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FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT OUR ONLINE AUCTIONS & STORES
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Please know that when you bid
on one of our auctions or make a purchase in our store, you
are legally agreeing to a contract to abide by the following terms. |
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If you're looking for a particular topic, find it easily
by simultaneously holding down the control ("Ctrl") and "F" keys on your
keyboard to create a search box. Then type in a keyword. |
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What do I need to know BEFORE
I bid on or purchase one of your items? |
1.
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IF YOUR ORDER WILL BE
SHIPPED TO AN UNCONFIRMED PAYPAL ADDRESS OR TO A
DIFFERENT ADDRESS THAN THE ONE CONNECTED TO YOUR PAYPAL OR
ESCROW.COM ACCOUNT,
you must contact us BEFORE bidding or making a store purchase to
let us know, and then wait for our reply ... this situation is
considered on a case-by-case basis/review prior to the sale. To
prevent unnecessary complications with your purchase, please honor
this request!
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2. If you have any questions
about the item that could affect your purchase, please use the
ASK SELLER A QUESTION feature in our eBay listing or email us to ask for
the clarifying details you need to know -- before you bid on it and
before you purchase it. This will save us all a great deal of stress!
3. Before bidding, please make sure your address and
telephone number are accurate, and that your email address is a current address you check on a regular
basis. Many
times we're unable to reach the winning bidder because they forget which
email address they signed up with and our email messages to complete the
transaction either get bounced back as undeliverable or sit in a web-based
email account the buyer forgets to check. This results in confusion and sometimes in negative feedback ratings in your profile
because it appears you're just ignoring the communications. So please
don't forget you've bid and please make sure we can contact you when the
auction is over. If we don't hear from you within 8 days of the auction's
close, the item will be RELISTED and unfortunately your ratings will
suffer.
4. We sometimes use the early close option on our
auctions, so if your interest is serious please bid and if you
bid please be serious. If you’re new to the online auction experience,
please realize that a bid is a binding contract between buyer and
seller.
To quote from eBay's rules:
"The only acceptable
reasons for retracting your bid are: you entered a wrong bid amount; the
item description changed substantially after you bid; or you cannot
authenticate the seller's identity. Otherwise, your bid is a binding
contract and you should follow through with your purchase."
5. See payment options below to make sure you are
able to pay for your purchase.
6. See international sales
policies below if you live outside the USA.
7. Backing out on your bid is a BIG No-No
with us,
I'm sure you share our sentiments if you have any experience selling on
auctions yourself. Don't you hate it when a buyer never responds to your
emails? Don't you hate it when you have to leave the item sitting in dead
space on hold when a decent customer could have purchased it already?
Don't you hate having to "eat" the listing and commission fees the auction
site extracted from you because now the item has to be relisted and
valuable time has been wasted? Don't you hate the hassle people put you
through just because they're insensitive or too afraid to admit they
changed their mind or didn't know what they were doing? Though we don't
enjoy it, we have no qualms about leaving negative feedback for customers
who do this. Keep in mind that the negative feedback resulting from
backing out can adversely affect your buying and selling activities and
can even result in suspension. In good conscience you would want to think
about reimbursing us for the fees we had to pay for the transaction.
We understand mistakes are sometimes made and there are
sometimes extenuating circumstances, but if you just bid and close our
auction and then go out and buy the item somewhere else -- leaving us in
the lurch -- that's a totally different story.
By the same token, we do enjoy leaving positive feedback
for good customers and will take the time to do so after we know you've
received your item and are happy with it. The highest ratings go to
customers who follow instructions, keep their promises, pay quickly, and
maintain good communication during the transaction.
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When do you expect payment? |
Payment must reach our office
within 8 days of the auction's close
in order to avoid the problems of
unsatisfactory feedback and the danger of relisting.
NOTE -- If we have
not received payment within 10 days, we will file an UID (Unpaid Item
Dispute) and follow through with the process. This can seriously affect
your buying and selling activities on eBay, so it's important to pay on time to avoid this procedure.
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What
payment methods
do you accept? |
USA buyers:
1) MONEY ORDER.
Easily available at the post
office, bank, grocery store, Walmart,
Western Union, etc.
2)
PAYPAL --
Going through PayPal will allow you to use a credit
card, personal check, or bank transfer to pay for your auction transaction …(sorry, but
we cannot
accept those directly). PayPal accepts Visa,
MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
Conducting online transactions this way increases your safety by keeping
your financial account information private. We are Verified
members with PayPal's Buyer Protection Policy coverage.
