Ebay Tips and Tricks for the New Ebayer

This guide is meant for anyone that buys anything on Ebay - especially those of you who are new to Ebay. Some of the things I will try to help you with is how to avoid making a bad purchase on Ebay. Also how to keep from getting outbid on the things you want, especially at the last minute. There are numerous guides on how to use Ebay, but I've never seen a quick and easy reference to use that gets right to the point. So here goes.

70 percent or more of bids are placed during the last few minutes of the auction
Place an odd bid amount - Never an even dollar amount
Avoid auctions that offer an item for 99 cents but they say in big bold words to email first
Don't fall for the word RARE on anything
Never buy anything from email offers outside of Ebay
Avoid auctions that ONLY accept payment by wire transfers, Western Union, or cash
Familiarize yourself with all Ebay features before bidding
Always check a users feedback rating
Research the item before you buy it
Be cautious of sellers from other countries
Never click on anything in an email from Ebay or Paypal
What to do if you receive a fake email?
Lastly - if it looks to good to be true, IT IS !!
As I think of more tips, I will update this guide. There's no sure fire way to avoid getting ripped off on Ebay, but hopefully these tips will help you avoid that headache. So here's the details....

70 percent or more of bids are placed during the last few minutes of the auction
TRUE - You're probably wondering how someone outbid you at the last second on an auction you bid on 3 days ago. To be like most people and place a last second bid, the best trick to use is go to the auction item. Then click on the web page address, highlight the whole address, then right click and select copy. Now open a new browser window and paste the address (right click and paste) and hit enter. Now you have two web pages open, both to the same auction.

Now here's the trick...In the second webpage, go ahead and enter your bid and click on the place bid button. If you go to a page that asks for your user name and password, go ahead and enter it and click submit. Now you should go to CONFIRMATION page. This is the final step before you actually place your bid. DO NOT CLICK SUBMIT just yet. You can leave this page open for as long as you want too. Now, go back to the other webpage you have opened - the first one. On this webpage, you can keep refreshing the webpage and watch the timer count down. Once the auction gets down under 30 seconds, rush back to the second webpage and click SUBMIT. You just placed a last second bid called a snipe bid.

Once under 30 seconds, you decide on when to hit the submit button on the second webpage. Depending on how daring you are, you can wait until the very last second. BUT, keep in mind that it takes about 3 - 5 seconds for Ebay to confirm your bid. So if you wait a little too long, you could still lose out and your bid not be accepted.

Place an odd bid amount - Never an even dollar amount
Never place an even bid such as $3.00 or $10.00. The trick use to be was to place your bid for one penny more. This way you would win over someone that placed an even dollar bid. But, most people have caught on to that trick. Now you have to bid an odd amount. If you're going to bid on something for $5, place an odd bid for $5.05 or $5.12 or something similar. You will have a better chance of winning the auction. The only people that place even dollar bids are people who are new to Ebay.

Avoid auctions that offer an item for 99 cents but they say in big bold words to email first
This is normally a scam. Look at the sellers other items by clicking on View Seller's Other Items. If all or most of their auctions have this same text, avoid this seller like the plague. It may say you have to be pre-approved before purchasing this auction. The auction may even contain text telling that they are selling you the purchase info only, not the actual item being sold. The only pre-approval needed for ebay auctions are normally in the Ebay Live auctions or in the Ebay vehicles categories.

Don't fall for the word RARE on anything
Very few things on Ebay are actually rare. It's all a marketing scheme. Words like rare, one of a kind, unique, the only one I've seen, etc... are all marketing words to pull you in and help cross that line of to buy or not to buy. I've written another guide specifically about this problem. But, the basics are, research what you're interested in. Email the seller. WHY is it rare? If they give you a vague answer, run. If they give you a specific answer and can even tell you a little bit of history on the item, then it probably is rare. Is everything the seller has listed marked as rare? Search Ebay and the internet. If you find more of the same item listed on Ebay, chances are it's not rare. Just put the word rare in the search engine on ebay and see how many listings come up. You should see at least 200,000 listings. Can there really be that many rare items for sale on Ebay?

