I am STILL waiting for this book to arrive (*exasperated sigh*).



I don't blame the seller - I blame Australia Post.

In the last few weeks Australia Post has lost, folded, mutilated or alien-abducted my deliveries.

I think somewhere in central Australia, there is a huge stockpile of stuff I have bought on Ebay.

I added up the annoyance tax, stress duty and worry rates and it all came to about $50.

From now on, I'm using registered or express post. Comparatively it's worth the extra
couple of bucks.

Technorati Tags: ebay+jinx pilates guide australia+post

Calling all Trekkies (sorry Trekkers)!! Star Trek stuff on ebay at the moment!

Example 1: The Enterprise Blueprints


This is for those of you who know (or want to know) the enterprise better than the production team. It's actually quite unnerving. I'm sure some fans will soon build a working model and film their own show on YouTube!!



Example 2: Insignia with box & certificate



I admit it. I always wanted one of these.



Example 3: Very Retro Klingon Bird of Prey


I can't be sure but this looks 80s to me (E.T. era!!) but..who knows, it might be even earlier. Good idea to ask the seller about that one.

That's enough from me. I'm off to the Klingon Language Institute.

"Scotty, beam me up" (hehehehehe) - Yeah, I know, Kirk never said "Beam me up Scotty"



To quote the immortal words of Captain Kirk...

"I'm from Iowa. I just work in outer space."

Technorati Tags: trekkies trekkers star+trek ebay captain+kirk klingon

It arrived. Hooray!!!

However....(*sigh*) the little white buttons you see in the picture are shoddy.

The black writing on the buttons is already coming off. What a scam!!

Luckily I like my original buttons much better so I kept them instead. If I had not wanted to do this I would have been really annoyed.

I gave the seller positive feedback because I couldn't be bothered with anything else. It took ages to arrive and when it did the buttons were flimsy and smudging.

Instead of worrying too much I have put this one down to experience and hopefully my run of bad Ebay luck is over.

VERDICT - Hmmmmmm!

Technorati Tags: nokia nokia+2600 ebay auction

I have fallen victim to the dreaded Ebay jinx. The last few purchases I have made have been a complete disaster.

Here is the rundown:

Exhibit J - Robotic LED Book Light



Verdict - D.O.A. !!! (2 Items sent. 2 Items died)



Exhibit K - Stainless Steel Compass



First item sent was not very useful.
The compass didn't work (North kept changing direction!)
To the seller's credit, he did send me a new one and that one worked.

Verdict - Annoying, but OK



Exhibit L - Nokia 2600




Technically this one wasn't a total disaster but it was a complete pain the the bum.

The phone description said "Unlocked"
"Unlocked" of course meaning locked to the Telstra network when I hate Telstra and would rather eat sawdust than give them a cent.

So I had to spend a hair-pulling 3 hours trying to activate a locked phone with an Optus SIM kit.

Then I had to go to a Telstra shop (arrrgh!!) and PAY them to unlock it. $30!!!

Oy veh.

Verdict - Grrrrr!!!



Exhibit M - Playstation 2 Memory Card



Oh, this one was a doozy. The card didn't arrive. For weeks. And weeks.
And then the seller was "No longer a registered user on Ebay"

Was I nervous? You bet!

I managed to track down his phone number and he ended up finally sending it to me.

Then I used it for Tiger Woods 2004 (I have been happily playing Tiger Woods 2003 for the last year or so) and I realised that Tiger Woods 2004 is a bunch of crap.

Verdict - Hahahahahahah!!!!!! (Losing it at this point)



Exhibit L - Pink Nokia 2600 Cover



I love it. It's wonderful. It's just MISSING IN ACTION!!!!!!

Verdict - (insert maniacal laughter here)

Perhaps my blog has displeased the Ebay gods.

Technorati Tags: ebay+jinx jinx unlucky+shopping bad+sellers

Don't miss out on this one!!!

$450 for a $900+ diamond brilliant cut ring.

It's ending in 3 hours 45 min so click on the title link above.

That's It!!

I'VE GONE CRAZY!!!

WHY YOU ASK?

WELL JUST LOOK HERE:

1 DIAMOND RING (CLICK TITLE LINK NOW!)

VALUED AT $900 BY REPUTABLE JEWELLER

EVERYTHING MUST GO

HOW MUCH YOU ASK?

HAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

BIDS START AT $450

THAT'S RIGHT!

$450!!!

ONE SALE ONLY
MUST END SOON
ETC. ETC.

(*PANT*PANT*)

Note to self: NEVER do your own commercials.

I bought this amazing looking robotic book light for $12.79.





When I got it home, it died. After turning it on 3 times. Fine, I thought, must be the battery. I bought new batteries the next day and put them in.

Nothing.

I emailed the seller and told him the problem. He kindly sent out another one. It worked. For about 10 minutes. Then it went dim, then it flickered, making it impossible to read.

The robotic action is impressive the first few times but it gets annoying. You can't move it from side to side, and it gets in the way when you are turning the pages.

