Pos Malaysia Hotline: 1 300 300 300

Quite a few of my friends told me that the website of Pos Malaysia is always down. Well, this has been a long standing problem. However, even though it's usually in service when I access it, I do understand the difficulty in navigating the website; difficult to find the information that I want.

In such circumstances, especially to check on the status of Poslaju packages, because the system is always not updated online, the best is to give Pos Malaysia Hotline 1 300 300 300 a phone call.

Do bear in mind that this is not a toll free number so you will be charged local rates. It's still cheap and kills the frustration of looking for an answer on the Pos Malaysia website!

Prince Charles Love Letters Relisted On eBay

Alicia Carroll of Everything Royal, the seller of the set of six love letters from Prince Charles to Janet Jenkins which closed at US$30,000 on eBay last week has decided to relist her items after the winning bidder failed to pay up.

See, even if a winning bid is said to be a contract, there are still people backing out of a deal. After all, people are allowed to change their minds, right? Moreover, we are talking about US$30,000, a tidy sum in these lean economic times.

Whatever, I still feel that US$30,000 for six letters which are not that romantic (to me) is too much to pay even if Prince Charles may one day be the King of England. If these letters have a scandalous tone, then I may think differently but they are like ordinary friendship letters only, not such a big deal since both of them were single at that time.

This round, Alicia Carroll has asked for an opening bid of $30,000, with a BIN at $30,001. Auction will close on March 28th, 2009. Better luck to her this time!

How Much Would You Pay To Implode A Building?

Pumpman1944 placed a winning bid of US$5,207 to press the button to implode Building 82, former Union Carbide headquarters in Charleston, WV, built in 1948 which was bought over in 2001 by Dow Chemical and donated to the University of Charleston (UC) in 2006.

I know that many people love to witness the demolition of buildings. I don't know what sense they feel seeing how buildings come crumbling down, but pumpman1944, if he pays up, is taking this a step further by buying the right to press the button.

Source: Wowk TV
eBay listing: Here

Mobile Store Front

My friend recently ventured into selling scalar energy products and found sales to be risk despite the economic downturn. i tell you, health will always remain top priority no matter how our income level may drop.

From what I see, the reason my friend has good business is because he is able to offer steep discounts to his buyers compared to the prices offered by other agents. I did a research and even bought two quantum scalar pendants and sports flask from him.

Another reason was that my friend was willing to set up mobile storefronts wherever there is exceptionally high human traffic. He went to sports events, carnivals, morning market, playground, etc. He was able to accept payment as he is subscribed to Total Merchant Services that include accepting payment via credit card online.

I was with him during one of his sales session and I noticed that most people paid for their purchases via credit card. After all, these items aren't cheap! Luckily my friend was able to process payment straight away and clinched sales immediately.

Shopping For Mother's Day

Although Mother's Day is still awhile away, merchants are already abuzz with Mother's Day promotions and offers. Gift cards still remain the top gift for women. Even my sister received a gift card for Valentine's Day and another for her birthday. I personally love to give gift cards as well because it saves me from thinking up appropriate gifts for my recipients. Needless to say, I love RECEIVING gift cards more!

PayPal, with its PayPal Offers initiative, provides shoppers with steeper discounts, special offers, on top of free shipping and cash back from a string of PayPal merchants which include some of the largest online stores like Marks & Spencer and Boots.

PayPal is confident that their PayPal Offers initiative would be able to help shoppers to save money in gift buying especially in the current economic downturn.

I did check the list of PayPal merchants and browsed through the items that they are offering right now but so far, nothing has caught my eye yet. HHmmm maybe I will check back later since I understand that new promotional items will be added regularly.

The Need For Cheap Term Life Insurance

My friend was discussing with me the kind of term life insurance she should buy. Actually, I have thought about this issue for a long time as well and I know I really should do something about it. I am afraid that as the sole breadwinner, should something happen to me unexpectedly, my family would be left in a financial lurch. I know that I could provide for them while I am around but the death of a peer who was only a few years older jolted me.

Off and on I have been requesting for term life insurance quotes but so far have yet to be able to make up my mind on the kind of package that I need. I am afraid of long term financial commitments yet I know that the higher my premium, the better off my family would be if the unexpected happens.

Anyway, I was informed that ReliaQuote is able to provide us with ten lowest term life insurance quotes so I am hoping that I would be able to get more favorable terms from them compared to what I already found so far. I guess I have to allocate more time in searching for the right term life insurance. Although I would like to have cheap insurance, I am not going to compromise on its benefits.

