Marketing Online Review » eBay Business

Another sick day

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

::I went to the food bank yesterday and I worked there without any ::problems. Everything went smooth. I also had some stuff that I had ::to do at home and for my ebay business. I was even posting ::merchandise until midnight. I woke up this morning not feeling good ::and withdrawn again. My left nostril was closed and I used one spray ::of Afrin to open it. I have been having post nasal drip for 3 hours ::now as it drains. I am on the couch again although I feel slightly ::better now that it is noon. When I get up, I have been having ::chills. This seems to be part of the allergic reaction. What a ::contrast between yesterday and today. Ironically, I just sold some ::more fishing equipment on ebay. I have a very good reputation there ::and I get my customers what they want and like. At times, it is very ::trying to get things done but I manage. Dear Fred, Sorry you weren’t feeling good last week. When I have a busy few days I tend to crash on the day I don’t have much to do. You’ve been doing a lot of volunteering the last few weeks; that is so generous and kind of you. I hope you are feeling better! Jackie ~*~He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears~*~ ~~Michel de Montaigne — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I went to the food bank yesterday and I worked there without any problems. Everything went smooth. I also had some stuff that I had to do at home and for my ebay business. I was even posting merchandise until midnight. I woke up this morning not feeling good and withdrawn again. My left nostril was closed and I used one spray of Afrin to open it. I have been having post nasal drip for 3 hours now as it drains. I am on the couch again although I feel slightly better now that it is noon. When I get up, I have been having chills. This seems to be part of the allergic reaction. What a contrast between yesterday and today. Ironically, I just sold some more fishing equipment on ebay. I have a very good reputation there and I get my customers what they want and like. At times, it is very trying to get things done but I manage. — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Hi Fred, Hope you’re feeling better soon. I know when I have really good days I may overdo it physically and then feel it the next day. Vanessa — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Fred, I hope you feel better soon. It’s good it’s volunteer, so you do have the choice of showing up or not – it’s a good choice. I agree with Vanessa.. sometimes if you overdo physically one day, you need a day to recuperate. Maybe you could volunteer and do something less strenuous physically.. And too.. we have good days and we have bad days – and neither one lasts forever. It cycles, so just know if you have a bad day, it won’t last. You’ll have another good one. Have faith. Sally — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Hi, Fred, Hang in there. I feel what you are experiencing after working at the food bank is very natural. Hopefully, in time some of the exhaustion will dissipate as you get more adjusted to being there. smiles, Elise

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I went to the food bank yesterday and I worked there without any problems. Everything went smooth. I also had some stuff that I had to do at home and for my ebay business. I was even posting merchandise until midnight. I woke up this morning not feeling good and withdrawn again. My left nostril was closed and I used one spray of Afrin to open it. I have been having post nasal drip for 3 hours now as it drains. I am on the couch again although I feel slightly better now that it is noon. When I get up, I have been having chills. This seems to be part of the allergic reaction. What a contrast between yesterday and today. Ironically, I just sold some more fishing equipment on ebay. I have a very good reputation there and I get my customers what they want and like. At times, it is very trying to get things done but I manage. — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I’m so sorry you’re sick again Fred, but you did go to the food bank and work on eBay. This is good! Be proud of yourself for doing that. {{{{{Fred}}}}} Di

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I finally got out

admin — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Congratulations, Fred! That’s great! Dennis It has been at least 4 months since I have been to the flea market. I could not stand being out in wide open spaces! I finally found some good stuff for my ebay business. I also have enough strength and perseverance to post and sell my stuff. I really have not done much different. I did not take any benzos today. I just went out and did business. Thank God!

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Good for you, Fred! Be proud of yourself. I went out today too, but with a benzo. You went out without one. That’s even better. Hugs, Di It has been at least 4 months since I have been to the flea market. I could not stand being out in wide open spaces! I finally found some good stuff for my ebay business. I also have enough strength and perseverance to post and sell my stuff. I really have not done much different. I did not take any benzos today. I just went out and did business. Thank God! Fred I ran into one of the dealers. His wife was sitting in the car. She has panic attacks. She also has a brain tumor that they are watching plus is a cancer survivor. I told her to try Xanex when she has the sudden onset of panic attacks.

Oh Fred, I feel so sorry for this woman. :-( I hope things work out for her, poor thing. Hugs, Di — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

::It has been at least 4 months since I have been to the flea market. I ::could not stand being out in wide open spaces! I finally found some ::good stuff for my ebay business. I also have enough strength and ::perseverance to post and sell my stuff. I really have not done much ::different. I did not take any benzos today. I just went out and did ::business. Thank God! Excellent, Fred!! Wishing you tons of luck and success with your eBay venture. Jackie ~*~I got in touch with my inner child and now my imaginary friend is jealous~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

It has been at least 4 months since I have been to the flea market. I could not stand being out in wide open spaces! I finally found some good stuff for my ebay business. I also have enough strength and perseverance to post and sell my stuff. I really have not done much different. I did not take any benzos today. I just went out and did business. Thank God! Fred

Well done Fred!! I haven’t been outside without a benzo in 6 months or more. You are an inspiration! — _TJ_

Response:

H*O*O*R*A*Y, Fred!!!!!!! )))) I went to an estate auction today and I thought of you!! Take care! Happy Ebaying! MikeH

. — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

Good for you, Fred! Be proud of yourself. I went out today too, but with a benzo. You went out without one. That’s even better. :-) Hugs, Di

– The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Good for you, Fred!

Label printer

admin — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

muttered something like: "It says press any key. I can’t find the any key. What do I do?" Whenever it says "press any key" why is it the shift key never works?

True story: a programmer asked me to try out a script he had tossed together. At one point it said "press any key to continue," so I pressed J. "Wait, why did you press J?" "It said press any key." "Usually you press the spacebar." "No, usually I press J because my fingers are on the home keys." This is why it’s good to run these things by a non-programmer before release. -Bertha — What’s another word for synonym?

Response:

muttered something like: It seems that if they tell people they can tape over the labels, they’ll use duct tape, masking tape, that priority pape, etc. So they have a "no tape" rule, rather than "you can use clear tape only". Having done technical support on computers I would have to agree with you. One in a hundred people would do just that!! "It says press any key. I can’t find the any key. What do I do?"

Whenever it says "press any key" why is it the shift key never works? — Crazy Dog wfh at crazy hyphen dog dot fsnet dot co dot uk

Response:

Hello, I am just starting an eBay business and have decided that I need a label printer. I figure it needs the following characteristics. 1. The Printer itself should work great with USPS priority mail. 2. It should be inexpensive but not shoddy. 3. the cost per label should be very low.

Take a look at the Brother QL-550 /QL-500 http://tinyurl.com/cemzb Staples typically has them on sale for $50 – $80 It comes with software that lets you fashion the labels any way you want; logos, pictures, etc. A_C

Response:

"It says press any key. I can’t find the any key. What do I do?" -Bertha — I have a photographic memory. Wish I had film.

Response:

My "label printer" is an ancient, cheap Epson 777 stylus printer. I use cut-rate inks and the cheapest paper possible. In opposition to what USPS says, I carefully put clear tape over my labels to protect them from tearing. I’ve had NO problems in thousands of shipments. Kris

Response:

to what USPS says, I carefully put clear tape over my labels to protect them from tearing.

I’ve always done this too, figuring it "seals in the goodness". Why would USPS complain? ef

Response:

It’s been reported that the clear tape can interfere with the bar code scanning. We always tape the address portions since inks can run when wet / dampened.

Response:

to what USPS says, I carefully put clear tape over my labels to protect them from tearing. I’ve always done this too, figuring it "seals in the goodness". Why would USPS complain? ef

My PO’s the one who told me to do it. They told me also to *always* tape over a barcoded USPS sticker, as many fall off boxes during shipment. (Many boxes have surfaces that labels don’t adhere to well, and most people don’t press them on firmly.) I told them the website said "do not tape over the barcode", and they said they’d check why. It seems that if they tell people they can tape over the labels, they’ll use duct tape, masking tape, that priority pape, etc. So they have a "no tape" rule, rather than "you can use clear tape only". Kris

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – to what USPS says, I carefully put clear tape over my labels to protect them from tearing. I’ve always done this too, figuring it "seals in the goodness". Why would USPS complain? ef My PO’s the one who told me to do it. They told me also to *always* tape over a barcoded USPS sticker, as many fall off boxes during shipment. (Many boxes have surfaces that labels don’t adhere to well, and most people don’t press them on firmly.) I told them the website said "do not tape over the barcode", and they said they’d check why. It seems that if they tell people they can tape over the labels, they’ll use duct tape, masking tape, that priority pape, etc. So they have a "no tape" rule, rather than "you can use clear tape only". Kris

Thanks for the laugh

Response:

Thanks Rita. I will likely use UPS for larger and or more valueable stuff. Charles

Response:

Cool Kris! That is quite close to what I am leaning towards doing. Thank you, Charles Torrance, California

Response:

It seems that if they tell people they can tape over the labels, they’ll use duct tape, masking tape, that priority pape, etc. So they have a "no tape" rule, rather than "you can use clear tape only".

