eBay Hacks
100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools
Book Review by James M. GarnesOverview
In "eBay Hacks," author David A. Karp provides tools and strategies to master eBay, whether you are a buyer trying to win an auction without getting ripped off, or a seller dealing with anxious customers and deadbeat bidders.
Nearly everybody who now uses a computer knows that eBay has become the world's leading computer application for buying and selling goods online. A worldwide electronic garage sale, eBay now attracts buyers and sellers of nearly anything imaginable. You will find that eBay is more than just an auction web site. It includes millions of buyers and sellers around the world, all of whom are competing for collectibles and customers. However, eBay is a complex computer system that requires experience and the right tools to access.
Karp's book is not a hand-holding guide. He will not give you a walk through the process of bidding on your first auction or creating your first auction listing. The book is also not about "hacking into a system." You will find in the book an emphasis on trading responsibly and ethically, and extensive tools and tips for protecting yourself as a buyer and a seller.
The hacks in the book address the technological and diplomatic challenges faced by all eBay members, written from the perspective of an experienced eBayer, who loves challenges and solutions. You will find in the book tools you need to help you carry on smarter and safer trades on order to make more money, and have fun doing it.
Special Features
The book is organized into four main ideas, including hacks for all, hacks for buyers, hacks for sellers, and hacks for developers.
Learn better ways to monitor auctions, more effective ways to bid, and safer ways to pay
Use advanced search tools to find auction items before anyone else, and determine the value of an item before you bid
Protect yourself before and after you bid, and never lose another penny to dishonest sellers
Use automatic sniping tools to win more auctions and spend less money
Get more money for your items with effective descriptions and killer photos
Maintain your reputation on eBay by knowing when to leave feedback, how to set reasonable expectations, and how to deal with the other eBay members when things don't go smoothly
Utilize tools to streamline the listing process, communications, and checkout
Table of Contents
The eight (8) chapters include the following titles.
Diplomacy and Feedback
Searching
Bidding
Selling
Working with Photos
Completing Transactions
Running a Business on eBay
The eBay APITarget Readers
The focus in "eBay Hacks" is on improving your buying or selling experience in eBay. Therefore, the focus is primarily on helping those who are more heavily involved in eBay, especially those who are in a business that relies on eBay for some, if not all of their transactions. The book will also be of great value to those who occasionally dip into eBay's storefronts, and will be useful to anyone looking for bargains in eBay.
eBay Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools
David A. Karp
O’Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, California 95472
331 pages, $24.95