Online Auctions - Don't let the Hammer Fall on You!

It's estimated that around 60% of all internet fraud involves online auctions or merchandising not being delivered. Sadly, the more times you deal with online auctions, the greater the chance of becoming a victim of one sort or other.

Having some sort of idea of the different methods these fraudsters use to relieve you of your hard earned dosh can, hopefully, give you an edge. Pre-warned is pre-armed as the saying goes.

Some of the more common complaints from users of online auctions have involved the following methods.

Method 1.   Failure of the seller to ship the goods at the end of an auction.

Method 2.   Goods despatched are of inferior quality to those advertised on the site.

Method 3.   'Shill' bidding. Where unscrupulous sellers sometimes bid on their own auction items in order to drive up the price.

Method 4.   Bid Shielding. Where equally deceitful buyers place very high bids on an item before withdrawing their bid at the very last second, allowing a much lower bid (normally their accomplice) to 'win' the auction.

Method 5.   Bid Syphoning. Where 'dealers' offer losing bidders the same item 'off auction' at much lower prices, and when you've paid the money over they don't send the goods.

Method 6.   Failure to disclose certain information about items in a listing, and to disclose pertinent information about terms of sale.

As the biggest online auction site in the world, eBay have been fighting these online auction fraudsters for a long time, and have a number ways of dealing with them when caught. If you think you're a victim of any underhand dealings on eBay, don't be afraid to report them to eBay administration. 

Make sure you use facilities such as PayPal to make your transactions as they have a number of ways of dealing with fraudulent tricks. Remember, if something doesn't feel right, or you have doubts about a transaction, don't do it. The vast majority of eBay sales go through without a hitch, so don't have sleepless nights about it, just be careful.

To get the complete low down on all things to do with eBay and online auctions, check out Amanda O'Brien's £2,500 a week eBay Powerseller Secrets. This book alone will save you hours and hours of ferreting out information, trying this and that, and still wondering why you haven't sold anything yet. Get the REAL story behind what makes an ebay Powerseller tick!   

Do You Know What eBay Is Talking About?

Is a NARU trying to sell you a MIMB - or has your NRFB actually got WOB? How to bust the eBay jargon.

Have you ever noticed all the abbreviations or acronyms used on eBay? Do you know what they all mean? They crop up in all sorts of places such as sellers descriptions and title bars, and unless you know what they mean you could end up buying a pup, or worse still, being made to look a complete idiot!

Quite often this 'slang' can be very frustrating to decipher, but once you know what it means you think 'Oh yes - of course, it's obvious really!'

Anyway, I thought i'd do a little list of the more common ones for you, to save any possible embarrassment (especially in front of the kids). This list is by no means comprehensive, (there really are a lot more than this) but these are the more common ones used, and will hopefully make your eBay experience a little less frustrating.

ACRONYM   -   MEANING

BIN   =   Buy It Now                                       BMC   =   Book of the Month Club
BNIB  =  Brand New in Box                             COA    =  Certificate of Authenticity
COL  =  Collection                                          DG     =   Depression Glass
DSR  =  Detailed Seller Rating                         EUC  =   Excellent Used Condition
F    =    Fine (usually on coins)                         FB    =    Feedback 
FOB  =  Freight on Board (has shipped)           FVF   =   Final Value Fee
G   =   Good Condition                                    GBP  =  Great Britain Pound
GU  =   Gently Used                                       GWTW  =  Gone with the Wind  
HB  =  Hard Bound Book                                 HIC  =  Hole in Cover
HIL  =  Hole in Label                                       HTF  =  Hard to Find
LTD  =  Limited Edition                                   MIB  =  Mint in Box 
MIBP  =  Mint in Blister Pack                            MIJ  =  Made in Japan
MIMB  =  Mint in Mint Box                                MIMP  =  Mint in Mint Package
MOC  =  Mint on Card                                     MOMC  =  Mint on Mint Card
MONMC  =  Mint on Near Mint Card                 NARU  =  Not a Registered User
NBW  =  Never Been Worn                              NIB  =  New in Box
NIP  =  New in Package                                   NM  =  Near Mint
NOS  =  New Old Stock                                   NP  =  Not Packaged
NPB  =  Non-Paying Bidder                              NR/No Res  =  No Reserve
NRFB  =  Never Removed from Box                  NRFSB  =  Never Removed from Sealed Box
NW  =  Never Worn                                          NWOT  =  Never without Tags
NWT  =  New with Tags                                   OB  =  Original Box
OEM  =  Original Equipment Manufacturer         OF  =  Original Finish
OOAK  =  One of a Kind                                   OOP  =  Out of Print
PB  =  Paperback                                             PC  =  Poor Condition
PM  =  Priority Mail                                           R  =  Reprint
Rev.Ed.  =  Revised Edition                               SH/S&H  =  Shipping and Handling
SHI  =  Shipping, Handling and Insurance             S/O  =  Sold Out
SS  =  Still Sealed or Stainless Steel                  TE  =  Trade Edition
WOB  =  Writing on Back                                   WOC  =  Writing on Cover
WOF  =  Writing on Front                                   WOR  =  Writing on Record
U  =  Used                                                         UPI  =  Unpaid Item
VG  =  Very Good Condition (usually on coins)     VF  =  Very Fine (usually on coins)
VHTF  =  Very Hard to Find                                 XF/EF  =  Extra Fine (usually on coins)

As you can see some are obvious and some not so obvious - and believe me there are plenty more where they came from too!

If you're having a problem with any that aren't listed here, you can find a full list on eBay. Just go to the 'help' pages and type in 'eBay acronyms' and you will go to the complete list.

I hope this has been helpful to you in some way. For other tips and tricks on aspects of eBay please look around my blogs.

How do you get started as a seller on eBay?

So what do you sell on eBay?
7 ways to get you started

Thousands of people start selling on eBay every day. Many want to start their own business. Most fail - but why?

It all seems so simple. Just get some products, put them on eBay, sit back and collect the money. What could be easier? What could possibly go wrong?

