Video: Your Questions Answered (Selling on Amazon & eBay)

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

Thanks to all the Online Sellers who submitted questions.

I made the video below (with the answers to your questions), totally free for you - over 1.5 hours long! Just CLICK HERE to start it within youtube.

In some parts I mention web addresses,  I listed the corresponding time they are mentioned (hh:mm:ss) below the video (click the "SHOW MORE" link right below the video on the YOUTUBE page)



Enjoy and thanks again! Feedback welcome (email me at jordanmalik@gmail.com) 

Your Questions, My Answers - Spring Edition

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

Hello, Online Sellers -

We did this a few months ago to rave reviews, so we're doing it again! All this helps you (and it helps me figure out how to help entrepreneurs like you, too!)

 Do you have a question about:
- Earning an income online?
- Growing your online business?
- Selling on eBay?
- Selling on Amazon?
- Starting an online business?
- Offering marketing services locally?
- Selling a specific type of product online?
- How to market a specific product/service online?

Submit them to me at HonestOnlineSelling   @  gmail . com (remove all spaces).

Very soon, I'll post a podcast here (free for you, of course) answering the best questions.

 If you have questions gnawing at you, now's your chance!

Thanks for reading this!

-Jordan Malik, Founder
HonestOnlineSelling.com
FBAFinds.com

When 'Poor' Amazon Sales Ranks = Hot + Profitable

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

If you sell items on Amazon, you are likely always asking "what's a good Amazon bestseller rank?" when selecting your inventory.

Despite what other 'experts' tell you, the answer isn't definite. Bestseller ranks vary and change widely, and I have discusssed how snobbish sellers are being too restrictive at their own peril. 

Now I've realized that when you find an item to sell on Amazon and it's sold out on Amazon, bestseller rank is almost irrelevant.

Why? When you're replenishing that item that's currently sold out, you're helping meet a customer demand that (typically) far outweighs the current supply on Amazon.

The (typical) result is when you're one of the first (or only) sellers to replenish a sold-out item on Amazon, it gets snapped up right away by an eager buyer.

Examples (with 'Profit Proof'):


> I found this used toy at a thrift store for $3.99, sent it in via Amazon FBA and it sold for ~$19 within a few days. (Sales Rank: 175,000).

> This product (bought for $5.99 at a yard sale) sold for $30 within just a few days. (Sales Rank: 313,00!)

> This toy (bought for $5 at a thrift store) - with a sales rank of 459,000! - sold within a few days for $39.


The common thread for all these items is that before my 'stock' was received at Amazon, they were 'sold out' (Amazon calls it 'Currently Unavailable'.)


Now that I know these items are in short supply on Amazon, I can keep my eyes peeled for them or place a free 'wanted ad' on Craigslist or Freecycle to ask local folks if they have any - used or new - that they'd like to sell (you'd be surprised at how many people respond to such ads).

So next time you're out scouting and you scan an item with a 'poor' bestseller rank, check the # of sellers. You can likely flip the item for a good profit very quickly, especially if you're the only seller of it.

FREE: I go more in-depth with similar Amazon selling strategies with my e-book bundle.

Also FREE: If you haven't sold on Amazon yet, learn how, step-by-step, with this guide.

Do you have an example of a quick-selling product that was previously 'sold out' on Amazon?

Happy selling,

-Jordan

eBay/Amazon Experts Say my "B.L.e.S.H.a." System Works

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

Two online selling experts just cited the usefulness of my latest e-guide, "B.L.e.S.H.a.", or "How to Buy Low on eBay and Sell High on Amazon."

Skip McGrath's latest free newsletter says my guide "shows examples of how [to find things on ebay] selling for pennies that are actually quite valuable because the seller didn’t know what they had." You can read his entire post here. 

(I call Skip the 'Godfather of online selling' because he truly is one of the most revered experts for selling anything online, and he's been at it the longest. (Full disclosure: Skip is an affiliate of my B.L.e.S.H.a. guide).

