800 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240 USA

Michael Miller

MyeBay®

for Seniors

My eBay® for SeniorsCopyright © 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc.All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the informa-tion contained herein.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-5291-8ISBN-10: 0-7897-5291-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014934386

Printed in the United States on America

First Printing: May 2014

TrademarksAll terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Que Publishing cannot attest to the accuracy of this infor-mation. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

Warning and DisclaimerEvery effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an “as is” basis. The author and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book.

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Editor-in-ChiefGreg Wiegand

Acquisitions EditorMichelle Newcomb

Development EditorCharlotte Kughen

Managing EditorKristy Hart

Senior Project EditorBetsy Gratner

IndexerErika Millen

ProofreaderSarah Kearns

Technical EditorKathleen Henry

Editorial AssistantCindy Teeters

Cover DesignerMark Shirar

CompositorTricia Bronkella

Contents at a Glance Chapter 1 Getting to Know eBay—for Seniors ..................................................................................................3

Chapter 2 Shopping Safely on eBay .................................................................................................................................15

Chapter 3 Browsing and Searching for Bargains ........................................................................................29

Chapter 4 Buying Fixed-Price Items ..................................................................................................................................47

Chapter 5 Buying Items on Auction .................................................................................................................................65

Chapter 6 Understanding eBay’s Selling Fees .................................................................................................93

Chapter 7 Preparing Items for Sale ............................................................................................................................... 103

Chapter 8 Downsizing via eBay ........................................................................................................................................... 133

Chapter 9 Selling Commodity Items at a Fixed Price ..................................................................... 143

Chapter 10 Selling One-of-a-Kind Items via Auction ......................................................................... 161

Chapter 11 Accepting Payments with PayPal.................................................................................................. 185

Chapter 12 After the Sale—Concluding the Transaction and Leaving Feedback .................................................................................................................................... 195

Chapter 13 Packaging and Shipping the Items You Sell .............................................................. 203

Chapter 14 Dealing with Deadbeats and Disputes ............................................................................... 225

Chapter 15 Managing Your eBay Activity with My eBay ............................................................... 233

Chapter 16 Managing Your Personal Presence on eBay ................................................................ 245

Chapter 17 Using eBay on Your Mobile Phone or Tablet ............................................................. 255

Index .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 273

Table of Contents

1 Getting to Know eBay—for Seniors 3

What Is eBay, Exactly? ......................................................................................................................................................................3

How Seniors Use eBay .....................................................................................................................................................................7

Signing Up, Signing In, and Signing Out .............................................................................................................8

Create a New eBay Account ...........................................................................................................................................8

Sign Into Your eBay Account ........................................................................................................................................9

Sign Out of eBay ..........................................................................................................................................................................10

Navigating the eBay Site .........................................................................................................................................................11

Use the eBay Toolbar ............................................................................................................................................................11

Use eBay’s Home Page .......................................................................................................................................................12

2 Shopping Safely on eBay 15

Understanding the Risks of Shopping on eBay ......................................................................................15

Minimizing Your Risk with eBay’s Feedback System .......................................................................16

Understanding Feedback ...............................................................................................................................................16

Viewing Feedback and Comments...................................................................................................................18

Paying Safely by Credit Card—and PayPal ....................................................................................................20

Protecting Yourself After the Sale with eBay’s Money Back Guarantee ...............21

Filing a Claim ....................................................................................................................................................................................22

Reporting Inappropriate Behavior ............................................................................................................................23

Report Another User .............................................................................................................................................................24

Tips for Protecting Yourself on eBay .......................................................................................................................25

3 Browsing and Searching for Bargains 29

Browsing eBay’s Product Categories ......................................................................................................................29

Browse the Product Categories .............................................................................................................................30

Shop at a Product Hub .......................................................................................................................................................33

Shop for Deals ................................................................................................................................................................................34

vTable of Contents

Searching for Specific Items ...............................................................................................................................................34

Use eBay’s Basic Search .....................................................................................................................................................35

Use eBay’s Advanced Search .....................................................................................................................................36

Follow a Search .............................................................................................................................................................................40

Viewing Product Listings .........................................................................................................................................................41

Read a Listing Page .................................................................................................................................................................41

4 Buying Fixed-Price Items 47

Fixed-Price or Auction: What’s the Best Way to Buy? ......................................................................47

Before You Buy .......................................................................................................................................................................................49

Look for Key Information ................................................................................................................................................49

Purchasing a Fixed-Price Item ..........................................................................................................................................51

Calculate the Final Price ...................................................................................................................................................51

Buy a Single Item........................................................................................................................................................................53

Use the eBay Shopping Cart for Multiple Items ............................................................................55

Paying for Your Purchase .........................................................................................................................................................57

Shopping at eBay Stores ..........................................................................................................................................................59

Find an eBay Store ....................................................................................................................................................................59

Search for an Item in eBay Stores .......................................................................................................................60

Browse and Buy in an eBay Store .......................................................................................................................60

After the Sale ............................................................................................................................................................................................61

Leave Feedback ............................................................................................................................................................................62

5 Buying Items on Auction 65

How Online Auctions Work ..................................................................................................................................................65

Understanding the Bidding Process ...............................................................................................................66

Determining How Much to Bid ..............................................................................................................................69

Bidding in an Online Auction ...........................................................................................................................................70

Place a Bid ............................................................................................................................................................................................70

After You’ve Bid .............................................................................................................................................................................72

Respond to a Higher Bid .................................................................................................................................................73

Retract a Bad Bid .........................................................................................................................................................................74

vi My eBay for Seniors

Winning an eBay Auction .......................................................................................................................................................75

Pay for a Winning Bid ...........................................................................................................................................................75

Wait for the Item to Arrive ............................................................................................................................................77

Leave Feedback ............................................................................................................................................................................79

Bidding in a Reserve Price Auction ..........................................................................................................................80

Purchasing an Auction Item with the Buy It Now Option .......................................................81

Use the Buy It Now Option ..........................................................................................................................................82

Bid a Lower Price Instead ...............................................................................................................................................82

Sniping to Win ........................................................................................................................................................................................83

What Sniping Is—And How It Works .............................................................................................................83

Place a Last-Second Snipe ............................................................................................................................................84

Explore Automated Sniping Services ..........................................................................................................85

Ten Tips for Winning More eBay Auctions ......................................................................................................86

#1: Don’t Bid Too Early ........................................................................................................................................................86

#2: Look for Off-Peak Auctions ...............................................................................................................................87

#3: Bid in the Off Season .................................................................................................................................................87

#4: Search for Last-Minute Bargains ...............................................................................................................87

#5: Don’t Bid Too Low ..........................................................................................................................................................88

#6: Don’t Bid Too High ........................................................................................................................................................88

#7: Bid in Odd Numbers ...................................................................................................................................................88

#8: Don’t Get Caught Up in a Bidding Frenzy ...................................................................................89

#9: There’s More Where That Came From ................................................................................................89

#10: Remember the Shipping and Handling Fees .....................................................................89

6 Understanding eBay’s Selling Fees 93

What Fees Do Buyers Pay? ....................................................................................................................................................93

What Fees Do Sellers Pay? .....................................................................................................................................................94

Basic Fees ...............................................................................................................................................................................................94

Optional Fees ...................................................................................................................................................................................96

Use eBay’s Fee Calculator ...............................................................................................................................................98

PayPal Fees ......................................................................................................................................................................................100

Paying Your Fees ..............................................................................................................................................................................100

viiTable of Contents

7 Preparing Items for Sale 103

Finding Items to Sell ..................................................................................................................................................................103

Around the House ................................................................................................................................................................103

Friends and Family ...............................................................................................................................................................104

Garage Sales and Yard Sales ...................................................................................................................................104

Flea Markets ...................................................................................................................................................................................104

Live Auctions ................................................................................................................................................................................105

Vintage and Used Retailers ......................................................................................................................................105

Thrift Stores ....................................................................................................................................................................................105

Discount and Dollar Stores ......................................................................................................................................105

Closeout Sales .............................................................................................................................................................................105

Going Out of Business Sales...................................................................................................................................105

What You Can’t Sell on eBay ...........................................................................................................................................106

Preparing Items for Sale .......................................................................................................................................................108

Picking the Right Category ..............................................................................................................................................110

Understand eBay’s Product Categories ................................................................................................110

Choosing a Category ........................................................................................................................................................111

