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

[DMRick]

Carol...you can use Auction Watch (now Vendio)..it's not free (.10) or your AOL FTP's (go to keyword MY FTP), which is free, and put the pictures right into your description.

 

[DMRick]

My sister just put up a photo through IPix (ebay) and said she didn't have problems...maybe it's fixed.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by DMRick
My sister just put up a photo through IPix (ebay) and said she didn't have problems...maybe it's fixed.

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

Oh my! I HOPE it's fixed!! But I did notice on the discussion boards that only certain people (although a LOT of them) were having the same problems that I am..

Ummm..DMRick - how many times do I have to tell you? I am dumb, dumber, and dumbest when it comes to do ANYTHING but the simplest things on this computer!! LOL

Thanks for the suggestions though..

 

[C.Ann]

I don't believe it!!! NOW it's working - and I have to go to bed in a few minutes - work for the next 3 days - then head up to the lake to open up - and not get back till MONDAY!!!!!

How much ya wanna bet it will be on the blink again by the time I get back next week?? Grrrrrrrrrr....

 

[shovelhd]

Most ISP's give you web space with your ISP account. My broadband provider gives me 10MB. I use this for all of my ebay pics. If I have to host more than one picture per item I use a very simple web page editor to compose a web page with multiple pictures, with the pics hosted from my provider. This is a little bit more work but it saves the hosting fees. I have yet to try Auction Watch or other auction assistants and would be interested in what others have to say about these services.

 

[cindala]

C.Ann,
Yes, we have trip planned already for this year. My intent with selling on Ebay is to save for next year. DH thinks we should take a break and stay home one summer and not spend the money. Yikes!! So, if I can save the money from Ebay and use it to help pay for the trip, maybe I can change his mind! I need my Mickey fix each year!!!

I think that the next batch of items I list I will figure on shipping from the next zone, so that I can be sure all the costs are covered. So far of the 10 sales I've had, 9 have contacted me about payment. Only one has yet to contact me at all. It's only been 3 days, but I guess I'm getting nervous since hearing about some of the other problems with NP bidders.

ByJiminy,
I too opened up a separate checking account with a debit card. I looked in the business section of the weekend paper, and saw a listing for banks in our area that offer free checking without any fees. I found one, and signed up. I haven't signed up for PayPal though. I don't think I want to. I don't want to pay anymore fees than I have to.

Well, let's hope that pictures can be loaded on Ebay now, and that the problem is fixed. I think I'll list some more items tomorrow and see what happens.

Keep on Ebaying guys!!!

 

[cindala]

C.Ann,
Yes, we have trip planned already for this year. My intent with selling on Ebay is to save for next year. DH thinks we should take a break and stay home one summer and not spend the money. Yikes!! So, if I can save the money from Ebay and use it to help pay for the trip, maybe I can change his mind! I need my Mickey fix each year!!!

I think that the next batch of items I list I will figure on shipping from the next zone, so that I can be sure all the costs are covered. So far of the 10 sales I've had, 9 have contacted me about payment. Only one has yet to contact me at all. It's only been 3 days, but I guess I'm getting nervous since hearing about some of the other problems with NP bidders.

ByJiminy,
I too opened up a separate checking account with a debit card. I looked in the business section of the weekend paper, and saw a listing for banks in our area that offer free checking without any fees. I found one, and signed up. I haven't signed up for PayPal though. I don't think I want to. I don't want to pay anymore fees than I have to.

Well, let's hope that pictures can be loaded on Ebay now, and that the problem is fixed. I think I'll list some more items tomorrow and see what happens.

Keep on Ebaying guys!!!

 

[poober25]

Cindala

There are no fees with PayPal if you have a personal account. You don't have to accept debit and credit cards and then there are no fees. You can also accept credit card payments through www.c2it.com with no fee to you, but they charge the sender a 2% fee with a 30 cent min. JFYI

 

[C.Ann]

WhooooooooooooHooooooo!!!