Nathan Homquist's latest Blog post says he has used my B.L.e.S.H.a. strategy to purchase electronics on eBay and then sell them on eBay for double the price. I got my start selling on Amazon with Nathan's free e-guide, and he is one of the major reasons I have made  $105,000 via Amazon FBA in 2011. (Full disclosure: Nathan is an affiliate of my B.L.e.S.H.a. guide).

You can get my "B.L.e.S.H.a." guide here, or just view the video below.

-Jordan

Bloomberg News talks about Amazon FBA

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

Here's a terrific story about the positive impact 3rd-party Amazon sellers (like you or me) are making on Amazon's bottom line:

Here

The highlight for online sellers, if you take away just one point, is "[Amazon is] training the consumer to start and end their shopping process at Amazon".

In other words, Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos wants consumers to rely on Amazon for all their 'consumer needs', which makes for a friendly atmospher for us 3rd party sellers because we find (among other things) goods that fill in those tiny niches.

(In other words, if an Amazon Prime customer in Beaver Creek, Montana needs a package of 1500 live Ladybugs shipped to his/her door in 2 days, chances are they'll find it on Amazon.)

If you're not selling on Amazon yet, here's a free guide to get you started (it's the same one I used when I started 3 years ago).

-Jordan

Logo? Pay $5 and Get On With Your Life, Already

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

I did some reminiscing today.

Click on This for Larger Image

See the image to the right? It's a mockup of my new (upcoming) home page at JordanMalik.com. Each of those logos is a company/blog/publication/service that I own. (you can click on it for a larger viewing).

I just looked at all the logos in there and realized that I paid $5 each for just about all of them. (Although I probably tipped the graphic designers who made them an extra $5 each or so, if they did a really good job).

Now the reason I brought this up is because of the 'reminiscing' part.

I looked at the logos and I thought about about all the morons I've worked for in the past who spent thousands of dollars in cash and/or internal resources designing their logo and getting it "JUST RIGHT." Wow, how narcissistic can you get.

I know what you're thinking: "Jordan, ten years ago you couldn't get a logo designed for under $1,000." True, but companies that could either voluntarily paid - or got sucked into paying - thousands of dollars more. Or they sucked up the equivalent of thousands of dollars in resources lost (i.e. political waste like managers' approval, staff designers' time, 'getting consensus', lunch meetings, etc.).

Corporate managers and MBA-types call all this sweating over a little logo "refining their corporate image" or "building their brand". But that's a load of hogwash and completely ridiculous. And a complete waste of money. Look at Craigslist's logo. Nothing but typeface, right? Craigslist didn't need a fancy logo to be successful (that's a lesson for another day, though).

So if you want a logo, pick some favorite styles you've seen in others, think up a simple company name, then get a designer at Fiverr.com (where I got mine done for $5) and get it done already, and move on with your life. After all, you have bigger fish to fry.

And if anyone critiques your logo (which is another reason why business owners needlessly sweat over a logo's details - they're "afraid of what others will say/think when they see it"), tell them to read this same blog post. And then charge them $5 for the advice.

-Jordan

9 FREE Ways to Source Inventory to Sell on eBay or Amazon

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

"I think that all the great adventures can be written on the back of a beer soaked napkin"

- David Lee Roth

Online sellers:

Click on this, then print it out and keep it handy.

Sometimes I marvel at how simple things are, yet we're afraid to try them because they seem too simple. (We're trained to think that becoming successful at selling online requires deep complexity, aren't we?)

But really, the fundamentals are simple: Learn what sells well online, source the crap out of it, and sell it, again and again.

I have a handful of my favorite niche-hot, out-of-production toys that I source locally (for $10 or less ea.) and sell (and  repeat again and again) for 125- 175%+ ROI (Return on Investment).

Because my eBay/Amazon listing stays the same, I just keep replenishing my inventory, and relisting the item.

Now I'm giving you the same method I use. All you have to do is think of one of your favorite things to sell online (particularly something rare, used, or out of production):

- Maybe it's a VHS copy of a rare film

- Maybe it's an older appliance that still sells like gangbusters on eBay

- Maybe it's an out-of-production Spiderman action figure.

