Hello Everyone,
Just a follow-up on my bigcrumbs account. I have earned over $70.00 so far! This is one of the best cash back programs that I have ever been a member of. You earn rebates on your purchases at many major online retailers AND those that your refer. If you have not joined bigcrumbs yet, than you are missing out on some major free cash rebates.
Some of the retailers are ebay, best buy, Dell, Disney and Target. As you can see these are major online retailers. You don't have to give out any bank or credit card information. You don't even have to give out your id numbers to these places, just log on to bigcrumbs and connect to the retailers thru their mall.
I found out about bigcrumbs on ebay's powerseller board, so you know it's good, when all the powerseller's are signing up!
Here's the link and if it does not fill in my name as the referral already, enter computergal
http://www.bigcrumbs.com/crumbs/frontpage.jsp?r=computergal
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Troubleshooting XP Boot Up Problems
I hope everyone's holiday week is going well. Mine has been extremely busy (which is good) since I am in online retail. My ebay store has been hopping with everyone taking advantage of my new and vintage software and hardware. I have sold a bunch of Playstation 2 keyboards (see previous article below), so those are hot this year.
Well for those of you having computer problems, this article should help. This tip is on techrepublics web site, but you have to be a member to view it so I have decided to share with my readers as it is a good one. The author has a web site that you may want to view as well located here
Well for those of you having computer problems, this article should help. This tip is on techrepublics web site, but you have to be a member to view it so I have decided to share with my readers as it is a good one. The author has a web site that you may want to view as well located here
PC won't boot what can you do, well here is 10 things that may help
Use a Windows startup disk
Use Last Known Good Configuration
Use System Restore
Use Recovery Console
Fix a corrupt Boot.ini
Fix a corrupt partition boot sector
Fix a corrupt master boot record
Disable automatic restart
Restore from a backup
Perform an in-place upgrade
Ok, great, how how do you do these things?, entire PDF how to is here
For those of you that have a crashed computer at home and are able to fix it with these instructions "Who loves you, baby"
Don't forget that we have the Ultimate Boot CD available in my ebay store if you need a little more help. This CD will boot any pc you have, that is for sure!
Good luck and type at ya soon :0)
Thursday, December 21, 2006
What's Hot on ebay
Ever wonder what is hot on ebay? Well lucky for you ebay has a free report that breaks down by category what is hot at any given time. The report is in PDF format so you can save it on your computer for later viewing or to print out. You can find December's report here
http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/hotitems.pdf
If you are serious about selling on ebay it is important to study this report and try and choose a category that you are interested in. In order to enjoy what you are doing and to know something about what you are doing it is a good idea to pick something you are involved in already. For example if you collect Nascar items, that would be a good start to review what is hot.
The hardest part is finding the inventory at a good price so that you are able to make a profit, after paying all ebay's fees, and that is another article for sure. Ebay has hurt alot of sellers with their ever increasing fees.
I will go over the fees and store rates later, until then......
http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/hotitems.pdf
If you are serious about selling on ebay it is important to study this report and try and choose a category that you are interested in. In order to enjoy what you are doing and to know something about what you are doing it is a good idea to pick something you are involved in already. For example if you collect Nascar items, that would be a good start to review what is hot.
The hardest part is finding the inventory at a good price so that you are able to make a profit, after paying all ebay's fees, and that is another article for sure. Ebay has hurt alot of sellers with their ever increasing fees.
I will go over the fees and store rates later, until then......
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
ebay Feedback Blackmail / Extortion, What to do?!
Just about anyone who sells or buys on ebay has faced "FeedBack Blackmail". Feedback blackmail / extortion is when the other party threatens you with a negative feedback unless you provide goods or services not included in the original listing. The first time someone blackmailed me with negative feedback I was shocked and down right mad! I couldn't believe it. I strive to provide 100% customer satisfaction. I always describe my product to the best of my ability. If there is a flaw, I note it and photograph it. I always ship promptly, whithin 48 hours, but usually sooner.
Usually when someone is planning on blackmailing you their emails are extremely rude and threatening. For example you mail the package the same day as winning bid, you send with delivery confirmation and return receipt. You receive the confirmation and customer's signature back and think that all is well. A day later you receive angry email from customer that they did not receive item and if refund is not sent immediately to their paypal account they will leave a negative feedback. The customer is not asking if the item has been shipped, or stating they are unhappy with the item, only that they want a full refund immediately or will leave you a negative feedback. In cases like this I always let them know that I have their signature and delivery confirmation from the USPS stating their package was received, but I would be happy to file a claim with the USPS for them and the USPS aka Government will investigate the possibility of fraud. Usually that works as no one likes to mess with the government.
