The Insider's Secrets of an eBay Millionaire

EBay fights its toughest legal battle
Tiffany lawsuit puts 'hands off' approach to the test

By Bob Sullivan
Technology correspondent
MSNBC
Updated: 1:52 p.m. ET Sept. 21, 2004

Artist Anna Conti says that one day this spring a friend spotted dozens of Conti's paintings for sale on eBay -- at around $50 apiece. They normally sell for $1,000 or more; these were obvious fakes. Frustrated with eBay's efforts to thwart the frauds, Conti started a Web site called "eBay Art Fraud," devoted to outing the auction site's counterfeit problem. While frauds involving her work have now stopped, she says the site is still rampant with fake art, causing a real problem for those who rely on creativity for their living.

And in an odd kind of Internet-age alliance, Conti is now a fan of Tiffany & Co., which has filed a lawsuit against the Internet giant for much the same thing.

Comments -

As a seller I will be watching this case very closely as it definitely has far reaching consequences and not just for large brand name companies. eBay has successfully defended its case that it is just a medium, like a classifieds in the newspaper, and cannot be responsible for the authenticity of goods sold on the site. As you read the article above you will find that Tiffany has some very plausible arguments that will challenge that assertion.

If Tiffany wins (which may be a long shot) eBay can expect a flood of similar lawsuits to be filed from other companies that have been defrauded, at least in trademark value, by the fake products being sold on the site.

As a seller the critical shift would be this. Currently, I am accountable for the items I list on eBay ... this gives me a great deal of flexibility when listing items but ultimately, if the bidder is not happy, I am the one that has to deal with the repercussions. It is essentially a matter of honor and good business.

There will always be people out there looking to make a quick buck and then run. Does making eBay responsible for any item listed on their site eliminate those opportunistic unethical sellers? Not at all ... in fact, having them list on eBay has resulted in some being captured and punished. Rather than get involved in a lawsuit with eBay I think Tiffany should actually be lobbying tougher legislature for criminal behavior by selling counterfeit product.

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 09:35 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Big bids can't get you to bed Carmen Electra
Monday December 19 2005 17:05 IST
ANI

WASHINGTON: The fears of sleeping with a stranger have finally been alleviated for actress Carmen Electra, as the man, whose offer was one of the highest in an online bidding for a date with the sexy beauty, has been disqualified.

The former Baywatch star, who is married to rocker Dave Navarro, recently offered her fans to buy the chance to take her out, on the internet auction site eBay.com, but she now regrets being so crazy, as the huge amounts of cash that were bid for a date with her, left her highly concerned.

"They were bidding for a date with me on eBay, which was kind of weird, but the money went to charity, so I thought it would be a nice thing to do," Contactmusic quoted her, as saying.

"It went up to some crazy number and I actually felt obligated to, like, sleep with the guy. But I didn't, because they were disqualified," she added.

Comments -

I really dont have anything more to say about this ... I just thought it was funny :). Happy Holidays!

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 08:41 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

eBay Launches New Digital-Download Program
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
December 15, 2005
eBay has launched a program allowing its sellers to list digitally delivered goods such as MP3 files, eBooks, movies, photos. eBay defines a digital item as a product sold in the form of a computer file that a buyer can access online or have delivered electronically via email. eBay is limiting such sales to fixed-price formats only, and all purchases must be paid through PayPal.

Comments -

For savvy sellers information products are the real money makers. With minimal costs you have a steady stream of income. The idea behind information products is to create multiple products and garnish the benefits of multiple streams of income. With eBay now offering this service expect many more eBooks and other such files items appear!

For more tips on how to sell on eBay check out www. auctiontips.com

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Geldof Incensed at eBay
By Debbie McGoldrick

Bob Geldof is furious that Live 8 tickets are being offered for sale on eBay, and he has called for a worldwide boycott of the online auction site, describing it as “an electronic pimp.”

Tickets are already attracting bids of up to $1,500, a figure Geldof says is “sick profiteering.” The Live 8 organizer said he was appalled, and accused the sellers of the tickets of “disgusting greed.”

Comments -

eBay is estimated to earn $49 BILLION in revenue per year (and this is only getting higher). I don’t know about anyone else but that is one BIG income for an electronic pimp.

Let’s go out on a limb here and assume eBay really doesn’t need the extra money generated from the sales of Live 8 tickets. eBay then become a venue that reflects the moral integrity of the masses (all 147 million of them) and this isn’t just for sellers! If everyone was more incensed about the sale of the tickets, as Mr. Geldof claims he is, than there wouldn’t be bidders willing to pay for those tickets at such exorbitant prices.