US$30K For Set of 6 Prince Charles Love Letters To Janet Jenkins

The set of six love letters said to be written by the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, on official Windsor letterhead to his former lover Janet Jenkins between 1970s and 1980s before his marriage to Princess Diana, has successfully sold on eBay for US$30,000 or £20,744 to an anonymous bidder. I understand that this was the reserve price.

I am sure that the seller Alicia Carroll of Everything Royal is very happy now. While at first many people thought that no one would be willing to pay that much for just six fairly normal letters between two lovers, even if they were by the young Prince Charles, finally someone was willing to pay the price that she wanted. And why not? After all, Prince Charles is the future King of England.

Making The Right Career Choice

My young cousin started college a couple of months ago and until today, he is uncertain if he has chosen the right course to study. I know he made the choice influenced by family and peers. Probably that's why he couldn't find the passion in his studies.

I have a friend who is quite a successful architect now. He was lucky to be able to make his choice all by himself because his parents trusted that he would be able to make the correct choice and choose the right career path and he did!

This friend is now very happy and looking forward to go to work every morning. He says he gets to restore historic hotels and churches and also participate in the design and building of modern corporate buildings. That's just what he loves to do. No wonder he has the passion.

Victoria's Secret Panty Sale

Victoria's Secret is running a panty sale which will end on Sunday, 21st March, 2009 (USA time) where they are offering 7 panties for US$24.50. Yes, bulk of sevens at US$24.50 which works out to be US$3.50 each.

At today's currency exchange rate of MYR3.64535 to the dollar, it is MYR12.7587 each, excluding shipping. Even with shipping, it is a very worthy buy, me thinks.

Victoria's Secret has a vast selection of panties in many different styles and colours. They are always hot items whenever I have lingerie stocks from VS, mainly because I am able to sell them a little cheaper. Also, it is so easy shopping local than international.

If you are interested in this offer, remember to use the offer code BUY7 when you check out.

Crisscross Ankle-Wrap High Heel Shoes

As a home office worker, I hardly have the opportunity to dress up. However, when I do have the chance to do so, I actually take the trouble to dress according to current fashion trend. I don't know if you've noticed but ankle wrap shoes seem to be the in thing right now. However, I think a lot of ladies prefer those without heel, probably because they are more comfortable.

Check out this crisscross ankle-wrap Burberry sandal which is highly popular right now. It is, of course, more elaborate than the kind of shoes I see in town but at US$695, it's not something that many women on the street could afford.

The ankle wrap looks pretty difficult to wear but it is actually tied at the back. I really love its effect and I think that it is suitable for both formal occasions and informal social gatherings.

Frankly, although this isn't the type of shoes that I normally would wear because I walk a lot, I wouldn't mine dressing to the nines and topping up with this to make a long lasting impression at a social do. But first, one needs to be very confident walking in this 5” cone heel to create the right impact. Don’t you think so?

Fake Football Jerseys on eBay

It's amazing how a Flintshire teacher was finally caught for selling fake football jerseys on eBay before being caught. During this time from Sept. 200 6 to March 2008, he duped almost 200 people! His venture netted him £5,000 only which I think is totally not worth it.

These victims should know the risk of buying fake items on eBay is exceptionally high. I'm not saying that everything is fake or counterfeit but if you go to eBay and the items are sold at a lower than normal price, you do suspect that it could be fake, right?

If you do mind buying fake items even though the price is cheaper, then go and buy these jerseys from football clubs that sell official merchandise. They may be more expensive but at least there’s guarantee.

Riding Through Tough Times

While a couple of my friends were feeling jittery about the economy right now, I think that this is a good opportunity for us to check our financial resources and reposition ourselves to take the best advantage of a global downturn like this.

I know many people are forced to close their businesses but you know, I have a young relative who thinks that this is still a good time to operate a food stall. It's cash business and no matter the economy, people still need to eat, right?

This young man told me that he doesn't have enough capital and have been checking out various loans. Normally, I do not encourage anyone to take out loans, particularly Payday Loans unless he is really desperate for funds to tide through payday but this guy is really disciplined and will be able to meet the repayment schedule without problems.

