Make Money on eBay | Skip McGrath

What eBay Could Learn From Boeing Aircraft

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:44:14 -0400

One of the reasons Boeing is the only remaining large aircraft maker in the US is because they listen to their customers.

About the time eBay was started 15 years ago, Boeing set out to design the next generation airliner. One of the things Boeing learned back in the 1950s when they started building the first jet airliners was to listen to their customers. If you fly on airliners, you might think I am talking about you –but I am not. Boeing’s customers are not the flying public. Boeing’s customers are the airlines. The same thing is true of eBay. We the sellers --not the eBay bidders and buyers --are the customers. The bidders and buyers are our customers –not eBay’s. This is analogous to passengers being the airline’s customers.

When Boeing set out the build the next generation aircraft that would become the 787 Dreamliner, soon to begin production, they contacted all of the world’s airlines and invited them to send representatives to Seattle where they met for weeks listening to what the airlines wanted.

Boeing didn’t bring the airline reps in to listen to a sales pitch telling them what the next airliner would look like and how great it would be. They brought them in to listen and give input. Did Boeing consider the needs of passengers? Of course they did. And, they shared this information with the airlines and the airlines shared their passenger input and data with Boeing.

In a sense the 787 Dreamliner is a collaborative aircraft designed by the customers and Boeing together –both of whom understood the needs of the passenger. But more importantly, Boeing had the input from the Airlines who told them what kind of aircraft they needed to make money.

So what could eBay learn from this? eBay earns enough in fees paid by sellers (eBay’s customers) to fly a couple hundred representative sellers into San Jose for several days of workshops where instead of presenting, eBay spends the time listening. Had eBay leveled with sellers a couple of years ago when the growth started to slow and the current problems were becoming known, they could have made us part of the process and the solution. Who knows, the end result could have been massive changes to the feedback system and even DSRs –but I suspect they would look different –and most importantly the seller community would embrace the changes instead of fighting them because they would have been part of the solution –rather than being asked to accept a solution that was imposed upon them.

It’s not too late. eBay has cancelled eBay Live in 2009. Instead they said they would be doing a series of “events” around the country. What will these events look like?

I have been to some of these eBay “workshops” before. Yes, we get to get to stand in line before a microphone and ask questions and give comments. And all the players on the stage nod their heads and look concerned. Then they give us answers. Where is the real input?

Does eBay ever send their managers out to sit beside an eBay seller all day and see what we really do –what our challenges are and what we have to contend with to make a profit? Does eBay have workshops where ten sellers sit down with ten managers for an entire day and examine the wealth of data that eBay has amassed. Where we get to ask in-depth questions, submit ideas and concerns and where we tackle the problems together? If this is going on, I don’t know about it.

eBay has a choice. They can continue to try and sell us on their new systems and methods, or eBay can come clean with us and share their data and research. They can stop the spin and actually ask for, consider and respect our input, opinions and ideas –and then go back to San Jose and actually put them to use.

I understand that eBay’s management doesn’t work for us. They work for the stockholders. I was once a stockholder. I bought stock shortly after eBay went public and made a lot of money on eBay stock. But I dumped it shortly after the last split.

I would like to be a stockholder again. But at $27 a share eBay looks way over priced to me. If, however, eBay were to learn something from Boeing, I might take another look. eBay could embrace their customers and bring us into the design decisions. There are a few rivets popping on this 15 year old airplane we call eBay, but there is still time to turn this thing around before the flaps start falling off. If eBay would invite us into a truly collaborative effort, we could all build our own Dreamliner together.

Stay tuned – More on this tomorrow

Skip McGrath
www.skipmcgrath.com

How To Make Good Money Selling Used Books on eBay, Amazon and the Internet

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:37:58 -0400

Selling used books on eBay, Amazon and other Internet sites is one of the greatest opportunities available to home business operators today.

The sale of used books on the Internet increased 25% last year. Almost one of every 10 books sold is a used book, and the majority –over 60% of those are bought online from small individual businesses –many operating out of their homes.

My latest book, How To Sell Used Books on eBay, Amazon and the Internet is a complete guide to starting and running an online book business. It is now available for immediate delivery at: http://www.skipmcgrath.com/products/sell-used-books-ebay-amazon.php.

Anyone can learn how to start and run an online book business for less than $100 in start-up costs.

Used books are the perfect product for the small eBay or online seller.

They are easy to find
Although there are tons of expensive books, most books sell for less than $25. This attracts few thieves and scam artists
Used books are highly profitable. You can buy books for a quarter of fifty cents that will sell for $10, $20, $30 or more –sometimes much more.
Books are easy to list, store and ship
Book prices are easy to research and determine
Books and book condition descriptions are standard and well understood.
Book cover photographs are available for most modern books just by typing in the ISBN number
It only takes a couple of minutes to create a book listing. Amazon, eBay and other sites have standard pre-written descriptions that will fill in automatically just by entering the ISBN number
Perfect, low-risk business for the part-time seller
The online book market is growing at double-digit rates and shows no sign of slowing down. Used books make up a larger and larger portion of that business
Recession-proof business. When the economy slows down, used book sales increase

In How To Sell Used Books on eBay, Amazon and the Internet I show you everything you need to get started and give you the resources you need to grow your business into a profitable online venture.

I rolled out this latest book to my newsletter readers last week and it was well received by readers. How To Sell Used Books on eBay, Amazon and the Internet is an eBook, but I have set it up so readers can easily print it out on their home computer printer.

