• The About Me page is your personal page on the eBay site you can create it in less than five minutes, no HTML coding necessary.
  • Your About Me page can include descriptive text, a photo, links to your favorite sites, a list of your current auctions, and a list of your most recent feedback comments.
  • You can use your About Me page to publicize your eBay activities outside of the eBay site.

The great thing about the About Me page is that it’s a page with an unchanging URL that always lists your current auctions. When you want to direct other users to your eBay auctions, it’s easier to direct them to your About Me page than it is to enter the individual URLs for all your item listing pages.

The address for your About Me page is shown in the address box of your web browser. The address is typically in the form of members.ebay.com/aboutme/userid/; just replace userid with your own user ID and you should have the URL.

The About Me page is also a good way for other eBay users to get to know you especially those who are bidding in your auctions, or hosting auctions in which you’re bidding. Be sure to include text that positions you as a reputable eBay citizen and not some goofball flake who’s likely to cause trouble.

You can then insert this URL into your personal web page, your email signature, or any other item you can think of. It’s a great way to publicize your ongoing eBay activity!

If you buy or sell a lot of items on eBay, wouldn’t it be nice to have a web page you could show to other users? You know, a page that would tell all those buyers and sellers you deal with all about yourself and the items you have for sale?

Well, eBay lets you create such a page. It’s called About Me.

eBay’s About Me page is a personal web page just for you. It’s a great way to personalize the eBay experience, tell a little about yourself, and inspire bidder trust. It’s also easy to do and no HTML coding necessary.

You can view any user’s About Me page by clicking the Me icon next to his or her user name on any item listing page. (If no icon is displayed, that user doesn’t have an About Me page.) You can also search for other users’ About Me pages by clicking the Advanced Search link at the top of eBay’s home page and using the Find a Member search option.

You don’t have to be a web programmer to create your own About Me page. All you have to do is click a few options and fill in some blanks, and you’re ready to go.

Follow these steps:

  1. On any eBay page, click the Services link (above the Navigation Bar), and then click About Me.
  2. When the main About Me page appears, as shown in, click the Create Your Page button.
  3. When the Choose Your Editing Options page appears, check the Use Our Easy Step-by-Step Process option, and then click the Continue button. If you’re an HTML wizard and want to code your own About Me page, select the Enter Your Own HTML Code option instead.
  4. When the Enter Page Content page appears, as shown in, start by entering a title for your About Me page.
  5. On the same page, you can now enter two paragraphs of information, using the supplied formatting controls or (by clicking the Enter Your Own HTML link) with HTML codes.
  6. Still on the same page, enter a link to any picture you want to include on your page, as well as an optional title for the picture.
  7. In the Show Your eBay Activity section, choose how many feedback comments and current auction listings you want to display.
  8. If you want to include any links to external web pages, enter them in the Add Links section.
  9. When you’re done entering all this information on the Enter Page Content page, click the Continue button.
  10. When the Preview and Submit page appears, as shown in, choose a layout for your page, and then click the Submit button.

You’ll now see a confirmation page, which includes a link to your new About Me page. Click this link to view your new page.

Managing My eBay

In: my ebay

15 Jun 2009
  • My eBay lets you track all your eBay activities and information in one place.
  • My eBay includes separate pages for tracking items you’re bidding on or watching, items you’re selling, your favorite searches and categories, and your eBay account.
  • You can customize My eBay for your own personal preferencesincluding how you like your lists sorted, and how many days’ worth of items you want to display.

Each of the My eBay views can be personalized according to your personal tastes. Let’s take a quick look at these common view management features.

Sorting and Filtering

The information in any My eBay list (what eBay calls an information table) can be sorted by any individual column. Just click the column header to sort by that column.

You can also filter the listings presented in most tables to cut down on information overload. At the top of each information table is a series of Show links; click a link to filter the information accordingly. For example, in the Items I’ve Won table (in the All Buying view), you can choose to show All items, or just those items Awaiting Payment or Awaiting Feedback.

