I'm new to Ebay, What Scams Are Out There?

I have been looking at the possibility of doing some Ebay trading. And, since I have been on the Internet for a while, I decided that I should see what Ebay scams, if any, was floating about. Why? It is always good to be aware of the good, the bad, and the ugly of any online venture. And since, I've seen all sides - it's wise to have cautious optimism.

Wholesale List Scam

With this scam, the wholesaler gives you a photo of say, a computer monitor or DVD - the buyer is under the assumption that they are buying a monitor or DVD, right? Wrong? You may only be buying a wholesale list. This is what they call a "bait and switch". They are hoping that the individual is in a hurry or cannot read English well, and they blindly buy. Rule of thumb: read everything before buying.

Note: Wholesale List scams are very common for monitors, laptops, camcorders, DVD players, flat screen televisions and mp3 players; cutting-edge electronic devices.

Fake Money Order

The buyer sends the seller a fake money order, a bad check - and the seller sends the item before the money order or check has been successfully cashed. Seller is out the item and the money.

Credit Card Chargebacks

The buyer pays with a credit card through Paypal. Once the buyer has received the item, the buyer initiates a chargeback. This is where the novice come in, if you do not have proof that the item was sent - you are out the money, the item, and you have to pay a chargeback fee. Rule of thumb: Send your item through UPS, or certified mail to protect yourself.

Fake Escrow Scam

The scammer says that they want to buy your item, but they want to use an escrow service. The purpose of the escrow service is to add a layer of protection for the buyer. They will hold on to the money, and once the buyer has received the item from the seller, the escrow service will release the money to the seller. This is where the scam comes in - The buyer will request that you use the escrow service that they, so they say, have used with other transactions. The escrow service is a front - set up by the buyer.

Email Ebay Scam The email Ebay scam - is an email that says it has come from Ebay. The email will state that it looks like your account has been compromised and they would like your to verify the information,for your protection, of course. Never click the link. Open a new Internet session and manually type the information to get into your account.

Other email scams, include the fake payment received email. You will receive a payment-received notice, that looks authentic, but be aware, it could have been sent by the buyer. Never send anything, until you have verified that the payment has been received and the info received is valid.

To conclude, when you are looking at any new venture, it is always good to do the research and be aware of what you may be up against. It hard enough to start any business - and you definitely don't want anyone running off with your hard earned money. Being aware - can keep your business moving forward.
About the Author

Vickie J Scanlon has a BBA degree in Administrative Management and Marketing. Visit her site at: http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz for free tools, articles, ebooks, affiliate oportunities, and how to info for the affiliate marketer.

Written by: VickieScanlon

EBay Income Possibilities

If you've ever read an article about eBay, you will have seen the kinds of incomes people make - it isn't unusual to hear of people making thousands of dollars per month on eBay.

Next time you're on eBay, take a look at how many PowerSellers there are: you'll find quite a few. Now consider that every single one of one of them must be making at least $1,000 per month, as that's eBay's requirement for becoming a PowerSeller. Silver PowerSellers make at least $3,000 each month, while Gold PowerSellers make more than $10,000, and the Platinum level is $25,000. The top ranking is Titanium PowerSeller, and to qualify you must make at least $150,000 in sales every month!

The fact that these people exist gives you come idea of the income possibilities here. Most of them never set out to even set up a business on eBay - they simply started selling a few things, and then kept going. There are plenty of people whose full-time job is selling things on eBay, and some of them have been doing it for years now. Can you imagine that? Once they've bought the stock, everything else is pretty much pure profit for these people - they don't need to pay for any business premises, staff, or anything else. There are multi-million pound businesses making less in actual profit than eBay PowerSellers do.

Even if you don't want to quit your job and really go for it, you can still use eBay to make a significant second income. You can pack up orders during the week and take them down to the post office for delivery each Saturday. There are few other things you could be doing with your spare time that have anywhere near that kind of earning potential.

What's more, eBay doesn't care who you are, where you live, or what you look like: some PowerSellers are very old, or very young. Some live out in the middle of nowhere where selling on eBay is one of the few alternatives to farming or being very poor. eBay tears down the barriers to earning that the real world constantly puts up. There's no job interview and no commuting involved - if you can post things, you can do it.

Put it this way: if you know where to get something reasonably cheaply that you could sell, then you can sell it on eBay - and since you can always get discounts for bulk at wholesale, that's not exactly difficult. Buy a job lot of something in-demand cheaply, sell it on eBay, and you're making money already, with no set-up costs.

If you want to dip your toe in the water before you commit to actually buying anything, then you can just sell things that you've got lying around in the house. Search through that cupboard of stuff you never use, and you'll probably find you've got a few hundred dollars' worth of stuff lying around in there! This is the power of eBay: there is always someone who wants what you're selling, whatever it might be, and since they've come looking for you, you don't even need to do anything to get them to buy it.