Taking Product Photos ...........................................................................................................................................................112

Tips for Taking Great Product Photos .......................................................................................................112

Use eBay’s Stock Photos ...............................................................................................................................................118

Edit Your Photos .......................................................................................................................................................................119

Writing an Effective Title ......................................................................................................................................................120

Include Key Information ..............................................................................................................................................121

Make Your Title Stand Out .........................................................................................................................................121

Writing an Effective Description ...............................................................................................................................122

Take All the Space You Need .................................................................................................................................122

First Things First .......................................................................................................................................................................123

The Bare Necessities ..........................................................................................................................................................123

Describe It—Accurately ................................................................................................................................................124

Stress Benefits, Not Features .................................................................................................................................124

Break It Up ........................................................................................................................................................................................124

viii My eBay for Seniors

Don’t Forget the Fine Print .......................................................................................................................................125

Include Alternative Wording ..................................................................................................................................125

Making the Grade ..........................................................................................................................................................................126

Making a Mint .............................................................................................................................................................................126

Getting Graded .........................................................................................................................................................................127

Other Ways to Describe Your Item ................................................................................................................128

8 Downsizing via eBay 133

Different Ways to Downsize ............................................................................................................................................133

Determining What to Sell ...................................................................................................................................................134

Determining How to Sell .....................................................................................................................................................136

Individual Items or Multiple-Item Lots? ................................................................................................136

Auction or Fixed Price? ..................................................................................................................................................137

Determining When to Sell .................................................................................................................................................138

Letting Someone Else Sell for You .........................................................................................................................138

Use a Consignment Store...........................................................................................................................................139

Use an eBay Valet ...................................................................................................................................................................140

9 Selling Commodity Items at a Fixed Price 143

What Types of Items Should You Sell at a Fixed Price? ............................................................144

Creating a Fixed-Price Listing .......................................................................................................................................145

Create a New Listing .........................................................................................................................................................146

Create a New Listing—When eBay Knows What You’re Selling ..........................151

Managing Your Listings .........................................................................................................................................................155

Edit a Listing ..................................................................................................................................................................................155

End a Listing ..................................................................................................................................................................................157

Relist an Item................................................................................................................................................................................158

Making a Sale—What Happens Next?.............................................................................................................159

ixTable of Contents

10 Selling One-of-a-Kind Items via Auction 161

What Types of Things Should You List via Online Auction? ..............................................161

Before You List: Setting the Right Starting Price ...............................................................................162

Set It Low Enough to Be Attractive… ......................................................................................................162

…But Don’t Set It So Low That It’s Not Believable .................................................................164

Make Sure You Recover Your Costs ..............................................................................................................164

Make Sure You Can Live with a Single Bid .........................................................................................164

Creating an Auction Listing.............................................................................................................................................165

Create a New Listing .........................................................................................................................................................165

Create a New Listing—When eBay Knows What You’re Selling ..........................170

Adding Fixed-Price Selling to Your Auctions with Buy It Now ......................................174

Add Buy It Now to an Auction Listing .....................................................................................................175

Setting a Higher Minimum with a Reserve Price Auction ...................................................176

Add a Reserve Price to an Auction Listing .........................................................................................177

Managing Your Item Listing ............................................................................................................................................178

Edit a Listing ..................................................................................................................................................................................179

Cancel an Auction .................................................................................................................................................................180

Block Unwanted Buyers ................................................................................................................................................181

Relist an Unsold Item .......................................................................................................................................................182

After the Auction—Now What Happens? ..................................................................................................183

11 Accepting Payments with PayPal 185

Signing Up for a PayPal Account .............................................................................................................................185

Different Types of PayPal Accounts ..............................................................................................................186

Sign Up for PayPal .................................................................................................................................................................187

Paying for PayPal .............................................................................................................................................................................189

Accepting PayPal Payments in Your eBay Listings ..........................................................................190

Collecting PayPal Payments ............................................................................................................................................190

Withdraw Your Funds from PayPal ................................................................................................................192

x My eBay for Seniors

12 After the Sale—Concluding the Transaction and Leaving Feedback 195

Understanding the Post-Sale Process ...............................................................................................................196

Getting Paid ...........................................................................................................................................................................................197

Send an Invoice ........................................................................................................................................................................197

Receive Payment .....................................................................................................................................................................199

Packing and Shipping ..............................................................................................................................................................200

Leaving Feedback ..........................................................................................................................................................................200

Leave Feedback ........................................................................................................................................................................200

13 Packaging and Shipping the Items You Sell 203

Packing Your Item for Shipment ...............................................................................................................................203

Essential Packing Supplies ........................................................................................................................................204

Pick the Right Shipping Container ................................................................................................................205

Where to Find Shipping Boxes ...........................................................................................................................207

How to Pack ...................................................................................................................................................................................208

Seal the Package .....................................................................................................................................................................211

Labeling Your Package ...........................................................................................................................................................212

Use Prepaid Shipping Labels.................................................................................................................................212

Label It Yourself ........................................................................................................................................................................216

Shipping Your Item ......................................................................................................................................................................216

Compare the Major Shipping Services ...................................................................................................217

U.S. Postal Service .................................................................................................................................................................218

FedEx ........................................................................................................................................................................................................219

UPS ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................220

Pricing Shipping for Your eBay Listings .........................................................................................................220

Charge a Flat Fee ....................................................................................................................................................................220

Use eBay’s Shipping Calculator ..........................................................................................................................221

Charge a Variable Fee ......................................................................................................................................................222

xiTable of Contents

14 Dealing with Deadbeats and Disputes 225

Handling Buyer Complaints ............................................................................................................................................225

Dealing with Nonpaying Buyers...............................................................................................................................227

Follow Through on an Unpaid Item ............................................................................................................228

Contact an Unresponsive Bidder ....................................................................................................................228

Open a Case in the Resolution Center ....................................................................................................229

Close Your Case .........................................................................................................................................................................230

Relist Your Item .........................................................................................................................................................................230

15 Managing Your eBay Activity with My eBay 233

Understanding and Navigating My eBay ....................................................................................................233

Using My eBay ....................................................................................................................................................................................235

View a Summary of Your Activities ...............................................................................................................235

View All Your Bids and Offers ................................................................................................................................237

View Items You’re Watching ....................................................................................................................................237

View Your Purchase History.....................................................................................................................................238

Manage Your Selling (and Post-Selling) Activity .......................................................................239

View Searches You Follow .........................................................................................................................................241

Read and Send Messages ..........................................................................................................................................241

16 Managing Your Personal Presence on eBay 245

Viewing Other Users’ Profile Pages .......................................................................................................................245

View a Profile Page ...............................................................................................................................................................246

Follow Another User ..........................................................................................................................................................247

Personalizing Your Profile Page..................................................................................................................................248

Edit Your Personal Information ..........................................................................................................................248

Add a Profile Picture ..........................................................................................................................................................249

Add or Change a Cover Image ...........................................................................................................................250

Share Your Profile Page with Others ...........................................................................................................251

Managing Your eBay Account Settings ..........................................................................................................251

Edit Your Account Information ...........................................................................................................................251

xii My eBay for Seniors

17 Using eBay on Your Mobile Phone or Tablet 255

Using eBay’s iPhone App.....................................................................................................................................................255

Navigate the eBay App ..................................................................................................................................................256

Search for Items to Buy .................................................................................................................................................257

Browse eBay’s Product Categories ................................................................................................................259

Shop via Barcode ....................................................................................................................................................................261

Sell on eBay ....................................................................................................................................................................................262

Manage Your eBay Activity ......................................................................................................................................265

Using eBay on Other Mobile Devices ...............................................................................................................267

Using eBay’s iPad App .....................................................................................................................................................268

Using eBay’s Android App .........................................................................................................................................269

Using eBay’s Windows Phone App ...............................................................................................................270

Using eBay’s BlackBerry App .................................................................................................................................271

Index 273

xiiiAbout the Author

About the AuthorMichael Miller is a prolific and popular writer of more than 150 nonfiction books and is known for his ability to explain complex topics to everyday read-ers. He writes about a variety of topics, including technology, business, and music. His best-selling books for Que include My Windows 8.1 PC for Seniors, My Facebook for Seniors, Absolute Beginner’s Guide to eBay, and Selling Your Crafts Online: With Etsy, eBay, and Pinterest. Worldwide, his books have sold more than one million copies.

