Auction Blot - Your information source for online auctioning.

Ebay’s New Shipping Page Offers More Options

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:55:00 +0000

Ever since the US Postal Service started offering 3 different options of flat-rate boxes, Ebay sellers have been wondering when Ebay was going to follow suit. Although Ebay sellers had been able to list the 3 different sizes of flat-rate boxes as options in their auctions, they had only been able to print labels for medium flat rate boxes. With the launching of Ebay’s new shipping label creation page, that is no longer a problem. By printing labels through ebay.com and not paypal.com Ebay sellers now have the ability to create labels for the previous omitted small and large flat rate boxes. Unfortunately for those who would rather still use paypal.com, these options remain omitted from paypal’s label list.

3rd Party Programs Allow Sellers to Avoid Ebay’s Free Insertion Fee Listings

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:04:00 +0000

If you’ve recently been listing your auctions through ebay.com, you’ve probably noticed some of your items being listed for free. This is because Ebay’s free insertion fee program was officially launched on June 16, spelling higher closing fees for many sellers, as previously reported.

Fortunately for users of 3rd party listing programs, such as Auctiva, listings created with these programs are not subject to being included under the free insertion fee program. This means that those who use these programs can continue to list their auctions without having to worry about being charged higher closing fees. This is also the case for users of Ebay’s own Turbolister program.

How Make Changes to an Ebay Auction After it has Ended

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:09:00 +0000

A situation that doesn’t arise quite often, but is still important to know how to deal with, is how to make changes to an auction after it has ended. Usually, this occurs when a buyer requests an alternative shipping method or when you, as a seller, want to give a discount to a buyer. Luckily, Ebay has a solution for such situations, although it is one that isn’t so obvious.

If you ever run into this situation, the answer you are looking for is in Ebay’s “Send Invoice” feature. When you send an invoice to a customer, you are allowed to add different shipping methods, offer discounts, and even add additional charges to a transaction if you so wanted.

So how is it done?

First, you will want to log into Ebay and click on the “My Ebay” button at the top right of your screen:

Next, click on the “Sold” link under the “Summary” menu:

Then, you are going to want to click on the drop down menu next to your sold item and select “Send Invoice”:

Now, you can make any changes you wish to your transaction on the Invoice page:

Simply send the invoice to the buyer and you are finished. Pretty easy, right?

When To List Your Ebay Auctions: Maximizing Your Profits

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:26:00 +0000

When listing an auction on Ebay, most new sellers never ever ask themselves, “When is the right time to list my item?” Most sellers don’t realize that a great portion of the money lost or gained on auctions is determined at the very moment sellers list their items. Since most buyers don’t bid until the end of an auction, a seller must be mindful of the fact that the exact time an auction begins is the same time it will end. If a seller fails to recognize this, they may very well alienate a good portion of their buyers.

Try to avoid listing around midnight.

When creating a listing time strategy, a seller must have an understanding of the time differences between themselves and potential buyers. In the United States, the difference in time between the Atlantic (East Coast) and Pacific (West Coast) Time Zones is 3 hours. Since potential buyers will not always be in the same time zone as a seller, sellers must take these time differences into account. Let’s say a seller on the West Coast decides to list an item at 9:00PM. If they do so, their auction will end at midnight for buyers on the East Coast, when most people are asleep. Since, obviously, those people who are asleep cannot bid on the item, the seller would have unintentionally alienated a huge portion of their potential buyers. If a seller isn’t mindful of the time differences, they can put themselves in the same situation.

So when exactly should you and should you not list an item?

Regardless of time zones, you should never list an item between midnight and noon. These are the hours when most people will not be available to bid on an item. They will either be asleep, will be preparing themselves for work or school, or they will actually be busy at work or school. Listing your items between these hours will almost guarantee less last minute bids on an auction.