Decided to try a little experiment with one of the FEW items I was actually able to get listed in the past 5 days.. Had an item here that I had paid $1 for in a garage sale 3 years ago.. Did some research on completed auctions and saw the same item.. The bidding started at $5 and the auction closed with the item selling to $15 and change...

Sooooo.. I put mine on with the auction starting at $5 too - BUT I put a "Buy It Now" feature on it as well and it just sold for $18 !!!!! Hmmmmmm...me thinks I might be using that "Buy It Now" feature for a few other things that I just want to get out of the house..

Now - in a little while I'm going to try to list some more items.. Everyone keep your fingers crossed that the photo hosting problem has been corrected!!!

Yay Ebay!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ByJiminy]

Thanks to everyone for your comments on a separate checking account. I've looked around and found something that really seems to have no fees and no restrictions I can't live with, LOL. But even though I could submit information online I still have to wait for paperwork, so I don't know how long it will take to get it running.

I'm really undecided about what forms of payment to take, and whether to take credit cards through PayPal. At least to start, until I get the hang of it, I think I'll stick to money orders, cashiers checks, or PayPal from existing funds. Is that how I should word the PayPal comment? I know that I have bought things before using PayPal and my credit card, and I appreciate having that option (of course I have the Disney Visa, LOL, so I like to charge everything I can and pay it off each month). Do you think *not* taking credit cards would negatively impact my auctions? Does it seem to matter if it's a big or small ticket item? If I start with my basic personal PayPal account, I could always upgrade later if I change my mind, right?

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement!

Laura B.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by ByJiminy
I'm really undecided about what forms of payment to take, and whether to take credit cards through PayPal. At least to start, until I get the hang of it, I think I'll stick to money orders, cashiers checks, or PayPal from existing funds. Is that how I should word the PayPal comment? I know that I have bought things before using PayPal and my credit card, and I appreciate having that option (of course I have the Disney Visa, LOL, so I like to charge everything I can and pay it off each month). Do you think *not* taking credit cards would negatively impact my auctions? Does it seem to matter if it's a big or small ticket item? If I start with my basic personal PayPal account, I could always upgrade later if I change my mind, right?

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement!

Laura B.

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

I accept Paypal cash transfers or echecks, personal checks (with a 10-day waiting period to clear the bank), and money orders.. I don't sell enough to justify all the extra charges involved with credit cards and the majority of my buyers so far have not had any problem with it.. One person tried to pay thru Paypal with a CC and after I explained all the extra fees involved they happily did a cash transfer instead.. One other person used a CC as well - and has since turned out to be a dead-beat that I have had to file an NPB on.. This person never answered ANY of my emails, so I don't really think they ever had any intention of making good on the auction.. Wasn't a big deal - not a lot of money - so I'm simply passing it off to one bad apple in the bunch..

And yes - at any time you can upgrade from a personal Paypal acct. to a Premier (where you could accept CC's) but unless you have a LOT of high ticket items to sell, I don't really think it would be in your best financial interests.. A little fee here, a little fee there - and before you know it you have sold an item for $5 and you're lucky if you make two bucks from it - if that! My motto is to get as many "services" as I can for FREE - thereby increasing the profit on my sales.. That's just MY opinion though - 'cause I'm a terrible cheapskate - LOL!!!

 

[shovelhd]

I also do not accept creedit cards through paypal and accept them only through C2it which transfers the burden to the buyer. The Premier fees are just too high for my level of use. Friends of mine that have storefronts and subscribe to credit card services just post the credit card icons and process the transactions themselves through a third party like Verisign.

If you subscribe to a Paypal personal account, there are a couple of things that you should be aware of. If you post your items via the ebay Sell an Item page, there will be a checkbox on the payment page that specifies if you accept credit cards. Make sure that it's unchecked so that credit card logos are not automatically placed in your item listing by ebay. Also, if you have a personal Paypal account and someone tries to pay via credit card, the payment will be staged at Paypal waiting for you to accept it or deny it. If you accept it your personal account will be automatically converted to a Premier account and you will now be accepting credit cards by default and their associated fees. Paypal allows one downgrade per account, so if this happens to you, you have one chance to get back to where you started w/o credit card fees. After that, you're out of luck. Paypal also prohibits a user from having multiple accounts, i.e. one personal, one Premier.

