eBays official escrow service is Escrow com (09/26/2008)
...com. Registration is free. To proceed with escrow, the buyer must send payment to Escrow.com. Escrow....

Use eBay with Credit card payment services (09/26/2008)
... In most promotional material, the vendor usually quotes the “swiped card” rates. Because you won’t have the buyer’s card in hand to swipe, be sure to inquire with your provider for the proper rate before signing any papers. I have to explain the downside of accepting credit cards for your online sales. To protect yourself, please be sure to check the bidders’ feedback both feedback they’ve received and feedback they’ve left before accepting any form of credit card payment for a high-ticket item. Some buyers are chronic complainers and are rarely pleased with their purchases....

Easiest way for buyers to make payments are Personal checks (09/26/2008)
... And don’t forget the 24-hour turnaround rule: Even if the bank has the money and you’re standing there with the check, the bank can deny payment within 24 hours, leaving you with a bad check. Even though everything seems to be electronic these days, the paper routing of old-fashioned checks can take two weeks or longer. I’ve received only one bad check as an eBay payment. I deposited the check, waited ten business days, and then shipped the item. On the eleventh business day, the bank sent me the bounced check....

Accept Cashiers Checks and Money Orders for your eBay items (09/26/2008)
...29 for a money order up to $500.00. There has been a spate of forged and counterfeit money orders. Beware of all money orders and delay shipping until the money order has cleared. If you have a U....

Ebay listing that sell with a picture and a good description (09/26/2008)
... Remember to include your terms of sale and specify the types of payment and credit cards you accept. Be sure to include appropriate shipping charges, too. Following is a checklist of some of the things to mention: - Size, style, color (garment measurements in inches are also valuable because sizes aren’t universal across brands) - Condition (new, new with tags, used, gently used, well-worn) - Manufacturer’s name - Year of manufacture (if vintage, it’s always good to mention an era at least) - Fabric or material - Any damage to the item - Special features - That you’ve stored it in a clean, dry place (if you have) After you list all the facts, get excited and add a little showmanship in your description. Think infomercial! Think Shopping Channel! Whoopee! These people know how to make things sound so good that you feel that you must have whatever item they’re selling. You can do the same, if you just get those creative juices flowing....

Image Editing Software for your eBay listing photos (09/26/2008)
... You can also touch up your family photos for Web albums in this easy-to-use (okay, very low learning curve) program. And don’t forget that you’ll be working with images not only for eBay items but also for your Web site. You can go to the manufacturer’s Web site http:// www.pixby.com/marshacollier and download a twenty-one-day free trial for my readers....

How to use the eBay Picture Services (09/26/2008)
... This picture will also be the default picture for use as your all-important gallery image. eBay offers two versions of Picture Services. The basic version allows you to upload eBay-ready images as they appear on your computer. Click the Browse button to find pictures stored on your hard drive or media card. To upload your pictures using the enhanced version, after clicking Add Pictures on the Create Your Listing page, you get a new window....

As an EBay seller you have to Provide Excellent Customer Service (09/26/2008)
... You need products that people want, and you need to take the time to build good customer relations. In this article, I cover some ways to let your customers know that they’re number one in your book: from writing effective auction descriptions to sending cordial e-mails. Meeting Your Customers eBay is a person-to-person marketplace. Although many sellers are businesses (like you), the perception is that sellers on eBay are individuals earning a living (versus big business). The homespun personal approach goes a long way to being successful when selling on eBay....

Listing an auction and for a fixed price listing on eBay (09/26/2008)
... Insertion (listing) fees Your insertion fee is based on the highest dollar amount of two things: your minimum opening bid or the dollar amount of your reserve price. If you start your auction at $0.99 and have no reserve, the listing fee is $0.20. (By the way, if you start your listing at $1....

Optional Listing Features for your eBay listing (09/26/2008)
... Will spending a little extra money enhance your item enough to justify the cost? Will you be able to make the money back in profits? You must have a good understanding of what the options are and when and how you can use them to their fullest advantage. For every item you put up for sale, you have to pay a minimum of two fees: an insertion fee for listing the item and a final value fee. (I discuss these two fees in the “eBay’s Cut of the Action” section, later in this article.) If you accept credit card payments through PayPal, you must also pay a fee to the payment service. Estimate your expenses from these basics before you consider spending money for advertising....