So you want to get started on eBay? Well, that's great! There are only a few little things you need to learn to get started. Our next article will give you the low-down.

About the Author

Cassandra Stinchcombe - Stop paying for eBay selling information you can get for FREE. Visit EnVisionOpportunity.com today.

Written by: Cassandra Stinchcombe

Three Important Tips Regarding Drop Shipping

There are two items needed prior to being accepted as a reseller for any wholesale or distributor source when you are setting up your business name and retail license. The first is to choose a general business name. Click this link for the simple step-by-step details on where and how to do this.

1. Set up your business name or DBA (Doing Business As) to apply to almost any business. Examples: "Netbiz", "Netecommerce", "ABC Co" "Destiny Productions". Don't limit yourself to a single business category. You can have multiple ventures and websites under one master business name.

Some sources for drop shipping state they will sell only to a specific reseller type, and if you have a general business name you can instantly become what they need. For example, if you choose Pat's Flowers for your business name and you would also like to sign up with a computer and electronics wholesaler you probably would not be approved.

2. When you fill out the simple one page form to become a reseller or drop ship agent for the company, you will be asked for sales projections. I always recommend that you estimate on the high side of potential sales, as it will get you a lower discount rate. It is, however, important to be within reason. Extremely high projections may cause you to lack credibility with your new source. Remember, this is a partnership!

3. After you place some initial purchases with the new supplier and they see that you are a valid customer, you can move to the next step. (Many people who sign up to be resellers never purchase a product to resell, so you must establish yourself.) At this point, request to speak to a sales representative and ask for lower pricing than the standard resale prices listed - be tactful!

If they will not budge, I then ask what the price breaks would be if I purchase in quantities of 50, 100 or 500 units of the product. The representative will give the quantity breaks, and this gives you a reference for what the profit margin in the product is

Example: You purchased digital cameras from the supplier for $39/ea., which is the reseller price. When you inquire about price breaks in quantities of 10, 50 and 100, the sales rep gives you the following prices: 10 cameras - $35/ea., 50 cameras - $33/ea. and 100 cameras - $28/ea. That means that the bottom price of the camera is $28.

It has been my experience that if you call a sales rep at the end of any month they are willing to cut deals, even on smaller quantities, to hit their sales goals. By finding the bottom line sales price of the products you purchase earlier in the month, it is possible to obtain the lowest volume discount level on products while only buying a fraction of the quantity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason James is a 10 year Internet marketing veteran
and an eBay Power Seller of 4 years. His website
"The Auction Resource Network" reveals his inside
secrets and sources that help him pocket over $10,000
a month on eBay.
Claim your FREE 14 Day "Learn How to Sell on eBay" e-Course Here:
www.auctionresourcenetwork.com

Written by: Jason James

Help Motivated Sellers In Your Area And Earn High Profits

Have you ever had something that was in perfectly good condition that you just wanted (or needed) to get rid of? Perhaps some personal property like a TV, tools, equipment, furniture. Maybe a car, truck or even a home. Why did you want to get rid of that stuff? I don't know, maybe you were in need of some quick cash to pay a bill. Maybe your ex-husband or ex-wife just left you and you don't want their stuff around anymore. Who knows, the point is . . .

Remember what you felt like when you wanted to get rid of that stuff?

You just wanted to get rid of IT, whatever "IT" was and money may have been a secondary concern or no concern at all. What if someone would have come along and said they would take that_________ off your hands and gave you money to boot.

Chances are you would have been thrilled!

Guess what? Why not take this common situation and use it to your advantage. How many people in your area might be motivated RIGHT NOW, to get rid of something that is in perfectly good working condition. They just want the stuff gone. 1 person. 5 people. 10 people. 100 people. More?

Just how many people would it take before you were able to find some pretty nice stuff that could be sold quickly to someone else?

My point is that every day, there are people interested and willing to sell things they don't want at a very low price to you just to get rid of the merchandise. Or give it to you to get rid of it. Some will even pay you to take their stuff away.

Tap into this group of people in your area. Find these people. Help them out and you will find yourself with a mountain of items you can easily sell at very high profits becuase you have very little invested in terms of money.

How can you measure the return on your money when your investment is very small or zero?

Here is a list of ways you can find motivated sellers for anything, used merchandise, new merchandise, homes, autos, guns, hobby items, tools, equipment, cars!

