How To Set Up An Ebay Business In Thailand

[Bob Chittie]

From a commercial point of view oversees e-baying or better say retail business in general can be barely profitable mainly because of high handling (including overseas payment transfer) and transportation cost usually eating the entire margin up and/or eventually resulting in incompetitive pricing. Also clients tend to be hesitant to shop in foreign countries because if there is a legale dispute across borders it is very difficult to get a poosible claim pushed through and receive compensation.

What do you make of this guy fro Norway who said he can make 50,000 to 70,000 baht a month selling on ebay?

[Bob Chittie]

I even was there when they made a raid on couterfit stuff which meant that the owners who DIDN't pay tea money were raided while the shop next door kept on selling even when police were standing outside.

You are seriously misinformed here. The police do not decide who gets raided and who doesn't. The rights holders' representatives do. I perform this function quite often, and nothing stops me from nailing the shops I want to nail. The cops know if they tried any silly business, their names would be on the PM's desk first thing the next morning.

It may appear to an outsider that some shops are being targeted while others are spared, and that outsider might assume that the reason is tea money being paid to the cops. The fact is, when we stage a raid, we often cannot put together the manpower to take down every vendor in a certain shopping mall, or in a certain shopping area. We have to choose the largest, or the most notorious recidivists, or the ones that are otherwise giving us the most trouble. Also, we are often going out for a sole rights holder, whose product may be in one or two shops, while next door they may be selling 1,000 fake items of something we're not interested in.

I just love these farangs who think they know it all about everything.

You're doing a job. Fair enough.

Now, everyday all over Thailand the police drive by establishments that sell bootleg goods. Are you telling me that they don't arrest the owners and shut down the shop because the 'rights owners' haven't requested the assistance of the Thai police yet and therefore, there's nothing that can be done? Are you sure its not because the shops are owned by influential people or that the shops are paying the police? Are you serious?

Does that mean that if I steal a car in front of the police, they will wait for a complaint to be filed by the owner before running after me?

I have to admit, I am seriously confused by your line of reasoning here.

[PvtDick]

You're doing a job. Fair enough.

Now, everyday all over Thailand the police drive by establishments that sell bootleg goods. Are you telling me that they don't arrest the owners and shut down the shop because the 'rights owners' haven't requested the assistance of the Thai police yet and therefore, there's nothing that can be done? Are you sure its not because the shops are owned by influential people or that the shops are paying the police? Are you serious?

Does that mean that if I steal a car in front of the police, they will wait for a complaint to be filed by the owner before running after me?

I have to admit, I am seriously confused by your line of reasoning here.

The police can only act against copyright infringers when there has been a specific complaint laid in advance by the copyright owner. Without such a complaint, they cannot do anything. This is because that rather than being a crime against the state (as, for example, theft of an automobile is), theft of copyrights is classified as a crime against the copyright owner. No complaint, no crime.

Mind you, this is distinct from trademark offenses (i.e., fake NIKE sports shoes, as opposed to pirated music, software, or movies), which IS a crime against the state. Theoretically, police CAN take unilateral action against purveyors and manufacturers of fake trademark items. In reality, though, they do not, because without the help of the trademark owner, the police have no basis upon which to prove to the court that the items are counterfeit -- they need the trademark owner for that. So, just like counterfeit offenses, the police do nothing until a representative of the trademark owner shows up to lay a complaint and take them by the hand.

That is why I say that the police have no say in who gets busted and who doesn't. It is the copyright or trademark owner who decides.

That is not to say that cops don't hit up vendors for pay-offs. Even if they don't charge them with intellectual property offenses, the cops CAN make problems for them in any number of other ways. Sometimes, local cops take pay-offs in a promise to give the shops a tip-off if a raid is impending. In reality, though, such weak "protection" rackets can be easily gotten around by using cops from a different locality, and by carefully concealing the identity of the raid targets until it is too late.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.

