Documentos de Académico
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how to
make
money
on
Todd Alexander
Australia’s leading eBay expert
how to
make
money
on
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The official pocket guide
for Australian sellers
how to
make
money
on
Todd Alexander
Todd Alexander is an employee of eBay but wrote this book independently of his
employment. While recognising this book as ‘The Official Guide . . .’, eBay takes no
responsibility for its content and readers are advised that using the content of this
book does not necessarily mean that the reader will have success buying and selling
on eBay. The contents of this book contain the views of the author only and do not
necessarily reflect the views of eBay.
eBay International AG is the exclusive owner of all rights in the title to, interests and
good will in the eBay identification and use of the above in this book is by permission.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Introduction vii
Summary 137
Appendix: eBay fees 140
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Introduction
Why not add your name to the list? Like any way
of making profit, nothing is guaranteed, but arming
yourself with the right knowledge is key.
Before we begin, there are four basic rules to
making money on eBay. Observe these, and you’ll be
well on your way to realising maximum profit.
1 Source the right products for the right price.
2 Provide the kind of service that separates you
from your competitors.
3 Market your products better than any of your
competitors.
4 Continually look for ways to improve your busi-
ness model.
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Chapter 1
Passwords
As your eBay sales grow, you may need more than
one person to access your eBay and PayPal accounts.
Remember that anyone with your eBay password has
the ability to alter business-critical functions, and
even has the ability to purchase items on the site.
Keep a record of all employees/colleagues who know
your eBay password, but never put the password in
writing or circulate it via email. The password should
be a combination of letters and numerals, and a
mixture of upper and lower case. For added security,
consider changing your passwords on the first of
1
2 How to Make Money on eBay
Financial accounts
In order to limit the threat of loss, it is advisable to
open a bank account and a PayPal account and have
a credit card all of which are only used for business
purposes. Limit the amount of funds available in
each so that if their security should be breached,
your loss is limited to a low amount. Some banks
now offer mobile phone password protection when
transferring money to new accounts, while your
credit card’s TCV number (located on the back of
the card) means a person must have the card in their
possession in order to use it.
Stay on top of your financial records. Always
double-check your financial statements and query any
unfamiliar amounts with your bank immediately.
For PayPal, you can limit the type of access
your employees can gain if you open a business
account. In doing so, different passwords allow
Safe trading tips for eBay sellers 3
Spoof mail
Spoof is an unfortunate reality of the online world.
Spoof emails are created by criminals to try to trap
you into entering sensitive or financial information
online. Once gained, your information can then be
used for fraudulent transactions. Recent developments
have made it easier for law-enforcement professionals
to track down online fraudsters, but the best way to
avoid being the victim of online fraud is to use
protection.
• Make sure all the computers you use for your
eBay sales are enabled with security software.
• Never enter your personal or financial
information into a website with which you are
unfamiliar.
• If an offer or reward sounds too good to be
true, it probably is.
• If you receive an email purporting to be from
eBay, PayPal or your financial institution, and
it asks you to enter your password via email,
report it as spoof (forward it to spoof@ebay.
com.au, spoof@paypal.com.au, or check your
bank’s spoof mail forwarding address).
• When making an online payment, make sure
the site uses a verified security gateway.
• To avoid receiving spoof altogether, create an
email address that is difficult to guess. For
4 How to Make Money on eBay
Becoming an
eBay seller
Business registration
If you have not done so already, register as a business
on eBay. This may not seem an important or obvious
step but, increasingly, eBay is looking for ways to
identify which of its sellers consider themselves
businesses. In the future, businesses may be subject
to special promotional offers and specific marketing
support from eBay.
To register as a business:
• Click the ‘Register’ text link at the very bottom
of any eBay page.
• Next, click the link at the top of the registration
page that says: ‘Want to open an account for
your company?’
• Fill in the relevant information for your busi-
ness, and accept the terms and conditions at the
bottom of the page. Click ‘Continue’.