Also, try to avoid listing your items between noon/3PM Atlantic Time and 5PM Pacific/8PM Atlantic Time. These are not actually terrible times to list your items, but there will still be many buyers who will still be at work, especially in the western time zones. Even on weekends, these are times when most people will be out of the house; therefore, it is best to avoid these times when possible.

The best time to list an item is between 6PM Pacific/9PM Atlantic Time and 7PM Pacific/10PM Atlantic Time. Why? Between these hours, most people, in all time zones, will be at home and available to put in last minute bids on your items. Listing at any time afterwards will be running the risk of alienating those people who are asleep on the East Coast.

What about weekends?

Although weekends do allow people more time to bid on items, do not assume that they will use that time to do so. Since most people would rather spend their weekends doing other activities rather than bidding on Ebay, it is best to follow these rules for weekends also.

Ebay Bad Buying Etiquette: What Not to do As a Buyer

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 03:12:00 +0000

Have you ever heard stories about bad sellers sticking a buyer with a raw deal? You’ve probably heard many, but how many stories have you heard about bad buyers sticking it to a seller? Probably not as many as the former. Although it’s not always talked about, Ebay is filled with just as many bad buyers as sellers, buyers who try to extort money from sellers, and even buyers who try to lie their way into getting a free product. Ebay does take measures to stop these bad buyers from running rampant. Unfortunately, even a good buyer will accidently labeled as a bad egg, which can result in a suspended account and even being banned from bidding on many seller’s auctions. So how can you prevent yourself from being labeled as a bad buyer?

1) Don’t ignore paying for an item.

Sometimes the unexpected may occur leaving you, as a buyer, unable to pay for an item. The worst thing you can do is ignore paying for the item hoping that it goes away. If you fail to pay for an item, a seller can file an Unpaid Item Dispute against you, which can result in your receiving Unpaid Item Strike. This can lead to a your account being suspended and may even prevent you from bidding on sellers’ auctions who ban buyers with Unpaid Item Strikes. If you do run into a situation where you cannot pay for an item, simply inform the seller. Sellers are usually very understanding and will either cancel a transaction or give you more time to pay.

2) Don’t make bids you don’t plan on fulfilling.

If you don’t want to purchase an item, don’t bid on it. If you make an accidental bid, tell the seller right away. Sellers can remove your bid saving you from accidentally winning an item. In the unfortunate case that you actually do win an item, you will just be denying another buyer, who actually wanted the item, from purchasing it. Although sellers are able to offer an item to the second highest bidder, that buyer has usually already moved onto another product, resulting in a lost sale for a seller. Dishonest activity, such as this, will usually be reported throughout the selling community resulting in a buyer being added to many sellers’ banned bidder lists.

3) Don’t ignore messages from a seller.

Usually, a seller tries to get in contact with a buyer when there is something important that needs to be ironed out. Sometimes buyers accidentally give invalid mailing addresses or will just entirely forget to pay for an item. If a seller is not able to get in contact with a buyer, they will either not be able to send an item out or, in the case the buyer hasn’t paid, will have no choice but to open an Unpaid Item Dispute. You, as a buyer might unsuspectingly find yourself with an Unpaid Item Strike if you do happen to ignore messages from a seller. Always be sure to check messages from a seller even if you are sure it’s unimportant.

4) Don’t leave bad feedback without contacting a seller or giving them time to respond.

Sometimes mistakes are made, which will leave a buyer with a wrong or broken item. If this does happen to you, don’t just leave negative feedback without contacting the seller first. Usually a seller will be able to find a way to accommodate you in such cases. If you try to contact a seller, be sure to give them enough time to respond. Sellers usually don’t check their messages on weekends or will find a message the next day. If you don’t receive a response right away, it may not be that the seller is trying to ignore you, although, if a seller does take a few days too long to respond, negative feedback is appropriate.

Ebay Listings - Buy It Now vs Normal Auctions - Which is Better?