1.Place a newspaper ad (major daily)
2.Place an ad in Pennysaver, Thrifty Nickel, Greensheet, etc.
3.Bandit signs
4.Drive neighborhoods looking for "for sale" signs,
5.Call ads with headlines of "Must Sell" or "Motivated Seller"
6.Tax sales and government auctions
7.Estate sales
8.Condemned properties
9.Network with professionals, i.e. attorneys CPA's, REALTORS
10.Network with service people, i.e. letter carrier, pool service person, lawn service person, newspaper delivery person

Some of my favorite methods of finding motivated sellers are:

11.Cleaning people
12.Bird Dogs (give rewards for people that find deals for you)
13.Wholesalers
14.Magnetic car sign
15.Distribute business cards EVERYWHERE
16.Fliers
17.Door hangers

About the Author

John McTighe has been successfully buying and selling a variety of used personal property for 6 years. He teaches simple systems for buying and selling used personal property that anyone can use to earn high profits. Often times, returns of 100% to 1100% on common, everyday items are not unusaual.

Written by: John McTighe

The Myths And Magic Of Ebay Drop-Shipping Vendors.

If you've never heard of drop shipping, then prepare to be impressed - it sounds like every eBay seller's dream. With drop shipping, you don't have to keep any stock at all. You simply list auctions for what your drop shipper sells, without actually seeing it yourself.

Each time something sells, you let them know, and they deliver it for you - directly to the customer. They'll charge you a near-wholesale price for the item they delivered, you charge the customer whatever price you agreed, and then you pocket the difference as profit.

The Magic.

Just think of the sheer amount of trouble this takes out of eBay selling. You don't have to find space in your house to keep your stock in, or money to buy it with. You don't have to take any risk by buying things that might not sell. You don't have to deal with suppliers. You don't even have to pack or post the auctions yourself. Wow! Can you imagine how good this would be if you could pull it off?

But, as with all things in life, if it sounds too good to be true...

The Myths.

Drop-shippers don't do deals with just anyone - any drop shipper who says they'll take orders from unregistered businesses is likely to be a scammer. They might not send out anything at all to your customers, or you might send out very poor quality merchandise that they will then return to you for a refund.

Also, beware of companies that claim they will put you in contact with drop shippers for a fee - they are inevitably rip-offs. At the end of the day, the best way to find drop shipping companies is to contact them in the 'real world', not by typing 'drop shipping' into a search engine.

Doing it for Real.

If you want to make a profit with drop-shippers, be prepared for it to be quite a small one: you're not going to make sales on eBay at a big mark-up from drop shipping prices. You will also have to accept that you can't inspect stock before it gets sent out, and some of your descriptions might not be as good as they could be.

You should also be prepared for a few frustrating experiences with your drop shipper, as they might not share the same customer service values as you. The first time you'll realise that they never sent something to one of your buyers is when you hear about it from the buyer a week later.

If you can accept all these things, though, and find a reputable drop shipper, then there's money to be made. Good luck!

If you'd like to give up a little more profit and control over your eBay business to save the trouble of doing everything yourself, then you might be interested in eBay consignment centers. You can sell your items at an eBay consignment center by just leaving them there. Stay tuned to these emails for more.

About the author:

Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

Written by: Kirsten Hawkins

Surplus Merchandise Secrets

Have you ever been in a Dollar store or a discount store that has all sorts of neat merchandise for sale at unbelievable prices?

If you have you might have wondered where all that stuff came from.

Today, I am going to tell you their secret and how this could be a bonanza for you.

In every city and town there is an abundance of unwanted merchandise that can't be sold through regular channels to regular retail stores.

Some of this merchandise may be leftover from last season. Some may be have been overproduced. Some may be the victim of a packaging change or last years model.

Much of it is ready to be stocked on a shelf and sold, if only there was a store that wanted it. If only!

Dollar stores, discount chains such as Big Lots, auction sellers, and flea market dealers readily gobble up this merchandise at prices way below wholesale and sell it to eager buyers looking for bargains.

Surplus liquidators everywhere know just where to look to find an almost endless supply of surplus. And they know where the buyers are that need more of this kind of merchandise on a daily basis. When they show them an item their buyers will like, a deal is about to be made !

This is a business that you can operate with very little start up cost. We ran a surplus business for years with just a phone and a few notepads.

Here's How We Did It-

We'd find the merchandise using directories as simple as the Yellow Pages and the AT&T Business Directory.

The owners of surplus are anxious to be rid of it so the merchandise can be acquired for pennies on the dollar.

The next step is to show a sample of the merchandise to a retail store such as a dollar store. Add a small profit per unit to the price for yourself and if the buyer agrees to buy, you just made a profit.

Here's an example:

Suppose you find a warehouse full of retail packaged soaps. If the soaps can be acquired for 10 cents a piece you could offer them to a dollar store for 20 cents a piece. The store now has the option of selling them at one dollar each or 3 for a buck. Either way they win. And if there are 5000 units of soap, your profit is a tidy 500 dollars.

This can be done over and over. We found many deals like this and frequently found truckloads of soaps, jams, computer games, figurines, purses, sporting goods, you name it.

Match the product you find to a buyer who has customers for this type of merchandise at this price range and it's a winner. That's really all there is to it.

This business has been a quiet bonanza of profit for years.