7
8 How to Make Money on eBay
Selling internationally
One of the most powerful advantages that eBay brings
to sellers is the opportunity to list your item for sale
globally. Few other marketplaces have the power,
and the sheer buyer numbers, to match that
proposition. The even better part is that you do not
need to pay additional fees to have your item seen
by buyers in any part of the world.
Before you decide whether to list your item for
international sale, there are a few things you should
consider:
• If you speak another language, mention this in
your listings or even have parts of your listings
in the foreign language.
Becoming an eBay seller 11
Sourcing products
to sell
12
Sourcing products to sell 13
Completed-items search
It may sound obvious, but the best place to start
your research for finding the right products to sell
on eBay is by conducting a completed-items search
on the site. Here, you will see a list of recently
Sourcing products to sell 15
Internet searches
If you are patient, the right combination of keywords
in an internet search can reveal a host of local and
international websites that feature wholesalers and
their products. Some are open marketplaces, others
give you the opportunity to advertise your own
Sourcing products to sell 19
Importing
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time working with
some of eBay’s most successful sellers. A consider-
able number of them import items from overseas.
Importing brings with it a distinct set of opportunities
and challenges. Start by referring to the Australian
Government’s Customs website http://www.customs.
gov.au for important information regarding your
obligations as an importer. There are a number of
documents, fees and rules you need to be aware of
before beginning an import business. It is best to
seek professional legal and accounting advice on the
implications of importing items from overseas.
Your next step should be to search on international
eBay sites. Chances are, other sellers have checked
20 How to Make Money on eBay
Preparing and
creating listings
Item photo
The first thing buyers are generally attracted to when
they look for an item on eBay is the picture that
appears in search results. Buyers skip over listings
that do not have a picture and, similarly, avoid photos
of items that are blurry or too small.
If you have a professional catalogue of the items
you want to sell on eBay, you do have the option of
uploading images from your own website by using
the existing URL. However, the majority of new eBay
businesses will need to invest the time to create
eye-catching, competitive product images that pique
your potential buyers’ interest immediately.
23
24 How to Make Money on eBay
Item price
Let’s put this as bluntly as possible: you could have
the best product and the best service in the world,
but if you don’t compete on price you will miss out
on sales. In Chapter 3, we covered the concept of
profit margin. To be successful on eBay you need to
ensure there is a market for your product that will
sell at the price that will make you a sustainable net
profit. Do your research thoroughly—on eBay, on
other e-commerce sites and even offline—to ensure
that you will be able to sell your products at a highly
competitive price.
It is true that some sellers will gain competitive
advantage by having the best reputations, the best
designed listing and by providing the best service,
but, especially in this economic environment, it is
Preparing and creating listings 25
Item title
The third thing buyers pay attention to is the title.
You only have 55 characters for your item title,
and you should use that space to the absolute best
of your ability to promote the product on sale. Not
only are superfluous terms such as ‘cool’, ‘l@@k’
and ‘w0w’ rarely searched for by buyers, but you’re
also wasting the potential to have your item appear
higher in search results.
Your item title should be a simple list of highly
relevant product keywords that buyers will search
for. Refer to Chapter 8 for tips on finding the most
relevant terms for your product. For example, ‘New
Apple iPod Touch 32GB MP3 2nd Gen’ contains
more popular search terms than ‘Look New iPod
Touch—Cool for Kids’.
26 How to Make Money on eBay
Item description
Now that your photo, price and item title have
brought your potential buyer to your listing’s ‘View
item’ page, you need to keep their attention and lure
them into a sale. At the top of the page, feature either
a larger, clear picture of the item, or immediately list
critical product details. Be factual and avoid flowery
or overly expressive language, unless your item is a
one-of-a-kind and buyers will find the background
story relevant and appealing.
Once you’ve described the item as factually, thor-
oughly and professionally as possible, clearly list
your payment and postage details. Include as many
options as possible and do not discourage or favour
any particular options. This is the buyer’s choice,
and if they favour a particular method they should
not be discouraged from using it.
Avoid excessive design, colouring, font sizes and
styles. It creates an impression that the seller is
unprofessional and in some cases can make it harder
for the buyer to read what you’re selling.