Having done technical support on computers I would have to agree with you. One in a hundred people would do just that!! Thank you, Charles Torrance, California

Response:

Seller advice needed

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

I charged too little for shipping. I wrote to the Buyer and asked if they could please send me an addional $7 because I had no idea shipping this thing there would cost me so much. No answer. I wrote again, and explained how new I was and that I would really appreciate a few more bucks, and I never received a response. Buyer nor I has left feedback. Should I blow it off or leave a negative or moderately-negative or positive feedback?

Wait until the UK buyer files a non-delivery dispute and PayPal takes the money back. Then neg the buyer.

Response:

Wait until the UK buyer files a non-delivery dispute and PayPal takes the money back. Then neg the buyer.

Non delivery dispute? The item was promptly mailed and delivered. Karen

Response:

You screwed up and you want to punish the other party? You’re a nut!

Why the name-calling? I’m a newbie and was looking for advice. I acknowledge that I screwed up. My shipping charge was obviously for domestic plus 1.30 insurance and offered worldwide shipping. The Buyer could have, if she wanted, make amends on a new Seller oversight, but didn’t. It was just not a perfect ending. And, after having an item returned from Malaysia because of it was a prohibited item (after being opened and returned by Customs), I’m probably going to just sell domestic from now on. My other int’l sell was to Italy and that turned out fine, though. Karen

Response:

Wait until the UK buyer files a non-delivery dispute and PayPal takes the money back. Then neg the buyer. Non delivery dispute? The item was promptly mailed and delivered.

All PayPal cares about is a carrier’s delivery confirmation that it can review online. Got one? I’ve seen buyers get refunds after leaving positive feedback about how lovely the item was. My point is, retaliatory feedback is probably not the only reason you should let this slide.

Response:

Wait until the UK buyer files a non-delivery dispute and PayPal takes the money back. Then neg the buyer. Non delivery dispute? The item was promptly mailed and delivered. Karen

You have tracking on it, then….to a UK confirmed address? Kris

Response:

Your buyer paid exactly what you quoted for shipping, then you try to get $7.00 more from them? What’s this bracelet made of, steel I-beams? ;) You should write back to your buyer, acknowledge your two mistakes, and apologize for asking for more money. Tell them you were having a mental breakdown, were drunk, or come up with some other excuse for your request. Then, hope that they don’t leave you a negative for changing the terms of the auction after they paid. If it only cost you $7.00 (and I can’t figure out how), it’s a cheap lesson in knowing your shipping costs *before* you quote them to the customer. You *do* realize that if you were wrong on the cost of international shipping, you’d likely have also been wrong on the cost of domestic shipping. Right?

Hi Kris, the bracelet is vintage David Andersen sterling silver. Sold for 70 and I listed flat rate of shipping for $7 and 1.30 required insurance. The shipping ended up being $20 to U.K., so I asked for extra money to make up the difference after I shipped it. I feel the deal wasn’t complete and that int’l shipping was offered but amount not listed. I blew it when I just sent the invoice without seeing the recipient’s destination right away. I thought there may be an opportunity to make the transaction correct, but it’s obvious that there’s not. I realize I am new and trying to figure out shipping charges. I thought the community would understand. If it had been me buying a piece from a new foreign seller, I probably would let the Seller know that the shipping charges appeared too low. I would want a fair trade. But, then again, I return money to a cashier when am given too much change and when the cashier is surprised at that, I gather that doesn’t happen too often. Additionally, the Buyer could have responded to my inquiry and said "sorry you’re sol," and that would have been fine. At least she would have exchanged a communication to end the deal. In the end, even without the low ship fee, she got a screamin’ deal on the bracelet and I’m not apologizing for reaching out to her with two polite emails. I will try to read between the lines of animosity here, and not leave any negative feedback and blow it off as a lesson learned as newsgroup’s advice. Thanks, Karen

Response:

realized that I charged too little for shipping. I wrote to the Buyer and asked if they could please send me an addional $7 Should I blow it off or leave a negative or moderately-negative or positive feedback?

Being a newbie is not grounds to ask the buyer to pay additional for your mistake. Better you suck up the $7 and credit it to a lesson learned. If there is a deserved neg it should be directed toward you for having the gonads to actually expect the buyer to pay you additional funds after the fact. Should you neg this bidder be ready for a well deserved retalitory neg back at you. Your reasoning is laughable. No offnese. Be smart and let this die before it bites you. Tha RagMan

Response:

Interesting… gee. Well, thanks for the info and advice which I will heed. Karen

Response:

Why the name-calling? I’m a newbie and was looking for advice. I acknowledge that I screwed up. Karen

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi hope to get some advice. In short, I’m new to eBay… about 6 months now. I started out buying, bidding, buying, bidding, and receiving packages everyday in the mail. I was getting goofy buying and collecting stuff.. I decided to sell my junk that I don’t like to finance buying junk that I do like. So, started selling. Had 10 or so good experiences and was really getting into unloading all of my stuff for decent money. I sold a Norwegian bracelet to someone in the U.K. and I’m in California. I sent the invoice, got PayPal paid, mailed the package and then realized that I charged too little for shipping. I wrote to the Buyer and asked if they could please send me an addional $7 because I had no idea shipping this thing there would cost me so much. No answer. I wrote again, and explained how new I was and that I would really appreciate a few more bucks, and I never received a response. Buyer nor I has left feedback. Should I blow it off or leave a negative or moderately-negative or positive feedback? I have a perfect rating and don’t want to make this Buyer mad, or anything. But, still, if it had been the other way around, I would’ve coughed up a few more bucks for a new Seller. Thanks so much, Karen

I sympathize but when you list something for sale, you are bound by the terms you state in your listing. Any changes after the fact can be rightfully interpreted as unethical. Ed

Response:

My other int’l sell was to Italy and that turned out fine, though.

Now THAT is beginner’s luck! Italy’s postal system is notorious for losing packages, and damned near anything worth shipping there is on the prohibited imports list. Non spedisco in Italia.

Response:

Hi hope to get some advice. In short, I’m new to eBay… about 6 months now. I started out buying, bidding, buying, bidding, and receiving packages everyday in the mail. I was getting goofy buying and collecting stuff.. I decided to sell my junk that I don’t like to finance buying junk that I do like. So, started selling. Had 10 or so good experiences and was really getting into unloading all of my stuff for decent money. I sold a Norwegian bracelet to someone in the U.K. and I’m in California. I sent the invoice, got PayPal paid, mailed the package and then realized that I charged too little for shipping. I wrote to the Buyer and asked if they could please send me an addional $7 because I had no idea shipping this thing there would cost me so much. No answer. I wrote again, and explained how new I was and that I would really appreciate a few more bucks, and I never received a response. Buyer nor I has left feedback. Should I blow it off or leave a negative or moderately-negative or positive feedback? I have a perfect rating and don’t want to make this Buyer mad, or anything. But, still, if it had been the other way around, I would’ve coughed up a few more bucks for a new Seller. Thanks so much, Karen

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi hope to get some advice. In short, I’m new to eBay… about 6 months now. I started out buying, bidding, buying, bidding, and receiving packages everyday in the mail. I was getting goofy buying and collecting stuff.. I decided to sell my junk that I don’t like to finance buying junk that I do like. So, started selling. Had 10 or so good experiences and was really getting into unloading all of my stuff for decent money. I sold a Norwegian bracelet to someone in the U.K. and I’m in California. I sent the invoice, got PayPal paid, mailed the package and then realized that I charged too little for shipping. I wrote to the Buyer and asked if they could please send me an addional $7 because I had no idea shipping this thing there would cost me so much. No answer. I wrote again, and explained how new I was and that I would really appreciate a few more bucks, and I never received a response. Buyer nor I has left feedback. Should I blow it off or leave a negative or moderately-negative or positive feedback? I have a perfect rating and don’t want to make this Buyer mad, or anything. But, still, if it had been the other way around, I would’ve coughed up a few more bucks for a new Seller. Thanks so much, Karen

You screwed up and you want to punish the other party? You’re a nut! jim menning

Response:

Thanks, Don. Looks like a good read. Have it bookmarked to return! Karen

Response:

You refund all of his money. It’s a seller’s responsibility to know where she can and cannot ship her items.