Never buy anything from email offers outside of Ebay
If you bid on an auction and lost, you might receive an email from the seller offering a second item at the same winning bid. DO NOT go for this unless you know and have dealt with this buyer before. Ebay says to NEVER accept offers like this. This is one of the main reasons Ebay has offered a new service for sellers called Second Chance Offers. You can get a second chance email from the seller, but it will be for the highest bid you placed. Not for the highest bid in the auction. As long as you make a purchase through an Ebay auction, you have a very good chance of not getting ripped off.

Avoid auctions that ONLY accept payment by wire transfers, Western Union, or cash
If the seller only accepts these payment methods, run! You have a very good chance of getting ripped off. You can not get your money back by any of these payment methods. Once you send the money, it's gone. If you don't receive the auction item, there is nothing you can do to get your money back. The best way to protect yourself is use Paypal. There are no fees for sending money. All fees are charged to the seller. Most sellers on Ebay are legitimate and accept Paypal. If you've been ripped of and did make a payment this way, you can report the crime to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Just look them up in any search engine and it will take you to their webpage. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).

Familiarize yourself with all Ebay features before bidding
Ebay has lots and lots of features that can help you with your buying experience. Everything from searching to discussion boards. For searching, make sure and use the Advanced Search feature. You would be surprised at the number of auctions you could miss by just using the normal search. Once you go to the advanced search feature, always put a check mark in Search Title and Description. This will make a huge difference. You can also search better by using a plus or minus sign in front of keywords. A plus sign means it MUST have that word. A minus sign means you're not interested in auctions that have that keyword. You can also search for phrases by using quotes. If you search for caterpillar model truck, it will bring up all auctions that have any one of those keywords in it. Such as automotive auctions for any kind of truck. But, if put the three words inside quotes it will ONLY bring up auctions that have this phrase in the auction.

The discussion boards can be a source of a huge amount of info and help. To get there, just click on the Community button at the top of any ebay webpage. This will take you to a page of different categories for discussion boards. The best one to click on is go to the first one - Discussion Boards. In here you can discussion boards on everything from buyer complaints to category specific questions. You can spend hours reading thorough all the comments. This is a good place to ask questions about anything.

Always check a users feedback rating
If a user has a lot of negative feedbacks recently, avoid this seller. But, you can take it with a grain of salt too. If the seller in question has 500 positives in the last 30 days and only one or two negatives, then that's probably from a few disgruntled buyers. More than likely these are difficult customers and there probably wasn't anything the seller could do to make them happy. Human nature is too ALWAYS try to blame someone else for their mistake. Ask any little kid if they did something wrong even when they did. The usual answer is "I didn't do it". Human nature at it's purest and most honest form.

Research the item before you buy it
If you're not sure what you're buying but it's something you want, research it. You have one of the most powerful research tools right at your fingertips. The INTERNET. Use the many different search engines to research your item. Find out if it's rare or really worth what the seller is asking. Use the internet to help you decide what you would pay for the item. You can also use Ebay as a research tool. It's one of the few places you can search past sales. You can't do that at a brick and mortar type store. Use the Advanced Search feature and put in your keywords for the auction item you’re interested in. Put a check mark in Completed Listings Only. This way you can search completed auctions only and see if this item has been selling and if so, for how much. The bad thing is Ebay only keeps closed auction on the books for 30 days. So you have to remember that you're search is only for the last 30 days. You can also email the seller. Most sellers are knowledgeable about what they are selling. There may even be a unique history behind the item you’re looking at. Just ask...

Be cautious of sellers from other countries
This one is tricky. Make sure and research the seller carefully. Look at his/her feedback rating. Email them any questions you have. Most sellers from other countries are just as honest as any other seller. But, you have to decide if you want to deal with someone in a foreign country. There may be language barriers, customs issues, extra shipping charges, etc. I've bought a lot of things from sellers outside the U.S. I've only been ripped off once. That one was my own fault too. I knew it might be a bad idea, but for the low dollar amount, I took the chance. At least I got the opportunity to leave the appropriate feedback for that seller.

