Those promised free reports - well nearly!
publication date: Jul 19, 2006
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- Editorial
- Those Promised Free Reports - Well Nearly!
- Selling Your Car Successfully on eBay
by MarkKenny
- The Benefits of Buying and Selling Locally by
DonaldLee
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Editorial
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It's hot, very hot, and fewer people are buying or
selling on eBay than was so this time last month. The
reason is the heat, it's not pleasant to sit facing a
computer all day with the sun beating in through the
window and making you hot and sticky and making it
impossible to view your screen properly through all the
glare. I'm not alone, from what I read on some online
forums today, an estimated ten per cent of buyers and
sellers are avoiding eBay (and other online locations),
in preference to packing a picnic and spending the day
outside.
That's excellent news because most sellers will
typically take several days off rather than re-adjust
their working hours to suit the weather. That cuts
competition considerably for the rest of us when our
auctions end seven days from now and our regular
opponents are nowhere in the line up.
Taking time out is not for me, and not for you either if
you're really keen on making money on eBay. I was at
my computer at 5 am. this morning and I'll be back
online about 9 tonight, not because I'm a martyr but
simply to make up for whatever working time I'll lose
during the hottest part of the day. Yesterday, the heat
was unbearable, from about 11 am to 8 pm, it was
tiring and like most people I was tempted to take a few
hours off, get a cold drink, work a little more slowly.
Which I did in great abundance, and ended with fewer
than half the items I'd normally list on eBay during the
average working day. So Tuesday next week my
earnings will drop, same again Wednesday, Thursday
and later, unless I take positive action fast.
Positive action meant readjusting my working hours, so
I can take time off when it's too hot or when I fancy a
break, and it means I don't get to pay for it big time
seven days hence. So I worked from 5 am to 9 am this
morning when the part of the house where I work gets
unbearably hot, and I'll work from 9pm to about
midnight tonight when the sun backs off.
But what of stuff I'm listing on eBay at 5 in the
morning and well into the night, won't most potential
buyers be sleeping when those auctions end same time
next week?
Very likely, so I need to re-schedule auction listing
uploading times to make sure auctions end during
maximum viewing time, usually at the weekend.
That's easy using TurboLister, you just list your items
without uploading them right away and instead you
upload en mass at the time you want auctions to end
the following week.
A great idea, or so I thought, until the warm weather
caused a thunder storm which then caused a power cut,
which then caused my computer to go blank right in
the middle of TurboLister submitting my listings to
eBay. The upshot was, a few hours later, with power
restored, I turned to working out which listings had
reached eBay and which had been lost in Cyberspace.
Two hours later, it was sorted, around fifty listings that
hadn't crossed the great divide were ready to upload
when... yes, another power cut.
I found a solution, it does cost money, but it means I
may never again waste hours checking which listings
uploaded and which didn't upload when the next power
cut strikes.
It's called 'scheduling' and it means when you enter
listings directly to eBay you can choose the exact time
for your auction to start and end, up to three weeks in
advance. So you can even schedule listings to start just
before you go on holiday and end when you return.
Check it out at:
Scheduled listings cost 6p each or they're free if you
use Selling Manager Pro which also allows you to
import listings directly to eBay. Selling Manager Pro
offers a range of options to make listing easier and to
help manage emails, winning notifications, feedback,
and so on, and costs £34.99 a month. Find out more
about Selling Manager Pro and a 30-day free trial at:
Right boring stuff over, where are the freebies?
You'll have the latest issue of the newsletter now and
you're dying for those free goodies I promised. At
least I hope you are eagerly awaiting them, because
they're going to help you sell more on and outside of
eBay.
You'll recall I promised a site with illustrations to help
you spot quality topographical postcards and other
local collectibles from worthless rubbish, as well as a
report about turning bidders into regular buyers on and
outside of eBay. These freebies are packed with vital
information and, best of all, instead of waiting a few
weeks to access them you can get your hands on them
later this week. I don't want to hurry them, so be
patient a tiny while longer, then visit
earliest Saturday noon, latest Sunday noon, and
download all the fabulous freebies we have for you.
In the midst of all the hot weather, you can also be
swatting up on great ways to make money online. If
you missed my email yesterday, I've uncovered a
sneaky way to make at least £350 - £3100 a day
online - and it has nothing to do with creating
Internet sites, uploading web pages, Joint Venture
marketing or Writing or Designing Information
Packages or Software Programs!
Take a look here:
Until next time
Happy eBaying
AprilHarper
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Selling Your Car Successfully on eBay
by MarkKenny
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eBay (UK) now sells more cars than 'Autotrader'. If
you're not based in the UK, 'Autotrader' is a dedicated
weekly magazine which contains thousands of
classified vehicle adverts each with a colour photo &
detailed description.
Despite the massive success eBay has achieved with
vehicle sales it's a fact to say a large percentage go
unsold, as they do not attract enough attention, do not
reach their reserve price or the sale falls though for an
unknown reason.
