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eBay Has Limits – What Things You Will NOT Find to Buy
At eBay’s foundation it was virtually unregulated. Traders could buy and sell practically any product they desired. However, as eBay became more popular, it found it necessary to prohibit or restrict the sale of certain products in its online auctions. Some restrictions apply to all eBay members; while others are regionally mandated, and others are allowed the sale of an item only in special areas of the site.
eBay has classified its restricted items into three categories. Prohibited items cannot be listed on eBay under any circumstances. Questionable items can be listed under certain conditions. Potentially infringing items are not allowed to avoid the violation of copyright or trademark laws.
There are several examples of items that fall under the prohibited category. eBay prohibits the sale of alcohol since they cannot regulate age restrictions. Both prescription and recreational drugs are banned from eBay. In addition, eBay prohibits the listing of any firearms, knives, ammunition, or explosives. Human parts and remains are also strictly forbidden from being listed.
Other examples of items that eBay prohibits are animal and wildlife products, counterfeit items, credit card, fireworks, corrosives, military or police property, stamps, foreign currency, identification cards, lottery tickets, lock picking devices, pesticides, plants, seeds, recalled items, slot machines, stocks, stolen products and tobacco.
Items that eBay considers questionable include autographed items, batteries, food, tickets, contracts, used clothing and medical devices. eBay has unique listing conditions for these items and warns buyers to be particularly cautious when purchasing an item from this list.
eBay bans the sale of items that are potentially infringing. These items include academic software, bootleg recordings, games software, brand misuse, beta software, authenticity disclaimers, keyword spamming, mod chips, faces names and signatures, promotional items and anything that has been reproduced without the appropriate authorization.
Recently eBay has come under criticism for not enforcing their policies on what you can and cannot sell fairly amongst all eBay members. Critics have claimed that they enforce the regulations surrounding pirated items more strictly. The claim is that eBay caters to the copyright concerns of big business but overlooks items that may actually be more dangerous. While the enforcement of its policies may be random at times, eBay stands by it policies.
It is also important to mention that eBay enforces the same policies even if sellers are offering the items for free. You do not have to receive money for a prohibited or restricted item to be considered liable.
eBay not only regulates the items that can be bought in its online marketplace, but has rules concerning how information is displayed as well. It specifically prohibits the use of profanity and vulgar language, including remarks that are racist, hateful, sexist, or obscene. eBay also prohibits members to make threats to other members via email, telephone, or public message boards. It attempts to assure that all members follow these rules, so that eBay can remain an online marketplace that people feel comfortable being a part of.
Before listing you product for sale on eBay, you should check to make sure that it does not fall under any prohibited categories. Also keep in mind that eBay reserves the right to modify or update their list of prohibited and restricted items at any time.
eBay may take action against its members who break the rules concerning prohibited and restricted items. These members will have their auctions cancelled early and may face an account suspension. If your listing is cancelled early because you were in violation of their policy eBay will notify you and all bidders or the reasons behind the cancellation.
Til next time ...
Don Guindon |
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Defining Shill Bidding on eBay and Why It’s Wrong
eBay is an online auction site that allows individuals to both purchase and offer different items for sale within the auction format. However, as with almost all activities concerning money and goods, there are some people that try to exploit the system. Shill bidding is one way in which individuals attempt to cheat the system. Over the course of its existence, there have been many people that have either been users and proponents of shill bidding or who have been victims of the unfair practice. In general, shill bidding is the exploitation of bidding within the online world in order to increase the income an individual will receive for the sale of an item or good.
On the eBay auction website, there are different products that an individual can purchase. Some of these items are new, and others are used. However, the point of the auctions is to provide the consumer with a good at a discounted price while enabling the seller to make some sort of income, either surplus or enough to break even. These are the goals of the auction site. Obviously, this cannot be performed to the satisfaction of everyone involved one hundred percent of the time. There are instances in which an individual purchases the wrong item by mistake, or purchases a used item that they thought was new. Some instances of problems also would include a seller not making enough money to cover the cost of the sold item, or a seller being stiffed by the winning bidder. However, instead of using legitimate and successful ways to solve these problems, some people have resorted to less admirable and moral means.