Every now and then I receive an email stating "I hate to leave you a negative feedback" BUT .... I always reply if there is a problem with the item please let me know WHAT it is and I will replace or whatever is necessary. There is no need to threaten me with negative feedback. I mean if I don't respond to your issue I can see threatening, but to start off the first contact with "I'm gonna neg you" is a little unfair. Just as unfair as giving a negative without even contacting the other party first.
I can understand the buyer's frustration as I buy on ebay too. I have been ripped off as well, so I know how it feels, and that is partly why I strive to provide excellent customer service. These days it really does pay to shop with ebay sellers that have stores on ebay, as you know they will still be there tomorrow.
What to do once you have been blackmailed. Ebay's feedback extortion info page is found here
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-extortion.html
eBay will even remove the negative feedback under certain conditions. One way to have it removed is to check the other parties contact information. If their contact info in not correct, ebay will remove the negative. A mutual withdrawal can also be requested, where as both parties agree to remove their negative feedback. Info on both can be found here
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-abuse-withdrawal.html
Another way to have negative feedback removed is if the member is suspended under one account, re-registers under another. That feedback can be removed. Here is a link on other valid reasons to remove feedback.
http://pages.ebay.in/help/policies/feedback-removal.html
If you think you qualify for feedback removal, use this form to request the removal from your profile.
http://pages.ebay.in/help/contact_us/_base/index.html
There is a web site that is very useful as it list all feedback for a particular member, even if it has been removed. It is a good idea to check the person out to see if they have a habit of leaving bad feedback (many do)
http://www.toolhaus.org/
You can check all the feedback they have left for others, and feedback that has been received. It even list any that have been mutually withdrawn. A very useful tool that warrants a place in your favorites.
I hope you have found this info useful, and remember it is not the end of the world when you receive your first negative feedback.
Usually when someone is planning on blackmailing you their emails are extremely rude and threatening. For example you mail the package the same day as winning bid, you send with delivery confirmation and return receipt. You receive the confirmation and customer's signature back and think that all is well. A day later you receive angry email from customer that they did not receive item and if refund is not sent immediately to their paypal account they will leave a negative feedback. The customer is not asking if the item has been shipped, or stating they are unhappy with the item, only that they want a full refund immediately or will leave you a negative feedback. In cases like this I always let them know that I have their signature and delivery confirmation from the USPS stating their package was received, but I would be happy to file a claim with the USPS for them and the USPS aka Government will investigate the possibility of fraud. Usually that works as no one likes to mess with the government
Every now and then I receive an email stating "I hate to leave you a negative feedback" BUT .... I always reply if there is a problem with the item please let me know WHAT it is and I will replace or whatever is necessary. There is no need to threaten me with negative feedback. I mean if I don't respond to your issue I can see threatening, but to start off the first contact with "I'm gonna neg you" is a little unfair. Just as unfair as giving a negative without even contacting the other party first.
I can understand the buyer's frustration as I buy on ebay too. I have been ripped off as well, so I know how it feels, and that is partly why I strive to provide excellent customer service. These days it really does pay to shop with ebay sellers that have stores on ebay, as you know they will still be there tomorrow.
What to do once you have been blackmailed. Ebay's feedback extortion info page is found here
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-extortion.html
eBay will even remove the negative feedback under certain conditions. One way to have it removed is to check the other parties contact information. If their contact info in not correct, ebay will remove the negative. A mutual withdrawal can also be requested, where as both parties agree to remove their negative feedback. Info on both can be found here
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-abuse-withdrawal.html
Another way to have negative feedback removed is if the member is suspended under one account, re-registers under another. That feedback can be removed. Here is a link on other valid reasons to remove feedback.
http://pages.ebay.in/help/policies/feedback-removal.html
If you think you qualify for feedback removal, use this form to request the removal from your profile.
http://pages.ebay.in/help/contact_us/_base/index.html
There is a web site that is very useful as it list all feedback for a particular member, even if it has been removed. It is a good idea to check the person out to see if they have a habit of leaving bad feedback (many do)
http://www.toolhaus.org/
You can check all the feedback they have left for others, and feedback that has been received. It even list any that have been mutually withdrawn. A very useful tool that warrants a place in your favorites.
I hope you have found this info useful, and remember it is not the end of the world when you receive your first negative feedback.