I do show the basics of listing a book on Amazon, eBay and some other online sites, but this is not a beginner – How to Sell on eBay – book. So you should know some basics such as how to register and how to list an auction. Listing on Amazon and some other book-selling sites is pretty simple and we cover that in detail. But if you want to learn how to sell on eBay whether it is books, or anything else, I am also offering a package deal. If you buy How To Sell Used Books on eBay, Amazon and the Internet, you will get a link to save $20 + free shipping (a further $9.90 savings) on The Complete eBay Marketing System.

Click Here to read about How To Sell Used Books on eBay, Amazon and the Internet and the free bonus offers that come with the purchase.

See below for other books by Skip McGrath

I am on eBay’s Side on This One

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:43:18 -0400

eBay fighting back on anti-competitive practices by luxury brand manufacturers

There has been a lot to criticize eBay for lately, but this time I am firmly on their side.

A few days ago I reported on the big news out of France that eBay lost a civil action by the French Courts to fine eBay 40 million Euros (About $60 million) and prevent eBay from allowing sellers to list products from the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy (LVMH) company on eBay.

Some the brands owned by LVMH include Dior, Louis Vuitton, Guerlain, Perfumes Givenchy, Celine, Fendi, Emillio Pucci and TAG Hueur watches. I am not clear from the news reports if all of these products are covered but it appears that they may be.

LVMH alleges that eBay doesn’t do enough to prevent counterfeit goods carrying their brands and based on this they were able to get a French court to rule in such a way that eBay will have to block sellers like you and me from listing these products on eBay. And, the ban extends to used products –not just new.

So there you are sitting in Pittsburgh looking at that nice little Fendi bag you bought a few years ago when you were in Europe. You have only used it a few times. You have kept it in the dust cover and it looks fine. But now you really want to sell it. You still have the receipt from the Duty Free Store at Charles De Gaul Airport. But sorry, some court in France (where eBay operates) says you can’t.

eBay has been fighting this battle for a while. LVMH is not the first company to sue eBay. They recently lost a similar decision to Hermes and there is a lawsuit ongoing by Tiffany’s here in the US.

Although eBay does do a lot to prevent counterfeits (as they should), there is no practical way that eBay can be 100% sure something is counterfeit without having you send them the bag and the receipt and then eBay physically check the bag and the serial number. Can you imagine how much this would cost? Well I can tell you. There is a competitive auction site called Potero at http://www.portero.com. If you want to sell on Potero, you ship the item to them, they inspect it and then list it. Think eBay fees are high? Potero charges 30% for this service. But they are doing pretty well because buyers know they can trust the site.

The whole designer goods market is a mess. Unfortunately there are so many counterfeits that buyers are reluctant to pay top dollar because of the risk. Karen and I used to sell designer goods a few years ago, but as the fakes proliferated prices fell on the real stuff too. Prices dropped so low that we couldn’t make any money so we quit trying. (I still have one Fendi Messenger Style Purse if anyone is interested).

So on one hand I would favor any reasonable effort to clean the fakes off the site, but I am also against the manufacturers engaging in what are essentially anti-competitive practices. If I acquire a legitimate product from Tiffany's or Coach or Fendi, why should that manufacturer be able to tell me what to do with it? I could give it to a charity thrift shop, take it to a local consignment store or even take out a classified ad to sell it, but I can’t sell it on eBay. That doesn’t make sense.

eBay is fighting this issue and I am strongly on their side on this one. The problem with them losing this particular court fight isn’t the $60 million –it is the precedent that sets as other courts are likely to follow. And the manufacturers are not innocent either. If you missed it, check out my blog post about the real story behind most of the fake handbags. http://blog.skipmcgrath.com/public/item/201773

eBay reacted to the court decision with a statement by David Pride, Vice President of Trust & Safety. Here is what Dave had to say about the decision:

"We want you, our customers, to understand how much we do behind the scenes to stop counterfeits from ever making their way onto our sites (see eBay Against Counterfeits and eBay VeRO for more information). We've invested millions of dollars into combating the problem of counterfeits. In 2007 alone, across all eBay sites around the world, we removed over 2 million potentially counterfeit listings, and we suspended over 50,000 sellers whom we believed may have been attempting to sell fake goods.
In fact, our efforts to remove counterfeits from our site – often before anyone is able to see them, let alone buy them – are recognized by 18,000 manufacturers whom we successfully work with to combat counterfeiters.
While recognizing the importance of fighting counterfeits, we do not agree with overly broad attempts to protect uncompetitive commercial practices of authentic items at the expense of consumer choice. This threatens the livelihood of our law-abiding sellers and the ability of our buyers to get great deals. Overzealous implementation of restrictive sales practices are anti-competitive and give you, our buyers and sellers, a bad deal. This is recognized by European Union policy-makers who are seeking to create a better framework for online sales to promote e-commerce in Europe.
For sellers: Be certain that your item is authentic
Sellers who list items that are popular targets for counterfeiters must be certain that their items are authentic. Sellers should not purchase from unknown distributors and should beware of prices too good to be true, or of suspiciously large volumes of available items.
Also, please know eBay has a variety of safeguards in place to protect the marketplace from counterfeits, and occasionally good sellers with legitimate items will be slowed down by these restrictions. We recognize this can be inconvenient for some sellers, and we appreciate your continued support in this very important matter.
eBay will continue to fight against counterfeits, but we will not accept outdated attempts to restrict unfairly the Internet to the detriment of our Community. We will continue to fight for consumer value through e-commerce, and we will be appealing the ruling in France."

So we will have to see how this all plays out in the courts. We can’t really control what the courts do, but we do have influence with our elected officials. Before you go to the polls this year, email your congressperson and ask how they stand on Internet Freedom.