So, I concluded, I must have been unlucky and received 2 duds.

Wrong!!!

This link shows reviews of the same product citing the same problems.


http://www.amazon.com/Robotic-LED-Travel-Book/dp/B000BL3Z5U


So, I still didn't have a reading light and I was $12.79 down (plus $5 for batteries!)

At the supermarket that night I discovered the Energizer LED Head Beam.



It was more expensive at around $35-$40 but it has a lifetime warranty, the beam is strong and easy to read with, it has 50 hour battery operation, it swivels and is hands free.

http://www.energizer.com/products/flashlights/flashlight.asp?cat=4&id=3

And the coolest thing is you can wear it and scare your friends doing Terminator impersonations with the red night vision light.




Or was that just me?

These are ending now!! Check them out (click on title link):

*Guns N' Roses rare Japanese mini collectable CD*
*Janes Addiction CD*
*GUESS Wallet*
*Nokia 2112 covers*
*Pocket calorie and fat counter*
*Cool alarm clock with night light*
*Living Words - creativity book*

I'm selling this ring on eBay (click on title link)

STUNNING 0.31CT Brilliant Cut Diamond Engagement Ring


This ring was valued last week at $900 by a reputable jeweller. I just want it to go to a good home. I'm doing a big clear-out of my stuff.

A good friend told me about this article in the Herald Sun "Fakes Sold on Ebay":

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20345984-2902,00.html

Have you ever wondered about the number of "collectables" and "signed limited edition" stuff?

Try this:
Click on a seller's name - it will show their eBay Member Profile (click to enlarge).




click on "Items for Sale" - it will show their current listings



Tick the box for the persons "completed listings"

If it shows that they have sold a large number of "rare" stuff and is still selling similar items, the warning bells should start ringing.

Oh well. One less shark in the waters.

We're going to need a bigger boat.

Okay, I finally had to ditch my Nokia 2112 because Orange were closing down the CDMA network. Nice one. NOT!!!

I loved that phone. It had an inbuilt torch and everything.



*Sigh!*


So...I had to get the closest thing to a Nokia 2112 in a GSM phone. The best thing about the Nokia 2112 (apart from the torch) was the one-button switch to speakerphone. If you ask me all phones should have this so people don't fry their brains unnecessarily.

The Nokia 2600 was the closest I could find.



When you are on a call, you can press the down arrow button, then select "Loudspeaker". Then you can put it on the table and talk without irradiating yourself.

VERDICT - SUCCESS!!

One of these days I'm going to do a ratings update.

I first discovered Nikola Tesla's Purple Plates in a Linda Goodman book. I completely forgot about what I had read until recently when I came across a couple of websites on the subject.





These links will help you get an understanding of what they do:

http://www.teslaplates.com

http://www.naturesalternatives.com/energy

http://www.linda-goodman.com

http://www.purpleharmonyplates.com/nikola_tesla.htm

Do they work? In my opinion, yes!

I bought a medium purple plate on eBay for $16AU (rrp $45AU) and a couple of pendants for around $8-10 (rrp $30AU)The seller was from St Louis, USA - in this case buying from an international seller worked out a lot cheaper than buying locally from a shop.

VERDICT - SUCCESS!!

Some call them 'Postage Pirates' AAARRRGHGH!

They are the ones who hold 0.99c auctions and charge $40, $50 or $100 for postage!!

Here's a nifty way to beat those nasty pasties...

1. Sign in and go to "My eBay"

2. Scroll down to "Items I'm Watching"

3. Click on "Customise Display"

4. Move "Postage Cost" to the right hand column

5. Save!

The postage for items is now visible at all times.

If the postage reads "Not Specified", don't bid until you ask the seller about the cost of postage. That way you can avoid nasty surprises at the end of auction.

If in doubt, do a check with the following postage calculators:

USPS - http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage/welcome.htm

Australia Post - http://www1.auspost.com.au/pac/

Royal Mail - http://www.royalmail.com (use the quickfind menu at top of page)

Sometimes you get the perfect piece of clothing. For the perfect price. I snapped up this authentic JAG top (similar to top pictured) for $5.50 / $10.15 including postage



VERDICT - SUCCESS!!

I was lucky to buy from an individual who no longer wanted the top - this may be the best way to buy brand name clothing. I would be wary of big eBay stores that claim to sell "authentic" designer clothing at ridiculous prices. One has to ask the question - how is this profitable for them? The answer is...it isn't. Unless of course the designer labels are quickly sewn or glued on before selling.

I have seen a lot of people burned by fake designer goods. Look at the person's feedback - if a lot of people are saying "not sure about authenticity" or "this is a fake!!" then use common sense. Also, if you are buying a Prada bag for $15 then you don't really have that much to complain about. If you ask me, the dang things aren't worth $500 anyway.

Happy Shopping!!

These were all bargains. Retailing at $30 new in shops, $40 for hardback, I managed to snap these up from $2.00 to $6.00 - often the postage was more expensive than the book!!

VERDICT - SUCCESS!!