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:19:00 +0000

A question that sellers often ask themselves is “Should I list my item as a buy it now or should I list it as a regular auction?” On one hand, an auction can offer a quick return on an item, while, on the other hand, a fixed price listing will guarantee an item will sell for a seller’s desired price. But, just because a fixed price listing offers a guaranteed result doesn’t mean it is a better choice than an auction. There are advantages and disadvantages to both which should be considered before deciding which one is the best choice for listing an item.

One of the great benefits of an auction is that buyers are more likely to bid on an item under an auction than one listed under a fixed price. Buyers are always looking for auction listings because they offer a buyer the best chance at scoring a deal. This can work in a sellers favor if more than one buyer focuses in on the same auction. If buyers are inclined to bid on the same auction, it could result in large returns for the seller. The only downside is that the opposite is also true. If an item does not garner the attention of buyers, it will usually sell for much less or not sell at all.

Auctions also have a maximum listing duration of 10 days, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage to a seller. On one hand, it can create an urgency amongst the buyers to bid on an item. Buyers that truly desire an item must bid on it within that timeframe or risk the item being lost forever. This activity can trigger a bidding war amongst buyers, which can drive up the price of an item. On the other hand, having such a limited amount of time can also lead less exposure for an auction. If potential buyers cannot find the item during the listing, they will not be able to bid on the item, which can mean lost sales for a seller. Although auction listings do pose risks to a seller, the returns on an auction can be huge.

Fixed price listings are great for buyers who want to offer multiple quantities of an item at the same price. This not only saves a seller money by not having to list each item individually, but it also means that a seller will know exactly how much an item will sell for each time. The only downside to offering an item at a fixed price is the fact the it could turn away buyers who would rather take their chances on buying the item in an auction. If fixed price item is listed at a competitive price, buyers will be inclined to purchase the item regardless of whether they prefer an auction or not.

Unlike auctions, fixed price listings can last for an unlimited duration of time, which means more exposure for listings. The more time buyers have to find an item, the more likely it is to sell. The long durations of fixed price listings can also lead to longer periods between sales as buyers do not have to rush to purchase an item unlike auctions.

The biggest downside to creating a fixed price listing is the fact that closing fees are much higher than for an auction. Closing fees on fixed price listing can sometimes reach as much as twice the amount of regular auction fees. Multiple sales of an item can negate this cost, but if a buyer has an individual item, it may be best for them to list it under a normal auction.

So which one is best for you?

If you are selling individual items, especially those in high demand, auctions may be the best choice. You can get a great return on an auction listing and also save yourself money in closing fees as they are much less than fixed price listings. Also, if you have multiple items to sell, you can use an auction on an individual item to determine how much a fixed price listing should be priced. The only downside to an auction listing is the fact that items can sell for much lower than anticipated or not sell at all.

If an auction is too risky for you, or you are selling multiple quantities of the same item, a fixed price listing may be better suited. You will always know the price your items will sell for and you will have much more time to expose your listing to buyers. You will also have to pay much higher closing fees than a normal auction and may go long periods of time between sales.

How to Buy a Shipping Scale

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:32:00 +0000

So you have a bathroom scale at home you’ve been using to weigh your packages and so far you’ve done OK at estimating shipping prices. Why should you consider spending money to buy a shipping scale? Is it really worth it?

The answer is yes, and here’s why: shipping scales not only allow a seller to accurately price their shipping costs, but they can also help boost sales by providing these accurate costs to buyers, and they will repay their value many times over. When you have the ability to accurately weigh your own packages, you can purchase and print your postage from your own home, not only saving you gas and a trip to a shipping center, but also allowing you to pay cheaper online shipping rates rather than pricier walk-in retail rates. Having the ability to print your own postage also allows you to schedule home pick-ups of your packages, saving you from having to make any separate trips at all. With all these benefits it’s hard to argue against purchasing a shipping scale, but that doesn’t mean you should just go out and buy the first one you see.