Find out more at the author’s website: www.molehillgroup.com

Follow the author on Twitter: molehillgroup

xiv My eBay for Seniors

DedicationTo my parents, who raised me good.

AcknowledgmentsThanks to all the folks at Que who helped turn this manuscript into a book, including Michelle Newcomb, Greg Wiegand, Charlotte Kughen, Todd Brakke, and technical editor Kathleen Henry.

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eBay’s Toys & Hobbies hub

In this chapter, you discover the various ways to find items to buy on eBay.

➔ Browsing eBay’s Product Categories ➔ Searching for Specific Items ➔ Viewing Product Listings 3Browsing and Searching for Bargains

eBay is a great place to shop, with millions of products listed for sale each day. But with so many things available on the eBay site, how do you find the specific items you want to buy?

There are lots of ways to shop for items on eBay. You can search directly for an item, or browse for items by product category. eBay even offers some retail-like “hubs” for its most popular merchandise categories. How you shop depends a lot, then, on how you like to shop.

Browsing eBay’s Product CategoriesPerhaps the easiest way for newer users to shop for items on eBay is to browse the site’s various product categories. eBay organizes its listings into an ever-increasing number of categories, from Antiques to Window Treatments.

30 Chapter 3 Browsing and Searching for Bargains

Browse the Product CategoriesThe key to browsing through eBay’s product categories is to keep drill-ing down through the hierarchy until you find the specific subcategory you want. You can then browse the individual items for sale within that subcategory.

1 From eBay’s home page, click Shop By Category to see a list of the most popular categories.

2 If the category you want is listed here, click it. Otherwise, click See All Categories to display the complete category listing.

3 Click the category or subcat-egory you want to browse.

You start your category browsing from eBay’s home page. To make browsing easier, eBay’s major categories are divided into a hierarchy of subcategories. For example, the Antiques category has more than 20 individual subcategories, such as Antiquities, Architectural & Garden, Maritime, and Musical Instruments. And, as you keep drilling down, you find that many subcategories have their own subcategories. (Sub-subcategories?)

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31Browsing eBay’s Product Categories

4 When the category page appears, you see a list of sub-categories on the left. Click the subcategory you want to browse.

5 You now see the featured items for sale in this subcategory. Each listing is represented by a thumbnail image, the current asking price, and—if the item is an online auction—the current number of bids on the item. Click any item to view its full listing page.

6 Scroll to the bottom of the page and click See All Search Results to see a list of all items for sale in this subcategory.

7 Each listing includes the list-ing title, a thumbnail image of the item, the current auction or Buy It Now price, how many bids or watchers the item has, and—if it’s an auction item—the amount of time left until the end of the auction. By default, eBay displays both auction and fixed-price items; to display only auction items, click the Auction button at the top of the page. To display only fixed-price items, click the Buy It Now button.

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32 Chapter 3 Browsing and Searching for Bargains

8 You can filter the listings on this page by a number of different criteria, all listed in the left col-umn. The criteria differ from cat-egory to category; for example, you may be able to filter by condition (new or used), price range, delivery options, and so forth. Check those items you want to filter by.

9 Click an item’s title to view the listing page for that item.

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33Browsing eBay’s Product Categories

Shop at a Product HubOver the years, eBay has tried to make the shopping experience on its site more like that of a traditional online retailer. To that end, eBay has created several buying hubs for major product categories. These categories are listed below the search box on eBay’s home page.

1 From eBay’s home page, click one of the major catego-ries listed—Motors, Fashion, Electronics, Collectibles & Art, Home & Garden, Sporting Goods, Toys & Hobbies, or Deals & Gifts—to see the hub for that major product category.

2 Most hub pages include featured listings and additional content, selected by eBay staff. Scroll down to see what’s available.

3 Departments or subcategories within the major category are listed on the left side of the page; click a department to view the products for sale in that department.

4 Click a listing title to view that item’s complete listing page.

More SubcategoriesSome departments in a product hub host additional subcategories. This is indicated by a right-arrow beside the subcategory name. Click the right-arrow to see and select a given subcategory.

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34 Chapter 3 Browsing and Searching for Bargains

Shop for DealsOne of eBay’s most popular buying hubs is the Deals & Gifts hub. This is a good place to start when you’re look-ing for the best bargains on the eBay site.

1 From eBay’s home page, click Deals & Gifts or go directly to http://deals.ebay.com.

2 To narrow down the bargains by category, click one of the tabs along the top of the page—Daily Deals, Tech Deals, Fashion Deals, Home Deals, or Even More Deals.

3 Scroll down to view different types of deals. Click any deal list-ing to view more details—and maybe make a purchase.

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Searching for Specific ItemsMany eBay categories are so large they’re practically impossible to browse. (Do you really want to click through a hundred pages of listings to find the item you want?) If you’re looking for a specific type of item, the better approach may be to use eBay’s powerful search function.

35Searching for Specific Items

Use eBay’s Basic SearcheBay’s home page features a simple Search box at the top, which you can use for simple searches. It’s as easy as using Google to search the Web.

1 On eBay’s home page, enter one or more words that describe what you’re searching for into the top-of-page Search box.

2 To limit your search to a specific product category, click the All Categories down arrow to dis-play a list of product categories and then select a category.

3 Click the Search button to begin the search.

4 Each listing in the search results includes the listing title, a thumbnail image of the item, the current auction or Buy It Now price, how many bids or watchers the item has, and—if it’s an auction item—the amount of time left until the end of the auction. By default, eBay displays both auction and fixed-price items; to display only auction items, click the Auction button at the top of the page. To display only fixed-price items, click the Buy It Now button.

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36 Chapter 3 Browsing and Searching for Bargains

5 By default, eBay displays your search results in list view. To display your results in what eBay calls gallery view (with large thumbnail listings across the page), click the View button and select Gallery View.

6 eBay enables you to filter the listings on this page by a num-ber of different criteria, all listed in the left column. The criteria differ from category to category; for example, you may be able to filter by condition (new or used), price range, delivery options, and so forth. Check those items you want to filter by.

7 Click an item listing to view the full listing page for that item.

Use eBay’s Advanced SearchYou can perform more sophisti-cated searches with eBay’s Advanced Search function. This is useful when you have a very specific item in mind.

1 On eBay’s home page, click the Advanced link next to the Search button. The Advanced Search page displays.

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37Searching for Specific Items

2 To find specific items (which is the default), click Find Items in the Items section of the left column. To find items on eBay Motors, click eBay Motors. To search for items from a specific seller, click By Seller. To find a particular item for which you know the item number, click By Item Number.

3 To only look for items offered in eBay Stores, click Items in Stores in the left column. To search for specific eBay Stores, click Find Stores.

4 To search for a specific eBay member (seller or buyer), click Find a Member in the left col-umn. To request a member’s private contact information, click Find Contact Information.

5 If you’ve clicked Find Items, enter one or more descriptive words about that item into the Enter Keywords or Item Number box.

6 To search for listings that con-tain all the words you entered, pull down the list and select All Words, Any Order. To search for listings that contain at least all the words you entered, select Any Words, Any Order. To search for listings that contain an exact phrase, select Exact Words, Exact Order. To search for listings that contain the exact words you entered but in any order, select Exact Words, Any Order.

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38 Chapter 3 Browsing and Searching for Bargains

7 If you want to display only those listings that don’t contain a spe-cific word or words, enter those words into the Exclude Words from Your Search box.

8 To limit your search to a specific product category, pull down the In This Category list and select a category.

9 To limit your search to the listing’s title and description, go to the Searching Including section and check the Title and Description box. To limit your search to com-pleted listings only, check the Completed Listings box. To limit your search to sold listings only, check the Sold Listings box.

10 To limit your search to items with-in a specific price range, go to the Price section and enter the lowest and highest prices into the Show Items Priced From boxes.

11 To display only auction items, go to the Buying Formats section and check the Auction box. To display only fixed-price items, check the Buy It Now box. To display only classified ads, check the Classified Ads box.

12 To display only new items, go to the Condition section and check the New box. To display only used items, check the Used box. To dis-play only those items without a condition specified, check the Not Specified box.

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39Searching for Specific Items

13 To display only those listings that accept PayPal, go to the Show Results section and check the With PayPal Accepted box.