Finally, avoid terse, threatening or lengthy
messaging around your trading terms. There are
countless sellers out there who go to great pains
to warn you against buying their product. It’s fair
to outline your general terms of trade, as any good
retailer will do, but 200 lines of bold, capped red
Preparing and creating listings 27
Item categorisation
It is imperative that you categorise your item as
accurately as possible when you list it on eBay. Not
only will buyers be able to find it more easily, but
eBay’s search algorithm rewards listings of more
relevant categorisation by promoting them higher
in search results.
Category is the most obvious and important tool
of classification. Within the DVDs category, for
example, sellers are presented with around eighteen
sub-category options. If you list your DVD in a
category with the word ‘other’ in it (such as ‘Other
DVD genres’) then you will lose all buyers who
browse for that title within ‘Comedy’. Similarly,
miscategorisation may lead to your account being
limited by eBay (refer to Chapter 10).
Many categories also include ‘item specifics’.
These are important product attributes relevant to
the category, such as region, format and condition
within DVDs. eBay recently introduced a new search
functionality that allows buyers to select multiple
product attributes to refine their searches. If you
do not specify item specifics, your listings may be
grouped with other listings in the ‘non specified’
category—hardly appealing for buyers!
Finally, some categories include ‘pre-filled item
information’, also known as ‘catalogues’. These will
28 How to Make Money on eBay
Title
1 Complete the item title. Be sure to only use
highly relevant searchable keywords. You have
55 characters, so do not waste any space on
pointless terms such as ‘l@@k’ or ‘cool’. If
creating a template you may wish to leave this
blank or put in a generic label such as ‘DVD R4
new’ so you can add individual product details
later.
2 Complete the listing subtitle if you need to
add more information and have it appear below
the title in the search results list. Note that
this incurs an additional fee. Leave blank for
templates unless you have a standard subtitle
you want applied to all similar products,
such as ‘Australian seller, 100% feedback, free
postage’.
Category
Next, choose the most appropriate category infor
mation for your item. If creating a template, you may
wish to leave this blank to add individual product
details later, or alternatively you can create a template
for each product that will share the same category
(e.g. ‘Comedy DVDs’, ‘Drama DVDs’, etc.).
1 Choose a previously used category by clicking
the drop-down arrow, or alternatively click
‘Select’ to see a complete list of eBay’s current
category structure.
2 Note that some categories are enabled with item
specifics, which prompt you to choose from
a list of product descriptors applicable to your
item. Always use these where available as they
can help increase the exposure of your items.
Click ‘Select’ to add item specifics, or ‘Edit’ to
change them. If you choose a category that has
pre-filled information catalogues attached to
it, you will be prompted to add brand, product
type or model to match your product with the
information eBay has stored on its servers. For
more information, see ‘Creating multiple items
with pre-filled information’ on page 53.
3 Create additional exposure for your category by
advertising it in a second category. Note that
this incurs an additional fee.
4 If you own an eBay store, choose relevant store
categories. (See ‘Store categories’, page 100.)
40 How to Make Money on eBay
Pictures
Leave this field blank if creating a template, unless
you want all products to have the same image. To
add a picture:
1 Click on ‘Click to insert a picture’.
2 Find the picture on your computer and click
‘Insert’.
3 Add additional pictures by repeating the
process. Note that this incurs an additional fee.
Item description
Imagine you are a buyer and include all the relevant
information you need to successfully sell your item.
For templates, only include information that will be
applied to all products, such as payment and postage
information.
1 You can type your description and use the
simple design in the box provided or, alterna-
tively, scroll down and click the ‘Description
builder’ button to edit font, colour and style,
and add additional design components.
Bulk editing
To edit multiple listings at once, highlight all listings
you wish to edit. Choose ‘Edit’ from the top navigation
panel, then click ‘Edit multiple items’. You will then
be taken to a screen that allows you to edit certain
fields—these edits will be applied to all listings
you have highlighted. Beware that changing fields
marked ‘Multiple values’ will overwrite all existing
information for that listing.
