Entries from February 2007 ↓

About four years ago I taught a class at [tag]eBay University[/tag] in Kansas City, Missouri. A man came up to me and with a completely straight face said, "I sold over $100,000 worth of stuff on [tag]eBay [/tag]last year - when do I have to start reporting that?"

As many new stories have pointed out this week, the [tag]IRS [/tag]is interested in eBay sellers. The government wants to make sure people pay their taxes. That's their job. Contrary to a few groups that claim we cannot (constitutionally) be forced to pay income taxes at all - we pretty much all figure we have to pay each year. The fact is however, many do not understand it applies to them already when selling on the internet. I still hear people saying how great the internet is because it's "tax free."

According to SFGate.com:

The remedy, according to many federal officials, is to expand reporting requirements. The question is, which businesses and what kind of income should fall under the rules?

As part of his proposed federal budget for 2008, President Bush made what many believe is the first step to more vigorously collect taxes on online sales. Although vaguely worded, the proposal would require "brokers," or middlemen, to collect taxpayer identification numbers from clients and report their sales of personal property to the IRS on a 1099 form if sales surpass 100 transactions or more than $5,000 annually.

Under current law, eBay and other auction sites aren't considered brokers. But definitions can be changed.

There are problems with those simply guidelines as even a casual seller will tell you. Some people who sell over 100 items per year aren't making any real profit anyway. It's a hobby for these people. Then there are those who sell for other people - Trading Assistants. They often help people get rid of "stuff" they have lying around and get a few extra bucks for their client. How will they handle their taxes? Who pays? Will these sellers raise prices to make sure they make a profit, eliminating eBay as a place where you can find a bargain? Or will they simply stop selling this way?
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Popularity: 4% [?]

[tag]Changing the name on your PayPal account [/tag]is not something you do often, so it's one of those 'easily forgotten' procedures which can baffle even an experienced user. There are several reasons for changing a name:

• marriage, or divorce
• changing a business name
• changing the contact person on a business account
• joining the Witness Protection Program (okay, I made that one up)

In these days of phishing scams and identity theft, [tag]PayPal[/tag] has made it understandably difficult to make a name change on an account. Personally I'm glad, I feel my account is a little better protected. But still we need to know how to make a change when necessary.

When you want to change your business name, you can do so online by following the steps below. No extra steps are necessary. But if you need to change your whole last name, or change the contact name for your business, you are going to have to fax some information to PayPal. That is for your security. Just suck it up and do it. Further, if you only want to change 1 - 2 letters because your name is slightly mispelled, you can just follow the steps below and change it online.

The easy way and the difficult way to get to the name change page...

I've done the work. So if you don't really want to know how to get to the page, scroll to the bottom of this post. Otherwise, I'm going to give you the step-by-step guide on finding the name-change page.

Step 1: When logged-in to your PayPal account. Click "Help" at the top of the page.

Step 2: Under the left menu column you'll see "Still Having Trouble?" then a link which says: "Contact Us" - click that link. (See screenshot below)

Step 3: After clicking the "Contact Us" link, you'll be at a page that asks how you want your help. Even though you want to do this yourself, choose "Help by Email". Trust me you're getting closer. I've added a screenshot so you know where to click.

Step 4: At this point you'll be at a screen which seems to direct you to the type of email inquiry you're about to make. Ahhh but they're going to fool you! Just pretend to go along with their plan. Non-chalantly choose "My Account Profile > Name Change" then, "Continue"...

Step 5: Now you have reached the point where you choose which type of change you'll make. I have a business account, your screen may look slightly different. You must choose one of the options (screenshot below) and press "Continue"...

Step 6: Now, if you want to change your Business Name or make a minor change to your name you will be able to make the change at a screen like this (the minor name change screen is similar), click Continue and you're done...

The other Step 6: Unfortunately, if you need to really change your name, or change the Contact Person for a business account, you'll need to do a little old-fashioned faxing of actual documents. PayPal wants a valid photo ID, and one of several other identifying documentation. (See below)

If you're just changing your name due to a marriage or divorce, you only need to fax a copy of a photo ID and a copy of the marriage license or divorce decree. And that is it! Change your PayPal name in approximately six easy steps.

