My Top Ten Tips For Selling Travel on eBay
 by: ellen mc nulty

Becoming a seller on ebay can be daunting. Becoming a travel seller can be impossible, unless you know the secrets. My tips on selling on eBay can apply to all categories of items, but some steps are unique to selling travel.

The travel industry is highly regulated on EBay, as it should be. High standards keep out disreputable sellers and scam artists, and adds to your own company’s trustworthiness when you are approved by eBay..

1. Before you are even thinking about selling travel on eBay, it is important to get a username and email address just for eBay. Registration is free and only takes a few minutes. Register as a seller and you can use the same username to buy as well. Choose a name that reflects what you sell i.e., “Bermudabound” rather than “sexyblueeyes”. Other eBay members will come to recognize you by your User ID, so it’s a good idea to choose one you’ll want to use for the long term.

2. Your eBay name has sunglasses (i.e., read “shady character”) for the first 30 days, so don’t try to sell anything while you are wearing shades. Use this time to buy on eBay and learn good practices from other sellers.

3. Set up a PayPal account. EBay buyers feel more confident purchasing something from a seller who accepts PayPal. According to PayPal, “Listings that offer PayPal are 6% more likely to sell and experience a 5% average increase in final price.” Go to www.Paypal.com. Get a business account. Registration is free.

4. In the first 30 days, buy small items on EBay, pay for them promptly. I have always found eBay sellers to offer good values, provided that you check their feedback listing first.

5. Pay your seller promptly, because then you will always get positive feedback from your seller. Your feedback profile is the most important aspect of your reputation at eBay. Feedback is extremely important on eBay, as your future buyers can evaluate you at a glance. Even one strike against you counts heavily. Your feedback score also helps later with qualifying to run banner ads on eBay, and to have eBay pay some of your advertising costs.

6. Create your “About Me” page on eBay. Use this page to tell other eBay users about yourself and your interests, your experience and your products.

7. While you are waiting the 30 days, also become a) ID verified and b)square trade approved.

a) Get ID Verified through eBay as an extra sign of security for buyers. When a member gets ID Verified, a third-party company working with eBay confirms the member’s identity by cross checking their contact information across consumer and business databases. You’ll see the ID Verify icon in verified members’ profiles.

b) The Square Trade Seal is one way for sellers to show bidders that they are committed to high selling standards and have had their identity verified by a third party. You will need a credit card and your IATA, ARC, or seller of travel number. Both are requirements for selling travel, and you must place these numbers as the first lines of your ads on EBay. All members listing airline tickets, cruises, vacation packages, or lodging must be participants in the Seller Verify by SquareTrade Program. This program combines verification of sellers with ongoing monitoring. For instructions on this, go to eBay.com.

8. When you are ready to list your items at auction, sell small stuff first, building customers and credibility. Sell all items with no reserve, at the lowest price you can afford to accept, and fill all orders promptly.

9. Choose carefully what you will sell. You cannot sell some travel certificates, and all listing must list the exceptions, blackout dates, and extra taxes and shipping charges. Travel agents, and other businesses selling travel services are regulated in eBay. According to the eBay rules for selling travel, “Businesses and individuals who sell and/or arrange air or sea travel or accommodations (but do not directly provide the travel service themselves) may list air and ship related travel items (i.e. airplane tickets and cruise trips), along with accommodations, on eBay only if they are licensed as sellers of travel lawfully able to do business in all 50 states and they themselves will be booking the travel for the winning bidder. Their listings should clearly set out their California seller of travel license number as well as any other license information required in other states. It is against eBay policy for travel clearinghouse affiliates, that are not actual agents booking the travel themselves, to list travel auctions on the site. Sellers are required to include the following disclaimer in all listings for travel exactly as it appears below and in a text size and color that can easily be seen and read by all bidders:

“By listing this auction I verify that I am the actual travel agent or travel provider and not a third party affiliate. The travel/accommodations in this auction will be booked directly through me and not an outside agency. I also verify that, other than the government taxes and related government fees stated within the listing description itself, there will be absolutely no additional fees, charges or after auction purchases associated with booking the travel within this listing.”

For travel services other than air or sea travel, businesses and individuals may offer gift certificates or coupons that are issued by a specific provider of travel, such as a gift certificate to a particular hotel. They may not, however, offer travel club memberships or “choice travel” certificates.”