14 To further filter your search results, check the appropriate boxes in the Show Results sec-tion.

15 To display only those items with free shipping, check the Free Shipping box. To display only those items available for local pickup, check the Local Pickup box.

16 By default, search results will display items based on how well they match your query (Best Match). To instead sort the results based on price or the time the listing ends, go to the Sort By section, pull down the list, and make a selection.

17 Click the Search button to begin the search.

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40 Chapter 3 Browsing and Searching for Bargains

Follow a SearchIf you frequently search for the same items on eBay, you might not want to keep entering those complex search parameters. The good news is that eBay lets you save your searches—and see new listings that match your searches in your eBay Feed.

1 Conduct a basic or advanced search, as previously described, to display a page of search results.

2 Click the Follow This Search link above the search results. All new listings that match this query will now appear in your eBay Feed.

3 If you’d also like to receive email messages when new matching items are listed, check the Email Me When New Items That Match This Interest box.

4 To stop following a given search, go to the search results page, and mouse over the Following This Search link. The link now changes into an Unfollow This Search link; click it.

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41Viewing Product Listings

1 The title of the listing is at the very top of the page. The title should briefly describe the item being sold.

2 View the item condition (new or used) beneath the listing title.

3 View how much time is left in this item’s auction, or how much longer a fixed-price listing will remain active.

Viewing Product ListingsNow that you’ve found one or more listings that look interesting, it’s time to learn more about each item that’s for sale. You do this from the detailed listing page for each item.

Read a Listing PageEvery eBay listing page includes several distinct sections, each of which is equally important. You need to take your time and read through the entire item listing before you decide to buy or bid on an item. Don’t skim; read carefully and pay attention to the details to make sure the item is exactly what you want to purchase.

It’s Not All GoodIt’s Your Responsibility

Reading and understanding the listing details is important if you don’t want to be disappointed when you receive the item you purchased. For example, if the seller mentions a known fault with the merchandise (such as a blemish or broken part) but you gloss over it, that’s your mis-take; you have no right to complain when you receive the item, fault and all. It’s your responsi-bility to read—and agree to—all the information in the listing.

1

3 2

42 Chapter 3 Browsing and Searching for Bargains

4 Product photos are at the top-left side of the listing. If there is more than one photo, click a thumbnail to make it the main image. Mouse over the main image to zoom into the image. Or click the main image to view it larger in its own window.

5 If the item is for sale at a fixed price, you see the item’s price and Buy It Now and Add to Cart buttons beneath the listing title.

6 If the item is for auction, you see how much time is left in the auction, the current bid price, a box to enter your bid, and a Place Bid button.

7 On the top right of the page, you see the Seller Information box. This contains the seller’s name (user ID), feedback rating, and other links.

45

6

7

43Viewing Product Listings

8 The Shipping, Delivery, Payments, Returns, and Guarantees sections provide more useful information about the conditions of the transac-tion.

9 Scroll down the page to view the Description tab, which dis-plays Item Specifics and the seller’s own description of the product.

Every Listing Is UniqueBecause sellers provide most of the information about items for sale, the amount of detail and quantity and quality of accompanying pictures var-ies from listing to listing. That said, if you want to know more about an item, then contact the seller via eBay with your questions.

10 Scroll down the Description tab to view any questions that have been asked about this product, and answers provided by the seller. To ask your own question, click the Ask a Question link.

8

9

10

Ask a Question link

44 Chapter 3 Browsing and Searching for Bargains

11 Click the Shipping and Payments tab to view more detailed information about shipping charges and payment methods accepted.

Shipping CalculatorSome sellers determine shipping charges based on where you live. In these listings you’ll see a Shipping Calculator on the Shipping and Payments tab. Enter your ZIP Code to calculate your specific shipping charge in advance. (You can also contact the seller via eBay to ask specific questions about shipping.)

12 Scroll down to view other items people who looked at this item also looked at. Click any item to view that item’s detailed listing page.

How to BuyWhen you’re ready to make a pur-chase, turn to Chapter 4, “Buying Fixed-Price Items,” or Chapter 5, “Buying Items on Auction,” for more details.

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Index

PayPal accounts, 20-21accepting payments, 190Business PayPal accounts, 186collecting payments, 190-191creating, 150overview, 185-186paying eBay fees from, 170paying for purchases with, 57-59payment holds, 191Personal accounts, 186Premier PayPal accounts, 186signing up for, 187-189transaction fees, 189-190Verified PayPal members, 189withdrawing funds from, 192-193

Account Settings, 251-252Active Selling section, 156-157, 179activity summary, viewing, 235-236Add Cover button, 250

Symbols10-day duration list enhancement, 96

Aabbreviations used in listings, 129-131Absolute Beginner’s Guide to eBay

(Miller), 4accepting PayPal payments, 190accounts

bank accounts, linking to PayPal account, 188

eBay accounts, 49creating, 8-9editing account settings, 11managing, 251-252seller accounts, 101signing in, 9-10signing out, 10

INDEX274 Add More Item Specifics box

Add More Item Specifics box, 167, 172Add Photos button, 147, 152, 166, 171Add to Cart button, 55-56Adult Only category, 108advanced readers copies, 129Advanced Search page, 36-39advantages of eBay, 7-8Agree and Create Account button (PayPal),

188Allow Buyers to Send You Their Best Offers

for Your Consideration box, 153All Selling page (My eBay), 239-240All Stores Categories choice (eBay Stores),

60American Numismatic Association

Certification Service, 127American Philatelic Society, 128Android app, 269apps

eBay Android app, 269eBay BlackBerry app, 271eBay iPad app, 268eBay iPhone app, 255

browsing product categories, 259-261managing eBay activity, 265-267navigating, 256-257searching for items to buy, 257-259selling on eBay, 262-265shopping via barcode, 261-262

eBay Windows Phone app, 270ARC (advanced readers copy), 129Ask a Question link, 43, 51asking questions, 43, 51

Auction It, 139auctions

bidding processafter you’ve bid, 72bidding frenzies, avoiding, 89bidding in odd numbers, 88bidding tips, 86-90determining how much to bid, 69early bids, 86explained, 66-68high bids, 88low bids, 88paying for winning bids, 75-77placing bids, 70-72reserve price auctions, 80-81responding to higher bids, 73retracting bad bids, 74-75

Buy It Now (BIN) option, 81-82, 174-176canceling, 180communications after auction closes,

183compared to fixed-price listings, 47-49,

137-138creating from product name, model

number, or UPC/ISBN code, 170-174creating from scratch, 165-170feedback, 79last-minute bargains, 87managing

blocking unwanted buyers, 181canceling auctions, 180editing listings, 179

off-peak auctions, 87

275bidding process

off-season auctions, 87overview, 65-66relisting items, 182reserve price auctions, 80-81, 97, 163,

176-178sniping

automated sniping services, 85-86explained, 83-84placing last-second snipes, 84-85

starting price, setting, 162-165waiting for items to arrive, 77-78when to use, 161-162

AuctionSniper, 86AuctionStealer, 86AuctionWeb, 3authentication services, 127-128automated sniping services, 85-86automatically relisting auction items, 169Automatically Relist This Item option, 169Automatically Relist This Item Up to 3 Times

If It Doesn’t Sell option, 150, 154

Bbackgrounds for product photos, 115bad bids, retracting, 74-75bank accounts, linking to PayPal account,

188barcodes, shopping with, 261-262basic searches, 35-36Beckett Grading Services, 128benefits of eBay, 7-8Best Offer option, 57

biddersblocking, 181feedback

explained, 16-18leaving, 62-63, 200-201viewing, 18-19

nonpaying bidders, dealing with, 227closing case in Resolution Center, 230contacting unresponsive bidders, 228giving other bidders a second chance,

231opening case in Resolution Center, 229relisting items, 230

notifying, 215reporting, 23-25unblocking, 181unresponsive bidders, contacting, 228

bidding processafter you’ve bid, 72bidding frenzies, 89bidding in odd numbers, 88bidding tips, 86-90determining how much to bid, 69early bids, 86explained, 66-68high bids, 88low bids, 88paying for winning bids, 75-77placing bids, 70-72reserve price auctions, 80-81responding to higher bids, 73retracting bad bids, 74-75viewing bids, 237

