Thursday, 12 November 2009

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 155

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 155, 6th November 2009

Topics in this issue:
1. eBay News: This and that

2. What!!

3. Let off steam with Molly

4. In the lap of the Gods

5. Ask Molly – Is there anything I can do?

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The eBay UK Bulletin

Several readers have said that they have not received some recent bulletins; it seems that there may have been a technical problem which is now sorted. I will (eventually) load all the bulletins onto the website.

News just in as I write this: the Royal Mail strikes for 6th & 9th November have been called off. It may be a bit late as even Molly has been tempted to try another carrier, more on this below.

Have you ever had a surreal moment on eBay? I had a cracker this week and still don’t really know what to make of it, you can read all the e-mails later in the bulletin.

[For details of this newsletter, please scroll down to the end.]
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1. EBAY NEWS: THIS AND THAT

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Have you noticed the new ‘Top Rated Seller’ badge appearing in search results? I must admit that I quite like this as I have just managed to hang onto it this month, but it was a close run thing.

The new unpaid Item process is now in effect and although I have not fully embraced it, I am broadly in favour with the changes.

Sellers can now open an unpaid item case 4 days after the sale takes place. If a buyer still does not pay for an item after a further 4 days, the case can then be closed. At that point, a seller can get a refund of their final value fee and the buyer is no longer able to leave feedback on the transaction.

I still think 4 days is a bit too soon to open a case, I will continue to wait until day 10. The good news is that I now only have to wait 4 days for a fee credit instead of 7.

Full details - http://pages.ebay.co.uk/sell/UPI/standardprocess/index.html

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2. WHAT!!

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Sometimes life can be very hard on eBay, it should be straight forward but then something like this happens. The raincoat in question is super quality and very reasonably priced at £2.99 + p&p (many more available folks!). These are real ad verbatim e-mails and my replies; you just can't make this stuff up!

8/10 - CAN I HAVE YOUR ADDERSS P/O TO YOU
8/10 - Molly replied with address.

24/10 - pay on monday the p/o got to you on tue
2/11 - (we are back from hols) We did get a PO (2.99 only, no p&p), but cannot find any record of your purchase.
Did you get an e-mail from eBay confirming that your order went through ok?

31/10 - do you got my p/o on tue
31/10 - We have your postal order, but just cannot find an order on eBay for it.
You will need to actually use the 'Buy it now' button on the listing.
This will give you buyer protection under the eBay scheme.

31/10 - do the p/o on 26/10/09
31/10 - We just wondered if you had managed to buy a raincoat as yet.
If not and you would prefer us to just send you one, could you confirm the colour you would like.

3/11 - have you got my p/o how
3/11 - We have received a postal order but have no idea what you have paid for as there is no record of you buying anything from us.
Please confirm what you purchased because we have been through all our records and cannot find anything.

3/11 - i got in the raincoat for my dog
4/11 - I just gave up and sent one, sorry eBay I did try, I guess I owe you 20p in fees!

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3. LET OFF STEAM WITH MOLLY

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“While the postal dispute is on, eBay have removed the ability to score a seller on their dispatch time. Surely, this is an admission that actually it is a flawed measurement because people don't read it as "dispatch time"; they read and score it as "received time".
I am absolutely convinced of this as I send most stuff out on the day they pay for it, yet my DSR is at 4.78, and before the freeze this score was falling! I can't send the stuff out any quicker, yet I'm sure I'm being marked on how long it took to get there!”

Have your say – Mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk

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4. IN THE LAP OF THE GODS

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It has been a big week for 'MyHermes' the UK carrier, picking up delivery contracts for both Mills & Boon and Mollybol. To be fair the Mills deal might be the bigger of the two.

After taking a week off to escape the strikes only to find that they were still ongoing, something had to be done. MyHermes are currently running a promotion for eBay sellers offering a 10% discount for the duration of the strike - a shrewd move! Even though I hate new processes and have a dodgy printer, I decided to give them a try.

Price is of course high on my agenda, customer service is one thing, but I am not keen on paying very much for it. The pricing tariff compares favourably with Royal Mail parcel post with a 2 kilo parcel costing £3.99 (£3.60 with discount). For packages under a kilo the RM is still the best bet and (as I have said before) use the second class packet rate which costs £2.70 for up to one kilo.

With Parcel Post rates kicking in at £4.41 for 2 kilos, MyHermes offers good value. They score again as the next pricing tier is 5 kilos as opposed to the RM's 4 kilo tariff. A 4.5 kilo packet with Royal Mail will cost you £9.58; MyHermes charges £6.24 (5.61 with discount). The discount codes are here - http://members.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=myhermes_parcel_delivery

So far so good, the numbers add up, but what about the process, have I mentioned that I hate new things? The website - https://www.myhermes.co.uk is pleasantly easy to use and you will only have to input your details once. You will need the postcode of your buyer, their house number and surname, add these into the form along with the type of goods and value. As an aside, you get £25 insurance as standard and the package is tracked, you can pay for extra insurance if you wish.

The next step is to arrange a collection date, pay by 8pm and it will be collected the next day - Tick VG. In reality this means that any large parcel destined for MyHermes can be put to one side lessoning the workload in the manic run up to the 6pm RM parcel run. After tea, fill in the forms, pay and then prepare the parcels for collection the next day. No more lugging heavy parcels to the PO, just as well following Molly's intimate operation a few weeks back!

I mentioned my printer earlier which still won't work remotely in the shed, so I have to come inside to print the dispatch labels, handy for another coffee. Ordinary paper is all you need along with Adobe reader (link on web page). One quick tip; print using your 'quick print' and ‘black & white only’ options, this will save ink and it still scans fine.

I now had 14 parcels ranging from 2 to 15 kilos (the maximum) ready to be collected. At 9.30 a great couple arrived in their car, picked them up, put them in their boot, gave me a proof of collection number and drove away.

At 10.00 the MyHermes guys arrived and wondered why I had given all my stuff to a complete stranger - just kidding!

Now this is only half the story, I have not yet had any delivered, so this may go horribly wrong, we will see. The company will try to deliver 3 times and then return to sender, mind you how many parcels are you losing with the RM at the moment?

In summary (Ed - and it is about time), it all looks very good so far, the price is right and as the shipping labels do not show the postage paid, you could charge a little extra and not risk a bad DSR for p&p charges - as if I would!

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5. ASK MOLLY – IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO?**

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“Hello Molly,

I am very disappointed to see this morning that somebody who has no feedback rating has left me negative feedback for a DVD they say does not work in Australia. I fully tested this as I do all my DVD’s and it worked fine.

The buyer did email me a couple of weeks ago to explain they wanted another one sent or a refund. I emailed back to explain I tried it and it worked fine here in the UK. I also explained I did not have another one so the best I could do was refund money and they never bothered to reply.

I have never had this before. I feel it is unfair the system will only let me leave them positive feedback. Any advice would be fully appreciated.”

*popsdb81* - http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Dawns-Collectables-Shop


Ouch, it does happen and the feeling of not being able to retaliate hurts. Be sure to respond to their comments, be positive, maybe try something like this "We did offer a full refund, but heard nothing, we always put things right" - it is too many words, but you get the idea.

I am wondering if Australia is region 2 for DVDs, maybe they don't work down under!

I did notice that you have received 1,742 positive feedbacks this year, if you can get to 2,000 you should return to 100%.
Don't forget to block this bidder, it won't achieve anything, but will make you feel better.


If you have a question about eBay or home working in general, please send it to: mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk - I will reply personally to every e-mail I receive and remember, there are FREE copies of my book available for the best questions, tips, or stories.

-- END NOTE --

That's all for this week. Check out www.ebaybulletin.co.uk for the latest news from Molly HQ.

A bit of good luck this week when I was introduced to a local craft & novelty goods company who have a problem with unwanted polystyrene chippings. All their raw materials are packed in chippings and they just don’t know what to do with them.

Thankfully the kids are still at Uni, as their rooms are a little inaccessible right now!

Sales are still a bit disappointing and for the second time this year I have retained Gold Power seller status only on quantity of items sold. Maybe the promise of ‘strike free’ shopping will draw the buyers out.

Best wishes and happy eBaying!

Mollybol

Author of the bestselling title, 'The eBay Business Handbook' - available direct from the publishers: www.harriman-house.com/ebaybusiness

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 154

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 154, 23rd October 2009

Topics in this issue:

1. eBay News: No cash please

2. Topical spoof

3. Let off steam with Molly

4. Ask Molly – How can they be TRS?

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The eBay UK Bulletin

It was promising to be such a good Christmas but as another three days of Royal Mail strike action are on the way, the promise could be short lived.