My congressman is Rick Larsen whom I have voted for in the past, but I will not be voting for again as he has gone over to the dark side and favors taxing online sellers and other issues that limit our internet freedom.

eBay Loses A Big One in Court and Today is the last day to get deferred payment on The Whole Sale

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:39:04 -0400

eBay lost a big case in Europe that has implications and bad news for sellers here in the US.

LVMH, the company that owns and operates Louis Vuitton and Dior won its lawsuit against eBay. this follows on the heals of a similar victory by Hermes.

LVMH sued eBay in European courts over counterfeit items made by Hermes being sold on eBay. eBay's defense that is was just a selling platform and they had no control over what was sold didn't hold up in French courts. The award was 40 million Euros --about $62 million. Although the amount of money is not that painful to eBay (eBay earns about $1 Billion a year), it is clear that eBay will have to stop or severely limit sales of all designer goods on the platform. The sale of those goods are a huge part of eBay's gross merchandise value sold on the platform --and a source of some of eBay's fee income.

The court's finding bans eBay from allowing sellers to list designer perfumes, clothing and fashion accessories made by Louis Vuitton, Hermes and other LVMH subsidiaries.

LVMH stands for Louis Vuitton, Moet, Hennesy. They are the world's largest luxury-goods maker. The company said it found "in 2006 that 90 percent of the Louis Vuitton and Dior- labeled perfumes, watches and handbags on EBay were fakes.

Tiffany and other luxury goods makers claim that online sales of counterfeit clothes, bags and jewelry cost makers of original products about $30 billion a year.

The French court ordered EBay to post the ruling on all its Web sites in English and French for three weeks and to pay for its publication in three French or international publications of LVMH's choice.

But this is not over. eBay has vowed to fight with an appeal. A statement by eBay said:

"If counterfeits appear on our sites we take them down swiftly, but today's ruling is not about our fight against counterfeits; Today's ruling is about an attempt by LVMH to protect uncompetitive commercial practices at the expense of consumer choice and the livelihood of law-abiding sellers that EBay empowers everyday. We will fight this ruling on their behalf.''

On this one I have to side with eBay. Could eBay do more to fight counterfeits? Probably --and they owe it to the buyers to do so. But this ruling is nothing short of uncompetitive. The ruling is not just against eBay --it constrains anyone who sells on eBay.

It is nothing more than the French courts protecting a French company. The ruling, if upheld on appeal, even prevents eBay sellers from selling used merchandise on the site. So if you bought a Louis Vuitton handbag or a Dior dress at a thrift shop (yes they do show up there) or even if you bought one at one of their boutiques, you cannot sell it on eBay.

The Whole Sale from WorldWide Brands

The second item today is about WorldWide Brand's new product, The Whole Sale. The Whole Sale --easily the most comprehensive wholesale sourcing tool and training solution is a bit expensive. So as part of their introductory promotion, WWB is offering a 3-Payment plan through the end of June which ends at midnight tonight. Click here to read about the product. And if you purchase before midnight today, you can take advantage of a deferred payment plan.

FedEx Ground, USPS and UPS Experiencing 2 and 3 day Delays in East West Shipping Time

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:33:05 -0400

Attention eBay Sellers: I noticed my Shipping Time DSRs took a hit over the past week, and then connected it to the Midwest Floods.

So I called UPS and FedEx Ground and spoke with them. They both said they were experiencing delays of up to 2 or 3 days on East/West ground shipments. So next I called my friendly folks at the post office and they said the same thing. When we looked at delivery confirmation numbers for our recent Priority Mail shipments they were taking a day longer on average and two days more than normal in some cases.

I sent this information to eBay Gold Power Seller Support and suggested they make an announcement --but haven't heard back.

What can you do in the meantime? If you have shipped anything in the past couple of days or are shipping anything this week, add the following statement 0or something similar) in your shipping email:

We have learned from ________ (Insert whichever shipping carrier you use) that shipments to many parts of the country are being delayed up to 3 days due to the serious flooding in the Midwest. Please be assured that we shipped your item quickly, but this situation is beyond our control. Here is your tracking number: ________________ if you would like to track your package, please go to (inset web site of shipper).
We strive to give every buyer 5-Star experience and hope you will be pleased with your purchase and our service. If you are unhappy for any reason please contact us before leaving feedback and we will do everything in our power to resolve the issue to your satisfaction.

A similar situation occurred around the times of Hurricanes Katrina Hugo and Ivan and eBay did post an announcement that members saw when they logged in. I hope they do that in this situation. That could serve to reinforce the message they were trying to deliver to sellers at eBay Snooze --er, eBay Live.

Beware of Phony eBay Coupons Circulating in Email and on the web.

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:47:02 -0400

Some blogggers are sending out a free 10% off eBay coupon. They are using the coupon as a come-on to get you to click on a link for something they are selling

I will be out later today with more news from eBay Live, but I wanted to give my readers a heads up on some phony coupon offers you might receive by eMail -and one that is turning up in blog posts.

eBay is running a promotion via Direct mail that expires June 30. I found this on two blogs and got it in an email from someone selling a Secret Wholesale List on Clickbank.

Although the coupons are real they only work for the person they were originally sent to. Here is the text from one email I received:

Ebay/PayPal Coupons - expire June 30th
This is just a short note with two eBay coupons for you.
CJUNE0810P is 10% off any eBay auction up to $100 discount.
CJUNE10SHIP is $10.00 off on shipping. The shipping discount can be used three times.
Both coupons expire June 30th.
Neither coupon works with Liveauctions.
Here's how to redeem these offers:
Buy something on eBay. Be sure the seller accepts PayPal.
Pay for your item with PayPal before the expiration date:
June 30, 2008 11:59:59 PM PDT.
Enter the redemption code: CJUNE10SHIP or CJUNE0810P

At the end of the email he asks you to click on a link that has an affiliate product he is flogging.