I am equally appalled that tickets to charity events are being sold for profit, just as I was appalled at people who would sell the ask from the 9/11 disaster, or from pieces of the Berlin Wall. I will not bid on such items. But I must say I am more disappointed by the reflection eBay garnishes of our society when sellers feel such items are fair game to be profited on. Who will you hold accountable? eBay? Or the sellers profiting from the misfortune of others?

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 08:46 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

eBay Wins Cyber Monday Traffic
By Lissa McGrath
AuctionBytes.com
December 12, 2005
With the price of gas still sky high in most parts of the country, it appears that many buyers have foregone the traditional post-Thanksgiving sales in malls for the online equivalent. The Nielsen/Netratings Holiday eShopping Index monitors traffic to 100 sites throughout the year. According to their report, the site with the highest online traffic on "Cyber Monday" (11/28/05), traditionally the beginning of the online shopping season, was eBay with over 11.7 million unique visitors. This was double the number of visitors to the number two site, Amazon.com (5.6 million). Overstock.com, Shopping.com and Shopzilla.com also made the top ten with totals from 1.3 million to 1.9 million.

Comments -

All hail the power of eBay. When eBay more than doubles its closest competitor for traffic sellers on eBay who are offering hot products at competitive prices must be seeing the increase in sales and revenue. There may be some sellers (myself included) that are kicking themselves for not seeing this coming and taking advantage of the additional traffic.

The consolation prize is that eBay will only continue to grow and next year will be even better. So I am starting to save up some inventory that I expect will do very well next year! For more tips on how what where and when to sell on eBay check out www.auctiontips.com

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 09:19 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

World Cup tickets on eBay for £2,000
TICKETS for the World Cup in Germany have already gone on sale on eBay, raising fears over security.

Three tickets for the final match in Berlin next July have been sold on the internet auction site for £2,201 - at a mark-up of £1,000

Comments -

I am a HUGE football fan (soccer for those Americans out there). I was keen on getting some tickets for the world cup but missed the initial draws. Tickets for the best seats in a stadium range from $110 USD (regular group games) to $710 USD (final game). I went shopping for tickets online and found people were selling the game tickets for 400% higher than they could possibly have purchased them for. I am all for making extra money and fully support the entrepreneur in people ... but the demand for these tickets is just so high that for big fans who haven’t won the lottery it seems I may have to wait another 4 years before I get to see a world cup game.

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 08:46 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Precedent-Setting Auction of an 'Idea' on eBay is Bought for $250
Thursday December 8, 5:20 am ET

PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- When sport performance psychologist John F. Murray decided to auction the idea of "Confidence" on eBay he had no idea how much interest this auction would draw. Top athletes and film stars use mental coaches, but he didn't know whether the general public would pay for what might be called nothing more than an idea.

Bidding opened at $10 and after fifteen bids this idea sold for $250, representing perhaps the first time an "idea" has been sold in an auction. The winner is a recreational tennis player in New York. She will receive one hour of mental coaching by Dr. Murray.

Comments -

I have an idea! But I am not sure I could get any of my ideas to sell on eBay ... especially not for $250. It gives a whole new meaning to the term "A penny for your thoughts". The interesting approach here is
1). That a seller had the courage to test a theory and
2). That the market appreciated the attempt and felt it offered substantial value and the market valued the "idea" at $250.

Most people have ideas flying through their heads and often dismiss them because they don’t really think the idea "viable". My suggestion is this. Have an idea notebook ... write anything and everything down that you think of. Once you have the core of your business up and running go back to your idea book and take a look what you have written. You may find ideas that you had when you were 1st starting that may not have seemed practical at the time but now that your up and running have a great deal of relevance. Or you may have an idea that seems ridiculous ... but you have the courage to test it! And lo and behold ... the results are ...

For more tips on how to sell on eBay check out www.auctiontips.com

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 08:43 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

CHINA VIEW:Alibaba Takes On EBay; Online Game Woes Worsen
Tuesday December 6, 2:11 AM

By Sage Brennan
A Dow Jones Column

SHANGHAI (Dow Jones)--Consumer-to-consumer ecommerce company Alibaba.Com Corp., of which Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) assumed 40% ownership in August, will continue to consolidate control of YahooChina's search, portal and other assets in the coming weeks.

Alibaba is also focusing on expanding the market share of its core ecommerce business, anchored by the popular Taobao auction site.

Taobao doesn't currently charge customers to list or buy items through its ecommerce platform, while its primary competitor, eBay Inc.'s (EBAY) eBay Eachnet unit, charges fees to users. Taobao has taken advantage of its fee-free status, attacking eBay's previously unassailable market share. Insiders assert that a surprising portion of eBay users, in fact, frequently complete ecommerce transactions using Taobao and its associated epayment platform, AliPay, after initially locating products for sale on eBay.