If you're not familiar with this free service used
by more than 100 million online consumers in over 55 countries, the funds
would be transferred to our PayPal account after you fund your account
with either a credit card, personal check, or electronic bank
transfer. This is the preferred method of payment because of its speedy,
free money transfer which enables us to ship the product sooner (no delay from waiting for
your payment to arrive through the mail). You are immediately granted a
$1,000 initial spending limit, which you can later lift by completing
their Verification process. You can withdraw the money from your account
at any time through bank transfer or the debit card (which also
doubles as a cash back MasterCard for spending too, by the way).
Plus, you may be eligible for a $5 new account bonus when you join! It
takes literally 2 minutes to open an account. The majority of our
auction customers pay through PayPal.
NOTE: The only PayPal transactions which
clear instantly are those funded by a credit card or your PayPal balance. If
you choose the eCheck as a payment option, please note that the product you are
purchasing cannot be shipped until funds clear our PayPal account. Since an
eCheck is an electronic funds transfer that withdraws money directly from your
bank account, PayPal holds the transaction as pending for 3-4 business days,
until the electronic funds transfer has cleared both banks. If your bank
initially declines the electronic funds transfer, the payment can be delayed for
up to an additional 7 business days. Most customers choose to use the instant
payment option rather than the eCheck.
3)
REVOLUTION MONEY EXCHANGE.COM -- this free service allows you to send payments from your account to mine.
4) ESCROW.COM -- This will allow you
to place money in the custody of a trusted third
party. The money is then paid to the seller once
the item is received and inspected by the buyer. USA buyers can pay escrow.com
with a check, money order, PayPal, wire transfer, and in most cases with a
credit card. International buyers must pay escrow.com by wire transfer.
Please visit the escrow.com site to be sure you can use it. NOTE: There
is a fee to use this service, a minimum of $25. We usually ask the buyer
to pay this fee, but on some items we may be able to split the fee with
you 50/50. Contact us to inquire if your
transaction qualifies for this discount.
(Escrow cannot be used to purchase
software, digital media, or written materials.)
Escrow.com is the recommended transaction settlement
service of many of the top names in eCommerce, including eBay. It is a
privately held company that has pioneered the process of online escrow
services. The Company, founded in 1999 by Fidelity National Financial, has
established itself as the leading provider of secure business and consumer
transaction management on the Internet.
5) WESTERN
UNION -- Your payment can be made with cash at a nearby agent location, by U.S. bank issued Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card over the Internet, or by credit card over the telephone. I pick up the payment at an agent location in a matter of minutes or hours. Available in over
200 countries. Western Union payments must be in the
exact amount of the transaction (NO exceptions).
6) CASH -- for your protection, we only accept small
amounts of U.S. Dollars by mail.
... and on almost every auction we also accept:
7) BARTERING -- We are open to bartering on many of the
items we sell, so if you
have a product or service don't be afraid to offer a trade. Depending on
what it is, we may want it. (Hey, we're even willing to trade for postage
stamps!) Even if the value of your item isn't as much as
the auction item you're purchasing, you might be able to reduce your price
by offering it toward payment. If it's of equal or greater value, that's
even better! You would still bid and win the auction and we can leave
feedback for one another ... your "payment" would be the traded product
rather than money. Click here for details on
how it works.
NOTE: The only way to pay immediately by credit card
with no funds clearance process is either with a PAYPAL instant payment or a Western Union Money Transfer.
(At this time we cannot accept credit cards directly.)
International buyers:
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We are able
to service many countries around the world, but certain restrictions
and qualifications apply -- international transactions will be
considered on a case-by-case basis/review prior to the sale.
If you live outside the United States, YOU
MUST CONTACT US to find out if we can ship to your country, BEFORE
bidding or before buying an item in our store.
We will then contact you to let you know if we can do business
together -- and if so, which payment options you can use and how
much shipping will cost.
If you ignore this policy and do not qualify, the
transaction will be considered invalid and the item will be relisted or sold to the next highest bidder. |
If it is determined that we can ship to your country,
please be sure you can comply with our Terms of Service:
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PAYMENT OPTIONS:
~ PayPal
-- (see the yellow box above regarding our UNCONFIRMED address policy) ...
it might not be acceptable for all countries
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Western Union -- (see above) ... must be in the exact amount of the transaction -- NO exceptions
~ Escrow.com -- (see above)
We do not accept payments by mail for international transactions.