So, if you're considering selling a car though eBay
what can increase your chances of a successful sale?
As a car is a massive purchase for most users it's
absolutely essential to include two elements to your
item description.
Let's start with the description. Your item description
should include everything about the car including any
known faults, scratches or marks. Is there anything in
the car that should be working but doesn't? Are any
warning lights being displayed on the dashboard?
Don't think that because you've got used to a minor
problem, the next owner will think it's acceptable. This
attitude could cost you a sale. I know someone recently
win a car on eBay - when they turned up it had no
radio fitted so the winning bidder walked away from
the deal.
The listing did not even specify the car had a radio
fitted, but in reality we assume that almost 100% of
cars have some kind of radio fitted. With the seller not
specifying the lack of radio, the winning bidder felt
he'd been lied to.
What's the mileage on the car? Is it still being used
while until it is sold? If it is, then specify this in the
listing as the mileage may be slightly higher when
someone comes to view it.
Equally important are photos of the interior, exterior,
and engine bay. Don't be shy to use photos and don't
limit it to just one or two - take photographs from
every side of the car.
It is simply not worth listing your car without
photographing it. If you do not have a digital camera,
then try to borrow one from a friend or a colleague.
In a rare exception, when selling a car on eBay I
strongly recommend using the Featured Plus option.
This option will place your car at the top of the
relevant category. I'm still testing many aspects of
Featured Plus, throughout eBay categories but my own
sales in this area have increased bidding by up to 21% -
well worth the upgraded listing fee of £39.95.
Finally, be sure to include a phone number in your
listing, allowing interested parties the opportunity to
contact you for a quick, easy sale.
MarkKenny's blog can be read at
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The Benefits of Buying and Selling Locally
by DonaldLee
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(Note that although this article talks about non-eBay
sites, the same principles apply to buying and selling
locally on eBay by restricting the range of places your
listings will be promoted. The link is part of the
normal listing process on eBay or TurboLister)
Shop at a flea market in Oaxaca, Mexico. Trade with a
vendor in London, England. Or sport your wares to
collectors in Geneva, Switzerland. You can virtually do
just that when you shop or sell goods at an online
auction site.
Sure, they allow you to expand your world and uncover
cool knickknacks from around the world.
But these very same sites also open the door to you
getting ripped off by someone four thousand miles
away. More than 8 billion dollars were spent on
auction sites in the last three months of last year, but
how many dollars were lost along the way?
Aside from these global auction sites, there are the
LOCAL classified sites that are transforming the Web
into the spot for neighborhood shopping. These local
classified sites offer convenience, selection, and low
prices that would expect to find online, along with the
safety and privacy of local shopping. Best of all, you
can feel good about buying from-and also selling to-
your neighbors.
Wheel and deal on collectibles, vintage clothing,
sporting goods, even real estate-all with people you
know and trust in the comfort and privacy of your
living room or study. The benefits of these local
classified sites don't stop with these intangibles. They
have concrete advantages, such as:
Spontaneous delivery. Package deliver in your
neighborhood may not be instantaneous, but you
definitely won't have to wait two to six weeks if you
buy something locally.
Easy shipping You can agree to drop off or pick up
the sale item at one of your homes, or meet at a
convenient middle-of-the-road spot. You also won't
need to worry about finding those shipping peanuts
under your couch, your sheets, and in your fridge two
months later.
No frazzle. Tracking codes are supposed to help you
locate your packages in transit, but sometimes they can
be more of a headache-especially when they don't help
find your lost package.
A friendly face. Local classified sites let you meet the
person whom you're doing business with. Of course,
you control if, when, and where this happens.
The test drive. Whether you're dealing with a car, a
mattress, or a tennis racket, you can actually touch and
try out your item before you put down cold hard cash.
For sellers with product as promised, that makes
closing the deal that much easier.
Simple switcheroos. Local shopping opens up the
possibility of refunds and exchanges if you and the
person you're doing business agree.
More ample assortment than auctions. Imagine
buying a refrigerator or a couch at an auction site. Then
imagine receiving that package at your door! Not very
realistic, right? These sorts of purchases and sales,
though, become a definite possibility with local online
classifieds.
No tax tests. You open a can of worms buying and
selling across national and international borders when
it comes to taxes. Who owes what? And to whom?
Local commerce simplifies the whole issue, if taxes are
applicable at all.
A step ahead of scams. Knowing whom you do
business with, face-to-face transactions, simpler lines
of communication-these qualities of local classified
sites all reduce your risk of getting with shysters and
scam artists.
A stronger community. Shopping around your
hometown not only gives you a warm, cuddly sense of
community. It also provides the practical economic
support that keeps communities and businesses vibrant
and healthy.
So there you have it. There are no losers when it comes
to online classified sites that allow you to do your
shopping locally. Buyers and sellers enjoy an old-
fashioned sense of community, while enjoying the
high-tech benefits of convenience, safety, and comfort
that come with Web shopping.
DonaldLee is the public relationship manager for