Well, quite a lot actually. It may look straightforward, and believe it or not it is sometimes as easy at that, but most of the time all sorts of other things happen and then it gets tricky.

One reason for failing is that some people try to get too big too soon. Way too big. A quick look at the people who ARE selling lots of items will show that most of them are eBay PowerSellers, and the majority of them have spent a lot of years (and a lot of money) building up their customer base and reputations.

Nobody plans to fail, but many fail to plan.

This perhaps the single most important reason business's go under. To be successful you have to work to a plan, and this is just as important with eBay as with any other business. You need to start small and work your way up.

Here are 7 ways to get off the ground with eBay.

1. Find a nice small 'niche' market.
2. Choose a good quality product. Stick with one product to start with.
3. Source from a reputable wholesale supplier. You'll need to re-order if it sells well.
4. Do your sums on all your outgoing costs.
5. Work out a competitive selling price.
6. Write a keyword rich title and listing with good description and digital photo.
7. List on eBay's Multiple Quantity 30 day 'Buy It Now' listing.

If you've done your homework correctly and the product is a good seller, you won't have time to sit back and watch the sales come in - you'll be too busy getting the orders delivered on time!

To start with only order a small batch of the product, until you know it sells well. You may love the item, but that doesn't mean everyone else will. Once you see the product is selling you need to think about ordering the next batch.

So what are the best products to sell? The best advice is to start with something you know. The more you know about a product the more you can talk about it. Tell everyone how good the product is. If you've bought it and used it yourself, tell them. Be enthusiastic when you write your description, it can be infectious.

There really are hundreds and hundreds of small but profitable 'niche' markets on eBay. Anything from hand made arts and crafts to antique collectables and old postcards. Just about any sort of hobby or special interest can be found on eBay, so before deciding on a product, spend some time going through the categories. I think you will be amazed at what you find.

If you're still not sure where to start or what to do, this may help. I came across a smashing book a while ago that will help you get started easily. This book by Amanda O'Brien leaves nothing out and is extremely easy to follow. If you really want to know how it's done, then this book is for you.

To discover top quality reliable wholesale suppliers, it's worth checking out this Wholesale Suppliers Directory. By joining with a low lifetime membership fee, you will have access to thousands and thousands of pre-selected wholesale suppliers.

For more tips and tricks about the world of eBay, please look through the rest of this blog, and also visit http://smartauctionprofits.blogspot.com/.

How do you sell on eBay and double your chances?

Easy way to double your chances selling on eBay

With everyone looking to squeeze the last drop of profit from each sale, wouldn't it be handy to know a way of potentially DOUBLING your existing sales?

In a previous post I spoke about the benefits of using the 'Buy It Now' feature on eBay when selling multiple quantities of the same product (see 'Are Auction Listings the only way to Sell on eBay?'). In this post I will show you how to double up your chances of making a sale with the 'Buy It Now' feature selling the same product.

EBay allows you to list the same product in two different categories at the same time, but ONLY if the listing for each item is different. What this means to you is that you will be able to advertize your product to twice the number of potential buyers, DOUBLING your chances of making a sale!

Here's what you need to do. Take your product and write two similar (but NOT the same) listings, using different title keywords for each, and choose two different (but RELEVANT) categories. It is also a very good idea to change the price on one of them, only by a little, so that it doesn't appear the same as the other. There are two reasons for this that I will explain later.

The two categories you choose MUST be relevant to the product you're selling, if not you could get reported to eBay and have your listing removed, so be careful.

An example of relevant, but different, categories would be if you were selling say a First Edition Book. One obvious category would be 'Books - First Editions', but another category could be 'Books - Collectable'. Do you see what I mean? You now have the same book for sale, but in two different categories.

It doesn't matter if you're selling single items or multiple quantities, as long as you write two different listings, with a slightly different price, and list in two different, relevant categories you will DOUBLE your chances of a sale. If you look around, most products will fall into at least two different categories and still be relevant.

It's a fact that different buyers will search for what they want using different words in different places. If you have your product in two separate categories, using different keywords, you will double your chances of being found and making a sale.

One reason to have a slightly different price is so that the two listings are not identical, and will not fall foul of the rules. The other is so that you can see at a glance which of the two categories is giving you the most sales.

If you've suffered a bit lately and aren't getting the sales you had hoped, give this a try. You never know it might get you going again. Experiment a little. Be bold.

Where can I buy wholesale? To access thousands of top quality wholesale suppliers, who have all been pre-selected for you, and to find those much sort after niche products for resale on eBay go to SaleHoo Wholesale Directory and start making an impact TODAY!

Is there another way to make money selling on eBay?

Are Auction Listings the only way to sell on eBay?

Does your brain get addled and a nervous tension start whenever your eBay listing is nearing the end? Do you look at the latest bid and think 'Why is it so low? I was really hoping it would fetch more than that.' or 'I can't believe someone has actually bid as much as that for it, they must be mad!'

The emotions are all part of the game, and none the worse for it either. But if this was your business could you put up with that sort of emotion EVERY time, day after day?

Thankfully eBay have another way of selling that doesn't scramble your brain, or turn you inside out, and is ideal for selling items as a business. You may have seen this on the listings but are not sure exactly what it is, it's called 'Buy It Now'.

Using this feature will not only save your sanity, but will allow you to know exactly what your profit will be every time you make a sale. You may have noticed the amount of 'Buy It Now' listings has increased a lot lately, and for a very good reason.

Normal auction listings are good for single items, or items you just want to sell at any price, but if you run a business you will probably be selling multiple quantities of the same item. Think what a mess you'd be in if you started getting all sorts of different prices for the same product!

The only way to stabilize your selling platform is to be able to sell the same products at the same price, time after time. Before you list your products using the 'Buy It Now' feature, you will have worked out all your costs, leaving nothing out, so that you know the selling price is the final price, and includes £XYZ of profit. What do you mean - what costs?