I never would have thought that a black patent leather used ladies’ handbag would be prohibited to mail to Malaysia. But, I wrote to the Buyer and asked what I should do and haven’t heard back. It’s been 2 months now. Do I just do a refund through PayPal without any communication? I am thinking that he may want it delivered somewhere else or something. It’s a darling bag. Karen

Response:

Now THAT is beginner’s luck! Italy’s postal system is notorious for losing packages, and damned near anything worth shipping there is on the prohibited imports list. Non spedisco in Italia. I have recently been noticing the Italy problems. I think I’ve been lucky overall with eBay. Except I tend to lose money on items I sell. I would probably be a terrible bartender, too, big pours and buying drinks. I’m not really a very good businessperson. Karen

No wonder you have perfect feedback.

Response:

Now THAT is beginner’s luck! Italy’s postal system is notorious for losing packages, and damned near anything worth shipping there is on the prohibited imports list. Non spedisco in Italia.

I have recently been noticing the Italy problems. I think I’ve been lucky overall with eBay. Except I tend to lose money on items I sell. I would probably be a terrible bartender, too, big pours and buying drinks. I’m not really a very good businessperson. Karen

Response:

You have tracking on it, then….to a UK confirmed address? Gosh, I hope I do… am not sure. I didn’t even think that recipient had not received it!

You don’t have tracking unless you used Global Express (EMS). Which brings me back to my sell to Malaysia. When the item came back from Customs, I wrote to the Buyer immediately and asked what he wanted me to do next? He asked about shipping costs before bidding and I shipped for exact shipping price of $24. What should I do about this one? He has paid for everything already. Thanks, Karen

This is a toughie, but it’s up to the shipper to follow the customs rules and know whether the item can be shipped to another country. That information is available when you’re calculating your shipping costs via the USPS website. For Malaysia, the prohibitions are listed here: http://pe.usps.gov/text/imm/immicl/immicllm_014.html Some items *can* be shipped in, but not in letter-post; others aren’t admitted at all. Just send him a refund, and relist. If you sell many of those type items, you’ll need to block bidders from certain countries. If he paid via credit card, he’ll be filing to get his money back anyway, so you might as well bite the bullet now. Kris

Response:

You have tracking on it, then….to a UK confirmed address? Gosh, I hope I do… am not sure. I didn’t even think that recipient had not received it! Which brings me back to my sell to Malaysia. When the item came back from Customs, I wrote to the Buyer immediately and asked what he wanted me to do next? He asked about shipping costs before bidding and I shipped for exact shipping price of $24. What should I do about this one? He has paid for everything already.

You refund all of his money. It’s a seller’s responsibility to know where she can and cannot ship her items.

Response:

Absolutely NO foreign sales, anytime ever. See http://www.tinaja.com/glib/ebaysell.pdf — Many thanks, Don Lancaster voice phone: (928)428-4073 Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552 Please visit my GURU’s LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com

Response:

I sympathize but when you list something for sale, you are bound by the terms you state in your listing. Any changes after the fact can be rightfully interpreted as unethical.

But, the terms were vague as far as int’l shipping goes, weren’t they? But, I see what you’re saying, anyway. thx, Karen

Response:

Thanks, Rob!

Response:

You have tracking on it, then….to a UK confirmed address?

Gosh, I hope I do… am not sure. I didn’t even think that recipient had not received it! Which brings me back to my sell to Malaysia. When the item came back from Customs, I wrote to the Buyer immediately and asked what he wanted me to do next? He asked about shipping costs before bidding and I shipped for exact shipping price of $24. What should I do about this one? He has paid for everything already. Thanks, Karen

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Your buyer paid exactly what you quoted for shipping, then you try to get $7.00 more from them? What’s this bracelet made of, steel I-beams? ;) You should write back to your buyer, acknowledge your two mistakes, and apologize for asking for more money. Tell them you were having a mental breakdown, were drunk, or come up with some other excuse for your request. Then, hope that they don’t leave you a negative for changing the terms of the auction after they paid. If it only cost you $7.00 (and I can’t figure out how), it’s a cheap lesson in knowing your shipping costs *before* you quote them to the customer. You *do* realize that if you were wrong on the cost of international shipping, you’d likely have also been wrong on the cost of domestic shipping. Right? Hi Kris, the bracelet is vintage David Andersen sterling silver. Sold for 70 and I listed flat rate of shipping for $7 and 1.30 required insurance. The shipping ended up being $20 to U.K., so I asked for extra money to make up the difference after I shipped it. I feel the deal wasn’t complete and that int’l shipping was offered but amount not listed. I blew it when I just sent the invoice without seeing the recipient’s destination right away. I thought there may be an opportunity to make the transaction correct, but it’s obvious that there’s not. I realize I am new and trying to figure out shipping charges. I thought the community would understand. If it had been me buying a piece from a new foreign seller, I probably would let the Seller know that the shipping charges appeared too low. I would want a fair trade. But, then again, I return money to a cashier when am given too much change and when the cashier is surprised at that, I gather that doesn’t happen too often. Additionally, the Buyer could have responded to my inquiry and said "sorry you’re sol," and that would have been fine. At least she would have exchanged a communication to end the deal. In the end, even without the low ship fee, she got a screamin’ deal on the bracelet and I’m not apologizing for reaching out to her with two polite emails. I will try to read between the lines of animosity here, and not leave any negative feedback and blow it off as a lesson learned as newsgroup’s advice. Thanks, Karen

No animosity, Karen. But we’re mostly sellers here, and have been through this kind of stuff for years. Things like this are "lessons learned" that you’ll never forget. I ship internationally, made a few mistakes at first, but it’s always gone smoothly. When you set your shipping, use eBay’s shipping calculator. Figure the weight of the shipment in advance, and put that exact weight in….as well as the options for both domestic and international. That way, someone can’t come along and just pay you. It wouldn’t have fit inside a flat-rate envelope, eh? Those are $5 or $9 to the UK, can be insured, and I’ve shipped flat metal bracelets internationally that way before, in light bubble wrap then encased in cardboard sheets.. (Your $20 sounds like Air Parcel Post for two pounds…..and I’m surprised the PO didn’t offer Global Priority (variable single) for $15). Kris

Response:

Not a spoof – they're just doofs.

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

This email really *was* from eBay. I sent it to their Spoof address anyway. No mention of my real name, and a "click here to sign in" link. So much for their high security protocol. Doofheads. Dear

Response:

We are sending you this email to confirm that you currently have inventory listed on Half.com. Our records show you have not been to the Half.com site for approximately 7 days. In order to ensure your continued success as a seller, we encourage you to make sure your prices, conditions, and descriptions are up to date and correct. We have found that sellers who re-price and refresh their inventory on a regular basis experience higher sales volumes than those who do not. Additionally, it is important for us at Half.com to ensure that our buyers are purchasing from active and attentive sellers. If you do not visit your Half.com account by 11-18-2005, your inventory will be suspended.

Perfect. Let’s see now. If you take a three week vacation what happens to you? Your half.com inventory gets suspended, your Powerseller status bumps down or goes away and, since Paypal now determines your fees based on last months volume, your Paypal fees go through the roof. Us sellers appear to be a real inconvenience to eBay.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We are sending you this email to confirm that you currently have inventory listed on Half.com. Our records show you have not been to the Half.com site for approximately 7 days. In order to ensure your continued success as a seller, we encourage you to make sure your prices, conditions, and descriptions are up to date and correct. We have found that sellers who re-price and refresh their inventory on a regular basis experience higher sales volumes than those who do not. Additionally, it is important for us at Half.com to ensure that our buyers are purchasing from active and attentive sellers. If you do not visit your Half.com account by 11-18-2005, your inventory will be suspended. Perfect. Let’s see now. If you take a three week vacation what happens to you?

You die of jealousy. Other people’s. Your half.com inventory gets suspended, your Powerseller status bumps down or goes away and, since Paypal now determines your fees based on last months volume, your Paypal fees go through the roof. Us sellers appear to be a real inconvenience to eBay.

Business *would* be more fun were it not for customers! I believe eBay expects all sellers to sign up for its mobile email notification services, and keep their batteries charged at all times.

Response:

Ebay releases quarterly results

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Response:

PayPal users sent each other almost 7 billion in payments. That’s not PayPal’s income. The $1.1 billion is eBay Inc.’s total revenue (including eBay and PayPal) i.e. the fees paid to eBay and PayPal — not the total paid by users to each other.