In the description field, anything you write can
be added to the bottom or top of the description, or
replace it altogether.
You can change text that is common to all of your
listings (bulk edit) using the ‘Search and replace’
feature. Highlight all listings you would like to edit,
choose ‘Edit’ from the top navigation panel, then
click ‘Search and replace’. This is especially useful
if you need to change your postage information,
returns policy or payment information, if you have
included text about these in your item description.
For example, you can replace ‘We accept Bank
Deposit, Cheque, Cash and PayPal’ with ‘We only
accept PayPal’.
52 How to Make Money on eBay
Providing outstanding
customer service
Payment options
When you go to a store, isn’t it annoying when they
don’t accept the payment type you prefer to use?
Sure, you might follow through with the purchase
regardless, but you generally think twice about
returning to the store again. The same is true of
eBay sellers—the more choices you give a buyer, the
more potential you have to complete a sale—and
have them return as loyal customers.
Though you are within your rights to express a
preferred option, it is unwise to state violent objec-
tions to a particular payment method and, what’s
more, this may in fact be against eBay policy (refer
to Chapter 10).
64 How to Make Money on eBay
PayPal
As covered in Chapter 2, PayPal is the eBay-owned
online payment mechanism. Below are some of the
advantages of accepting PayPal:
• Buyers can pay you without having to share
financial information such as credit card or
bank account numbers.
• Both buyers and sellers may be protected under
PayPal’s Buyer and Seller Protection. Buyers may
be protected for up to $20,000 on qualifying
items, giving them peace of mind when using
PayPal.
• Most payments are instant.
• Payments received into your PayPal account
are easily reconciled with your eBay listings,
and PayPal is fully integrated into the eBay site,
meaning once a buyer has paid the item should
be marked as such within My eBay.
• Buyers can pay via credit card, bank account or
stored PayPal balance.
Bank deposit
While most eBay buyers are comfortable transferring
funds into your bank account, it is not a standard
business practice to allow customers to do so. As a
business seller, one of the disadvantages of having
buyers use this option is that often they neglect
to adequately label their payments and, if you’re
selling hundreds of items with the same price point,
reconciling payments can be exhausting. Buyers tend
not to be aware of how difficult it is to reconcile, and
Providing outstanding customer service 65
Cash on pick-up
Some sellers on eBay charge buyers a handling fee for
coming to pick up their items. Think how you would
feel as a buyer if you walked into an appliance store,
paid for your item and then drove around the back
to pick it up only to then be told you have to pay $5
to have the staff member bring the appliance to your
van. You do not have to offer cash on pick-up, and if
you think the hassle of doing so is an inconvenience
then choose not to offer it rather than charge for it.
Some buyers deliberately search for items in their
local area, so if you don’t offer cash on pick-up you
may be limiting your sales.
Cheque/money order
If you would like to offer your buyers the option of
paying ‘the old-fashioned way’, make sure you clearly
communicate that there will be a delay in receiving
their items as you will wait for the payment to clear
into your bank account. Not every business seller on
the site accepts these payment methods, so consider
your target market and the likelihood they will use
this option.
66 How to Make Money on eBay
Credit cards
Credit card payments can be processed on eBay via
PayPal. Alternatively, you may already have credit
card facilities in your business, in which case you
can accept the buyer’s credit card details over the
phone or online.
Delivery options
Leave it up to your buyer to decide what they would
prefer. Carefully consider your pricing and offer the
following options:
• overnight or express post (some buyers are
prepared to pay a premium);
• standard postage;
• courier;
• insurance or registered post (for an extra cost);
• extra padding for an additional cost;
• dismantling of your products—use this option
selectively, but in the case of something as
simple as CDs or DVDs, for example, some
sellers offer to send only the disc and the insert,
which means the item can be sent for next to
nothing; and
• pick-up—some buyers love coming to pick up
their items.