Xbox Game Taz Wanted
I was able to purchase a case of the Xbox game "Taz Wanted" at a great price and figured I let some of my readers in on the deal. The game retails for about $30.00, and I have it listed for $9.99! If you need several I will give you a good deal and combine the shipping. This is really a great Christmas present for yourself and others at a huge savings. Click here for my ebay listing.
Don't forget that 80% of my inventory is not listed on ebay yet, so be sure and ask if you are looking for something, especially older software and pc games, as I may just well have it.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Avoid Wagglepop Part 2
For all you Wagglepop the re-opening followers, I thought I would post an update. Apparently censorship is running high on the Wagglepop forums these days. Stores have dropped from almost 1,000 stores to 638! Wow that is a lot of stores closing down in a very short amount of time. The funny thing is over 300 of those stores have less than 50 items (are they real stores??) Many are complaining that their posts, or fellow store owners posts are being deleted. Their private messages are also being deleted and censored. That is a bit ridiculous. I mean the store owners are adults. Adults do not need someone (Ray) to proof read their private messages from other store owners and delete those that Wagglepop (Ray) does not think are warm and fuzzy! What else is going on behind the scenes that may be a little unethical? If it is ok to delete private messages what else is ok? Do I hear control freak?
There is another thing that does not sit well. If you decide to close your store, you must pay your invoice first (seems fair, but wait). Now let's say you opened your store on Jan 10, and want to close on Feb 2. Well from what I have read these store owners must pay Feb's bill before they can close. Well, you would think that the fee you paid on Jan 10 would cover till Feb 10, wouldn't you??? Are many of the supposive store listings just stores that are abandoned due to their refusal of paying extra fees and Wagglepop's refusal to close them until they do? That would explain all those stores with 1 or 2 listings that have sat there for a couple months. I mean who would pay $10.00 a month for a store with 1 listing? You know they say that the truth is often stranger than fiction. Makes you wonder doesn't it?
Will there ever be an alternative to ebay? I hope so, but don't think this is it.
There is another thing that does not sit well. If you decide to close your store, you must pay your invoice first (seems fair, but wait). Now let's say you opened your store on Jan 10, and want to close on Feb 2. Well from what I have read these store owners must pay Feb's bill before they can close. Well, you would think that the fee you paid on Jan 10 would cover till Feb 10, wouldn't you??? Are many of the supposive store listings just stores that are abandoned due to their refusal of paying extra fees and Wagglepop's refusal to close them until they do? That would explain all those stores with 1 or 2 listings that have sat there for a couple months. I mean who would pay $10.00 a month for a store with 1 listing? You know they say that the truth is often stranger than fiction. Makes you wonder doesn't it?
Will there ever be an alternative to ebay? I hope so, but don't think this is it.
Friday, December 8, 2006
Really Cool Computer / Playstation 2 / Gameboards / Keyboards on eBay
I have these really cool gameboard/lapboards listed on eBay. I have never seen anything like them so I bought a few cases of them. These keyboards can be used with your computer or playstation 2 or with both of them together. They set on your lap (which I love) and include everything you need. The gameboard has the keyboard, mouse and joystick all in one. I use mine with my computer via the USB connection, so I can sit back in my easy chair while I surf the web. No need to reach up for the mouse or joystick anymore! The best thing is they have a 2 year warranty and are less than half off right now. Check out the fixed price listing sale now here or the normal price in my store here which is still lowest I have seen at $39.99, on sale now for $29.99. Here is a picture out of the box
Now here is an image that sort of explains how it can be used for both the playstation 2 and computer at the same time.
I don't have that many and at this price they won't be in my ebay store forever! So hurry before they're gone :<)
http://stores.ebay.com/Computer-GAL
Don't forget that 70 percent of my inventory is not listed so if you are looking for something in particular such as vintage software or rare pc game, let me know I might have it. I also have alot of vintage hardware that I need to list and some old DOS computers too!
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Google Checkout Free For Another Year
Google checkout has announced they will remain free for another year. I know there have been some clitches and they have been fixing them. We all know that Paypal has their share of glitches too, so Google is a viable option. I have pasted the story below and provided the link for you if you are interested.
To celebrate the holidays, Google is processing your Checkout sales for free
Top 5 Questions
What's the free transaction processing promotion?
How is this promotion different from the free transaction processing I already receive?
Will the free transaction processing promotion apply to all of my sales in November?
Will this promotion affect my free transaction processing in January?
