Since I am now officially on my way to a silver shooting star, here are the dates on which I reached each intervening level:

the beginning of thetrendywoman: 21 March 2005
Yellow Star: 23 April 2005 [33 days]
Blue Star: 14 May 2005 [54 days]
Turquoise Star: 26 May 2005 [66 days]
Purple Star: 25 October 2005 [218 days]
Red Star: 16 April 2008 [1122 days]... I have arrived!!
Hit 1500, 27 August 2008 [1255 days]
Hit 2000, 11 February 2009 [1423 days]
Hit 2500, 29 July 2009 [1591 days]
Became an eBay Top-Rated Seller, 20 October 2009 [1674 days]
Became an eBay Bronze Power Seller for the 5th time, 21 October 2009 [1675 days]
Green Star:
Yellow Shooting Star:
Turquoise Shooting Star:
Purple Shooting Star:
Red Shooting Star:
Green Shooting Star:
Silver Shooting Star:

My Guestbook

Won't you visit my eBay world and sign my guestbook? I would love to know that you've been here and what you think of our page :) The young lady that you see in the pic, by the way, is Hayley Westenra, a very trendy woman in her own right. She is one of the world's top singers, performing crossover classical songs and modern contemporary music. She hails from Christchurch, New Zealand.

Payment Options and Other Policies

I never charge for the use of PayPal, and I accept every form of PayPal payment, including e-checks. I am also as well as (eBay verified)

I now accept a second payment service, Moneybookers. They're a UK-based outfit that accepts payments similarly to PayPal...

...as well as a third service, Paymate; they're an Australia-based company, geared toward (not surprisingly) an Aussie clientele.

My Mailing Rates and Procedures...

I do my best to charge only the fees the Post Office charges me. I may also offer free shipping on certain items. Where permitted, I include a fee for delivery confirmation tracking (70¢ for Priority, 80¢ for other modes) on sales below $100.00. Above $100.00, I reserve the right to charge for signature confirmation if the shipment is not certified or registered (again, when permitted; you do not pay for confirmation on free shipping items, for example). Above $250.00, signature, certified, or registered is a must.

Note: UPS or FedEx are available upon request. Other options may be available as well. If you wish really exotic postal services (foreign delivery company, armored guard, Secret Service detail, Delta Force or other Black Ops insertion team, etc), just be ready to pay.

Details On Your Options

Priority Mail: On clothing sales, United States Postal Service Priority Mail (a form of enhanced First Class) is my default shipping option.

Express Mail: Even quicker than Priority, with a money back guarantee if not delivered the next day (to most places). It does cost $20-$30, more for international. I list it as one of the options in my invoices. If it won't make it by the next day, I will do my best to let you know.

Global Express Guaranteed Mail: The fastest service available. It's treated higher than Express, and has a date-guarantee to several countries in the Pacific Rim, to the UK, and to Spain. It's also the most expensive option, but if you need it fast, you have this choice.

Media Mail and Parcel Post are ground services that take a little longer; I use these for very heavy lots or for books and the like.

All other premium services are also available, upon request, at regular USPS fees. This includes optional certified, registered, signature confirmation, and so forth. Please specify any extra services that you might desire, and I will quote you a price on them.

NOTE: Insurance costs for any given item will be included in the shipping and handling, and are automatic on all shipments over $100. I will not provide insurance for orders below $100 -unless- (1) you let me know that you wish insurance so that I can send an accurate invoice, or (2) I indicate that insurance is required for (an) item(s) in your purchase. I will not offer insurance as a free-standing extra due to eBay regulations. International Shipping: The USPS has equivalents of the above for international mail. All forms of international mail below Priority are now grouped as First Class International (usable for up to 4 lbs.), which is my default method of sending along with Priority Mail International (usable from 22 to 66 pounds- take note that a very few countries do not accept this service).

NOTE: Due to the complexity and bureaucracy of international mail, please give it a little extra time to arrive. Most mail routes through intermediate countries, and each one has its own rules for inspection, onward transit, etc.

Two other things I should mention about international shipments: they can be subject to duty, and some items can't be imported into certain countries. Please consult your post office or Customs department as to what may be imported, how much of it, and if it's subject to tariff. I will do my best to check the USPS web site to see if some exotic item can be admitted into your country, but our postal system only has what your country gives them to go on. Also, I follow the rules: if you pay me for something, it's merchandise, and its price is what you bought it for (not including S&H). Under US law, I have to list that price on the Customs form. Thus, please be prepared to pay the duty that's assessed on your item at that value... while I would like to help you pay fewer taxes, I don't make the rules... sorry.

My Use Of Stamps

You may note that I nearly always use stamps for postage rather than simply buying the meter stamp at the window. I have always felt our postal service charges too much. Thus, I buy almost all my stamps from a coin shop; most are years old, so the post office burned through the original purchase price way back. All I am doing is calling in their obligation- they get no current money to waste. If everyone did this for 3 months or so, the USPS would have to ask what was up, and perhaps improve services and lower fees. I encourage you to try the same... just head on down to your local collectibles shop or stamp show and get some postage there :)

If your items ship in more than one package, you'll also see that no two stamp formations are alike- every package is adorned differently, like snowflakes. My envelopes are true collector's items :)

Communication

After your auction concludes, I will contact you with an official invoice/e-mail. If I have other information, I will send you a follow-up. You may also contact me at my e-mail at any time.

I can communicate with you in several languages! :) I use Systransoft's Translation Tool and Yahoo! Babelfish for any languages I don't speak, which are every one but English and Latin. It may be a bit choppy, but if you prefer Dutch or French, we can talk in lingua communi, sine dolore... si cognoscis, et scio te non cognoscere :D << you know, not being able to communicate :p This utility also translates whole pages, so feel free to use it on any of my lots for your convenience.