Providing outstanding customer service 67
Free postage
In recent years, e-commerce companies have begun
to appreciate that postage was impacting their
ability to compete with offline retail. There has been
a trend to increasingly offer free postage to compete
with those stores that bombard television, radio and
print with news that they are on sale. One of the
benefits to operating an online business is fewer
overheads; one of the disadvantages is the growing
need to absorb postage costs.
eBay is no exception to this trend. Increasingly,
sellers are being encouraged, and rewarded, for
offering free postage. More importantly, buyers
have come to expect it in most cases. It is therefore
adv isable to consider utilising free postage as one of
your business tactics. You can usually absorb most
of the costs in the overall price of your products.
Australia Post
Most people and some businesses assume that
Australia Post operates using a ‘one size fits all’
mentality. It is not the case. The more volume you
send, the better the price you receive. Some sellers
have an account, which means their items are
collected by Australia Post; others get access to a
priority queue. You need to check with your local post
office about the services they offer, but don’t fall into
the trap of checking with only one branch—not all
outlets offer the same services, so it’s wise to conduct
a thorough research. And don’t rely on the Australia
Post website to give the best information because it
68 How to Make Money on eBay
Couriers
Most couriers offer fast delivery with reliable tracking,
which means you will know where your product
is at all times. Choose a courier company that is
professional, one that will enhance your reputation.
Some couriers offer discounts simply because you are
an eBay seller. Others quote standard price options
over the phone but are willing to negotiate once they
know what sort of volumes you could potentially be
sending their way.
Managing your
inventory with
Selling Manager Pro
69
70 How to Make Money on eBay
Seller dashboard
The ‘seller dashboard’ is also visible in the SMP
summary. eBay’s seller dashboard gives you guid-
ance to your performance as a seller, and highlights
possible areas for improvement. Given that your seller
performance can impact your ability to remain on
the site, and also the position your listings appear
in within a search result, it is imperative to ensure
your performance is acceptable.
72 How to Make Money on eBay
here (http://pages.ebay.com.au/file_exchange/
SMP_FMC_User_Guide.pdf) before you start this
process.
To import or upload your new listing templates,
in the file management centre beneath ‘Upload’ click
‘Upload inventory’ in the left-hand navigation. Click
‘Browse’ to find the relevant file on your computer,
then click ‘Upload’.
Now that you have created your product and/or
listing templates in SMP, you can assign automatic
rules to each listing.
j posted/not posted;
k whether you’ve left feedback or not;
l feedback left for you by the buyer or not;
m whether the item has been re-listed or not;
n whether a buyer has accepted a second-
chance offer or not; or
o your custom label.
8 Use the drop-down box to:
a sell a similar item;
b view the sales record;
c print packing slips/invoices;
d email the buyer;
e re-list the item;
f send it to your archived folder; or
g mark posted (if the item has been paid for).
9 Click on the record number to see the buyer’s
details, transaction details and notes.
10 Click on the buyer ID to see the buyer’s
feedback profile.
11 Click on the buyer’s email address to send
them an email.
12 Click on the item title to see the actual listing.
13 Click on the price to see transaction details.
14 Click on the number to see what emails you
sent the buyer, and when.
15 Click on any of the symbols to view the sales
status and notes for each listing.
Managing your inventory with Selling Manager Pro 85
Branding and
marketing
90
Branding and marketing 91
Subscription levels
There are currently three different subscription levels
for stores.
1. Basic store ($14.95 per month)
• Showcase all your listings in your storefront.
• Drive buyers to your custom URL.
92 How to Make Money on eBay
1. Store name
First of all, create your store name. The name of your
store will influence the URL (or website address)
96 How to Make Money on eBay
2. Store description
The store description also influences internet search
results. For example, if you were Aideen you might
write a description like the following: ‘Aideen’s
Homewares is your one-stop internet shop for buying
everything to do with your home—kitchenware,
appliances, cutlery, crockery . . .’. Remember to
include any brand names that you sell. Imagine
you are describing your entire business in one or
two sentences and that people will visit your store
based on what you tell them. Your keywords should
be ones that regularly get used on internet search
engines.