When individuals perform shill bidding on eBay, they are bidding on their own item in order to inflate the price that they are owed in the sale of the item. If there is interest in a particular item, the seller may create a separate account or they may use a separate account that they already have created in order to get into a bidding war with the individual or individuals that are legitimately interested in the item. In the end, if the seller’s alter-ego wins the bid, there is not any damage to them since they will not have to actually ship out the item. Instead, they can offer the losing bidder a second chance offer. This occurs when the seller sends a message to the other bidder or bidders in which the item is offered to them for the highest price that they bid during the auction. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for second chance offers to be given to other bidders, but other times this process, too, is exploited by greedy individuals. If this is the case, then the bidder may end up paying much more than they would have originally paid for the item if the seller did not try to inflate the price.
Officially, eBay’s stance on shill bidding is that it is reprehensible and will not be tolerated within the online community. However, as with most scams, it can be difficult to enforce this all of the time. There have been some high profile instances where individuals were exposed to have taken part in this behavior. It can be prosecuted in a court of law, since shill bidding is illegal in most areas in the United States and in some areas worldwide. It is important that individuals make themselves educated and aware about shill bidding in order to make sure that they stay within the confines of the law as well as to be able to avoid scams on eBay. On the whole, eBay is a great and functional site, and it is important not to let the minority ruin the good times for those who stay within the limits of jurisdictional and moral allowances.
Happy ebaying folks!
Don Guindon |
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Are You Happy In Your Business?
If you are working from home, it's sometimes hard to approach your business as...well....a business. After all, when your daily commute is simply walking across the room it's hard to change your mindset from "home" to "office" so quickly and in your home surroundings.
To be successful working from home, though, you must have an "office" mindset that takes you from personal to business activities effectively. A great way to do this is to find a resource that reminds you of the importance of a business approach and that contains the information you need to make your business more successful than ever.
Where can you find a resource that can do all of this? Introducing Ebay Profits 2007, an amazing,
comprehensive book that shows you exactly how to build and operate your Ebay selling business right from your own home.
Of course, being your own boss means putting in the time and effort to be successful, so don't expect Ebay Profits 2007 to be a get rich quick scheme. You'll have to do your part, too.
But no other book has the potential to help you expand your business so smartly and generate huge profits so quickly. Ebay Profits 2007 is specially designed to cover everything you need to know about becoming an insanely successful Ebay seller.
You'll get much more than the basic "how to" information, though. Ebay Profits 2007 is packed with proven strategies and insider secrets that will help you rise to the highest levels of success you want.
If you care about your home business and making a good income, you need Ebay Profits 2007. Just click below to learn the insider secrets that can literally change your life:
If reselling this great package interests you please click here: Resell Ebay Profits 2007. The first 20 people who purchase this resell package will receive the renowned "Meeting of the Masters DVD" Absolutely free. It's a movie length DVD capturing 13 of the internet's best marketers caught in one room together. They were asked: "With $500, can you make 30 grand in one months time" The answer is yes, so you can find out how they did it!
Grab it while you can, it's a limited time offer or whoever grabs them first.
That's all for today :)
Don Guindon |
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Don’t Hook those eBay Phish!
Phishing is an illegal activity that pulls a person from a legitimate eBay site to one that is involved in scamming people for money. Phishing is also often referred to as spoofing, or sending spoof e-mails.
This happens quite often and honest buyers and sellers need to be aware of this practice-and to know how to avoid being hooked by it, or hooking someone else in this way. There are ways to be sure not to be tricked by one of these evil schemes.
eBay phishers will present themselves as an authentic-looking eBay site, and will even send e-mails to members that look as though they are legitimate. However, many of these supposedly legitimate-looking e-mails are really fake.
