Posts Tagged drop ship ebay
Do you need PayPal?
Posted by Dan Blacharski in Ebay, Home Based Business, eBusiness on July 2nd, 2009
The quick answer is, yes, you do. As a general facet of customer service, you as a merchant need to provide your customers with as many conveniences as possible, and that means providing them with several different ways to pay. Having a standard credit card merchant account is a start, but that in itself isn’t enough. There will be plenty of clients that don’t have a credit card, or prefer not to use one, and look to options like PayPal as an alternative. Of course, you should also allow for old-fashioned mail-in payments with paper checks or money orders as well–there is still a surprising number of potential customers who prefer not to send any financial information online at all.
Not offering a PayPal option will lead to lost sales, plain and simple. Many buyers prefer it, because of the “buyer’s protection” option it affords. It’s not that hard to set up an account and include the option in the checkout page on your web site.
That said, there is an element of caution. You should realize that PayPal is not a bank, and was never meant to be a bank. As such, you should not treat it as one. You will have a PayPal account of course, and there will be money in it as your customers pay you, but this should be approached as a convenience only–not as a place to save your money. It is advisable to regularly take funds out of your account so they do not accumulate, and transfer the funds to your regular bank account.
There are some complaints around about PayPal–although to be fair, any financial institution of any type, anywhere, will have complaints against it. Because it is not a bank, first of all it is not subject to the same regulations as a bank. If there is a dispute, the customer making the claim is assumed up front to be correct, and the funds will be taken from your account while the case is reviewed. The review process can take several months.
How to Use a Drop Ship Website for eBay Inventory
Posted by Bob in Bulk Drop Shipping, Drop Shipping, Ebay, Wholesale, Wholesale Sources, eBusiness on July 1st, 2009
Many of the biggest sellers on eBay rely on dropship websites to provide their eBay inventory. Drop shipping provides many benefits to the eBay seller, not the least of which is not having to hassle with lugging piles and piles of packages to your local post office. If you want to use a dropship website for your eBay inventory, there are some specific steps you’ll need to follow.
First of all, you need to find the right dropship website. There are literally hundreds of dropship websites on the Internet, and many of them are actually run by scammers who want nothing more than to separate you from your money. Finding the right dropship website is key. We’ve talked elsewhere on our website about how to find the right drop shipper and what to look for. Don’t skimp on this step, as choosing the right dropship website can mean the difference between amazing success and dramatic failure.
Once you’ve selected a dropship website, you’ll have to register. Some dropship sites may charge registration fees, fees to process orders or maintenance fees. Make sure you know what the fees involved are, and that you include them (along with your eBay seller fees and PayPal fees) when you price your items.
Now, it’s time to select a product. You need to understand that there are many other eBay sellers who are selling the same product you’re looking for. Take a few minutes to do a search for the product on eBay. You’ll find that many of them use the same word-for-word descriptions, as well as the same photos and price. This kind of competition doesn’t automatically mean you can’t sell the item, it just means you have to find a way to add value and differentiate yourself from the competition.
Next, you need to determine your pricing structure. You need to take into account all of your fees and overhead – from the cost of the item to dropship fees to eBay item listing fees. Don’t sell your item too low or you’ll sell a lot of products that make you no money, or that you even wind up having to pay to sell them.
Finally, be ready for returns. You won’t survive for very long as an eBay seller if you don’t have a good return policy. Know what the dropship website’s return policy is, and be prepared to follow it in order to get reimbursed for these situations.
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