Always deny Paypal payments if you want to avoid credit card fees. Use C2it or other services which move the onus on the buyer. You may lose potential bidders who use credit cards for reward points, but that risk has to be a part of your decision. And if you deny someone's payment, send them a followup email explaining why, that this restriction was listed in your payment terms (make sure you do this) along with alternate forms of payment.

Good luck!!!!

 

[Robinrs]

Okay, OKAY!

I spent all evening reading ALL of these pages because I'm SERIOUS about jumping feet first into Ebay!

The information here is PRICELESS!

I am going to the bank tomorrow to open a separate account.

What I'm interested in knowing is have any of you sold big ticket items like on EbayMotors???? I have a car I'm thinking of selling but am weary of selling in my local paper. I did a search on the make and model of my car and it sold for MORE than I need! It's so tempting.

In the meantime, I have literally HUNDREDS of kids videos and books to sell, I told my son he has his own Blockbuster ... any tips?

I also have a houseful of stuff (both of my parent's estate) that my aunt has to sell. She was planning on having an estate sale but this sounds like a better deal. Any tips here?

Thanks, guys!

 

[DMRick]

I use a business account paypal..I have since way back when. I buy a lot of stuff by credit card..mostly because of the protection it affords me. I really think it boosts my sales...almost 90% of my payments are PP, and when people can pay with a cc, they don't feel the pinch as bad IMO. I keep no money in my Paypal account, and certainly don't want paypal to help themself to my checking account to get money, so I figure others are like me..and want to use their cc. There is always a cost of doing business, and believe me, I really choke when I look on my excel sheet and see what I've paid out to Paypal..but I truly believe, based on my own buying habits, it makes a big difference in my sales.
I tried to get people to use C2it..but the buyers didn't want to pay to pay me, so it was a flop.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by Robinrs
Okay, OKAY!

I spent all evening reading ALL of these pages because I'm SERIOUS about jumping feet first into Ebay!

The information here is PRICELESS!

I am going to the bank tomorrow to open a separate account.

What I'm interested in knowing is have any of you sold big ticket items like on EbayMotors???? I have a car I'm thinking of selling but am weary of selling in my local paper. I did a search on the make and model of my car and it sold for MORE than I need! It's so tempting.

In the meantime, I have literally HUNDREDS of kids videos and books to sell, I told my son he has his own Blockbuster ... any tips?

I also have a houseful of stuff (both of my parent's estate) that my aunt has to sell. She was planning on having an estate sale but this sounds like a better deal. Any tips here?

Thanks, guys!

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

I would start with the books and videos - just until you get the hang of how things work.. I've had the best luck when selling books and videos in "lots" - unless they're something special that can be sold individually.. By "lots", I mean 3 or 4 of a kind.. A "lot" of 3 comedy videos; a "lot" of 2 cookbooks (like 2 dessert cookbooks or 2 barbecue cookbooks, etc.).. Books and videos are easy to weigh, package, and ship via media mail and will give you a real taste of what selling is all about.. That's what I started with just about a month ago and now I'm moving on to other things that may require special packing, priority mail, etc..

Just jump in with a thing and two and once you sell something, you'll be hooked!! LOL

Good luck - and check back in with the "class" to let us know how you're doing!!

 

[shovelhd]

I have not sold a big ticket item via ebay motors but I have a good friend at work who restores classic hotrods and resells them through ebay motors. He became a Power Seller after his first sale Just a little bit of humor folks!!!!!!!!!!

He has done very well with this side business. The premium ebay motors bidders are willing to pay more than makes up for the fees and the hassle factor. That being the nonstop inquiries from window shoppers, zero feedback shill bidders setting the pricing baseline for their own auctions, reluctant winning bidders backing out of their contract, etc. Once he gets a sale it's at least 10% more than he would ever get selling via other means, often MUCH more, and a lot of these other means have many of the same hassles.