- Much higher shipping rates and handling charges apply to foreign shipments.
- Customs valuation will be final bid price /
All customs, duties, import fees, and taxes are
between buyers and their government (they are your responsibility)
/ We will not mark the package as a Gift since it is
merchandise you purchased from us / Invoice will be included in package /
Invoice number will be marked on customs form / You must supply us with your
valid, working telephone number.
This is to comply with the law,
to be honest, and for your protection as well as ours. Please understand there
will be NO exceptions. Customs policies vary widely from country to
country; you should contact your local customs office for further information.
- We can only ship your package to the address provided on the payment service's transaction page.
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Why
are you giving away those 100 great bonuses? How do I get them? |
Some shoppers have mistakenly assumed that I'm offering
the bonus
package as part of some sort of MLM scheme or that they'll
automatically be signed up for 100 different things that will clutter their emailbox.
Allow me to put those fears to rest: What will happen when I give away
these bonuses is that you will receive an email with the location of the
online area granting free access to the list of over 100 bonuses. You are free to choose whichever ones appeal to
you and can go back and re-visit any time you want. It's simply my personal collection of
outstanding freebies and special deals that I have found in my travels as a
Professional Research Consultant … which I
am sharing with you in appreciation for doing business with me on this
auction and paying promptly (within 2 days of the auction's close). That's
all ! You won't be disappointed.
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What do I do after I win the
auction or make a store purchase? |
We will be sending you an invoice
shortly after the auction closes or store transaction is initiated. Please be sure to go to the
special insidersecrets.info page link in
the Payment Instructions section of the invoice -- it contains all payment
details and transaction details to walk you through the buying process
step by step.
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How do I reach you by email? |
You can contact us by email in one of
these 3 ways:
Use the ASK SELLER A QUESTION feature in our eBay listing.
or
If you have won an auction or purchased a store item, use the seller email
address shown in the congratulations notification eBay sent you.
or
Fill out the form below:
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What is your return
policy? |
Unless otherwise indicated, up to 15 days after the
auction's close a request for a refund or a credit may be made (another
reason it's important to pay on time), and processing instructions will be
emailed to you. Refunds and credits are granted on the purchase price of the item only (not on the shipping cost), if
the item is returned in original condition. And you must pay the shipping
costs to send the item back to us. So please bid carefully because if you
decide you don’t want the item, you’ll end up paying shipping costs twice.
The item must be shipped back to us within 7 days of your refund request.
NOTE: Returns on music/recordings, videos/DVD's, musical instruments, software, computer hardware,
electronics, products with working parts, art prints, and reading materials are only accepted if you bought a
brand new and sealed item AND it is returned brand
new and unopened/sealed. Clothing refunds are only given on garments sold
new with original tags returned in original condition. Refunds are not given on emailable or
downloadable products / digital reading material.
Please be assured that items with working parts are
tested prior to listing them for sale. If the items is untested, it will
CLEARLY be stated in the listing and will be sold at a
discounted bargain price.
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Do you offer any discounts? |
Look around at the other auctions in our booth AND also
the items in
our other online sales booths … if you buy more than one item you’ll
get a shipping discount. Once you buy something from us you’ll get a 10% discount on future shipments (up to a $20 discount each month), whether you purchase them on eBay,
from our website, or any
other online marketplace we sell through.
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What if the auction
closes and I still haven't heard from you? |
If it has been longer than eBay's
suggested three-day window and you have not heard from us, there may
have been an emergency, the computer is down, internet/phone service has
been interrupted for some strange reason, or the electricity is out due to
a storm OR
... a new discovery is that some email servers such as AOL and web-based
email accounts have such sensitive Spam/Bulk Mail filters that sometimes
legitimate messages get miscategorized as spam and therefore get
automatically deleted. PLEASE check your Delete/Spam/Bulk Mail box before
contacting us if you have not heard from us to make sure our message did
not get sent to that dead zone. It will save all parties some time if you
could extend this courtesy.
The majority of our more than 1,000 combined eBay
and Yahoo feedback ratings are from customers who offer mention of a speedy
transaction ... therefore, you can be sure we do get to our winners quickly.
Although it's highly unlikely that no one could respond, the possibility
exists. If we're out of town, we try to check in with our auctions every few
days, so we will get to you even if away.