For a free 7 day class in how to start your own surplus dealership send a blank email to surplusinsider@robotreply.com

This article may be reproduced intact with author credits Dr. Bruno owned and operated a wholesale liquidation business for several years
http://www.SurplusOpportunity.com

All Rights Reserved 2005

Where Do They Get the Stuff They Sell?

When I fist began researching how people made money on eBay, I wondered what we all probably wonder... "Where do these people get all this stuff they sell?" I was under the impression there was this one big answer, one particular place, where everyone purchased their merchandise and sold on eBay. I've come to realize there are many different places and many different ways that people acquire items to sell. Here are a few:

1- You may already have a physical retail store somewhere and the items you sell on eBay are the same items you sell in your store. You are using the same distributors you normally use. Why is it that we never seem to walk into a Walmart and think "Where does Walmart get all this stuff they sell?" They set up accounts with the companies that either manufacture or distribute the product they sell.

2- Sell your personal items from around the house.

3- Go to yard sales, pawn shops and thrift stores. Buy inexpensively and sell the items on eBay.

4- Set up accounts with drop ship companies. These companies usually sell a lot of different types of products for usually 10%-25% below retail cost. You can advertise an item for sell (on eBay, to your friends, an online store, wherever). Once you sell the item and collect the money for it, THEN you purchase the item from the drop shipper who in turn will ship the item directly to your customer. You never have to have inventory in your home. Normally, your customer won't know it didn't come from you. This is called "Blind-Drop Shipping".

5- Buy in bulk from a wholesale or liquidation company. You would normally pay about 30%-40% below retail for the merchandise.

6- Most wonder where these people are getting the laptops and good electronics they sell and actually make a profit. Quality, New merchandise.... Here it is: They have set up accounts with the manufacturer of distributor of that product. They became a legal business, obtained licensing, built a credit history and purchase in bulk. Also, there are a few companies I have listed that pay you commission on your sales. So say I sell a laptop for $1400, which is the same price the company sells it to me for... I don't make a profit from the sell to my customer, but I make $100 commission for selling the laptop.
Decide on what product you would like to sell and then find out who manufactures it. You can usually find that information right on the packaging of the product. Contact that company and express that you would like to retail their product and how would you go about setting up an account. You will need your business licenses. They will never sell to an individual. If you have a company telling you they are the manufacturer of a product or that they are going to sell to you wholesale, but they do not ask for your license, then they are not telling the truth.

About the Author

Natalie Williams
Founder of the Online Sellers Association http://www.cidicon.com/osa
Author of the OSA eZine
http://cidicon.com/osa/Newsletters/issues/04-21-03.htm

Written by: Natalie Williams

Tips for Starting Online Auction Business

The online business around the world is into billions of dollars. And one of the important part of this online business is Online Auctions. Products can be sold on online auction sites everyday, where buyers are looking for products. It is also good place to sell your products with any investment or marketing from your side.

How to get started? Here are the tips

1. Deciding What to Sell

Through online Auction, you can sell anything. Predominantly the common products being sold on online Auction are:

a. Collectibles products b. Items - like clothing and toys c. Other items, including quilts, soap, and dollhouse items d. Craft supplies

2. Select the Place:

Once you have decided what to sell, it's time now to decide which auction site you will chose to auction your product. Site like Ebay (http://www.ebay.com) is the most popular one, it is a good place to sell. Besides from ebay, sites like Yahoo! Auctions (http://auctions.yahoo.com) and Amazon Auctionshttp://auctions.amazon.com) both get significant traffic. It is always good to check if you could find any exclusive site for what you have decided to sell. The next step is to sign up on the site.

3. Find your products:

You have many different ways to find the products that you want to sell. The following list will give you some idea on different products available.

o Check newspaper for inventory closeout sales o Window shop discount offering shops o Visit garage sales and flea markets o Locate wholesale marketplace

4. Listing items:

This process involves giving complete information on the item you're selling including the brand, size, color and a brief description. Remember the more the information the better the prospects of finding a buyer. A good photograph of the item will do a world of good. The most important point is to provide lot many keywords to attract search engines.

5. Set yourself up for repeat sales:

Once the sale is up, ship the item immediately, and once the payment is received do send a feedback mail. This set you up for repeat business by:

· Do send a card with your package, your site name and user id. This helps the potential buyers understand the nature of your product line. · It is always good to follow up the customer if they are satisfied with the product and ask if they would like to be contacted when you list new items. Keep sending information on your new products if they request so.

Online auction business is a wonderful opportunity for everybody to start a new venture from home.

About the author:

Pradeep Aggarwal is the creator of the auction spectrum. This site is dedicated to helping people start and run a successful online auction business. Visit his site to get a free report and articles on more "Tips & Tricks on Online Auction Business" www.auctionspectrum.com

Written by: Pradeep Aggarwal