There are of course other carriers, some offering eBay traders a discounted rate, check out the list here - http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/pay/shipping-services.html. Although these can be a great substitute for larger packages, a start price of £3.60 is still way beyond the £1.41 which covers most of my low priced, smaller items. It looks like the shop will be shut for a while yet.

This week a reader lets off steam over non-paying strikes.

A rather petty change to the ruling on cash payments has been announced, more on this below.

[For details of this newsletter, please scroll down to the end.]

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1. EBAY NEWS: NO CASH PLEASE

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Here’s a great new ruling which is set to be enforced very soon.

“As of 5 November 2009, you will be unable to list your item if cash is referenced as part of your payment instructions for in person transactions, outside of a few limited categories called out within the Accepted Payments policy.

Although you may offer payment upon pick-up as an option when listing your items, you cannot openly solicit cash payments. For example, you are not allowed to say, “I accept cash in person” or “Cash accepted on collection”. Instead, eBay recommend you say, “Contact me for payment methods to pay upon pick-up.”

I suspect the eBay search will look for the word ‘cash’ and this should make the sale of Johnny Cash records nigh on impossible. ‘Money on collection’ might be ok along with ‘Pound notes accepted’ or maybe ‘Dosh’, ‘Bangers & mash’, ‘beer tokens’, ‘bread’, ‘readies’ and so on.

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2. TOPICAL SPOOF

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A great little spoof popped into the Molly inbox this week, well-timed given the postal strike as it pretends to be from DHL. Also on the email was a nasty looking zip file, who knows what horrors it would unleash onto your computer.

---------------------------------------------

Hello!

The courier company was not able to deliver your parcel by your address.
Cause: Error in shipping address.
You may pickup the parcel at our post office personaly!

Please attention!
The shipping label is attached to this e-mail. Print this label to get this package at our post office.

Thank you for attention. DHL Services.

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As usual the grammar is bad and the word ‘personally’ is spelt wrong, but watch out for it.

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3. LET OFF STEAM WITH MOLLY

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“Dear Mollybol,

I recently sold a football album for £28; the buyer from Italy emailed me the next day and said they did not want to pay for this item. I waited 7 days to open a dispute and the next day the buyer left me negative feedback.

I rang eBay and they kindly removed the feedback and low DSR's left as it was obviously unfair and I closed the dispute to leave the non-payer a strike. The next day though I noticed the strike had been removed - I assume by appeal to eBay. This is ridiculous and offers no punishment to the non-payer. I seem to be getting more and more non-payers but if there is no punishment then they don't care.

I suggest that ALL non-payers should be given an automatic strike (3 and kicked off eBay for good) and also be left a negative feedback so as to warn other sellers.

eBay suggested that unless sellers complain to eBay then nothing will change so through your newsletter can I ask if your readers can also make this suggestion to change the rules to eBay and maybe we can get back to having fair trading?”

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4. ASK MOLLY – HOW CAN THEY BE TRS?**

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“Hi Mollybol,

I have recently lost my power-seller status due to the eBay new "Top rated Seller" system. Apparently I have gone from being a silver power-seller to nothing! All because I dared take 2 weeks holiday in August.

Hopefully my status will be reviewed in the next quarter, although sales are extremely down at the moment. Can you please explain how the following seller qualifies for "Top Rated Seller" when they have so many neutral and negative feedbacks?

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/net-pet-shop-limited

Surely this makes a mockery of the new system? I for one as a pet owner would not buy from this seller, but they are classed by eBay as a top seller.

eBay must be saving a lot of money by changing power-sellers' statuses to lesser modes and consequently not having to offer discounts on final value fees!

penkenna65 - http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/RACE-Fitness-and-Leisure

I love this seller, why would any buyer do business with them. I did notice that his TRS status has been removed and with 2 stars of 4.7 their discounts may soon follow. It is all about discounts, eBay needs the money that it gives back to sellers, although it seems a little short sighted.

It is possible to have Power seller status and earn no discounts due to high numbers of low DSRs. As the Power seller badge has been removed from listings, buyers no longer know that you have achieved that level. It is all a bit of a muddle!

If you have a question about eBay or home working in general, please send it to: mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk - I will reply personally to every e-mail I receive and remember, there are FREE copies of my book available for the best questions, tips, or stories.

-- END NOTE --

That's all for this week. Check out www.ebaybulletin.co.uk for the latest news from Molly HQ.

It has been a busy week, sales have been slow, but I did manage to clean out the shed! What a job, but it gets done once a year whether it needs it or not!

eBay have suspended the option for buyers to rate sellers on dispatch time on the Detailed Seller Rating form (DSR) for the duration of the industrial action. It is still an idea to include a note about delivery delays in all correspondence to buyers, it can only help.

No bulletin next week I’m afraid as I have decided to deliver my own parcels. I’ve got a kid’s KA and a sat nav and am set to go, must provide top customer service at any cost.

Best wishes and happy eBaying!

Mollybol

Author of the bestselling title, 'The eBay Business Handbook' - available direct from the publishers: www.harriman-house.com/ebaybusiness

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 153

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 153, 16th October 2009

Topics in this issue:
1. eBay News: Shop owners act now

2. E-mail postage problems

3. eBay gallery spoof

4. Quick seller tip

5. Ask Molly – Why do they keep asking me this?

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The eBay UK Bulletin.

I have found a way to beat the imminent postal strike; I’m shutting the shop and taking a week off. I might not make any money, but at least no parcels will be lost.

Many thanks for all the suggestions for Emma’s new book (see last week); I have forwarded your e-mails on, watch this space for more news.

I have noticed another surge in sales to the Eurozone, it must be down to the strong Euro. As long as I don’t need to buy anything from Europe and holiday in the UK, it all looks positive to me.

This week there is an urgent warning for all shop owners who hate admin.

Read the eBay gallery spoof below, it is a work of art!

[For details of this newsletter, please scroll down to the end.]

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1. EBAY NEWS: SHOP OWNERS ACT NOW

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You have until the end of October to update your ‘Good 'Til Cancelled’ listings with your dispatch time. You already need to specify these fields on new listings and re-lists for most other listing formats. The good news is that the bulk editing tools are now in place and they actually work!

If you are really bad at your admin, there may also be a need to update your ‘returns policy’ as some Good ‘Til Cancelled listings created prior to June 2009 do not have one specified. These listings will also need to be updated with a returns policy by 31 October. Do both jobs at once.

After 31 October, listings that are missing a dispatch time or return policy will end instead of automatically re-listing. Ended listings will be displayed with “eBay note: Listing ended - Needs additional information” in My eBay. You will need to update the dispatch time or returns policy before you can re-list.

To edit the return policy and dispatch time fields on your live listings using the Bulk Edit tool, simply follow these steps:

· Click My eBay at the top of any eBay page

· In the left column, hover over the word ‘Activity’ and click Sell

· Check the box beside as many listings as you want to edit

· Click the "Edit" button

· On the Edit Listings page, check off the fields you wish to edit. ‘Dispatch Time’ is located in the Domestic Shipping section.

· Choose whether you would like to edit the listings individually (different changes to different listings) or in bulk (the same change applied to all listings at once), then click Continue

· On the next screen, edit your listings by choosing a dispatch time from the drop-down menu. Use the radio buttons to indicate whether or not you accept returns. If you do accept returns, fill out the requested information.

· Click Continue, review your edits and submit them

Be warned that this procedure takes around 20 seconds per listing in total, it took me around 3 hours in three roughly equal stages; find something else to do in-between.

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2. EMAIL POSTAGE PROBLEMS

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“Hi Mollybol
I receive your weekly news letter & always enjoy reading it, also your seller emails with latest editions etc. not that I have ever purchased from you - I'm just nosey!

I've just received your latest newly listed items email & was surprised to see that Harry Potter Scene It @ £9.99 had a p&p charge added of £15.24. I am wondering how you managed to charge that amount & still sell the item, but I checked your sale page and this quotes £5.41 p&p. I can find no reference to these charges within your items for sale & wonder were they have come from a glitch perhaps?

I've just checked my own listings within my customer emails & mine all state:-
Shipping - Not Specified
All my items have their own P&P charges within the listing as is common practice so obviously something is not right.

Any thoughts?”

Careforbirds - http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/FOUR-SEASONS-GARDEN-CENTRE

I only wish I could charge that kind of postage and get away with it, but alas there is a problem as I only have about six postage rates, all second class packet or parcel post with £1.00 on top, so £2.41, £2.85, £3.24, £5.41 etc.

I've kicked the problem over to eBay, so that’s the last we’ll hear of that then!

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3. EBAY GALLERY SPOOF

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“Molly, please find attached what I think is a very impressive spoof (confirmed by eBay, which I very nearly fell for and I’ve seen lots of these, as have you). I checked the listing independently which is what alerted my suspicions so I thought I’d pass it on as I think it’s about as good a spoof as I have seen recently (certainly if you’re new to eBay).”