Here are some basic features of shipping scales you should consider:

Weight Capacity – Shipping scales range from those that are meant for light packages, to those that can also weigh heavier packages. Before purchasing a scale, you should determine the average weight of the packages you will be shipping as prices tend to increase with higher weight capacity scales. If you only ship lighter packages, then you don’t need a scale with a wide capacity range. Likewise, if you ship the occasional heavy package, you are going to need a scale that has the ability to measure that package. Determining which weight capacity will fit your needs, will save you money when purchasing a scale.

Size and Shape – There are scales made for office use and scales made for industrial usages. Smaller tabletop scales are ideal for small home offices. They are not only compact, but they also come in higher weight capacities for those who occasionally do ship heavy packages. You can also find models with detachable readouts incase you need to weigh a package that would normally cover the readout.

Larger ground scales, on the other hand, are better suited for garage or warehouse applications. These scales have a larger surface area for weighing larger packages and also come in higher weight capacities than smaller compact scale. If you are the type of seller who ships large heavy packages, then a ground scale may be better suited towards you needs. Ground scales usually come with a detached readout so you won’t have to worry about not being able to read the weight.

Digital vs Analog – If you’ve ever shopped for scales, you will have encountered both digital and analog types. Analog scales use a needle display to point to the weight of an item, while digital scales calculate and display weight measurements on a crystalline screen. Which is more precise? Digital shipping scales tend to be more precise as they incorporate the usage of microchips to minimize errors in weight measurements, while analog scales are not only limited to the accuracy of their weighing mechanisms, but also the accuracy of the actual pointer on their readout. While digital scales are pricier, they tend to be more reliable than their analog counterparts.

Extra Features – Here are some extra features you might find when shopping for a scale:

Weight Lock-on: Weight lock-on holds the weight of an weight on the scale’s readout for a short period of time, allowing a seller to remove the package and record it’s weight.
Tare Mode: Tare mode allows a seller to measure the weight of a container, which is then deducted from the weight of the container and its contents. This is convenient for those sellers who would like to know the total weight of multiple items packaged in a single container.
Auto Shutoff: Auto shutoff is a great energy saving feature that will automatically shut down an inactive scale if a seller accidently leaves it on.

So where can you buy a shipping scale?

Office supply stores carry a wide variety of shipping scales, but also tend to be very expensive. A better alternative is to shop online as prices tend to be as much more affordable. Many Ebay sellers use the brands Weighmax and Ultraship, which can be found on Ebay itself for extremely low prices. You should also do your own research to determine which scales consumers have had better experiences with.

How to Deal with Difficult Sellers on Ebay

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:27:00 +0000

In a perfect world, every purchase on Ebay would go through smoothly. You, as a buyer, would pay for an item, the seller would ship the item, and everyone would be happy. Unfortunately, in the real world, this doesn’t always happen. You are going to run into situations where you, as a buyer, will be put into a difficult position by a seller who either makes a mistake, or who flat out does not want to uphold their end of the deal. Fortunately, in those situations, Ebay is there to watch your back, but should you always go running to big brother whenever a problem arises? It’s difficult to say, but each case should be examined individually.

In order to protect its buyers from seller fraud, Ebay has implemented a thorough claims process through it’s sister company, Paypal. If a problem arises after a buyer has paid for an item, they can open a dispute through Paypal's Resolution Center. Once opened, the buyer and seller will have a chance to resolve the dispute amongst themselves for 20 days. If this does not suffice, a buyer can escalate the dispute to an actual claim within those same 20 days and have the issue settled by Paypal itself. In most cases the buyer will be reimbursed their money and all shipping and handling costs. If a buyer does not escalate or settle the dispute to a claim within 20 days from the initial opening of that dispute, the case will be closed permanently without any recourse for the buyer. With such a system in place, why would a buyer not just escalate every dispute into a claim? It depends on if the buyer actually wants the item they paid for or not.