You must have a list of all your outgoing costs before you know what profit you can make. Don't forget you will have wholesale price (incl delivery to you), delivery price, VAT (if applicable), plus eBay fees, PayPal fees or Credit Card fees. But once you have these worked out you can easily get your best selling price - and know what your profit will be.

If all this sounds complicated, believe me when I say it really isn't as bad as it sounds. If you're selling the same product and getting it from the same supplier then all the costs will be the same won't they? And if you do sell the same product in multiple quantities, when you do your listing you'll only pay 1 listing fee for the whole lot!

Amanda O'Brien has a wonderful book (yes - a proper book!) that goes through all these different eBay options with you. She explains all the different ways to get the most from eBay, and why one method is better than another depending on the product you want to sell. She uses the 'Buy It Now' feature herself, and has always used it from day one, so it's well worth having a look at what she has to say.

Remember, if you want to take eBay seriously, and make a proper business out of it, you need to consider the 'Buy It Now' option. The only stipulation eBay make before you can use 'Buy It Now' is that you have to have at least 10 positive feedbacks. Once you have this, you will be able to use this method to your advantage.

To find out more about Amanda O'Brien's book '£355 a week Part-Time eBay PowerSeller Secrets'. just click the link. It really does make it all a lot easier!   

Do You Sell on eBay? Do You Promote for FREE?

Promote Your eBay Products for FREE!

Here's a great way to promote your eBay products for FREE, and it's so simple you'll wonder why you hadn't thought of it before.

All you have to do is include an email signature on every email you send out to your friends, relatives, eBay customers, mailing list (if you have one), literally everyone you can think of. In case you don't know, an email signature is simply a few lines inserted at the end of each email message that is sent out. Access to the email signature box will vary depending on your email program, but in Outlook Express it's 'Tools/Options/Signatures' so it should be fairly easy.

You can put in a description of your latest product (you can edit the box whenever), or any special offer you happen to be promoting at the moment, anything really to get people to visit your eBay site. Once you have this signature set up you put in a link to your eBay shop (if you have one) or to your 'About Me' page on eBay.

As well as putting this signature on every email sent from your normal email provider, you can also add it to all your emails that go through 'eBay messages' such as your 'Thank You for your order', 'Thank You for your payment' and 'Your Order has been dispatched' type emails.

One of the beauties of doing this is that once you have it all set up, you don't have to do anything else, and everytime an email goes out - to anywhere in the world - your little advert goes with it, and it hasn't cost you a dime!

If you like this tip and want some more, just click through the blogs, there are all sorts of tips and tricks, all with the aim of getting the most from your eBay experience.


Fed up with not getting enough sales? Want to know how you can earn £355 a week part time from your kitchen table? CLICK HERE and Amanda O'Brien will show you how easy it is.

Guarantee's as a Seller on eBay

Should I always give a guarantee selling on eBay?

If you're selling brand new products on eBay as a business, you should always offer a 14 day or 30 day 'no quibble' money back guarantee. This shows not only faith in your product, but also gives your buyers faith in you. People are much more likely to buy knowing that if they don't like it, or it doesn't work, they can at least get their money back.

Unless the product you have sold is faulty in some way, the chances are that the item won't be returned under your 'no quibble - no risk - unconditional guarantee'. But why not?

The strange truth is that most people just can't be bothered to send things back! It would seem that the thought of packing it up again, going to the Post Office (if you can find one), getting the stamps and actually posting it, is far too much bother.

If you sell a lot of the same product and you do get some refunds, there won't be many of them and they can easily be absorbed into your total sales. The main point is that by offering a 'risk free' guarantee you will increase your overall sales. Somehow it makes people feel much more relaxed about buying.

There will be exeptions to this as you would expect. If, for example, you were selling used personal items, items with a hygiene issue, motor cars etc, it would be impractical to offer a guarantee, and one wouldn't really be expected. Use your common sense.

So if you're in two minds abouth whether or not to offer a 'cast iron, 24 carat, no quibble guarantee' just remember the huge amount of increased sales it produces compared to no guarantee at all.

UK Postal Strike and Selling on eBay

Following the recent announcement from the Commercial Worker's Union that a national strike involving UK postal workers is likely to commence on 18th October 2009, eBay have made the following announcement concerning their Dispatch Time DSR's for the duration of the proposed strike, should it take place.

This announcement from eBay was issued on Thursday 8th October 2009.

"Today the Commercial Worker's Union has issued strike notice to Royal Mail. This means a national strike is possible from 18th October 2009.

We take this notice very seriously, and recognise the negative impact that such action will have for sellers on eBay.co.uk and I want to let you know what we are doing to mitigate the impact.

We're temporarily removing the option for buyers to rate sellers on the Dispatch Time Detailed Seller Rating from the start date of any national strike action.

We've expressed our concerns directly to the business secretary Rt. Hon Lord Mandelson that it is unacceptable many hard working small businesses selling on eBay are victims of a dispute that is beyond their control.

We're working with a number of alternative postal carriers to ensure sellers can provide the levels of service that are critical in the run up to Christmas."

Although this may give eBay sellers a little less to worry about, the fact remains that deliveries will be severely delayed unless other more expensive options are used. Any updates will be posted as soon as possible.

Be a Safer Seller on eBay

5 Tips to Avoid Online Auction Scams

Sellers, as well as buyers can fall victim to the eBay online auction scammers. As well as the better known phishing and Evil Twin scams, there are those who specifically target eBay sellers, and this is to highlight ways to help you avoid them.

1.    Items Not Received.  Some buyers will claim not to have received the item(s) sent to them, and demand a refund or replacement. Always use a carrier or service that uses a tracking system such as FedEx, UPS, DHL or similar. Pay a little extra at the Post Office for their tracking service. All these require a signature on delivery.

2.    Counterfeit Cheques and Money Orders. More of a problem when dealing with overseas customers. If you receive a Money Order you must cash it BEFORE you dispatch the goods, don't just pay it into your bank. Make sure you have the cash in your hand. This way the responsibility for the authenticity of the Money Order is the Post Office's or whoever cashed it - not yours.