There are warning signs you need to be aware of to be able to spot e-mails that are being sent to you as ones that are fake or spoofs. For example, phishers will often send generic notices with a greeting such as “Attention eBay Member” or similar phrase.
Usually the spoof e-mails mentioned in the previous paragraph will contain threats of eBay account suspension, invitations to become a Power Seller, and so forth. These actions in themselves could happen, but spoofers send these during times when these events or situations could not possibly take place. Furthermore, spoofing (phishing) emails also usually require a person to take immediate action, and to offer personal information such as a social security number, eBay password, and so on.
A similar phishing experience that has affected some eBay members in the past that you need to be aware about is that regarding PayPal. Numerous attempts have been made by people sending out fake e-mails that look authentic and even have PayPal addresses in the “From” line. The object usually is to get you to surrender to them your PayPal password so they can use it to steal the funds out of your PayPal account.
You know a little about what a fake e-mail would contain if it were sent to you by a phisher. However, you may also want to know what an eBay e-mail or a PayPal e-mail will or will not contain. For example, authentic e-mails from eBay or PayPal usually do not have any files attached to them, nor do they ask for passwords or other personal information (i.e. credit card numbers or SSN).
In order to further protect yourself, you may want to copy and paste any links that you get in an e-mail into your web browser. This will help ensure that you are going to the right site page. However, you also may need to take other action to be able to recognize a true eBay site from a false one.
One way to know if you are visiting a genuine eBay site is to take a look at the URL of the page that a link leads you to after you click it or paste it into your Web browser. If you notice that the link contains no other characters before the first forward slash of the eBay URL it is most likely genuine. It will also not contain any additional characters after the forward slash of a particular page, other than that which usually would name a specific eBay page.
If you have any doubt at all regarding a particular eBay e-mail and whether or not it is really eBay you can also report it and check out the situation. For example, if you notice that you have receive an e-mail saying that your eBay account is in danger of suspension you may consider not responding to that e-mail, and typing in the URL of the eBay home page and then signing in to your account. Usually you will have received a notice in your eBay e-mail message system.
If you see that your account appears to be okay, you should be able to still buy, sell, and make bids. If you can do one or more of these things then you know that your eBay account has not been suspended. Therefore, be careful, and report any suspicious e-mails to the proper authorities, such as to eBay or PayPal sites. Authorities from either one of these sites will look further into the situation.
Don Guindon |
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Scam Artists are Alive and Well on eBay – How to Avoid Them
As with virtually any venture, there are always people out and about trying to exploit and take advantage of honest, hard workers that are using legitimate means to make income or otherwise improve the quality of their lives. The eBay company was established in the 1990’s and is an online auction website that is used by individuals in order to sell and purchase different new and used items for the personalize use of the individual. However, there are certain scam artists that are trying to, and who have been able to, use the system to their own benefit. Still, there are ways in which an individual can avoid being taken advantage of by the scam artists which may be using eBay in order to meet their own malicious needs involving money or reputable goods that the individual wants.
It is very important that individuals not take part in Buy It Now purchases through individual emails. Because the process takes place outside of the eBay community, if a person does not receive their item, there is no way to leave negative feedback about the experience. As a result, other consumers are not warned and an individual can be taken advantage of if they do take part in this procedure with a less than reputable partner. Also advisable to consumers is that they not use Western Union or other wire money transfers. Western Union expresses themselves as a third party in the proceedings, and therefore they assume no liability for any fraud that may come as a result.
Additionally, using Western Union or another wiring service can be expensive as compared to other payment methods that are available to the individual. eBay also has an approved escrow service to use in order to make sure that the trading partner or seller is legitimate. The online auction site eBay also encourages individuals who are involved in a transaction in which the individual insists that the potential consumer use a specific escrow service to do a check decline the purchase with that individual and report that seller to eBay to investigate. This is because there are many fake escrow services out there, which will not give the individual a truly accurate portrayal of the seller.
