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AOL access link - use if normal access to eBay using http://www.ebay.com is sporadic.

For eBay newbies, lurkers, and those plain ol' confused, here's where you can find a listing of 215+ auction acronymns and abbreviations.

aliens

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This is very basic but....have your cleared your cache lately??? Clear your cache. Close your browser down. Log off your ISP. Shut down your computer. Count to 30 and fire it back up. Pretty good odds that the problem will be fixed. Good luck. :)

Here's what to do if you do get a bum check. Deposit the check again. It's gotta go thru the system at least twice. Many banks will automatically present the check twice. If the check comes back twice, take the check down to the bank, and tell the teller you want to PROTEST the check. Pay the fee, it used to be $10. When a check is protested, the first money to go into the checking account gets assigned to your check. Banks do not like their customers having their checks protested. After paying you, they may well tell their customer to take a hike.

IF the check is returned again, you may then take the check down to your local police department. Ask to speak to a detective, and file a complaint. A bench warrant will be issued for the perp, EVEN if the perp resides in another state. While his/her local police may not go out of their way to arrest the perp, interesting things begin to happen to the perp if he/she ever gets stopped for a traffic violation. The cops check for outstanding warrants, the perp gets to see the inside of a jail cell, the car gets impounded, and they gotta talk to a judge. If it's a weekend, and the judge is at the beach, it may be a very, very long time. Usually, however, just a note from the court that there is a bench warrant outstanding is enough to get the perp to make good on a check....plus bank fees if you can get them.

A bidder may be outbid by less than a full increment.

Although the FAQ says a bidder cannot bid against themselves, there are a few cases in which this will occur.

1. In a reserve auction, if your new bid meets or exceeds the reserve your bid will be "yanked" to the reserve.
2. If your current high bid is inbetween increments, the bid will be raised to the next full increment.
3. If your current high bid was drawn to an "inflection point" by a competitive bid, and you bid to raise your maximum, it will bid to the next full increment. (Inflection points" are the points at which the bid increments increase. For example, $1.00 is an "inflection" point because below this amount the bid increment is $.05, but at $1.00 it changes to $.25.)
4. If you were tied for high bid.Your new bid causes you to lose this position so the computer increases thehigh bid to the next bid increment in order to retain you as the high bidder.

........Book clubs are real demons to identify. That's one of the services I offer with my Book Consulting Service (identifying books and book values). The most common identifying mark of a book club (be sure and save this in I'm not in a generous mood another time, LOL!) is the "book club edition" statement on the dust jacket. Most book clubs do NOT have prices on the dust jacket. (But some original books do NOT have prices on the dust jacket.) The problem with that is so many book clubs have that part of the jacket clipped off or the dust jacket is missing. Another easy mark to use is the small indentation or dot on the rear cover near the spine of the book (not all book clubs have the book-club "dot" or mark. Other times, the ONLY way to tell is to put the suspect book next to the original book and see if anything's different (hopefully it's not too hard to find a copy of the original book). Almost always, the book edition is smaller, lighter, and cheaper made (but not every time). Some books clubs are IDENTICAL to the original book, even stating on the copyright page that they are "First Editions" and some even have price tags on the dust jacket. One book club I remember WAS the First Edition. [The publisher made a mistake, and instead of fixing the mistake, the publisher trashed all the First Edition copies to a book club and reissued the book. The book club issued the book with a book-club statement on the dust jacket and "laid-in" a correction sheet for the error (erratum sheet).] So it can take a real "expert" to tell the difference. When in doubt, do not make any statement except what is obvious when you view the book, such as "hardback with dust jacket, published by ____, copyright ______, size (in inches, height and width), number of pages.

Also: A good way to identify an older BC edition, by the way, is to look on back binding down in the lower righthand corner (near the spine). If there is a small embossed dot, square, or some other such mark there, it's a book club issue.

Descriptions of book must include any and all defects and damage, including book club editions and ex-library books.

• As New: (for perfect).
• Fine (nearly as new, but not as crisp).
• Very Good (some small signs of wear, but no tears).
• Good (average used and worn book, all pages present, can have tears).
• Fair (worn book, all text pages present, but may lack endpapers or half-title).
• Poor (sufficiently worn that it's only good for a reading copy, does have all the text).

First, Thus "means either a first printing of the revised edition or a first printing of the reprint edition."

abebooks
amazon
bibliofind
barnes and noble - enter book title/author; will return list of OOPs available
books & book collecting
bookfinder.
essentials of book collecting: introduction

Don't forget the Books Board and to search newsgroups for book collecting.

Category Codes

Change email address

Change password

Change registered information here

A Choice Listing occurs when a seller allows bidders to choose from a selection of items. Choice Listings can be problematic because the item agreed upon is negotiated offline and can lead to either misrepresentation or fraud.

