How eBay® Really Works

by Schepp, Brad; Schepp, Debra

• ISBN13: 9781402737695
• ISBN10: 1402737696
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-11-28
• Publisher: Sterling

Summary

There are currently 200 million registered eBay users-and this number grows each day! Brad and Debra Schepp offer insider tips and strategies for both buyers and sellers who want to learn how to get started and take advantage of this powerful tool. What's more, the Schepps tackle those tough questions eBay was hoping you wouldn't ask: How do you protect yourself against fraud? Is it really safe to buy big-ticket items like cars, real estate, and jewelry? Are the listing enhancements offered by eBay really worth the cost? Can you always trust a "PowerSeller"? And when are you better off listing your product on a different site? With interviews and advice from successful buyers and sellers, simple Quick Start lists, and a glossary that is a handy reference to terms you need to know, this authoritative guide offers the straight scoop on getting the most out of the Web's greatest marketplace. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	x
Introduction	1	(5)
Part I: Buying
Quick Start Guide---eBay Buying in 5 Steps	6	(1)
What's All This Fuss about eBay?	7	(16)
More Than Anything, eBay Is Fun!	9	(3)
eBay Explained	12	(3)
eBay Is a Community	15	(2)
What You'll Need to Get Started	17	(4)
My Best eBay Buy	21	(2)
How Do I Find the Good Stuff?	23	(14)
Browsing eBay's Categories	24	(3)
Searching	27	(6)
Other Shopping Options	33	(2)
My Best eBay Buy	35	(2)
How Do I Know Whom to Trust?	37	(24)
eBay's System of Feedback	38	(5)
The Item Description	43	(2)
Seller's Policies	45	(1)
Ask a Question	46	(2)
Signs You Can Trust	48	(3)
About Me Pages	51	(2)
Buyer Beware	53	(6)
My Best eBay Buy	59	(2)
How Do I Place a Bid?	61	(16)
How to Place a Bid	61	(3)
When Should I Bid?	64	(5)
Know Your Competition	69	(1)
Special Situations	70	(1)
Sniping Software	71	(2)
Can I Cancel My Bid?	73	(1)
My Best eBay Buy	74	(3)
Effectively Communicating with Sellers	77	(10)
Effective E-mail Communication	78	(1)
Communicate Before You Bid	78	(3)
After-the-Sale Correspondence	81	(1)
Don't Be Afraid to Call	82	(1)
What About Skype?	82	(1)
Your About Me Page	83	(2)
My Best eBay Buy	85	(2)
Paying for Your Items	87	(12)
Seven Days to a Successful Sale	87	(2)
PayPal: Your Best Option	89	(3)
Personal Checks	92	(1)
Money Orders	93	(1)
Paying for High-Priced Items	93	(2)
Wire Transfers	95	(1)
Our PayPal Bias	95	(1)
My Best eBay Buy	96	(3)
Feedback: Love It and Leave It	99	(14)
When Should I Leave Feedback?	100	(2)
What Should My Feedback Say?	102	(5)
Someone Left Me Negative Feedback! Now What?	107	(3)
My Best eBay Buy	110	(3)
What If Something Goes Wrong?	113	(16)
The Realities of Doing Business on eBay	114	(1)
An Ounce of Prevention	115	(1)
Types of eBay Fraud	116	(3)
When Bad Things Happen	119	(8)
My Best eBay Buy	127	(2)
PowerSearch to PowerBuy: Advanced Searching Techniques	129	(14)
Advanced Searching	129	(6)
Tips and Tricks	135	(5)
My Best eBay Buy	140	(3)
Buying Motor Vehicles and Real Estate	143	(18)
eBay Motors	144	(9)
Buying Real Estate on eBay	153	(4)
My Best eBay Buy	157	(3)
Part II: Selling
Quick Start Guide---eBay Selling in 5 Steps	160	(1)
Start Selling on eBay	161	(14)
Selling: A Horse of a Different Color, but Still a Horse	162	(1)
Thinking Like a Seller	163	(3)
Register Yourself in the Eyes of eBay	166	(4)
Choosing an Item for Your First Sale	170	(3)
My Best eBay Sale	173	(2)
Creating Winning Listings	175	(26)
Creating a Listing	176	(15)
Make Your Listings POP!	191	(5)
Timing Your Auctions	196	(1)
Managing Your Auctions	197	(2)
My Best eBay Sale	199	(2)
Making Sure Your Price Is Right	201	(12)
Here's to More Research	202	(2)
Pricing Strategies for Your Auctions	204	(7)
My Best eBay Sale	211	(2)
Customer Service Without the Smile	213	(14)
You're Already Thinking about Great Customer Service	214	(1)
Communication Is the Key, and that Means E-mail!	215	(1)
Reach Out and Touch Your Customer	216	(1)
Good Customer Service Equals Good Business for You	217	(3)
Show Them the Real You!	220	(4)
There's No Beginning and No End in Sight	224	(1)
My Best eBay Sale	224	(3)
Making Sure You're Paid!	227	(12)
The Payment Mechanics	228	(6)
When Something Goes Wrong	234	(3)
My Best eBay Sale	237	(2)
Packing and Shipping Without Schlepping	239	(12)
Get Organized	240	(3)
Packing Your Items	243	(3)
How Much Should You Charge?	246	(1)
Paying for Your Postage	246	(1)
Who's Your Carrier?	247	(1)
What about Insurance?	248	(1)
A Word about Timing	248	(1)
Send It Out Right. It Shows Them You Care	249	(1)
My Best eBay Sale	249	(2)
Feedback: Your Report Card for All the World to See	251	(8)
A Seller's Feedback	251	(3)
The Feedback You Leave	254	(1)
Responding to a Negative	255	(2)
My Best eBay Sale	257	(2)
Finding More Stuff to Sell	259	(20)
You Profit When You Buy	260	(1)
How Do I Decide What to Sell?	261	(12)
Researching Sales Trends	273	(3)
My Best eBay Sale	276	(3)
Ready for an eBay Store?	279	(14)
Inside an eBay Store	279	(1)
Should You Have an eBay Store?	280	(4)
How to Open an eBay Store	284	(4)
Your Own Web Store	288	(3)
My Best eBay Sale	291	(2)
Become a PowerSeller!	293	(16)
What Exactly Is a PowerSeller?	294	(2)
Ahhh, the Life of a PowerSeller (Hey You, Get Back to Work!)	296	(3)
Time for Some Good News	299	(2)
You're a Business Owner Now, So Start Thinking Like One	301	(5)
It's Been a Great Ride. Now Fasten Your Seatbelts and Off You Go!	306	(1)
My Best eBay Sale	307	(2)
Appendix A: Selling Vehicles on eBay	309	(2)
Appendix B: Our Favorite Resources for eBay Buyers and Sellers	311	(4)
Glossary	315	(14)
Index	329