INDEX276 BidNapper

BidNapper, 86BidNip, 86Bid Now button, 238Bid Retractions page, 74BidRobot, 86BidSlammer, 86bids. See bidding processBids/Offers page (My eBay), 237BlackBerry app, 271Block Bidders or Buyers From Your Listings

page, 181Blocked Bidder/Buyer List box, 181blocking unwanted buyers, 181Blue star feedback rating, 17bold listings, 96browsing eBay

Deals & Gifts hub, 34eBay Stores, 60-61product categories, 30-32, 259-261product hubs, 33

BU (built up), 129Business PayPal accounts, 186buttons. See individual buttons (for example,

Sell button)buyer complaints, handling, 225-227Buyer Protection Program, 21-23buyers

blocking, 181buyer complaints, handling, 225-227buyer fees, 93feedback

explained, 16-18leaving, 62-63, 200-201viewing, 18-19

nonpaying buyers, 227closing cases in Resolution Center, 230contacting unresponsive bidders, 228opening cases in Resolution Center, 229relisting items, 230

notifying, 215reporting, 23-25unblocking, 181

buying items. See shoppingBuy It Now (BIN) option, 81-82, 174-176Buy It Now button, 35, 53

CCalculate Fees button, 100calculating final price, 51-53canceling auctions, 180Cart button, 12cases (Resolution Center)

closing, 230opening, 229

categorieschoosing, 111explained, 110-111

CC (cut corner), 129certificate of authenticity, 129Change Automatic Payment Method

option, 252Charge Actual Cost option

auctions, 168, 173fixed-price listings, 149, 153

Charge a Fixed Cost option auctions, 169, 173fixed-price listings, 149, 154

277cut out hole (COH)

Check Out Your Listing link, 150, 155, 170, 174

choosingproduct categories, 111shipping containers, 205-206

claims, filing, 22Classified Ads box (Advanced Search page),

38closeout sales, 105closing cases in Resolution Center, 230clothing, photographing, 118COA (certificate of authenticity), 129COC (cut out corner), 129COH (cut out hole), 129collectibles

preparing for sale, 108selling via auction. See auctions

collecting PayPal payments, 190-191collections, 11Comics Guaranty Company, 128commissions, 94commodity items, selling at fixed price.

See fixed-price listingscommunication

communication after sale, 159, 215Communication Preferences, 252messages

reading, 241-242sending, 241-242

Communication Preferences, 252The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Auctions

(Miller), 4

Completed Listings box (Advanced Search page), 38

Condition section (Advanced Search page), 38

Confirm and Pay button, 77Confirm button, 70Confirm Your Order page, 55consignment stores, 139-141contacting unresponsive bidders, 228Continue button, 9cover images, adding to profile pages, 250Craigslist, 134Create Your Listing button, 147, 166creating

auction listingsBuy It Now (BIN) option, 174-176from product name, model number, or

UPC/ISBN code, 170-174from scratch, 165-170relisting items, 182reserve price auctions, 163, 176-178

eBay accounts, 8-9fixed-price listings

from product name, model number, or UPC/ISBN code, 151-155

from scratch, 146-150PayPal accounts, 150

credit cardslinking to PayPal account, 188safety, 20-21

cut corner (CC), 129cut out (CO), 129cut out corner (COC), 129cut out hole (COH), 129

INDEX278 Daily Deals

DDaily Deals, 12deadbeats, dealing with

closing cases in Resolution Center, 230contacting unresponsive bidders, 228giving other bidders a second chance,

231opening cases in Resolution Center, 229relisting items, 230

Deals & Gifts hub, 34debit cards, linking to PayPal account, 188Describe Your Item page, 147, 152, 166-167,

171Description tab (product listings), 43Detailed Reason list, 25Details section (fixed-price listings), 148digitizing photos, 135discount and dollar stores, 105dispute resolution

buyer complaints, 225-227nonpaying buyers, 227

closing cases in Resolution Center, 230contacting unresponsive bidders, 228giving other bidders a second chance,

231opening cases in Resolution Center, 229relisting items, 230

dollar stores, 105Domestic Shipping box (Fee Calculator), 99Done Editing button, 248-250

downsizinghow to sell

auction versus fixed-price listings, 137-138

individual versus multiple-item lots, 136-137

photos, digitizing, 135third-party sellers, 138

consignment stores, 139-141eBay Valet, 140-141

ways to downsize, 133-134what to sell, 134-136when to sell, 138

durationof fixed-price listings, 148, 153auctions, 168, 172

Eearly bids, 86eBay accounts, 49

creating, 8-9editing account settings, 11managing, 251-252seller accounts, 101signing in, 9-10signing out, 10

eBay Android app, 269eBay BlackBerry app, 271eBay Buyer Protection Program, 21-23eBay drop-off stores, 139-141eBay Fee Calculator, 98-100

279feedback

eBay fees, 164buyer fees, 93eBay Fee Calculator, 98-100listing enhancement fees, 96-98paying from PayPal accounts, 170seller fees

basic fees, 94-95eBay Fee Calculator, 98-100listing enhancement fees, 96-98paying, 100-101

viewing, 97eBay home page, 12-13eBay iPad app, 268eBay iPhone app, 255

browsing product categories, 259-261managing eBay activity, 265-267navigating, 256-257searching for items to buy, 257-259selling on eBay, 262-265shopping via barcode, 261-262

eBay Money Back Guarantee, 21-23eBay Shopping Cart, 55-57eBay’s Shipping Calculator, 221eBay stock photos, 118eBay Stores

browsing and buying in, 60-61finding, 59searching for items in, 60

eBay Today page, 13eBay toolbar, 11-12eBay Valet, 140-141eBay Windows Phone app, 270Echo Bay Technology Group, 4

editingauction listings, 179eBay account information, 251eBay account settings, 11fixed-price listings, 155-156product photos, 119-120profile pages, 248

Edit Profile button, 248-250ending

auctions early, 180fixed-price listings, 157

End My Listing button, 157, 180End My Listing Early page, 157, 180Enter Buy It Now Price box, 175Enter Your Information section (PayPal), 187eSnipe, 86essential packing supplies, 204-205Excellent condition, 126Express Mail, 218

Ffactory sealed, 129Fair condition, 127Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 23FedEx, 219Fee Calculator, 98-100feedback

auctions, 79explained, 16-18feedback percentage, 18leaving, 62-63, 79, 200-201

INDEX280 feedback

Top Rated Plus seal, 20viewing, 18-19, 246

feeseBay buyer fees, 93eBay Fee Calculator, 98-100eBay seller fees

basic fees, 94-95eBay Fee Calculator, 98-100listing enhancement fees, 96-98paying, 100-101

handling charges, 52PayPal fees, 100, 189-190paying from PayPal accounts, 170shipping and handling fees, 89-90

eBay’s Shipping Calculator, 221flat fee, 220-221variable fee, 222

File a Report page, 25filing claims, 22final price, calculating, 51-53final value fees, 94-95Find Contact Information option (Advanced

Search page), 37finding

eBay Stores, 59items to sell, 103-105

around the house, 103-104closeout sales, 105discount and dollar stores, 105flea markets, 104friends and family, 104garage and yard sales, 104

going out of business sales, 105live auctions, 105thrift stores, 105vintage and used retailers, 105

shipping boxes, 207Find Items option (Advanced Search page),

37Find Stores option (Advanced Search page),

37Fine condition, 126First Class Mail, 218fixed-price listings, 143

after the sale, 61-63asking questions, 51Buy It Now (BIN) option, 174-176communication, 159compared to auctions, 47-49, 137-138creating from product name, model

number, or UPC/ISBN code, 151-155creating from scratch, 146-150eBay Shopping Cart, 55-57eBay Stores, 59editing, 155-156ending, 157final price, calculating, 51-53making offers, 57multiple items, buying, 55-57paying for purchases, 57-59previewing, 150, 154reading, 49-51relisting items, 158single items, buying, 53-55when to use, 144-145

281insurance

flat fee shipping, 220-221flea markets, 104focus in product photos, 117Follow button, 247followed searches, viewing, 241Followed Searches (My eBay), 241following

searches, 40users, 247

Follow This Search link, 40Formats section (Advanced Search page),

38framing photos, 116Free Shipping box (Advanced Search page),

39FS (factory sealed), 129FTC (Federal Trade Commission), 23

GGallery Plus, 96Gallery View, 36garage sales, finding items to sell at, 104Get Started button, 146, 151, 165, 171Gixen, 86glare, avoiding in product photos, 114Global Authority, 127-128going out of business sales, 105Good condition, 127grading and authentication services,