Response:

And paypal does have a life outside of ebay – many Mom’n'Pop sites use it, and a fair number of larger sites, too. — Andrew http://www.weirdity/ebay/

Response:

on the announcements board today. I like the results of Paypal. They claim if i am reading it right almost $7 billion went thru Paypal. If you look at their income though for Ebay it says $1.1 billion. Does that mean almost $6 billion was from off site sales? PayPal users sent each other almost 7 billion in payments. That’s not PayPal’s income. The $1.1 billion is eBay Inc.’s total revenue (including eBay and PayPal) i.e. the fees paid to eBay and PayPal — not the total paid by users to each other.

Does it say how much $ was spent or transfered by using Paypal? I was trying to see something of how much non Ebay business Paypal had done.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – on the announcements board today. I like the results of Paypal. They claim if i am reading it right almost $7 billion went thru Paypal. If you look at their income though for Ebay it says $1.1 billion. Does that mean almost $6 billion was from off site sales? PayPal users sent each other almost 7 billion in payments. That’s not PayPal’s income. The $1.1 billion is eBay Inc.’s total revenue (including eBay and PayPal) i.e. the fees paid to eBay and PayPal — not the total paid by users to each other. Does it say how much $ was spent or transfered by using Paypal? I was trying to see something of how much non Ebay business Paypal had done.

You were correct that the total spent via PayPal is the $6.7 billion. What you don’t know is what is the total spent on eBay purchases. And even if you knew that, you don’t know how many of those eBay purchases used PayPal. The total spent by buyers on eBay is actually much more than the total payments sent via PayPal The announcement does give the total sales in various categories on eBay: eBay Motors at $14.1 billion Clothing & Accessories at $3.1 billion Consumer Electronics at $3.0 billion Computers at $3.0 billion Books/Movies/Music at $2.5 billion Home & Garden at $2.4 billion Sports at $2.1 billion Collectibles at $2.1 billion Jewelry & Watches at $1.6 billion Business & Industrial at $1.5 billion Toys at $1.5 billion Cameras & Photo at $1.3 billion Even excluding eBay Motors (not to mention the categories for which we have no info) you still have a number several times higher than the total payments sent via PayPal.

Response:

eBay doesn’t make all the money from each sale but they’re working on it. Ed

Response:

eBay and Skype

admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

Just look at eBay’s track record. Everybody they parnter with fails. Everybody they buy outright, they screw up. Skype doesn’t have a chance. I wish they had just bought HumanClick. That was useful. A

Response:

Then why would you want it screwed up?

Response:

I know this was rumored a few days ago, but eBay and Skype both have official announcements on their sites. Not sure why this makes sense for eBay or Skype, but it seems there is a lot of consolidation going on (Yahoo! and Konfabulator, Google and countless technologies). Any ideas on how eBay can leverage this to their benefit?

Maybe they’re going to allow liquor sales again… "A recent survey by Harris Interactive commissioned by Verizon found that 87 percent of respondents didn’t know what VoIP was. Twenty percent thought it was a European hybrid motorcar and 10 percent, said it was a low-carb vodka."

Response:

Just look at eBay’s track record. Everybody they parnter with fails. Everybody they buy outright, they screw up. Skype doesn’t have a chance.

My girlfriend Skype’d me today and a formerly flawless connection now fails as audio on our call was persistently non-existent. Steve Silberberg Read "We’ll Kiss For Food" http://www.kissforfood.com/

Response:

My girlfriend Skype’d me today and a formerly flawless connection now fails as audio on our call was persistently non-existent.

I have a great response to this that I ain’t even gonna post.

Response:

Fixed font – Proportional font eBay and Skype All 11 messages in topic – view as tree David Fortin Sep 12, 10:21 am show options Newsgroups: alt.marketing.online.ebay this author Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse I know this was rumored a few days ago, but eBay and Skype both have official announcements on their sites. Not sure why this makes sense for eBay or Skype, but it seems there is a lot of consolidation going on (Yahoo! and Konfabulator, Google and countless technologies). Any ideas on how eBay can leverage this to their benefit? Reply BrotherBart Sep 12, 10:30 am show options Newsgroups: alt.marketing.online.ebay this author Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse I know this was rumored a few days ago, but eBay and Skype both have official announcements on their sites. Not sure why this makes sense for eBay or Skype, but it seems there is a lot of consolidation going on (Yahoo! and Konfabulator, Google and countless technologies). Any ideas on how eBay can leverage this to their benefit?

Nope. And as I said a few days ago this is one of those "we gotta keep growing" moves that companies live to regret. A lot of stock analysts are agreeing. eBay is debt free right now but their purchase price for Skype is roughly equivalent to their cash reserves so this is a pivotal move for them given what they are spending going down on the Chinese. Of course their logic will be that if they need money they can always go back to the eBay U.S. well for increases. Reply ronald Sep 12, 10:48 am show options Newsgroups: alt.marketing.online.ebay Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse – Hide quoted text – – Show quoted text – I know this was rumored a few days ago, but eBay and Skype both have official announcements on their sites. Not sure why this makes sense for eBay or Skype, but it seems there is a lot of consolidation going on (Yahoo! and Konfabulator, Google and countless technologies). Any ideas on how eBay can leverage this to their benefit? Nope. And as I said a few days ago this is one of those "we gotta keep growing" moves that companies live to regret. A lot of stock analysts are agreeing. eBay is debt free right now but their purchase price for Skype is roughly equivalent to their cash reserves so this is a pivotal move for them given what they are spending going down on the Chinese. Of course their logic will be that if they need money they can always go back to the eBay U.S. well for increases.

You are 100% right on. All this proves is that there is little room for growth in the current eBay business model. I expect eBay shares below $20 within 9 months. ron Reply tiktak Sep 12, 6:50 pm show options Newsgroups: alt.marketing.online.ebay author Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse

– Hide quoted text – – Show quoted text – – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know this was rumored a few days ago, but eBay and Skype both have official announcements on their sites. Not sure why this makes sense for eBay or Skype, but it seems there is a lot of consolidation going on (Yahoo! and Konfabulator, Google and countless technologies). Any ideas on how eBay can leverage this to their benefit? Nope. And as I said a few days ago this is one of those "we gotta keep growing" moves that companies live to regret. A lot of stock analysts are agreeing. eBay is debt free right now but their purchase price for Skype is roughly equivalent to their cash reserves so this is a pivotal move for them given what they are spending going down on the Chinese. Of course their logic will be that if they need money they can always go back to the eBay U.S. well for increases.

its unlikley big moves like this on behalf of big players like this are not well thought out and considered beforehand. when you and I consider 2 options, the ebay team, with countless finance or market analysts have considred 200 options. they may have left out one or two, but chances are they were left out because not very relevant. in short: this was no mistake. Reply Dhakala Sep 12, 7:20 pm show options Newsgroups: alt.marketing.online.ebay author Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse – Hide quoted text – – Show quoted text – – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know this was rumored a few days ago, but eBay and Skype both have official announcements on their sites. Not sure why this makes sense for eBay or Skype, but it seems there is a lot of consolidation going on (Yahoo! and Konfabulator, Google and countless technologies). Any ideas on how eBay can leverage this to their benefit? Nope. And as I said a few days ago this is one of those "we gotta keep growing" moves that companies live to regret. A lot of stock analysts are agreeing. eBay is debt free right now but their purchase price for Skype is roughly equivalent to their cash reserves so this is a pivotal move for them given what they are spending going down on the Chinese. Of course their logic will be that if they need money they can always go back to the eBay U.S. well for increases. its unlikley big moves like this on behalf of big players like this are not well thought out and considered beforehand. when you and I consider 2 options, the ebay team, with countless finance or market analysts have considred 200 options. they may have left out one or two, but chances are they were left out because not very relevant. in short: this was no mistake.