As you may know, for every $1 you spend on AdWords, you can process $10 of Google Checkout sales for free. Just in time for the holidays, we're giving you even more by processing your Google Checkout sales for free through the end of 2007! Here's how it works:
From November 8, 2006 through December 31, 2007, we'll process your Checkout transactions for free, even if you aren't an AdWords advertiser. If you're already an AdWords advertiser, we'll process your Checkout transactions for free regardless of what you spend on AdWords.*
Valid Checkout orders you receive during the promotion will automatically qualify.
You can take full advantage of this promotion by encouraging your buyers to use Google Checkout on your site.
Other applicable fees (e.g. chargeback fees) may apply. This promotion is subject to the Google Checkout Terms of Service. Google may revoke the promotion for accounts that do not comply with these terms.
On January 1, 2008, the standard transaction fee will apply again. Also, if applicable, your regular free transaction processing (based on your December, 2007 AdWords spend) will resume.Using Google Checkout to increase sales and lower costs during this busy holiday season has never been easier. If we can do anything else to help, feel free to drop us a line. Happy holidays from Google Checkout!* AdWords advertisers: Because this promotion begins on 11/8/06, the free transaction processing based on your AdWords spend will still apply to your Checkout sales from 11/1/06 through 11/7/06. Any Checkout orders you receive and process from 11/8/06 through 12/31/07 will then be eligible for free processing under this promotion.
https://checkout.google.com/seller/freetransactions.html
To celebrate the holidays, Google is processing your Checkout sales for free
Top 5 Questions
What's the free transaction processing promotion?
How is this promotion different from the free transaction processing I already receive?
Will the free transaction processing promotion apply to all of my sales in November?
Will this promotion affect my free transaction processing in January?
As you may know, for every $1 you spend on AdWords, you can process $10 of Google Checkout sales for free. Just in time for the holidays, we're giving you even more by processing your Google Checkout sales for free through the end of 2007! Here's how it works:
From November 8, 2006 through December 31, 2007, we'll process your Checkout transactions for free, even if you aren't an AdWords advertiser. If you're already an AdWords advertiser, we'll process your Checkout transactions for free regardless of what you spend on AdWords.*
Valid Checkout orders you receive during the promotion will automatically qualify.
You can take full advantage of this promotion by encouraging your buyers to use Google Checkout on your site.
Other applicable fees (e.g. chargeback fees) may apply. This promotion is subject to the Google Checkout Terms of Service. Google may revoke the promotion for accounts that do not comply with these terms.
On January 1, 2008, the standard transaction fee will apply again. Also, if applicable, your regular free transaction processing (based on your December, 2007 AdWords spend) will resume.Using Google Checkout to increase sales and lower costs during this busy holiday season has never been easier. If we can do anything else to help, feel free to drop us a line. Happy holidays from Google Checkout!* AdWords advertisers: Because this promotion begins on 11/8/06, the free transaction processing based on your AdWords spend will still apply to your Checkout sales from 11/1/06 through 11/7/06. Any Checkout orders you receive and process from 11/8/06 through 12/31/07 will then be eligible for free processing under this promotion.
https://checkout.google.com/seller/freetransactions.html
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
TulipTools is Worth the Visit
I mentioned TulipTools the other day as the home of the Wagglepop 2 forum, but should have mentioned some of the tools they have available on the site as well. http://community.tuliptools.com/index.php
It is worth the visit especially if you have your own web site. There are plenty of site tools such as google rank, rank checker, keyword tools, speed test, whois, reverse ip/lookup, meta tag tools and many more. There are also many forums (not just on Wagglepop :) and Ray Romeo) that would be of great interest. So make sure you check it out to save yourself hours of research time. While you are there, don't forget to check the Wagglepop forum as it is interesting. Some of the content is pretty funny as well, they sort of heckle the Wagglepoppers, kinda like that show on Sci-Fi, where they play the old movies, and heckle it all the way thru the film. I can't remember the name of that show, but it was pretty funny :<)
It is worth the visit especially if you have your own web site. There are plenty of site tools such as google rank, rank checker, keyword tools, speed test, whois, reverse ip/lookup, meta tag tools and many more. There are also many forums (not just on Wagglepop :) and Ray Romeo) that would be of great interest. So make sure you check it out to save yourself hours of research time. While you are there, don't forget to check the Wagglepop forum as it is interesting. Some of the content is pretty funny as well, they sort of heckle the Wagglepoppers, kinda like that show on Sci-Fi, where they play the old movies, and heckle it all the way thru the film. I can't remember the name of that show, but it was pretty funny :<)
Are you surfing safely?