Thalaceplace - http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Tha-Lace-Place

---------------------------------------------------------

*There's an issue with your gallery picture*

**Dear thalaceplace,

There was an issue generating the Gallery picture for your listing:RETRO CHARCOAL SWEAT HEAD BAND HEADBAND(#200381798660)


Why it didn't work:
We were unable to download your picture named:
http://i.ebayimg.com/1xxxxxk~$(KGrHgoOKiwEjlLmE-R)BKpj5WoIzg~~_1.JPG?set_id=8800005007

Here's how to fix it:
Either the Internet was very busy when we tried to download your picture and we could not get through, or the Web server hosting your picture is not functioning correctly. Contact your web server administrator to make sure the server is okay.
You can provide a new URL, or request that we try to download your picture again, by going to:
http://cgi5.ebay.com/ws1/xxxx?DisplayGalleryImagePageV3&Item=200381798660

To fix the error with your picture, click "Resolve issue."
This is an automatically generated email,so we won't receive any replies sent to this address.**

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This is a very cleaver spoof; it looks just the same as the one I get when eBay does have a gallery problem. The gallery issue does not seem to be that commonplace, but it could catch you off guard. As I have said before, never click on a link in an e-mail, especially one that comes from me!

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4. QUICK SELLER TIP

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“Dear M,

When making up my listing I uploaded a main photo which by accident had an aspect ratio of nearly square but just portrait. This photo gave me about 32mm of linear page space when it appeared in the search results. I noticed that the majority of items had landscape photos and they were only allocated up to 25 mm.
I'm sure this makes my listing stand out in the search results and could be a useful tip for your readers.”

Great tip, I had never noticed this before, but you are right, 32mm for portrait gallery pictures and just 25mm for landscape. Maybe this helps, maybe not; I’ll try a few more portraits and let you know how I get on.

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5. ASK MOLLY – WHY DO THEY KEEP ASKING ME THIS?**

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“Hi Molly,
I'm doing a bit of buying and selling on eBay now that I've retired and am curious to know why someone will contact me every time I put something up for auction asking if I've got a BIN price for the item. Surely it's obvious that if I wanted a BIN I would have included that in my listing? I'm suspicious that what they are really after is my email address so I make a point of replying via eBay. Any ideas why these folk waste time asking daft questions.”

It could just be that you have some great items and buyers want to sneak in and grab a bargain - even I use this ploy from time to time.

If anybody asks me for a BIN on an auction (I still run auctions on other IDs) I always ask them what figure they had in mind and then post the response onto the listing using the option next to the send button. I hope that this will be read by others who will then know that somebody is also interested and it may drive up the price.

Another idea would be to include a BIG FONT note saying NO BIN. I also would not waste time replying to them as it is surprising how long this takes.


If you have a question about eBay or home working in general, please send it to: mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk - I will reply personally to every e-mail I receive and remember, there are FREE copies of my book available for the best questions, tips, or stories.

-- END NOTE --

That's all for this week. Check out www.ebaybulletin.co.uk for the latest news from Molly HQ.

Have you seen the latest attempt to sweeten up sellers whilst you are searching? The lovely purple pop up box “Buy from eBay Top-rated sellers and get excellent service and fast dispatch.” It just won’t go away until clicked. I am not a fan!

It’s that time of year for a colour change to the Mollybol site with a Halloween theme to set the scene. I love messing about with the HTML, even if I don’t have any Halloween items and will shut the shop soon anyway; I just like to feel involved.

Best wishes and happy eBaying!

Mollybol

Author of the bestselling title, 'The eBay Business Handbook' - available direct from the publishers: www.harriman-house.com/ebaybusiness

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 152

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 152, 9th October 2009

Topics in this issue:

1. eBay News: Royal Mail strike

2. Excluding postage locations

3. Rising star required

4. Quick buyer tip

5. Ask Molly – Do you work on a margin?

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The eBay UK Bulletin

‘Things are hotting up at Molly HQ as the Christmas rush takes hold.’ Hang on a minute, that’s a line from last October’s bulletin, it should read ‘slow start to Christmas trading, Elves on short time.’

Well, it’s not quite that bad, but trading is still slow, plenty of time to catch up with the gardening chores. I am surprised at the number of wholesale bags sold this week, I suspect traders are filling them full of goodies for Christmas bazaars, and long may it continue.

It looks like another ‘Winter of eBay discontent’ and I don’t just mean the new search engine. The Post Office is about to stage a nationwide strike, it never rains…

If you are a hard working eBay trader holding down a full time job, read below and you could soon be famous!

[For details of this newsletter, please scroll down to the end.]

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1. EBAY NEWS: ROYAL MAIL STRIKE

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We could be in for a season of grumpy buyers as the Royal Mail announces a national strike which is likely to take place later this month. The eBay management team have taken note of this and have written to the Secretary of State putting the case for eBay sellers. Additionally they are temporarily removing the option for buyers to rate sellers on the Dispatch Time Detailed Seller Rating from the start date of any national strike action.

eBay are working with a number of alternative postal carriers to ensure we poor sellers can provide the levels of service that are critical in the run up to Christmas.

Another piece of eBay news which caught my eye relates to the new ‘Top Rated Seller’ (TRS) selection criteria which we have been debating for a week or so. They say:

”Since the launch of the new Top-rated Seller status we have been listening to your feedback. Some sellers have improved their service levels dramatically since the announcements and yet are unable to qualify due to the 12 month look-back period. We are looking into this to understand how many sellers are impacted and to review the qualification time periods. Please watch out for an update.”

Now we didn’t see that coming did we?

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2. EXCLUDING POSTAGE LOCATIONS

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One of the recent changes which I actually think is a great step forward has been a problem for some sellers; the ability to block certain countries from bidding.

To block buyers in countries you don't want to deliver to:

1. Go to My eBay.
2. Click the *Account* tab, and then click the *Site Preferences* link in the left navigation.
3. In the *Selling Preferences* section, scroll to *Postage preferences*, and then click the *Show* link.
4. Click *Exclude postage locations from your listings*.
5. Select one or more continents to exclude all countries on those continents. Or select *Show all countries* and check the specific countries you don't want to post to.
6. All excluded countries you selected will appear on the lower section of the page.
7. You can select to apply these exclusions to all current live listings on a global level.
8. Click the *Apply *button to save your requirements.

Use this with caution as getting any kind of buyer is proving a little tricky at the moment.

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3. RISING STAR REQUIRED

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My good friend at ‘Enterprise Nation’ Emma Jones is working on a new book with those lovely people at Harriman House. This will be a follow up to the best seller ‘Spare Room Start Up’ available on Amazon for just £8.44.
-http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spare-Room-Start-Up-Business/dp/1905641680/

Here’s where you come in, the new work is all about those crazy people who hold down a full-time job and then run their own business during the evenings and at weekends. The book will tell the stories of 50 successful 5 to 9'ers and will include an eBay trader.

If you work a day job and are building your eBay trade at nights and weekends, let me know and you could be famous – Mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk .

Think of all the free publicity!

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4. QUICK BUYER TIP

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“Hi Molly

Here’s an idea for anyone who may have missed out on an item - like I did.
I was browsing through the completed listings for an idea of how much an item I was bidding on might sell for when I noticed an item I really wanted.
Unfortunately the item had ended some 10 days previously, but the seller had made no attempt to re-list the item (probably thought if it didn't sell first time it would likely not sell).

I contacted the seller using the 'contact seller' link and asked if they would re-list (which they did at a higher price - but I wanted it) - 10 mins later and the item was bought and paid for!

It may be useful for some of your 'buying' readers!”

"laylands" - nothing listed for sale

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5. ASK MOLLY – DO YOU WORK ON A MARGIN?**

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“Hi Molly

I have just spent some considerable time going through all your back issues (man that took a while!)

I was wondering if you have a minimum margin that you recommend when looking at stock to sell on eBay? I've set myself a target of selling 10 items a day and making £10 on each one, do you do anything similar?”


Well done for ploughing through the bulletins, it is essential to make a large pot of coffee before starting on them.

I am usually governed by two things; greed and market conditions.

Some of my lines are high volume low margin items, most of the cosmetics for example. The current market price dictates the margin and as sellers reduce prices I have to match them to keep making sales. Often with a large line the price will start high which is great, coffees all round, but it may go lower and even into a loss over time. The average selling price and overall profit is what counts. Often when things get this bad we will remove the item and bundle it with others into a 'gift set'.

The other side of my sales strategy is primarily toys; the new ones are again open to competition in the same way as the cosmetic lines. The second-hand items are a totally different ball game; these can be bought for a few pounds and sell at huge margins. It is the current market conditions that decide the ceiling price, so it is important to know your field well.