There are sometimes emails sent that say they are from eBay, but these are emails that are actually from scam artists who are trying to get your billing or bank account information in order to use the funds in the bank account belonging to the unsuspecting recipient. It is important to go to eBay.com and investigate the likelihood of the email being legitimate. If it is, there will be corresponding information on the eBay home page. An individual can also contact eBay and forward the email to them in order to assert the validity of the email. Do not give out personal bank information, eBay will not ask for this information. Some emails also claim to sell auction items at incredibly low prices, and it is important not to fall for this scam, whose purpose is to lure individuals into sending money outside of the eBay community.
It can also be beneficial to be wary of short 24 or 48-hour auctions for expensive items. This is because certain scam artists hijack other users’ accounts and use them in order to exploit money from unsuspecting consumers with no penalty to deal with on their own accounts and personas after the fact.
While the FBI has noted that 62% of all Internet crimes are made up from false and fraudulent online auction scams, there are many legitimate individuals that are involved in the online auction scene. Individuals simply need to be aware of popular scams and how to stay away from them. They are not impossible to avoid, it simply necessitates that the consumer be educated and responsible.
Don Guindon |
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Avoid your Closest eBay Competitor – Yourself!
Sometimes the biggest eBay competitor is yourself. This is because eBay is an already crowded market and listing too many items at the same time can flood it. Like other markets, eBay thrives on the forces of supply and demand, if you try to auction several of the same items simultaneously, the result will be a surplus causing prices to decrease and bidding to slow down.
Though eBay follows the traditional rules of supply and demand, it does not have the standard barriers that a keeps a customer from going elsewhere. Because eBay is an enormous market confined to one website that is accessible by everyone, buyers and sellers are all on a level playing field. This is because there are no logistic incentives such as going t a store that is close to you as opposed to one that is slightly farther a way but has better prices. Customers can view several auctions at the same time and generally do not possess the feelings of loyalty that often come with shopping in a traditional market.
Because of these unique characteristics, it is important to understand how to avoid being your own closest competitor. It is important to realize that selling multiple products at the same time may not be the most effective way to make the most money. Listing items in bulk almost always floods the market and drives prices down.
Many sellers assume that if they are making a profit by selling one item, they can double the profit by selling two. This misconception can lead eBay sellers to devise an ineffective selling strategy. Before listing multiple items it is important to consider the impact that will have on the market for that product and the resulting price.
One way to avoid competing with yourself is to time your listings in advance. Try to schedule your auctions when you feel there will be more buyers for your product. Listing several of the same products simultaneously is most effective if the market for the item is large, meaning there are many potential buyers.
As with most markets, eBay is predictably cyclical. This means that buying and selling large quantities of items usually happens in waves. If you do your research ahead of time and discover that the eBay market is saturated with similar items, chances are waiting would be to your advantage. Holding off until the volume of similar products decreases will help you get a higher price for your item.
Staggering your listings can also help insure that you won’t be your own biggest competitor. Do not plan all your auctions at the same time; instead, space your listings out with a few days between them. This will allow buyers who were interested in the last auction a second chance to bid.
It may also be helpful to list your item for a fixed price rather than auctioning it, especially if there is a limited market for that item. The auction method limits the amount of time potential buyers have to place bids. If the market for your product is small you might not get enough attention before the auction closes. Placing a fixed price ahead of time can help you avoid that drawback.
Because the eBay market is already overcrowded, it is important to do your research before listing your item. If the market is being over run by sellers offering the same product, it may be wise to hold off on your auction. Also, if you are selling multiple products, you may wan to consider listing them at different times to avoid flooding the market and driving prices down.
That's all for today.