[Bob Chittie]

You're doing a job. Fair enough.

Now, everyday all over Thailand the police drive by establishments that sell bootleg goods. Are you telling me that they don't arrest the owners and shut down the shop because the 'rights owners' haven't requested the assistance of the Thai police yet and therefore, there's nothing that can be done? Are you sure its not because the shops are owned by influential people or that the shops are paying the police? Are you serious?

Does that mean that if I steal a car in front of the police, they will wait for a complaint to be filed by the owner before running after me?

I have to admit, I am seriously confused by your line of reasoning here.

The police can only act against copyright infringers when there has been a specific complaint laid in advance by the copyright owner. Without such a complaint, they cannot do anything. This is because that rather than being a crime against the state (as, for example, theft of an automobile is), theft of copyrights is classified as a crime against the copyright owner. No complaint, no crime.

Mind you, this is distinct from trademark offenses (i.e., fake NIKE sports shoes, as opposed to pirated music, software, or movies), which IS a crime against the state. Theoretically, police CAN take unilateral action against purveyors and manufacturers of fake trademark items. In reality, though, they do not, because without the help of the trademark owner, the police have no basis upon which to prove to the court that the items are counterfeit -- they need the trademark owner for that. So, just like counterfeit offenses, the police do nothing until a representative of the trademark owner shows up to lay a complaint and take them by the hand.

That is why I say that the police have no say in who gets busted and who doesn't. It is the copyright or trademark owner who decides.

That is not to say that cops don't hit up vendors for pay-offs. Even if they don't charge them with intellectual property offenses, the cops CAN make problems for them in any number of other ways. Sometimes, local cops take pay-offs in a promise to give the shops a tip-off if a raid is impending. In reality, though, such weak "protection" rackets can be easily gotten around by using cops from a different locality, and by carefully concealing the identity of the raid targets until it is too late.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.

Thanks. Yes, actually I do have further questions. (And interesting stuff by the way).

What prevents, say Adobe, from contacting the Thai authorities and saying, 'look, our $1000 software is selling for 100 baht in every city centre in the country. You know it. We know it. Its time you put a stop to this now.'? Maybe they don't have the resources to go after each seller. In that case, surely there are big players in the industry? If not big players, then there are absolutlely known shopping areas where you'd be hard pressed to find licensed software. Why aren't they quickly shut down, again with the order of someone like Adobe? At the very least, this would pose a serious inconvenience to the owners and tenants, thus discouraging such activity in the future, would it not?

Additionally, as selling pirated software is not a crime against the state, why do so many of these establishments only offer pictures of the said product in small folders which can quickly be slipped into a bag if neccessary? Are the police making empty threats since in reality there's nothing they can do except site the seller for an unrelated violation?

And last, but certainly not least, what prevents the Thai governemnt from passing a simple law that says media such as music, movies and software may be copied for personal use only. Selling such copies will be considered illegal and the perpretrators will be jailed and or fined? One would be forgiven for beleiveing that police and other influential people are profiting from the current state of affairs.

[Richard Hall]

From a commercial point of view oversees e-baying or better say retail business in general can be barely profitable mainly because of high handling (including overseas payment transfer) and transportation cost usually eating the entire margin up and/or eventually resulting in incompetitive pricing.  Also clients tend to be hesitant to shop in foreign countries because if there is a legale dispute across borders it is very difficult to get a poosible claim pushed through and receive compensation.

What do you make of this guy fro Norway who said he can make 50,000 to 70,000 baht a month selling on ebay?

Well, if he said he was making it by retailing LOCALLY and he has the right nose for the right product and some luck, okay why not. Nevertheless the customer will always remain the weakest link in the deal.

If he said he was retailing goods worth 50,000 - 70,000 Baht (turnover?) a month then this did not indicate anything on the PROFIT he was making. Profit and nothing but profit is the name of the game in business. Sales figures (also in terms of big companies) mean nothing and that's why also well established companies can eventually end up going down the drain.