127-128

grading item condition, 126-131grading and authentication services,

127-128grading-related terms, 128-131Mint grading system, 126-127

Green shooting star feedback rating, 17Green star feedback rating, 17

Hhandling charges, 52handling disputes. See resolving disputeshard cover (HC), 129hard to find (HTF), 129HC (hard cover), 129high bids, 88higher bids, responding to, 73history of eBay, 3-6home page (eBay), 12-13How You’ll Ship It section

auctions, 168, 172fixed-price listings, 149, 153

HTF (hard to find), 129

II Bought an Item section (Resolution

Center), 22inappropriate behavior, reporting, 23-25Increase Max Bid button, 73Independent Coin Graders, 127insertion fees, 94-95insurance, 52

INDEX282 International Gemological Institute

International Gemological Institute, 128International Site Visibility, 96invoices, sending, 197-198iPad app, 268iPhone app. See eBay iPhone appISBN codes

creating auction listings from, 170-174creating fixed-price listing from, 151-155

iSold It, 139items

auctionsafter you’ve bid, 72bidding process, 66-68blocking unwanted buyers, 181Buy It Now (BIN) option, 81-82, 174-176canceling, 180communications after auction closes,

183compared to fixed-price listings, 47-49,

137-138creating from product name, model

number, or UPC/ISBN code, 170-174creating from scratch, 165-170eBay iPhone app, 262-265editing listings, 179last-minute bargains, 87leaving feedback, 79off-peak auctions, 87off-season auctions, 87overview, 65-66paying for winning bids, 75-77placing bids, 70-72relisting items, 182

reserve price auctions, 80-81, 163, 176-178

responding to higher bids, 73retracting bad bids, 74-75sniping, 83-86starting price, setting, 162-165tips for winning, 86-90waiting for items to arrive, 77-78when to use, 161-162

browsingby product categories, 30-32Deals & Gifts hub, 34from eBay iPhone app, 259-261product hubs, 33

buying. See shoppingdescriptions, 122-125finding items to sell, 103-105

around the house, 103-104closeout sales, 105discount and dollar stores, 105flea markets, 104friends and family, 104garage and yard sales, 104going out of business sales, 105live auctions, 105thrift stores, 105vintage and used retailers, 105

fixed-price listingsafter the sale, 61-63asking questions, 51communication after sale, 159compared to auctions, 47-49, 137-138

283items

creating from product name, model number, or UPC/ISBN code, 151-155

creating from scratch, 146-150eBay Shopping Cart, 55-57eBay Stores, 59-61editing, 155-156ending, 157final price, calculating, 51-53making offers, 57multiple items, buying, 55-57paying for purchases, 57-59reading, 49-51relisting items, 158single items, buying, 53-55when to use, 144-145

grading condition of, 126-131grading and authentication services,

127-128grading-related terms, 128-131Mint grading system, 126-127

items you can’t sell on eBay, 106-108packing for shipment, 203-204

essential packing supplies, 204-205packing services, 208packing tips, 208-211prepaid shipping labels, 212-215sealing packages, 211-212self-made labels, 216shipping containers, 205-207shipping weight, 210-211

post-sale processleaving feedback, 200-201packing and shipping, 200

post-sale checklist, 196-197receiving payment from PayPal, 199sending invoices, 197-198

preparing for sale, 108-109product categories

choosing, 111explained, 110-111

product hubs, 33product listings, viewing, 41-44product photos

editing, 119-120stock photos, 118taking, 112-118

relisting, 230researching, 69risks on eBay, 15-16searching for, 34

Advanced Search page, 36-39basic searches, 35-36following searches, 40from eBay iPhone app, 257-259in eBay Stores, 60

shipping, 216-217eBay’s Shipping Calculator, 221FedEx, 219flat fee, 220-221Shipping Calculator, 44shipping services, comparing, 217tracking services, 220United States Postal Service, 218-219UPS, 220variable fee, 222

INDEX284 items

titles, 120-122waiting for items to arrive, 77watched items, viewing, 237-238

Items Awaiting Feedback section (My eBay), 63, 79

Items in Store option (Advanced Search page), 37

Item Specifics section, 148I Want to Buy box (eBay Stores), 60

J-K-LJames Spence Authentication, 127

labelsprepaid shipping labels, 212-215self-made labels, 216

label shows wear (LSW), 129last-minute bargains, searching for, 87last-second snipes, placing manually, 84-85Leave Feedback button, 63, 79, 201Leave Feedback page, 201leaving feedback, 62-63, 79, 200-201LE (limited edition), 129lighting product photos, 113limited edition (LE), 129linking

bank accounts to PayPal account, 188debit/credit cards to PayPal account, 188

Link Your Bank Account section (PayPal), 188

Listing Designer, 97

Listing Durationauctions, 168, 172fixed-price listings, 148, 153

listing enhancement fees, 96-98listing fees, 94Listing Fees section (auctions), 169listings

auction listingsafter you’ve bid, 72bidding frenzies, 89bidding process, 66-68blocking unwanted buyers, 181Buy It Now (BIN) option, 81-82, 174-176canceling, 180compared to fixed-price listings, 47-49,

137-138creating from product name, model

number, or UPC/ISBN code, 170-174creating from scratch, 165-170determining how much to bid, 69editing, 179last-minute bargains, 87leaving feedback, 79off-peak auctions, 87off-season auctions, 87overview, 65-66paying for winning bids, 75-77placing bids, 70-72reserve price auctions, 80-81relisting items, 182reserve price auctions, 163, 176-178responding to higher bids, 73retracting bad bids, 74-75

285messages

sniping, 83-86tips for winning, 86-90waiting for items to arrive, 77-78

descriptions, 122-125fixed-price listings, 143

after the sale, 61-63asking questions, 51communication, 159compared to auctions, 47-49, 137-138creating from product name, model

number, or UPC/ISBN code, 151-155creating from scratch, 146-150eBay Shopping Cart, 55-57eBay Stores, 59-61editing, 155-156final price, calculating, 51-53making offers, 57multiple items, buying, 55-57paying for purchases, 57-59reading, 49-51relisting items, 158single items, buying, 53-55when to use, 144-145

grading item conditiongrading and authentication services,

127-128grading-related terms, 128-131Mint grading system, 126-127

listing fees, 94-98product photos

editing, 119-120stock photos, 118taking, 112-118

reading, 41-44titles, 120-122viewing, 41-44

List It button, 150, 154, 169, 174live auctions, 105Local Pickup box (Advanced Search page),

39low bids, 88LSW (label shows wear), 129

Mmacro mode, 117Make Offer button, 57making offers, 57managing

auctionsblocking unwanted buyers, 181canceling auctions, 180editing listings, 179

eBay accounts, 251-252with eBay iPhone app, 265-267fixed-price listings

editing listings, 155-156ending listings, 157relisting items, 158

selling activity, 239MCU (might clean up), 129Media Mail, 218merchandise. See itemsmessages

reading, 241-242sending, 241-242

INDEX286 Messages page (My eBay)

Messages page (My eBay), 241-242MIB (mint in box), 129might clean up (MCU), 129MIMB (mint in mint box), 129minimizing risk

eBay Money Back Guarantee, 21-23feedback, 16-20

explained, 16-18Top Rated Plus seal, 20viewing, 18-19

PayPal, 20-21reporting inappropriate behavior, 23-25tips for protecting yourself on eBay,

25-26Mint condition, 126Mint grading system, 126-127mint in box (MIB), 129mint in mint box (MIMB), 129mint in package (MIP), 130mint in sealed box (MISB), 130mint, no box (MNB), 130mint on card (MOC), 130mint on mint card (MOMC), 130mint on near-mint card (MONMC), 130mint with both mint tags (MWBMT), 130mint with both tags (MWBT), 130mint with mint tag (MWMT), 130MIP (mint in package), 130MISB (mint in sealed box), 130MNB (mint, no box), 130mobile apps

eBay Android app, 269eBay BlackBerry app, 271

eBay iPad app, 268eBay iPhone app, 255

browsing product categories, 259-261managing eBay activity, 265-267navigating, 256-257searching for items to buy, 257-259selling on eBay, 262-265shopping via barcode, 261-262

eBay Windows Phone app, 270MOC (mint on card), 130model numbers

creating auction listings from, 170-174creating fixed-price listing from, 151-155

molehillgroup.com, 4MOMC (mint on mint card), 130Money Back Guarantee (eBay), 21-23MONMC (mint on near-mint card), 130multiple-item lots, 136-137multiple items, buying, 55-57MWBMT (mint with both mint tags), 130MWBT (mint with both tags), 130MWMT (mint with mint tag), 130My Account page, 62, 251-252My eBay