Hiding or Displaying Columns

If you don’t need to see all possible information for specific listings, My eBay lets you customize which columns are displayed for each individual information table. Just click the Customize link above the information table, and then select which columns you want to see.

Changing How Many Listings to Display

For most My eBay information tables, you can select how many days’ worth of listings you want to display; you can display up to 60 days’ worth of items if you want. Just pull down the Period list at the top of a given information table and make a new selection.

Leaving Notes to Yourself

Every now and then you might have an auction that requires additional action on your part, or somehow needs further annotation. Fortunately, My eBay lets you add electronic “sticky notes” to any auction listing. Just check the option box next to a particular listing and then click the Add Note button; add your comments into the resulting text box.

The information presented in My eBay looks great onscreen but can be a little much if you need a hard copy. Fortunately, My eBay lets you print a simplified, printer-friendly version of any information table. All you have to do is click the Print link next to any section of any view page. For example, to print a list of auctions you’ve won, go to the All Buying view and click the Print link at the top of the Items I’ve Won section.

Buying Page

The Items I’ve Won list is worth an extra glance. Not only does it list those auctions in which you’re the winning bidder, but it also includes an Action column that lets you know what you need to do next for each itemleave feedback, view payment status, and so on. Click the link in the Action column to perform that action.

Also interesting is the Items I’m Bidding On list, which presents all your current bidding activityeven those auctions in which you’ve been outbid. All auctions you’re currently winning are in green; all auctions you’re currently losing are in red. And, at the bottom of the page, you’ll find a set of links to various buying-related services on the eBay site.

  • Buying Reminders
  • Items I’m Watching
  • Buying Totals
  • Items I’m Bidding On
  • Items I’ve Won
  • Items I Didn’t Win

Selling Page

You use the All Selling Page, shown in, to keep track of all the items you’re currently selling or have recently sold. The page contains several lists of use to sellers:

  • Scheduled Items
  • Selling Reminders
  • Selling Totals
  • Items I’m Selling
  • Items I’ve Sold
  • Unsold Items

Note:

If you’re using eBay’s Selling Manager feature, the My eBay All Selling View page is replaced by a Selling Manager page. To return to the normal All Selling view, click the View My eBay Selling link.

One of the things I like about the Items I’m Selling section is the column for # of Watchers. This lists how many potential bidders have placed your item on their watch lists; it’s a good indication of total demand, and a predictor of last-minute sniping.

Like the Items I’ve Won list on the All Buying page, the Items I’ve Sold list is especially useful. The Action column lists the next action you need to take for every one of your closed auctions; click the link to perform the appropriate action.

Also useful is the Items I’m Selling list, which lets you see, in a single glance, the status of everything you’re currently selling on eBay. All items that currently have a bid higher than your minimum or reserve price are listed in green; all items that haven’t yet reached the minimum bid level are listed in red. And, at the bottom of the page, you’ll find a set of links to various selling-related services on the eBay site.

The My Summary view, is the default view when you access My eBay. It consists of several distinct sections:

  • My Messages, which contains important messages from eBay or from other sellers and buyers.
  • Buying Reminders, which prompts you about actions you need to take regarding those items you’ve recently purchased.
  • Selling Reminders, which prompts you about actions you need to take regarding those items you’ve recently sold.
  • General eBay Announcements, which includes links to the most recent eBay system news.
  • Items I’m Watching, which lists those auction items you’ve placed on your watch list.
  • Buying Totals, which summarizes those items you’re bidding on and those you’ve won.
  • Items I’m Bidding On, which lists all items you’re currently bidding on.
  • Item’s I’ve Made Best Offers On, which lists those items you’ve made a best offer on, for those auctions that utilize this feature.
  • Items I’ve Won, which lists recent auctions in which you were the high bidder.
  • Items I Didn’t Win, which lists recent auction in which you were outbid.
  • Selling Totals, which summarizes those items you currently have for sale or have recently sold.
  • Items I’m Selling, which lists all items you currently have for sale.
  • Items I’ve Sold, which lists all items you’ve recently sold.

One other nice thing about the My Summary view is that you can customize it to display as much or as little information as you wish. Just click the Customize Summary link near the top of the page to remove sections you don’t use often.