If he claims to make 50,000 - 70,000 Baht profit a month by retailing via auction sides such as e-bay from Thailand direct to overseas customers then he either makes stories up similar to those get "rich quick and easy schemes" or deals in illegal business may this be counterfeit goods, dope, chicks, weapons or whatever.

I keep sticking to that claim that legitimate business has its physics and is a matter of hard and time consuming work and a little bit of luck. That heaps of people make a great living from selling at e-bay is just a myth carefully planted by well, e-bay themselves or possibly a crook who plans to rip you off with fake statements.

Let's take a look at amazon.com possibly the most successful retailer on the net. Do they actually ship single books via thousands of miles or do they rather have regional outlets and always choose the shortest distance from warehouse to customer?

Anyway, amazon customers are also most likely a different (higher grade) breed than e-bayers. The latter mentioned ones want bargains and nothing but bargains not leaving space for any additional single Baht. Therefore money is actually made at amazon with classical mark-up retail business while in e-bay its the commissions to be paid.

What does Thailand have that is so unique that people get crazy about it and are willing to pay the price? Obviously one will not find it in e-bay and taking a look at the bit histories provides clear evidence.

A while ago 10 Baht coins where quite a good seller because they could be used as counterfeit 2 Euro coins. We are talking in this case around 800% mark-up allowing tremendous space for calculation but also here, like with everything that seems to be too good to be true, the deal was unfortunately not legitimate.

The rule in business is generally no risk no gain and the higher the risk the higher the gain. Build your biz slowly, patiently and gradually to minimize the risk of drying out on your way to success. It's a time consuming process but at least it keeps you out of jail and gets you your daily bowl of rice (not lobster) to eat for several years. The e-bay founders adopted that rule and they are the ones making the bucks now and taking advantage of the sparrows that just fight for the crumbs falling off their desk.

If someone claims he/she got rich as an e-bay seller well, the answer can only be: "Come on dude, get real or shove it" no matter whether the dude comes from Norway or any other part of the world.

[Topprofile]

One eBay vendor -- in this case a Thai -- happens to be in line to have their home raided by the police tomorrow. Again, trust me -- some of these rights owners are very serious.

So how did the bust go today?

[BKKdreaming]

one of my good friends makes his living off ebay,

but not a great living, but he does OK

Finding interesting , collectable stuff to sell is the hard part.

so he makes about 50% of his items locally,

again if you look at ebay there are tons of things with NO bids,

Ebay in the USA is pretty dead compared to the glory days 3 years ago

reginal ebays in local language seem to do better ,

less competition and buyers feel safe buying from soneone local

If you ever do figure out EBAY buyers , please write a book,

it will be a best-seller since no one has figured them out yet !

PS.....my friend who does this is a saleman , I have know him 20years and he has always been husseling something ,

at the swap meet , in club newsletters etc before ebay even started.

If always looks easier than it really is......

[theviking]

Richard hall:

I should better answer this one by myself.

As you say, nothing comes by itself.

This is shit hard work. If anybody think they can make a big profit out of some hours on e-bay, think again.

I was actually making 50-70.000 (profit) under a month.

My working days was from 10hrs. sometimes up to 16.

I guess i am kind of lucky, as i know of some auction sites in europe that have a high bid precentage, and i most of the times can sell my goods.

I did have a lot of complaints concerning shipping time, cuz ppl did'nt read everything before they bid.

I am not selling bootleg stuff, as i know if i do, i can get in real trouble.

I have been lucky with my products, and it dont mean that i can sell for the same amount 12 months a year.

Anyway, no matter what you do, if you want to make money....they dont come by themself, you have to earn it...hour by hour. So if you are planning to go to thailand on holiday, and make a lot money during holiday, forget it.

It's hard working and long days, and mostly no drinking, if you should be able to catch up what's going on on you're auctions.

So if you are going to thailand on holiday, enjoy it.