A couple of blogs claim the coupons work, but I tried them both on my user ID and my wifes' ID it was a NO GO. After I was comitted to buying and paying for the item, I got a message that the code was no good. that's OK because it was an item I wanted but I would have loved to save 10% on it.

See you later today and stay tuned for my newsletter on Wednesday.

Beware of Phony eBay Coupons Circulating in Email and on the web.

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:47:02 -0400

Some blogggers are sending out a free 10% off eBay coupon. They are using the coupon as a come-on to get you to click on a link for something they are selling

I will be out later today with more news from eBay Live, but I wanted to give my readers a heads up on some phony coupon offers you might receive by eMail -and one that is turning up in blog posts.

eBay is running a promotion via Direct mail that expires June 30. I found this on two blogs and got it in an email from someone selling a Secret Wholesale List on Clickbank.

Although the coupons are real they only work for the person they were originally sent to. Here is the text from one email I received:

Ebay/PayPal Coupons - expire June 30th
This is just a short note with two eBay coupons for you.
CJUNE0810P is 10% off any eBay auction up to $100 discount.
CJUNE10SHIP is $10.00 off on shipping. The shipping discount can be used three times.
Both coupons expire June 30th.
Neither coupon works with Liveauctions.
Here's how to redeem these offers:
Buy something on eBay. Be sure the seller accepts PayPal.
Pay for your item with PayPal before the expiration date:
June 30, 2008 11:59:59 PM PDT.
Enter the redemption code: CJUNE10SHIP or CJUNE0810P

At the end of the email he asks you to click on a link that has an affiliate product he is flogging.

See you later today and stay tuned for my newsletter on Wednesday.

eBay Live 2008 Ends With A Whimper But Lives on in YouTube. And, New Policies for Sellers That Require Action Now

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:26:56 -0400

Let’s face it. We all wish that Elvis, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra were still with us –but they’re not. And neither is the old eBay we knew and loved. Everything changes and eBay is no different.

Before I get started let me clear something up. A lot of people have complained that I don't post their responses to my blog posts. Unfortunately this blog is not moderated and posting is turned off. I would love to do this, but the simple truth is that I just don't have the time. If you want to comment or ask a question, please go to my home page (www.skipmcgrath.com). Scroll to the bottom where you will find a contact form.

Now, Let's get started. I have been to every eBay Live since the first one in Anaheim that fit in the space of a small hotel ballroom. For us eBay Live was an annual chance to meet and greet our readers, network with other sellers, get first-hand info from third party providers, see new products and services first hand –and most importantly, to recharge our eBay batteries. This year we couldn’t find a place to plug in.

Signs of eBay cost cutting were evident everywhere. There were fewer eBay employees in attendance, fewer events with food and drink, lower cost entertainment, fewer vendors on the show floor, fewer seminars, fewer promotional items --in general less of everything. The cost cutbacks were most evident at last night’s gala.

The eBay applause tunnel was wider and shorter, the food simpler (lasagna and chicken), no more massage chairs, only one on-floor game, no more performance art and lower cost entertainment (a juggling group and Chris Izacks). I heard eBay batting around numbers like 10,000 attendees at eBay Live. Sorry but I never saw them. I am not an expert at judging crowd sizes, but I think 6-7000 would be a generous estimate and the gala had fewer than that.

To be fair, the slow economy and high fuel costs probably contributed, but as I look back, eBay’s own promotion of the event this year seemed lacking when compared to previous years.

I think that was a mistake on eBay’s part. Given all the controversy and hard feelings from sellers over eBay’s new policies, this was not the year to cut back. The whole point of eBay live is a seller appreciation event. Since eBay decided to cancel the 2009 event they could have used that money to make this year's event bigger and better.

Many of the meetings where sellers were allowed to ask questions were highly contentious. eBay is probably wishing that they had banned video cameras. Members were filming the meetings and putting the clips on YouTube within minutes. Just go to YouTube and search eBay Live 2008. Some of the videos are really shocking.

There was plenty of news –and new policies announced and clarified. Some of them require quick action by sellers. Let’s look at a few.

First some good news for newer and smaller sellers

All sellers – now only 3 DSR ratings needed in 30 days for promotion in Best Match search results
eBay will elevate listings in Best Match for sellers with a 4.7 or higher across all four DSRs. To qualify for this boost in exposure, sellers have needed at least 10 DSRs left by buyers in the previous 30 days. (Without this minimum number, a seller's listings would receive normal exposure.)

eBay listened to lower-volume sellers - that this bar was set too high. Now, sellers with DSRs of 4.7 or more will only need 3 DSRs left in the past 30 days to have their listings promoted. You can check your Seller Dashboard to see if your items are getting extra exposure in search.

eBay will soon make it impossible to email members directly who ask questions with anonymous email forwarding

Starting in September eBay will "anonymize" email addresses sent through the member-to-member communication system (Ask Seller a Question, Reply to Question). eBay will replace the sender's email address in the "From" field with a temporary anonymous address, and replies will be routed through eBay for processing prior to delivery. In turn, when recipients hit the "reply" button, their email address is also replaced with a temporary email address, which will then be routed through eBay before being sent to the original sender. And, starting in September, email addresses will no longer be allowed in listing descriptions. I asked the folks at Trust & Safety if we could put our direct email address in the body of the email, but they said they didn't know. I suspect that emails through eBay will not allow URLs or email addresses.

Required soon – Specified shipping, return policy, item condition, & handling time:

Starting in July, sellers will be required to specify their shipping cost and services. Then later this fall, sellers will also be required to specify : item condition (whether the item is new or used), your handling time (how long it will take you to put the item in the mail), and whether or not you offer a return policy, and if so, what the terms are.