When you have questions or problems with your eBay auctions, You can get tons of help from other eBay users, via eBay’s community discussion boards. Just click the Community link on the eBay Navigation Bar (or go directly to hub.ebay.com/community).

Click the Discussion Boards link to see all the different boards available.

eBay offers discussion boards for individual product categories, as well as more general boards for buying, selling, and creating auction listings. The users who frequent these boards are extraordinarily helpful, and can answer just about any question you pose.

As helpful as the board members are, they probably can’t answer all the questions you might have. In particular, don’t expect these users to reveal their personal buying/selling secrets, merchandise suppliers, or other proprietary information. So be realistic about the help you can getand make sure you thank those who answer your questions!

Basics of eBay Video

In: Video

20 May 2009

Another Video from the eBay Tutorials Video Series: Basics of eBay Video

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KrDhUimUYY[/youtube]

Here it is – part 4 of the tips for closing more auctions on eBay:

Tip #31: Be Nice

Remember that you’re dealing with another human being, someone who has feelings that can be hurt. A little bit of common courtesy goes a long way. Say please and thank you, be understanding and tolerant, and treat your trading partner in the same way you’d like to be treated. Follow the golden rule; do unto other auction traders as you would have them do unto you.

Tip #32: Ship Promptly

Ship promptly after you’ve received payment (and after the check has cleared). Nobody likes to wait too long for something they’ve paid forand you don’t want to gain a reputation as a slow shipper.

Tip #33: If Nobody Buys, RelistWith a Different Description

If you didn’t sell your item the first time, try it again. eBay lets you relist unsold items at no additional listing charge; even if you have to pay again, you still want to sell the item, right? But remember that if it didn’t sell the first time, there was probably a reason why. Was your asking price too high? Was your description too vague? Was the title too boring? Should you have included a picture or used HTML to spice up the listing? Whatever you change, change something to increase your chances of selling your item the second time around.

Tip #34: If You Get Stiffed, Ask for a Refund

When your high bidder does a vanishing act, file an Unpaid Item Dispute and request a refund of the auction’s final value fee. There’s no sense paying eBay for something you didn’t get paid for!

Tip #35: Use eBay Second Chance

If you run up against a nonpaying bidder, you can try to sell the now-unsold item to the next highest bidder, if he or she is still interested. It never hurts to ask, in any case; just use eBay’s Second Chance Offer feature and see whether the bidder bites.

Tip #36: The Customer Is Always Right…

Although many sellers take a hardball attitude and refuse any discussion of refunds, I recommend a more customer-friendly approach. When I have a dissatisfied buyer, I offer a full refund.

Yeah, some buyers might try to take advantage of you, but most are honest. So if you have a buyer with a complaint, you can generally assume that it’s a legitimate beef. You’ll get better feedbackand sleep easier at nightif you have the customer return the item and refund the purchase price. It’s the right thing to do!

Tip #37: …Or All Sales Are Final

If you choose not to offer a “satisfaction guaranteed” policy, be sure to state that “all sales are final” in your item listing. (Alternatively, you can say that your item is “sold as-is” or that there are “no returns.”)

Tip #38: Accept Credit CardsVia PayPal

One of the easiest ways to increase the number of bids in your auction is to accept payment via credit card. Unless you’re a real business with a merchant bank account, this means signing up for PayPalwhich is extremely easy to do.

Tip #39: Wait for the Check to Clear

The reality is that many buyers prefer to pay by check. That’s okay, as long as you wait a good 10 business days for the check to clear. Don’t be stupid and ship an item before the check proves goodyou’re bound to get burned!

Tip #40: If It’s a Business, You Pay Taxes

This book isn’t meant to offer tax advice (and you’d be foolish to consult me for such!), but larger eBay sellers need to be aware of the tax issue. In general, if you’re an individual who classifies as a casual eBay seller, you probably don’t have to worry about collecting sales taxes or reporting taxable income. However, if you’re a business or an individual at the power seller level, the Internal Revenue Service will want their share. The best advice here is that no matter what level your eBay sales, you should consult your accountant or a similar tax expertand never, never try to fool Uncle Sam.

