Earning through online selling

Online money making is not only limited to earning through ads in your site. There are ways to earn money from the items stored in your closet i.e. if you want to. IF you are interested in making a few good bucks from the unused stuff that you can sell online go on with the following :
STEP number 1 -- Register. There are three requirements for registration...
1) You must be 18 years old.
2) You must provide a credit card number. Buyers pay nothing to
the auction sites. Only sellers pay charges.
3) You must have a valid e-mail address.

STEP number 2 -- Choose your User ID.

STEP number 3 -- Pick your password. For safety’s sake, auction sites
recommend the following safeguards...
• Never give your password to anyone
• Don’t pick anything obvious.
• Change your password if you think anyone else might have it.

STEP number 4 -- Agree to have a personal page. eBay, for example, has
created “About Me.” page facility for their members.

Here is what you can do with a personal Web page...
• Create a storefront for yourself.
• Show off your fabulous finds.
• Display your items up for bid.

STEP number 5 -- Provide your credit card number. The fees for selling an
item are very minimal. In fact, selling on an auction site has to be the biggest
bargain in town. Sellers are charged an insertion fee when a product is
placed for auction. If it sells, they are charged a final value fee, based upon
the final price of the item. Each seller receives an invoice for the previous
month’s fees.

Here are some ideas, guidelines given by eBay on what online trading at eBay means.

eBay is a marketplace - a platform where sellers and buyers can meet and trade. eBay never sees, takes possession of, inspects, or authenticates any of the goods for sale. Therefore, you should follow the guidelines provided below and always apply the same common sense to online transactions that you do in your everyday life offline.

1. Use of our guidelines and your common sense will help you trade safely

* eBay provides a feedback system, trust & safety advice and openly available information and tools - we recommend you make use of this advice and tools to make informed trading choices. You need to use all of this information together.
* Always apply the same common sense to online transactions that you do in your everyday life offline.
* Learn the ropes from experienced buyers and sellers on the member-to-member chat boards.
* To be protected by eBay's safety measures including the Buyer Protection Program, it is essential you always complete your transaction on the site - do not trade outside of eBay with people you meet at eBay.

2. Review a member's eBay reputation - eBay Feedback

* In the spirit of providing openly-available information, eBay members can leave Feedback about a transaction after buyer or selling. This Feedback is posted on each member's Feedback profile and is a key indicator of your reputation.
* Checking the seller's Feedback rating and positive, neutral and negative comments provided by other members of the eBay community can help you evaluate the seller's previous trading history and gain an understanding of their reputation.

3. Get to know your Seller



Learning more about your seller helps you make informed choices about your purchases:

* Review the seller's feedback rating score and positive, neutral and negative comments provided by other members of the eBay community to evaluate that seller's previous trading history.
* Review other items the seller has previously sold to assess the overall quality and type of items this seller usually trades.
* Many sellers have an “About Me” page or eBay Shop you can visit to read about their selling practices and contact details.
* Contact the seller to learn more about them and the item. Ask questions about the quality and condition of the item, return policies, postage costs and accepted methods of payment.
* Be wary of sellers who try to entice you to trade outside of eBay (e.g. before the listing ends, or afterwards if you are not the high bidder). If you trade outside of eBay, you will not be protected by eBay's safety measures including the Buyer Protection Program.

4. Know what you are buying

Knowing more about what you are buying helps you make a confident and informed decision:

* Research your desired item and its fair market price both off and online.

* Read the item description and the seller's terms and conditions carefully, including payment options, postage costs and return policies.
* Closely examine photographs to assess an item's condition.
* Ask the seller specific questions about their selling policies and the quality and condition of an item - especially if a description or photo is not clear, and wait for satisfactory reply before bidding or buying.
* Remember, there are great buys on eBay but if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do your homework.



5. Pay Smart!



Sellers on eBay offer a range of payment methods with varying levels of protection. Always apply the same common sense to online transactions that you do in your everyday life offline.

* Select a seller that offers a payment method you are comfortable with using to add to your peace of mind.

* Credit cards with chargeback facilities add security but it is important you check with your credit card provider on the level of protection provided.

* Member-to-member payment services like Paymate and PayPal protect your bank account details from being seen by others. Additionally, some member-to-member payment services like PayPal offer additional protection programs for eBay purchases.
* For additional security, eBay recommends the use of a reputable escrow service, like TradeSecure, particularly for amounts over $350. For a small fee, escrow services hold a buyer's money in trust until the buyer has had the opportunity to receive, inspect and approve the item.
* Question a seller who will only accept money orders or instant cash transfers such as Western Union as these may be harder to trace or be reimbursed should anything go wrong. Bidders and buyers should be especially cautious if one or both of these are the only payment methods accepted by the seller. Exercise caution if the payment address differs from the item location.

6. What to do if something goes wrong



It is rare that something goes wrong with a transaction, but if it does, there are several options available to you:

* Contact your trading partner and try to resolve the problem. Most buyers and sellers are honest and reliable, and often the cause is a simple misunderstanding or lack of communication.
* Request the sellers' contact details and give them a call to discuss.
* If resolution can't be found, a third party mediation service such as Squaretrade might be the answer.
* Remember that your credit card provider, online member-to-member payment services or postage insurance may help to recover funds lost in a transaction. Make sure you understand the policies of payment provider you are using and the time frame in which you can file a claim.
* Additionally, eBay's Buyer Protection Program can provide for a payment of up to $350.
* Consider contacting the police. You can be assured that eBay assists law enforcement officials in their investigations of any suspected criminal activity when appropriate.



Protect your online accounts

* Exercise caution when receiving communications from outside the eBay community.
* Watch out for “spoof” e-mails. A spoof email may appear as though it has come from a trusted company (including eBay) - if in doubt, do not click on links from emails.
* If you receive a request to update your personal information and you do not feel comfortable about the source of the email, do not click on any links provided in the email - simply open a new browser, type www.ebay.com.au, sign-in, and use the site map to navigate the site.
* Never give out credit card or password details. In the same way that you never tell anyone, even the bank teller, your PIN number, you should always protect your private information, including passwords.
* Select a secure password that is a combination of letters and numbers to protect your account information - never choose an obvious word such as 'password', your email address, your name, your family's names or birthdates.
* Regularly check your account and preferences to make sure there is no unauthorised activity.


More insights on this subject will be there in my next blog.
So try to get rid of those things in your attic or closet which might be of more use to others and in the process make some quick buck.

For readers who like reading business literature books here's a link to one of the book summaries that I have written:
http://www.shvoong.com/books/management-literature/1770359-beating-street/