Feedback

I always leave feedback, both general and specific (time a lot took to arrive, shipping costs being reasonable, etc). For sales, I leave feedback on receipt of payment if by PayPal or any other instantly negotiable medium.

I never require feedback be left first from the buyer. However, I do request that buyers leave feedback if they are satisfied, and that they leave feedback for each individual lot. Also, if you aren't happy with whatever, please let me set things straight before leaving less-than-positive commentary. I have 100% +++ feedback because I -will- make it right.

Sniping

I like sniping; the strategy is neat. If you wish to do so, by all means do. My suggestion, if you don't agree with this manner of last-second maneuvering, is to place your maximum offer the first time you bid, preferably early in the auction. That way, if someone outbids your do-not-exceed price, well, all that can be said is that they topped you, be it 5 days or 5 seconds from the auction close. They were just willing to spend more; they may be a spendthrift. A thought: if you're bidding against Donald Trump for something he wants, he's probably going to win- no matter when he places his bid. Basically, he can pay more for it than you, unless you're Warren Buffett or Bill Gates or Paris Hilton. I know it is disappointing to see your bid go down the drain before you can respond, though I reiterate that if you raise your paddle for your maximum, and early, you have nothing to be sad about. You did the best your wallet would permit, and that's all we can ask of anyone :)

If you don't agree with sniping or if you believe in auctions with a fluid end, I would love to hear your reasons and why you feel that way; perhaps there is something I'm missing in the argument. I have an open mind.

Favorite Links
--Links for donations to pets--

Domestic pets and other animals have nobody to speak for them except those of us who care enough to make the effort. The Indonesian tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina of 2005 provided extreme examples.

Interestingly, animals fared far better immediately after the tsunami than after the hurricane, as their keener senses told them something was wrong. They made it to high ground. However, 232,000 people spread over numerous countries weren't so lucky, and those domesticated animals that were left behind faced starvation and disease in the squalid aftermath... While Katrina just inundated everything in and around New Orleans. Were you human or animal in the city at the storm's peak, it was likely curtains for you. Those animals that did make it out became strays facing a very bleak future not dissimilar to the ones in Indonesia. You, we, can help. I am thus providing some animal-rescue and welfare links:

North Shore Animal League America
Humane Society of the United States
Houston Humane Society Chapter
American Humane Association

Note that I do -not- support PeTA. Some of their stands are commendable (you won't find mink coats at thetrendywoman), but many are the raving of lunatics, and they refuse to repudiate certain groups known to use violence against property and, indirectly, persons. If you're not familiar with this side of PeTA, look them up on Wikipedia along with the ELF and ALF. Then look up what tree-spiking is.

Here are my other favorite links on the WWW:

Acronym Finder The place to look up acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms...
The Atlanta Braves No better baseball team on Earth since 1991... we're fighting for the wild-card!
Barnes & Noble Booksellers Great online and brick-and-mortar book seller...
Black Powder Graphics My daughter's website for graphic design and artistry...
BOINC Distributed Computing Projects Employ the unused flops on your computer to help humanity via a number of distributed computing projects...
eBay I do business here, so why not give them some props? :)
Frank's Compulsive Guide to Addressing If you need to mail something to somewhere across seas, find out the address format here...
Hayley Westenra Best singer out there; she's pictured on here. I encourage you to check her out. Many sellers have her recordings on here.
International Dialing Codes If you need to call another country, find the country code (1 is not universal, America!) and city code you need.
Katharine Sawyer Rose's Web Site My daughter's other site, with more of her artwork for sale...
PayPal The best payment service on the Web... and eBay owns them, so more kudos...
Tee Shirt Hell Funniest tees you'll ever find... ;)
United Parcel Service For all your private-carrier shipping needs...
United States Postal Service For all your public shipping needs... and my first preference...
Urban Legends Page This is the best urban legends page I have come across... watch the hypodermic needles in the cinema seats!
XE.com Currency converter... if you're going on vacation, find out what your money buys in any other currency...

Feedbacks

User:bigjacobsauctions( 271)  Date:Nov-26-09 08:21:36 PST Praise: Hope to deal with you again. Thank you. User:krissyjr8( 745)  Date:Nov-25-09 16:37:20 PST Praise: Great sweater; exactly as described; with lightening fast delivery! A+++ seller User:craftwomen( 285)  Date:Nov-25-09 06:01:40 PST Praise: An excellent seller and I highly recommend!!!! User:cma7676( 1376)  Date:Nov-24-09 12:43:51 PST Praise: WONDERFUL EBAY MEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! User:bigandlittlegirls( 9 )  Date:Nov-24-09 08:04:38 PST Praise: Great transaction - fast shipper User:bgbids( 224)  Date:Nov-21-09 17:43:34 PST Praise: Terrific! Great item,quik ship,xlnt communication. So happy with this purchase!! User:bgbids( 224)  Date:Nov-21-09 17:41:25 PST Praise: Love it! Fast shipping. Friendly and accommodating ebayer. Thanks!! User:toys4meanie( 476)  Date:Nov-21-09 10:13:40 PST Praise: Just as described, really excellent seller. Thank you very much! User:sandbenderspalette( 119)  Date:Nov-20-09 03:55:57 PST Praise: FAST Shipping-Item better than described-Couldn't be happier-Thank you! User:p00k23( 41)  Date:Nov-18-09 22:56:19 PST Praise: too cute! clean and fast! To see all feedback for this member, go to the Member Profile page.

Need to contact me? Do so by writing me at The Trendy Woman's Mailbox
-serving eBay and its fantastic customers since 21 March 2005-

-this page last updated 11 October 2009-

The above page is maintained by: thetrendywoman( 2678)

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