In summary, I am not organised enough to work to set margins, I just sort of have a feel for what will do well. I am not going to mention the Italian Charms, Timberland boots, kids play rugs or puppy ear muffs!

If you have a question about eBay or home working in general, please send it to: mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk - I will reply personally to every e-mail I receive and remember, there are FREE copies of my book available for the best questions, tips, or stories.

-- END NOTE --

That's all for this week. Check out www.ebaybulletin.co.uk for the latest news from Molly HQ.

It has been another great week for the student Uni bar fund with loads more clothes sales for number 2 daughter. So great has been the success that number 3 has now stared selling as well! I am very impressed with the way they are coming along, but do feel they have hi-jacked my ID!

The clocks go back in the UK soon, so watch those auction end times, the extra hour might make all the difference.

I did see this week that BANS is up for sale by auction, the opening bid is $200,000 if you fancy a slice of the ‘niche site building’ market. You can follow all the action here - http://flippa.com/auctions/76177/BANS-N1WAY-Plus-Big-Bag-Of-Goodies-In-Niche-Site-Building-Market

Best wishes and happy eBaying!

Mollybol

Author of the bestselling title, 'The eBay Business Handbook' - available direct from the publishers: www.harriman-house.com/ebaybusiness

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 151

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 151, 2nd October 2009

Topics in this issue:

1. eBay News: TRS
2. Clever scam
3. How was it for you?
4. Ask Molly – How can I improve?
Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The eBay UK Bulletin
A big hello to all the new readers who tuned in to hear me on the BBC WM breakfast show earlier in the week and in answer to your question, yes, you should warm the mince pie first!

It has been a big week in the Mollybol household, feedbacks passed the 21,000 mark and we became a ‘Top Rated Seller’ although I suspect this will be short lived; more on this below.

I did read with interest that eBay are scrapping the ‘blogs’ section of the site, just as I was about to update mine again.

This week sees a quick insight into the world of Mollybol sales for August which were above expectations, but nothing to shout about as sales do not reflect profit.

[For details of this newsletter, please scroll down to the end.]

-------------------------------------
1. EBAY NEWS: TRS
-------------------------------------

You may have noticed the new ‘Top Rated Seller’ badges on eBay, but then again it seems that there are not too many about. eBay have basically revised their seller discount scheme awarding the top discount level (which is 5% lower than it is now) to sellers who deliver high levels of service.

In order to qualify a seller must be a Power-seller with 98%+ positive feedback, keep all DSR (stars) above 4.6 and have less than 0.5% of buyers rate a transaction with either 1 or 2 stars in each category. In short the seller discount scheme is not going to pay out very much in the future.

“Hi Mol,
I was just wondering how your / your readers DSR's were shaping up.
Currently I won’t be getting ‘top rated seller’ status as 3 people (0.61%) gave me a 1 or 2 star rating for p/p charges which I feel is a little harsh to say the least, am I on my own with this or are other sellers having the same issue?.
I think eBay will have to raise the thresholds if they want any sellers to become top rated and stay top rated.”

Methleykev - http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/methleykev

Mollybol currently has the new badge with the following stats:

The first number is my average (3 months to end Sept) score for the category; the second is the % of low grades (1 or 2), with actual numbers in brackets.

Item as described 4.95 0.04% (1)
Communication 4.92 0.09% (2)
Dispatch time 4.92 0.13% (3)
Postage and packaging charges 4.84 0.31% (7)

It looks good until you look at the trended numbers which show my August P&P stands at 0.49%, this equates to 4 out of 823 buyers marking me down. During this period I did not have any neutral or negative scores and nobody complained, so what to do next?

Please do send me your thoughts, you will feel better afterwards!

-------------------------------------
2. CLEVER SCAM
-------------------------------------

“Hi Molly,

Copied below is an email I had. My guard was down on this one, but when I clicked the link and it attempted to load a Java script I stopped it from loading. The email address it came from was bogus as my reply was returned to me "illegal email address". I am sure the web site in question fills your computer with all sorts of ‘nasties’ if you do let the Java download.

I am ultra careful and it caught me out. The email address it was sent to is the one we publish on our listings. The subject had the correct item number for the monitor in question. A simple scam attempt, but very effective. I deal a lot with China and there has been an increase in very sophisticated Scam attempts from there.”


---------------------------------------

Hello,

I don't know if you received my first email regarding your ebay item. I would like to know if the price includes shipping. I'm very interested to buy it but I'm a little bit confused.

I saw the same product with worldwide shipping included, listed at a cheaper price on www.motors-auctionxxx.com

Please let me know at your earliest convenience if I'm speaking here with the same seller. Thank you.

Best regards,
Timothy Hodge

------------------------------------------

It is a clever one and could do your computer a lot of harm, if you see anything like this, hit the delete button.

Please keep your spoofs coming, I’ll include as many as I can – Mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk

-------------------------------------
3. HOW WAS IT FOR YOU?
-------------------------------------

The August sales figures are out, shop owners can find them via ‘Manage my shop’ and then use ‘Sales Reports’ from the left hand side of the page.

Traditionally not a busy month, I am pleased to see that Mollybol sales stood at 1,136 items up from 1,022 in July. I was running several sales during this period and listing lots of lower value items which accounts for the increased turnover and reduced profits.

Average sale price crept up to £5.29, which is still way down on the yearly average, it is tough out there. One area of concern is the number of non payers rose to 1.7%, could this also be a reflection of the economic climate?

-------------------------------------------------
4. ASK MOLLY – HOW CAN I IMPROVE?
-------------------------------------------------

“Hello.
I have read your book and started marketing on eBay using drop-shippers.
I am happy with the way my listings look, but to date (about 6 weeks) I have sold NOTHING! I have auction after auction finish with no bids. I have had only 1 item watched by 1 person.
What am I doing wrong?”


I notice that you have a shop with 13 ‘live’ listings, a shop will cost in at 75 listings, so it might be an idea to cancel the shop until you get to this figure and save on the fees. Also watch the eBay options such as ‘sub-title’ as these will eat into any profits.

I did also see that you had an IPod starting at £99 on auction; I did find a seller with BIN price of £84 which would account for why it didn't sell. It is important not only to check the competition when you list, but frequently as they may reduce prices to take your business; it never stands still. As we move towards Christmas, buyers will want to cross items off their lists, so BIN comes into its own.

It is very difficult at the moment, lots of competition and a very odd search engine. As a rough guide I have 550 live listings and sell 50 things a day, about 8% of listings make a sale, to make lots of sales, you do need lots of listings.

It might be an idea to sell your own surplus items to keep your ID going and build up your feedback score, use the funds to plough back into new stock. There are still bargains to be found on eBay for resale, mainly listed in auction format!


If you have a question about eBay or home working in general, please send it to: mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk - I will reply personally to every e-mail I receive and remember, there are FREE copies of my book available for the best questions, tips, or stories.

-- END NOTE --

That's all for this week. Check out www.ebaybulletin.co.uk for the latest news from Molly HQ.

Number 2 daughter has got it well sussed; she has been selling unwanted clothes via eBay. Most of these were bought at car boot sales, all are designer brands that I have never heard of and yet the mark up is incredible. Her pictures are awful, they embarrass me having them on the site and yet she has made over £120 this week towards her bar bill.
It is not so good for me as she has returned to uni leaving me with a pile of clothes to pack and post and pay for the stamps! At least I know we have brought her up with the right values.

Best wishes and happy eBaying!

Mollybol

Author of the bestselling title, 'The eBay Business Handbook' - available direct from the publishers: www.harriman-house.com/ebaybusiness

Thursday, 1 October 2009

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 150

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 150, 25th September 2009

Topics in this issue:

1. eBay News: Changes & postage

2. Make your own

3. Lanzarote beckons

4. Let off steam with Molly

5. Ask Molly – Will I lose my status?

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The eBay UK Bulletin.

Well, we made it, issue 150 of the eBay Bulletin. I can’t believe that I have been writing them for three years. Technically three years would be 156 issues, but then again I did miss a few due to holidays, busy times at Christmas and when I just completely forgot to write one! Somebody asked me this week how I managed to find something to write about concerning eBay for 150 weeks. I told them that most of it was inane babble written by a shed hermit and they moved on.

This week eBay finally removed the optional insurance facility (groan) which is a shame as it has been a ‘nice little earner’ over the years. However, they have made a couple of good improvements - read eBay news for more on this.

Most of this week’s bulletin has been written by you; I love ‘cut and paste’. Next week its back to normal and as the sales figures for August have just arrived, I’ll let you know how I fared.

[For details of this newsletter, please scroll down to the end.]

-------------------------------------
1. EBAY NEWS: CHANGES & POSTAGE

-------------------------------------

There is a lot of change about at the moment and exactly what impact it will have is not yet clear, however all is not doom and gloom at Molly HQ as eBay have introduced a couple of things that will actually make life easier (please don’t make them cost options in the future).