Problems usually arise when a seller has made a huge oversight. They will usually either miscalculate shipping costs or mistakenly ship the wrong item to a buyer. As in all cases, a dialogue should be opened with the seller whether through Paypal’s dispute program or through a personal email. Once in communication with the seller, a buyer should discover whether the shipping costs are worth paying or if the buyer can send the correct item. Why would a buyer want to pay for further shipping costs? If it is an item the buyer truly desires, or an item that is in rarity, then paying a little extra would be better than not receiving the item at all. If the shipping costs are too much, or if the buyer is not willing to ship the correct item, then a buyer should ask for their money back, if they have paid, or ask to have the sale withdrawn by the seller. If a seller objects, then a Paypal dispute should be escalated to a claim.

In a case where the buyer has not yet paid for the item, the buyer should first pay for the amount listed in the auction, file a dispute through Paypal, and immediately escalate the dispute to a claim. Why should you have to complete a transaction you no longer want to continue? When you win an auction, you enter a binding agreement to pay for that item. Even if there is a dispute with the seller, you are still contractually obligated to pay. If you do not pay, a seller can open an “unpaid item dispute” against you in which Ebay may suspend your account if they see fit. Once you pay for the item and open a claim, the seller will either have to reimburse your money or ship the item as listed anyways. Either way, the buyer eventually wins.

In cases where it seems a seller is more interested in making a transaction difficult than actually selling an item, a buyer should immediately ask for the sale to be withdrawn or file a Paypal claim. There should be no negotiations in such cases as there is nothing to negotiate. If the seller attempts to extort money from a buyer by demanding unreasonable additional costs, such actions should be rewarded with negative feedback and a low seller rating. Once a seller accumulates enough bad seller ratings, their activity will be limited by Ebay and other buyers will be protected from them.

Errors occur all the time and are usually the result of an oversight by a seller, which is not to say that there aren’t horrible and fraudulent sellers out there. Every case is different and should be handled differently. If there is a possibility to work things out with the a seller, a buyer should forego that route by all means as it will usually lead to the quickest and most amicable results for both parties. If all else fails, a buyer can always settle the issue through Paypal’s dispute service.

Ebay’s Free Insertion Fees Could Cost Sellers More in Closing Fees

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:07:00 +0000

If you haven’t heard, Ebay announced it will be giving sellers five free auction insertion fees starting June 16th recurring every 30 days afterwards. Ebay is hoping that these free fees, which usually only cost a few cents to a dollar, will convince more users to start selling. So should you buy into to the hype and jump in head first? Only if you want to bust your head open on the concrete floor.

What Ebay is not heavily publicizing is the fact that these “free insertion fee” auctions will be partnered with unprecedented closing fees. Under Ebay’s current auction structure, sellers are charged “final value fees” of 8.75% on the first $25 of a sold item’s price and 3.5% on the remaining amount. In comparison, sellers who use Ebay’s free listings must pay 8.25% on the full amount of a sold item with fees capping off at $20, or a $229 sale. What this means is that a seller will be saving money, but only if their item sells for $25 or less. To show just how much more you may be charged by using Ebay’s free insertion fees, lets compare final value fees charged on an auction of $229 under both types of listings.

LISTING TYPE	FINAL VALUE FEES CHARGED ON $299 SALE
Free Insertion Fee Listing	$20
Regular Style Listing	$9.33
Total Difference	$10.67

A free insertion fee auction with a maximum charged fee of $20 would cost a seller $10.67 more than if they were to pay for the item’s listing. For further comparison, here is a chart showing how much an item would have to sell for in order to be charged $20 in total fees under normal paid circumstances:

AUCTION TYPE	PRICE OF SALE EQUAL TO $20 IN TOTAL FEES
$0.15 Listed Auction	$530
$0.25 Listed Auction	$527
$0.35 Listed Auction	$525
$1.00 Listed Auction	$505
$2.00 Listed Auction	$477
$3.00 Listed Auction	$448

Even under the most expensive types of auction listings, a seller wouldn’t be charged $20 in total fees until their item’s sales price reached an amount of almost twice that of a free auction listing.