You can fax readable copies of your ID by making a slight enlargement on a copy machine, or scanner at home, and faxing the copy.

If you chose to skip all the amazing and interesting descriptions and screenshots - well, I probably would have too.

Here's your link:

https://www.paypal.com/us/wf/f=ap_namechg

[tags]PayPal change name,business name,PayPal business account,eBay[/tags]

Popularity: 6% [?]

[tag]Designing eBay Listings[/tag], About Me Pages, Stores and Blogs

With millions of people "designing" [tag]About Me page[/tag]s, Listings, [tag]eBay Blogs[/tag], and [tag]eBay Stores[/tag] lets face it - there are some ugly ones. Really ugly ones out there. Not only ugly but annoying. I don't mean to be mean, but just because you can use 15 colors in one [tag]eBay listing[/tag] doesn't mean you should. At the end of this post I'll give you a couple of pretty good ways to [tag]choose a color scheme[/tag] for your pages on eBay.

One thing I try to teach in my eBay classes is to present yourself professionally if you want people to buy from you. What does professional mean to you? Well, somehow it has become this to a lot of people:

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Popularity: 13% [?]

This is a question I get nearly every week in my eBay classes. "How long should my listings run on eBay?" eBay offers auction-style and fixed-priced format listings in the 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10-day durations. If you are selling in an eBay Store, you can list for 30 days at a time for less up front cost, with the option to automatically relist that item every 30 days till it sells or is canceled. The fact is there is no single right duration for everyone. You can determine what's right for you though by considering several factors.

Are you selling "Hot" merchandise?

If you are selling the hottest "widget" in town and they're selling for a great price every time you list one on eBay, that's great. If you use a 7-day duration you'll sell one per week, or 4 per month. Your competitor however may be selling the same item for the same price using a 1-day duration, selling 7 per week or 28 in four weeks. If you make a profit of $5 on each item, you're making $20 compared to your competitor's $140 in the same four weeks. See the difference?

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Sellendipity - eBay Live! 2007 Boston

Attendee registration for eBay Live! '07 is now open. You can view the page at: http://pages.ebay.com/ebaylive/

The US Postal Service is the title sponsor. The event is at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and is expected to bring 10,000 eBayers from all over the world. There will be over 150 classes to help educate both buyers and sellers in various aspects of their eBay experience.

Registration prices are up a little this year. Prices are:

• Now through April 6 - $60
• April 7 through May 25 - $75
• May 26 through June 16 - $100

This year eBay is offering a VIP pass called a Priority Pass for the first 750 people who register. This is $150 in addition to registration cost and gets the proud Pass holder:

• an exclusive line at registration so you can bypass the crowds
• a Priority Pass badge and ribbon
• an exclusive entry line and reserved seating at the Keynote Address
• a rolling backpack registration bag
• an eBay water bottle
• a private luncheon on Friday at the Westin with an exclusive executive panel discussion

Included in the registration is access to classes, parties, speeches, and the gala on Saturday night. Past talent for the gala include the B-52s, Huey Lewis & the News, and who know who this year?

Registrants must be 18 years old to attend the conference, however childcare is available along with Teen Camp for teenagers.

eBay Live! sold out last year in Las Vegas, don't wait till the last minute to register. Get regular updates on eBay Live! and tips here at GenuineSeller.com.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Yesterday the [tag]California Association of Nonprofits [/tag]opened registration for a 3-part webinar called eBay as a Fundraising Tool. The course begins March 1st and is an exclusive offer for CAN. Registration is open now. To register for this course, visit: http://www.canonprofits.org/ebay/

This course is specially designed for non-profit organizations and will greatly help them in their efforts to raise funds by using eBay to turn in-kind gifts into cash. [tag]eBay Instructor[/tag], [tag]Steve Lindhorst[/tag] will be presenting the course and will teach organizations to avoid common mistakes and optimize your listings for greatest returns. Additionally, he will discuss ways to encourage donations via eBay through [tag]Giving Works[/tag], eBay's dedicated program for charity listings where sellers can choose to support nonprofit organizations.

Visit here to see full details of the course.

[tags]GivingWorks,fundraising[/tags]

Popularity: 4% [?]