It is now possible to amend a description even if sales have already been made from the listing. In the past major changes would mean ending and re-listing, which would lose all your watchers and might impact on standing in search results.

The other, long awaited, change and one which Molly has been personally involved with, is the ability to block specific countries from your listings – hooray! It may seem strange blocking potential customers, but selling to some parts of the world can be fraught with problems.

Under German law it is illegal to sell used, unboxed or sample size cosmetics into Germany (Molly’s only policy breech so far). Previously if you blocked Germany but allowed the rest of Europe then the Germans could still bid. I would love to sell my cosmetics to everybody, but rules are rules. I can now amend the postage details on each listing to block only Germany and amend the description to remove unwanted text saying why I am blocking Germany – nice one eBay!

-------------------------------------
2. MAKE YOUR OWN

-------------------------------------

“Hi Molly,

Here’s my contribution for the anniversary edition, no bribe, I'm afraid, but I already bought your book!

As a scriptwriter (award-winning no less) I face a life of feast or famine and it was in an attempt to secure an income during the periods of famine while waiting for commissions that I thought about selling on eBay. After exhausting the household junk I desperately started searching for new items to sell. The obvious thing would have been e-books, but this was just when eBay banned the selling of digital items.

I had made a previous attempt to secure a non-writing income by selling t-shirts printed with designs I had created and ironed-on. This required a big capital outlay in buying blank t-shirts and freezing in local markets, which I did not fancy repeating. But could I sell just the transfers on eBay?

Some research showed me that others were selling these items and, digging a little further, I discovered precisely which designs they were selling and their volume of business. Newbies should note this – check your competition’s feedback.

This concept doesn’t actually require a huge amount of design skill or experience. One of the biggest sellers on eBay is the old ‘FRANKIE SAYS RELAX’ design from the '80s and you could do that on MS Word.

So, apart from transfer paper and ink, I don’t have to go out and buy product to sell, I just need a fertile imagination. Now, every new idea goes on my website (www.scriptschool.co.uk ) and onto eBay, and I still have the chance to sell the designs as a digital download, as well as licensing the designs to a company (zazzle.com) to print onto their t-shirts, for which I receive a royalty. Three income streams from each product idea is not a bad way of operating.

So, the conclusion is that if you can’t find products to sell, make them yourselves!”

ma2designs - http://shop.ebay.co.uk/ma2designs/m.html

-------------------------------------
3. LANZAROTE BECKONS

-------------------------------------

I read with great interest your newsletter, and the requests you get from people starting out. I read your book about three years ago on a beach in Lanzarote.

I just could not stand the humdrum life of getting up at 6 o’clock getting home at 5 o’clock, being bored doing something I had lost total interest in after 15 years in one position.

So what could I sell? It has to be something you know a lot about, so that was the answer to my dreams. I gave it a go. I did at first mix it with work, but it did not really work as I spent more time away from work than I was there, so I had to make a monumental decision.

I handed my notice in at the beginning of this year. I think they were getting fed up with me too. I never, ever regretted the decision, I still work just as many hours if not more when busy. I love it, yes every minute, apart maybe from the awkward ones. You do get them occasionally. I am now a power seller, having sold around 37,000 items and yes, you guessed it, I’m off to Lanzarote again on Thursday. My Goodness, THANK YOU for your book.

ian0804011 ians/seeds - http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/ian0804011-ians-seeds

-------------------------------------
4. LET OFF STEAM WITH MOLLY

-------------------------------------

“I have recently become a power-seller. It has taken six years to achieve this status and I am very proud of this achievement.

Last week I had 12 unpaid items which made a significant dent in that week’s finances, so I tried to sort the problem out by having a three-day limit for payment. As I had not received payment for a jacket and it was over the three-day limit I decided to re-list the item, but I let the buyer know what I intended to do and it was clearly stated on the listing at the time.

I had not heard anything from this buyer. However, the buyer brought to my attention that it was eBay policy to have a seven-day limit, which meant I had to sell the jacket to this buyer slightly reluctantly, but in good faith I accepted the transaction and finally received the payment on the sixth day after the auction had ended!!

I think eBay should re-think their policy regarding this - it seems that the buyer receives more incentives, shall we say, than the seller, which is not right.”

-------------------------------------------------
5. ASK MOLLY – WILL I LOSE MY STATUS?**

-------------------------------------------------

Molly is back this week with a quick question as space is short and the kettle has just boiled.

“Dear Molly,

I have just received a negative rating, taking my percentage to 99.7%. Throughout the six years I have been an eBayer I have only received three negatives (including this one!) and four neutrals. They have all been similar transactions where I had not received any further contact from buyers after the item has been sent.

I have a clear policy on my listings that I am happy to help and can offer refunds without any question. I am now worried about my Power-seller status and just wondered if there is any way of boosting your rating or to win back any percentage of feedback lost through a negative rating?”

Rachie37 - http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/CHILDUNIQUE

99.7% positive in this day and age is very high indeed and the good news is that it remains well above the 98% required to be a Power-seller. You can cancel out one negative for every 2000 positives as it becomes such a small percentage of the overall total. I had a negative in December for a lost parcel (I must try harder), but because of high turnover, it has been cancelled out.

Your feedback stars are fine, all being 4.8+, although I cannot see the number of low markings, which is what will matter from now on.

‘Selling Manager Pro’ might help with the communication side of things. It sends automated e-mails which you can customise, I will put together a brief overview of the real benefits in a future edition.

If you have a question about eBay or home working in general, please send it to: mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk - I will reply personally to every e-mail I receive and remember, there are FREE copies of my book available for the best questions, tips, or stories.

-- END NOTE --

That's all for this week. Check out www.ebaybulletin.co.uk for the latest news from Molly HQ.

Sales are still slow, so much so that my local Post Office held a ‘welcome back Molly’ party on Thursday! Christmas should start this weekend and if only it would rain a bit more activity should pick up. All the recent site changes might add to the downturn, it is difficult to know for sure.

Whilst I love the Post Office and sort of understand the rationale of the current industrial action, I do wish the whole country would go on strike at the same time. Some buyers are getting items the next day and others are waiting for ages. Buyers in areas with no action are not as aware of the situation and causing me grief over ‘lost’ parcels, especially as I can never be 100% sure that I actually posted it in the first place!

Best wishes and happy eBaying!

Mollybol

Author of the bestselling title, 'The eBay Business Handbook' - available direct from the publishers: www.harriman-house.com/ebaybusiness

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 149

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 149, 18th September 2009

Topics in this issue:

1. eBay News: A couple of things

2. Paypal spoof, it’s a cracker!

3. Ask Suzanne - What is the legal situation?

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The eBay UK Bulletin

It’s almost here, issue 150 is just a week away, and the excitement at Molly HQ is almost too much to bear. There's not much time left if you want to have your contribution included.

Here’s a great question in relation to my rather swanky puppy dog raincoats – “Would this fit a 16 week old Labrador retriever?” I don’t know; how big is it?

Only 3 articles this week, as I am very pleased to announce a new member of the bulletin team (that is to say, one that actually buys the bacon rolls from time to time) - Suzanne the legal whiz. Molly takes a back seat as Suzanne tackles a question around the legal implications of selling second-hand goods. I knew all this anyway, just fancied a night off.

[For details of this newsletter, please scroll down to the end.]

-------------------------------------
1. EBAY NEWS: A COUPLE OF THINGS

-------------------------------------

Just a quick reminder about the imminent introduction of ‘search impressions’; these are about to come into play and will impact on ‘BIN’ search results.

Put simply, the more sales your listing has in relation to the number of page views, the higher up the search results in ‘Best match’ the listing will appear. The thing to avoid is eye-catching, sensational titles which draw people in for a look but don’t result in a sale; key word spamming rings a bell.

eBay are about to introduce ‘Unpaid Item Assistant’ which lets eBay open and close ‘Non Paying Buyer’ dispute cases for sellers automatically. This looks like being quite a time saver especially as the number of non-payers is on the increase again.

Sellers will be able to choose to set that time at which a dispute case is opened, eBay will do the rest and if payment is not forthcoming after a further 4 days, the buyer will receive a strike, the case will be closed and the FVF refunded.

The time period to open a case can be set to 4, 16, 24 or 32 days after the listing closes. I think that 4 days is a little too quick, I generally open a case after 10 days, so it looks as though it will be 16 from now on.

The process is being trialled now, let’s hope it is up and running for the Christmas rush.

-------------------------------------
2. PAYPAL SPOOF, IT’S A CRACKER!

-------------------------------------

“Hi Molly

Here’s another Paypal scam email for your collection. At long last, the senders of this junk seem to be getting better: I couldn't spot any spelling or grammatical errors - and they've got the Paypal logo right.