- Maybe it's various broken iPhones that eBay buyers demand for parts

So whatever your 'favorite item to sell is' use my ideas (in the diagram above) to "source the crap out of it."

Good luck and keep me posted,

-Jordan



Why Selling on eBay Still Matters

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

I know many sellers have left eBay in droves, to sell on Amazon. I'm a big proponent of selling on Amazon too.  But I am finding eBay, as I always said, fills in an important niche for me.

See, Amazon sellers are restricted from selling pre-owned clothing and apparel. But they can on eBay.

You can't sell vintage or one-off items on Amazon (well you can but it's a difficult process and no one's really looking for that stuff on Amazon anyway). But you can on eBay.

Fact is, eBay has a HUGE audience, credit card in hand, looking for that stuff. I am going to give you 3 examples of my own sales to prove it.


1.) Used Coach Sunglass Pouch. I paid $10 at an estate sale, my wife used it for a few years, and then we sold it on eBay (within hours of listing it) for a Buy-It-Now price of $55 (Profit: ~$35). Apparently they are in hot demand.

2.) Used Tumi Duffle Bag. I paid $25 at a yard sale, used it for a few months, and then I sold it on eBay for an auction price of $98 (Profit: ~$50) 'New' Tumi duffles are $300 and up.

3.) Used Size 13 Skechers shoes. I paid $21 total at a yard sale, put them on eBay, and sold the lot for $78.77 on auction (Profit: ~$40. I didn't know folks would buy used shoes at that price but I suspect size 13 is hard to find (?).

So keep your eyes peeled for those items at your local yard sales, estate sales, garage sales, etc.

SPECIAL OFFER UNTIL 2/28/12: A 400+ page e-Guide with HUNDREDS of other similar items to look for at yard sales, estate sales, HERE. 50% OFF ($49 instead of $97 when you use code JBMALIK at checkout). I am double-backing the 100% Satisfaction-or-your-Money-Back Guarantee on this e-book.

Amazon Begs Sellers, Part Three: 1,913 Baby Items Wanted

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

Some/all Amazon FBA Sellers (including myself) got the below email from Amazon this week. This is a gold mine of information - Amazon is essentially giving you the exact information about 1,913 HOT HOT HOT Baby Items that they are running low on. Read more below. 


Why is this information a 'gold mine'?  Because these items have extremely good sales ranks AND they are in short supply in Amazon, you (as an Amazon seller) can essentially 'name your price' (within reason) if you are able to source any of these. (Good-bestseller-ranked items in short supply mean that customer Demand is far outpacing Supply. Pure 'economics' lets you raise the price of an item in short supply, that is in high demand. That's just the nature of efficient markets). 

How can you find some of these 1,913+ Baby Items? Some are impossible to find, of course, but you can do a search on TheFind.com (which searches multiple online stores).

Amazon's email to sellers is below:


Dear FBA Seller,

Thank you for selling on Amazon.com with our Fulfillment by Amazon service (FBA).
Right now, there are Baby products that have high customer demand but that aren't being fulfilled by Amazon (but may be in the future). If you have any of these products or can get them, you might want to list them on Amazon.com and fulfill them using FBA.  Note that, at this time, we are looking for products in new condition only.   

We know that customers love buying items with FBA benefits, such as FREE Super Saver Shipping, Amazon Prime, and Guaranteed Accelerated Delivery, so this is a great time to consider testing a small quantity of these items in FBA.

See the list of 1,913 products here:  (Link will expire in 14 days)

Thank you again for selling on Amazon.com.

Sincerely,
Amazon Selling Coach

When 'FREE' Really Sucks

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

eBay and Amazon sellers: Some 'free' online help may be hazardous to your health.

Let me explain:

Members of my other site (FBAFinds) pay up to $29.99/month (FBAFinds is the site that tells you 'What to Sell on Amazon and Where To Find it').

So FBAFinds is an 'exclusive' resource and forum: a capped pool of Amazon sellers with access to our mined information. (Remember, it costs me money and time to cull and analyze said information, so that's why I charge a fee. This is a business, after all).