More rewards for PowerSellers
eBay did add some new PowerSeller rewards to further encourage and top performing sellers:

PowerSellers with 4.9 or higher across all four DSRs will receive a 20% discount on their final value fees.
PowerSellers may now receive savings of up to 23% of UPS Ground Daily Rates in addition to the current UPS Special Savings Program for eBay sellers.

Now the bad news for small to medium sellers: It looks like eBay will abandon the “Level playing field concept.” Until now, eBay has always rebuffed pleas from large sellers for volume discounts. In the latest announcement by Jim Ambach’s replacement, Dinesh Lathi, eBay created a new Power Seller level called the Diamond level. The Diamond level is for PowerSellers with $500,000 or 50,000 items in sales a month, who also maintain 4.8s or above across all their DSRs

Dinesh announced that eBay may consider “alternative fee structures” (i.e. discounts) for Diamond PowerSellers. Consideration for alternative fee structures will be made on a case by case basis. This has already happened with Buy.com who sells on eBay under the user ID, Buy. The effect of this --offering lower listing fees to large sellers means more items from large sellers that could potentially swamp listings in certain categories --especially media (books, movies, music, etc.)

Here is A quick "listing update" checklist from Dinesh’s announcement:

Remove any links to 3rd-party sites to stay in compliance with recent updates to eBay’s Links Policy (Read eBay’s previous announcement for details).
Specify shipping, return policy, item condition & handing time in the specified fields. This information will be required soon so now’s the time to get started.
Remove any email addresses from your listing descriptions by September.

So we are heading for the airport and home. I have started on my next newsletter and am trying to get it out by next Wednesday. So stay tuned and look for my next email. If you haven’t subscribed, just go to http://www.skipmcgrath.com/newsletters to sign up. It’s free, and we don’t spam our readers and rent or sell their names.

Energy Level Picks Up on The2nd Day at eBay Live and Two Important Announcements

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:02:21 -0400

The energy level was a hit higher today than the first day and more attendees showed up. It's still not like past events but I did notice some more excitement and positive outlook today.

Keynote puts a human face on new CEO, John Donohoe

The 2^nd day of eBay Live kicked off with the Keynote address. This was the first time many eBay sellers have seen the new CEO, John Donohoe. It turns out John is an OK guy. He was born and raised a few miles from the Chicago convention center. He introduced his parents and gave a talk that stressed his plain speaking Mid-Western values. He is not as charismatic as Meg –but he comes off as a solid guy and I believed him when he says he is committed to the growth and success of eBay.

Lorrie Northington, head of eBay marketplace, had the harder job. She had to deal with specifics –DSRs and Feedback. When Lorrie got to feedback she was roundly and loudly booed by a large segment of the audience. I have been to every eBay Live since 2002 and this is the first time I have heard more than the ocassional boo.

I hate to use a sexist reference, but to Lorrie’s credit –she took it like a man. When the booing stopped she looked the audience in the eye, said she understood, and then defended her position. Facts help, and Lorrie delivered one very interesting fact. eBay tracks feedback daily. Lorrie reported that since May 19^th when the feedback changed, the number of neutral and negative feedback comments left has neither increased nor decreased. Admittedly the time sample is quite small –and I would like to see the numbers after a couple of months –but I have to admit the early results are encouraging.

Two Important Announcements

Lorrie also announced a new level of DSR fee discounts. PowerSellers who maintain a 30-day 4.9 score will now receive a 20% discount on fees. Granted this will only impact a few sellers but it really does incentivize sellers to work hard to keep their DSRs high.

The other announcement is that up to now only Power Sellers were advantaged in search by having good DSRs. Going forward, if you keep your DSRs over 4.6 everyone will get enhanced search placement –thereby making it easier for newer sellers to reach power seller status.

There is also some news from PayPal but I need to check on a few details first. I will speak with the PayPal folks tomorrow and let you know the details then.

ebay Sellers Party On at The Alibaba Party and other news from eBay Live

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:57:46 -0400

Well, it’s almost midnight and Karen and I just returned from the ECMTA party hosted by eBay’s arch-nemesis, www.Alibaba.com.

There were about 300 people at the event which was held at the Alhambra Palace –a retro-kitsch Middle Eastern themed restaurant with a Lebanese band and Belly Dancers, tons of free food and booze and about 300 party-till-we-drop eBay PowerSellers.

For those of you who don’t know the history, Alibaba is a wholesale sourcing website that lists thousands of companies outside the US who are looking for eBay and online sellers to buy merchandise from exporters in dozens of foreign countries –mostly in the Far East, but actually from many countries. Problems started a few years ago when eBay wanted to expand into China, but Alibaba’s parent company was already the big auction site in China and they went head to head. I don’t have space here for all the details and background (which is very interesting if you Google “eBay + Alibaba” but suffice to say there is no love lost between eBay and Alibaba. Alibaba was set to exhibit at eBay Live in San Jose a few years ago, and right before the show, eBay kicked Alibaba out in favor of their competitor, www.globalsources.com.

So Alibaba –thinking fast, conceived one of the greatest Guerrilla Marketing tactics of all time: When you got off the airplane at the San Jose Airport, there were dozens of well-dressed nice people saying “Welcome to eBay Live. Here is your free tote bag.” They were also standing on all the corners leading to the convention center and at all of the bus and metro stops. The result was that thousands of eBay Live attendees were walking around eBay Live toting the Alibaba signature bright orange tote bags. And Alibaba took over the Presidential Suite in the hotel across the street from the convention center where they held a free lunch and gave PowerPoint presentations to hundreds of eBay sellers about importing and the Alibaba services each day.

eBay decided to cast their lot with Alibaba’s leading competitor, www.Globalsources.com. So what is interesting about this story?

