EBay for Dummies Read Online Free PDF Page B

business up and running, register simply as an individual. To get started, follow these steps:
    1. At the top of the first registration page, after eBay shows the steps of the registration process, fill in some required information.
    Here’s what eBay wants to know about you:
    • Your full name, address, and primary telephone number. eBay keeps this information on file in case the company (or a member who is a transaction partner) needs to contact you.
    • Your e-mail address ( [email protected] ).
    If you register with an anonymous e-mail service such as Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, or Hotmail, you’re taken to a page that requires additional information for authentication. It wouldn’t surprise me if eBay will be randomly authorizing all new members by requiring a credit card. (This is for your safety.) You must provide valid credit card information for identification purposes. Your information is protected by eBay’s privacy policy, and your credit card won’t be charged.
    After you input your personal information, you’re ready to create your eBay persona.
    2. Scroll down the page to select your new eBay user ID.
    See “A Not-So-Quick Word about Choosing a User ID,” later in this chapter, for some tips on selecting your user ID.
    Because many of the “good” user IDs are taken, eBay supplies a link on the registration form to check on the availability of your preferred ID. (I found a pretty good one in Figure 2-2. If your chosen name is taken, try again. (Lather, rinse, repeat). Finding an awesome user ID can be as difficult as finding an untaken vanity plate at the California DMV.
    Figure 2-2: Type your proposed user ID and check if it’s available.

    3. Choose a password, enter it in the Create Your Password box, and then type it a second time in the Re-enter Your Password box to confirm it.
    For more information on choosing a password, see “A Quick Word about Passwords,” later in this chapter.
    4. Create your unique secret question and input the answer.
    The secret question you select here is used by eBay to identify you if you ever have problems signing in.
    5. If eBay requires your credit card information (for identification that you’re a real person), it will ask on the next screen.
    6. Type your date of birth and fill in the Verification code.
    7. Make sure all the info you entered is correct.
    Think back to your second-grade teacher, who kept saying, “Class, check your work.” Remember that? She’s still right! Review your answers.
    8. Indicate that you agree to eBay’s Terms and Policies.
    You can find more information on this agreement later in the chapter.
    9. Click the Register button to move on to the next screen.
    (If you’ve made a mistake, eBay gives you the opportunity to correct the information by using the Edit Information button).
    If eBay finds a glitch in your registration, such as an incorrect area or zip code, you see a warning message. This is part of eBay’s security system to ward off fraudulent registrations. Use the Back button to correct the information — if you put in a wrong e-mail address, for example, eBay has no way of contacting you, so you don’t hear a peep from eBay regarding your registration until you go through the entire process all over again.
    If you registered with an anonymous e-mail service, such as Yahoo! Mail or Hotmail, you must enter your credit card information, as I mentioned earlier, before you see the license agreement, which I cover in the next section. If, when you look at it, your eyes start glazing over at all the legalese, the next section can help you make sense of it.
    Do you solemnly swear to . . . ?
    During the registration you’ll be asked to check the boxes that say you agree to the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy. At this point, you take an oath to keep eBay safe for democracy and commerce. You promise to play well with others, not to cheat, and to follow the Golden Rule. No, you’re not auditioning for a superhero club, but