All Selling page, 239-240Bids/Offers page, 237Messages page, 241-242navigating, 233-234Purchase History page, 238-239Searches You Follow panel, 241Summary page, 62, 79, 235-236Watch List page, 237-238

287out of print (OOP)

My eBay button, 62, 79My eBay screen (eBay iPhone app), 265-267My Feed, 13

NNational Consumers League, 23National Fraud Information Center, 23navigating eBay, 11

eBay home page, 12-13eBay iPhone app, 256-257eBay toolbar, 11-12My eBay, 233-234

Near Fine condition, 126Near Mint condition, 126negative feedback, 22never removed from box (NRFB), 130new in box (NIB), 130new old stock (NOS), 130new without tags (NWOT), 130new with tags (NWT), 131NIB (new in box), 130nonpaying buyers, dealing with, 227

closing cases in Resolution Center, 230contacting unresponsive bidders, 228giving other bidders a second chance,

231relisting items, 230

no reserve (NR), 130NOS (new old stock), 130Notifications (alarm) button, 12

notifying buyers, 215Not Specified box (Advanced Search page),

38NRFB (never removed from box), 130NR (no reserve), 130Numismatic Guaranty Corporation of

America, 127NWOT (new without tags), 130NWT (new with tags), 131

Oodd numbers, bidding in, 88Offer Free Shipping to Attract More Buyers

option, 149, 153, 168, 172offers

making, 57viewing, 237

off-peak auctions, 87off season auctions, 87Omidyar, Pierre, 3-4One-Day Shipping box (Fee Calculator), 99one-of-a-kind items, selling via auction.

See auctionsonline auctions. See auctionsOnlineAuthentics.com, 127OOP (out of print), 131Open dialog box, 166opening cases in Resolution Center, 229out of print (OOP), 131

INDEX288 Package Details section

PPackage Details section, 213packing items for shipment, 200, 203-204

essential packing supplies, 204-205labels

prepaid shipping labels, 212-215self-made labels, 216

packing services, 208packing tips, 208-211sealing packages, 211-212shipping containers, 205-207shipping weight, 210-211

packing services, 208Parcel Post, 218passwords, 9paying

for PayPal transaction fees, 189-190for purchases, 57-59, 75-77seller fees, 100-101

payment, receivingPayPal, 199sending invoices, 197-198

Payment Information for Seller’s Fees sec-tion, 252

payments (PayPal)accepting, 190collecting, 190-191payment holds, 191

Payments section (fixed-price listings), 50Pay Now button, 75PayPal, 20-21

accountsBusiness PayPal accounts, 186creating, 150paying eBay fees from, 170paying for purchases with, 57-59Personal accounts, 186Premier PayPal accounts, 186signing up for, 187-189withdrawing funds from, 192-193

fees, 100overview, 185-186payments

accepting, 190collecting, 190-191payment holds, 191

receiving payment from, 199transaction fees, 189-190Verified PayPal members, 189

PayPal for Personal Use section (PayPal), 187

Pay with Your Bank Account page (PayPal), 188

personalizingeBay account information, 251profile pages

adding profile pictures, 249cover images, 250editing personal information, 248

Personal PayPal accounts, 186The Philatelic Foundation, 128photos

adding to profile pagescover images, 250profile pictures, 249

289products

digitizing, 135product photos

adding to auction listings, 166-167, 171-172

adding to fixed-price listings, 147, 152editing, 119-120stock photos, 118taking, 112-118

photo studio kits, 116pictures. See photosPlace Bid button, 70placing bids, 70-72placing last-second snipes, 84-86Poor condition, 127P/O (punched out), 131Postal Service, 218-219post-sale process

leaving feedback, 200-201packing and shipping, 200post-sale checklist, 196-197receiving payment from PayPal, 199sending invoices, 197-198

Premier PayPal accounts, 186prepaid shipping labels, 212-215preparing items for sale, 108-109previewing

auction listings, 174fixed-price listings, 150, 154

Preview option (fixed-price listings), 150, 154

Preview Your Listing option (auctions), 174prices. See also fees

auctionsreserve price, 163, 176-178starting price, 162-165

final price, calculating, 51-53fixed-price listings, 143researching, 69shipping and handling fees, 89-90

eBay’s Shipping Calculator, 221flat fee, 220-221variable fee, 222

Print Label button, 214Print Shipping Label option, 213Priority Mail, 218Proceed to Account Overview button

(PayPal), 192Proceed to Checkout button, 56product categories

browsing, 30-32, 259-261choosing, 111explained, 110-111

product hubs, 33product listings

reading, 41-44viewing, 41-44

product namecreating auction listings from, 170-174creating fixed-price listing from, 151-155

product photosediting, 119-120stock photos, 118taking, 112-118

products. See items

INDEX290 Professional Coin Grading Service

Professional Coin Grading Service, 127Professional Sports Authenticator, 127-128Professional Stamps Experts, 128profile pages

following users from, 247overview, 245personalizing

adding profile pictures, 249cover images, 250editing personal information, 248

sharing, 251viewing, 11, 246-247

protecting yourself on eBay, 25-26. See also minimizing risk

proxy bidding system, 66-68punched out (P/O), 131Purchase and Print Postage page, 213purchase history, viewing, 238-239Purchase History page (My eBay), 238-239Purchase Postage button, 214Purple shooting star feedback rating, 17Purple star feedback rating, 17

Q-Rquestions, asking, 43, 51

rare items, selling via auction. See auctionsRate This Transaction section (My eBay), 63,

79reading

fixed-price listings, 49-51messages, 241-242product listings, 41-44

Reason for Report list, 25receiving payment

PayPal, 199sending invoices, 197-198

Red shooting star feedback rating, 17Red star feedback rating, 17Register button, 8relisting items, 158, 182, 230Relist Now button, 158Report Category list, 25reporting inappropriate behavior, 23-25Report Item link, 24re-release (RR), 131researching items, 69reserve price auctions, 163, 176-178

bidding process, 80-81fees, 97

Resolution Center, 22closing cases, 230opening cases, 229

Resolve a Problem section (Resolution Center), 22

resolving disputesbuyer complaints, 225-227nonpaying buyers, dealing with, 227

closing cases in Resolution Center, 230contacting unresponsive bidders, 228giving other bidders a second chance,

231opening cases in Resolution Center, 229relisting items, 230

responding to higher bids, 73Retract Bid button, 74

291sellers

retracting bad bids, 74-75Returns and Guarantee section, 50Review Offer button, 57Review Order page, 53, 56, 75Review screen (eBay iPhone app), 264-265Review the Agreement section (PayPal), 188Review Your Bank Transfer Information

page (PayPal), 193Review Your Preferences section

auctions, 169, 173fixed-price listings, 150, 154

Revise It button, 156, 179risks on eBay

explained, 15-16minimizing

eBay Money Back Guarantee, 21-23feedback system, 16-20PayPal, 20-21reporting inappropriate behavior, 23-25tips for protecting yourself on eBay,

25-26RR (re-release), 131

Sscanning items, 118Scan screen (eBay iPhone app), 261-262SC (soft cover), 131sealing packages, 211-212Search button, 13, 35, 59Search button (Advanced Search page), 39searches (followed), viewing, 241Searches You Follow panel (My eBay), 241Search for a Store section (eBay Stores), 59

searching for items, 34Advanced Search page, 36-39basic searches, 35-36from eBay iPhone app, 257-259eBay Stores, 60following searches, 40last-minute bargains, 87

Searching Including section (Advanced Search page), 38

Search Stores button, 60See All Categories option, 30See All Search Results option, 31Select a Category (Fee Calculator), 98Select Format and Price section, 148, 152Select Listing Information (Fee Calculator),

99Select Shipping Cost (Fee Calculator), 99Select Shipping for Me tab, 149, 153Select Shipping Myself option, 149, 153,

168, 173, 222Select Your Payment page, 54, 76Sell an Item screen (eBay iPhone app),