‘RW_Solutions’ - http://shop.ebay.co.uk/RW_Solutions/m.html

-----------------------------------------------
Dear PayPal Customer,

ZeLk23g0r11hNhw-z3Pb8bvWpyI6 -ZoBJzA

We need to inform you that during our security reform we are asking every user to become ID Verified, this security measure will protect our customers from account thefts and any other fraudulent activities. To secure your PayPal account please visit the link below:

https://www.paypal.co.uk/uk/webxxxxxxxxxxxd=_login-runcmd=_secure

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, and appreciate your assistance in helping us maintaining the integrity of the entire PayPal community.

For assistance, log in to your PayPal account and chose the "Help" link in the header of any page.

Sincerely,

PayPal Security

Copyright © 1999-2009 PayPal. All rights reserved.

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.13.91/2362 - Release Date: 09/11/09 05:50:00

----------------------------------------------------------

I can’t reproduce the logo in this e-mail, but it is spot on, I couldn’t make it any better myself.

I would say that the content sounds exactly like the sort of thing Paypal would say/do, but that would be mischievous!

-------------------------------------------------
3. ASK SUZANNE – WHAT IS THE LEGAL SITUATION?**

-------------------------------------------------

Good news, from now on I won’t just ignore any difficult legal questions and pretend that I didn’t receive them; instead I’ll pass them over to Suzanne who knows all the answers.

If you have a legal problem, just send it in – Mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk

“Dear Molly

I am hoping that you can answer my questions concerning the sale of second hand items on eBay, particularly toys or electrical items.

Basically, what are the legal safety requirements when selling such items? Is it just a simple matter of common sense and checking that an item is not faulty in any way before selling it, or is it a bit more complicated than that, with a long list of rules and regulations to be adhered to?

Also is it necessary to take out product liability insurance? Any advice you can offer would be much appreciated.”

Reply:

If you are selling certain second hand goods in the course of a business, a number of consumer protection and safety regulations will apply.

General product safety law is found in the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. This Act applies equally to the sale of second hand goods as it does to new goods. Under these regulations, it is an offence (punishable by up to a £20,000 fine and a year in prison) for you (i) to sell a product which you know or should have presumed is a dangerous product, (ii) to fail to participate in monitoring the safety of a product you have sold (by passing on information on the risks posed by the product, keeping and producing the documentation necessary for tracing the origin of the product, and cooperating in action taken by a producer or an enforcement authority to avoid risks) and (iii) to fail to notify an enforcement authority when you know that a product poses safety risks. You do however have the defence of ‘due diligence’ if you can show that you took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing the offence.

There is no specific guidance on ‘all due diligence’ and the steps you should take to ensure that the product is safe. Things you can do to check the safety include checking the CE marking and the EC Declaration of Conformity, checking that there are no loose wires or accessible live components, checking that the product’s voltage, currency and frequency are marked clearly and, for complete peace of mind, arranging electrical testing of the product. You should of course also make sure that all instructions and safety information are included with the product. Finally, you should keep careful records of the producer, importer and anyone else in the supply chain, provide your customers with an easy forum to raise complaints and notify the producer and/or the authorities as soon as you discover a safety defect.

Specific regulations apply to the sale of toys and electrical items, namely the Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations and the UK Toys (Safety) Regulations. For the sale of toys, you would be wise to look at the particular risks set out in a government note on toy safety which can be found at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file11286.pdf and satisfy yourself that these risks don’t exist. Likewise for the sale of electrical equipment, have a look at Annex A of the government guidance note found at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file38623.pdf.

The Consumer Protection Act 1987 is the main Act that gives consumers the right to bring a claim against you for loss suffered from defective products. If you do not supply own brand products or import products from outside the EC, customers are unlikely to be able to bring a claim against you as long as, when requested, you provide the customer with details of the producer, importer or own brander of the product. However, if you are a seller who has put your name or trademark on the product or has imported the product from outside the EC, you may very well be subject to additional liability under this Act, unless you can provide one of the requisite defences.

With regard to product liability insurance, it is not required by law but you may think it advisable for your business, particularly if you are a seller who has put your name or trademark on the product or has imported the product from outside the EC and are therefore facing more stringent liability under the Consumer Protection Act 1987. However this insurance will only cover you for any loss suffered as a result of a civil claim from a customer who has suffered loss, and not against any criminal sanctions. Hence your best course of action will always be to check the safety of the product before sale.

Biography:

Niche Legal Solutions is an innovative legal practice that aims to provide niche groups of small businesses (such as ebaypreneurs) with affordable, high quality legal solutions. All of its lawyers are ex-City lawyers specialising in commercial law and areas particularly relevant to small businesses. As a virtual office with its lawyers working from home, Niche Legal Solutions has minimal overheads and can therefore provide affordable legal advice to small businesses whose budgets often won’t stretch to conventional law firms’ rates. The website is currently being updated but in the meantime should you wish to contact Niche Legal Solutions to discuss how it can help your small business, please email us at support@nichelegalsolutions.com or via Molly.

If you have a question about eBay or home working in general, please send it to: mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk - I will reply personally to every e-mail I receive and remember, there are FREE copies of my book available for the best questions, tips, or stories.

-- END NOTE --

That's all for this week. Check out www.ebaybulletin.co.uk for the latest news from Molly HQ.

Sales have been slow again this week, which is just as well as the postal strike in the UK is causing long delays. The main problem seems to be that it is not countrywide, so not all buyers are aware. Add a little note to your dispatch e-mails warning of a delay, it might help.

A quick reminder for all large volume sellers to get stocked up on packing materials, you don’t want to be running low if and when the rush starts. Be sensible, though, with your order, unlike the Elves who ordered so much last time that I still can’t access half the shed!

It's issue 150 next week, so I’m off to cut and paste all your replies, over coffee of course.

Best wishes and happy eBaying!

Mollybol

Author of the bestselling title, 'The eBay Business Handbook' - available direct from the publishers: www.harriman-house.com/ebaybusiness

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 148

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 148, 11th September 2009

Topics in this issue:

1. eBay News: In brief

2. Starting out

3. For the record

4. Ask Molly – Have you changed your philosophy?

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The eBay UK Bulletin.

I have been checking back through my 2008 sales figures, I do love these shop stats, and found that it was on September 26th that my sales doubled and Christmas officially started. If you are waiting for the busy times to arrive, it should not be long now.

For all you ‘car booters’ out there, I sense that the season is drawing to a close, this week was the first since March where I have sold more than I bought. Still the ‘lie-ins’ in the morning will be most welcome.

This week your help is needed for a record seller in distress, see below.

I have included a few pointers below for those readers considering starting their own business; they all worked very well for me.

[For details of this newsletter, please scroll down to the end.]

-------------------------------------
1. EBAY NEWS: IN BRIEF

-------------------------------------

All the big changes take effect on 22nd September; it is going to be a very interesting day. In the mean time there is not much to report on the news front, but here goes.

- This Sunday, 13th September, Private Sellers who list item(s) with any starting price in an eligible category using the Auction-style format on eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie, will not pay an Insertion Fee per listing. Mind you, if you check out what’s excluded I can’t see many eligible listings finding their way onto the system.

eBay.co.uk - http://pages.ebay.co.uk/promos/0IF_090913/index.html

eBay.ie - http://pages.ebay.ie/promos/0IF_090913/index.html

- Categories are on the move again, these changes also take place on the 22nd, there is a full list here - http://pages.ebay.co.uk/categorychanges/

Make any necessary changes by verifying that your item is located in the appropriate updated category and by adopting Item Specifics to describe your item.

-------------------------------------
2. STARTING OUT

-------------------------------------

A couple of e-mails arrived at HQ this week from readers considering starting their own business. This can be a daunting thought, just pop into Waterstones and look at the books on Accountancy to see what I mean.

eBay may well be a good route to market, but it is not necessarily the only way to go. Sales channels such as eBay will only work if you have your product ready for market, developing ideas and sorting out a business plan needs specialist help.

Your local 'Business Link' office - http://www.businesslink.gov.uk would be a good place to start, or your local ‘enterprise agency’. Each area has an office and they are able to help with most start-up business ideas. I have used these experts for a whole range of financial stuff, accounts etc. – their services are free.

You can of course check out my favourite home working website – ‘Enterprisenation’ - http://www.enterprisenation.com for a whole raft of ideas and access to some very clever people.

Once your product is sorted, evaluate the benefits of eBay alongside other more traditional options such as independent websites, mail order, trade shows and maybe even ‘bricks and mortar’.

-------------------------------------------------
3. FOR THE RECORD**

-------------------------------------------------

I love making up these snappy titles, even if they don’t really have any relevance to the subject, this note arrived looking for help from any record sellers using eBay.