Here is the list of the Patricia Cornwell Kay Scarpetta Books (in order of publication):

Postmortem
Body of Evidence
All That Remains (August 1992)
Cruel & Unusual (December 1993)
The Body Farm
From Potter's Field
Cause of Death
Unnatural Exposure
Point of Origin
Black Notice
The Last Precinct (October 2000)
Blow Fly (October 2003)
Trace (September 2004)
Predator, was released on October 25, 2005

They will be mine. Oh yes, they will be mine.

technorati tags: patricia cornwell, kay scarpetta, scarpetta books in order, books, crime, fiction

Yes. That's right. I have ventured into the territory of selling.

It is my first time and I am researching as I go. I will explore the
ins and outs of ebay selling in future posts.

Go to ebay and look up:
Faith No More – Angel Dust CD












Offspring – Smash CD












And... Telstra Prepaid Starter Pack with SIM $10 credit












They will be on ebay.com.au (see top left button)for the next few days...

Happy Bidding!!!

When you place a bid, you make a commitment to buy the item if you win. There isn't really a "get out of jail free" card.

Some people make the mistake of thinking that they can put a bid on a number of the same item and only buy the cheapest one at the end of all the auctions.

Wrong!!

If you put a bid on 5 different Nokia 2600s, and you win all 5 auctions, you're buying 5 phones.

This is the biggest mistake many people make when learning to use ebay.

Here it is. The dreaded negative feedback. This is what it looks like and I hope you never have to deal with one.



Always check the sellers feedback on ebay. If they have 100%, great! If they have 99.9%, check the one negative feedback comment.

I have encountered two kinds of negative feedback:

1. The buyer makes an outrageous/stupid comment like "THIS IS A FAKE!!! DON'T TRUST THIS EBAYER!!"

...when the item description clearly stated "REPLICA FOR SALE"

It's ridiculous to complain about anything that is listed correctly in the item description. It's not right to give negative feedback when you didn't read the listing carefully enough.

Most likely, the response from the seller will be "CLEARLY STATED IN ITEM DESCRIPTION. LEARN TO READ." or words to that effect.

In this case, I would still consider buying from this seller, as the negative feedback was clearly unfair.

However,

2. If the seller has more than one negative and a number of buyers are saying the same thing - Beware!!

Examples:
Item never arrived.
Very rude seller.
Item arrived broken. Will not answer emails.

In this case, I would not consider buying from this seller. Why create problems for yourself? Buy from someone with better feedback - you will save yourself time and worry.

Many sellers with feedback such as this will hide behind their sales numbers eg. "OVER 1000 CUSTOMERS SERVED" - this is no defence.

If a lot of these items disappeared, were faulty, sub-standard, or had excessive postage added, then stay away. You could be next!

It's not so much the number of negatives but a matter of detecting a pattern. The way to pick which sellers to buy from comes down to instinct.

Use the force, Luke.

I have received quite a few fake ebay emails in the past, but I was waiting for one to use as an example. Nothing would please me more than to ruin a spammer's day!! So here it is in all it's glory. (Click to enlarge)



Here are the ways to spot the newer, more sophisticated fake ebay emails:

These ones are clever - it looks like it was sent from an ebay member. In fact, the body of the email is almost duplicated exactly from a real ebay email.

Firstly, don't look at the body of the email - check who it came from.
1. Was it sent to your email address that you originally registered with ebay?
My answer to this question was NO. The email was sent to one of my other email addresses so it could not possibly have come from a real ebay member.

2. Do you recognise the name? Is it someone you are dealing with?
My answer to this question was NO. The person asking the question was from the UK, and claimed to have sent money to me.

3. Does their question make sense?
My answer again is NO. Why would someone send me money when I am not an ebay seller and I do not have a Dell Laptop to sell!!

4. Safety check
Whenever you answer emails from ebay members, log straight into ebay and check "My Messages". This is the best way to check if the message is authentic. If it's not in "My Messages" then chances are you got a fake. There are exceptions to this rule, but you will learn to know which are the real ones.

5. Real ebay messages don't ask you for logins or credit card details
The one predictable feature of spam is that they often ask for your login and password or say they have "lost" your credit card information and would you please update them? Use common sense. If a stranger called you up pretending to be from the bank and asked for all your account details, you would be suspicious. And you would probably call your bank or visit them to check the authenticity of the call. It is no different online. It's just easier to forget that even though it's the internet, it's still real.


It's a feeding frenzy for the sharks. Make sure you're not on the menu.

If you are joining ebay for the first time, you need to do the following:

1. Sign up
2. Resist the temptation to start bidding/selling/buying etc.
3. Go straight to the "COMMUNITY" section (see picture)



4. Research this section until you get sick of it. Really. If everybody did this first step, it would reduce complications in the future.



5. When you are ready to start bidding on ebay, do the following - check the seller's feedback (click to enlarge)



If you are satisfied with their feedback score and comments, start bidding!!

It is a good idea to start small with your first purchase (I should take my own advice!!) just to see how it all works.

Happy Shopping!!