There is a great site that offers a useful tool that alerts you if you are surfing securely. I pop in at Shields Up every once in a while to make sure my firewall and other security programs are working correctly. It is a free site that searches your browser/computer for any vulnerabilities. It only takes a minute and you will be suprised at what you will learn about what others can see while you surf. Check it out with the link below, and make sure you bookmark this site so you can visit it occasionaly to confirm your privacy.
https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
$200 Free Ad Clicks From MS AdCenter
Do you have a website you would like to promote? If you do, you can't afford to pass up this deal. For $5.00 you can purchase $200.00 worth of adwords. Sign up today and get up to $200 of free ad clicks.* Just use promo code DM-2-1106 before 1/15/07. Computer Gal is definitely going to jump on this deal! Find out more about it here
http://www.startadcenter.com/200unoffdm/
While your signing up for great deals, don't forget about BigCrumbs. Remember it is not a pyramid scheme or anything like it. It is a referral program that allows you to earn rebates on your purchases or your referral's purchaes. I have earned over $20.00 and have only recorded about that in purchases. The company is new and will most surely pay off in a big way by this next next year. Think about it, you could have over $1,000 deposited in your paypal account (or paper check mailed to you) for shopping at your favorite online stores, eBay, Best Buy, Overstock and more! Here's the link, check it out today!
http://www.bigcrumbs.com/crumbs/frontpage.jsp?r=computergal
http://www.startadcenter.com/200unoffdm/
While your signing up for great deals, don't forget about BigCrumbs. Remember it is not a pyramid scheme or anything like it. It is a referral program that allows you to earn rebates on your purchases or your referral's purchaes. I have earned over $20.00 and have only recorded about that in purchases. The company is new and will most surely pay off in a big way by this next next year. Think about it, you could have over $1,000 deposited in your paypal account (or paper check mailed to you) for shopping at your favorite online stores, eBay, Best Buy, Overstock and more! Here's the link, check it out today!
http://www.bigcrumbs.com/crumbs/frontpage.jsp?r=computergal
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Is Bill Cobb out at eBay?
Looks like some changes are going on at eBay. I have pasted the article below for you as well as the link. Hmmm wonder what will happen now?
Bill Cobb makes way for Philipp Justus at eBay
Updates: Executive Shake Up at eBay USWe're hearing that there's been a shake up at eBay at the top management level. Philipp Justus Senior Vice President, eBay Europe will be transferring to eBay Corporate headquarters in San Jose, California to head up US Business reporting in to high profile eBay veteran Bill Cobb from January.Rumours broke late on Friday when German blogs responded to an eBay.de press release announcing the move. Although no official eBay US source has confirmed the rumours, it’s expected Bill Cobb will retain overall control of the North American business which also includes eBay Canada.
"Justus has done great work over the last seven years to build our business in Germany and more recently throughout Europe. I am therefore delighted that Philipp is moving to our Ebay headquarters in San José, and I am convinced that he will have a equally strong influence in his new role," said Meg Whitman, eBay's President.Executive changes have blighted eBay’s reputation with Wall Street this year. In particular, Jeff Jordan’s departure in the summer spooked analysts. Apparently this is not the only change in senior corporate management and we expect more news from eBay in the next few days. So far a successor for Justus in Europe has yet to be appointed.
http://www.tamebay.com/index.php
Bill Cobb makes way for Philipp Justus at eBay
Updates: Executive Shake Up at eBay USWe're hearing that there's been a shake up at eBay at the top management level. Philipp Justus Senior Vice President, eBay Europe will be transferring to eBay Corporate headquarters in San Jose, California to head up US Business reporting in to high profile eBay veteran Bill Cobb from January.Rumours broke late on Friday when German blogs responded to an eBay.de press release announcing the move. Although no official eBay US source has confirmed the rumours, it’s expected Bill Cobb will retain overall control of the North American business which also includes eBay Canada.
"Justus has done great work over the last seven years to build our business in Germany and more recently throughout Europe. I am therefore delighted that Philipp is moving to our Ebay headquarters in San José, and I am convinced that he will have a equally strong influence in his new role," said Meg Whitman, eBay's President.Executive changes have blighted eBay’s reputation with Wall Street this year. In particular, Jeff Jordan’s departure in the summer spooked analysts. Apparently this is not the only change in senior corporate management and we expect more news from eBay in the next few days. So far a successor for Justus in Europe has yet to be appointed.
http://www.tamebay.com/index.php
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