Never click on any links in an email from Ebay or Paypal
There is a new security feature from Ebay now. When you receive an OFFICAL email from Ebay, it will also be sent to My Messages in your My Ebay page. NEVER click on any link in an email from Ebay or Paypal. Neither company with EVER send you a link inside their emails. Even if the link looks legitimate, there's a 100% chance it's not. If you do click on it, it will always take you to a webpage that will look exactly like an official Ebay page. If you think you have an official email or announcement from Ebay, open up a new browser window and type in www.Ebay.com. Then click on MyEbay and sign in. Then down on the left side, click on My Messages. If there is no copy of the same message in there, then the email you received is fake. It's called a spoof email. What the sender is trying to do is get you to go to their webpage and enter in your ebay id, password, credit card info, billing address, ccv # on the credit card, social security number, mothers maiden name, etc... for whatever reason. With this info, they can not only use your Ebay account to rip off other people, they can also steal your identity. With the power of the internet, once you enter this info, the fraudulent charges can start as quickly as within an hour. If I sent you a letter through the mail and asked you fill out all this same info and send it back to me. You would say "HELL NO". So why would you do it from an email? Again, to play it safe on the internet, NEVER EVER open a link in an email unless it's from someone you know such as a relative or friend. Other than that, NEVER click on a link in email. By following this simple rule, you will save yourself a ton of trouble.

What to do if you receive a fake email?
If you think you've received a fake email from either Ebay or Paypal, simply forward it to one of these addresses: For Ebay, forward the message to SPOOF at EBAY dot COM. For Paypal, forward the message to SPOOF at PAYPAL dot COM. (you have to change the words AT and DOT to the appropriate symbols). You should get a reply email usually within minutes telling you if it was a fake email or not.

Lastly - if it looks to good to be true, IT IS !!
This one works every time. There's a reason this saying has been around longer than you or I. It always works.

Hopefully you got at least one good tip out of this guide. If you have any questions, you can email me. I will always try to answer them to the best of my knowledge. Don't forget to vote below if you found this guide helpful of not. Just click on yes or no - that's it.

EBAY SELLING 101 (PART 2)

Hello again, I'm back to try and finish off the basics of how to sell on Ebay.

I left off about the description and copy & pasting any shipping or detailed information at the end of all your descriptions.

