chapter2

Chapter Two

New to eBay?

To get started sign-up for free to eBay by clicking here. Then come back to this site and
master the worlds largest online auction.

eBay.com is the world's first and largest person-to-person online trading site. It's also
the best. It's the place to find what you want, sell what you have and to make a few
friends along the way. To get you started buying and selling you need to sign up so you
can send and accept payments. Click on the logo below for Paypal set up.

What is PayPal?

PayPal lets any business or consumer with an email address securely, conveniently, and
cost-effectively send and receive payments online. They have become the leading
payment network for online auction websites, including eBay. PayPal is also being
increasingly used at other e-commerce sites, for the sale of goods such as electronics
and household items, the sale of services such as web design and travel, and the sale of
digital content. Offline businesses, including lawyers, contractors and physicians, have
increasingly begun to receive payments online through PayPal. PayPal's service, which
lets users send payments for free, can be used from PCs or Web-enabled mobile
phones.

Setting up "my eBay Preferences"

Setting up eBay to work best for you is easy. Click on the tab "My eBay" and find the
"preferences" tab and click on it. You will then see a list of options to choose to tailor
your account perfect for you. You can save your opening eBay page to view selling,
bid/watch items, favorites, feedback, or accounts. Simply choose the options you prefer.
This is also where you can update your personal information such as user ID/email
address,change user ID, change email address, change wireless email address,
address information, and password.

How to create your "About Me" page.

eBay's "Me" Page allows you to post information about yourself and your auctions so
that other eBay visitors can learn more about you. (When you see the word "Me" next to
a user's name, click on it and it will bring you to their "Me" Page.) You can include
personal information about yourself with photos, or keep it strictly business, including
some of your current auctions and your feedback profile. This is an important tool in your
eBay business plan. Be sure to take the time to do this and detail how long you've been
in business, your specialties, customer satisfaction, the items that you sell. When
Creating Your "Me" Page, Ask Yourself: What do I want to say? What do I want to
accomplish by having this page? What or how much do I want to show about my
business or myself?

Tips:
Graphically, keep it neat, clean and straightforward. The page should load fast. Select
options carefully from the eBay templates: You do not need to choose everything! Edit,
edit, edit.

Steps in Creating a "Me" Page:
a) First, figure out what you are going to say. And if you want to include a photo, load it to
the Web and have the URL handy to enter into the "Me" Page form.
b) Go to http://members.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?AboutMeLogin.
c) Type in your user name and password. Click on "Create and Edit Your Page."
d) Choose a layout (2 column, newspaper or centered).
e) Now comes the part where you have to be creative - fill in the items as prompted.
f) Preview your page - proofread carefully.
g) When it is perfect, save it!

*Want to know how to upload a .jgp or .gif picture file to add onto your "me" page? Go to
villagephotos.com and for a small fee you can get started right away!

Feedback Explained

Think about how great it would be if every merchant you traded with had a display of
customer comments posted in the store. Whatever comment the customer has is there
for all to read and the shopkeeper could not change a single word. The shop owner
could write comments about the customers and once written remains unaltered. The
customers would gain respect for those shopkeepers with positive comments and avoid
the unscrupulous sellers. A dream? In the brick and mortar world it is; but in the virtual
shopping mall of eBay it is a reality. Right now. The eBay Feedback Forum allows
buyers to write and post their comments about any seller they have purchased from.
Likewise, the seller can comment about the buyer. Perusing the feedback of a seller
before you bid allows you to bid with confidence and the seller can exclude a
questionable buyer. Feedback makes eBay the great model of Internet commerce.
Posting feedback is the final step in closing a transaction. eBay provides numerous
links to easily click to the feedback form, it’s that important. So important, your
feedback rating is always displayed next to your eBay ID (the number in parentheses).
Ebay’s star rating system is based upon the number of feedback. Without this public
rating system eBay would be just another caveat emptor (buyer beware) marketplace.
The feedback form offers three options of feedback. Positive, Neutral or Negative.