What does this all mean?

If you plan on selling something that you know will sell for less than $25, then using Ebay’s free insertion fee listings would benefit you most. If you have items that are more expensive, make sure you list them after you have used up your free insertion fee listings. If you don’t have anything cheap to sell, then simply make auctions for things that probably wouldn’t sell at all, such as pencils or dirty napkins, in order to use up those five free listings. Even if they don’t sell, which they probably won’t, at least you’ll be saving yourself a price gouging courtesy of Ebay.

Auction Snipers: Automated Bidding Bots Take Over Ebay

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Perhaps you’ve heard this story or been a victim yourself: A buyer holds highest bid through the closing moments of an auction only to find out they’ve been outbid during the final two seconds of the auction. Was it just a matter of luck on behalf of the winner? Perhaps, but the answer is most likely no. The loser was probably just another victim of an auction sniper.

This may be the first time you’ve heard of the term “auction sniper”, but they’ve been around for years. Auction snipers are automated bidding programs designed to place a buyer’s bid during the final seconds of an auction. The buyer specifies the bid amount and the sniper places the bid at a moment that is almost humanly impossible to counteract. Some call it unfair, but auction sniping does not violate any rules and is likely to be around for an unforeseeable future.

So should you consider enlisting the help of an auction sniper yourself? Lets take a look at their advantages:

Auction snipers take the hands-on aspect of bidding out of the equation. If you use a sniper, you no longer have to hunker down at your computer waiting to outbid someone at the end of an auction. The programs does all the hard work for you.
They can help organize bids on multiple items. Auction snipers allow buyers to create lists of items to bid on, thus eliminating the complicated aspect of tracking every bid manually.
They allow buyers the greatest chance at nabbing the best deals on items. By placing bids at the latest possible moments, auction snipers eliminate the reactions of impulsive bidders, thus maximizing your chances of attaining the lowest winning bid.

Auction snipers are only tools a buyer can use to ease the bidding process. You can find many different sniping options by simply searching the term "auction sniper" in Google. They don’t guarantee a buyer’s chances of winning auctions, but they do maximize them.

In the end, the highest bidder will always win an auction, so if you are against joining the ranks of auction sniper users, just remember: All you have to do is bid higher.

Shipping Rate Binder

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:22:00 +0000

Shipping rate sheets are a very important tool in determining the best carrier service for your shipments. This shipping rate binder includes the shipping price rates for the most common and practical services used in shipping online auction items.

You should print this binder out and keep it as a quick reference for determining the shipping charges of your auctions.

Download Shipping Rate Binder

Inaccurate Shipping Costs: How to Avoid the Biggest Pitfall of Selling Online

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Wed, 13 May 2009 21:28:00 +0000

One of the biggest factors of online auctioning that is often overlooked by new, and even experienced, sellers is the price of shipping. Most new sellers aren’t properly prepared to measure the costs of shipping their items. This is usually caused by sellers using inaccurate measuring tools or sellers relying on guessing to determine their shipping costs. Unfortunately, such measures will usually result in drastic differences between real and estimated shipping costs. In order accurately estimate shipping costs, sellers should first take these steps:

1) Purchase an accurate shipping scale.

Although most people have body weight scales available in their homes, these scales should not be used to weigh packages. Many body weight scales are inaccurate and would cause a seller to improperly charge a buyer for shipping.

Shipping scales, on the other hand, are capable of accurately measuring both lbs and oz’s to the accuracy of a single oz. Such accuracy is highly important for sellers as a single oz could cost them a few more dollars in shipping.

2) Have measuring tape available.

Larger items are significantly more expensive to ship than smaller items. Most carriers will charge on the dimensional weight (volume) of an item instead of its real weight if the item’s measurements exceed the carriers specifications. By being able to measure the dimensions of an item, a seller can know beforehand whether or not their package will be weighed by dimensional or real weight.