Otherwise, if you are planning to sell on auctions, do some really hard research before you start.

p.s. Kind of funny that private dick, if it had'nt been so many holes in his stories, i might belived him

[PvtDick]

Holes?

[Mr_Pedantic]

At the end of the day the only people who buy pirated goods are the people who would not buy the original anyway; so who is losing out?

[Richard Hall]

Richard hall:

I should better answer this one by myself.

As you say, nothing comes by itself.

This is shit hard work. If anybody think they can make a big profit out of some hours on e-bay, think again.

I was actually making 50-70.000 (profit) under a month.

My working days was from 10hrs. sometimes up to 16.

I guess i am kind of lucky, as i know of some auction sites in europe that have a high bid precentage, and i most of the times can sell my goods.

I did have a lot of complaints concerning shipping time, cuz ppl did'nt read everything before they bid.

I am not selling bootleg stuff, as i know if i do, i can get in real trouble.

I have been lucky with my products, and it dont mean that i can sell for the same amount 12 months a year.

Anyway, no matter what you do, if you want to make money....they dont come by themself, you have to earn it...hour by hour. So if you are planning to go to thailand on holiday, and make a lot money during holiday, forget it.

It's hard working and long days, and mostly no drinking, if you should be able to catch up what's going on on you're auctions.

So if you are going to thailand on holiday, enjoy it.

Otherwise, if you are planning to sell on auctions, do some really hard research before you start.

p.s. Kind of funny that private dick, if it had'nt been so many holes in his stories, i might belived him

Dear theviking,

Thanks for putting clearance on the issue that succeeding in biz (not even internet sale) is indeed a butt busting job and nothing (in particular money) comes easy. Saw many companies coming and going during the last years because people thought it's just settling here post a website, offering export services ex Thailand and potential customers from all over the world are going to knock your door down with countless orders. Eventually, they end up frustrated or broke after a while. Nowadays things have been even becoming more difficult because the spending power is declining and well on top of this China is dumping the prices. People really start to think very carefully what they spent their hard earned money for and under these cirumstances trying to sell commodities on mass ex Thailand and make real money with this is not going to work out.

Well, you do not mention e-bay but rather exclusively refer to other (most likely high grade) auction sides. If you choose your products and markets very carefully by spending loads of time with sourcing and then the same amount in promotion there are indeed chances that you are going to make some sales.

However, when putting the money you made into ratio with the time you invested you may easily end up with an hourly earning less than that of an average foreign English teacher here in Thailand. Guess that gives people a better picture on what they are going to be up to when setting up their own business. Also government and their linked organizations (e.g. Export Promotion Department) must realize that it is not that the world is just waiting for us in excitement and shout "oh, it's from Thailand - then I certainly buy it" but we rather have still a long and time consuming way ahead of us before we actually catch up with other more progressed nations. Globally, Thailand has not really been recognized as a potential business partner yet and we are still at the very beginning. Therefore one must think ahead and plan strategically on a long term rather than just trying to go for the quick and easy dollar or euro that just does not exist in legitimate business.

Lots of success with your future endeavours.

[PvtDick]

I'll try to answer your questions one by one.

What prevents, say Adobe, from contacting the Thai authorities and saying, 'look, our $1000 software is selling for 100 baht in every city centre in the country. You know it. We know it. Its time you put a stop to this now.'?

Producers of software, movies, music, luxury brands -- they are all lobbying the Thai government on a daily basis, both directly, through associations like the BSA (Business Software Alliance), MPA (Motion Picture Association of America), and IFPI (The International Federation of Phonographic Industries), as well as through the US and EU governments.  Unfortunately, the solution is not so easy.

The Thai government's response is always:  we are ready to cooperate.  Lay a complaint with the police and take us to the perpetrator, and they will be arrested.  We need you to take us by the hand because only you, as the copyright owner, can testify as to what is an unlicensed copy and what is not.