I would absolutely consider selling my used vehicle on ebay motors. My only experience with this category is when I was selling motorcycle parts, where the home catagory is ebay motors.

Good luck!!!!!

 

[shovelhd]

One more thing. I make good money buying things at estate sales and reselling on ebay. Why put money in my pocket when you can put it in yours? Any item you put up for sale has a real or percieved value. Take the items that you see as having value and research completed auctions on ebay. The ones with value will jump out at you. Save those for ebay and hold the estate sale for the stragglers. Tag sale people will buy almost anything. And you can always have another tag sale later in the year if ebay is a bust. If you structure your auctions right the loss in fees won't be too significant.

Best of luck to you!!!

 

[shovelhd]

DMRick,

If I had a business selling things on ebay I would absolutely, without question, accept credit cards and pay the associated fees. I don't know if I'd go with Paypal Premier. I'd probably take up one of my friend's offers and let him process my credit card transactions for me for pennies instead of dollars. Either way, if you are an ebay business you almost have to accept credit cards or go out of business.

I guess I need to focus more on higher margin goods!!!

 

[DMRick]

If I had a business selling things on ebay I would absolutely, without question, accept credit cards and pay the associated fees.

Nothing to do with being a business..everything to do with people spending money. I see people buying stuff all the time in the store they didn't mean to buy..but if they have a card to put it on, it's not "real" money. It's next months money..hence the impulse buy. I base the lowest price I'll sell on eBay, as well as my small handling fee on what the total cost is to me. I put items up at the lowest I'm happy with, even paying fees. I know I sell more by having Paypal and accepting credit cards.

Regular CC tansactions are too much cost for me..it's not just the percentage..there is more costs than that. I've done the math and Paypal works out cheaper for me..and it settles the nerves of those buyers who don't want to send a number to me, the unknown..no problem sending it to Paypal..the known.

Just for people's reading this info, I am basing any of my statements I make, as an eBayer..not just a business person (that is getting old). This is the way I started eBay, how I've taught eBay. Please don't others look at everything I say and do, and think I do it that way because I'm a business. I do eBay the way I do it, because it works for me. I've certainly been on enough boards with people way more successful than I sharing what worked for them...and I've taken from them, what works for me. You get to take from this, what works for you and what makes you comfortable. I've been part of several of eBay's "classes" (which are free and for everyone..small seller's included), and every single person there, who takes cc through Paypal, or any of the other pay services, is happy they made the switch. This is something that is discussed a LOT. If you don't want to pay Paypal fees, and you are happy selling only to people who aren't able to use charge cards, then that's all that matters to your selling career. I'm a charge card user (I collect points to buy my vehicles..pay off monthly, and as previously mentioned, I like the protection.

That's what this board should be about..just sharing ideas..and making decisions for yourselves.

 

[ByJiminy]

C. Ann, DMRick, and shovelhd, thank you for sharing your thoughts about methods of payment. I really appreciate that you all explain your reasons and what makes sense for you, as that helps me to figure out what will make sense for me. I really don't see myself dealing with personal checks. I honestly *never* go to the bank, and if I had to trot over there every time I got a $7 check I don't think I'd be very happy. That is just me, of course. I used to work *in* a bank, and at that point it would have been no trouble at all for me, but at this point it would mean a special trip and a chunk of time out of my day.

shovelhd, thank you also for your comments on how to make sure I list and deal with the PayPal account properly if I am not accepting credit card payments.

That's what this board should be about..just sharing ideas..and making decisions for yourselves.

DMRick, you took the words right out of my mouth! It is really great to have some different views of what works for different people, and why.

Does anyone think it will be a problem if I *don't* accept personal checks and I *don't* take credit cards? Am I not taking the two most common forms of payment, LOL? Are some people not willing to do cash transfers with PayPal?

Laura B.