Well Alibaba isn’t allowed anywhere near eBay. Tonight’s party was originally sponsored by PESA, The Professional eBay Seller’s Alliance, but at the last moment, the Ecommerce Merchants Trade Association –an offshoot of PESA, suddenly became the sponsor. And Global Sources –what became of them? I looked all over the floor at eBay Live for them and they were nowhere to be found. It seems they didn’t want to support eBay Live this year. And who is the loser in this story –it’s us, the eBay sellers. Alibaba and Global Sources are both good companies who provide a valuable service to eBay sellers –but neither one of them is in the Solutions Center (trade show floor) at eBay Live.

Importing is a fast growing area of profits for eBay sellers and it would be so cool if sellers could meet with both companies and evaluate them and see for themselves which one they want to work with. It’s such a shame that the sellers who pay the fees that provide the profits to increase the stock options of eBay’s management and employees are the ones that lose.

Other news from eBay Live

As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, if you want really up-to-date news from eBay Live, check in with www.auctionbytes.com. Ina Steiner is blogging much more often and more on top of the news than I am. But two things came out today that are interesting.

eBay will soon no longer allow third party checkout. So if you use a service like Vendio (like I do) you can no longer use Vendio’s check out service that exposes your customers to other products you have to sell in your Vendio store (because eBay doesn’t earn fees on those).

The other news is that eBay will announce in the morning that sellers with a 4.9 or above rating (on all 4 levels) will now get a 20% reduction in eBay final value fees. So that is good news for good sellers. Twenty percent is a pretty substantial fee discount. It will be interesting to see how many sellers hit the 20% threshold.

eBay Live.... What Happened To All The Excitement? And WorldWide Brands Rolls Out Their New Offering

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:43:29 -0400

This is the smallest and least exciting eBay Live since the first one In Anaheim.

I always look forward to eBay Live. It is a chance to meet and greet many old friends and make new ones, see the latest third party technologies and services, talk to key eBay employees one on one and basically recharge my eBay batteries. But this year has been a big yawn so far. OK - It's only the first day and yes the big announcements are scheduled for tomorrow, but what happened to all the people?

I was really looking forward to Chicago –its central location in the US should have made it as big a draw as Las Vegas –but not so. This is easiest the smallest eBay Live since Anaheim in 2002. There is just no one here. If I had to guess I would put the number of registered attendees at around 5,000 –far less than the 10,000 who went to Boston and the 15,000+ who were in Las Vegas. Las Vegas was so popular that people were scalping tickets. If I had extra tickets here I couldn’t give them away.

At previous eBay Lives’ the registration lines stretched on forever. This morning we were in line and registered in minutes. The solutions floor used to be huge with over a hundred exhibitors…It took all 3 days to see all the booths. Today there are so few exhibitors you can see the whole floor in a couple of hours.

The biggest difference is the lack of energy and excitement. There used to be such a high level of energy –people in funny hats and people elbowing each other out of the way to get pins and collectibles. When we went to Vegas, New Orleans, San Jose and Orlando there were signs at the airport and welcome signs all over town. Everyone knew eBay was in town. In Chicago no one seemed to notice. We didn’t see any welcome signs at the airport and there was nothing outside the convention center.

The seminars were the one bright point. There are plenty of really great sessions with great speakers and topics so eBay Live is still a great learning event.

You are probably reading this and thinking “Skip, you are telling me to sell on eBay, but it sounds like eBay is over.” No – I think eBay is still very viable. I am meeting plenty of sellers who tell me business is great –and although my business was down it is now coming back strong. So eBay is far from over. What I think has happened here is that so many sellers have been turned off by the new policies they just didn’t care. Basically eBay has a PR problem and it’s not with the general public –it is with the community. I will be talking about this over the next few days and in my newsletter next week.

There is some news and there will be some announcements tomorrow. And some of the news is important to sellers. I am not a news blogger, but the de-fatigable, Ina Steiner is. I suggest you go to Auctionbytes.com where Ina is covering all the important news and headlines. Ina is blogging several times a day so you can get the latest news. Then I will be giving you my analysis of the news a few days after the show.

World Wide Brands Rolls out their new product.

'It's live. You have to move fast...

It's finally here. Today you'll get the 6th and final video in the 'Beat the Recession with eCommerce' series by Worldwide Brands. You can view it here:

In this video, you'll see why the members of the Worldwide Brands community are among the most successful eBiz owners on the internet. And you'll finally get a chance to take a look at a new educational product that I'm very excited about. These past few weeks, you've seen the free videos by Worldwide Brands in the 'Beat the Recession with eCommerce' series. So you know what kind of 'top-notch' material they produce. But what you saw was just the tip of the iceberg. They've spent the past 12 months creating new videos, tools and resources to grow your internet business.

Way more than what could fit in a single video series. Worldwide Brands took every single trick, technique and strategy they've learned in the past 8 years and poured it into something that will have a major impact on your business. It's called 'The Whole Sale'. Click here to see it:

It cost over a quarter of a million dollars to produce and it's literally an encyclopedia of product sourcing information. There is nothing like it currently available. If there was one resource I would say is 'absolutely vital' for your internet business, it would be 'The Whole Sale'. Here's why:

The two main questions everyone always asks is 'what do I sell and where do I get it'. 'The Whole Sale' answers those questions and more from the #1 provider of product sourcing information online. Here's what you'll get with 'The Whole Sale':

1. 19 Separate eBiz and Product Sourcing Video Courses The video courses will walk you though step-by-step how to build real internet profits. It covers everything they've learned the past 8 years working working with thousands of wholesale suppliers and eCommerce business owners.