Policy: Choice Auctions are not allowed and will be ended. The insertion fee will be automatically credited for that listing. The exception to this rule relates to trading card listings. Lots of trading cards need not be identical due to the nature of these sales in the trading card arena.

about.com - animated images

Animation Factory

Barry's Clipart - animations

Clip Art Universe - animated

Clipart.com

Free Animated Graphics & Retro Clipart

about.com - animated images

Barry's Clipart - clipart

It might be a good idea to try and contact the bidder/seller using an alternative email address. You can get a free one from yahoo.com, msn.com, hotmail.com, etc. The bidder/sellers ISP and your ISP might have a communication problem. I've had  "no replies" like that in the past....I had to use my AOL address to contact the bidder/seller. There either was no answer to my emails to them or the emails were coming back "user unknown".

If all else fails: Tessa's Ripoff Advice

If you leave feedback, make it calm and factual. Something like: "3/15/00: auction 3/01/00; repeated emails; no reply from bidder/seller as of this date". I would probably give it at least 3 weeks from the auction date before I left a neg....and only after emailing and trying to phone (phone only if the $$$ amount warrants it).

From a posting by geekaw:

"As mentioned in Fundamentals, copyright protection attaches immediately and automatically upon fixation (reduction to a tangible form) of the work in question. So, why fork over the bucks and go to the trouble of filing a federal copyright registration? There are two fundamental answers:

1) ability to sue; and

2) statutory damages.

Although copyright attaches upon fixation, you cannot actually sue someone for infringing your copyright until you have registered your work with the Copyright Office. And if you register your work within three months from the date of first publication, or at least prior to the date of infringement, you can collect statutory damages from the infringer. Otherwise, you are stuck with actual damages, which depending upon the situation, may be only nominal."

http://www.benedict.com/

Non-Paying (Deadbeat) Bidder Appeal Form

ZDNet > Tech Life > Equip > Digital Imaging

CNET : Hardware : Cameras : Digital Cameras

World Time Zones with accurate local time

Cancel all bids FIRST then End Auction Early

For problems with pictures showing up in the gallery: gallery@ebay.com

Cow Dance

Hamster Dance

WhatTheHeck.com eBay WhatTheHeckisms!: This site is a hoot. It lists some of the more (in)famous auction listings that have been shut down here on eBay.

Wind Chill Factor Calculator: Know what the temperature is outside??? Know how fast the wind is blowing??? Really wanna know how cold it is???

Reserve Auctions are not eligible for placement in the Hot listings.

Images/HTML Board

PaintShop Pro

AOL Images Help

webtv & pictures on eBay - from Honesty.com

• Cancel any and all bids.
• Notify any bidder(s) via email that it was a duplicate listings, that you cancelled their bids and are ending the auction early.
• Then end your auction early.
• Send email to billing@ebay.com explaining duplicate listing and requesting credit(s).

For more information about the law governing trade and business practices in the United States of America, check out these internet sites:

Federal Trade Commission: A Business Guide to the Federal Trade Commission's Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/mailordr/index.htm

Selling on the Internet: Prompt Delivery Rules: According to the Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, you must have a reasonable basis for stating or implying that a product can be shipped within a certain time. If your ad does not include a shipping statement, you must have a reasonable basis to believe you can ship within 30 days. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/intbalrt.htm http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/mailordr/mailrule.htm

General Offers and Claims Products Services: The FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive advertising in any medium. That is, advertising must tell the truth and not mislead consumers. A claim can be misleading if relevant information is left out or if the claim implies something that is not true. Warranties and Guarantees: If your ad uses phrases like "satisfaction guaranteed" or "money-back guarantee," you must be willing to give full refunds for any reason. If your money-back guarantee is not applicable to all situations, you must make the limitations clear to the customer in advance.  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/ruleroad.htm  

Frequently Asked Advertising Questions: A Guide for Small Business: Advertising must be truthful and non-deceptive. Advertisers must have evidence to back up their claims. Advertisements cannot be unfair. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/ad-faqs.htm

Federal Trade Commission: Home page where you can use the FTC’s search engine: http://www.ftc.gov/

Mail Order Laws and Regulations: For more information, please see this helpful article, Mail Order Laws and Regulations at this internet location:
http://www.aeu-inc.com/cgi-local/shop.pl/page=_mail_order_laws.htm/SID=247916370  

SONY Mavica site

Questions to misterlister@ebay.com

Use this format in the TEXT box after you have added your description:

<hr>
<img src=http://www.example.com/picture1.jpg>
<img src=http://www.example.com/picture2.jpg>

Here's what to do next:

*The buyer and seller should contact each other within three business days to complete the sale. Not getting in touch leaves the contract in limbo and can earn you negative feedback. If you have trouble, though, just visit  http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MemberSearchShow

eBay, Inc.
P.O. Box 5700
Denver, CO 80217-5700

Allows bidders to electronically pay for their bids with their credit card. Funds are beamed to sellers. Sellers can then transfer the funds to their own financial institution (4 *business* days) or have a check sent to them (up to 2 weeks for receipt).

800-836-1859

Currently offering a $5.00 signup bonus and referral incentive.