And, to their credit, the police and government do cooperate in giving assistance to brand and copyright owners who hire lawyers and investigators to do this job. 

The ultimate problem, though, is with the courts.  Although the law provides for up to 8 years in prison and fines of 800,000 baht in cases of copyright infringement, only rarely are fines anywhere near the maximum handed out.  And, to my knowledge, not a single person has ever served jail time (sentences are all suspended).  So, basically, all the vendors are left with is a fine -- which they factor into their business plan as a cost of doing business, and a criminal record (which may or may not matter to them).  They know that with so many other vendors out there, at most they are going to get nailed a couple times a year -- and what it costs them in fines is just a small dent in their profits.

Additionally, as selling pirated software is not a crime against the state, why do so many of these establishments only offer pictures of the said product in small folders which can quickly be slipped into a bag if neccessary?

As noted, there are raids occurring every day (initiated by the copyright owners).  The vendors therefore attempt to minimalize their exposure to the risk of losing a large amount of product in case they are targeted.  Also, keeping the product hidden requires the copyright owners to hire private investigators to try to find out where it is being stockpiled -- one more hurdle that the copyright owner must jump themselves (the police will not do it for them).  The more difficult they make it for the copyright owners, the less they are like sitting ducks.

Are the police making empty threats since in reality there's nothing they can do except site the seller for an unrelated violation?

As mentioned, no one police officer or unit can guarantee any vendor that they will be safe from being raided.  Copyright owners can go to the local police, the Economic Crime Suppression Division, the Central Investigation Bureau, and any number of other units to get cooperation.  What the vendors get when they pay a monthly fee to the local police is protection from being singled out and persecuted for any number of relatively minor business violations.  They get a tip-off if the cops find out about an impending raid.  And, they get the assurance that the local police are not going to tip off the copyright owners about where they keep their stock, etc. (because the local cops certainly know everything that goes on in their area).  They ultimately cannot 100% guarantee them that they won't get raided, but they do give them some conveniences that allow them to operate their businesses more smoothly, and without being harassed.

And last, but certainly not least, what prevents the Thai governemnt from passing a simple law that says media such as music, movies and software may be copied for personal use only. Selling such copies will be considered illegal and the perpretrators will be jailed and or fined?

This law exists already. It is called the Copyright Act! The problem is that in order to charge or convict someone, the police and courts must be able to prove that the items they are manufacturing and/or selling are not licensed by the copyright owner. Only the copyright owner can testify to that. Someone must literally come forward and say "the material on those discs belongs to me, and they are not licensed copies".

This is not unique to Thailand: it's the same virtually everywhere. The problem with enforcing copyrights in Thailand is that the consequences of getting caught are relatively minor in comparison with the possible profits. The copyright owners are still prepared to take action though, because 1) it may dissuade a lot of people from getting involved in the trade; 2) it raises the vendors' cost of doing business, thus making the trade less lucrative; 3) it is better than sitting by and doing nothing.

A big exception to the slap on the wrist theory, though, is in cases where foreigners get caught. Foreigners are almost always dealt with more harshly than Thais, and, unlike Thais, can be deported for committing a crime. That is why I would very strongly discourage a foreigner from getting involved in ANY illegal activity in Thailand -- at least, if they want to be able to stay here. Their status is just too fragile for them to be playing around with the law (in my opinion).

[Bob Chittie]

Thanks for the solid information. From the sounds of it then, if you're a Thai and you stick to doing business in Thailand, its not a bad business to be in. At any rate, I think I'll steer clear of it altogether.

By the way, what's going to happen to our Thai ebay seller? Will that be treated with more seriousness because the product was crossing borders?

[Justin Smith]

It sounds like its pretty difficult setting up as an eBay trader in Thailand. If you're an eBay trader. I am researching eBay users and would very much like to include your views. This web-based survey takes 10 minutes, the address is: www.studentsurvey.co.uk.