“Hello Molly,
I am in the process of preparing myself for the changes that come about at the end of September. I would love to hear from others as to how they are going to deal with this, if they, like me, are affected by it.

Here is my dilemma. I must now give free post & packaging for Records. Have eBay ever felt the weight of some of these records? The lightest ones cost £2.15 to post second class, and that is not including the price of the record mailers & stiffeners.

How is anyone else selling records going to deal with this? I am considering adding this cost onto the selling price, but then this seems silly, as surely people will not pay that much more? I have some albums which are 6 records, and can cost up to £4.95 to post! I will be seriously out of pocket!
Any thoughts would be great, because the only one I am having is to stop selling records as it will cost me money not make me any.”

‘jenny250582’ - http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Jennys-Retail-Therapy

If records are your thing, please let me know your views.

I did have a couple of thoughts, but must stress that I don’t sell in this marketplace.

1) All sellers should be in the same boat, which should keep competition levels about the same.

2) Adding £5.00 to your asking price will still leave you 50p out of pocket due to the fees on the new selling price.

3) You can no longer offer a reduction on postage costs for multiple orders as they are all free. This might increase your profits as you have added p&p into your asking price, but will send both items together. It may also mean that the buyer will not continue shopping resulting in fewer sales for you and less fees for eBay.

4) Switch categories into one that allows postage costs. Some records are very old and could be considered collectables, some may be movie soundtracks and find their way into say Toys & Games > TV & Film Character Toys > Film/ Disney Characters >

Follow this strategy with care.

5) Charge postage anyway, just like the dozens of sellers I found who have to offer free postage, but then tell buyers to ignore this and add postage onto the invoice – works for me.

Send your thoughts to Molly – Mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk

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4. ASK MOLLY – HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR PHILOSOPHY?**

-------------------------------------------------

“Hi Molly,

I have just finished reading your book "The eBay Business Handbook" and thought I would visit your site to get a visual impression of what I had been reading.

I was very surprised to see that although you had many hundreds of products for sale, not a single one was available via an auction sale! Since writing the book, have you changed your philosophy?”

"Yes" is the short answer to this one, recent changes have made fixed price a better bet in my view.

The higher rankings in search results for items from one listing coupled with the ‘good 'til cancelled’ option in shops changed my mind.

BIN is more boring, but I can't run the risk of no bids or even worse only one. Items in the shop only cost me 60p per year to list, they automatically re-list and are just waiting for the right buyer to come along.

Saying all this, if eBay were to change the rules again, I would rethink.

If you have a question about eBay or home working in general, please send it to: mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk - I will reply personally to every e-mail I receive and remember, there are FREE copies of my book available for the best questions, tips, or stories.

-- END NOTE --

That's all for this week. Check out www.ebaybulletin.co.uk for the latest news from Molly HQ.

Are you having trouble sending money directly via Paypal? Do you get an annoying message saying that the e-mail address “must be in the format abc.com”? Try this: go to the front of the address and insert a space, then delete the space and it should work fine. It’s a clever little glitch that stumped me for quite a while.

My apologies go to ‘Tablescar’ - http://shop.ebay.co.uk/tablescar/m.html? who sent in the question last week, I forgot your link [Ed: again]. A copy of the eBay Business Handbook is in the post.

Molly is feeling a lot better, but still not lifting very much; even a full kettle is a little taxing. I might just have to sit here for a few more days while the Elves do all the work and make the tea.

Best wishes and happy eBaying!

Mollybol

Author of the bestselling title, 'The eBay Business Handbook' - available direct from the publishers: www.harriman-house.com/ebaybusiness

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 147

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 147, 4th September 2009

Topics in this issue:

1. eBay News: Better e-mails

2. Poor old Molly

3. Let off steam with Molly

4. Ask Molly – What about the small seller?

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The eBay UK Bulletin

Before I start, my apologies to those readers who sent in e-mails and are awaiting a response, I have been running slowly for a few days, you can read below why. As a consequence I am way behind with my replies. I remember that I had a note about sending email newsletters to buyers, but just can’t find it, could you send it in again please?

Thanks for all the contributions towards issue 150, remember this is a week off for me, so please send me your articles and I’ll squeeze them in.

A reader lets off steam this week concerning DSRs, always a good topic of conversation.

Maybe there is some good news for the small seller as it gets harder to qualify for eBay discounts. More in ‘Ask Molly’.

[For details of this newsletter, please scroll down to the end.]

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1. EBAY NEWS: BETTER E-MAILS

-------------------------------------

There is not much eBay news to mention this week; they have sold Skype which is a shame as I was just about to start using it – nah, just kidding. I did stumble across this piece about the new integrated e-mails option which is about to go live, although I couldn’t determine exactly when.

I have long been a fan of the ‘respond’ method of reply to e-mails as a copy will be stored on the recipient’s eBay messages, often using ‘reply’ results in a lost e-mail.

It will be possible to see the whole e-mail exchange as previous messages will be ‘threaded’. The biggest change to communication e-mails is in the area of ‘post transaction’. The new post-transaction emails will be:

*1. Buyer Successful Notification* (includes a reminder to pay: only goes out if the buyer doesn’t pay within the first five minutes).

*2. Payment Reminder* Only goes out if the buyer hasn’t paid after three days.

*3. Order Confirmation* Sent when the buyer completes checkout and pays. This will be the first email for buyers who pay right away.

*4. Order Update* Sent when the status of any item in the buyer’s order changes, e.g. when the payment status changes or if the seller uploads tracking information.

*5. Follow-up email* This checks buyer satisfaction and reminds them to leave feedback. Only sent if the buyer has not left feedback and is optional for sellers.

There is a change to some functionality within ‘Selling Manager Pro’; it will no longer be possible to configure the frequency of the Buyer Successful Order Confirmation, Order Update and Payment Reminder emails.

Well I did say there was not much news about.

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2. POOR OLD MOLLY

-------------------------------------

Molly is a bit under the weather after a visit to hospital with a suspected hernia. After an examination involving a very small camera, it was found that I do have a weakness, but no actual hernia as yet. A warning to all eBay traders – watch those heavy parcels.

As an aside, the new mobile phone is fantastic; you can run almost all your eBay business from your hospital bed. I did have to turn it off in the anaesthetic room as things were getting a bit blurry!

The shop was shut for a couple of days as the thought of packing and bending was not an attractive one, but I still sold 14 things!

My thanks go to all the nurses who looked after me, copies of the eBay book are on their way. I did appreciate all the care and sympathy, although I have gone right off peppermint tea!

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3. LET OFF STEAM WITH MOLLY**

-------------------------------------------------

“Hi Molly

Thank you for your newsletters. They are always a worthwhile read. The book's great too!

I have recently experienced annoying feedback as a seller on my DSR and thought I would ‘let off steam’ in your bulletin.

When I've sold items, I ensure that all goods are dispatched within 3 days (as stated under my P&P description), sometimes I dispatch within a day. I accurately price the postal charges (based on weight, size and type of service), and communicate the dispatch time to my customers. I would expect to get 5's for communication, dispatch and post and packing charges. For some reason I've recently scored 4.8/9 in these areas even though the feedback is good. That's life, there is always someone that wants to pay £2.50 for 5 kilos of clothing and expects same day delivery.

Also, my husband has power seller status which he will lose together with discount from October as he's received three 2's in the last twelve months on dispatch time. I can vouch that he dispatches very quickly indeed. I don't think this is a particularly fair system.

However, what galls me is that we are expected to leave positive feedback as a seller when payment is received even if it arrives 5-7 days late but cannot give neutral feedback on payments that eventually turn up. It seems like buyers get a better deal with DSR scoring, which is an important part of being a seller.

This also leads on to another (what I consider to be a flaw in the system) issue:

I received immediate payment for a bundle of clothes I sold a couple of weeks ago. I delivered the clothes myself (the person is fairly local to me). Five days later, I am informed that the payment has been reversed and she now has my clothes!! It's being followed up. However, what I would like to know is why eBay do not check these payments before they show on the system. I could have been in a position where I wanted to bid for something myself and relied on the funds I had in Paypal.”

3282andrew - http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Thanks-4-the-Memory-Andrew

-------------------------------------------------
4. ASK MOLLY – WHAT ABOUT THE SMALL SELLER?**

-------------------------------------------------

“Hi M,

I have just been reading your newsletter about ‘Best match’. All that is for the big sellers like yourself (which is fine by me) but what about us little sellers? Will we be at the bottom of the heap when it comes to showing our things for sale?

Ps I do love your letters they make me see things in a clearer light.”