Report PayPal spam to nospam@paypal.com

For customer service: damon@paypal.com

BidPay sends a money order from the bidder to the seller. There is a $5.00 fee to the bidder and no charge to the seller.

Good for international sellers.

BidPay.com, Inc.
P.O. Box 3091
New York, NY 10008-3091
(212) 964-9606

Online bank whose banking services are provided by First Western National Bank. Soon to be merged with PayPal. Free checking account and VISA debit card.

When PayPal merge is complete, transfer of funds from PayPal to x.com will be instantaneous.

Also has an auction payment option but it seems a little cumbersome at this point.

1-888-447-8999

Proxy bidding is the means by which bidders can (hopefully) secure the winning bid on an item by bidding the highest amount they are willing to spend on a particular item. As other bidders come along and bid against the proxy, the proxy bid is yanked up and up each time someone bids against your proxy unless and until such time as the proxy is exhausted and someone else achieves the high bid or bidders give up and the proxy bid retains its high bid status.

Proxy bidding, on the other hand, is the means by which bidders can (hopefully) secure the winning bid on an item by bidding the highest amount they are willing to spend on a particular item. As other bidders come along and bid against the proxy, the proxy bid is yanked up and up each time someone bids against the proxy unless and until such time as the proxy is exhausted and someone else achieves the high bid or bidders give up and the proxy bid retains its high bid status.

A non-reserve auction is one where you put that same widget up with a starting price of $1.00 and sell to the highest bidder at the end of the auction....even if the price is $1.00.

Reserve auctions cost 50c to $1.00 to list depending on reserve price. That fee is reimbursed to you if the item meets reserve.

It all depends on how much you have invested in a widget and/or how much of a return you want from that widget.

If you feel you have uncovered evidence of shilling by another user, please email the details to safeharbor@ebay.com

For free pre-printed address label:  phone 1-800-222-1811 option 4

1-800-610-8734

Post office domestic online calculator

Post office international online calculator

Post office package tracking

Amtrak Package Express

Greyhound Shipping Services

Canada postal info

United Kingdom

• Good 50 pound scale from Office Max.
• Free priority shipping boxes from Postal Service Shipping Supplies Online....also priority labels, delivery confirmation labels, priority tape.
• Priority return address labels from Post Office. Phone 1-800-222-1811 option 4. 
• Good supply of corrugated boxes. Get from grocery store. Break down flat for storage.
• Bubblewrap - current supply (will post photos later) obtained from a seasonal Christmas shop. Any gift shop, camera, computer store will usually be happy to save them for you. Give them trash bags to put them in for great cooperation. Sellers list bubblewrap or bubble wrap of all kinds on eBay..
• Packing peanuts or shipping peanuts - You can buy right on eBay. Very cheap. Shipped in plastic bags. Easy storage. Or find a source -- local gift shop, computer store, hospital. They will usually hold for you to pick up on a regular basis....and they're free. Bring along some Dunkin Donuts or a box of candy now and then and you will have an umlimited source forever.
• Thick plastic sheeting: pick up at carpet store. Ideal for wrapping books before packaging.

• Determining shipping cost: I use my zip code (east coast) and the only west coast zip code I know (90210) to determine shipping. Use these with the Post office domestic online calculator to determine a price. If I am over, I refund the difference. If I am under, it is my loss.

I use my zip code (east coast) and the only west coast zip code I know (90210) to determine shipping. Use these with the Post office domestic online calculator to determine a price. If I am over, I refund the difference. If I am under, it is my loss.

Because I sell a lot of "like" items, I can put exact shipping/handing/insurance fees in my listings. That way there are no surprise at EOA or upon receipt of package. Currently I sell "repeats" of the following types of items:

Books and CDs: $2.85
Quilting/Sewing Patterns: $1.85
Small Jewelry/Doodads: $1.85
Anything under 2 pounds: $4.50 priority.

You open up two browser windows with the URL for the item you want to snipe in both windows. Resize them so that they are side-by-side.

With 20 seconds left, quickly switch to the left browser window and ENTER your bid.

Hold your breath and try to stop your heart from beating so loudly. Reload and reload and reload until auction is over.

If you are good, you will win.

If somebody else out-sniped you, you will have to try and SNIPE with 10 seconds or less to go.

Phew. :)

Current Computer Virus Threats, Countermeasures and Strategic Solutions
4/15/99 from McAfee

Happy 99 is a computer  worm. Just email the sender a polite note  telling them what they did and that they have the worm.
To remove Happy99: Click Here

Christmas Virus (W97/Priscilla) is a Melissa-like virus  which takes advantage of security holes in Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. If opened, the virus emails itself to the first fifty people in your address book. The virus arrives in the form of an email with the subject line "Message from [Office 97 user name]." The message body of the email says "This document is very Important and you've GOT to read this!!!" Opening the attached document will infect your computer. The virus itself won't go off until Christmas day, at which point it will run a destructive payload reformatting your hard drive.