Comments -

Anytime eBay increases fees there is a huge whiplash in its online community. To date most sellers have had to just accept the additional fees as a part of doing business on eBay because there really hasn’t been anywhere else to go. Essentially you have to stay where the consumers are ... no one would expect Best Buy to open a store in Podunk Alaska (not a real location) simply because they wouldn’t have to pay as much sales tax.

With eBay monopolizing the online auction place its no wonder that other companies are looking to grab a piece of the cake ... and are in a position to do so offering minimal or no costs to sellers and buyers. eBay will want to keep an eye on Alibaba, Google, and Microsoft as they plan to compete on the same platform as eBay ... they may also want to rethink increasing fees ... and to keep sellers on their site they may actually want to consider LOWERING costs for a change.

What this means for the savvy seller is that there are many OTHER sites to sell product on! While eBay is currently the best site at the moment sellers may want to investigate some of the other sites out there to see what they have to offer and see if, perhaps, it might already be in their best interest to jump ship!

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 08:31 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

A leaked internal memo from Best Buy reveals that some managers appeared to take it upon themselves to do what amounts to a ‘hard sell’ and pressure customers into buying the more expensive bundles. According to The Inquirer, the memo is telling managers to accept bundles back for refund and allow customers to choose what they want to buy.

But it’s not just in the US that this bundling ‘deal’ is making an appearance. The scarcity of Xbox 360 stock has prompted store managers of UK shops to bundle up the console to make a lot of money.

HEXUS.gaming popped into GAME in Milton Keynes on Saturday and upon asking about the availability of an Xbox 360 Premium console we were offered one as part of a bundle. This so-called ‘deal’ was for the Premium console, one wireless controller and 15 games… all for the princely sum of £969 GBP! But there was a catch… GAME didn’t actually have 15 different Xbox 360 games in-stock but we still had to buy all 15 to get the console.

Comments -

Buyer Beware - This doesn’t just apply to the bundling scams like the ones above. Some sellers will offer an XBOX 360 and in small print at the end of the auction state the auction is just for the box the 360 came in. Or another popular method of defrauding sellers it to say your offering an XBOX 360 but are actually only offering a link where the system can be purchased from. There are ways around this that will save you time, money, and all the headaches and often heartaches that follow from being taken by such devious sellers.

1). READ THE WHOLE AUCTION! If you think the deal is too good to be true than it might just be! Read the whole listing! If you have any questions ask the seller! Verify you know what it is your getting!

2). Look at the feedback ... and I don’t just mean the total number and the percent. Click on the feedback and see what kind of history the seller has. One very common thing a devious seller will do will be to buy 10 items that cost 1 penny simply for the feedback and then start selling laptops or game systems. You look at their feedback and think they must be trustworthy since they have had 10 successful listings but if you dig deeper you see this isnt the case at all.

3). Report shady auctions to eBay. eBay does their best to stop these sellers from taking advantage of people. But they can only do so much ... as an eBay community we can help protect each other from such sellers! I have reported hundreds of auctions to eBay that seemed fraudulent and almost all of them have been removed from the site (usually with the seller getting suspended). How many people have I helped by doing this? 1? 100? Who knows ... the point is if we all reported auctions that seem questionable eBay would be a MUCH safer place!

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 09:30 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Terapeak's eBay Hot Search: Musical Instruments - November 2005
By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
December 02, 2005
Terapeak has analyzed the top eBay searches for Musical Instruments for the week of Nov 18 - Nov 24, 2005. Terapeak identified the top searches performed by eBay users by going to the eBay Pulse for the Musical Instruments category.

Savvy sellers will just "know" which categories are hot ... and which are not. For those that keep up to date on eBay and Terapeak it should come as no surprise that musical instruments are a hot commodity. If you’re interested in learning how to sell on eBay this is definitely an area I would recommend looking into!

For more information on how to sell on eBay click HERE

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 09:07 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

EBay traffic highest in online shopping

NEW YORK: Online auction site eBay Inc had double the traffic of Amazon.com Inc, its closest competitor among US Web retail sites, at the start of the holiday online shopping season, according to data released on Tuesday.
Nielsen//NetRatings, which tracks traffic to more than 100 retail web sites, said eBay had 11.7 million unique visitors and Amazon 5.6 million on "Cyber Monday," when internet shopping gets a boost as Americans return to work in force after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and "Black Friday," the traditional start to the shopping season in stores.

Comments:

eBay is definitely not slowing down! Some sellers may be sitting back thinking "eBay is not just catering to the big business" or "there is no way I can get on eBay now ... theres just too much competition". With over 140 MILLION user ... 90% of which are bidders there is no way eBay has reached saturation. The Internet Marketing Center has released an eBay product that chronicles how 1 seller went from selling stuff at home to making over $8 MILLION a year. For more on how he did this ... and how YOU can do it to click here!

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 08:48 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)