But a handful of online sellers have thrown some pot shots, stating they are appalled that I'm not 'giving the information away (for free!)' (That's actually counter-productive, isn't it? If I gave away FBAFinds' daily list of 'what to sell on Amazon and where to find it' for free, EVERY seller would have access to the list - and thus the marketplace would become truly flooded with those 'finds', driving down the price. BTW, I also keep a cap on the # of FBAFinds subscribers.)

So I charge a modest price (less than a cup of coffee per day)' for my "friendliest online forum", as Debra Conrad puts it, and that does a MIRACULOUS thing:

It (somehow) keeps out the destructive, hurtful Amazon and eBay 'experts'.

I'll explain further.

If you're a member of any of these three free online help forums, you've probably bumped into some profoundly destructive and antagonistic Amazon sellers:

> ToySellersFBA : ToySellers FBA - Yahoo!
> Yahoo Group's FBAForum
and yes, even
Amazon.com's official seller help forum.

I've had several sellers write to me, aghast that they ask a simple question about how to sell online (on those forums), and they get immediately cast off, degraded, or subjected to a bombadment smart-aleck answers.

Participants in those free forums have been repeatedly subject to overwhelming negativity from folks who spend more energy and time bashing each other than actually helping sellers (or spending the same energy to...gasp...actually manage their selling business).

I'm not saying those forums can't help you. Yes, they're free. But free forums tend to (not always, but many times) attract the worst of the bunch. I proved that here and here.

On the other hand, paid forums - in my experience - have nary a negative tirade. There's likely some psychology/sociology-based correlation between a paid forum and the level of professional hospitaltiy, no?

Witness (and I don't get paid for referring you to these):

> MySilentTeam.com (forums with expert advice and content for selling just about anything online (Amazon, eBay, Craigslist, etc.) (I'm a member)
and
> Treasure Hunters' Cove (eBay and now Amazon selling experts) (I'm also member)

An 'investment' in either of those forums costs far less than a cup of coffee per day, but the level of help and positive encouragement is priceless. Negativity is almost non-existent.

Do you have a similar or opposite experience with any online help forum (paid or free)? Sound off by clicking 'Comments' below.

Amazon Begs Sellers, Part Two: 277 Software Titles Wanted

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

Some/all Amazon FBA Sellers (including myself) got the below email from Amazon today. This is a gold mine of information - Amazon is essentially giving you the exact information about 270 HOT HOT HOT Software items that they are running low on. Read more below. 


Why is this information a 'gold mine'?  Because these items have extremely good sales ranks AND they are in short supply in Amazon, you (as an Amazon seller) can essentially 'name your price' (within reason) if you are able to source any of these. (Good-bestseller-ranked items in short supply mean that customer Demand is far outpacing Supply. Pure 'economics' lets you raise the price of an item in short supply, that is in high demand. That's just the nature of efficient markets). 

How can you find some of these 277+ toys? Some are impossible to find, of course, but you can do a search on TheFind.com (which searches multiple online stores), or place a Craigslist.org wanted ad in your local neighborhood (a successful method many of my subscribers have had via my instructions in this guide).

Amazon's email to sellers is below:

Dear FBA Seller,

Thank you for selling on Amazon.com with our Fulfillment by Amazon service (FBA).

Right now, there are Software products that have high customer demand but that aren't being fulfilled by Amazon (but may be in the future). If you have any of these products or can get them, you might want to list them on Amazon.com and fulfill them using FBA.  Note that, at this time, we are looking for products in new condition only.   

We know that customers love buying items with FBA benefits, such as FREE Super Saver Shipping, Amazon Prime, and Guaranteed Accelerated Delivery, so this is a great time to consider testing a small quantity of these items in FBA.

See the list of 277 products here:  (Link will expire in 14 days)

Thank you again for selling on Amazon.com.

