EBay for Dummies Read Online Free PDF

outdated as vinyl records (although you can still get very collectible vinyl records on eBay if you’re feeling nostalgic).
    Compared to finding a parking space at a shopping center during the holidays, signing up for eBay is a snap. The toughest thing you have to do is type your e-mail address correctly (and, if you’re like me, that’s often a challenge).
    In this chapter, you find out everything you need to know about registering on eBay. You get tips on what information you have to disclose and what you should keep to yourself. Don’t worry — this is an open-book test. You don’t need to memorize state capitals, the periodic table, or even multiplication tables. (Whew.)
    Registering on eBay
    You don’t have to wear one of those icky “Hello, My Name Is” stickers on your shirt after you sign on, but eBay needs to know some things about you before it grants you membership. You and millions of other folks will be roaming around eBay’s online treasure trove; eBay needs to know who’s who. So, keeping that in mind, sign in, please!
    You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to register on eBay, but you can buy a model rocket or something bigger after you do. The only hard-and-fast rule on eBay is that you must be 18 years of age or older. Don’t worry, the Age Police won’t come to your house to card you; they have other ways to discreetly ensure that you’re at least 18 years old. ( Hint: Credit cards do more than satisfy account charges.) If you’re having a momentary brain cramp and you’ve forgotten your age, but you can hum the theme to Speed Racer when you gun your car engine — you’re in . Or if you can remember watching the original episodes of that favorite show of the ’90s, you’re in. Head to the eBay home page and register. The entire process takes only a few minutes.
    Registering Is Free, Fun, and Fast
    Before you can sign up for some fun on eBay, you have to be connected to the Web. This is the time to fire up your computer and connect to the Internet. After you open your Internet browser, you’re ready to sign up.
    Just type www.ebay.com in the address box of your browser and press Enter. Your next stop is the eBay home page. Right there, where you can’t miss it, is the Register button (look for the big red button, as you can see in Figure 2-1). Click the button and let the sign-up process begin. See Chapter 3 for details.
    The eBay home page changes all the time. If you don’t see a Register button, look around the page — a Register button or link is there somewhere.
    Here’s an overview of how easy it is to register:
    1. Enter the basic required info.
    2. Read and accept the User Agreement.
    3. Confirm your e-mail address.
    4. Breeze through (or past) the optional information.
    The following sections fill you in on all the details.
    The Registration pages on eBay are through a secure SSL connection. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) enables you to have an encrypted connection to eBay because a bunch of really smart techie types made it that way. You can tell you’re on an SSL connection because the normal http at the beginning of the Web address (also called the URL) is now https. Also, you’ll see a small closed lock at the bottom-left (or bottom-right) corner of your screen. I could tell you how SSL works, but instead I’ll just give you the bottom line: It does work, so trust me and use it. The more precautions eBay (and you) take, the harder it is for some hypercaffeinated high-school kid to get into your files.
    When you’re at the Registration form, you go through a four-step process.
    Figure 2-1: Click the Register button, and soon you’ll be trading online like a pro!

    Like, what’s your sign? Filling in required information
    After you click the Register button, you’re taken to the heart of the eBay Registration pages. You may register as a business or as an individual; I registered as an individual (even though I run a business on eBay). So if you don’t quite have a