Tiktak, my little numpty, it is much more difficult to select the correct option from among hundreds than from a handful. Furthermore, as Rene Des Cartes noted, "In the matter of a difficult question, it is more likely that the correct answer will be derived by the few than by the many." (So much for democracy.) Therefore, I, and I alone, have decided that eBay’s purchase of Skype makes perfect synergistic sense, relying on the first idea that came to my beautiful mind. (No, not Barbara Bush.) Skype’s software has been downloaded 100 million times. Over 35 million people have registered the software, indicating significant affinity for it. Skype users have logged over 7 billion calling minutes in less than two years. Skype is most used by international traders, who labor under hideous phone rates. eBay is keenly interested in international trade. Google images of Skype’s screens and see where links to "hot items" might be inserted. Reply Angrie.Woman Sep 12, 8:31 pm show options Newsgroups: alt.marketing.online.ebay author Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse – Hide quoted text – – Show quoted text – – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know this was rumored a few days ago, but eBay and Skype both have official announcements on their sites. Not sure why this makes sense for eBay or Skype, but it seems there is a lot of consolidation going on (Yahoo! and Konfabulator, Google and countless technologies). Any ideas on how eBay can leverage this to their benefit? Nope. And as I said a few days ago this is one of those "we gotta keep growing" moves that companies live to regret. A lot of stock analysts are agreeing. eBay is debt free right now but their purchase price for Skype is roughly equivalent to their cash reserves so this is a pivotal move for them given what they are spending going down on the Chinese. Of course their logic will be that if they need money they can always go back to the eBay U.S. well for increases. its unlikley big moves like this on behalf of big players like this are not well thought out and considered beforehand. when you and I consider 2 options, the ebay team, with countless finance or market analysts have considred 200 options. they may have left out one or two, but chances are they were left out because not very relevant. in short: this was no mistake. Tiktak, my little numpty, it is much more difficult to select the correct option from among hundreds than from a handful. Furthermore, as Rene Des Cartes noted, "In the matter of a difficult question, it is more likely that the correct answer will be derived by the few than by the many." (So much for democracy.)

Response:

Any ideas on how eBay can leverage this to their benefit?

This from news.com: "The auction site would likely collect fees from sellers on a "pay per call" basis, wherein sellers would pay each time a customer called them via Skype, or through a flat amount paid in exchange for a link to the merchant’s Skype contact information on his product’s page, said eBay spokesman Hani Durzy." Anyone watch "Crank Yankers" on Comedy Central? I don’t want clueless newbies, trolls, and kids calling me, especially on my nickel. Let me offer my Skype address only to people who have purchased something from me and/or who are on my whitelist. "In a sample screenshot shown during the presentation, the username of a Skype-enabled seller would display whether he or she was online." No, it would display whether he or she had Skype running while he or she is in the shower. "The buyer could click on the name and contact the seller without having to leave the eBay site and without either party having to reveal a private phone number, Whitman said." I wonder if a Skype address could replace phone number for eBay registration purposes? If not, this benefit is illusory. "Right now, e-mail is the primary means for such communications. eBay users send about 5 million messages each day in total." And we all know how fast people respond to those. "Whitman said she hopes the service will accelerate sales in categories–such as cars, business and industry equipment, and collectibles–that generate a lot of inquiries. "Imagine searching for an Audi Quattro," she said. "You have a lot of questions about previous repairs, but the listing ends in three hours, which is probably not enough time to e-mail and get a detailed response. Wouldn’t it be nice to Skype link?" " No, it wouldn’t. If the seller can’t email a repair history promptly, he can’t rattle it off the top of his head in a Skype call. Conversations would be totally undocumented unless one devotes gigabytes of disk space to recordings. But of course, eBay and PayPal won’t accept file attachments, so recordings are useless with them in any subsequent dispute. Advertising, Meg. Think advertising and nothing else. All of the above is bullshit – except the parts I wrote, of course.

Response:

The majority of the worlds population can now understand English.

Not when it’s spoken by someone from another country! at first I was frustrated when speaking with Vietnamese on the phone and they called frequently.

Same here. Then I got my number on the no-call list. After a while I just started speaking without pronouns and I was understood

I thought you said they could learn English?

Response:

Meg says that buyers and sellers being able to talk to each other for free is going to be a big boost…

Frank has a previous business relationship with a bunch of buyers. I can only guess what this phone thing will mean to him. "Hello?" Craig

Response:

For four billion plus another billion in consolidation costs she could have given pre-paid cell phones to the top 500,000 ebay buyers and sellers for a long time. I guarantee you she thinks sellers and buyers are all going to learn either Chinese or English and make it work. This is going to be a goat fuck of Biblical proportions.

I disagree. The majority of the worlds population can now understand English. It’s only small pockets of rural areas in many countries that have no clue and they are usually the older population. Around 15-20 years ago, schools in most countries started teaching it. If the Japanese can speak it, anybody can. If speaking to Asians; just remember to cut out pronouns when you talk to them and you will have no problem communicating with them. I worked in a call centre 11 years ago, at first I was frustrated when speaking with Vietnamese on the phone and they called frequently. After a while I just started speaking without pronouns and I was understood and was able to complete the calls without any communication problems. The same goes for all Asians.

Response:

Meg says that buyers and sellers being able to talk to each other for free is going to be a big boost. Hell, they do everything in their power not to keep buyers and sellers from sending each other email. For four billion plus another billion in consolidation costs she could have given pre-paid cell phones to the top 500,000 ebay buyers and sellers for a long time. I guarantee you she thinks sellers and buyers are all going to learn either Chinese or English and make it work. This is going to be a goat fuck of Biblical proportions.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know this was rumored a few days ago, but eBay and Skype both have official announcements on their sites. Not sure why this makes sense for eBay or Skype, but it seems there is a lot of consolidation going on (Yahoo! and Konfabulator, Google and countless technologies). Any ideas on how eBay can leverage this to their benefit? Nope. And as I said a few days ago this is one of those "we gotta keep growing" moves that companies live to regret. A lot of stock analysts are agreeing. eBay is debt free right now but their purchase price for Skype is roughly equivalent to their cash reserves so this is a pivotal move for them given what they are spending going down on the Chinese. Of course their logic will be that if they need money they can always go back to the eBay U.S. well for increases. its unlikley big moves like this on behalf of big players like this are not well thought out and considered beforehand. when you and I consider 2 options, the ebay team, with countless finance or market analysts have considred 200 options. they may have left out one or two, but chances are they were left out because not very relevant. in short: this was no mistake. Tiktak, my little numpty, it is much more difficult to select the correct option from among hundreds than from a handful. Furthermore, as Rene Des Cartes noted, "In the matter of a difficult question, it is more likely that the correct answer will be derived by the few than by the many." (So much for democracy.) Therefore, I, and I alone, have decided that eBay’s purchase of Skype makes perfect synergistic sense, relying on the first idea that came to my beautiful mind. (No, not Barbara Bush.) Skype’s software has been downloaded 100 million times. Over 35 million people have registered the software, indicating significant affinity for it. Skype users have logged over 7 billion calling minutes in less than two years. Skype is most used by international traders, who labor under hideous phone rates. eBay is keenly interested in international trade. Google images of Skype’s screens and see where links to "hot items" might be inserted.

I think that eBay is trying to be Google. Google just bought some telecommunications company too, IIRC. A

Response:

You are 100% right on. All this proves is that there is little room for growth in the current eBay business model. I expect eBay shares below $20 within 9 months. ron

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know this was rumored a few days ago, but eBay and Skype both have official announcements on their sites. Not sure why this makes sense for eBay or Skype, but it seems there is a lot of consolidation going on (Yahoo! and Konfabulator, Google and countless technologies). Any ideas on how eBay can leverage this to their benefit? Nope. And as I said a few days ago this is one of those "we gotta keep growing" moves that companies live to regret. A lot of stock analysts are agreeing. eBay is debt free right now but their purchase price for Skype is roughly equivalent to their cash reserves so this is a pivotal move for them given what they are spending going down on the Chinese. Of course their logic will be that if they need money they can always go back to the eBay U.S. well for increases.

