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Easy, clear, readable, and focused on what you want to do
Step-by-step instructions for the tasks you care about most
Large, full-color, close-up photos show you exactly what to do
Common-sense help whenever you run into problems
Tips and notes to help you do even more
Over the years, you’ve learned a lot. Now, learn eBay!
We’ve identified the eBay skills you need to find bargains on great items, shop safely online, and sell your own stuff on eBay.
Our crystal-clear instructions respect your smarts but never assume you’re an expert. Big, colorful photos on nearly every page make this book incredibly easy to read and use!
Browsing and Searching eBay for Bargains
Download the sample pages (includes Chapter 3 and Index)
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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