Sincerely,
Amazon Selling Coach

Amazon Begs Sellers, Part One: 9,231 Toys Wanted

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

Some/all Amazon FBA Sellers (including myself) got the below email from Amazon today. This is a gold mine of information - Amazon is essentially giving you the exact information about 9200 HOT HOT HOT 'Toys and Games' items that they are running low on. Read more below. 


Why is this information a 'gold mine'?  Because these items have extremely good sales ranks AND they are in short supply in Amazon, you (as an Amazon seller) can essentially 'name your price' (within reason) if you are able to source any of these. (Good-bestseller-ranked items in short supply mean that customer Demand is far outpacing Supply. Pure 'economics' lets you raise the price of an item in short supply, that is in high demand. That's just the nature of efficient markets). 

How can you find some of these 9,200+ toys? Some are impossible to find, of course, but you can do a search on TheFind.com (which searches multiple online stores), or place a Craigslist.org wanted ad in your local neighborhood (a successful method many of my subscribers have had via my instructions in this guide).

Amazon's email to sellers is below:

Dear FBA Seller,

Thank you for selling on Amazon.com with our Fulfillment by Amazon service (FBA).

Right now, there are Toys products that have high customer demand but that aren't being fulfilled by Amazon (but may be in the future). If you have any of these products or can get them, you might want to list them on Amazon.com and fulfill them using FBA.  Note that, at this time, we are looking for products in new condition only.   

We know that customers love buying items with FBA benefits, such as FREE Super Saver Shipping, Amazon Prime, and Guaranteed Accelerated Delivery, so this is a great time to consider testing a small quantity of these items in FBA.

See the list of 9,231 products here:  (Link will expire in 14 days)

Thank you again for selling on Amazon.com.
Sincerely,
Amazon Selling Coach

Podcast Here: Your Questions, Answered.

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

Last week I invited your questions about making money in 2012.

I made a podcast (with the answers to your questions), below (totally free for you, about 72 minutes long). Press 'Play' or download it (mp3) directly to your computer/device via this link).

In some parts I mention web addresses,  I listed the corresponding time they are mentioned (hh:mm:ss) below the podcast (scroll down)

Please post your feedback (click the 'Comment' link below this post) and let me know what you think.

Thanks to everyone who contributed...

----------------------------
00:00:01 to 00:03:15  Introduction - Jordan's background

URLs mentioned:
FBAFinds.com
HonestOnlineSelling.com
FBADeals.com
ResellToys.com
ResellBlackFriday.com

----------------------------

00:06:35 to 00:08:30 -  Providing local marketing services ('offline' marketing)
URLs mentioned:
OfflineBiz.com (free to sign up.)

----------------------------

00:06:35 to 00:08:30 - Selling Clothes on ebay

URLs mentioned:
http://www.eBay.com
http://www.etsy.com

----------------------------

00:08:35 to 00:10:20   - MLM (Multi-level- Marketing)

----------------------------
00:10:30 to 00:11:30 - Selling Jewelry
URLs mentioned:
Etsy.com

----------------------------

00:11:30 to 00:14:45  -  Selling Books on Amazon

URLs mentioned:

Neatsocan.com (subscription with Amazon pricing data, requires PDA Setup (next link):

Jordan's Recommended PDA/Scanner setup for Neatoscan
FBAScout.com

http://www.FBAFinds.com
----------------------------

00:14:50 to 00:19:20  - Amazon buyer feedback

URLs Mentioned:
http://www.FeedbackFive.com (use code 'JBMALIK' to extend the free trial from 14 days to 28 days)

----------------------------

00:25:38 to 00:33:20 - Building a residual income

----------------------------

00:23:35 to 00:25:35 - Simple/Easy ways to get started selling on eBay/Amazon

URLs Mentioned:
www.WhatCanIsellNow.com  - Sell on eBay:(If you are already selling on eBay, buy this guide to figure out what to sell)) - get 50% off with coupon code JBMALIK  through February 28, 2012

www.SellFBA.com/jm.html (Free)  - Sell on Amazon (if you are just starting selling on Amazon.com)

www.FBADeals.com (Free) - Sell on Amazon (if you have already read the previous free guide).

http://www.officialgeezerguide.com/ - If you're starting from 'Zero', Skip McGrath's Geezer series.