• K, now after you figure out what you want to copy & paste at the bottom of your auctions. Such as "USA bidders only" or that you ship International, ect. then it's time to decide what you want to start your auction at. Also spell check is a good idea which is located at the top of the description box.
• I start all my auctions off at .99 there are many reasons such as the insertion fee is lower if it's .99 or lower, you get more potential buyers looking and bidding on it. I figure if I keep with my rule of thumb which is not to pay over $1. on anything unless I'm sure it will make me money then if it sells for .99 then I didn't lose that much and if your item is just as described then you have a possible positive feedback. Just remember that you can't please everyone even if it is just as described. I have ran into a few and it's not a pleasant experience, but just be as nice as you can even though you would like to tell them off and please never call anyone names in e-mails or feedback. It's very bad taste and will make potential buyers that see the feedback you leave want to leave also. If you plan on doing this as a business then treat it as one and one happy customer could mean 5 potential customers. I have had alot of my repeat buyers tell others and now I sell to their best friend, daughter and son's teacher, ect. I'm sure you get my point.
• The next thing is to decide weather you want to set off your auction right after you are done writting it up or if you want to schedule it for a later time.... What I do is schedule my auctions for a week ahead of time, but I set them off manually at the time I think is best for my auctions to end. So when it's time to set off and for me it's about 9 p.m. my time on Sunday night then I edit my auctions and change the from the scheduled start time to "Start Listing Immediately" and do that with the rest of my auctions and that way you don't have to pay the .10 I think it is for each auction to have Ebay set them off for you. It's really quick and painless after you have set off your auctions a time or two.
• The next step is to decide what type of payments do you want to receive. I accept Paypal, Money Orders/Cashiers Checks and Personal Checks. Personal checks you should wait for them to clear your bank first. Usually 10 days tops. Me personally if it's for under $10. and they have good feedback then I won't wait the 10 days, but also if they have purchased from me before and have been a good paying customer then I won't wait either. It all depends on the amount and their feedback weather I will wait till it clears or not. In the 5+ years I have only had 1 check returned and it was an error on their part and they happily sent me a money order.
• The next part is if you want a Shipping & Handling calculator on the bottom of your page so people will know exactly what they will be paying to have the item shipped to them. You don't have to put in the weight, but it will again save alot of time answering questions on shipping and handling costs and you won't lose potential buyers.
• Now you have an option to put in the weight and how you will ship their package in the next section. Before I use to box up everything so I could get the exact weight, but you don't know how much wasted time and wasted tape and then unboxing the items that don't sell I did. I now have a good sense of what to add on to each item for the box and packing materials. I weigh everything on a postal scale that I purchased off Ebay for $20. and then after I weigh them I add whatever I think is appropriate for the box and packing material. For small items such as small figurines, trinket box, ect. I usually add 7 0z. onto the weight of the item. For bigger items such as wall mirrors, pictures, ect. I add anywhere from 1-2 lbs. Medium items it's usually around 10 oz. That is what works for me and it all depends on the size of the item also. If you decide to do it this way then you will get better at the guestamations in time. It's alot better then boxing up items and saves alot of time.
• Next you want to decide how you would like to ship your item. I like to ship USPS because I find it to be a cheaper way to ship and they will come pick up your packages from your home for free as long as you have a printed prepaid label on them and you must have at least 1 Priority box for them to pick them up for free. It works great for me because my auctions end on Sunday night, I box them up Monday morning then I print off the labels Monday evening and tape them on the boxes and put in a 'Carrier Request' through USPS for the next morning. I live out in the country so it's nice. Our Post Man picks up the bulk of my packages on Tues. morning then I ship off any straglers after that whenever I am in town. Here are the shipping methods I use...
• First Class Mail - This is only good for packages 13 oz. or under.
• Priority Mail - I use this for anything 14 oz. - 1lb. 4 oz. and you can get free Priority boxes from the Post Office or order them for free on http://www.usps.com/ and they are shipped to you for free also.
• Parcel Post Mail - I use this for anything over 1 lb. 4 oz. or bigger items.
• Media Mail - This is the method I use to ship books, DVDs, VHS tapes, CDs, magazines, ect. There are specifics of what you can ship Media Mail. This is a very cheap way to ship those heavy cook books, Lot of magazines, ect. But please only use this method for how it's intended. You don't want to risk getting your package shipped back to you and then you must reship it on your dime. They will not reimburse you for the shipping charges you lost because you didn't follow the rules.
• Then there are First Class International and Priority Mail International which are for shipping packages to other countries. If you are not going to ship International then you don't have to worry about these 2 methods, but I recommend becoming familiar with these shipping methods because chances are you will get questions about people that want you to ship International and you might want to do it from time to time. I recommend eventually shipping International when you are more familiar with it to help your sales and to open up to a wide variety of potential buyers. One of my greatest friends who I met through Ebay and buys from me quite abit is from Canada and I would have never met her if I didn't ship International and I'm so glad I do now.
• Now the next step after you put in your weights and how it's going to be shipped is to decide if you want to charge a handling fee and if so then how much? Handling charges cover tape, Fragile stickers, packing material, gas, time, ect. I charge $1. handling for each auction. I see other sellers charge WAY too much in my opinion. But you decide what is best for you. I am fortunate to have access to some packing material and boxes. But you decide how much handling is right for you, but remember that most Ebay buyers especially if they have been buying on Ebay for awhile pretty much have an idea of how much it will cost to ship that item to them and if they see that you are for example charging $15. for S/H on an item that will only cost $6.20 then you might lose potential buyers that don't like the high handling charge.
• Now the next part is if you are going to ship International or not. If you don't plan on it then you don't need to read this part, but if you are then please read. First Class International is a cheaper alternative to International shipping. The transit time "varies" but it doesn't take any more then 3 weeks normally this way, but it can take as long as 3 months as I have had this happen to me a time or two. Priority Mail International costs more, but takes a shorter time in transit. There are specifics for it to be shipped First Class International such as the package has to be under 4 lbs. and the package has to be under a certain dimention. So please goto http://www.usps.com/ again to become familiar with the size requirements and weights for packages.
• Then that is pretty much the basics....I think? I have been doing this for so long that I don't even think when I list so I am probably missing quite a bit.
• Please, Please, Please....Ask any and all questions...No questions is stupid or goofy, just the unasked questions. Chances are if you have a question in your head that you think is goofy then I probably had that same question once upon a time and others have that question now and are wondering which poster is going to ask it so they don't have to embarrass themselves and do it...lol...
• If this helps at least 1 person fullfill their dreams then my job is done. Please remember this is only my advise and this is what works for me, I'm sure you will find better ways that work for you or might get advise from others. I just wish I could have read something like this or had someone I could have asked any questions to when I first started selling... It would have saved me alot of stress and grey hairs...lol...
• Thanks so much for checking me out and Happy Ebayin' :o)

EBAY SELLING 101.....

