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susiray Jan 4, 2009

hi there hope you all had a good christmas and happy new year to you all.
i have a question and hope for some advice. i want to start selling on ebay and have got so far with the setting up but its asking me for a phone number, my problem is i leave in portugal and i dont have a uk number although i still have a uk address that i use for bank etc. does anyone know if they actually call the number or why they need it. i would really like to start selling my bears through ebay or is there another aution site that is good. i would like to put them on at a set price 'buy it now' i think its called. any advice would be great thanks for the time to read this.

susan bear-hands xx

Laurie Brady Jan 4, 2009

E-bay now asks for your phone # as an ID verification.  They send a "cookie"(a marker) to your computor so they can identify you.  If you deleat it (as we often deleat cookies inorder to speed up our computor), or if you access your e-bay account from a different computor, they block  your login with a message asking if they can call you at the phone # they have on file,with an ID pin # for you to input and (there by verifying your ID).  They have done this to me a few times, until we stoped deleating their ID cookie.   It took forever to get the right e-bay help response from them, but I believe there is an alternative way of obtaining this Pin # when required(e-mail possible??) -You would have to ask e-bay for help there. 
  E-bay is a wonderful selling tool, but can be extremely frustrating to deal with.
_
Hope this helps - Good Luck!
-Laurie

lapousmor Jan 5, 2009

Hi!

I cannot help you with eBay, but I heard so much negative stories about this site when it comes to sell!
Why not trying Bid4Bears, The Teddy Patch, Etsy and Artfire? They are all great alternative places, with much friendly background.
Maybe, visit all theses places, and try them to see with which you feel the best... unless you like them all, hehehehehehe!

Whatever you choose, I wish you the best of luck!

Beary hugs,
Sophie.

susiray Jan 16, 2009

hi guys
i would like to thankyou for your time in replying and sorry i have taken ages to say thankyou.
i will email ebay and i am going to check out the other places. i need to get my bears out there and hopefully start selling more, here in portugal the interest is so small i rely on craft fairs. once again thankyou susan bear-hands xx

desertmountainbear Jan 16, 2009

Hi Susan,  Best of luck to you on expanding your bear venue.  I sell my bears on ebay.  I also have a store I keep there.  For me it is the best place to get the most exposure, and to be honest, I have never had a problem with ebay.  I like them. I also advertise them on Bearpile, and then direct the seller to ebay.  If you search artist bears on the internet they come up at the top.  You do not sell bears through them like other sites, but the exposure is good.
Joanne

FrizzyBear Jan 16, 2009

I haven't sold bears on ebay but other things I have created.  I was never good at pricing my artistic creations so this was a perfect venue for me.  I don't know of any internet site with more exposure. 

I have never had any problems with them except for coping with the rules they change, format tweaks and 'fix them even though they work great' ideas, etc., which can be rather frustrating.  There is a learning curve with their seller's page i.e., your preferences, shipping choices, etc.  I believe they are becoming less and less friendly to the occasional artistic seller with their rating system.  Buyers don't realize how they affect your selling abilities and selling exposure by feedback whims.  I have heard horror stories.  Many say they want to be Amazondotcom with fixed price sales and are pushing out the little guy.   

Good luck!