----------------------------

00:25:38 to 00:33:20:  Feedback on Amazon lacking; How do you grow/expand Amazon selling business?

URLs Mentioned:

http://www.Feedbackfive.com -  Get more Feedback (use coupon JBMALIK) for an extended  trial period

http://paydotcom.net/r/93810/jbmalik/26795322/ - My #1 resource for finding very inexpensive used books, CDs, DVDs, etc, to resell on Amazon for 300%+ Return on Investment (ROI).

http://www.booksalesfound.net/ - My #1 resource for finding libraries that sell books

http://www.craigslist.org - list free 'wanted' ads for merchandise

http://www.freecycle.org - list free 'wanted' ads for merchandise

Listtee.com  - Amazon.com product Listing programs (used to quickly list items on Amazon)

FBAPower.com - Like Listtee.com, Amazon.com product listing program (see above).

ResellToys.com: Contains list of toys you can find locally to resell on Amazon; also gives you 'how to' steps to creating a Craigslist and/or Freecycle.org WANTED ad (to get inventory 'coming to you')

----------------------------

00:33:30 to 00:36:00 - What to do when Amazon damages your inventory (FBA)

----------------------------

00:36:00 to 00:40:30 - Why FBAFinds.com focuses mostly on Toys; what other categories work

----------------------------

00:40:45 to 00:42:00 - What quantities to buy when FBAFinds.com recommends a product to resell on Amazon; why Diversification is key

----------------------------

00:42:00 to  00:45:00 - Price changes on Amazon, how to handle; how to use a repricer

URLs mentioned:
Repriceit.com
FBAFinds.com

----------------------------

00:45:20 to 00:47:30 - Why FBAFinds.com recommends toys for reselling - Why not Automotive? Clothing?

----------------------------
00:48:00 to 00:49:00 - Should I ever have an item sent back to me (from Amazon.com FBA warehouse)
----------------------------

00:49:05 to 00:51:30 - What about dropshipping?

URLs mentioned:
http://www.mysilentteam.com/public/ECommerce_Site_Training_with_Mark_Mathis.cfm

----------------------------

00:51:45 to 00:54:00 - fulfilling/shipping sold merchandise from home (amazon)

URLs mentioned:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/fbacalc/fba-calculator.html

---------------------------------

00:54:00 - 00:55:00 - Self-fulfilling beauty products/Hazmat
URLs mentioned:
biglots.com (brick-and-mortar stores, not online purchases).

----------------------------

00:55:00 - 01:01:00  - How to distinguish yourself among other Amazon sellers

----------------------------
01:00:00 - 01:00:52 - Does a blog help with Amazon.com product sales?

----------------------------

01:00:52 - 01:06:00 If I had to recommend one - EITHER FBAScout (tool to see Amazon selling data for items when you are scouting) OR Pro Merchant (Amazon.com selling subscription), which one would I pick?

URLs mentioned:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=1161306 (Amazon.com pro merchant description/comparison)
FBAScout.com

----------------------------

01:06:05 to 01:07:45 - What to do with books that are sitting on Amazon's FBA warehouses (inventory) that have not sold in a long time)

URL Mentioned (Amazon.com fees for removing your inventory):
Here.

----------------------------

01:07:50 to 01:10:00 - How to find items to Sell on Amazon.

URLs mentioned:
Neatsocan.com (subscription with Amazon pricing data, requires PDA Setup (next link):

Jordan's Recommended PDA/Scanner setup for Neatoscan

FBAScout.com

http://www.FBAFinds.com

Totally Free (for Amazon Prime Customers): My Highly-Recommended e-Book on Selling on Ebay and Amazon

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

100% FREE Today (if you have Amazon Prime) and Highly recommended e-book (I've read it and it's one of the best books covering the subject of selling stuff on Amazon and eBay) .This free e-book is for the Kindle. No Kindle? No problem - you can view it right in your web browser - see this video (NO SOUND) that shows you how I did it.