10. Build a store. EBay stores are free for the first 30 days. Afterwards, they are $9.95 a month. According to eBay, Store sellers see on average a 25% incremental increase in sales the 3 months after opening their Store.” Here is where you can list all those other items that are higher priced, but good value at a low listing fee – at about 02 cents, rather than $4.80 for an item over $500. Auction and Fixed Price listings appear in your eBay Store as well as in eBay Search and Listings. The store allows your buyers to peruse your other items in addition to your auction items. Go to: http://pages.eBay.com/storefronts/openbenefits.html

For examples of travel stores on eBay, take a look at: http://stores.eBay.com/Travel-Ireland-and-Britain_W0QQsspagenameZMEQ3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm

http://stores.eBay.com/Himalayan-International-Tours_W0QQsspagenameZMEQ3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm

About The Author

Mc Nulty is President of Lynott Tours, specialists in travel to Ireland and Britain. Ellen assists retail travel agents in listing their wares on EBay. Lynott Tours has been selling travel for 35 years, and can be found on the Internet at www.lynotttours.com.

lynottads@aol.com

You Can Sign Up With eBay Here!

Setting up Your eBay Seller Account

eBay has sister sites in many countries, I would encourage you to first sign up with the eBay site relevant to the country you live in. For example, I live in the UK so I would register at bay.co.uk, for Australia you would register at ebay.com.au/ and for America you would register at eBay.com.

For ease we’ll use eBay.com as an example of setting up an eBay seller account. First things first, you actually need to go to eBay. In the top right hand corner you’ll find some menu options listed, Buy, Sell, My eBay, Community, and Help. You won’t be needing those options just yet.

In the top left hand side corner you’ll find the eBay logo with “Welcome! Sign In or Register. You’ll want to click on the the register text. This will take you through to the registration page.

The registration page is an easy to fill in form requesting such details as your name and address, telephone number(s) etc. It goes without saying that you need to enter the correct information into these fields.

Go with a proper names and not “mickeymouserocks” or “sexybabes123″

The second section will ask you to create a “eBay user ID and password” so that you can log-in in future and will also displayed on your sales listing, feedback, forums and other eBay pages. From here, select an eBay ID of your choice. If you’re thinking of operating your own on-line store or you want to link it to an offline business then it will probably be best to make your ID similar to your offline business, i.e. ABC textiles could be abctextiles123 as your user id. This directly corresponds to your offline business name.

However, if you’re an individual and you want to start selling the odd item, then you can make up your own user ID here (just make sure it’s non-offensive). If you know in advance that you’re going to be selling items on eBay and want to be taken seriously, I’d advise you to go with a proper names and not “mickeymouserocks” or “sexybabes123″. I can guarantee you that your listings won’t be taken seriously.

You need to choose a password. I would advise using a brand new a different password to what you normally use here. If you use a password you ALWAYS use, then your eBay account will be very easy to hack into. So choose this wisely. A combination of letters and numbers make quite strong passwords.

The Secret Question:

You will then be asked to pick a secret question like mother’s maiden name or pet’s name.Select a question that you know the answer to without even thinking. This is a further security question just in case you lose some log in information in the future. This may be years down the line and in this instance, choosing a question that is very easy for you to answer without even thinking about it is the key here.

The last section is asking for your date of birth. Simply enter the correct details in the drop down menus.

Make sure you fully read the user agreement and privacy policy, confirm you are over 18 years old and click the register button.

Check Your Email For a Confirmation Message

You’ve now completed a simple process of Setting Up An eBay Seller Account. You’ll need to check your email for a confirmation message from eBay that will verify that it was actually you that filled in the form and no someone trying to scam their system.

Before you can start selling on eBay I believe you need to purchase around 10 items and have a PayPal account linked to your eBay account. This is something I’ll discuss in a different article and way to speed up this process which is completely legal.

In fact you can find out more by visiting the website Click Here.

DesDrec Is Internet Marketer & Strategic eBay Marketer. He’s given up his day job to work online full time. In the process he’s actually helping more people to do this too! You can check out his website at http://www.hotsellingitemsonebay.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Des_Drec

Author: Des Drec

You Can Sign Up With eBay Here!

How To Sell On Ebay – A Beginners Guide

Whether your starting a new on-line business, or looking for an additional sales outlet for your products, eBay is far and away the easiest way to get started selling on the internet. There are two simple steps you need to take before you list your first item. Register on eBay, and create a seller’s account. Both are completely free (unless you choose to become ID Verified, which is recommended and explained below).

If you have ever purchased anything on eBay, then your halfway there! If you don’t have an eBay account, registration is fast and only requires some basic information. A seller’s account isn’t really a new account, it’s just additional information that eBay requires to allow you to list items for sale as well as buy under the same account.

Sell it! In order to became a seller, you will need to provide a valid credit card, or become ID Verified. ID Verify requires a small fee, but is an excellent way to provide trust to your trading partners. This is especially true for new sellers with little or no feedback ratings. A small icon will show in your seller’s profile which lets the buyer know you have taken the time(and money) to verify your identity with a trusted third party. This should ease any fears of the buyer getting scammed by a new seller.

What about the fees? eBay charges a listing fee, and if your item sells, what they call a Final Value Fee, which is basically their commission. The listing fee is small and the value fee a bit larger, but remember that you only pay this when your item sells, so be sure to take the total fees into account when pricing your item. Both fees differ based on your selling format, auction-style or fixed-price. What’s the difference? Read on!

