I am finally back with my own right ID after a horrible month. On July 1, I noticed some odd Emails that auctions I had bid on had been cancelled because one or more bidding IDs had been used without the consent of the owner, and that an Email change was in process. When I tried to logon, I got password error messages. I finally used ebay's LiveHelp system to tell an ebay rep that someone had hijacked my ID! Apparently potential customers aren't the only ones interested in my good feedback. The hijackers are also, so when they use the stolen ID to bid up auctions, the bids look legit. Anyway, by the time I had regained control of my account, my ID had been used to bid up several auctions and I had "won" one phone, street value about $500, for almost $800! The rep was able to invalidate that auction, but DH nearly had a heart attack when he thought we were going to have to pay almost $800. And since the hijcker had changed my ID, the rep kept telling me she couldn't just set it back; the closest she could get was "mama.sylvia1" and after 30 days, I could reset it back to "mama.sylvia" myself. Which I just did, and it feels good!
DH and I were both astonished that someone had been able to hijack my account. He's a programmer and has trained me well. I don't give out personal information over the Web and I don't click on links in Emails, even when threatened that my ebay or Paypal account will be suspended unless I do. So DH researched, and found that most account hijackings succeed from brute force; they submit different passwords until one is accepted. (Which raises the question of why ebay allows thousands or millions of attempts at submitting the password. Why not automatically block or reset the account after the third unsuccessful attempt in a row -- with the new pw sent by email to the email on record? Other companies do that. With the "reminder" question, if the legitimate owner really can't remember the password, it's easy enough to get it back.)
I'm expanding my ebay sales!
I've gotten into candlemaking, and while I'm not sure candles are real suitable for ebay sales -- the best items are relatively light so you're not paying more on shipping than you are saving on price -- the makings of a gel air freshener, also called "Smelly Jelly," are! Only the fragrance oil and gel crystals are typically not available (or overpriced) locally. You can use any kind of jar and your own local water, and they make great gifts! Watch my listings for available scents. Naturally, I provide complete instructions.
New to ebay?
Read here to avoid problems!
Make a commitment to yourself to NOT BID on anything, INCLUDING my auctions, until you've read at least ten listings all the way through. Many sellers don't really know what they're selling and (unfortunately) some will downright lie. For instance, I've seen auctions for "Featherweight" sewing machines that were NOT the Singer 221 or 222 that are the only machines entitled to that term. ONCE YOU BID, YOU ARE LEGALLY COMMITTED TO BUY if your bid is the high bid.
Read the whole listing, including the fine print, before you bid. I've seen listings that included parts that were missing or the fact that the item was not working. (Some people will buy these to repair.) I've also seen sellers that would only accept payment by credit card on their own "secure" server within one day of auction's end! Don't know about you, but *I* won't buy on those terms, so I didn't bid on the item. The seller can put any terms he/she wants into an auction and you do NOT have recourse once you bid.
If the item has a reserve, be aware that you may not win the right to purchase it even if you are the high bidder. When you put in your maximum bid, ebay compares your maximum with previous bids AND the reserve. If your bid doesn't meet the reserve, ebay will only go to a high enough to make you the high bidder. If your maximum bid is at or over the reserve, ebay will use that as the current bid and change the reserve message to something like "reserve has been met" in green (instead of "reserve has not been met" in red).
DO check out a seller's feedback (FB) rating. That is the number in parentheses after everyone's ebay username. Most sellers are honest and reputable, accurately describe their items (including flaws), and deliver as promised. But there are always a few exceptions. A good seller will protect her FB rating by honesty and trying to reach a fair resolution when there is a problem. Also, don't let an occasional negative feedback rule out a seller. Anyone who deals on ebay often will occasionally have a bad experience; look for a pattern of good or bad feedback. Also, look at the FB of the person who left the negative FB -- often it's a problem member who didn't honor his own bids or deliver items as described.
Ask questions before bidding! There is a link right on each listing page to ask the seller a question, and most respond reasonably promptly. Remember "caveat emptor" and do NOT assume something is included unless it is listed.
Watch out for auction fever. It's easy to get caught up in the bidding excitement and bid more than something is worth just for the satisfaction of "winning." Remember, bidding is a legal contract - the seller promises to sell you the item for the bid price, and you promise to pay the bid price plus whatever extra fees (such as shipping) that are listed in the auction. (I set fixed shipping fees in my auctions so the bidders know exactly how much extra they are agreeing to pay, some sellers list "actual shipping costs" but watch out for sellers who state they may add handling fees of an unspecified amount - that is giving them a gilt-edged invitation to charge you whatever they want and you have no recourse!) Ebay provides a convenient way to give your maximum bid and will bid for you against new bidders up to that maximum. Set your max thoughtfully and if the item goes above that amount, LET IT GO.
If there is a problem with an item when you receive it, DON'T rush to leave negative feedback. Assume it was an honest mistake and Email the seller first to advise them of the problem. Again, a reputable seller may not have known of the defect, or it could have occurred in shipping. A good seller will want to achieve a sale that is fair to both parties. On the rare occasions when I've received something that was not as described, the seller has offered cash refund or replacement. The only times I've left negative FB were when the seller ignored numerous Emails or when I didn't receive the item after sending numerous Emails. Communication is better than negative FB!
Want to be a seller? Read the above and consider what you as a buyer want to see, and decide whether you're willing to provide that in your listings. Most ebay newbie sellers seem to insist on money orders only, which leaves the buyer no recourse. If you were thinking about buying something from a seller with zero feedback that would only accept payment by money orders, how high would you bid? Probably not very. (Newbie sellers also seem to set their opening bids too high and rarely include photos, but since you've spent time bidding and reading auctions first, YOU won't make those mistakes!) If you get your feedback rating up to at least 10 by buying first, that is somewhat reassuring to potential bidders - the higher the better, of course.
Hope this helps! Feel free to Email me and tell me. I do enjoy ebay and have bought items here that I couldn't find anywhere else. I'll never retire on my ebay selling but it's fun. And don't forget to click on my listings often -- you can check out my current auctions at the bottom of this page.
Praise: Quick response and fast payment. Perfect! THANKS!!
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