I am a student studying MSc Marketing, You are not required to give any personal details. Your responses will be used on my dissertation only; all answers will be treated as strictly confidential and will not be divulged to any third parties.

[LaoPo]

It sounds like its pretty difficult setting up as an eBay trader in Thailand. If you're an eBay trader. I am researching eBay users and would very much like to include your views. This web-based survey takes 10 minutes, the address is: www.studentsurvey.co.uk.

I am a student studying MSc Marketing, You are not required to give any personal details. Your responses will be used on my dissertation only; all answers will be treated as strictly confidential and will not be divulged to any third parties.

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The last message in this topic was from May last year....

[sriracha john]

Thailand has done a fairly good job of getting rid of copyright goods,I think its impossible now to buy copy PC games in Pattaya,the shops that I used that were doing it have either been closed or running down there stock(no new ones)

so go 20 km down the road to sriracha. The computer mall is full of them. I even was there when they made a raid on couterfit stuff which meant that the owners who DIDN't pay tea money were raided while the shop next door kept on selling even when police were standing outside.

Besides all programs can be found on the right places on the net. It just cost you download cost then, not even a copy can compete with that....

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Besmirching the good name of Sriracha... tsk tsk....

anyway... to update this 10 month old post, TukCom mall has pretty much eliminated most of the counterfeit stuff.

[monty]

And TukCom Pattaya took over...

Half of the 4th floor (5th for the Americans ) is packed with counterfeited software/music/movies. All in the open with sometimes police looking on...

I'don't really condone copies, but I happily buy them when the developer/distributor wants more money of them compared with the US or European price...

Most games distributors got the hint a while ago, with most titles a couple hundred Baht, a fraction of what they would cost in the West. With most of the times added Thai support for their local customers.

Only drawback as a farang is that sometimes these localized packages are close to impossible to run with an English interface. And my Thai reading capabilities are a wee bit low

[jonik]

Once something is put out on the internet you can't really claim your the owner anymore , internet is a freezone for everybody.The only person that really can "claime" to own something must be bill(microsoft.) since he invented the vindowsprogramming and was smart enough to take out a patent on it .If you use vindows your putting dollars in his pocket.

I also wonder about who makes the computerviruses............first a virus then a antivirus from microsoft ofcourse.Big buisness it is.

So mr private detective when we are paying overcharged prizes for somthing we really would not need , but must have cause of the BIG BUISNESS.

Even with microsoft antivirus my machine breakes down now and then.

So what am i paying for.......................?

[PvtDick]

Why do you buy something you don't need?

[Heng]

Some of the biggest virus writers are Norton and McAfee. Easy money for more than a few old friends from Texas and coincidentally working out of Asia (it's a bit too fishy if viruses originate from Westlake Hills in Austin Texas, I guess). Easier to make the world believe there are angry students in the Philippines looking to wreak havoc by making virii for computer science class practice.

[ZOVOX]

Greetings,

I am a Canadian who wants to relocate to Thailand.  During my last trip, I saw some goods that I think would sell well on Ebay.

Anybody have experience selling on Ebay while living in Thailand?  Please include your successes and failures.

What kind of visa would I be able to get?

Is it even legal for me to generate income selling on Ebay from Thailand?

Will the Thai immigration come after me for making a living while in country?

If my selling becomes a success, I will need to make a lot of deliveries at the local post office.  Do they get suspicious or tip off immigration?  Any ways around this?

At the post office, my sales will be to individual customers in North America and Europe.  Do I label the packages as gifts?  What sort of mail system is best? 

What are the legalities to live in Thailand and sell goods on Ebay?

Do I register a business in Thailand?  Please outline the steps needed.

I was planning to get a 60 day tourist visa and start selling on Ebay while I am there just to gauge the demand.  If there is demand for my goods, then I was considering doing a visa run to extend my visa.  But I don't want the hassle of visa runs and being worried about immigration.  What ways around this for my peace of mind? 