3) Determine the price of packaging materials.

Once an item’s weight and dimensions are known, the price of its packaging materials can be estimated. Items that are at risk of being damaged during transit will usually require boxes and padding materials such as packing peanuts, bubble wrap, or newspaper. Items that are not at risk of being damaged can usually be packaged with a minimal amount of packaging. In such cases, envelopes, bubble mailers, packing paper, or even the item’s original packaging will suffice for safe shipping. A seller should take note of each expense and add it to their total shipping costs.

4) Weigh the item as it will be packaged to ship.

This is the only way a seller will know the exact weight of a package. Even the slightest amount of packing material added afterwards may cause a package’s shipping price to increase.

5) Refer to carrier rate charts.

Each carrier offers their rate charts which show their prices to ship to locations nationwide. These charts are helpful in determining which carrier offers the best options to ship certain items. Although these same carriers offer online price estimators for specific locations, they are only helpful if a seller already knows the address of the buyer, which isn’t the case when a seller is initially listing an item. Rate charts are easy to reference and are much faster to use than these online tools. You can download and print out our Shipping Rate Binder, which lists all the current shipping rates for methods commonly used for Ebay.

To Buy or Not to Buy Shipping Insurance: A Buyers Perspective

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Sat, 02 May 2009 03:12:00 +0000

A common misconception among buyers and sellers is the idea that buyers must purchase shipping insurance in order to be protected from lost or damaged packages. Since most items on Ebay are purchased through Paypal, buyers are already protected through Pay pal's Buyer Protection Policy. Buyers who use Paypal simply need to file a claim through Paypal in order to be reimbursed of all charges. Does this mean that a buyer should avoid purchasing shipping insurance altogether? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

There are some cases where shipping insurance is a buyer's only means of protection. These cases arise when a seller uses their own merchant account or only accepts checks, money orders, or wire transfers for certain transactions. In such cases, purchasing shipping insurance is a must because Paypal's Buyer Protection Policy is no longer in play.

If a buyer ever does need to purchase shipping insurance, they should also make sure a seller specifies, through their listing or otherwise, that a buyer will be reimbursed if there are ever any problems with shipping. If there is no such language on part of the seller, then a buyer should request an invoice specifying a shipping insurance agreement. This would create a documented agreement between both parties, which could then be used in a court of law if ever need be. Although both parties would probably like to stay out of a lawsuit, it may be the only means a buyer has of reclaiming their lost funds.

Three Things You Should Ask Yourself Before Becoming an Ebay Seller

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:39:00 +0000

During these harsh economic times, selling on Ebay can be a great way to supplement your income. Things which you no longer need can sometimes fetch a good price on the global marketplace. You may even find yourself making significant amounts of much needed income by selling things you may have once thought of as expendable. But before becoming a bona fide Ebay seller, there are 3 things you should ask yourself:

1) Do I have to time to invest into selling on Ebay?

Above all else, selling on Ebay will take a significant amount of time out of your daily life. You will find yourself spending time taking pictures of items, as well as optimizing and uploading those pictures, spending time writing accurate, marketable descriptions and choosing starting prices that will garner bids, and spending time figuring out shipping and handling costs as well as packaging those items and taking them to a shipping center. It is easy to see where those who are already tight on time can have a problem with selling on Ebay. If you don't have the time to invest, then it might be a good idea to save yourself the unnecessary headache.

2) Is there a market for what I am selling?

What you might think of as a surefire seller, others may not. I once ran into a green Ebay seller who created 70 seperate auctions for small individual items. Albeit they were each only listed for one dollar, the seller had to spend fifteen cents to list each one. In the end, not a single item sold, and instead of gaining money, the seller actually lost $10.50.

If you are unsure if an item will sell, don't spend all of your money to list it. Run a test auction first, in order to keep as much money in your pocket as possible.

