eBay Groups are different than the eBay Discussion Boards. Groups provide “safe forum away from the public eye, posting IDs and trolls.” They are an environment to interact with other sellers who share similar product lines, interests, or passion for collecting. Groups are a great way to get free advice from experienced sellers, get answers faster than eBay Help can provide, and learn new information about eBay selling in general.

Some interesting groups I found include:

Girls of Well Worn (No comment – if you don’t understand this, I’m not explaining it…)

Thrift Store and Garage Sale Frenzy – Learn what TS and GS finds sell well on eBay.

Dead People’s Clothes – Vintage clothing.

Funny Hysterical Listings and Policies – Real stuff sellers have actually included in their listings.

Gnome for the Holidays - Not exactly sure, I don’t really get the whole gnome thing.

Random Liars – I guess you can pretty much say anything here.

Kind of entertaining. Check out the eBay Groups page and see what you can find. These groups are good for a laugh.

Post from: EveryJoe

eBay Groups for Networking and Learning

This week, I threw an informal survey question out on Twitter and Facebook, “What do you dislike most about eBay?” I’ve received several replies. Today’s reply is from Debbie, who owns Knowledge Tree Bookstore.

Debbie wrote, “Hmmmm you caught my eye with this question. I have to say I am so much in love with working eBay and learning more everyday. At the same time there is something for everyone to work on, even eBay, so I think what I dislike most about eBay is my nervousness that they will become like an Amazon and the little people selling will be thrown away and bigger sellers will rule the arket. I have read some Skip McGrath articles on this and I am concerned that eBay will change into another typical corporation. When I went to Chicago eBay Live I found I really liked the corporation, how they listen to us, how they make changes because of what we say and struggle with. So my dislike really is my concern if they will stay this way or become just another one of the bunch.

I also dislike that I can’t take paper payments starting in October, but I am over it and am willing to move with eBay as they grow. I have not once had a problem (with paper payments) and have a lot of people who buy my books pay with money orders – some older people who don’t use the computer much. I think I will keep doing business that way with them if I can.

Other than that I really love what I do. I feel a bit overwhelmed some days and wish I had some help haha. Being an at home mom and doing eBay is a blessing.”

Thanks for your contribution, Debbie. So, readers, what are your thoughts? What do you dislike most about eBay and how do you deal with it?

[Image Source: Flickr]

Post from: EveryJoe

Survey: What Do You Dislike Most About eBay?

Possibly yes and possibly no. There are many ways you can make money on eBay, but keep in mind that eBay is like any other business. It takes commitment, persistence, and a hard work ethic to make a profitable business. If you don’t consider eBay selling as a business, you can very well lose money. Here are some benefits to having an eBay business:

1) Tax advantages for a home business. Many of your expenses such as internet access, supplies, mileage, and a portion of your mortgage can be written off on your personal income taxes.

2)You can make money by selling used items that you already have in your home. You don’t necessarily have to buy any inventory to make money. (At least not at first.)

3) You can shop for inventory while you do your regular shopping for your family. Many items from drug stores, grocery stores, and the mall can be sold on eBay for profit. You don’t necessarily have to go out of your way to find products to sell for profit. You can pick up items when you are out running your normal errands.

4) You can make money selling a service. If you are a graphic designer, artist, web designer, or consultant, you can make money on eBay selling a service and you won’t have to buy any inventory.

5) eBay selling must be managed like any other business. You must pay attention to expenses, cash flow, accounts receivable, and profit margins.

Post from: EveryJoe

eBay FAQ #10 – Will I Make A Lot of Money Selling on eBay?

I received this email from a US seller who sells items on eBay UK.

“Tell your readers to be careful listing items on the eBay UK. This week my listing for (an over the counter medicine) was ended as it is a prohibited prescription item on eBay UK. I didn’t realize that because about 25 other US sellers offer it, too. I am confused as to why so many other sellers can offer it and their listings aren’t removed. If you have ever read the eBay UK help section on Prohibited and Restricted Items, you will agree that the verbiage is rather vague and cryptic. So, I emailed eBay UK to get to the bottom of the issue. Here is their response:

‘Please note that our prohibited items policies cover tens of thousands of products and auctions are listed continuously. By the time we remove a prohibited item, a new prohibited item is listed. Therefore, at any given time, you may see prohibited items listed on eBay, but it does not mean they are allowed. You may ask eBay UK before you list an item. However, as a rule of thumb, if the drug comes in large quantities, it’s almost always pharmacy licensed in the UK and not allowed to be sold on eBay UK.’

In other words, the members have to police each other. But there is a little more to it. Competition is brutal on eBay UK. Rather than lowering their price to beat their competitors, some sellers play dirty and examine other sellers’ listings with a microscope to find something petty to report. Unfortunate that some sellers cannot exist on their own merits, they must attack other sellers in order to stay in business. Warn your readers that if they get involved on eBay UK, they will be in for a territorial fight. Don’t ever assume that because a seller has an item listed that is is allowed. The ones who have been there know what is not allowed, and they get a rush out of reporting the new sellers.

As for me, I will continue to mind my business and run my store as best I can. I don’t have time to be the eBay police, and frankly, have better things to do than to sit around reporting violations all day. I’d rather be listing new items, doing more research, and serving the customers who want to buy from me.

Thanks for your blog, so many good ideas!”