2. 19 Comprehensive Online Workbooks The workbooks expand each of the subjects covered on the videos in much greater detail. Each of the courses have real world exercises and interactive self testing modules, so you'll be able to see exactly what you've learned and what you need to review.

3. Worldwide Brands' eCommerce Insider Report The world of eCommerce is always changing. So they teamed up with the research giant, Forrester Research, to bring you this ongoing report. Every single issue is jam-packed with specific, targeted information you can use to grow your online business. This report will give you insights on eCommerce and consumer behavior that 99% of your competitors will never have. It's a huge unfair advantage for you in any marketplace you enter.

4. Worldwide Brands eCommerce Industry Forum In this forum, you'll be able to ask questions and get answers from the real experts, that are specific to your business. This is the personal access that is rare online. Plus, they have a large collection of extra bonus material that you'll get when you buy 'The Whole Sale', including a special bonus from Amazon.com Worldwide Brands has partnered with Amazon to give you 2 FREE months of 'Selling on Amazon' services. This alone is worth $79.98 and will allow you to expose your products to Amazon's millions of buyers.

You also get liquidation deals from two of America's largest B2B liquidation suppliers and inventory specials that are only available to 'The Whole Sale' owners. Just one of these special deals could easily pay for 'The Whole Sale' many times over.

All in all, it's one impressive package and I believe it will be a key resource that can get you going if you don't already have an online business or improve your current internet business dramatically.

Yes –as you can see from the link that this is an affiliate program that I earn money on when you buy, but if you have been one of my readers for a while, you know I never recommend anything to you that I wouldn’t recommend to my sister. I have seen the product and can say without reservation that I personally endorse this new product and that it is well worth the money. Best of all, we are now in a multi-channel world. If you want to make money online and enjoy the benefits or working from home you need to move beyond eBay and this product will help you if you sell on eBay, Amazon or your own website.

You'll be able to get 'The Whole Sale' at a discounted price today, Thursday, at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. But, you must move fast because in addition to the other bonuses I just mentioned, we have some incredible fast action bonuses lined up for the first 125 people who purchase.

Click Here to see the final video and get a preview peek at the new product with some great bonuses for those who purchase early.

I think you'll agree, that with everything you get with 'The Whole Sale', this will be one of the biggest bargains you'll see all year. Let me know what you think.

FREE Drop Ship Information and eBay Expands Pre-Filled Item Sales

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:33:29 -0400

Two items today; First, my readers can download DROP SHIP FOCUS for FREE and you can now list hundreds more items on eBay quickly with pre-filled information.

Drop Ship Focus is a wholesale information product that used to sell for $97. It is now free to my readers as a way to introduce you to a completely new product and service from Worldwide Brands. Over 100 legitimate drop shippers listed. No hype - No sales pitch - Just go to this link to register and download your copy for free. This offer will disappear in a couple of days so act now.

For those of you who have been watching the video series the next video is also available. This one covers What to sell on eBay and How do I beat my competitor's price. Click here to register and get all five videos.

eBay Expands Pre-filled Information to hundreds of products. This will save eBay sellers of these items tons of time listing items.

Over the next week, eBay will introduce Pre-Filled Item Information in multiple categories, including Consumer Electronics, Computers and Networking, Cameras and Photo, Business & Industrial, and Home and Garden.

Pre-filled Item Information is completely optional, and gives sellers an easy way to add standard information to their listing, such as brands, models, colors, and stock photos. Using Pre-Filled Item Information saves sellers time and provides buyers with helpful information when searching for items to purchase.

Below is the list of categories where Pre-Filled Item Information will be introduced:

Consumer Electronics

Multimedia Projectors
Amplifiers
CD Players
Remote Controls
TV Receivers and DVRs
Answering Machines
Car CD Changers
VCRs
Voice Recorders

Computers and Networking

Scanners
Modems
Computer Speakers
Webcams

Cameras and Photo

Digital Camera Flash
Binoculars
Slide Projectors

Business & Industrial

Copiers
Fax Machines

Home and Garden

Refrigerators and Freezers
Dryers
Washing Machines
Air Purifiers
Air Conditioners
Heaters
Food Processors
Toasters and Toaster Ovens

Note: Sellers who use a 3rd party listing service (Auctiva, Vendio, ChannelAdvisor, etc.), should contact them
to that they will offer the Pre-filled Item Information capabilities in the categories listed above.

Please visit the eBay Pre-filled Item Information page to learn more about this feature.

Does eBay and Online Internet Selling Still Have a Future --and is there room for the little guy?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:46:01 -0400

A few days ago, there was a special webinar with Forrester Research called "Why eCommerce is Thriving"

And it's backed up by some serious data.

If you have been watching the new free video series from WorldWide Brands that I have been telling you about, then you will want to see this one --It is easily the best so far.

Forrester Research has conducted more than 2 million surveys with consumers, making it the second largest database on consumer behavior next to the US Census.

This is a rare look into the future that can give your eBay or internet business an edge over your competitors. And there is some serious meat in here that can help you build your eBay or online business.

Click here to watch it:

http://blog.worldwidebrands.com/?kbid=7948

Here's just a taste of what you'll learn in this webinar:

What will happen in the next 5 years in eCommerce.
Why eCommerce is less affected by short-term economic woes than traditional
brick and mortar companies.
How the international market will provide a cushion for online retailers.
How to increase your online sales with 'social shopping'
What specific categories are going to experience explosive growth from now through year 2012. (You'll be in for a few surprises when you see this one.
The real reasons people shop online.
Why you don't have to be the lowest price provider to outsell your competitors.
3 things online retailers can do to immediately increase their overall sales.
The one method that is required for massive scale and growth.
How to use 'product discovery' to turn online browsers into buyers.
How shipping prices affect your sales and a simple way to use this to your advantage.