I agree, the whole site has switched away from its roots and become a little less fun along the way. The main issue is the 'best match' search results which promote multiple BIN listings. The only interesting point is that 'time ending soonest' items do take priority as they move towards closure. So it may be possible to achieve sales with well timed auctions of a shorter duration such that they are in the top results more often.

eBay has never stayed still very long and I am sure it will all change again soon. The new 'top rated seller' programme will remove many high volume sellers from the top spot and reduce or remove their discounts; their listings will not be promoted. The competition will fall away to some degree and they may be forced to increase prices to counter the loss of discounts.

I think the best advice is to stick with it, choose items to sell carefully, make them as unique as possible, maybe bundling them for ease of packing and reduction of admin time and costs. Use any of these savings to pay the extra fee and start your auctions at the minimum price you will accept for the item - auctions are still not performing very well, do not start auctions at 99p just because they are free, this is a false economy.

Follow all the usual good practices, cross-promote, reasonable p&p, easy Ts & Cs and create a happy environment for people to buy in, push the fact that you are a small seller with above average attention to detail and customer care.

If you have a question about eBay or home working in general, please send it to: mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk - I will reply personally to every e-mail I receive and remember, there are FREE copies of my book available for the best questions, tips, or stories.

-- END NOTE --

That's all for this week. Check out www.ebaybulletin.co.uk for the latest news from Molly HQ.

I have been walking of late rather than running as you can imagine, but still managed to tie up with a new supplier of soaps and body lotions – boring.

Much more interesting was a purchase made through the small ads of the local rag which has resulted in HQ being swathed in ‘Build A Bear’ costumes. You may have seen the shops on the High Street, never again will I turn my nose up at these toys, and you would not believe what they sell for. Check out the relevant category in my shop and if you have any, DO NOT sell them in one job lot through your local paper!

I’m off for another peppermint tea and a rest, the Elves can do the packing.

Best wishes and happy eBaying!

Mollybol

Author of the bestselling title, 'The eBay Business Handbook' - available direct from the publishers: www.harriman-house.com/ebaybusiness

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 146

The eBay UK Bulletin: Issue 146, 28th August 2009

Topics in this issue:

1. eBay News: EPN linking accounts
2. eBay spoof
3. The online auction site
4. Molly gets ‘Blogged’
5. Ask Molly – How do I get started?

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of The eBay UK Bulletin

‘Steady’ is the best way to describe sales during the past week. Nothing of substance to report, no great wins - just boring run of the mill business. When you’ve packed your 200th anti-aging day cream, the novelty does tend to diminish.

On a more positive note, nothing much has gone wrong. Okay, so I sent the wrong model of ‘Henry the Train’ to Japan (these mix ups are always overseas) and managed to mail a whole sheet of £1.00 stamps to a buyer in Bristol by mistake! But still.

This week, Molly gets ‘Blogged’ and survives. More on this follows.

And another eBay spoof is doing the rounds - check it out below.

[For details of this newsletter, please scroll down to the end.]

-------------------------------------
1. EBAY NEWS: EPN LINKING ACCOUNTS
-------------------------------------

eBay have introduced the ability for you to link your eBay trading account with your eBay ‘Partner Network’ account. There may well be some special features for sellers and especially Power-Sellers in the future. Here’s what eBay have to say:
• Linking your accounts will enable eBay to better advise and answer your questions as we can look at your eBay activity to better understand your account and your particular situation.
• We may do special eBay Partner Network promotions for eBay PowerSellers from time to time. In order to ensure that you are included in any such promotions, your accounts must be linked.
• Starting August 25th, all eBay Partner Network affiliates above $200 in monthly commissions that are also eBay PowerSellers will also be given access to a personal account manager.
To link your accounts, go to the "Account" tab, select ‘Business Information’ and click "Link to eBay Account" to enter your eBay ID and password.

If you have not yet signed up for the ‘EPN’, it might be worth looking into and could be a useful source of income.

Details - https://publisher.ebaypartnernetwork.com/files/hub/en-US/index.html

-------------------------------------
2. EBAY SPOOF
-------------------------------------

Another one for the shed wall!

“Hi Mol,

This is a ‘Phish’ attempt I have not seen before. It came through to an e-mail address not associated with my eBay account and the item number in question does not exist. Apart from that a good attempt.”

Cbeeeeee1111111 - http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Reversingcamerasuk

----

eBay sent this message from Fisher Greg (optimum_solution).
Your registered name is included to show this message originated from eBay. Learn more.

Buyer has responded to your question about this item

Do not respond to the sender if this message requests that you complete the transaction outside of eBay. This type of offer is against eBay policy, may be fraudulent, and is not covered by buyer protection programs. Learn More.
Dear member,

How much is the shipping to Swansea, United Kingdom???
Let me know because I'm online and I can pay you right now.
- optimum_solution

Item URL: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130315676972

3801412747101
Monday, August 24, 2009 09:31:55 PDT

Listing Status: This message was sent while the listing was closed.

----

Very interesting, but utter bunk! Messages from eBay are addressed to the receiver, not from the sender.

The other interesting point about this e-mail is that it even says it ‘was sent while the listing was closed’.

Saying all this, in a moment of weakness it could catch you out. If you see something like this, send a copy to me and then delete it.

-------------------------------------------------
3. THE ONLINE AUCTION SITE?
-------------------------------------------------

eBay is the world’s largest online auction site, or so they say, but I am beginning to think otherwise.

Over the past week I have noticed several of my fixed price listings have sold for significantly more than auctions for the same item and this theme is repeated by other fixed price sellers.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=310163899440 sold for £9.99, auctions reached for £5.75, £2.20, £4.00 & £6.00.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=310163443852 sold for £6.49, auctions reached £3.23, £2.31, £2.94 & £4.50

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=310163898022 sold for £7.59, auctions reached £5.50, £0.99 & £1.70.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=310144853869 sold for £10.00, auctions reached £2.99, £3.40 & £4.56

The Elves were watching an auction for a DVD of the film ‘National Treasure’ - not a bad yarn - and they have lost their copy. In the end we forgot to bid. It closed at £1.24, which is probably cheaper than renting it for a night.

With free p&p, eBay and Paypal costs, a stamp and bubble bag, the seller would be left with around 30p!

It is time to re-brand as ‘the online department store’!

-------------------------------------------------
4. MOLLY GETS BLOGGED
-------------------------------------------------

I am so proud; the website has just been ‘blogged’ and I didn’t feel a thing. It passed with an equivalent of a grade ‘C’ at GCSE.

“Dear Molly,

Our editors recently reviewed your blog and have given it a 6.3 score out of (10) in the recreation category of Blogged.com.

http://www.blogged.com/blogs/the-ebay-uk-bulletin.html

We evaluated your blog based on the following criteria: Frequency of Updates, Relevance of Content, Site Design, and Writing Style.
After carefully reviewing each of these criteria, your site was given its 6.3 score.

Please accept my congratulations on a blog well-done!!”

Sincerely,

Amy Liu
Marketing Department
http://www.blogged.com

If only I could remember the password I’d update it more often.

-------------------------------------------------
5. ASK MOLLY – HOW DO I GET STARTED?
-------------------------------------------------

Several e-mails arrived this week from ‘newbie sellers’ hoping to ease the recession with a few sales on eBay, I wish them well.

“Dear Molly,

How easy is it to get the first few sales when you start selling on eBay if - like me - you have zero History / feedback? Are there any recommended tactics for getting passed this hurdle?”

Well, the first few sales are tricky as you are untested. Buy some small things and pay promptly, this should ensure positive feedback; you need a minimum to be able to sell using fixed price, see below for these requirements.

When you start to sell, select low price items that will instil confidence with buyers. They are unlikely to buy something for £300 from a seller with no track record.

If you use auctions, select a short duration and you will squeeze more in thus creating a higher feedback score quicker. Watch your start price though and select one that you would be happy with.

Requirements to sell an item at a fixed price:

- Minimum Feedback score of 5 or 15 if you list multiple items

- PayPal accepted as payment method on listing

- If you’re selling through a Premium or Anchor Shop, you also need to be ‘PayPal Verified’.



If you have a question about eBay or home working in general, please send it to: mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk - I will reply personally to every e-mail I receive and remember, there are FREE copies of my book available for the best questions, tips, or stories.

-- END NOTE --

That's all for this week. Check out www.ebaybulletin.co.uk for the latest news from Molly HQ.

The bulletin has now been in existence for almost 3 years with issue 150 not far away. To celebrate this momentous occasion we will hand the 150th issue over to you the reader. If you would like to write an article, maybe to plug your eBay business or vent your frustration at the system, just send them in – mollybol@ebaybulletin.co.uk. Those submissions which include gifts for the editor will be given priority!


Best wishes and happy eBaying!

Mollybol

Author of the bestselling title, 'The eBay Business Handbook' - available direct from the publishers: www.harriman-house.com/ebaybusiness