With cheques you can take them to your bank and get them to contact the issuing bank to find out if it's good first. It may take 24 hours or so, but if they say it's OK and it later turns out not to be it's the banks' problem- not yours.

3.    Be Choosey Where You Sell.  If you sell internationally be careful into which countries you send your goods. Some countries are more prone to fraud than others, Russia, Thailand and Nigeria are three, but there are others. If in doubt don't sell there.

4.    Don't Use Your Home Address on eBay.  It's only a precaution but if you can, use a PO Box or similar for your Registered Address with eBay. Once you complete a transaction with someone they can find your address through the eBay system if they want. It has been known for a seller to find a previous buyer knocking at their front door to complain! It doesn't happen very often, and it's only a precaution but......

5.    Photographs and Insurance.  With high value items such as diamonds, watches, cameras, jewelry and the like, it is always advisable to take detailed photographs of the item(s) before taking out adequate insurance. It has been known for buyers to decide they don't really want the item when its been delivered, then deliberately break or scratch it in some way so they can demand a refund. If this happens, and a claim is made for insurance, then the insurance company will most likely investigate before paying out.

If the buyer did break or scratch the item, you will have photographic evidence that the item was fine when you shipped it.

These are just a few of the things to watch out for, and I hope they've been helpful. Thankfully these are not as common as you may think, but worth making note of anyway. The watchwords are common sense, so if you think someone is trying to pull a fast one don't deal with them.

There are many other little tips and tricks to be found in my blogs, so have a look round and see if there's anything else to help you. Good Selling!

Can I Test a Drop Shipping Supplies Company?

Is it easy to tell the good from the bad?

Before you start using drop shipping supplies companies to send your sold products for you, is there a way of telling a good drop shipper from a bad drop shipper? (try saying that quickly)

Yes there is, but it isn't quick. If you aren't already a member of a pre-selected directory of wholesalers that does this for you, you need to set yourself up as your own customer and test each one out until you find a good one.

You can choose the product you wish to sell, choose a wholesale supplier with drop ship facilities and order from them (a very small quantity) naming yourself as the end customer.

The advantage of this method is that if anything goes wrong, such as the product not turning up, or it's the wrong product, or it's not very good, then the only person who is disappointed or angry is you, and not one of your customers.

The downside of this method is that should you be unlucky and get a number of 'bad' ones in a row, it could be some time before you found a really good one. It's unlikely, but it could happen.

If you'd like to take the guesswork out of finding reliable suppliers, and know that each one has been pre-selected in advance, then go to the LINK HERE where all the work has been done for you, so you don't have to. It makes sense doesn't it?

What Sort of Items do you Sell on eBay?

Will selling used products make money on eBay?

If you're starting out as a seller on eBay, you may be wondering which products sell well, and what products you should start with.

If you haven't been selling on eBay before the best advice is to start small and work your way up. Selling used goods, such as antiques, collectibles, books and vintage items is probably the most popular way to start. The market for these types of goods has always been steady, and it's a very good way of 'cutting your teeth'.

The smaller end of the market has always been a difficult one for the larger, more commercial companies, so you should find this much easier. If you have some prior knowledge of art, antiques, collectibles or rare books so much the better, so try and pick something you know.

Most people can find these items to resell in charity shops, boot fairs, thrift shops and markets etc, and there are normally many in each town or city. When hunting for these 'bargains' you must bear in mind the potential postal costs involved, plus the likeyhood of damage in transit (so nothing too heavy or fragile!).

Yes, selling used goods on eBay can make you money, if you do it properly.

If you want to find out how to do it properly, starting at the beginning and working your way up, then you could do a lot worse than look at Amanda O'Brien's book '£2,500 a week eBay PowerSellers Secrets'. This book - yes this is actually a proper book - will take you through everything you will ever need to know. From beginning to end it leaves nothing out, and updates are emailed regularly.

CLICK HERE to see how this book will help you get started.

Where Can I Buy Wholesale Products to Sell on eBay?

SaleHoo: A Product Perspective

So you've decided to be a seller on eBay.

You've purchased a few eBooks on how to get set up. You've done all your research. You've selected a couple of products you think will sell well. Now all you have to do is find out where you can source these items cheaply. But where? Are there any wholesale tips as such? 

How can you be sure the supplier you have chosen is reliable and trustworthy? There are so many scare stories about scams on the internet. About people paying over good, hard earned money to wholesale suppliers, and never seeing hide nor hair of any product. Can you be sure this won't happen to you?

The good news is YES, you can!

SaleHoo is a leading Directory of Wholesalers, and for a very modest lifetime membership fee, offers exclusive access to a huge comprehensive directory of Manufacturers, Drop Shippers, Wholesale Suppliers and Liquidators. The companies listed in the directory have all been pre-selected too, which means they've all been 'checked' out.

SaleHoo is split into two sections, with the suppliers' database on one side and a very active Private Members forum on the other. It appears that the forum is used extensively by the members to keep each other informed of the best suppliers for certain products, and a section for members seeking specific products.

The information shared between members of SaleHoo is quite open it would appear, and I suppose this is because it is a closed site, not open to the general public, so feelings and thoughts can be freely aired!

The wholesale suppliers' database lists thousands of companies all over the world, and is broken down into categories for easy navigation. With so many to choose from there is every likelyhood a supplier could be found not far away to supply the items you want.

Each member is able to write a review on a company when they've used them, so as well as the forum you can have access to written 'evidence' of the suitability. Many of the reviews are written by eBay PowerSellers and SaleHoo company staff when they have ordered different products to test the companies out. The idea has been to vet as many suppliers as possible, so that members can be confident they are dealing with bona fide companies.

The general opinion is that the up to date information supplied by SaleHoo is well worth the membership fee, which as mentioned earlier, is for life. Once you have joined and been on the forum, you will get a mountain of very useful information, and in no time at all you'll be able to source the products you want and get started on eBay.

You can access SaleHoo here, or elsewhere on this blog, so have a good look over the site before making a decision. If you're serious about sourcing good quality items to sell on eBay, you couldn't be in better hands.

