How The Little Guy Gets The Shaft

 Well I have been trying to think of a solution for this, and have come to a conclusion.Ebay will most likely do nothing about this, nor will Auctiva and the other parasites that are stealing from us.Nor will the sellers do anything about it, as they are getting their sites enhanced for free….so their not out of any money.Looks like were the ones footing the bill, so basically it makes no difference to them at all!

Ok after many hours of studying the beast, this is what I have noticed to be consistent with it all.The services that Auctiva and others offer, really only appeal to large sellers, like powersellers.The small operators normally do not do enough business to bother with it.Some powersellers have their own images, so there are a few that do not partake, but they are an extreme minority.

I also found that if an item was brand new, chances are that it is being sold by a powerseller….and fronted by Auctiva or one of the others.Items that are used/second hand normally are sold by a single individual whom has taken a picture themselves….so no chance auctiva can pinch a commission from a sale like this.

Niches that focus on cutting edge technology are anything that is brand new or still being manufactured, are once again the bread and butter for most if not all the powersellers and being fronted by Auctiva and others.Niches that don’t seem to illustrate this trend, are the ones that fall into collectables…items that have ceased to be manufactured.Items such as antiques, old coins, blue glass….etc, etc need to be viewed as they really are…..so Auctiva is out of luck on these types of items.

There again the common trait that I am seeing is that if it’s still manufactured, then Auctiva and others have a chance to provide pictures, and open the way to an easy commission snatch.

So what can we do?Perhaps Wade can figure a way for us to write out the powersellers and others that use these crooks.I’m sure that most powersellers are unaware of all this, but at the same time, they are making their money and could probably care less about us little affiliates.Since Ebay is the main player in all this, and have allowed it to exist and grow, there is only a couple things we can honestly do!

1.Is to create a script that will write out the likes of Auctiva and others…which would be great!But how long will it take to do so?Can it even be done?

2.The next option is to write out those powersellers and others that use such services.In my opinion this may be a better option, as your sending them a wake-up call…and hitting them where it hurts…in their bank accounts!I don’t like doing this, but if you think about it, we are already getting bashed in our bank accounts due to this!

Now as I have experimented the last 2-3 days on things to do, as far as blocking these sorts of sites…I did manage to come up with something that can be used until we get something better and easier.All you have to do is in the negative keyword section of the Phpbay code for your listing is to input the powerseller/s id [phpbay]wii fit console, num, “”, johnxxx409[/phpbay]…….this will block all his listings for that particular product.It is time consuming, but at least you will know that you want be sending any customers to him and run the risk of handing them over to Auctiva.Also note, you will most likely have to input several powersellers id’s to insure that you have filtered out all!You may also find that when your done, you will not have a diverse selection like you would have.Most of your products will be from medium sellers, a few powersellers that don’t use Auctiva, and sellers that are their to just sell a few things from home.

This is another thing I noticed…and it really pissed me off!As I blocked the powersellers, using the described method above…I noticed that all these little sellers were brought forward.It would appear that these little sellers never get any promotion, and never make it to the top of the rank to be seen.So when their time is up, they haven’t sold their item…get charged a fee anyway, and have to re list it over and over!It would seem that the powersellers get top choice in all of this, and the little guy gets screwed, and squeezed out and charged a fee for nothing!I myself would rather promote these types of sellers, as their just trying to make a little cash like most of us!Anyway that’s it I guess….can’t think of anything else right now.Sorry I went on, but it is a very serious thing and very important that we do something, instead of just setting by, watching our earnings get taken by others.
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Well Wishes $2 You | Pistachio

I found this fascinating quote today:

1. What can $2 do? 2. How can I thank and honor clients and friends of Pistachio Consulting this year? 3. What do I want most of all for Christmas?Well Wishes $2 You | Pistachio, Dec 2008

You should read the whole article.

My Philosohy for Coping Financially

Use coupons as much as possible. 

Be patient in cutting them out and going through them before making any purchase.  Pack them together with your grocery bag or in the car so you can use the discount voucher at every opportunity.  One can save $20 – $50, just by using the coupons. 

Track your expenses. 

Have the patience to keep your receipts and record all your expenses, no matter how small or frequently they occur.  By doing so, you are made aware of where every single penny goes.  Furthermore, you will know when you have spent too much on clothing, when in fact you still need to settle your credit card balance, or even pay the rent. Having the fortitude to not try and use even old tape drives for old data is a great idea in a digital age.

Hold-off and sleep on it!

If you are about to purchase a $100 item, hold off the purchase until you’ve given it much thought, say sleeping on it for 1-2 nights.  If after such time, you decide that you absolutely need and can afford the purchase, then go ahead.  Nevertheless, you’ll be surprised at how much you can save by just sleeping and thinking things over. 

Control Of Your Invalid Clicks Is Crucial

I found this fascinating quote today:

Invalid clicks are also unnecessary as there are plenty of money-making opportunities with valid clicks.  With an optimized website, useful content, and attractive ads, there’s no reason for anybody to even entertain the idea of using invalid clicks.Control Of Your Invalid Clicks Is Crucial, Nov 2008

You should read the whole article.

Nokia Messaging Demo

The Possibilities Of Ebay

I found this fascinating quote today:

Next time you’re on eBay, take a look at how many PowerSellers there are: you’ll find quite a few. Now consider that every single one of one of them must be making at least $1,000 per month, as that’s eBay’s requirement for becoming a PowerSeller. Silver PowerSellers make at least $3,000 each month, while Gold PowerSellers make more than $10,000, and the Platinum level is $25,000. The top ranking is Titanium PowerSeller, and to qualify you must make at least $150,000 in sales every month!The Possibilities Of Ebay, Nov 2008

You should read the whole article.