• Hello again!! As you can tell by the name of my page...I'm an Ebay Mommy...I sell on Ebay and get to be a stay-at-home Mommy to my sweet 2 year old little boy. I started sellin about 5 years ago and have never looked back. If you are considering selling on Ebay then please post any questions you might have and I will try and cover that in upcoming posts. First thing is first...
  
• You should have an Ebay account which is a no brainer...
  
• If you have a name that has lots of numbers or would be hard for potential buyers to look up then I advise changing your Ebay name to something simple and maybe even about what you are selling, ect. My ID name is a_lil_of_everthing which is what I sell is a lil of everthing...Yes, the "y" is missing because I had a brain freeze when I changed it and once you change it you can't change it again for at least 30 days and by the time 30 days was up I have had comments on how cute that was because that is how their child or they even say everything...but anyways that is my id name if you want to look me up and see how I do it.
  
• I advise getting a Paypal account if you have not already....I think Paypal is very safe even though you might hear it's not. I have had paypal for 5+ years and have NEVER had any problems at all. You just have to be very careful about any e-mails you get that look like they are from Paypal or Ebay. If Paypal or Ebay sends you an e-mail then never ever click on any links and automatically delete them to be on the safe side. If they really did send you anything then you can log into your accounts and it will show up in your e-mails on your Ebay account or on Paypal in alerts I believe. There are alot of clever people who can send out e-mails with Ebay and Paypal logos and make them look legit. So to be on the safe side....NEVER click on any links in an e-mail....
  
• K, now we got your account on Ebay and your account on Paypal (a Paypal account is not needed to start selling, but advised as it's the easiest way for you to get your money and for buyers to pay....me personally I will not bid on anything on Ebay unless they accept Paypal).
  
• You have to decide what you want to sell...I don't recommend any "dropshippers" alot of Ebay sellers have gotten bad marks because the dropshippers didn't ship or they ran out of the product after it had been bid on and won and were not able to ship. For me I sell mostly vintage, collectible and home decor items I find at rummage sales, auction sales, thrift shops or even stores that are going out of business. I love to rummage and go to auction sales so it's a fun job for me!! If you love to rummage sale then you are off to a good start if you can get up in the morning and hit those sales early. I have found so many great stuff for Ebay and plus for myself and family. So it's a win-win situation when you can find clothes or home decor for yourself and plus find things to sell on Ebay.... You save money by buying clothes at rummage sales and I have found some really nice name brand clothes for under $1. which brand new in the stores would be over $50. a piece.
  
• My rule of thumb when looking for stuff to sell on Ebay...I never pay over $1. unless I am pretty sure I can make more. Usually I can find cute little figurines for .25, Home Interiors pictures for $2. , Fenton pieces for $2. ect. You got to have a little knowledge of what sells and I advise to look around on Ebay. If you know you can find alot of Home Interiors pieces then search for Home Interiors on Ebay and check the 'completed' box and then go to the highest sold and see what type of price certain things bring. Or if you know you can find alot of Avon bottles, figurines, ect. do the same just to get familar with what sells and what doesn't. You will also learn as you go along. I didn't really have a clue at first when I first started and I am still learning more everyday, but as you become familar and know what to look for it will be more rewarding.... I love to find that "Gem in the rough" which I have found a time or two and it's a great feeling to bring your treasures home and to look them up on Ebay to know if you did find a treasure.
  
• K, you got all your treasures home....Do you have a digital camera? I do see people that do list items without pictures and 9 times out of 10...they don't sell...I strongly advise you take pictures of your items you want to sell...
• Don't have a digital camera? Maybe you know someone who does and wouldn't mind borrowing it to you to use like once a week so you can take your pictures until you can save up enough or make enough on Ebay to buy your own. I have a 8.3 Mega Pixels FinePix Fujifilm digital camera which I love!! I have had this camera for about a year now...The digital camera I had before which still works, but is only a 3 Mega Pixel is also a Fujifilm. So I am favor Fujifilm cameras because they take such great pictures and I have dropped my cameras a time or two and they are very well made and have never broke or stopped working.... They are very easy to use also. That's just my opinion...I'm sure the Kodak or other cameras are just as good, I just never have had any experience with them.
  