Are there any downsides to Drop Shipping from Suppliers?

To Drop Ship or Not to Drop Ship....

So what exactly is drop shipping?
Put very simply drop shipping is when you, as a seller on eBay, get the manufacturer or distributor of your product to pack and send the item(s) directly to your customer for you.

When you make a sale you send an email to your drop shipper and they take care of everything from picking, packing and despatching straight to your customer. It saves you having to order in bulk, find somewhere to store the products and pack and despatch yourself. So everyone is happy and it's the answer to everything - or is it?

Here are one or two pointers to both sides of the 'drop ship' argument. Before you decide either way whether this method is right for you, you should look at the pros and cons, it could make the difference between success and failure.

These are some of the advantages.

1. You don't need any storage space. You won't need to find a spare room or lock-up garage to keep stock and packaging materials. This is very useful if you sell large items.
2. No shipping costs getting the products from your supplier to you. Again very useful if you deal in large or bulky items.
3. Spend more time on important things. As you won't have to do the packaging yourself, or go to the local postal depot, you can spend more time marketing or dealing with your customers.
4. No packaging materials needed. As all your packaging will be done for you, you'll save on having to buy these materials too.

These are some of the disadvantages.

1. Drop shipping can be costly. You will have to pay the costs for materials and labour which is generally in the region of $2 - $5 per item (£1.50 - £4). If you're new to selling on eBay these costs can significantly reduce your profit margins, and may make the whole thing unviable to start with.
2. You are responsible for the shipping of goods. Although the supplier is actually sending the goods for you, you are still responsible for any problems that occur, such as damage or delays etc. Although the shipping is actually out of your control, you'll still get the blame if something goes wrong. Cruel world isn't it?
3. It can be hard finding a drop shipper. It's sometimes hard to find a supplier who will not only do drop shipping for you, but do it properly. There are a lot of suppliers who just won't do drop shipping because of all the paperwork involved.
4. Check the packaging. It is also your responsibility to check that the packaging being used is up to the right standard, so your items don't end up damaged.
5. Low stock levels. Most suppliers won't tell you when their stocks are low, and before you know it you have to explain to your customers why they can't have the product they've just bought.

Conclusion

If you are an established eBay seller such as an eBay Powerseller, or you already have a good supplier and have credit facilities to suit your demands, then drop shipping supplies can be a bonus for your business. The advantages outlined above speak for themselves.

However, for someone new to the world of selling on eBay the disadvantages of drop shipping are obvious. Any profits you may make at the beginning will quickly be swallowed up by the initial costs, and until you've been round the block a few times you won't be sure which suppliers are good and which are bad. 

All in all, the best advice would be to give drop shipping a miss until you are established. Doing your own packaging and posting may have its drawbacks, but at least you're in command, and costs can be kept to a minimum.

If you'd like to find out more about sourcing wholesale products for your own distribution, or get further information on drop shipping companies that DO want to drop ship, just go to the following LINK HERE NOW.  You could be glad you did.

All the suppliers on the database are pre-selected, so no nasty surprises for anyone here!

It's all in the Title as a Seller on eBay

Why do 90% of eBay sellers fail?
Are you fed up with making little or no profit as a seller on eBay? Are you still scratching your head wondering why you aren't making the mega profits an eBay PowerSeller makes when your products are just as good as theirs?

It's all in the Title!

One of the major reasons that eBay auctions end unsuccessfully is that the title has been entered wrongly, or is not relevant to the subject. It's a sad fact, but it's true.

Why is the title so important?
You may have the best product in the world, but unless people know about it they can't buy it can they? A lot of people know what they're looking for when they go on eBay, and to pinpoint their search they use the search boxes.

The whole idea of choosing your title carefully is to get people to click on your listing. Your eBay auction title is just the first step in the buying process, but if you get it wrong - even by a little bit - it could also be the last.

Getting it right has become even more important since eBay introduced the 'Best Match' feature to their search engine. This means that when someone puts in a keyword for the item(s) they want to search for, the results will be the 'best match' for those keywords, and anything else will not show at all.

So how do I get it right?
There have been many techniques and ideas put forward by many people telling us the best way to do this, or the best way to do that, all with varying degrees of success. To give you the best advice I can, I am going to paraphrase one of today's more successfull eBay PowerSellers and tell you the way she does it - and as she is doing very nicely thank you, I think she must know what she is talking about!

These are the Tips and Tricks that work.

• Include as many relevant keywords in your title as possible. Try to think of the words that people might use to look for your item. DON'T use words like 'amazing' or 'greatest' or 'wow' - you won't get any sales with those. You'd be surprised how many times these sort of words are used. BE RELEVANT.
• Use capital letters at the start of EACH word in your title. It will make your title stand out more and be easier to read. You can also try putting some of the keywords in complete capitals too (important ones), and if your product is new, tell them it's NEW by capitals.
• Always be descriptive. Make sure you say if your product is new (as above) and put it in the title. If you have, say, a branded product such as a Sony DVD Player for example, say so. Be creative and think what your buyers will type in the search box.
• Check your spelling! Don't forget that if you spell a vital word wrong it will NOT show up in the search boxes. Just one misspelt word could ruin all your hard work. Double check your eBay auction titles carefully - this is extremely important.
• Mystery and Intrigue! If you can add a little mystery or intrigue to your title all the better. This will result in more people clicking your link just to find out! If possible try not to reveal what the product is - just what it can do for them. This won't work for all listings though.
• Don't use the Bold/Highlight options feature. EBay offers extras such as Bold and Highlight which you have to pay for. These haven't made a lot of difference to the amount of clicks, and are considered not worth the cost. Good relevant keywords are much better.
• Use the gallery photograph. This sits next to your eBay auctions title (you know, the one with all the great keywords) so use it by having a good photo of your product. Remember, a picture paints a thousand words, and it really is true. If you can't put in a photo, upload some text. This won't count in the 'best match' search, but will give you the chance to say a bit more about your item, and draw attention to your great title!