3. Store logo
Finally, choose an eBay-designed store logo, or add
your own (it must be 310 x 90 pixels in size). Again,
the logo should be pleasing to your target audience
and should ideally include your store name and logo
and/or branding (colours, style, etc.).
1. Store theme
Click on the ‘Edit current theme’ or ‘Change to
another theme’ link on the right-hand side of the
page. For new store subscribers this will say ‘Create
theme’. eBay gives you twelve colour themes to choose
from. Choose the design that is best aligned to the
type of product you are selling. For example, black
may not be the best colour if you’re selling girls’
clothing! Clicking on ‘Edit current theme’ will allow
you to slightly alter your chosen template’s default
colours, giving you the opportunity to create a truly
unique looking eBay store. Click ‘Save settings’ at
the bottom of the page to return to the ‘Manage my
store’ menu.
Remember, if you want to create your own theme
and design from scratch, read how to do so under
‘Custom design your store’ on page 101.
4. Item display
The ‘Item display’ feature lets you choose the default
way your buyers will see the listings within your
store—a choice between ‘list’ view or ‘gallery’ (picture)
view. Additionally, you can also choose the default
sort order of your store listings—ending first, highest
priced, lowest priced, or newly listed.
Choose the option that is best aligned with your
business model. For example, if you list everything
at auction, ‘Ending first’ would be the natural default.
However, if all your listings are bargain-oriented and
fixed price, you may choose ‘Lowest priced’ or, to
push your latest inventory, ‘Newly listed’.
Store categories
From the ‘Manage my store’ menu, click the ‘Store
categories’ link beneath ‘Store design’ in the left-hand
navigation.
eBay stores allow you to create up to 300 custom
categories. While for every item you list on eBay you
choose an eBay category, in stores you have more
flexibility. For example, you may wish to create a
category that collects together ‘sales items’, or eBay’s
category structure may not be as comprehensive as
you need so you could create ‘Blue T-shirts’, ‘White
T-shirts’, etc. Buyers will only see these categories
once they are in your store, and they are designed
to help them navigate through your items more
easily.
Branding and marketing 101
HTML builder
Create attractive links to your eBay store to use
within your eBay listings, or off eBay on sites such
as Facebook, My Space or even your own website.
106 How to Make Money on eBay
Email marketing
From the ‘Marketing tools’ menu, click the ‘Email
marketing’ link under ‘Store marketing’ in the left-
hand navigation. Click the ‘Create email’ button.
You have the opportunity to create up to 100 emails
each month, but remember not to inundate your
subscribers. It’s best to send irresistible eye-catching
offers less frequently than it is to send run-of-the-mill
offerings every day or week. As a general guide,
once a fortnight or once a month is what to aim
for, depending on how regularly you change your
product offering or prices.
Step 3: Choose who will receive your email and add the
content
• Check your relevant mailing lists (you will need
to have created these earlier, as per page 107).
• Choose how many (if any) purchases your
buyers need to have made in the past 90 days
to receive the email.
• Under advanced options, you can choose to
send to subscribers based on how long they
have been on your mailing list (you might
want to send a one-year anniversary email to
say thank you for their loyalty, for example),
or send to subscribers based on how they have
responded to emails in the past.
• Decide whether the email will be sent on a
recurring basis and whether to send more than
your limit of 100 per month (at an additional
cost of one cent each).
• Enter your subject line. Email subject lines
generally make or break their success, as buyers
tend only to open those with an appealing title.
For example, ‘Books for sale’ is not as appealing
as ‘Massive clearance sale! All books up to 80
per cent off’.
• Choose whether to show your store header
(more on this on page 99).
• Enter a personal message to your buyers, remem-
bering to keep it succinct and professional. Learn
from some of the emails you receive from other
companies, and make the tone of your communi-
cations consistent with your store’s image.
• Choose which items to feature in your showcase
(if you have chosen the showcase layout). You
Branding and marketing 111
Pending/sent emails
If you have saved an email as a draft, or an email
has been programmed to be sent in the future, it will
appear in your ‘Pending emails’ list, which can be
112 How to Make Money on eBay
Promotional flyers
When you purchase from a major retailer they might
include a promotional flyer in the shopping bag, but
usually the bag itself and the receipt will include
the company’s logo. This is also a form of brand
awareness and helps businesses build a repeat-buyer
base. Remember, as we mentioned earlier—it’s more
cost-effective to bring a buyer back than it is to find
a buyer who has never purchased from you before.