And much, much more.

Click here to watch the recorded webinar for free:

http://blog.worldwidebrands.com/?kbid=7948

If you haven't had a chance to watch the other videos, I'd recommend that you check them out soon. They're only available for a short time.

Also, Worldwide Brands is making an incredible announcement in the next few days that you won't want to miss. So, click here and sign up now:

http://blog.worldwidebrands.com/?kbid=7948

Help for eBay Sellers Who Want to Sell and Ship Large or Heavy Items

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:24:59 -0400

Most eBay sellers avoid selling large heavy items because they are difficult to ship. Yet many of these products are very profitable and have less competition.

Last year I told my eBay business readers about a service called uShip. Today U-Ship announced the launch of the eBay Shipping Center. This new tool is aimed directly at solving a major challenge for buyers and sellers in the eBay community: shipping large items.

There are excellent eBay profits to be made with items such as furniture, business and industrial equipment, large power tools and even vehicles and trailers. But many eBay sellers avoid these items due to all the cost and hassel of shipping.

How to affordably and efficiently ship large items across the country remains a mystery to most eBay buyers and sellers. Because of this, many large-item auctions are limited to local pickup or have difficulty selling because of high shipping prices.

eBay buyers have difficulty bidding on these auctions because shipping information and prices for large items is not readily available. This makes it difficult to calculate the total cost of the purchase. uShip's eBay Shipping Center alleviates these problems by providing a comprehensive shipping solution for eBay buyers and sellers that allows them to evaluate and manage all aspects of the buying experience.

An eBay Compatible Application, the eBay Shipping Center enables users to simultaneously manage their eBay and uShip activities in one convenient place.

"By linking their uShip and eBay accounts, users can track the status of items they are buying, selling, watching, or have won. Users can bid on eBay items directly from the Shipping Center and are able to list shipments on the uShip marketplace with one easy click," uShip CEO Matt Chasen said.

The eBay Shipping Center also gives users access to a suite of shipping tools which provide accurate shipping estimates on their items, giving eBayers the information they need to bid effectively.

uShip's Shipping Price Estimator, uShip calculates the "Total Purchase Cost" of an eBay item, which takes into account the sale price along with the estimated shipping costs. eBay sellers can take advantage of the Shipping Price Estimator and other widgets built into the eBay Shipping Center to enhance their listing and give detailed shipping information to bidders.

"Buying, selling, and shipping parcel-sized items on eBay is easy and affordable, but users often face difficulties with larger items," Chasen said. "The uShip marketplace, which is already saving its users as much as 80% compared to traditional transport services, is committed to creating innovative tools like the eBay Shipping Center, which enhance the eBay user experience and open up opportunities for all buyers and sellers."

The eBay Shipping Center has already seen significant adoption from the eBay community. In a limited beta launch, over 21,000 eBay users have linked their accounts with uShip and are actively using it to manage their eBay transactions. This new tool, along with uShip's myriad of other innovative features, has made uShip the highest rated shipping option in eBay's own user rated Solutions Directory.

About uShip

Founded in 2003, uShip is the first and largest online marketplace for shipping services. Members list anything they need shipped, from household goods to vehicles to freight, and receive bids from thousands of feedback-rated service providers, including movers, carriers, transporters, van lines, freight brokers and independent service providers.

On any given day, there are thousands of shipments listed on uShip representing millions of dollars of business. It's totally free for members to list shipments and for service providers to place bids. uShip's reverse-auction format and patent-pending search technology dramatically reduce shipping costs by allowing service providers to find shipments along their routes and fill empty cargo space. uShip's feedback system holds service providers accountable for their service and rewards those that perform well. Please visit http://www.uship.com for more information.

FREE 49-minute video reveals 3 simple steps to build an eBay or Internet Business

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:54:17 -0400

Can these website owners show you how to increase your business?

I want you to watch this video...

It's from Worldwide Brands and it breaks down how to build an internet business in 3 simple steps. I loved it. Not only will you hear from internet experts. You'll also see what real, everyday eBiz owners, like you and me, are doing to grow their business during this recession.

No fluff or sales pitch - It's 49 minutes of pure content.

The eBiz owners share how they source products and find markets to promote. How
they generate traffic to their websites. And how they convert their visitors and turn them into repeat buyers.

No pitch. No filler.

Just information you can use immediately to help grow your business.
Click here to watch it now. The best part is that you'll be able to see the actual websites from the merchants and retailers. From all different types of niche industries.
(For example, one of the wholesalers sold over 18,000 pet costumes last year.
You'll see his site and hear him talk about it on the video.)

also get ideas on how to sell in multiple product channels like Amazon, eBay and Yahoo.

And Worldwide Brands also put together a "How to Beat the Recession with eCommerce" checklist PDF for you to download and reference. Click Here to get Your FREE Ticket and get the link to download the PDF right now.

This is just one of the free videos Worldwide Brands created to show you how to grow
your business through this recession. There is a lot more to come. They're also conducting a customized webinar with Forrester Research to show you why eCommerce is still thriving and growing through this economy.

You can sign up for this webinar here.
Please take advantage of all of these freebies from Worldwide Brands while you still can. They're only going to be available for a short period of time.

Skip McGrath

P.S. - Don't forget to leave a comment on the WWB blog and let them know what other
free content you want created.

Click here to watch the FREE video, download the PDF, and register for the webinar.

Make Money on eBay | Skip McGrath

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