If you follow all these tips you should find your eBay auctions will show much higher in the searches, and your eBay sales increase too.

Got any more tips?
To find more Tips and Tricks for selling on eBay check out my other posts on this blog, and follow Amanda's proven strategy to becoming a successfull eBay PowerSeller by following this LINK HERE. But only if you want to succeed!

Amanda O'Brien is a successfull eBay PowerSeller and author of The £2,500 Per Week eBay PowerSeller Secrets. Want to know more about starting an eBay business or simply want to improve your eBay sales?

Knowing How To Make Money Selling on eBay

Do Joint Ventures work with online auctions?
"This is one of the LAST few Untouched Genuine Hidden Money Making Methods left", says eBay Powerseller John Thornhill. "Having the ability to do what you want, when you want, to work from any location you want in the world, and still make an income is one of the jobs we all wish we had. Be your own boss, create your own earnings and decide your own hours. What more could you ask for?"

Let me introduce you to John Thornhill, an eBay Powerseller veteran. He walks the walk and talks the talk. He is his own boss, makes his own income, chooses his own hours and ultimately he has his dream job. However, it hasn't always been this way, far from it. Many years ago John had a very poorly paid job in manufacturing, and was like a human robot working shifts.

So what changed?
What changed in John's life? Discovering eBay changed John's life, and just like a lot of people around the world, he makes good money from it selling eBooks. But it is NOT an eBay book I want to talk to you about today. It's John's latest hidden gem. A secret he has been keeping by his side for a long time now, a secret which no one other than he has been using to gain an extra income from eBay, at zero cost to him and without breaking any rules.

What is it?
Allow me to introduce you to JV Auction Profits, the secret method John has used to generate $35,000 alone last year, and also a system he still uses to this day.

With JV Auction Profits:

• You DON'T need a product
• You DON'T have to have experience with this system
• You DON'T need any money to set this up

You will be shown how by using real life examples

• You DON'T have to write an eBay book. This is NOT about writing eBooks!

You can do the same.
Did you know that eBay is in the top 25 most visited websites in the world today, with literally millions of visitors every single day? This means new business everyday, new contacts everyday which also means the opportunity for new Joint Ventures everyday too. So what does all this mean to us? MORE INCOME!
You do not even need to sell anything to take advantage of JV Auction Profits , all you need is the ability to put in a little work reading John's secret report, and putting it into action. No mean task by any means. Once you do this you are on your way to becoming your own boss, or even a better one than you already are. You see, this is not just for the new fella, it's for everyone who aspires to make an impact on their business, or create new ones.

Does it cost an arm and a leg?
Considering John normally charges anything up to $1,497 for some of his products, it would be easy for him to charge the same for JV Auction Profits , but John being John likes to give back as much as he can to help people get off the ground and into a better life like his. He still remembers the 'bad old days', and this is why he has ripped the price tag apart, and is offering a full 100% iron-clad money back guarantee if this isn't for you. With the potential to earn you thousands of dollars over the coming months, this could be the best $10 you've ever spent in your entire life!
There is no better opportunity to increase your revenue, boost your business and really prosper with JV Auction Profits . Today is the day to make a decision.
Check this out today http://tinyurl.com/smart-cash-now

How to sell on eBay - 7 Top Tips

7 Hot Tips to be a Top Seller on eBay

How To Sell on eBay Tip 1.
Your eBay listings MUST have a relevant title. This is extremely important when learning how to sell on eBay because if your title is not relevant and does not contain the right keywords relating to your product, then eBay buyers searching will not be able to find it. Include all the related keywords you can think of, and don't use up your limited title space with words that are not required.

How To Sell on eBay Tip 2.
Write a detailed desciption. make sure that your eBay listing includes all the important details about your product. This might include the size, colour, brand,model number, whether new or used, any special features etc. Highlight the good things about the product, but don't forget to mention any flaws or faults with the item too, but make these less obvious. Learning how to sell on eBay includes being honest in your eBay listing description.

How To Sell on eBay Tip 3.
Spell-check your listing. EBay buyers are put off by listings littered with spelling errors, and it looks very unprofessional. When you are learning how to sell on eBay, thoroughly check before before you submit your eBay listing, and make sure that important points are bold.

How To Sell on eBay Tip 4.
Use good quality photographs. People like to see before they buy. Use a good digital camera, and take 2 or 3 photographs from different angles to use as your gallery picture and within your eBay listing. This will attract more bidders and buyers and will help you get more experience as you learn how to sell on eBay.


How To Sell on eBay Tip 5.
Always answer questions from potential bidders. You will receive questions and queries from potential bidders. You will receive questions and queries fro potential buyers. And you must remember that this is exactly what they are - POTENTIAL BUYERS. Always try and answer any questions that come through eBay messages within 24 hours, sooner if you can, even if you feel it's a silly question. If you frequently receive the same question, then post it to your eBay listing so that everyone can see it.

How To Sell on eBay Tip 6.
Be polite and friendly. Buyers on eBay like friendliness and professionalism from eBay sellers. So it's best to be polite and enthusiastic when corresponding, but not too casual. Don't use 'text speak' in your emails as this is very unprofessional, but show a good sense of humour, honesty and politeness.

How To Sell on eBay Tip 7.
Despatch goods promptly. Buyers on eBay do not like to be kept waiting! So make it your business to despatch all orders promtly, preferably within 48 hours maximum. This is good service, and will ensure that you get positive feedback whilst you are still learning how to sell on eBay.

Conclusion
If you are looking to make money online to either supplement your current income, or as a full time income, learning how to sell on eBay is by far the best place to start. This way, one of the hardest parts of running a successful online business has already been done for you. This is marketing. Driving potential customers to your products and making sales.


Once you list your products ready to sell on eBay, you have the potential to attract millions of buyers from all over the world, not just the UK. Worldwide, people spend more time on eBay than any other website.


Where else can you start an online business in just a few hours that allows you to attract immediate traffic to your products? Learn how to sell on eBay and you will find that this fantastic opportunity to make as much or as little money as you want. Whoever you are, you can learn how to sell on eBay, and make money.

