So we all know China is the land of fakes because we most likely have purchased one on eBay even though we did believe it to be an original.

So with the Olympics, of course would be fake as well.

• Fake little girl singing [poor little thing, she was so cute but cannot sing]
• Fake fireworks
• Fake Chinese supporters in the crowds

Until next time,


Ideas Woman
http://ideas-woman.com

 

After experiencing first hand what it is like to be 'no longer a registered user' on eBay, the process to get your ID back is not actually provided to you on the eBay website. Sure there is some information, however not the exact way you can apply to get your ID back.

First you have to download a PDF document, provide all sorts of ID, promise to never be bad again and then you need to fax it back to eBay.

Here are two important links you should bookmark:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/reinstfaq.html - USA

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/community/reinstfaq.html - Australia

I had to wait almost 30 days before eBay sent me the email providing the above links. I hope this saves you time and unnecessary stress! eBay needs to understand that for many of us, online selling is our ONLY source of income.

Until next time,


Ideas Woman
http://ideaswoman.com

 

Queensland police say they have tracked down 23 repeat offenders responsible for about half the state's reported fraud complaints from eBay online auction users.

Last May, the state's fraud squad launched a world-first website allowing Australian eBay customers to report online fraud.

Previously, eBay customers whose purchases did not arrive or were not what they expected could only complain to local police.

Police often found the problem could have been easily resolved between the two parties, but in cases of criminal fraud they had difficulties investigating offenders in other jurisdictions.

Police Minister Judy Spence told state parliament that under the new system, 416 matters had been reported - 60 per cent by Queensland victims about Queensland offenders.

Nine per cent related to interstate offenders falsely claiming to be in Queensland, and 31 per cent related to overseas offenders.

Police identified 23 Queensland-based offenders, who accounted for up to 50 per cent of the complaints.

Ms Spence said most had been arrested, with one man charged with 33 offences and another charged with 48 offences.

"A Victorian man is also currently under investigation, after he allegedly conned more than 3,000 victims Australia-wide into purchasing holidays which didn't exist," Ms Spence said.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23809219-5014108,00.html

To report fraud in Queensland Australia:
http://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/crimePrevention/eCrime/internet/report/

Until next time,


Ideas Woman
http://ideaswoman.com

 

eBay did me a big favour by NARUing me

Well after eBay exiled me to the 'naughty chair' for almost one month, I am back selling digital products via a classified ad and sending the files on CD via snail mail like a good little girl. I had to 'promise' that I would not be naughty ever again.

What a backward move to mail files on a CD in our nano second digital world. The rights of the buyers being able to choose a delivery method of delivery are being ignored!

Well at least it did me some good. I now have my own web store [something I was trying to set-up for years], explored many other avenues of how to gain business and found a few brilliant opportunities for me which have already been initiated.

For all reading this post. Do not have all your eggs in one basket. Explore other opportunities of selling, if you have not already done so AND if you are selling elsewhere, please email me [link below] and I would love to add you to my links pages on my website. We all need to help each other out in these uncertain 'eBay times'!

Until next time,


Ideas Woman
http://ideaswoman.com

 

***New Policy Update: Digital Downloadable Goods in Classified Ads Format Only***

March 24, 2008 | 01:00PM PST/PT

Brian Burke
Hello...This is Brian Burke, Director Global Feedback Policy. Digital goods are often reproduced at little to no cost to the seller. On eBay, this creates the potential for Feedback Manipulation (both real and perceived). To preserve the integrity of the Feedback system, effective March 31 all goods that can be digitally downloaded or transferred electronically must be listed using the Classified Ads format.
Using the Classified Ads format, sellers receive a 30-day ad at a fixed price. This solution enables sellers to continue to market their digital goods on eBay; however, because Classified Ad listings are a lead generation tool and do not result in transactions that go through eBay, Feedback cannot be exchanged between buyer and seller.

Sellers who wish to continue to offer digital goods can do so by selecting the Everything Else>Information Products category in the Sell Your Item form and choosing the Classified Ads format (not auction-style or fixed price). For more information about the Classified Ads format, please read Advertising with Classified Ads.

Sincerely,

Brian Burke
Director, Global Feedback Policy

I offer this as an instant service to my buyers and not to manipulate feedback. So much for the 'positive eBay experience'!

 

Being a small business retailer since 1987, would you come into my conventional store if it offered you nothing to entice you in the door - signage, a special offer on the window, a lovely pair of shoes or a dress in the window you just have fallen in love with?

When you go to a new shopping centre, what makes you walk in the door of a shop?

Your store front is like the front window of your conventional store and so treat it that way. eBay gives it to you for nothing [well $15 a month as part of the package] so use this space to offer your buyer's BENEFITS or INCENTIVES to buy from you. You can really make this work well and give you the edge over your competitors.

When eBay sellers start using the tried and tested methods of retail selling, marketing and advertising, they will see success. Sure we are all experiencing a downturn in sales on eBay and this is why you have to take action and improve the well you sell online.

Think of the conventional retailers you buy from and ask yourself why you do and put these reasons to work in your eBay store. So many people are yet to buy from eBay or ANY online e-tailer for that matter and these people are only used to conventional selling and buyer and you need to attract them and convert them into online shoppers!

If you are serious about selling on eBay so you want to make money, then start thinking differently. If it is just for fun to fill in time as a hobby, then why not make money from your hobby and have fun at the same time?

I could go on and on! Hope this gives you food for thought!