Response:

Why does eBay spotlight successful sellers that break the rules?

admin — Sat, 27 Aug 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Here’s the trailer store: http://stores.ebay.com/E-W-TRAILERS And here’s a couple of the listings: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7541397204 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3838623463 Pretty spiffy, isn’t it? But anyway, I’m reading through the various listings of this seller that is so successful playing by all the rules that eBay puts him up as an example to help and inspire the rest of us and I notice something a little…funny. What’s funny is that this phrase occurs in each and every single listing that this profiles seller has on eBay: Well, for starters, eBay and the eBay community are very fortunate to have an honest seller of this caliber. Here is a seller selling merchandise by its very nature isn’t suited for eBay. The gentleman is selling merchandise that is either custom built and/or modified to a customer’s needs and specifications. This takes time, about 30-days as he has states. This is normal even for local trailer shops if it’s not on the lot. "DUE TO OUR LOW PRICES & LOW PROFIT MARGIN: 2 PERCENT WILL BE ADDED TO ALL PAYPAL & CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS" Though, I find this statement both ethically wrong and tacky and feel that it should never be mentioned, I’ll bet this is more for discouraging the use of "Card Not Present" CC than it is to actually collect on them. Personally, due to the nature of custom orders and the unstable clientele on eBay, I would have opted for a more secure payment method for special orders. As for the "Low profit margin" I don’t buy that statement in the slightest. He has a sale that feedback was left August 2nd and he didn’t have the surcharge listed. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7504439256 I’ll bet he was burned a few times and just started this practice. Report him to eBay and I’ll bet he gets these auctions pulled. These guys must have just started doing that, right? I mean, if a power seller like this was surcharging for credit cards (against processing rules) and PayPal (against PayPal and eBay rules), eBay would slap ‘em down and make ‘em stop. At the very least, they wouldn’t feature them in a seller profile and hold them up as an example for the rest of us, would they? Would they? Why penalize a great seller? He’s doing a great job selling items that place the odds against him. The items are high dollar and very risky for him to make available on eBay. Personally, I wouldn’t buy from him due to the nature of the item and the surcharge. Plus, I buy my trailers locally and find it foolish to do otherwise. I must be missing something here… Yes, a great seller trying to educate you on how it’s done. Watch him closely and take notes. Rita Rita, I think you would argue with a rock. This last week you called someone doing the same thing a "rotten bastard" http://groups.google.com/group/alt.marketing.online.ebay/browse_frm/t… What makes THIS seller honest and your post’s a bastard? How do you know he is legit? Why is the ebay community fortunate to have him and not the other? Do you get to pick and choose these? Go lay down,

I would have missed "Rita" entirely if you hadn’t quoted her in your reply but since you did, isn’t it odd how the lesson of her post ("watch him closely and take notes") is to break the rules? And since Rita is reading this, yes, that is the lesson. The rules are no credit card or PayPal surcharges. Either you follow the rules…or you don’t. Guess I know which side Rita comes down on.

Response:

Rita, I think you would argue with a rock. This last week you called someone doing the same thing a "rotten bastard" http://groups.google.com/group/alt.marketing.online.ebay/browse_frm/t… What makes THIS seller honest and your post’s a bastard? How do you know he is legit? Why is the ebay community fortunate to have him and not the other? Do you get to pick and choose these? Go lay down, chaz

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So, I was reading my messages from eBay (yes, I actually do that once in a while) and decided to waste a bit of time reading some of the stuff that they were linking to for the purpose of helping and inspiring us. One of the links was to seller profiles at http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/sellerprofiles.html . Great! Let’s read some profiles of some folks who have made their eBay business such a success that eBay would feature them in seller profiles. These will surely be folks that play by all the rules or eBay wouldn’t feature them, right? Right! So I go to off to read the profiles and in the top section under "Business and Industrial" is a link that says "Ten trailers sold in a day!" Well, I figure that’s potentially interesting. Ten trailers in a day? I ‘reckon Billy Bob and Joe Beth and their cousins must be gettin’ ready to expand their subdivision in the lovely hills of Arkansas…or Tennessee…or Alabama. Well, no, Turns out that these are not the trailers you live in, these are trailers that you haul stuff on. Color me impressed. So I go to look at a few of these profiled sellers listings… Here’s the trailer store: http://stores.ebay.com/E-W-TRAILERS And here’s a couple of the listings: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7541397204 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3838623463 Pretty spiffy, isn’t it? But anyway, I’m reading through the various listings of this seller that is so successful playing by all the rules that eBay puts him up as an example to help and inspire the rest of us and I notice something a little…funny. What’s funny is that this phrase occurs in each and every single listing that this profiles seller has on eBay: **** "DUE TO OUR LOW PRICES & LOW PROFIT MARGIN: 2 PERCENT WILL BE ADDED TO ALL PAYPAL & CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS" **** These guys must have just started doing that, right? I mean, if a power seller like this was surcharging for credit cards (against processing rules) and PayPal (against PayPal and eBay rules), eBay would slap ‘em down and make ‘em stop. At the very least, they wouldn’t feature them in a seller profile and hold them up as an example for the rest of us, would they? Would they? I must be missing something here…

Did you report the items?

Response:

So, I was reading my messages from eBay (yes, I actually do that once in a while) and decided to waste a bit of time reading some of the stuff that they were linking to for the purpose of helping and inspiring us. One of the links was to seller profiles at http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/sellerprofiles.html . Great! Let’s read some profiles of some folks who have made their eBay business such a success that eBay would feature them in seller profiles. These will surely be folks that play by all the rules or eBay wouldn’t feature them, right? Right! So I go to off to read the profiles and in the top section under "Business and Industrial" is a link that says "Ten trailers sold in a day!" Well, I figure that’s potentially interesting. Ten trailers in a day? I ‘reckon Billy Bob and Joe Beth and their cousins must be gettin’ ready to expand their subdivision in the lovely hills of Arkansas…or Tennessee…or Alabama. Well, no, Turns out that these are not the trailers you live in, these are trailers that you haul stuff on. Color me impressed. So I go to look at a few of these profiled sellers listings… Here’s the trailer store: http://stores.ebay.com/E-W-TRAILERS And here’s a couple of the listings: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7541397204 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3838623463 Pretty spiffy, isn’t it? But anyway, I’m reading through the various listings of this seller that is so successful playing by all the rules that eBay puts him up as an example to help and inspire the rest of us and I notice something a little…funny. What’s funny is that this phrase occurs in each and every single listing that this profiles seller has on eBay: **** "DUE TO OUR LOW PRICES & LOW PROFIT MARGIN: 2 PERCENT WILL BE ADDED TO ALL PAYPAL & CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS" **** These guys must have just started doing that, right? I mean, if a power seller like this was surcharging for credit cards (against processing rules) and PayPal (against PayPal and eBay rules), eBay would slap ‘em down and make ‘em stop. At the very least, they wouldn’t feature them in a seller profile and hold them up as an example for the rest of us, would they? Would they? I must be missing something here…

Response:

Suggestion that would reduce the hoax spams mails.

admin — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

eBay’s already moved towards sending official emails to your My eBay "Messages" area.

My only problem with this is that I can go for a couple of weeks or more without logging on to eBay at all, which pretty much eliminates the usefulness of any time-sensitive messages. — Ty Who is mostly just a slightly skewed Donna Reed A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. –Edward Abbey

Response:

muttered something like: My only problem with this is that I can go for a couple of weeks or more without logging on to eBay at all, which pretty much eliminates the usefulness of any time-sensitive messages.

Same here. About the only time I actually log in is if I’m buying something (or even more rarely, selling something). And I just don’t buy that much. -Bertha — Newspaper editor: We’re looking for a new food critic, someone who doesn’t immediately pooh-pooh everything he eats. Homer: Nah, it usually takes a few hours.

Response:

I don’t know about others, but I get lots of spoof emails that are supposed to come from eBay or Paypal. These are difficult to filter out, as I do get genuine mails from these companies. I wonder where their mailing lists come from. I’m not so much of a frequent user of either system, and I get hardly any spoofs (I think 3-4 in my lifetime). It sounds as though people in here get a fair number of them. Was there a time that people put their actual email addresses on their auction pages or something?

400 million email cd’s that "marketers" sell to "email marketing campaigners" (blehc spammers).

Response:

Believe it or not I have one email address set up for nothing but ebay business and I have never received a fake email trying to get my password. I never use the address for anything but ebay though.

I currently have seven eBay selling accounts, each with it’s own email address which matches the eBay ID associated with it. ex: JackAss2= eBay ID Each email address is used exclusively to conduct transactions (selling only, no buying). Two of those IDs get spoof/phisher emails 10-25 times per week. The others get none. I can only conclude that it’s a past customer(s) who has harvested the ID/email address and sold it.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If would all had a second (low security) password that could be set up in eBay, it would make spoofs much harder. Let’s assume I set a second level password of "fred". Every time eBay or Paypal emails me, they put "fred" in the subject line. Now I can set up a mail filter, knowing that anything that appears to come from eBay, but does not have fred in the subject line, is definately a spoof. That is a very clever idea. Have you suggested it to eBay or PP? Buck No, I have not. I always seem to get either a) No response. b) An unhelpful response that says. Should you have any further problems , please contant us. But of course, any further responses are just as useless. c) Someone who is just totally thick. I once told them about an eBay seller who was selling MP3 players at about $0.99, but the carriage was $100 or something. It was clearly done to avoid eBay fees. The person said it was OK to charge $100 carriage, as long as you are made aware. She could not seem to get it into her thick skull what I was getting at, so I left it.