For access to the full training course 'How To Sell on eBay' CLICK HERE NOW

Secrets of an eBay Powerseller

Find out how to get started today

Have you often thought about selling on eBay but never quite got round to it? Have you been put off by the thought that you'll never be able to work out how to do it properly, or it all looks far too complicated?

It's amazing how many people feel this way about Internet auctions such as eBay. Some people are literally paralysed with fear that they will make a mistake, or that nobody will make a bid on their auction. Does this sound like you? I remember the first time I used eBay I felt just like that. I don't now, of course, but back then I would have given anything to have had someone show me exactly what I was supposed to do.

Amanda O'Brien's Powersellers Secrets is the exact manual I wish I had back then. It gives precisely the right information needed for those who haven't yet started selling on eBay, or for those who have only just started. It walks you through from setting up your account, to listing your items and managing your auctions, in fact literally everything you will ever need to know to make money selling on eBay.

• What eBay really is
• The 4 ways of selling on eBay
• The eBay seller fees
• Creating your auction from the beginning
• How to manage your auction
• What to do when your auction sells
• Shipping
• Feedback/Refunds
• Resources

There is absolutely nothing that this eBay book leaves out. "Powersellers Secrets" does what it says on the cover. It will show you exactly what to do, how to do it and when to do it. Here's your chance to step up and finally start making some money by selling on eBay in a remarkably short period of time.

Don't waste your time and energy trying to figure out how to do this on your own. Believe me, "Powersellers Secrets" has shown me what I really wished I'd known when I started a few years ago. Not only could I have saved a lot of money, but more importantly I would have saved a whole stack of valuable time!

"Powersellers Secrets" is the key to learning everything there is to know about selling on eBay. So if you really want to get started and find out how to make money on eBay, don't wait a moment longer.

Grab your copy HERE TODAY and let tomorrow be the beginning of a new adventure in the world of Internet auctions. Happy selling!

Where Can I Find the Best Wholesale Directory?

Can I really buy wholesale?
Are you new to Internet auctions such as eBay? Are you often a little worried about contacting wholesale companies listed in say, a directory of wholesalers or through Google, as you believe these companies will only deal with big retailers?


Largely, and certainly in the last few years, this has happily not been the case. As online auction sites such as eBay have become more and more popular, the wholesale supply industry has moved with the times and most, if not all, are now pleased to sell to sole traders, as well as much larger companies.

Don't they have 'limit levels' or something?
You will soon know if a wholesale company only deals with bigger companies, because they will have quite large 'minimum order levels', both in value as well as stock levels, so unless you intend to expand or set up a large company, it's best to avoid these ones. There are many others though who WILL sell to you, so let me show you where they are.


Knowing where to buy wholesale at really good discounts, with either NO or very LOW minimum order levels, is essential if you are to succeed in trying to make money selling on eBay.


I thought they only sold to 'trade'.
Most wholesalers WILL only sell to 'Trade', but of course if you are buying to resell on an eBay online auction or similar, then you ARE a trader by definition. Having said that, it's always best to be honest and upfront when dealing with wholesalers. Tell them you're buying to sell on eBay, or other Internet auctions. After all, you're trying to build a relationship with your supplier, and once you have a good relationship with them, you will tend to find they can 'cut you a deal' now and again, if you need it.


So if you're thinking 'I'm only small fry, why would they deal with me?' then think again. Don't forget, they need you as much as you need them. At this stage they don't know if you're going to be the next eBay PowerSeller or not, do they? It's the same as your dealings with potential customers, you must be positive, you must be businesslike, but most of all you must be HONEST. For example, if you aren't sure if a product is exactly what you think it might be, ask for a sample first.

Where do I find these wholesale suppliers?
When searching for where to buy wholesale, the easiest way is to find a wholesale directory, which will list all the wholesale companies by category, and will save you heaps of time. Another good thing about these directories is that most of them will have done some pre-vetting of the companies before including them, again saving you a lot of hassle.

 As the directory of wholesalers is designed for Internet auctions, the companies in there are all more than willing to deal with 'sole traders' such as yourself, so that sorts out that problem too, doesn't it?


In case your next question is 'OK, but where do I find a wholesale directory?' I can answer that too. Have a look on the right hand side of this page, and very near the top I've put a little video which should answer a few questions for you. Click on the link there, or underneath, or if you don't want to do that, JUST CLICK HERE and have all your questions answered.

There are some AMAZING DISCOUNTED PRICES just waiting for you. They really are very good.

How to use Advanced Search before you sell on eBay

Use Advanced Search to see what sells on eBay
EBay give you several tools to search for products that are currently selling well in any eBay online auction. In a previous post we talked about finding 'hot' products using the Sellers Information and Buyers History pages (method 1), but here we discuss using the Advanced Search Tool to identify items that are best sellers overall.


What's Advanced Search Tool then?
The Advanced Search Tool is available to everyone, and is free, so it makes sense to use it whenever you can. Once you have identified a product that you think is 'hot' using the previous method, use this next tool to confirm your findings and get a valid selling price.


So how does it work?
The first thing you do is click on the Advanced Search button at the top, and make sure you select the options to include 'Shop inventory items' and 'completed items', and enter the product you wish to do a search on. For example, if you had chosen say Teeth Whitening Strips under method 1, just enter the desciption of that product in the Keyword panel, i.e. '42 Crest Supreme Pro Whitestrips'(or whatever), and press search. This will narrow the search down to the group of products you want.


When you get the results you should see how popular that product is on eBay as a whole. If you remember, our previous method looked at the sale of the item from an individual sellers perspective, this will show that same product sold by all sellers. The green figures show a sale, and you can see how much each was sold for. Look down the list and check the highest and lowest price, and you can work out the average sale price for that product. This will give you a good guide to what sells on eBay, and the price you can expect to get.

Do this research with a number of different products in your chosen category, and by the end you should know which product will get you the best profit. If you can, select the top selling items first, this way you will be fairly certain you'll be able to sell them yourself, as long as you get the selling price right.


