Auction Gold Ezine: Make Money With Online Auctions

February 12, 2008

In This Issue:
* Will You Trade 2 Minutes Of Your Time For A Superb Testing Book?
* eBay Changes Their Prices
* eBay Feedback Changes
* Making eBay Safer For Buyers
* PayPal Scams Continue To Flood The Net
* Wholesale Lighting
* An Appropriate Joke For Current Election-Mania

Will You Trade 2 Minutes Of Your
Time For A Superb Testing Book?

On eBay, and the Net in general, testing is critically important. How will you know what your customers like - or don't like - without testing? How will you know what changes can make you more money?

Let me give you an example that I've often shared with my own students.

QUESTION: will I make more money with the eBay affiliate program or Google AdSense?

MECHANISM: a split test {Visitor A sees AdSense, Visitor B sees eBay, Visitor C sees AdSense, Visitor D sees eBay, etc}

DURATION: 11 days

CONCLUSION: our site made 78% more money with Adsense than the eBay affiliate program

If we hadn't tested, we would never have known!

The problem with testing is that it's intimidating to most people. It was to me - until I read a book about testing and tracking.

This is THE best testing book I've ever read.

There may be better testing books, but I've never found one. It's written in language that us non-techs can understand and it has a very valuable chart that explains "how much is enough". That is, if you have 100 results and 48 of them go for Option A and 52 for Option B, is that enough results, enough difference?

How would you like this book for free? I've never given it away before and it will literally take about 1-2 minutes of your time to get it. We have a new feedback button on our AuctionKnowHow.com site and all we want is a couple of sentences on how gorgeous, beautiful and exquisite it is. :-) Just kidding, but we would like some positive feedback.

If you're interested, go here:

http://www.auctionknowhow.com/fbckoffer.shtml

eBay Changes Their Prices

eBay is making some major pricing changes. Some of the news is good - and some of it is not so good. All changes will be effective February 20, 2008, and will apply to listings on eBay and the Parts & Accessories sections of eBay motors.

Good News Item #1: Lower Insertion Fees

Fees For Auction-Style Listings

Fees For Fixed Listings

Fees For Store Listings

Good News Item #2: No More Gallery Fees

All gallery picturees will be free. Currently these cost $.35 except for store owners, who pay $.01.

This is very good. I am very happy about this one.

Good News Item #3 - IF You're A Power Seller

Get up to 15% discount on Final Value Fees (or Transaction Service Fees) when you maintain high detailed seller ratings (DSRs) as a US or Canadian PowerSeller on your eBay.com, eBay Motors and eBay.ca sales. These discounts recognize and reward sellers who consistently provide excellent customer service on eBay.

Now For The Bad News ...

The Final Value fees are all being raised from 2% - 3.5%.

eBay Feedback Changes

eBay frequently tinkers with the feedback system. In fact, sometimes it gets downright complicated, as you will see.

Sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers. Frankly, I think this one really stinks!

Positive repeat customer feedback will count (up to 1 feedback from the same buyer per week.)

Feedback more than 12-months old won't count towards your feedback percentage.

When a buyer doesn't respond to the Unpaid Item (UPI) process the negative or neutral feedback they have left for that transaction will be removed. {It's about time!}

When a member is suspended, all their negative and neutral feedback will be removed.

Buyers must wait 3 days before leaving negative or neutral feedback for sellers with an established track record.

All feedback must be left within 60 days (compared to 90 days today) of listing end to encourage timely feedback and discourage abuse.

Buyers will be held more accountable when sellers report an unpaid item or commit other policy violations. {This is mysterious - what does this mean?}

Making eBay Safer For Buyers

As eBay sellers, we naturally want eBay to be as safe as possible for buyers, so they will feel reassured about buying. Lots of media attention has gone to eBay fraud so any measure at all that will make buying safer is good for us sellers.

Beginning in March, some sellers are going to be required to offer additional protection to buyers. This applies only certain sellers or situations:

For listings in riskier categories: gift certificates, video games, cell phones, computers and consumer electronics
If the seller has 5% or more dissatisfied customers
If the seller has less than 100 feedback points

Sellers who are required to offer a safer payment option, might also have PayPal "hold' their payment until the earliest of the following occurs:

The buyer leaves positive feedback
3 days after "confirmed item delivery"
21 days without a dispute, claim, chargeback, or reversal filed on that transaction.

* * * * * * *

NOTE: Confirmed item delivery = US domestic transactions that are shipped by USPS or FedEx and either (i) use PayPal shipping labels to ship items or (ii) upload tracking information to PayPal via the transaction details page.

eBay Motors vehicle categories (Cars & Trucks, Motorcycles, Powersports, Boats, and Other Vehicles categories and subcategories) will not be included in these payment policy changes.

* * * * * * *

What Is This "Safer Payment" Option?

What this means is that the seller must offer either PayPal or a credit card. I'm assuming this is because buyers can get their money returned with these two options, if the buyer doesn't deliver.

I am also assuming this is a slap at Google Checkout. According to eBay, "eBay sellers listing with PayPal have an Unpaid Item rate more than half of sellers who don't."

eBay further adds: "On a small number of cases (fewer than 5% of all payments on eBay), PayPal will hold payment funds until either the buyer has left positive feedback or 21 days have passed without a claim." They don't specify what situations these are.

PayPal Scams Continue To Flood The Net

This is an example of the current crops of PayPal scam.

You won't be surprised to learn that anyone who clicks the Resolution Center link will be asked for their account information. Note that it directs readers not to apply to that address because it will not be answered, thus covering the sender of the email who certainly cannot and will not respond as PayPal.

As always, the remedy to this trash is simple: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER log into your accounts via an email. Always go directly to the site online.

Wholesale Lighting

In our last issue we pictured the exterior lighting below. This has been a popular seller in the past and with spring on the horizon, we need to make our selling decisions early.

This wholesaler is Santagnelo lighting: {http://santangelolighting.com}They sell not only lighting but also home accessories, fireplace screens, paper towel holders and knobs & pulls.

From Our Humor Department
An Appropriate Joke For Current Election-Mania

The Haircut

One day a florist goes to a barber for a haircut. After the cut he asked about his bill and the barber replies, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.

The florist was pleased and left the shop. When the barber goes to open his shop the next morning there is a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replies, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.'

The cop is happy and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber goes to open up there is a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Later that day, a college professor comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replies, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.'

The professor is very happy and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber opens his shop, there is a 'thank you card and a dozen different books, such as 'How to Improve Your Business' and 'Becoming More Successful.'

Then, a Congressman comes in for a haircut, and when he goes to pay his bill the barber again replies, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.'

The Congressman is very happy and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber goes to open up, there are a dozen Congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.