, if they had significant play, you could have set the starting bids lower and saved some fees. Try adjusting the starting bid next time.

As for shipping, I don't ship enough daily to justify a postage meter, stamps.com, or a shipper pickup account. I live in the boonies, at least 20 miles from the nearest shipper customer center, so I ship via drop boxes, the USPS, or for big items that justify the pickup fee, Airborne. Airborne charges $3/item up to five items per pickup. If you have more than five items the pickup is free. They are the cheapest of all the carriers in this regard.

Because of this, I, like you, use fixed shipping. I am also in zone 1, but I use zone 7 as the base. This way I lose money on California ships but keep a little for handling fees for the rest. It works well for me. Most people understand and accept this and adjust their bids accordingly. Occasionally I have added free shipping with a reasonable starting bid for hard to move items. This has also worked well.

 

[C.Ann]

I use Zone 7 as my middle point too. Of course up to this point I have only shipped a few items by Priority Mail because a lot of my items qualify as Media Mail and people just don't want to pay $3.85 for something that would go for $1.42 or $1.84.. The longer wait time doesn't seem to bother them - they're more concerned with not paying the higher shipping fees..

And in keeping with the Disney aspect of this eBay thread - who is going down to eBay live - are you going specifically for that - and what all is supposed to happen down there? Haven't had a chance to read up on it myself..

For those who are just now trying out eBay - are you going to go ahead and plan your trip (pick a date, make hotel reservations, etc.) - or will you wait until you see how much you can earn?

I plan on being there sometime between December 1st and the 20th - haven't nailed it down yet.. Anyone else going then? If so, I would love it if we could meet up for a few minutes!!!

 

[DMRick]

Power Sellers at least get an email address with a guaranteed response time.

Have you been a ps and are now bitter about your experience? I again went and looked at the power seller page, and all it says is I can email 24/7..nothing about response time..although I didn't dwell on it that much, since it doesn't matter to me..so maybe it's there somewhere. The few times I've emailed, I've gotten canned responses. This was before and after PS status..but allmy mail has been answered timely, considering how much they must get.

I have not had all the problems you have had on eBay, so I don't know about safe harbor being so bad. I think if I was as bitter as you are, that I would not use eBay. Is making a few bucks worth what seems to be a very negetive experience for you? This thread was really started as an encouragement to others, not as a chance to slam eBay. You seem to have really grasped on the fact that I'm a ps and that is why I don't care fotr the feedback system. Nothing could be further from the truth..I haven't been a ps long enough for that to have any input.

My experiences have been good ones. I haven't had any problems since becoming a ps (I have written them for questions..but again, my response from them has been canned), but I can tell you that how people want to answer via feedback is up to them...however on this thread, just as you have the right to mention all of the problems you know about (although I'd rather this stay a board of encouragement..you obviously have other ideas of where this thread should go), I have the right to make suggestions and print what has worked for me and others. I do not believe that the only way non Power Sellers have to stop people is through feedback, since the main way to "get" a NP is to report NPer's. Once they get their three reports they are suspended. That has nothing to do with being or not being a power seller. Did you even read what I wrote? I have only been a ps for a short time, and that won't last, but I've not run into all of the negativity you have with eBay. In my several years with them, not being a power seller hasn't made my experience be a bad one.

Yes, I do believe eBay takes ID theft very seriously...as has been shown on the several ebay boards I am on. Are you saying that you have had ID theft and they didn't help you? I'm really surprised at that, since that doesn't hold true on the eBay boards. I find it more troublesome that you announced you know how to crack into my identity. Now I'm wishing I hadn't posted it here.

I sure hope people reading this, that have been encouraged to try eBay, don't get the idea that eBay is a terrible place to sell...since you seem to be the only one on this board having all of these problems.
Oh, and can you get that special email addy for me from your brother? The only one they gave me is the same one I used before I was a PS.

To have this kind of cash flowing in a system where the buyer and seller have no real protection until you sell $xxxx/month is appalling.

That's your opinion..I've not had all of these problems you have had. My experience has been a nice, rich and rewarding one. You seem to really be bitter about power sellers..when all it means is I worked my butt off to sell $1000 for three months in a row, and I get a cute little symbol. Maybe the big guys are getting more, but even that wouldn't bother me, since they are the money makers for eBay. When people complain about something so much (if it be AOL or eBay or whatever), then the best course of action would be for them to not use that system, but please don't discourage others. This thread was started (correct me CAnn if I'm wrong) to show the positives and fun of eBay..if there are as many negetives as you point out..then I guess people would leave in droves, and the other auction sites like the Dis and Yahoo would prosper.

 

[ByJiminy]

You all are really motivating me to try selling on Ebay! I think I've absorbed alot reading this thread, so thank you all!

It was suggested to open a separate account to use for Ebay. At first I thought an ING account would be perfect, but, it's a savings account and so I can't link it to my PayPal account! Do most of you have separate accounts? Are they with brick and mortar banks? I really dislike the thought of another bank and account, but I really, really dislike the account of somehow something possibly happening to my primary account, LOL. Our primary account is at a credit union, and we can only have one draft (checking) account there, so I'd need to go elsewhere.

How would it be to just leave the main account linked to the PayPal account? Dangerous?

BTW, I'm hoping to raise some money on Ebay so we can enjoy our stay at the Poly, we'll be there for four nights in August thanks to the PO-FQ closure! Since it's probably a once in a lifetime opportunity, we want to be able to take advantage of the restaurants, etc., that otherwise would be out of the reach of our vacation budget.