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How long will it take for our
item to be delivered? |
Shipment is made upon receipt of
your payment. The postal service is the carrier for most items.
(Occasionally we use DHL Ground or UPS Ground, which can take anywhere from
3 to 7 business days.) Of course they won't ever guarantee delivery speed unless you're
paying for their expensive Express Mail service, but here's a good
estimate of time frames during non-holiday seasons:
Within the USA --
First Class (under 13 ounces) -- 3
business days
Priority Mail (over 13 ounces) -- 2-3 business days, up to 7
Media Mail (the default method for books, music, and videos
weighing over 1/2 pound) -- 2-9 business days, possibly longer if
it's a heavy package
Parcel Post (cheapest method for packages over 12 lbs. going a long
distance) -- 5-8 business days, possibly weeks if it's a very heavy package
Express Mail -- (anything that needs to get to you immediately) --
overnight to most areas
International --
First Class International -- variable ... could take 2 weeks up to 12 weeks
Priority Mail International -- 6 to 10 days
Express Mail International -- 5 to 6 days
Global Express Guaranteed -- 1 to 3 days
[NOTE: We do not recommend First Class International for overseas
countries, due to the wait time.]
(Insurance coverage is REQUIRED on all international shipments.)
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Anything else I need to know
about shipping? |
1. IF YOUR ORDER WILL BE SHIPPED TO AN UNCONFIRMED PAYPAL ADDRESS OR TO A DIFFERENT ADDRESS THAN THE ONE CONNECTED TO YOUR PAYPAL, BIDPAY, OR ESCROW.COM ACCOUNT, you must contact us BEFORE bidding or making a store purchase to let us know, and then wait for our reply ... this situation is considered on a case-by-case basis/review prior to the sale. To prevent unnecessary complications with your purchase, please honor this request!
2. If you live outside the United
States, you must contact us before bidding so that we may determine
if we can ship this product to your country. There are restrictions on
payment methods which also have to be met.
3. Delivery Confirmation (and in
some cases Signature Confirmation) with online tracking is used on most
shipments as a protection for both of us. If you claim to have never
received the shipment but the official Delivery Confirmation tracking
shows that it was delivered, we are no longer responsible for the package.
This is just normal policy for companies doing mail order business.
4. On breakable
items and also on some international packages, we include insurance in the
shipping price. On all other items, it is available for an additional
charge upon request. Very few of our packages are ever lost or damaged, so
we leave it as an extra option to help keep your shipping costs down.
5. If you own a business and have a
shipping account (for example with UPS), please do not give us your
account number and ask us to ship through your account so you don't have
to pay our shipping charges. Please respect our Terms Of Service just as
you would if ordering from any other online store.
6. There is usually a small handling
charge added to the shipping costs ... this covers reasonable expenses
such as packing and shipping materials, Delivery or Signature
Confirmation, gas to the package dropoff location, extra time, and related fees. Don't worry
though, it's never excessive. Most sellers don't admit this and you're
left with a big surprise when it comes time for payment. I want to be
honest and up front with you. PLUS, you get at least one free gift with
every auction purchase, so you're really always coming out ahead of the
game anyway.
7. In case you're wondering why S&H
charges are usually not listed in the auction, there's a very simple
explanation. We don't tally up the shipping costs on our auction items until
we have a buyer because as you can imagine it would waste a lot of storage
space and time in the event the items don't sell -- such as obtaining
packing material and boxes, packaging it all up to weigh each item,
storing them in big separate boxes, etc. (We sell our unsold merchandise
offline if it doesn't move after a while, so boxing it all up would be
very inefficient.) Also, we never know from where a buyer will come --
shipping charges vary by state and country on most items. Auction listings
for heavy items almost always contain a range of prices to give you an
idea. If you're seriously interested in one of our items and there
is no shipping price listed, just contact us with your zip code and we'll be
glad to package it all up and calculate what it will cost you.
A note about used software:
Unless otherwise specified, each product includes only original manuals
and media. We are not selling licenses to use any software or media but sell
to computer professionals who understand the complexities of software
licensing. You should contact the software manufacturer to determine what
action you must take to be licensed for any software use.
Thanks for your interest ... I hope we can do business together soon!
We'll do our best
to ensure that everyone walks away happy and willing to do business again in
the future.
HAPPY BIDDING!
zippytazz (eBay auctions)
Uncommon*Finds
(eBay store)
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