A message I read after this clarified that they have already implemented it. The string isn’t in the subject line, but in a meta line in the header. YOu got your wish Buck — But that’s just my opinion.

Response:

I don’t know about others, but I get lots of spoof emails that are supposed to come from eBay or Paypal. These are difficult to filter out, as I do get genuine mails from these companies. If would all had a second (low security) password that could be set up in eBay, it would make spoofs much harder. Let’s assume I set a second level password of "fred". Every time eBay or Paypal emails me, they put "fred" in the subject line. Now I can set up a mail filter, knowing that anything that appears to come from eBay, but does not have fred in the subject line, is definately a spoof. I’m not so silly that I have ever fallen for these spoofs, but their frequency is annoying to say the least. Of course, an email with the right subject line should not be assumed to be from eBay, since the emails are sent unencrypted. But it would make filtering them a lot easier

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t know about others, but I get lots of spoof emails that are supposed to come from eBay or Paypal. These are difficult to filter out, as I do get genuine mails from these companies. If would all had a second (low security) password that could be set up in eBay, it would make spoofs much harder. Let’s assume I set a second level password of "fred". Every time eBay or Paypal emails me, they put "fred" in the subject line. Now I can set up a mail filter, knowing that anything that appears to come from eBay, but does not have fred in the subject line, is definately a spoof. I’m not so silly that I have ever fallen for these spoofs, but their frequency is annoying to say the least. Of course, an email with the right subject line should not be assumed to be from eBay, since the emails are sent unencrypted. But it would make filtering them a lot easier

EBay already does this. All you need to do is filter for your name, which is never included in spoof e-mails. It’s not in the subject line, but a filter is still easy to set up. http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/name-userid-emails.html Everything I know, and then some: http://www.auctionmyths.com

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I don’t know about others, but I get lots of spoof emails that are supposed to come from eBay or Paypal. These are difficult to filter out, as I do get genuine mails from these companies.

I wonder where their mailing lists come from. I’m not so much of a frequent user of either system, and I get hardly any spoofs (I think 3-4 in my lifetime). It sounds as though people in here get a fair number of them. Was there a time that people put their actual email addresses on their auction pages or something? MP- — "Learning is a behavior that results from consequences." B.F. Skinner

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I don’t know about others, but I get lots of spoof emails that are supposed to come from eBay or Paypal. These are difficult to filter out, as I do get genuine mails from these companies. I wonder where their mailing lists come from. I’m not so much of a frequent user of either system, and I get hardly any spoofs (I think 3-4 in my lifetime). It sounds as though people in here get a fair number of them. Was there a time that people put their actual email addresses on their auction pages or something?

I still do. I only changed my username from my actual email address when they forced me to, on the last possible day.

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If would all had a second (low security) password that could be set up in eBay, it would make spoofs much harder. Let’s assume I set a second level password of "fred". Every time eBay or Paypal emails me, they put "fred" in the subject line. Now I can set up a mail filter, knowing that anything that appears to come from eBay, but does not have fred in the subject line, is definately a spoof.

That is a very clever idea. Have you suggested it to eBay or PP? Buck — But that’s just my opinion.

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t know about others, but I get lots of spoof emails that are supposed to come from eBay or Paypal. These are difficult to filter out, as I do get genuine mails from these companies. I wonder where their mailing lists come from. I’m not so much of a frequent user of either system, and I get hardly any spoofs (I think 3-4 in my lifetime). It sounds as though people in here get a fair number of them. Was there a time that people put their actual email addresses on their auction pages or something? I still do. I only changed my username from my actual email address when they forced me to, on the last possible day.

Believe it or not I have one email address set up for nothing but ebay business and I have never received a fake email trying to get my password. I never use the address for anything but ebay though.

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I was not aware they were doing this at all, but it is certainly not done on emails as it states, although the page suggests they will do this. Paypal need to do the same.

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(Not replying to anyone in particular) Just curious: What is in a "real" PayPal or eBay email that you can’t find out by opening your account? eBay’s already moved towards sending official emails to your My eBay "Messages" area. Kris I junk ‘em all

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No, I have not. I always seem to get either a) No response. b) An unhelpful response that says. Should you have any further problems , please contant us. But of course, any further responses are just as useless. c) Someone who is just totally thick. I once told them about an eBay seller who was selling MP3 players at about $0.99, but the carriage was $100 or something. It was clearly done to avoid eBay fees. The person said it was OK to charge $100 carriage, as long as you are made aware. She could not seem to get it into her thick skull what I was getting at, so I left it.

Response:

IRS May Consider eBay Sales Taxable Income

admin — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – it out now. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050328/D893N13O0.html It often is best to ask a tax professional So in other words, it took 116 lines for the reporter to say the same thing that is said here all the time in one. Bill By the way, the professional you seek is also tax deductible, as are the miles to get there and back — Donna Thank you for all replies. Ya know…if EBay doesn’t report sales and fees, then how does the IRS know the accuracy of a person’s return?

The IRS folks can read seller feedback in order to target tax cheats. Never steal, and if you are a crook, never steal in writing. ron

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – it out now. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050328/D893N13O0.html It often is best to ask a tax professional So in other words, it took 116 lines for the reporter to say the same thing that is said here all the time in one. Bill By the way, the professional you seek is also tax deductible, as are the miles to get there and back — Donna

Thank you for all replies. Ya know…if EBay doesn’t report sales and fees, then how does the IRS know the accuracy of a person’s return?

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – @l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com: My rent is deductible right? I’m using TurboTax, and it took 30% of my total rent paid as a business expense. COOL! I use my livingroom as an office, warehouse, and Shipping Center. Good luck on all of that. For years, one-eighth of my house has been deducted as a home office – power, mortgage, etc. I am not interested in being audited, so I keep it clean (the deductions) and have a paper trail for every number on the form. I may not be fraid of no ghost, but I sure am cautious about the IRS. — Donna I found a new deduction, $5000 in auto repairs. No, you only get to claim mileage. The intention of the mileage reimbursement is to compensate you for gas, insurance, maintenance and repairs. A NO, Independent Contract Drivers deduct gas, repair, and registration costs, but NOT mileage. I drive in the San Francisco Metro Area, so my miles are lower than inter-metro drivers who may cross state lines. According to TurboTax, I don’t take mileage…I must list detailed expenses.

You’re probably right. I know squat about self-employed contract driver bookkeeping. But if that’s the case, why would the $5 k in repairs be a newly found eBay related deduction? I’m under the impression that the bulk of your truck’s usage stems from your ICD activities, and therefore most of the 5k repair bill would be allocated to that side of your income. A

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – @l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com: My rent is deductible right? I’m using TurboTax, and it took 30% of my total rent paid as a business expense. COOL! I use my livingroom as an office, warehouse, and Shipping Center. Good luck on all of that. For years, one-eighth of my house has been deducted as a home office – power, mortgage, etc. I am not interested in being audited, so I keep it clean (the deductions) and have a paper trail for every number on the form. I may not be fraid of no ghost, but I sure am cautious about the IRS. — Donna I found a new deduction, $5000 in auto repairs. No, you only get to claim mileage. The intention of the mileage reimbursement is to compensate you for gas, insurance, maintenance and repairs. A NO, Independent Contract Drivers deduct gas, repair, and registration costs, but NOT mileage. I drive in the San Francisco Metro Area, so my miles are lower than inter-metro drivers who may cross state lines. According to TurboTax, I don’t take mileage…I must list detailed expenses. You’re probably right. I know squat about self-employed contract driver bookkeeping. But if that’s the case, why would the $5 k in repairs be a newly found eBay related deduction? I’m under the impression that the bulk of your truck’s usage stems from your ICD activities, and therefore most of the 5k repair bill would be allocated to that side of your income. A

I’m looking at the final numbers.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My rent is deductible right? I’m using TurboTax, and it took 30% of my total rent paid as a business expense. COOL! I use my livingroom as an office, warehouse, and Shipping Center. Um, watch out for exclusivity. If your living room is fully and totally used 100 percent for your business, it is deductable. When the audit folks arrive, they will ask themselves "does this look like an office, warehouse, and shipping center? About 40% of our space fully and totally qualifies. — Many thanks, Don Lancaster

Well, I also plan my Chinatown extortion operations in the livingroom too. So I can tell the IRS I commit most of my felonies here also.

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I found a new deduction, $5000 in auto repairs.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I found a new deduction, $5000 in auto repairs. No, you only get to claim mileage. The intention of the mileage reimbursement is to compensate you for gas, insurance, maintenance and repairs. A

Actually, you may be able to deduct the repairs, but not both mileage and repairs. Mileage is the easiest for most, but another method is to deduct actual costs – depreciation, repairs, gas, etc – with MUCH record keeping.