• K, you have a digital camera or borrowed one? Now you need a nice clean spot to take pictures of your findings. I have an old library table that I lay a white sheet over and there's a window with lace curtains for the background. They do have picture boxes with the lights and sides and backings that you can find at Walmart and maybe other places, but those are only good for smaller items like figurines, small pictures, ect. I have one myself that my hubby bought for me and I love it. It does work nice and the pictures come out good, but they also come out good on my table, so a picture box is not needed and if you can take good pictures elsewhere then I would recommend not wasting your money on it.
  
• Now you got a nice clean spot to take pictures? Remember lighting.... I have a flourescent floor light that I use and love. When I take pictures of pictures I just have to remember not to have it reflect in the glass. You don't need a flourescent light of course if you don't have one. Just an open curtain on a nice day will be good and even after you take the picture and it seems too dark because the flash didn't go off then there are ways to brighten your picture with any photo software. I use PhotoImpact 8 and love it. You can brighten or darken pictures, you can crop the extra from your picture and you can frame your picture. I advise framing with a bright color so it stands out from the rest. You will be surprised how many people don't take the time to frame their pictures.....You don't have to frame your pictures, but it doesn't take long and will be noticed more in the gallery pictures. I advise also to take pictures of any maker's markings and added them to the picture that you took. Merging it in or "copy & paste" it in. I seldom ever use more then one picture for any of my auctions...The first picture is free, but extra pictures are usually I think .15 each. Unless it's big and you can't catch all the details in one picture, I recommend one picture to save you money and keep your profits up. Every little bit helps.
  
• You don't have any photo software? Then borrow from someone.... You can easily borrow some type of photo software from a friend or relative and load it onto your computer and then just give them back the disc. You don't need the disc anymore once it's loaded onto your computer so that's a cheap alternative to some type of photo software. I advise the PhotoImpact, but it's only because this was the easiest software for me and did what I needed. That way if you have any questions about PhotoImpact I can try and help otherwise you are on your own with that one...
  
• K, you got your treasures, got a nice spot for taking pictures, took pictures, load them onto your computer, use the photo software you have on your puter to crop and frame your pictures....Now your pictures are all nice bright and great looking...what now?
• Goto your Ebay account and log in and click on "Sell" which is at the top. A box will come up that you type in what it is you are selling type in things such as "Avon Figurine", "Precious Moments trinket box" , "Home Interiors Picture", ect. and it will give you a choice of catagories that best fit what you are selling. Click on what you think is the best one and click on next....
  
• Now the title.....you want to try and use as many as the characters as you can to make your item more searchable. For example...Say I have a cow bell to sell...what more can you put then "cow bell"?? Well you can put "Old Metal cow bell~cattle~bull~animals~collectible"....you get the point? I believe that if you just put in "cow bell" then you are loosing the oportunity for other people to find you....maybe they are looking for "collectible bells"....you lost that person....maybe they are looking for "animal bells" which is different then a cow bell, but they do come across your auction and think to themselves...'hey, that's neat and it's cheap! maybe I should bid on that for my kitchen, or for my sister, ect."
  
• K, now the description...... always get to the point unless you wanna have fun with it or what it more personable. But please never ramble on and have someone loose interest after the 10th sentence. I advice just saying what it is, always note any imperfections, chips, repairs, breaks, ect. and measurements are always good and will save you time with questions of people asking for the measurements. After you do that it's good to have a "copy & paste" of your payment policy, ect. I don't have any auctions up at this moment, but will tonight at about 9 p.m. so you can check out my copy & paste just to get an idea of what I mean.
  
• OMG!!! I have been writting for so long that I didn't pay attention to the time...lol...I gotta get a few things done around the house and I will try and be back later to continue this talk...if you have any questions then please ask away and I will try and help you if I can...
  Thanks for reading Part 1 so far....Part 2 coming soon.........