Marketing your eBay listings by choosing the right category (09/26/2008)
... In this article, I give you a preview of the various options eBay offers its users, highlighting the cost of these options along the way and the pros and cons of each. I also detail the basic eBay fees. When you’ve finished reading this article, you should be well on your way to establishing a working budget and have a handle on marketing your items. Listing Your Items With tens of thousands of categories, finding the right place for your item can be daunting. You need to apply some marketing techniques when deciding where to place your auctions....

Common Auction management software used for eBay (09/26/2008)
... In 2000, the company introduced a more robust version, auction Wizard 2000, to meet the challenges presented by changes on eBay. This software is a tour-de-force of auction management programs whose pieces are integrated into one program. Aside from the processes just described, you can also - Keep track of consignment sales by consignees, including all fees. - Import your images, and crop, rotate, or resize them before uploading. - Upload your pictures with built-in FTP software while you’re working on your auctions, eliminating the need for another piece of auction business software....

EBay auction management services and software (09/26/2008)
... Be sure that you don’t spend a bunch of your precious time inputting your entire inventory, only to discover you don’t like the way the service works. Instead, input a few items to give the service a whirl. Online auction management sites Auction management Web sites handle almost everything, from inventory management to label printing. Some sellers prefer online (or hosted) management sites because you can access your information from any computer. You might use every feature a site offers, or you might choose a bit from column A and a bit from column B and perform the more personalized tasks manually....

Automating shipping labels and tracking information (09/26/2008)
... Printing shipping labels Printing shipping labels without printing postage can be the beginning of a laborious two-step process. Two companies, Endicia.com and Stamps.com, print your labels and postage all in one step. Some sites print your winners’ address labels without postage, as does eBay’s Selling Manager....

Set up emails to be sent automatically after an eBay auction ends (09/26/2008)
... 2. In the Selling Preferences column, click the auctions link. 3. Change the Off radio button to On and type your personalized message. 4....

How to automate your eBay business (09/26/2008)
... After you read this article, you’ll be well equipped to decide whether or not you want to automate your business. Considering Tasks for Automation You’ll have to perform certain office tasks, no matter how few or how many auctions you’re running. Depending on your personal business style, you may want to automate any or all of the following tasks. You may choose to use a single program, a manual method, or some features from one program and some from others. For those who aren’t ready for the automated plunge, I offer alternatives....

Your eBay store and your website are your business (09/26/2008)
... That said, here’s number three: After you’ve shown some healthy profit, it’s time to expand and invest in your own e-commerce enabled Web site. Your eBay store is important to your business, but it doesn’t replace an e-commerce Web site. Yes, eBay is an important site (duh) for your sales and store, but so is your own business Web site. You should establish your own presence on the Web. And although you can and should link your site to eBay, don’t miss out on the rest of the Internet population....

EBay Advanced Search link usage explained (09/26/2008)
... - Payment: You can isolate your search to only those sellers who accept PayPal. This may enlighten you as to whether buyers of this product pay higher prices if they have the option to pay with credit cards. (Although the PayPal exclusion will not include other methods of credit card payments, it still speaks strongly for credit card users.) - Locate items near you: If you’re selling something big that you can’t (or don’t want to) ship, you want to deliver it or have the buyer pick it up. This option allows you to check out the competition only in your closest major metropolitan eBay trading area....

Pricing Your Items to Sell on eBay (09/26/2008)
... Star Wars items are a perfect example; values skyrocketed during the release of the latest movie, but now prices have settled to a considerably lower level. A printed book of value listings is valid only for the moment the book is written. If you stay on top of your market in a few specialties, you’ll be aware of these market fluctuations. If you’re looking for the highest price instead of looking to liquidate excess inventory, I’d hold any special Star Wars items until the buzz starts up again. You no doubt will purchase the occasional gem and will want to make the most money possible, so in this article I examine the different ways you can find out just how much something is worth....