Promotional flyers can be printed to be included
within the package you send to your buyers.
Cross-promoting items
Never miss out on an opportunity to cross-promote
your items to prospective buyers. If they’re searching
for a mobile phone, for example, they may be
completely unaware that you also sell phone covers—
unless you specifically point it out to them.
From the ‘Marketing tools’ menu, click the ‘Cross-
promotion’ link beneath ‘Item promotion’ in the
left-hand navigation. Click the ‘Manage’ button to
create or change your cross-promotion rules.
Here, you can choose whether to show buyers
who view one of your items, or buyers who bid on
or win an item, a selection of your other products.
Choose items from one of your own store categories
or from the categories they’re listed in on eBay.
Here, you can also change the default order of your
cross-promotions and delete them.
Holiday hold
Imagine going to one of your favourite shops only
to discover it is closed. There is no sign to say why,
the door is just locked. Or worse yet, you buy from
an online store and don’t receive your item after
three weeks because they’re on a beach somewhere.
Most businesses close down over a holiday period,
and if you plan on being away from your store for
an extended length of time you need to let your
buyers know. Communication is the key to keeping
customers happy.
During this time, you can make your store items
unavailable to buyers and/or display a holiday message
within your store/in all of your listings.
From the ‘Manage my store’ menu, click the
‘Feature list’ link, then click ‘Holiday hold’. Check
the ‘Turn holiday settings on’ box, then choose where
to display your message, nominate whether buyers
will still be able to purchase your items, and add
your message. Remember to be professional and
concise, thanking your valued customers for their
ongoing support throughout the year, and so on.
Then click ‘Save settings’.
Chapter 9
Optimising your
success
Traffic reports
If you subscribe to an eBay store, you get access to
free reports that show you where your buyers are
coming from, and how they are finding your store.
This will help you understand how to optimise your
store in search engines, and what products your
buyers are most interested in.
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130 How to Make Money on eBay
Tax implications
Any business or individual considering selling a
reasonable amount of items on eBay should speak to
a professional financial or tax adviser to ensure they
are complying with relevant laws and procedures.
Further information can be found at the Australian
Taxation Office (ATO) website.
Businesses of a certain sized turnover, for example,
may be required to register for GST, or may need
to have an Australian Business Number. From time
to time, the ATO will audit eBay sellers and contact
eBay directly for a history of sales and the necessary
documentation. There is no avoiding this, so the best
advice is to ensure you are complying with all tax
laws and policies from the outset.
134 How to Make Money on eBay
Legal advice
Establishing your own business, even if you’re starting
small from your own garage, can open a whole
minefield of legal considerations. Rather than be
perturbed by these hurdles, consulting a lawyer at
the outset could save you considerable time, money
and stress in the future, should a situation arise that
Tax, legal and eBay policy considerations 135
Insurance
Before commencing your eBay business, speak to
your insurance provider about the best options
available for you. Some things for you to consider,
among others:
• insuring your stock to protect from loss, theft
and damage;
• if operating from home, increasing home and
contents insurance to cover your eBay sales-
related assets; and
• insuring yourself for loss of income.
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138 How to Make Money on eBay
eBay fees
Non-store subscribers
Auctions—3, 5, 7, 10 day durations
Insertion fees based on start price of:
AU$0.01–AU$0.99 AU$0.30
AU$1.00–AU$19.99 AU$0.50
AU$20.00–AU$49.99 AU$0.75
AU$50.00–AU$99.99 AU$1.50
AU$100.00–AU$399.99 AU$2.50
AU$400.00 and up AU$3.50
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eBay fees 141
Store subscribers
For all store subscribers, auctions are charged at the
same rate as non-store subscribers (above) but Buy
It Now is charged at the following rates.