How to Sell Expensive Items on eBay

Selling expensive items on eBay is really no different  than selling low cost items. Essentially, no matter  what you are selling, it all comes down to how you  market the item. This doesn’t mean you have to  surf around the Internet placing ads here and there –  when it comes to eBay auctions, the marketing is  all done at the eBay website. Basically, when you  set up your auction, you are setting up an  automated marketing campaign.

First, you must determine what the value of your  item is, in three different ways. This will help you  determine what your reserve price is. On eBay, the  reserve price is the lowest price that you are willing  to accept for your item. First, have your high priced  item evaluated to determine what the actual market  value is. Next, research similar items from past  auctions at eBay to see what price those items sold  for. Finally, determine what the value of the item is to you. With this information, you should be able to  determine the lowest amount you are willing to sell  the item for.

Set your reserve price, and then set your opening bid  price lower than $50 – no matter how high your  reserve price is. This is a marketing tactic. It will be  hard to attract potential buyers to an auction for an  item selling for hundreds or thousands of dollars –  but getting them to an auction where the opening  bid is only $50 is quite simple. Remember, you don’t  have to sell the item to anyone who bids less than  your reserve price – unless you choose to do so at  the close of the auction. This method of price setting  resembles marketing gimmicks used by offline  businesses that are simply designed to ‘get customers  in the door.’

Work hard on the description for your listing. Use  words that really describe your item well. Provide as  many details as possible, including details that prove  the authenticity of collectible items. Include pictures  of the item as well. Do not try to deceive potential  buyers! If the item has marks or scratches, simply  be honest about it, and make sure that the pictures  convey this as well. State how the item will be  packed and shipped. Also let potential buyers know  that shipping insurance must be purchased as well  – in case the item is damaged once it leaves your  possession.

For higher priced items, most eBay buyers feel more  comfortable using an escrow service. Offer this as  an option in your auction, with the understanding that  the buyer must pay for the service. This protects both  parties from fraud, and it makes many buyers more  open to spending the money to obtain the item.  eBay has partnered with an escrow service that is  commonly used for high ticket items.

‎‌How to Find Great Deals at eBay

Everyone loves a great deal! Many people spend  quite a bit of time searching for good deals on the  items that they want and need – and when they find  those deals, they experience a certain amount of  satisfaction. These people typically haunt garage  sales, stores that are holding sales, wholesale  warehouses, flea markets, and especially online  and offline auctions. With the incredible number of  auctions that are constantly going on at eBay, it  can be difficult to find the items you want, at the  price you want to pay. But it isn’t impossible to find  great deals!

There are steps you can take to ensure that you are  getting a great deal on the items you purchase  through eBay. In fact, these same steps will also  help to protect you against fraud. Participating in  online auctions is a great deal of fun, but you must use caution as well. This caution entails doing your  research before you place any bids.

Start with the auction in question. Make sure that  you read every word of the description and the  auction details. You can never have too much  information – especially if that information is  about an individual that you may be doing business  with. Pay special attention to what the description  and auction details do not say. For instance, is a  guarantee mentioned? Is the item new? Is it  authentic? Is there proof of authenticity? Look for  auctions that provide the right information – and  the right amount of information. Avoid those that  do not.

Who will pay the shipping and handling costs? Often, the buyer pays these costs, and sometimes, the  seller tries to charge more than the actual shipping  and handling costs are. Beware of high shipping  costs, especially for items that will be auctioned  off at a very low price. Also note when the item is  supposed to ship after the bidding has ended.  Depending on what you are trying to purchase the  item for, it may not arrive in time.

Don’t make the mistake of bidding on an item simply  because it is a ‘good deal.’ It is only a good deal for  you if the item is something that you really want or  need. Many people simply bid for the sake of  bidding – or winning – without having any real need  or desire for the item in question. Before bidding on  items that you do want or need, check prices  around the Internet and the prices available from  offline sources as well. Just because it is on eBay  does not guarantee that it is the cheapest price  available!

Finally, learn more about the seller. Can you trust  them? What is their rating? Read their feedback  page! Failure to learn more about the seller can be costly. Not everyone is as honest as you are – and  the seller may be trying to take advantage of people  that simply don’t know enough to find out more  about them. Sometimes scammers make their  auctions sound like really great deals. Beware of  prices that seem extremely low!

eBay Users: What You Need to Know About Phishing Scams

Are you an eBay user?  Whether you use eBay to do your online shopping or if you use eBay to generate extra income for yourself, as an eBay seller, there is something that you need to be aware of. As an eBay user, whether you are a seller or a buyer, you need to be on the lookout for phishing scams.  Phishing scams are rapidly increasing in popularity and many are using eBay as a front.  To protect your identity, as well as you finances, you need to be on the lookout for them.

If you are relatively new to eBay or online shopping in general, you may not know exactly what phishing scams are.  Do you?  If not, you should know that phishing scams are actually complex online scams.  A shady individual or a scammer makes a fake website that is similar to eBay or at least a fake eBay sign in page.  You are then sent an email that appears as if it was from eBay.  The only thing is that it wasn’t.  The goal of a phishing scam is to get you to visit the fake page and enter in your eBay sign in information, including your eBay screen name and your eBay password.  Once a scammer has your information, they get access to you personal information stored on eBay, as well as free use of your eBay account.

One of the reasons why phishing scams are so easy to fall victim to is because they give you the impression that is something is wrong with you eBay account or that you did something wrong yourself.  For instance, many phishing scams contain a message asking why you didn’t pay for an item that you ordered or outline the fact that your eBay account has been suspended.  The goal is to get you so worried that you will automatically click on the link to get the problem solved; however, as previously mentioned, the link takes you to a site that looks just like eBay, but it isn’t.  There is where the trouble comes in.

If you get an eBay phishing scam email, you will want to do a little bit of detective work, before actually clicking on the link. In fact, you shouldn't even click on the link.  The first thing that you will want to do is look at your name, as most eBay phishing emails start with “Dear eBay Member,” or something along those lines.  Real eBay messages will refer to you by your eBay screen name or even your real name.  You can also roll your mouse over the link provided to you and see where it will actually take you.  In most cases, you will find that you are being directed to another site, not eBay.com.  All eBay messages should appear in your “My eBay,” message box.  To see if eBay really sent you an email, you can log into your eBay account, from a brand new window that you open up, and check your messages, if you even have any at all.

If you do receive an eBay phishing scam email, you are advised to contact eBay or examine eBay’s help center. There you will find instructions on how to report the email or send a copy of it to eBay. Although your first thought may be to delete the eBay phishing scam email, you will actually want to follow eBay’s reporting instructions.  You may know that you are being scammed, but other may not.  Reporting an eBay phishing scam to eBay allows them to take care of the problem; thus likely reducing the number of eBay users who fall victim to similar scams.

Now that you know exactly what eBay phishing scams are, you are urged to be on the lookout for them.  Keeping an open eye is your best line of defensive against eBay phishing scams or any phishing scams for that matter.