Selecting a selling format. Auction-style is probably what your most familiar with. You sell to the highest bidder, or set a Buy It Now price. Auction durations can be anywhere from 1 to 10 days. A fixed-price item allows you to set a price so buyers can purchase right away. With fixed-price you can set a Good Until Cancelled option, but you will be re-billed the small listing fee every 30 days until your item sells or you cancel the listing.

Okay, so how do I get paid? You may have noticed above that I mentioned there are two requirements to list your item. Well you do want to get paid right? The easiest way to receive payment from your buyer is PayPal, and your account is usually credited instantly. If you already have a PayPal account your set. If not, head on over to PayPal and set up a free account. If you already have a merchant account, you can also take payments through it by setting up the appropriate gateway at eBay.

Listing tips. First and foremost, take plenty of well lit, in focus pictures. Use a tripod if you have one. Good pictures will help seal the deal. Also, help buyers find your items by choosing the most specific category possible, and by using a listing title that is clear and complete. Put some though into your item’s description. When it comes to pricing, plan you strategy by searching completed listings of similar items on eBay, and searching other on-line stores. You can also set a reserve price. A reserve price sets a minimum amount you are willing to sell the item for. The reserve price is hidden to buyers. If the reserve is not met, you are not required to sell the item. Reserve pricing typically carries an additional fee.

Shipping your item. USPS offers free supplies sent right to your home, labels can be printed on line free of charge, and you can even schedule pickups at your home. You don’t even need to leave your house! Can’t beat that.

Taking the first steps to selling on eBay really is easy. And yes, there are many, many people making a full time living selling on eBay. How? Just like the brick and mortar guys, they do it by sourcing products at wholesale prices and selling for a profit.

By: Rob Kraft

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

There are thousands of wholesale providers out there for every imaginable product you can think of. Click the link to find out how to gain instant access to a complete list of Wholesalers and Drop Ship Suppliers.

You Can Sign Up With eBay Here!

http://www.jjbargaindeals.com

While there are some excellent ways to build a small but successful business online, the one that has taken the market by storm is eBay. Knowing the tips to set up an eBay account the right way can make all the difference in the world. Obviously, the goal is to create a site that is competitive, one that offers interested parties with great products but at a fair price.

Today, experts estimate that more than 720,000 people in the United States alone are now making the majority of their income by selling on auction sites. With eBay being the number one site, it only makes sense to learn ways to get your own piece of the pie. The following are some helpful and proven means to set up an eBay account so you can become a top seller with a strong customer base.

1. Pricing – One of the most important things anyone wanting to set up an eBay account has to learn is the art of setting the price. Even if an item is worth more, try starting the bidding price low. With this, you will actually find more people not only interested but also placing bids. Remember, with a starting price low, the more bids you will get, which means ultimately, the selling price is increased to the point of reaching the price you wanted to sell for in the first place. However, if you were to set the price high from the start, you would end up with no bids, meaning the item does not sell.

2. Photographs – While the information you provide relating to the item being sold is very important, photographs will give an interested buyer a visual. Here, you want to make sure you provide focused photos that are close up. Additionally, rather than offer a potential buyer with one photograph, post several that would be from different angles. Studies show that items on eBay with a photograph have a 70% greater chance of selling over those with no photograph.

3. Reserve Pricing – There are times when reserve pricing can be beneficial when selling on eBay but, you want to be careful. After you set up your eBay account, consider using reserve pricing only for higher-end or rare items. If this feature is used too freely, it can discourage buyers, again causing an item to sit without being sold.

4. Creativity – After you set up an eBay account and you get ready to list an item, be creative with the title and the description. Of course, you want to be truthful about the item being sold but make your listing interesting and creative, which will help attract more potential buyers.

5. Multiple Listings – Sometimes, people will have several listings of identical items, which is often true with drop ship offerings. There is certainly nothing wrong with this but instead of having the items listed one after the other, space them out so it makes your eBay store look for professional and interesting.

6. Auction Length – Another tip to set up an eBay account for success is to keep your item listed for 7 to 10 days instead of 3 to 5. With this, you have the opportunity to attract more people and in fact, it has been shown that auctions listed for 7 days have a 24% higher selling rate and for 10 day auctions, a 42% higher selling rate over 3 and 5 day auctions.

7. Grammar and Spelling – While it might not seem like a big deal make sure your product description is perfect specific to grammar and spelling. When you set up an eBay account, you are creating a business. For that business to be taken seriously by buyers, it needs to look professional. Therefore, people will notice mistakes, which would make them think you do not care much about your business. In turn, this can leave an impression that if you do not care about the way your eBay store looks, you probably do not care about what you sell or the support you offer.
http://www.jjbargaindeals.com

Article Written By J. Foley

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