Don't Get Burned on eBay

Don't Get Burned on eBay

by Shauna Wright
Released March 2006
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9781449369101

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

Lots of books tell you how to buy and sell on eBay. But what if something goes horribly awry? Do you have to chalk it up to a "lesson learned," lick your wounds and move on? Not a chance. Don't Get Burned on eBay offers relevant lessons based on real-life stories posted on eBay's Answer Center. With sharp, witty rhetoric, veteran eBay user Shauna Wright (co-founder of the popular web site WhoWouldBuyThat.com, shows eBay veterans and newcomers alike how to avoid those nasty scenarios, and how to pull themselves out of the muck if they've already fallen in.

Six entertaining (and hair-raising) chapters cover real problems that people have encountered with bidding, payment, shipping, packaging, dealing with other eBayers, and coping with the eBay system. This book is for anyone who's ever used eBay, because even veteran buyers and sellers often don't know the intricacies of eBay's and PayPal's rules. Don't Get Burned on eBay will leave you well-informed and better protected from potential pitfalls. The book's extensive glossary and numerous in-depth sidebars also make the book useful to people who haven't yet taken the plunge into eBay.

Publisher resources

View/Submit Errata

Table of contents

  1. Don’t Get Burned on eBay
  2. Preface
    1. Introduction
    2. Audience for This Book
    3. Organization of This Book
    4. Conventions Used in This Book
    5. We’d Like to Hear from You
    6. Safari Enabled
  3. Credits
    1. Acknowledgments
  4. 1. Don’t Get Burned on Bidding
    1. Don’t Act Like A Newbie
      1. Being Outbid Doesn’t Mean You’re Off the Hook
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Check and Double-Check Your Bids
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      3. No One Wants You as a Penpal
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      4. Monitor Your Spam Folder
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    2. When Sellers Go Bad
      1. Where’s Tony Soprano When You Need Him?
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Fees, Like a Closed Mind, Can’t Be Changed
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      3. Pardon Me, Your Shill Is Showing
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
  5. 2. Don’t Get Burned on Payment
    1. PayPal: Read the Fine Print
      1. Local Pickup Means No Proof of Delivery
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Confirmed Addresses Are Your Friends
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      3. When It’s Okay to Be Xenophobic
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    2. Money Order Mayhem and Chaos with Cashier’s Checks
      1. Take the Money Order and Run
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Fake Checks (Imitation Compensation)
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    3. Personal Checks, Cash, and Others
      1. Lost Stash of Cash
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Has That Check Really Cleared?
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      3. Wired and Mired
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
  6. 3. Don’t Get Burned on Packaging
    1. Don’t Use Inadequate Packaging
      1. Box Size Matters
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Bubble Wrap Ain’t Bulletproof
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      3. Paper Isn’t Much Better
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      4. “Do Not Bend” Does Not Work
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    2. Don’t Use Odd or Potentially Embarrassing Packaging
      1. What You Buy Is No One Else’s Business
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Looks Matter—Even with Packages
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      3. Just Because It’s Usable Doesn’t Mean You Should Use It
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    3. When to Take Special Precautions
      1. Batteries (Should Not Be) Included
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Liquids Can Leak
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      3. When You Shouldn’t Ship at All
        1. Avoid it!
  7. 4. Don’t Get Burned on Shipping
    1. Pros and Cons of the Major Shippers
      1. Absolutely, Positively Overnight
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Why USPS is Best for International Shipments
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      3. Delivery Confirmation Is Not Tracking
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      4. Delivery Driver Responsibility
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    2. Insurance Issues
      1. A Disclaimer and Two Bucks Will Get You a Cup of Coffee
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. When Honesty Is the Best Policy
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    3. Shipping and Handling
      1. Shipping Is Not Postage!
        1. Avoid it!
  8. 5. Don’t Get Burned by Other eBayers
    1. Save the Drama for Your Mama
      1. Don’t Be Quick on the Feedback Trigger
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. I’m Picking Up Some Transaction Interference
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    2. What’s Your Preference?
      1. Duck, Dodge, and Block That Bidder
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Get to Know Your Seller Preferences
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    3. Beware of Fakes and Friends
      1. The Vengeance of VeRO
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. How to Sell for Others (and Retain Your Sanity)
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
  9. 6. Don’t Get Burned by Scammers
    1. When to Be Afraid of Your Email
      1. Gone Phishing
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. Second-Chance Offer Scams
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    2. Web of Lies
      1. All Escrow Sites Aren’t Created Equal
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
      2. The Magical, Mythical eBay Warehouse
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
    3. The Switcheroo Scam
      1. Know Your Item
        1. Avoid it!
        2. Escape it!
  10. Glossary
  11. Index
  12. About the Author
  13. Colophon
  14. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: Don't Get Burned on eBay
  • Author(s): Shauna Wright
  • Release date: March 2006
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9781449369101