 

A website that helps you increase your ebay sales . . .

I have just come across a website to help ebayers increase their sales with a very supportive community forum. I am sure everyone has noticed how negative and aggressive the eBay forums can get so this website here may help you to improve your sales on eBay.

 

Until next time,


Ideas Woman
http://ideaswoman.com

Get A Website!

Off-eBay Item Link Builder. eBay provides you with the code to paste into your home page so your listings appear. Any sales from your website also gives you referral credits. You need to be an eBay store/shop owner to do this.

I have a special offer for web hosting here for only $49.95!

My eBay > Manage My Shop > Shop/Store Design > HTML Builder

Add keyword rich text to your website pages to help with your search engine positioning.

Swap links with other related websites - Google loves this as long as it is not to link farming sites.

Add your eBay signature to all non-eBay forum posts you make. Google picks this up very quickly.

Look for directory sites that allow you to add your website for free. In Australia we have HotFrog [only for Aussie business]. I added my eBay store and my HotFrog page appeared in Google the next day.

eBay marketing tools > My eBay > Selling > Marketing tools

Search engine keywords > My eBay > Manage my shop/store > Shop/store design > search engine keywords

And finally . . . .

Write eBay reviews and guides as Google often pick these up and your listings appear on the right hand side.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/specialtysites/rev-guide-writing-guide.html .

Until next time,


Ideas Woman
http://ideaswoman.com

Freeing up your precious time

1. Add FAQs at the bottom of each listing to save time answering repetitious questions

2. Have all your auctions end at the same time of the day and week so you can process all your orders in one batch, then less trips to the post office

3. Use a 'template' for your listings so all you do is change the item description and image. You can easily create this yourself in Word and save as a Word template and use over and over again. Refer to the Word help files or do a Google search to learn how to do this

4. Make sure your description is very detailed so you receive less questions. Every email response is COSTING YOU MONEY AND YOUR PRECIOUS TIME!

5. Make sure your terms and very clear - save time arguing with buyers

6. Bundle sell your goods if you can, rather than many small auctions. This also increases your average customer spend rate!

7. Only accept PayPal with instant payment! I say this from experience

Regarding PayPal fees

1. Are you spending time chasing up payments for direct deposits?

2. Are you spending time logging onto your bank website to see if the payment is there or has been cleared?

3. Are you spending time trying to work out who the direct deposit was from?

4. Are buyers not paying and so you then have to spend time filing non-payment disputes and so?

5. Are you spending time having to negotiate with your buyers extended time to pay?

Now consider the time you spend on all of this and if you were being paid by your employer to do this same, what would it be worth? Now consider if the PayPal fees are worth it to free up your precious time by accepting instant PayPal payments where it is all done for you - confirmation of payment, tracking and so on!

I see PayPal fees as a cost to running my home-based business. Many years back when we had a store at an international airport; we not only had all our credit card merchant fees [very few people paid cash], but we also had to pay a percentage of the gross sales to the shopping centre on top of our base rent.

Hope this helps anyone who reads and please, no negative comments about PayPal fees. We all know many sellers hate them!

 

Until next time,


Ideas Woman
http://ideaswoman.com

Read this garbage:

***New Policy Update: Digital Downloadable Goods in Classified Ads Format Only***

March 24, 2008 | 01:00PM PST/PT

Brian Burke
Hello...This is Brian Burke, Director Global Feedback Policy. Digital goods are often reproduced at little to no cost to the seller. On eBay, this creates the potential for Feedback Manipulation (both real and perceived). To preserve the integrity of the Feedback system, effective March 31 all goods that can be digitally downloaded or transferred electronically must be listed using the Classified Ads format.
Using the Classified Ads format, sellers receive a 30-day ad at a fixed price. This solution enables sellers to continue to market their digital goods on eBay; however, because Classified Ad listings are a lead generation tool and do not result in transactions that go through eBay, Feedback cannot be exchanged between buyer and seller.

Sellers who wish to continue to offer digital goods can do so by selecting the Everything Else>Information Products category in the Sell Your Item form and choosing the Classified Ads format (not auction-style or fixed price). For more information about the Classified Ads format, please read Advertising with Classified Ads.

Sincerely,

Brian Burke
Director, Global Feedback Policy

I offer this as an instant service to my buyers and not to manipulate feedback. So much for the 'positive eBay experience'!

 

Until next time,


Ideas Woman
http://ideaswoman.com

I came across this listing the other day by chance and made a donation. I realise often we think twice in cases like this and question legitimacy, however this one is real so how about a donation to this family as the last thing you want to worry about are bills when you have an ill child!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200206934530

Please pass on the word and make a families life a little easier.

 

Until next time,


Ideas Woman
http://ideaswoman.com

I could not resist posting about this listing from a marketing perspective. The item being sold is listed as new. Starting bid $395.00.

Well, the seller may love their dog so much it has to be in this photo, but do all BUYERS love dogs?

Sure, the eventual buyer may just love dogs so it will not be an issue, however are you really giving a positive message to ALL of your buyers or just dog lovers? If you went into a store and saw a dog sitting on the furniture, what would be your first thought?

I often read sellers list: smoke free and pet free environment. If sellers do this it is only because the market expects this to be how the goods are stored - no pet hair and no smells of cigarette smoke, otherwise they would not add this to their listings.

If you are a serious seller, then consider the message you are sending to your buyers in the way you list.

Until next time,


Ideas Woman
http://ideaswoman.com