Don Guindon |
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Seven Smart Ways to Avoid Being Ripped Off on eBay
While eBay can be a safe and secure way to trade items be aware of signs that indicate the seller or item is not as it seems. Just like the traditional market, eBay has the potential of attracting shady sellers looking to make a quick buck at your expense. Here are seven savvy ways to avoid being ripped off on eBay.
First, you should be aware of an abnormally low “buy it now” prices. If the item is priced well below fair market price, there is probably a good reason for it. Investigate the quality of these items before making a bid to make sure it’s not a scam. While shopping on eBay can lead you to some great deals, if it seems a little too good to be true it probably is.
Also, avoid bidding on auctions that don’t exist in the traditional market. This includes software items that were never released or movies that are still in the theatre. If the item does not exist in the regular market, the seller probably does not possess it. If they do, it’s most likely a fraud or illegal, either way you should not bid on the item.
If the seller is requesting unusual or unorthodox payment methods, then that should be a red flag that this auction is not for you. Steer clear of eBay traders who require payment methods that are untraceable, such as wire transfers or ask for your bank account information. PayPal has become the standard method of making payments on eBay. Buyers should look for auctions that utilize PayPal or money orders as preferred methods of payments. Under no circumstance should a buyer give out personal account information. Furthermore, making all your payments electronically will increase the chances that you can get your money back if something goes wrong.
Another way to avoid being ripped off is to do all your transactions through eBay. Potential buyers should be cautious of auctions that contain the phrase “contact me before bidding”. These sellers try to convince buyers to purchase the item directly from them to avoid eBay fees. However, bypassing eBay means there will be no record of your transaction. This means the seller has nothing stopping them from taking your money and then disappearing.
Another red flag that should warn you not to bid on an item is contradictory information in the listing. Avoid auctions that describe on item one way and then when you click on the listing the detail describe something else. Pay special attention to size dimensions, model types, and years.
Another helpful tool to avoid being ripped off is to buy from reputable sellers and pay attention to a members feedback score before making a purchase. The higher the score the more positive feedback they have received. If the seller has a low score, they are probably not someone you should make a purchase from.
The seventh tip to avoid being ripped off when buying on eBay is to know the value of the item that you are purchasing. Do some research ahead of time so that you have a good idea what the item would cost if you brought it brand new, that way you know a good deal when you see it. There is no point paying more for an item on eBay than you would pay walking into any retail store
As you gain more experience buying and trading on eBay it will become easy to detect shady auctions and sellers. It is important to trust your instincts and never participate in auctions that you feel uncomfortable with. These tips will help make your eBay shopping experience safe and fun.
Done for today
Don Guindon |
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Eight Red Flags that Should Tell You NOT to Bid
When deciding whether or not to make a purchase on eBay it is important to consider a sellers feedback, but that may not be the only factor to consider when deciding whether or not t bid. Experts have identified eight red flags that should be a sign that you should not place a bid.
First, you should be aware of an abnormally low buy it now prices. If the item is priced well below fair market price there is probably a good reason for it. While shopping on eBay can lead you to some great deal if it seems a little too good to be true it probably is.
Also, avoid bidding on auctions that don’t exist in the traditional market. This includes software items that were never released or movies that are still in the theatre. If the item does not exist in the regular market, the seller probably does not possess it. If they do it’s most likely a fraud or illegal, either way you should not bid on the item.
If the seller is requesting unusual or unorthodox payment methods that should be a red flag that this auction is not for you. Steer clear of eBay traders who require payment methods that are untraceable, such as wire transfers or ask for your bank account information. PayPal has become the standard method of making payments on eBay. Buyers should look for auctions that utilize PayPal or money orders as preferred methods of payments. And under no circumstance should a buyer give out personal account information.
Also, be on the look out for auctions that have outrageous shipping prices. Some unscrupulous sellers will list their item at a low starting price to entice buyers and then slam them with an astronomical shipping rate. Sellers often due this to avoid paying hefty eBay fees that are calculated as a percentage of the selling price, but do not take into account shipping prices.