Here it is – part 3 of the tips for closing more auctions on eBay:

Tip #21: Slow Down in the Summer

For whatever reason, eBay traffic slows way down in the summertime. (Lots of potential buyers are on vacation, and even more are outside enjoying the sunshine.) If you want to maximize your bids, you’ll get a higher price when fall and winter come along.

Tip #22: Promote Your Auctions

Let people outside eBay know about your auction. Mention your auction in relevant newsgroups and mailing lists, feature it on your personal website, and send emails about it to all your friends. Include your item listing’s URL in everything you do so that anyone interested can click the link to view your auction. Do anything you can think of to draw traffic to your listingand thus increase your chances of selling it.

Tip #23: Use My eBay to Track Your Auctions

Don’t let your auction activity get away from you. Use My eBay to look at all your auctions daily, or use auction management software to track your auctions automatically.

You can also use My eBay to track your favorite auction categories, as well as your feedback ratings and account status. Personalize your My eBay page the way you like and then bookmark it; it’s a great home page for the heavy auction trader.

Tip #24: If You Sell a Lot, Use eBay Selling Manager

My eBay is great for tracking your auctions, but when it comes to managing your end-of-auction activities, consider subscribing to eBay Selling Manager. For just $4.99 per month you get assistance in sending emails, printing invoices and packing slips, and leaving feedback. It’s great if you run a lot of auctions simultaneously.

Tip #25: Avoid Premature Cancellation

Know that many bidders wait until the very last minute to place a bid. (It’s called sniping, and it really works.) If you cancel an auction early, you’ll miss out on the bulk of the potential bids. So don’t cancel!

Tip #26: Avoid Deadbeats

You don’t have to sell to just anybody. You can stipulate that you won’t sell to bidders with negative feedback or with feedback ratings below a certain level. If you receive bids from these potential deadbeats, cancel them. If the deadbeats continue to bid (after being warned off via email by you), block their bids. You want to sell to someone who will actually consummate the transaction and send you payment; bidders with negative feedback are more likely to leave you high and dry.

Tip #27: Include All Your Shipping Costs

When figuring your shipping and handling costs, be sure to factor in all your costsnot just the shipping itself, but also the cost of the packaging, the labels, and the packing tape. Don’t gouge your buyer (this isn’t meant to be a profit center), but don’t cheat yourself, either. If actual shipping costs are $3.50, think about charging the buyer $4 to cover your additional costs. And, when you’re figuring the item’s shipping weight, remember that you don’t just ship the itemyou also ship the box and all cushioning materials. These items have weight and must be included when you’re weighing your item for shipment. (Those free Priority Mail boxes are especially heavyand can easily increase your cost of shipping.)

Tip #28: Use a Middleman for Expensive Items

If you’re selling a high-priced item, consider offering the buyer the option of using an escrow service. It’s a good deal for you; the buyer pays for the service (in the neighborhood of 5%, typically), it provides a level of peace of mind for the buyer, and it lets you accept credit card payments that you might otherwise not accept.

Tip #29: Document Everything

In case something goes south, it helps to have good records of all aspects of your transaction. Print copies of the confirmation email, plus all email between you and the buyer. Be sure to write down the buyer’s user ID, email address, and physical address. If the transaction is ever disputed, you’ll have all the backup you need to plead your case.

Tip #30: Communicate QuicklyAnd Clearly

When your auction ends, get in touch with the high bidder immediately. Don’t wait until the next day; send your post-auction email within minutes of the auction close. Remember, the faster you notify the high bidder, the faster you’ll get paid.

And here’s something the best sellers do. Email the buyer again when you receive payment and once more when you’re ready to ship the item. The more everyone knows, the fewer surprises there are.

Also, remember that not everyone reads his or her email daily, so don’t expect an immediate response. Still, if you don’t receive a response, send another email. If you’re at all concerned at any point, get the buyer’s phone number or physical address from the auction site and call or write him. A good phone conversation can clear up a wealth of misunderstandings.

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