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NO, Independent Contract Drivers deduct gas, repair, and registration costs, but NOT mileage. I drive in the San Francisco Metro Area, so my miles are lower than inter-metro drivers who may cross state lines. According to TurboTax, I don’t take mileage…I must list detailed expenses.

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Nope, you can, with certain restrictions, choose between actual costs and mileage as a marker, so to speak, for actual costs. Most people do mileage because it requires less paperwork, but you can track both and decide which to use. — Matt Silberstein All in all, if I could be any animal, I would want to be a duck or a goose. They can fly, walk, and swim. Plus, there there is a certain satisfaction knowing that at the end of your life you will taste good with an orange sauce or, in the case of a goose, a chestnut stuffing.

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No, you only get to claim mileage. The intention of the mileage reimbursement is to compensate you for gas, insurance, maintenance and repairs. A

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out now. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050328/D893N13O0.html It often is best to ask a tax professional So in other words, it took 116 lines for the reporter to say the same thing that is said here all the time in one. Bill

By the way, the professional you seek is also tax deductible, as are the miles to get there and back — Donna

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Actually its a room in my APT. If I pretend I don’t have to pay Ebay taxes, I will get a $990 refund.

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@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com: My rent is deductible right? I’m using TurboTax, and it took 30% of my total rent paid as a business expense. COOL! I use my livingroom as an office, warehouse, and Shipping Center.

Good luck on all of that. For years, one-eighth of my house has been deducted as a home office – power, mortgage, etc. I am not interested in being audited, so I keep it clean (the deductions) and have a paper trail for every number on the form. I may not be fraid of no ghost, but I sure am cautious about the IRS. — Donna

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My rent is deductible right? I’m using TurboTax, and it took 30% of my total rent paid as a business expense. COOL! I use my livingroom as an office, warehouse, and Shipping Center.

Um, watch out for exclusivity. If your living room is fully and totally used 100 percent for your business, it is deductable. When the audit folks arrive, they will ask themselves "does this look like an office, warehouse, and shipping center? About 40% of our space fully and totally qualifies. — Many thanks, Don Lancaster Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552 Please visit my GURU’s LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050328/D893N13O0.html Mar 27, 9:48 PM (ET) By MARY DALRYMPLE WASHINGTON (AP) – Hawking baby and children’s clothes – along with some garage sale and thrift store bargains – on eBay helps Sunni Wojnarowsky bring in some extra money so she can afford to stay home with her two young boys. The additional dollars are great, but does she really need to hassle with the paperwork and report her small profit to the Internal Revenue Service? Her question, posed to the online auction site’s discussion board for sellers, generated much advice – and more confusion. In tax law, there is no clear, bright line that separates fun from profit, or a hobby from a business. But IRS instructions make it clear that all income – a category that includes bribes, gambling winnings, kickbacks and money made in illegal activities – can be taxed. "You can’t get an answer from anybody," Wojnarowsky said (snip) Oh, yes, you can. She just doesn’t like the answer she’s getting from eBay’s board….which is the wrong place to ask. If she’d keep track of *all* her expenses, and treat it like a business (rather than playing "I’m just a housewife, pity pity me), she’d find that she owed few, or no, taxes. Kris

Start with your pro rated water bill, then go on to the more subtle stuff. http://www.tinaja.com/glib/ebaysell.pdf — Many thanks, Don Lancaster Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552 Please visit my GURU’s LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com

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My rent is deductible right? I’m using TurboTax, and it took 30% of my total rent paid as a business expense. COOL! I use my livingroom as an office, warehouse, and Shipping Center.

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My rent is deductible right? I’m using TurboTax, and it took 30% of my total rent paid as a business expense. COOL! I use my livingroom as an office, warehouse, and Shipping Center.

What about your utilities? Kris

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SNIPO My hos don’t pay for the pussy they born with… it’s a free attachment… they don’t sell it, they kinda loan it out in a tax free offshore haven… so like, fuck the IRS. What you eBay scamming sellers are just starting to learn is what prostitutes knew 10,000 years ago… if you’re an eBay whore then just face up and come out and admit you’re a whore and PayPal is your pimp. ron

wOw !

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050328/D893N13O0.html Mar 27, 9:48 PM (ET) By MARY DALRYMPLE WASHINGTON (AP) – Hawking baby and children’s clothes – along with some garage sale and thrift store bargains – on eBay helps Sunni Wojnarowsky bring in some extra money so she can afford to stay home with her two young boys. The additional dollars are great, but does she really need to hassle with the paperwork and report her small profit to the Internal Revenue Service? Her question, posed to the online auction site’s discussion board for sellers, generated much advice – and more confusion. In tax law, there is no clear, bright line that separates fun from profit, or a hobby from a business. But IRS instructions make it clear that all income – a category that includes bribes, gambling winnings, kickbacks and money made in illegal activities – can be taxed. "You can’t get an answer from anybody," Wojnarowsky said

(snip) Oh, yes, you can. She just doesn’t like the answer she’s getting from eBay’s board….which is the wrong place to ask. If she’d keep track of *all* her expenses, and treat it like a business (rather than playing "I’m just a housewife, pity pity me), she’d find that she owed few, or no, taxes. Kris

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050328/D893N13O0.html I saw this article earlier today myself… and was surprised at how little new information it contained… All old news. What is surprising, however, is how many people in the US really don’t understand the Tax codes or the IRS Tax forms. Some people pay preparers, but really don’t know what they are signing when they sign the forms prepared for them… Other people fill them out theirselves, but don’t really know what they are doing. Basically, if you sell anything for more than you paid for it… then you made a profit… and should report it as income. There is a minimum amount (Used to be $400, but I haven’t looked lately) below which you don’t have to report… but after that, it is all taxable. Yard sales, flea markets, stuff you sell to your friends when you are tired of it… all fall under the same category. Also true if you sell a service like your buddy asks you to help him design an in-home computer network for his house and you use your expertise to help him lay things out and charge a consulting fee. A lot of people will see this article and paint it like the IRS is trying to jump on eBay and "make it taxable"… but the simple truth is, it always was taxable, but like many things in the world that people do… some people report stuff and others don’t. -Stewart http://www.indenter.com/comics

Oi veh Stew… first let me quote you: " Basically, if you sell anything for more than you paid for it… then you made a profit… and should report it as income. " My hos don’t pay for the pussy they born with… it’s a free attachment… they don’t sell it, they kinda loan it out in a tax free offshore haven… so like, fuck the IRS. What you eBay scamming sellers are just starting to learn is what prostitutes knew 10,000 years ago… if you’re an eBay whore then just face up and come out and admit you’re a whore and PayPal is your pimp. ron

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@individual.net: Taxes are just an ordinary part of doing business.

Yep, and I just finished up sending in my eBay income along with everything else late last week. It’s all part of what you do when you’re making dough. — Donna

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I wish I could get some bribes or kickbacks, I wouldn’t mind the tax. I guess those are only for Republicans

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – But IRS instructions make it clear that all income – a category that includes bribes, gambling winnings, kickbacks and money made in illegal activities – can be taxed. We declare all of those, just not our eBay income.

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Richard Diamond Quoted the always on the ball AP news service: …If you are selling and making a profit, you have to declare it…

I don’t see why this is any kind of news. All the income amounts go to the accountant. She tells me how much I have to pay to who. And then she tells me what I should do this year to alter how much I have to pay next year. Much too complex for a non-accountant (me) to figure out. The money I spend on a professional to deal with my taxes is worth every penny. And it’s tax deductable..:-) Lumpy — In Your Ears for 40 Years http://www.lumpymusic.com

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But IRS instructions make it clear that all income – a category that

includes bribes, gambling winnings, kickbacks and money made in illegal activities – can be taxed. We declare all of those, just not our eBay income.

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RD If you are selling and making a profit, you have to declare it. If we are running an eBay BUSINESS, we are making a profit, and already file. Taxes are just an ordinary part of doing business. If we are selling off excess home stuff, we are almost certainly running a tax loss, but only if we can prove it. Save all receipts, for everything, forever. In the unlikely event that some trash item is actually an eBay treasure, always keep some other major-loss items handy (e.g. old computer parts), to sell in that same tax year, so as to realize the loss for tax purposes, and offset the gain. If taxes on eBay activities are an issue, we are not going about it properly. — http://www.access-one.com/rjn email4rjn AT yahoo DOT com NOT speaking for any employer, client or Internet Service Provider.