Potential buyers should be cautious of auctions that contain the phrase “contact me before bidding”. These sellers try to convince buyers to purchase the item directly from them to avoid eBay fees. However, bypassing eBay means there will be no record of your transaction. Meaning the seller has nothing stopping them from taking your money and then disappearing.
Another red flag that should warn you not to bid on an item is contradictory information in the listing. Avoid auctions that describe on item one way and then when you click on the listing the detail describe something else. Pay special attentions to size dimensions, model types, and years.
Also, avoid bidding on auctions that describe the sale item as “almost the real thing”. Sellers often try to pawn off fakes or knock offs by using terms such as “compatible” or “like” in their descriptions. Also, be on the look out for sellers inserting the word “not” in the title. This is a sneaky way to sell low quality imitations to unsuspecting eBay traders.
You should also stay away from auctions that are selling untested items. Untested implies that the owner does not know whether or not the product is in working condition, but more often than not this means the item is not functional. Make sure you only place bids on items that the seller knows works.
After buying and selling on eBay for some time you will learn to identify these tell tale red flags and avoid those auctions all together. While eBay can be a safe and secure way to trade items be aware of signs that indicate the seller or item is not as it seems.
That's all for today :)
Don Guindon |
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What You Should Do When You Don’t Get Paid by the Winning eBay Bidder
eBay is a great resource for those who know how to use it properly. However, sometimes a problem can arise when an auction is opened, bid on, and closed without the winning bidder actually giving the owed money to the seller. This can seem like a frightening prospect, but it is important that the seller not be disheartened or get to a point where they lose all hope when it comes to the auction process or the eBay online auction website. There are a number of different options that the individual has available to them when they do not receive the payment, which they are owed by the winning bidder on eBay. First, the seller needs to take responsibility on their part and do everything they can before involving any other parties to try to mediate or take action against the bidder.
While it can seem like a very overwhelming process, it is important not to let the situation become overwhelming. By staying level headed, an eBay seller can make the most of their situation by not allowing it to upset, frustrate or dishearten them. If the eBay seller gives in to these emotions, the winning bidder wins not just the auction, but also affecting the seller in a more severe way as well. First, the eBay seller needs to try to contact the winning bidder. They can send the winning bidder an invoice from the account menu page of the individual’s my eBay account screen.
In addition, if this has already been done and has no affect, the seller can also send an email notification with a message from the seller to the winning bidder. This is done by clicking on the menu for the winning bidder by clicking on their account name and selecting Contact eBay Member from the menus listed there. Sending a note can sometimes clear up a lot of confusion between the seller and the bidder. Invoices can inadvertently be ignored if the winning bidder is not expecting the invoice. It is important to remember that sometimes emergencies come up, and we must allow for this patiently. We would like the same treatment in return. This is a simple and considerate gesture in which the seller allows some time to pass in order to give the bidder the opportunity of coming up with the money that the seller is owed.
If the member has been contacted several times, through invoices and/or personalized notes, the seller now has the option of getting the system involved. The seller can send a note to eBay informing them of the situation. eBay should be told how many times the seller tried to contact the winning bidder and when. Specifics are important because they help to give an accurate timeline of the events, which helps eBay to produce a non-biased and informed decision. Typically, it is allowable to wait seven days from the close of the auction to receive payment.
There are also times, depending on what is specified within the auction, that checks will be mailed to the seller. It takes time for the postal service to get the check to the seller. This is an instance of the winning bidder not doing anything wrong, as long as the auction does not specify that they cannot pay by check, wherein the seller needs to be patient and await payment. Still, in this case, seven days should still be ample opportunity for receiving payment, even if the matter can be cleared up by communicative emails between the two separate parties. Penalties from eBay can range from no admonishment to suspension of account termination for the winning bidder who does not pay the seller.
Thanks, that's all for today.
Don Guindon |
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| About Me |
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Name: Don Guindon
Home: Malakwa, British Columbia, Canada
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