I plan to open a Paypal acct back here in Canada and then withdraw money from my ATM out in Thailand.  I've heard that Paypal bans isps from Thailand so I'll have my brother in Canada email me with account updates.

Any other ways around Paypal?

Any other good ways to accept credit card payments while out in Thailand?  (I've heard of CCNow.  Anybody use them?)

How long could I stay out in Thailand for?

Plus, how do I keep track of taxes.  Do I pay taxes to Canada or Thailand?  Any way to save on taxes?

If there are any Canadians/Americans who have an ebay business and living in Thailand, could you guys please list the steps you took to open the business?

Regards,

Jon

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Yes, you can make serious money on ebay, because i have done it, which is why i'm now retired in Thailand and still in my 30s. I still dabble on ebay part-time and last month i made 40,000bht (profit) with just an hours work a day, which i don't even consider as work. The fact is that those who do make serious money on ebay, keep it to themselves - for obvious reasons - and i'm not going to tell you how to do it, and NO, i do not sell fake goods !!! My only word of advice is to spend at least a month on the ebay website, just studying what goes on, before buying any stock. Too many people think they can go down to Pratunam, buy a few t-shirts and make big money.

Lastly, don't listen to those who say it can't be done, because they are usually failed businessmen and losers with no imagination - if you sell the right goods, money CAN be made on ebay !!!

Good luck !

[sriracha john]

.- for obvious reasons - and i'm not going to tell you how to do it.

that's the bottom line... and I too thought that it would be obvious, but I guess the OP doesn't.

the naivity of someone asking how to do it and expecting someone to tell him would lead me to believe that he won't be successful at it... at least not in the making decent amount category.

sorry OP

[thaiaan]

I was one who didn't know about the value of old cameras although I do know about some antiques.My mother gave me an old Canon Rangefinder with 50 mm Canon lens and Canolite flash and original leather case and a Zeiss Ikon Contessa with original leather case that used to belong to my father and I placed them on Ebay starting at $1.00.A week later the Canon sold for $400 and the Zeiss for $250.

[ZOVOX]

Yes, you can make serious money on ebay, because i have done it, which is why i'm now retired in Thailand and still in my 30s. I still dabble on ebay part-time and last month i made 40,000bht (profit) with just an hours work a day, which i don't even consider as work. The fact is that those who do make serious money on ebay, keep it to themselves - for obvious reasons - and i'm not going to tell you how to do it, and NO, i do not sell fake goods !!! My only word of advice is to spend at least a month on the ebay website, just studying what goes on, before buying any stock. Too many people think they can go down to Pratunam, buy a few t-shirts and make big money.

Lastly, don't listen to those who say it can't be done, because they are usually failed businessmen and losers with no imagination - if you sell the right goods, money CAN be made on ebay !!!

Good luck !

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I agree, I have been making money from Ebay for around 8 years. I buy mainly 'from' Ebay and 'sell' back on Ebay. If you know 'what' you are buying there is money to be made, BUT, you must know your market very well. I buy and sell old classic cameras. Some luck and smart bidding helps. When buying cameras, I look for people who do not normally sell cameras and do not know what they have and are not good at posting photos and ads are poor. I once bought a Leica M3 with 50mm lens. I got my money back on the body alone and found that the lens was a very rare one that even I had not realized from the ad. I sold the lens for 2,000 Pounds. Another old Canon rangefinder I bought for $200 and sold for $600. I could go on... There ARE bargains to be found on Ebay if you know what you are looking for and know the market. BUT as (I think it was Darknight) said, I do not find it to be 'easy money'.

I'd certainly like to know how 40,000 can be made in just a few hours on a 'regular' basis???