Thanks for any advice!

Laura B.

 

[DMRick]

The only thing I may have underestimated in some cases is the shipping charge.

Congratualtions Cindala! Sounds like you did everything right!

For shipping, I base it on zone 7 (I'm in 1), so I make a little locally, even out mid US, and lose a little shipping to 8..but this is only on the items I sell over and over. When I sell tools and antiques for instance, I package it, weigh it and put that in the auction with my zip code. My scale has saved me itself many times over. You can find them on eBay, or SAM's and BJ's for reasonable prices.

I do put a blurb that they are welcome to e-mail me if they would like me to figure out the shipping. I briefly put in a "click here to get postage", but then people were doing it wrong (don't ask me how) and sending the wrong amounts, without waiting to hear from me. I send mostly USPS Priority, with some parcel post for larger items, as well as UPS one time pickup for smaller but heavier items. They have even picked up for me in a campground while we were RVing on vacation. Knocked right on our RV!

Again..congratulations, you have done great!! Good feeling, eh?
Doris

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by DMRick
This thread was started (correct me CAnn if I'm wrong) to show the positives and fun of eBay..if there are as many negetives as you point out..then I guess people would leave in droves, and the other auction sites like the Dis and Yahoo would prosper.

------------------

Yes! PLEASE!!!!! I started this thread to encourage others to try this out if they were struggling to find enough money to make that long-awaited, long-wished for trip to Disney World.. Please, please, PLEASE don't put this thread in a postion where it gets locked! If debating the good and bad about eBay is important to anyone here I ask that you please take it over to the Debate Board..

DMRick has spent a lot of her own free time helping me understand how to go about selling on eBay and how to get started.. All I wanted to do here was to help others who had been wishing and dreaming about it too - but like me, continued to procrastinate..

I will never be a Power Seller - I don't aspire to be a Power Seller - I just want to clear out my house and make an occasional trip to Disney World with whatever money I can make on eBay..

Yes - I have a non-paying bidder right now. And I will file the NPB with eBay.. But I'm not going to get all worked up over losing five bucks and a 30 cent insertion fee.. I never shipped the item out - and I can still relist it - so what's there to get all excited about? I knew "going in" that this sort of thing can happen (as well as all of the other horror stories) and I have taken every precaution that I can.. Now - let the chips fall where they may..

PLEASE don't ruin this thread for everyone else!! There has been so much enthusiasm here.. Can't we just help each other out???

Thanks!

 

[DMRick]

How would it be to just leave the main account linked to the PayPal account? Dangerous?

Depends on who you talk to. Some people have had problems..others haven't. The problem is if someone does a chargeback, and your Paypal account is empty, Paypal can go into your back account (which prob has money in it)and remove it. You give them permission to do that when you sign up. If they do do a chargeback to your account, and your account is empty, you still owe them the money, and they will charge your credit card, or bill you. You'll still owe it either way. There have been a few cases where people have stolen the ID of a paypal person, and gotten money out of their account..but as in everything, this happens very seldom. I think you are more likely to have someone use your credit card charge number from you leaving around a receipt at Disney World, where they still put your entire charge card number on the receipt (now that is stupid of them).

I have been a member of Paypal for years, and so far that hasn't been a problem..but then I've never had anyone do a chargeback. It's really what can you live with. If you have a business, you can usually open up a free business account in any number of banks..or you can join another credit union, now that the government has made that so easy.

Love to see you selling on eBay...it's a great way to earn money!!

 

[C.Ann]

I went with the separate checking acct. (that also has a debit card) because my DH's SS goes into our main acct. and it would be a total DISASTER if someone got into that!

My separate acct. is strictly for eBay.. When I have over $20 or so in my Paypal acct. (from people purchasing from me) I get it transferred over to my eBay checking acct. right away..

I wouldn't tie Paypal or eBay in with a "main" account - just wouldn't feel comfortable with that - but I do tend to be cautious to a fault sometimes - LOL! I guess it's just what you're the most comfortable with..

 

[shovelhd]

I would strongly suggest that anyone using both ebay and paypal use a separate checking acount and set up different passwords for paypal and ebay login.

C. Ann, DMRick, if you have anything to discuss with me regarding the PS thread PM me.

 

[nuke]

I've loved reading about everyone's experience and triumphs with ebay. I've been ebaying since last July and I'm happy to report that my November cruise is entirely paid for including spending money. I am now working on getting enough for airfare since I can't count on my miles anymore.

I also just want to point out that everyone ships from zone 1. The zones are based on the zipcode you ship from. So someone shipping from Los Angeles to Los Angeles are shipping within zone 1 but someone shipping from NYC to LA are shipping to zone 8.

 

[DMRick]

I also just want to point out that everyone ships from zone 1.

Thanks for mentioning that...I forget that LOL! I'm in NY, so what I really ought to have said, is that my zone one is wayyyy over on the East coast, so I base my shipping on all but the farthest zone away, which is CA and HI, zone 8 for me.
Doris

 

[C.Ann]

If anyone is having problems getting their photos to upload on eBay (using their free photo service) the problem is NOT with your computer.. The problem is with eBay's IPIX.

If you know how (which I don't) you can use one of the many free photo hosting sites available - or just wait it out till they fix the problem (which is what I'm going to have to do).. This has been going on since last Thursday - no word on when it will be resolved.........................