Archive for December 8th, 2011

Dear eBay Queen:

Hurray! My ship has come in!! I got my “Ying-ling dba Alamo Auto Sports and Andy Scott V. eBay” class-action settlement check today……Guess how much it is? Wait for it…………45 cents!!!  I vaguely remember signing up for this class action lawsuit.  This was for people who sold on eBay in the Auto Parts & Accessories category between the years 2005 to 2009. Should I cash this check? I’ve been brainstorming what to do with it.

Maybe I’ll let my kids list the check and the letter it’s attached to as a collector’s item in 2032. eBay will be just a distant memory by then, and folks will be collecting eBayana. Surely by then people will be posting holographic images of the stuff in their homes, and shoppers will do a virtual walk through other people’s houses. They will just point at things they want to buy, and the sellers will get a message saying something has been claimed. Once the virtual payment is made, the item’s molecular structure will be disintegrated, encrypted, and uploaded to an orbiting satellite. Then the buyer will download it to their re-integration module in the garage. The whole transaction will take about 90 seconds.

Seriously, should I cash this check? Do you think it will be worth something later? Here’s one odd thing: the check is void after Dec. 22, 2011. I thought checks were supposed to be good for a year. I’m thinking I might keep it. Don’t you think it would be too embarrassing to cash it at the bank?

45Cent-aire

Dear 45 Cent:

It’s always good to have a sense of humor about this kind of thing.  I was not part of that class action suit, so I did not get one of these “high dollar checks.”  In this situation, I would probably hold on to the check.  It might be worth more later, and at the very least would be interesting conversation piece hanging in your office.

Dear eBay Queen:

I’ve been selling for a few years, and I have a couple of questions for you.

• Why do you suppose millions of people sell on eBay when they have to pay a seller fee if their item doesn’t sell, when anyone can sell their stuff on Amazon and will only pay a seller fee when their item does sell?
• Can you explain this promotion eBay has with 1 day shipping time and Free shipping?

Thanks!

Tony

Dear Tony:

Amazon and eBay are both great venues to list your items to sell through.  Some people might disagree, but I really feel they are best suited for different items.

• Amazon is best for: books, house wares, kitchen items, arts, crafts and sewing

You can sell almost anything on Amazon, but Amazon sometimes only uses approved sellers for Toys, Clothing and Electronics.  So if you aren’t one of their approved merchants, you won’t be able to sell those items there.  I purchased a large lot of medical scrubs, and tried to list them on Amazon.  I could not sell my scrubs there, because clothing is a category I must be approved for in order to list.

Amazon doesn’t have any fees to list.  Their fees are charged only when the item sells. The down side to this is sometimes items are listed for a penny because of the competition.

• eBay is known for their collectibles, but anything can be sold on eBay as long as it’s not a knock off or a live animal. (There are a few other things, but these are the main restrictions.)

eBay does have listing fees, but I have found it prevents many people from doing what some people do on Amazon by selling something for a penny.

Either venue can be a great outlet to sell. Try them both out, and see how you do.

eBay’s new promotion will save you 20% on your final values fees when you offer free expedited (not overnight) shipping and have one day handling time.  For more info go here: http://announcements.ebay.com/2011/11/starting-tomorrow-save-20-on-your-final-value-fees-for-free-expedited-shipping-with-1-day-handling/   The promotion runs from November 24^th through November 25^th.  If you are a Top Rated Seller, you will receive the 20% off for your selling status, along with the new promotion.  That’s 40% off your final value fees.

Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item: 250912558734 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page.   Have you ever looked at something and thought “what is that thing?”  I’m sure many people have looked at this and thought that.  EC&M SF 1870’s Central Pacific Railroad Telegraph Insulator SOLD $5,560.00 HERE

Suzie Eads is a nationally known eBay marketer and eBay trained Education Specialist. She lives in Rantoul. Do you have a question for the eBay Queen? Email: questions@asktheebayqueen.com