What do I do next?
Before you finalise your selling price (Buy it Now), or decide the minimum price you will accept at auction, don't forget to factor in VAT (if it's applicable) and any other costs involved. There's really nothing worse than selling a quantity of items, and then discovering you've forgotten to add this or that and you end up with little or no profit at all!

Any other advice?
These are just a few small tips and tricks to help you with different aspects of selling on an eBay online auction, which I hope you find useful. If you would like to know exactly how an eBay PowerSeller goes about her daily business, and earns up to £2,500 ($4,000) a WEEK, then check out the following NOW CLICK HERE. Find out how she selects a product to sell on eBay, researches it using the tools we have discussed, lists it on the auction, and collects the profits. All is revealed in this amazing course, and it can put YOU on a level playing field with other PowerSellers in no time at all. You can begin on a part-time basis until you get more experienced if you want, and even then you can earn in the region of £350 ($560) a week, that's not bad for part-time is it?!

 Give yourself the chance you've always wanted NOW CLICK HERE and make a change.

Don't forget to check out the Video on the right to find out all about sourcing wholesale goods at super discounts. To make those profit margins you want, you'll have to make sure you buy the items as cheaply as you can. See how to make REAL profits by CLICKING HERE

Where Can I Buy Wholesale and Profit

Never pay retail prices again!
If you're looking to make even bigger profits as a seller on eBay, and let's face it who isn't, you may be interested in knowing where you can lay your hands on wholesale goods from TOP quality designers at MASSIVE discounts. When I say TOP quality designers, that's exactly what I mean - Gucci, Prada, Versace, Polo, Nike, Sony, Apple, Panasonic...and many, many more.


ALL at amazing discounts! And even better than that, a lot of the companies on the list have a NO or LOW minimum order level, so if you wanted to just buy for yourself and your friends you could do that too! Well, it's a thought.


With over 8,000 different companies to choose from in 75 different categories, ranging from Designer Fashions, DVDs, Jewellery and Consumer Electronics to Prams and Plumbing Supplies, there's bound to be one that's just right for you (or your friends!)


Now with 65,000 members all over the world, and a very lively Forum of some 25,000, this Wholesale Directory can rightly claim to be one of the best on the Internet. They count many eBay PowerSellers as members too, so they must be doing something right!

With a Customer Service Team online 7 days a week, they will answer any query in an average of 30 minutes, AND what's more, if you're looking for a particular product to buy and can't find a company to supply it, they will find one for you FREE!


Have a look at the VIDEO on the right, or follow the LINKS on this page, and see for yourself how this could benefit you and your business (don't forget your friends). Access to this mountain of information does not cost the earth, in fact you would probably get your money back on your first purchase! Oh, and by the way, membership is for LIFE too. No nasty surprises like finding you've subscribed to a monthly payment scheme or anything like that.

The Directory of Wholesalers is updated on a daily basis, so all the information is CURRENT, unlike some where the list is 3 years old, and a lot of companies no longer trade.


If you've always wanted to make money in online auctions AND make a decent profit into the bargain, you MUST have a reliable supply of TOP QUALITY wholesale goods that people WANT to buy. The cheaper you can buy the products for, the better your chance of making a good profit, and when those products are BRAND NAMES, as long as you get the selling price right, you WILL get those profits - won't you?


Check out the Links below or watch the Video (or both!). You never know, it could be the missing piece of the puzzle you've been looking for. Remember, you don't HAVE to tell your friends where you got those shoes or handbag from, OR the price you really paid, do you?


JOIN today, and NEVER pay retail prices again! CLICK HERE to find out how.

What sells on eBay

How do I find the really hot products as a seller on eBay?
It can't be emphasised enough that the only way to find out what sells on eBay is to do your RESEARCH first. If you do proper research you will KNOW what products are selling well, and likewise those that are not.


EBay provide a number of tools to help in your research, so use them, and use them often, they will become like friends, providing you with quality information in a few clicks of the mouse. Once you have this information, it will be a whole lot easier to decide what sells on eBay, and what doesn't, and what product you'll leave 'til another day.

OK so far - now what?
The first, and easiest method you can use, and the one we'll concentrate on today, is to find out exactly how many of a particular product have been sold, how much they were sold for, and who bought them. This will help you decide if the product you've chosen to sell on eBay will actually sell, or not.


To start the research, login at eBay. If you know the product you want to look up, just go to the category, click on sub-category and arrive at page 1 of the listing. If you aren't quite sure what to choose yet, go through the categories and sub-categories until you find one you like. If you are new to this, it's better to select something you're familiar with, it might make it easier to start with.

I've done that - what next?
When you reach page 1, look down the right hand side at the time left for each item. What you are searching for are products with some time still remaining -10 - 25 days is ideal, and it's these items that are of interest to us. The listings are made up in order of best selling items, so if they're on page 1 AND still have a long time to go, it means they are 'hot' products.

Will my product be hot or not?
To see just how good or bad they are, click on one of the items and it will take you to the Sellers information page. Here you will see further details of the product, the quantity that are left, and a link that says 'purchases'. Click on purchases and it will take you to the Buyers History page. This page is where you will see exactly how many of these items have been sold, when they were sold, and to whom they were sold. That is priceless information. Once you have this you can work out the likelihood of your product selling well, or not. You can do this with any product, in any category. If a product is selling really well you may decide to try and source the same item yourself, and sell it a bit cheaper!


The other research methods, such as eBay Pulse and Advanced Search will be covered in later posts.

What can I do now?
Check out some of the other posts on this blog for further information, or if you want to find out how you can start your own full or part-time eBay online auction business and earn between £350 - £2,500 a WEEK from your kitchen table, follow the link below.


Unlock the Secrets of an eBay PowerSeller and change your life TODAY! CLICK HERE


Would you like to know where top performing eBay PowerSellers source their heavily discounted products from? Do you know what 'drop shippers' are, and how they could help you with your new business?


Find out how to Boost Profits AND Deliveries at the same time! CLICK HERE