V.A. Taylor, eBay Power Seller

[Image Source: Flickr]

Post from: EveryJoe

Deciphering the Rules on eBay UK

WorldWideBrandsInc will host an eBay workshop on Thursday, August 14 at 12:00 PM Pacific Time. The description of the workshop (found on the eBay Discussion Groups page) states:

“Selling profitably on eBay doesn’t have to be a mystery. Colette Marshall, Marketing Director for Product Sourcing Experts WorldwideBrands.com, will explain what successful sellers have in common, why it matters RIGHT NOW, and what you should be doing to get your eBay sales in tip-top shape.”

WorldWideBrandsInc, a drop-shipper, is an eBay Certified Solutions Provider and an Official Product Sourcing Editor for eBay Radio.

To attend the virtual workshop, simply visit this link at the specified date and time. It is free!

Post from: EveryJoe

Upcoming eBay Workshop August 14 – What eBay Sellers Need to Know Right Now

I’m seeking posts about online (selling & buying) nightmares as a way to help eBay sellers understand the importance of service, and how to improve their service or policies. Maybe you ordered something from eBay or Amazon that arrived damaged and the seller wouldn’t work with you. Maybe your order never came, or the seller had some off-the-wall policy. Submissions need to be 100-200 words long, nothing elaborate, but a true story that could help another seller learn from your nightmare! (Please make sure your story is about a customer service issue with an eBay seller, and not a complaint about eBay itself.)

Guest blogging is a volunteer situation. Rather than monetary compensation, guest blogging provides the following benefits:

Experience. You get a chance to write!

Exposure to a new audience. A link to your blog, website, or eBay store will be included in your guest post. Guest blogging allows you to speak to a different audience and attract readers to your own blog.

Networking. You get to meet other bloggers and continue to network forever.

SEO. Your link appears in another place on the internet so guest blogging helps to improve organic search engine rankings.

Please send your submission to me (Suzanne) at ebaycoach@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

[Image Source: Flickr]

Post from: EveryJoe

eShopOwner Seeking Guest Bloggers with eBay Nightmares

This is a common question from new eBay sellers, and the answer will vary from seller to seller. So, I will answer this question with a few other questions.

How much time do you have to dedicate to listing items each day? 30 minutes, one hour, or more? Once you are selling on eBay, you will also need time for shipping your items, answering questions, shopping for new items to sell, and other home office duties. eBay is much more than just listing items.

Do you have a room full of items ready to sell, or will you have to go out and buy inventory? If you have a stash of items ready to sell, you can go on a listing rampage and knock out quite a few in a day. If you have to buy items to sell, you will gradually list items as you acquire them.

Do you have a store yet? You can put unsold auction items there for a fixed price with the best offer feature for about 5 cents for a 30 day listing.

The bottom line: Llist as many items as you comfortably can. Don’t let eBay take over your life. But, people can’t buy what they can’t see if it isn’t listed! Find the balance and do what works for you. There is not a magic number of listings per day that will generate a certain amount of sales. As your business grows, you will constantly be adding items to your store and your inventory will grow.

[Image Source: Flickr]

Post from: EveryJoe

eBay FAQ #9 – How Many Items Should I List Per Day?

Who are your customers why are they buying from you? Understanding this will help you meet your customers needs, meet the needs of new potential customers, and ultimately increase your sales and your customer base.

To get the most bang for your buck on eBay, you need to be aware of who your customers are, why they need your products, and why they buy your products. eBay Traffic Reports can tell you some of this, but how do you find out the rest? ASK THEM!.

When you feel you have a comfortable and open rapport with a customer, take a moment to find out more about why they buy from you. This is called Conversational Marketing. Often, I send an email like this:

“Hi, Ms. Customer. Thanks again for your purchase. We understand you have lots of choices on eBay, and are curious as to why you chose to buy the item from us. Could you take a minute to respond to this email to help us serve our customers better? Feedback from our customers helps us provide a better product, better service, and more effectively meet our customers’ needs. Thank you again for your purchase and the opportunity to work with you.”

Sometimes you will get an answer, sometimes not. But the answers can be very revealing. Some answers I have received are:

1) The item is not available here.

2) I like the privacy of internet shopping – I don’t buy this product in a store. It is embarrassing for me.

3) I collect these. They are hard to find.

4) I needed this for a special gift and could only find it on eBay.

5) You have a good variety of items that I can buy in one place.

6) These are very hard to find in stores. It is easier and faster for me to pay more on eBay than spend my time driving all over town to find the item.

7) I can get these at (LOCAL STORE NAME) but I have 4 kids and it is just easier to get them on eBay than pack up my kids and go to the store to buy them.

8) I am allergic to a lot of fabrics. I can only wear this kind.

9) It is for my (mom, grandmother, etc). She is very particular about clothing and this is what she likes.

10) I am in the service overseas and we don’t have shopping here. It is great to get things from back home!

When you get an answer like these, the light bulb will come on and you’ll think, “Aha! I should offer more of these.” All good information that I can use to make decisions about what to sell in my store! Think about how restaurant owners run their business. They often mill around and ask customers how they can make their food or service better, other items they would like to see on the menu, or other similar questions.

So don’t be afraid to politely ask your customers questions and get their personal feedback. It can help your business.

[Image Source: Flickr.]

Post from: EveryJoe

Why do Your eBay Customers Buy From You?