How to Earn Income in 2012: Your Questions, My Answers

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

Hi Online Sellers - Do you have a question about Earning an income or growing your online business in 2012? Submit them to me at HonestOnlineSelling @ gmail . com (remove all spaces). In a few days I'll post a podcast here answering the best questions. If you want to pick my brain about what I think is going to work well in 2012, or how to get started with virtually anything related to making money online, now's your chance! -Jordan

How to Use Amazon FBA To Fulfill Your eBay Orders

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

eBay Brings the Fluffy Bun, It's Just Missing Something...

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

eBay did a fluffy, "Ain't Life Grand!" video about an eBay Seller. It's heartwarming and fuzzy and all, but there's something glaringly missing (I'll tell you below the video).

Did you see what's missing?

If you answered "WHAT are they selling to make money?", you're right!

eBay won't tell you but I have the answer: my personal favorite resource for finding eBay Items to sell. It's a HUGE (400+-page) e-guide that tells you exactly what high-profit items you can find in your neighborhood, to sell on eBay. You can get 50% off this e-guide (for a limited time) when you enter coupon code 'JBMALIK' (without the quotation marks) at checkout.

I'm also double-backing the 100% money back guarantee - if you ever have problems with the guarantee (you won't because the author is credible), contact me via this blog and I'll refund you personally.

I brought the Bison Burgers and the blowtorch....

 -Jordan Malik
Founder, HonestOnlineSelling.com  & FBAFinds.com

About Customer Returns, What to Do

NOTE: This blog has moved to: http://www.HonestOnlineSelling.com

If you look close at this screen shot of my 2011 Holiday sales on Amazon.com, you'll see a 6% return rate in December.

Remember those returns do not include returns Amazon will receive in January (for my buyers' Nov-Dec purchases). I'm expecting my return rate overall to be about 8%.

I don't know if that's high or not compared to other sellers. Anyway I can explain why mine isn't a 'perfect zero':

> The buyer had remorse or the recipient returned it for something else;

> At least 50% of the inventory I sell is 'not new' (i.e. Amazon makes sellers choose conditions like 'Collectible - Very Good' for Toys; or 'Used-Very Good' for books/CDs/DVDs.)

The problem with selling 'not new' items is that buyers' expectations can be different from my selection of condition.

So for Amazon sellers - When you're listing your 'not new' inventory, the safest way is to select the item condition that is one level 'lower': So if I have an item I think is 'Like New' I'll usually select 'Collectible-Very Good' instead.

For eBay sellers - certainly don't try to pass off a used item as 'New', and include lots of pictures so the buyer knows exactly what to expect.


My Tips for Dealing with Returns

I've seen many sellers completely freak out over returns and they end up haggling with the customer.

My advice:

> For any item under $50, don't haggle or ask the customer to ship it back -  just give them their money back. It's just not worth it (more on that below). The customer will be delighted and will likely leave you positive feedback (and/or remove his/her negative feedback left for you).

> For items priced $50 to $100, offer a partial refund (50-75%) if they're unhappy. Of course if the item is broken or defective, you should refund them promptly (don't wait for them to return it to you, but definitely ask them to return it)

> For items priced over $100, you should offer a partial refund (50-75%) if they're unhappy. Use your discrection but I would wait for the item to be returned first if they want a full refund.


My Reasoning for "Don't Haggle, Just Refund Them"

The reasons why I refund a customer right away if they are unhappy with a $50-or-under item:

> In most cases, the buyer is honest and truly dissatisfied, I don't think they're out for a freebie (and I really want to please the customer - shouldn't we all?); AND

>I think sellers' time is too valuable to have to negotiate (for instance): who's paying the return shipping; what to do with the item when it's returned; take time to inspect/repair/relist the item; decide how much to refund the customer; etc. If you add up all the time invested in dealing with a return, we (sellers) could be using that time to scouting for new products to sell.

There are some exceptions, of course, but in general, it's better to refund the customer and tell them to keep the item. Anything else is just not worth the time investment.

Do you agree/disagree? I want to hear from you! Click 'Comments' below.