Rav.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I won't tell you what i sell, because i would be cutting my own throat, but 40,000 is not a lot of money to westerners, and on ebay you are selling to westerners - 95% of which seem to be American. I read on another thread that some people take the goods back to the u.k to sell to get around the postal problems, but it is difficult to make serious money because they are losing 95% of potential buyers. Let me tell you that i have about a 40% sell rate on the items i sell. With one particular line of products, i buy at 60 baht and sell for 600 baht plus, which means i make about 300 baht profit on each item after i take away all expenses. I sell on average just 5 items a day, which equates to 45,000 baht a month. And how long does it take to package 5 items a day - about 15 minutes, and the other 45 mins i spend on the computer listing the items, which means i work an hour a day approximately. Previously, when i was doing ebay full-time, i was making a ###### of a lot more cash. In fact, i could write a book on it, but the problem is: if everybody bought the book, it would render the book useless, because everybody would be doing it. The bottom line is the product you sell: if it ain't what the punter wants, he ain't going to buy !

[No beleeeeve!]

Yes, you can get caught on ebay. A friend of mine did selling pirated stuff. He may be the exception, not sure. His first offense they wrote to him to stop it, the second offense he lost his account.

Edited March 14, 2005 by No beleeeeve!

[PvtDick]

Don't be tempted; you could get a lot worse done to you than having your account cancelled. Many, many farangs and Thais have had criminal charges pressed against them for selling pirated stuff on ebay.

[LaoPo]

..... and on ebay you are selling to westerners - 95% of which seem to be American.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You seem to forget that Ebay is also all over Europe......and China (1.3 billion people).

It's funny that Americans seem to forget that, although Ebay is from the US, there are also a few people OUTSIDE the US

LaoPo

[ZOVOX]

..... and on ebay you are selling to westerners - 95% of which seem to be American.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You seem to forget that Ebay is also all over Europe......and China (1.3 billion people).

It's funny that Americans seem to forget that, although Ebay is from the US, there are also a few people OUTSIDE the US

LaoPo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, you are right, but Americans buy more and pay more. As for the 1.3 billion Chinese: What on earth would they buy on ebay that they can't get cheaper locally. In fact, if you look at many of the biggest sellers on ebay, they are from hong kong and singapore, and they are Chinese, and they source their goods from China.

[LaoPo]

..... and on ebay you are selling to westerners - 95% of which seem to be American.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You seem to forget that Ebay is also all over Europe......and China (1.3 billion people).

It's funny that Americans seem to forget that, although Ebay is from the US, there are also a few people OUTSIDE the US

LaoPo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, you are right, but Americans buy more and pay more. As for the 1.3 billion Chinese: What on earth would they buy on ebay that they can't get cheaper locally. In fact, if you look at many of the biggest sellers on ebay, they are from hong kong and singapore, and they are Chinese, and they source their goods from China.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Your'e probably right (for the moment) that the Americans buy more and pay more....but since my wife is Chinese.....she showed me the Ebay-site in China and you will not believe your eyes WHAT they are buying and selling (and the quantities), but I agree it's probably done more locally rather than internationally since most Chinese still don't speak any English and will have problems paying to overseas accounts.

That, however doesn't say anything about Ebay locally (China). They buy and sell anything you can imagine.

Maybe good idea for you to work together??? Tell me what your'e looking for (cameras, right) and maybe my wife can help you; also, don't forget that in the past some Chinese were buying cameras too, maybe not so many, but still a few hundred thousand or so...

PS: by the way, Ravisher, although China is still 'small' with Ebay it's growing fast, VERY fast! (now 'just 10 million registered users...so still small, right?) have a look here:

http://www1.cei.gov.cn/ce/doc/cen1/200503091456.htm

LaoPo

Edited March 14, 2005 by LaoPo

[sriracha john]

Don't be tempted; you could get a lot worse done to you than having your account cancelled.  Many, many farangs and Thais have had criminal charges pressed against them for selling pirated stuff on ebay.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Really? I fail to see why they would be so harsh on someone for selling pirated stuff. I mean it all seems so innocent to me. What's the harm?? It certainly does go on a lot, for example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...bayphotohosting