3) Does Ebay make the most sense for me?

Even if you do have the time to sell on Ebay and also have an item you know people will buy, Ebay may still not be the best option for you. Large and expensive items are also expensive to sell on Ebay. Money that should be going into your pocket will find its way into shipping and handling costs as well as Ebay's own cut from your revenue. The best option to selling large and expensive items is to sell them locally. By selling locally, you will asure yourself that you will gain the maximum amount of profit by not having to deal with the secondary fees of Ebay selling.

How to Avoid Excessive Shipping Fees on Ebay

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:02:00 +0000

One of the biggest complaints that Ebay buyers have is that of sellers charging too much for shipping and handling. Ebay's Excessive Shipping Charges Policy specifies that "sellers may charge reasonable shipping and handling fees to cover the costs of mailing, packaging, and handling," but does not define what reasonable shipping and handling fees are. Buyers often find that they are left to fend for themselves when being faced with expensive shipping fees. Some simply choose not to pay, while others find themselves asking where the protection is from such excessive fee chargers.

In order to protect yourself, here are some helpful tips you can utilize to avoid paying such high shipping and handling costs:

1) Be on the lookout for dirt cheap "buy it now" items with expensive shipping and handling fees.

These are usually items where the seller is trying to entice a buyer with an extremely low surface price while hiding the real price within shipping and handling cost. These items may seem like great deals on the surface, but the only person getting a deal is the seller.

2) Compare shipping and handling fees between sellers of similar items.

You will often find that shipping and handling fees vary from seller to seller due to their locations and what they want to charge. By comparing different shipping fees of the same item, you can get a good idea on its average shipping price as well as who is charging too much for shipping and handling. A good rule of thumb is to buy from a seller located closer to you as shipping prices will usually be lower.

3) Ask the seller for the weight and dimensions of an item.

If a seller is willing to tell you the weight and size of an item, you can calculate the shipping price yourself. USPS, UPS, Fedex, and DHL (international only) each have shipping calculators on their websites. Just visit the website of the seller's chosen shipper and you will be able to see the real price for yourself.

Note: A seller charging a little bit more than the actual shipping price is normal and is meant to cover supplies purchased to package an item.

4) Ask if a seller is willing to ship with a lower priced shipping option.

If a seller only lists an expedited service, such as USPS Priority Mail, and you don't mind waiting longer to receive an item, try asking for a slower option such as USPS Parcel Post or UPS Ground. Although it may take much longer to receive your item, you may save yourself a significant amount of money especially if the item is heavier or larger in size.

How I Became an Ebay Seller

ralmares@auctionblot.com (Robert Almares) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:39:00 +0000

My Ebay selling experience began, I'm sure, like many other's experiences.

When I joined Ebay, I never considered selling anything myself. I figured it was probably too much a hassle to do so. But one day, out of sheer curiousity, I decided, "Why not?" What did I have to lose? At worst, nobody would buy my things and at best I would have a little extra cash. Therefore, my first auction was nothing more than a test: a was single used ball-point pen accompanied by very imaginative description of it's mystic origin, which, of course, was only meant to amuse any potential bidder. I wanted to see if what people were actually willing to buy something so pointless and ridiculous.

As anyone probably could have predicted, the pen didn't sell, nor did it garner a single bid. In other words, it was a failure, but failure with one positive result: I was now curious to find out what people were really willing to buy.

So my next few auctions consisted of things I figured would interest people more than a used pen. I rumaged through my possessions trying to find anything I no longer wanted, but that somoene else may. After a couple of tiresome hours, I had accumulated a considerable amount of "junk" to offer the world. To my suprise, people of the world did want my junk. In fact, they wanted to pay a considerable amount of money for junk that would have eventually found it's way to the bottom of a waste disposal site. It was at that point that I had an epiphany: you can actually make money doing this.

Although it was not a very original epiphany, it was still the moment I truly became an Ebay seller.