262-263Sell button, 146, 151, 165, 170seller fees

basic fees, 94-95eBay Fee Calculator, 98-100listing enhancement fees, 96-98paying, 100-101PayPal fees, 100

sellers. See also selling itemsfeedback

explained, 16-18leaving, 62-63

INDEX292 sellers

Top Rated Plus seal, 20viewing, 18-19

leaving feedback, 200-201reporting, 23-25seller fees

basic fees, 94-95eBay Fee Calculator, 98-100listing enhancement fees, 96-98paying, 100-101PayPal fees, 100

types of eBay sellers, 6selling items. See also sellers; shipping

auctionsblocking unwanted buyers, 181Buy It Now (BIN) option, 174-176canceling, 180communications after auction closes,

183compared to fixed-price listings,

137-138creating from product name, model

number, or UPC/ISBN code, 170-174creating from scratch, 165-170editing listings, 179relisting items, 182reserve price auctions, 163, 176-178starting price, setting, 162-165when to use, 161-162

descriptions, 122-125with eBay iPhone app, 262-265eBay seller accounts, 101

eBay seller feesbasic fees, 94-95eBay Fee Calculator, 98-100listing enhancement fees, 96-98paying, 100-101

finding items to sell, 103-105around the house, 103-104closeout sales, 105discount and dollar stores, 105flea markets, 104friends and family, 104garage and yard sales, 104going out of business sales, 105live auctions, 105thrift stores, 105vintage and used retailers, 105

fixed-price listings, 143Buy It Now (BIN) option, 174-176communication after sale, 159compared to auctions, 137-138creating from product name, model

number, or UPC/ISBN code, 151-155creating from scratch, 146-150editing, 155-156ending, 157relisting items, 158when to use, 144-145

grading item condition, 126-131grading and authentication services,

127-128grading-related terms, 128-131Mint grading system, 126-127

items you can’t sell on eBay, 106-108

293shipping services

multiple-item lots, 136-137PayPal fees, 100post-sale process

leaving feedback, 200-201packing and shipping, 200post-sale checklist, 196-197receiving payment from PayPal, 199sending invoices, 197-198

preparing items for sale, 108-109product categories

choosing, 111explained, 110-111

product photosediting, 119-120stock photos, 118taking, 112-118

selling activity, managing, 239titles, 120-122types of eBay sellers, 6

Sell One Like This, 151, 171sending

invoices, 197-198messages, 241-242

Send Invoice button, 198Send Report button, 25Seniors page, 7Set a Reserve Price panel, 177-178Set Automatic Bid button, 73Set Up Your Account section (PayPal), 187sharing profile pages, 251shipping, 168-169, 172-173, 216-217

insurance, 52overview, 200

packing items for shipment, 203-204essential packing supplies, 204-205packing services, 208packing tips, 208-211prepaid shipping labels, 212-215sealing packages, 211-212self-made labels, 216shipping boxes, finding, 207shipping containers, choosing, 205-206shipping weight, 210-211

pricingeBay’s Shipping Calculator, 221flat fee, 220-221shipping and handling fees, 89-90variable fee, 222

Shipping Calculator, 44shipping services

comparing, 217FedEx, 219United States Postal Service, 218-219UPS, 220

tracking services, 220Shipping and Handling section, 50-52Shipping and Payments tab, 44, 52shipping boxes, finding, 207Shipping Calculator, 44, 221shipping containers, 205-206Shipping Option list (auctions), 173shipping services

comparing, 217FedEx, 219

INDEX294 shipping services

United States Postal Service, 218-219UPS, 220

Shop By Category option, 13, 30shopping

auctionsafter you’ve bid, 72bidding process, 66-68Buy It Now option, 81-82determining how much to bid, 69last-minute bargains, 87leaving feedback, 79off-peak auctions, 87off-season auctions, 87overview, 65-66paying for winning bids, 75-77placing bids, 70-72reserve price auctions, 80-81responding to higher bids, 73retracting bad bids, 74-75sniping, 83-86tips for winning, 86-90waiting for items to arrive, 77-78

browsing itemsDeals & Gifts hub, 34product categories, 30-32product hubs, 33

buyer fees, 93with eBay iPhone app

browsing product categories, 259-261searching for items to buy, 257-259shopping via barcode, 261-262

eBay Storesbrowsing and buying in, 60-61finding, 59searching for items in, 60

feedbackexplained, 16-18Top Rated Plus seal, 20viewing, 18-19

fixed-price listingsafter the sale, 61-63asking questions, 51compared to auctions, 47-49creating from scratch, 146-150eBay Shopping Cart, 55-57eBay Stores, 59-61final price, calculating, 51-53making offers, 57multiple items, buying, 55-57paying for purchases, 57-59reading, 49-51single items, buying, 53-55

minimizing riskeBay Money Back Guarantee, 21-23explained, 15-16feedback system, 16-20PayPal, 20-21reporting inappropriate behavior, 23-25tips for protecting yourself on eBay,

25-26searching for items, 34

Advanced Search page, 36-39basic searches, 35-36following searches, 40

295Turquoise star feedback rating

Shopping Cart, 55-57Show Items Priced From boxes (Advanced

Search page), 38Show Results section (Advanced Search

page), 39Sign In button, 10signing in to eBay accounts, 9-10signing out of eBay accounts, 10signing up

for eBay account, 8-9for PayPal accounts, 187-189

Sign Out button, 10Sign Up button (PayPal), 187Silver shooting star feedback rating, 17single items, buying, 53-55Site Preferences, 252slight wear (SW), 131SnipeSwipe, 86sniping

automated sniping services, 85-86explained, 83-84placing last-second snipes, 84-85

soft cover (SC), 131Sold Listings box (Advanced Search page),

38Sort By section (Advanced Search page), 39Sportscard Guaranty, 128SS (still sealed), 131starting price, setting for auctions, 162-165still sealed (SS), 131stock photos, 118

Stores. See eBay StoresStore Search box (eBay Stores), 60Styrofoam peanuts, 205Submit button, 8subtitles, 97summary of activities, viewing, 235-236Summary page (My eBay), 62, 79, 235-236SW (slight wear), 131

Ttaking product photos, 112-118tape, 205Tell Us More box (My eBay), 63third-party sellers, 138

consignment stores, 139-141eBay Valet, 140-141

thrift stores, 105titles, 120-122toolbar (eBay), 11-12Top Rated Plus seal, 20tracking services, 220Trading Assistant program, 141transaction fees (PayPal), 189-190Transfer to Bank Account page (PayPal),

192-193tripods, 113Turquoise shooting star feedback rating, 17Turquoise star feedback rating, 17

INDEX296 unblocking buyers

Uunblocking buyers, 181Unfollow This Search link, 40United States Postal Service, 218-219unpaid items, following through on, 228unresponsive bidders, contacting, 228Unsold section, 158unwanted buyers, blocking, 181UPC codes

creating auction listings from, 170-174creating fixed-price listing from, 151-155

UPS, 220Used box (Advanced Search page), 38users

feedbackexplained, 16-18leaving, 62-63, 200-201viewing, 18-19

following, 247profile pages

overview, 245viewing, 246-247

reporting, 23-25

VValet program, 140-141Value Pack, 97variable fee shipping, 222Verified PayPal members, 189Very Fine condition, 126Very Good condition, 126

very hard to find (VHTF), 131VHTF (very hard to find), 131viewing

auction listings, 170, 174bids, 237collections, 11eBay fees, 97feedback, 18-19feedback information, 246followed searches, 241offers, 237product listings, 41-44profile pages, 246-247profiles, 11purchase history, 238-239summary of activities, 235-236watched items, 237-238

vintage and used retailers, 105

Wwaiting for items to arrive, 77watched items, viewing, 237-238Watch List, 87Watch List page (My eBay), 237-238weight (shipping), 210-211Welcome to eBay page, 9Whitman, Meg, 4Windows Phone app, 270winning bids, paying for, 75-77withdrawing funds from PayPal accounts,

192-193

297Your Cases section (Resolution Center)

Withdraw tab (PayPal), 192With PayPal Accepted box (Advanced

Search page), 39WOC (writing on cover), 131writing

descriptions, 122-125titles, 120-122

writing on cover (WOC), 131

Y-Zyard sales, finding items to sell at, 104Yellow shooting star feedback rating, 17Yellow star feedback rating, 17Your Cases section (Resolution Center), 22