Recommended: DropBox

This is a little off-topic, but if you need to save, share, or otherwise store files & photos--try the new DropBox.  It's a free online site (upgrades will cost you, but the free part is great!) that is so helpful! 

Here's an explanation right from their site:

File Sync
Dropbox allows you to sync your files online and across your computers automatically.

• 2GB of online storage for free, with up to 100GB available to paying customers.
• Sync files of any size or type.
• Sync Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
• Automatically syncs when new files or changes are detected.
• Work on files in your Dropbox even if you're offline. Your changes sync once your computer has an Internet connection again.
• Dropbox transfers will correctly resume where they left off if the connection drops.
• Efficient sync - only the pieces of a file that changed (not the whole file) are synced. This saves you time.
• Doesn't hog your Internet connection. You can manually set bandwidth limits.

File Sharing
Sharing files is simple and can be done with only a few clicks.

• Shared folders allow several people to collaborate on a set of files.
• You can see other people's changes instantly.
• A "Public" folder that lets you link directly to files in your Dropbox.
• Control who is able to access shared folders (including ability to kick people out and remove the shared files from their computers).
• Automatically create shareable online photo galleries from folders of photos in your Dropbox.

Online Backup
Dropbox backs up your files online without you having to think about it.

• Automatic backup of your files.
• Undelete files and folders.
• Restore previous versions of your files.
• 30 days of undo history, with unlimited undo available as a paid option.

Web Access
A copy of your files are stored on Dropbox's secure servers. This lets you access them from any computer or mobile device.

• Manipulate files as you would on your desktop - add, edit, delete, rename etc.
• Search your entire Dropbox for files.
• A "Recent Events" feed that shows you a summary of activity in your Dropbox.
• Create shared folders and invite people to them.
• Recover previous versions of any file or undelete deleted files.
• View photo galleries created automatically from photos in your Dropbox.

Security & Privacy
Dropbox takes the security and privacy of your files very seriously.

• Shared folders are viewable only by people you invite.
• All transmission of file data and metadata occurs over an encrypted channel (SSL).
• All files stored on Dropbox servers are encrypted (AES-256) and are inaccessible without your account password.
• Dropbox website and client software have been hardened against attacks from hackers.
• Dropbox employees are not able to view any user's files.
• Online access to your files requires your username and password.
• Public files are only viewable by people who have a link to the file(s). Public folders are not browsable or searchable.

Check it out at http://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTEwOTk3OTI5OQ

How Sales Work

Paid!

Well, wouldn’t you know!  Yes, the buyer paid me yesterday after receiving the note from eBay!  He sent an apology explaining that he was out of town on an emergency….which could very well be true, but I would think he could find a computer sometime in the last 2+ weeks to send me a quick note. 

But, then may-be he’s not like me:  when I go out of town, I take a bag for me, a bag for John, and a bag of electronics (2 mini computers, camera, phones, and cords for everything)!    

Unpaid Item Dispute?

Today I had to file an Unpaid Item (known as a UPI) grievance with eBay. It’s not hard to do…you just have to tell eBay that you haven’t received your payment and they will send a note out to the buyer on your behalf. 

In this case, a book sold on August 27 and of course I sent an invoice right away.  I always tell my students that I try to be patient with customers—you just never know what’s going on in their lives (maybe something terrible happened and they haven’t had time to get on their computer), so I try to give them benefit of the doubt.  I sent another invoice on September 7 with a gentle reminder attached:  Second Invoice.

 

So here we are one more week later and I still haven’t seen the money.  So I am having eBay deal with him.  Now that I’ve filed a UPI, every time he opens up eBay he will see a pop-up note asking about payment. In 4 days it will automatically end the dispute, and depending on if he pays or not, a record could be put on his file.

   

When I went into the UPI section of eBay, it offered to do this automatically for me.  I just chose the number of days I am willing to wait for payment (I chose 16; other options are 4, 8, 24, and 32 days).  So if eBay sees that my item has not been paid for, it will automatically start sending notes to the buyer.  That’s a time-saver for me…and I won’t have to figure backwards to see if it’s been two weeks yet….

Previous experience has shown that sometimes all it takes for payment to be made is a little nudge from eBay.  So, I wonder if I’ll be seeing my $13.98 soon….   

Don't Forget to Check the Site Map!

The Site Map is a link on eBay that directs users to a page that displays the entire contents of eBay. Every page will have a link to Site Map if you ever get lost.  It's usually on the lower right after you've scrolled down to the bottom of the page.
With the eBay site being as large as it is, you can avoid countless hours of fruitless search by using the Site Map to locate the information you need.

Here are examples of the links that the Site Map contains:

Promote Your Item. This feature allows you to further enhance your auction’s potential by using eBay tools.

Block Bidder/Buying List. Prevent fraudulent and deadbeat bidders from ruining your auctions. You can increase your auction success ratio by eliminating bidders who are not serious.

Answer Center. What eBay seller doesn’t have questions that need to be answered? Take the guess work out of your business, by participating in the Answer Center. You can save time (translate this: money) by quickly finding the answers to your auction related questions.

Chat Rooms. Communicate with other eBay members who can share their experiences and knowledge with you. Information is the name of the game. What better way is there to gather information, than to get it from your fellow eBay members.

Be Careful!

A few notes of caution:



• Be cautious of email that claims to come from eBay. Any messages from eBay OR PayPal will also be available on the sites themselves.


• eBay involves money and making smart financial choices. You are responsible for making sure you understand these transactions before you participate in them. If you have questions, please ask!


• DO NOT EVER give your login, password or any banking information in response to an email or to a site that you did not go to on your own.

Shipping it out to your customer

Sometimes it's a good idea to overestimate your shipping time.

Tell your buyers (in your listings, invoice and payment confirmations) the estimated shipping time for the shipping methods you offer. But don't use the U.S. postal service or eBay estimates - especially around Christmas. If the post office says that media rate or parcel post shipping time averages 5 days then indicate 10 days, or 10-14 days.

You are NOT responsible for the speed of the US Post office or UPS but buyers' will frequently praise or criticize you in their feedback because the shipping time was more or less than they expected. Let them be pleasantly surprised that they received the item sooner than you told them it would arrive.





Package your items carefully, in many cases sealing them in protective wrap before placing them in a padded mailers or boxes, with enough breathing room so that they can survive rough treatment. Remember that postal employees often throw packages around, drop heavy packages on top of smaller ones, and leave packages out in the rain or snow.


Don't attempt to save 50 cents on packaging materials by insecurely packaging your items, and letting your customers decide whether or not to buy insurance. Usually they won't, but if items are damaged, customers will blame you, want a refund from you, and may give you negative feedback, whether or not they insured their items.

You can save money on postage costs for priority mail by using the free materials the U.S.P.S. provides. You can save packaging materials that you receive for your own orders, or pick up materials for free from local stores who recycle theirs.

Personal recommendations: I recommend joining your local Freecycle.org list and posting a notice for packing peanuts. Many people have bags of styrofoam peanuts that they no longer need. Also, an excellent low-cost online store for purchasing shipping supplies in bulk is Uline.