Positive Feedback

The most common form of feedback is positive. Both the buyer and seller involved
in a transaction should leave positive feedback if pleased with the results.
Seller emailed in a timely manner? Buyer paid quickly? Fast shipment? Product
as described or better? Then say so using positive feedback. eBay gives you
80 characters to post positive comments for each other. Note, you have to be
involved in a transaction, as either the buyer or seller to post feedback and
the feedback must be posted within ninety days of the close of an auction.
Left a comment and would like to add something? You can review and add to a
previously left feedback. Additionally, you can write a response to a feedback.
A positive feedback adds one point to a member’s feedback profile.

Neutral Feedback

Neutral feedback can be used to post your comments about a transaction that didn’t go
as smoothly as you expected. Late shipments, emails, item not as described and vague
communications might warrant a neutral feedback. Should you consider leaving a
neutral comment you should contact the other involved member before posting as a
common courtesy, although not a requirement. Often the differences can be mutually
worked out and the neutral comment may become a positive comment for both. Neutral
feedback does not affect the member’s feedback profile, counting as a zero.

Negative Feedback

Negative feedback is the prime reason less than desirable sellers and buyers are soon
excluded from the eBay marketplace. Negative comments are red flags warning future
buyers or sellers that this member has demonstrated a total lack of responsible behavior
in prior transactions. You should always try to resolve the dispute before entering a
negative feedback. Email the other to voice your problems and attempt to come to a
mutually agreed resolution as a common courtesy. Can’t work out a solution and the
situation presents no options? You then have a responsibility to leave negative
feedback to warn other members of potential problems dealing with the member. A
suggested course of action if you are considering posting a negative comment is to wait
until you can think logically about the situation and the emotions have had an opportunity
to cool down. The same applies to responding to a negative feedback. Be careful what
you post in your negative comment so it does not constitute libel or defamation
remarks. You can be held legally responsible and a court may require you to pay
damages. Negative feedback counts as a –1 and is deducted from your feedback
profile.

What to do if you receive Unwarranted Negative Feedback

What to do if you receive a negative feedback that has no basis there are options you
can pursue. eBay offers a method of removal but that is a rare happening. Generally
the best route to having negative feedback removed is through a certified dispute
resolution service; but it is going to cost you $20.00 if the negative feedback is
successfully removed. eBay’s approved dispute resolution provider is Square Trade
Service. Sometimes it may be better to just leave the comment, write your response
and go forward depending on your circumstances. A professional approach does not
include leaving retaliatory negative feedback for the offending party. Craft your
response carefully and the eBay community will quickly realize the unjustified negative
comment. A classic case of getting lemons and turning them into lemonade.

The feedback system eBay has developed is the keystone to trust and success in the
eBay world marketplace. Feedback is far to important to be taken lightly so consider
your comments carefully, striving for accuracy and always be truthful.

Remember to leave feedback for your transactions. Checkout your potential trading
partners feedback profile. Take a look at feedback's the member has left for others.
Guard against negative comments by providing accurate descriptions, detailed photos,
timely responses and on time shipping if you are the seller. The buyer should respond to
emails on time, provide accurate information to your seller and send payments promptly.

Many sellers leave positive feedback for the customer when the payment is received.
The buyer knows his payment arrived and the product is in shipment. Likewise, the
buyer leaves positive feedback for the seller when the item arrives. The seller knows the
shipment arrived safely and the buyer was pleased. This has proven to be a good
system of leaving feedback and has the added benefit of reducing emails.

eBay Search Guide

If you know what you're searching for go to enter a couple of words in the Search box at
the top of nearly every eBay page. A list will appear with matching items. If you'd like a
more thorough search use the advanced search, click on the "Search" button in the
Navigation Bar to access this.

If you just want to browse... A good place to begin is eBay's categories list. Or, you can
click on the "Browse" button at the top of any page. In the later chapters you will learn
how to use keywords to find the items you are looking for.

My Fashion Guru