Applying for a payday loan is so hassle-free nowadays compared to a couple of years ago. I discovered this website at PaydayOnlineSite.com which offers 100% payday loans online. They approve all qualifying applications almost immediately and most of the time, do not even require faxing in of documents. Also, they approve overnight loans of up to US$1500, which is a tidy sum for anyone requiring emergency funds.

Happy Ending For School That Sold Trailer For US$1

Earlier this month, a school in East Stroudsburg, Pa., sold a trailer, a temporary classroom, on eBay for only US$1. It was a mistake, according to the school. The person who was put in charge of the auction did not know how eBay works and they all thought that they could get at least US$10,000 for the trailer, when they spent US$62,000 on the trailer in 2006.

The school actually bought seven trailers back then but only decided to put one up for auction, luckily for them! Imagine what happens if they sold all of them for US$1 only!

eBay said that they had to go through with the deal. After all, an auction is a legally binding contract. What a windfall for the successful bidder! I wouldn't let go of it if I had bought a trailer for US$1 only!

But then there's happy ending for the school as eBay has pledged a $15,000 charitable contribution to the school to make up for their loss. Well, that's awesome!

Two-Toned Prada Italian Leather Handbag

My male friends are always surprised to see me without a handbag. Well, I don't blame them but I don't carry a handbag not because I don't like bags; just that there are too many snatch thieves in my city and I am unwilling to take the risk.

My male friends are used to carrying the partner's handbag; something which I myself fail to understand. It's not as if the bag is so heavy that only a man could carry it. LOL

However, if I were carrying this Prada handbag that is selling at US$1450, I would need a man to carry it for me!

I'm not sure if you could see this picture clearly but this is a two-toned leather handbag from Prada. Made in Italy, you know, of Italian leather! I love the soft pleats at the top and the side bows on both sides. However, I would have preferred the bows to be in another more contrasting color instead of brown because it doesn't stand out here. Also, this handbag comes with an inside pocket WITH ZIP. Yay! Don’t you just love that?

While I have lady friends who are “handbag people” I am unsure if they would be willing to pay this price for a handbag, though it is Prada. Nevermind, as long as they have ATM!

Partial Item Auctions

The other day, I bought a bar of soap from an online store. Although I do know that it is a partial item as the seller cut the soap in pieces to let us try the product, I was still surprised to receive such a small cube of soap, as small as the cube of chicken stock that we use in our cooking!

Now, Lelong has this new ruling that we must state the measurement or quantity of our items if we are only selling a portion of it. Otherwise, if there is a dispute, the auction will be void. I think this is a good move and will lessen misunderstandings.

Also, Lelong says that we must be super clear in our description and must not expect potential buyers to write in for clarification and I agree, we should have to if we are going to make a purchase. Everything must be written clearly in the description of the auction!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is just a short while away. While there is still plenty of time for us to buy gifts for our mothers on this special occasion, as a Seller, I have to start planning already. I would need to bring in merchandise that would be suitable for mothers, young and not-so-young.

Also, I just realized that it has been such a long while since I ran a promotion at the store. I used to give away freebies but it became such a tedious and frustrating process where random people come and just check out with freebies without making a purchase despite writing absolutely clear terms.

So I will have to check up on appropriate promotional products for my buyers as well as Mother's Day gifts. I only have 1.5 months to go before the big day. It's time to put in some effort!

Lelong Payment Services for Sellers (Maybank2u)

I was reading the forum on Lelong when I chanced upon this payment method offered by Lelong to Sellers. This is awesome, though I don't have the chance to try it out yet but basically, what it means is that our buyer gets to make payment to us directly as soon as possible by making payment to Lelong instead of to the sellers.

Sellers will see the deposit in their Lelong iAccount immediately, as I understand it, and would be able to ship out the package to the buyer. Sellers will also be able to withdraw funds from Lelong iAccount as long as there is balance.

This is like an escrow service and I think would be very useful for sellers who are selling higher priced items. What happens if the seller is unable to ship out the item? I guess Lelong will only deal with that if ever this problem crops up.

Home Office Attire

While my friends are envious that I could work in my pajamas, I am envious that they get to be in office wear at least five days a week. Working from home, I don't even have the chance to wear make up! I don't even have to comb my hair if I don't want to.

My friends who are in the corporate world get to attend dinners, parties and events where they get to dressed formally in a gown, tuxedo shirt and suit while I don't get invited to anywhere.

They tell me that I may hanker for some formal social gathering once in a while but if I have been to one, I have been to them all but I do love the chance to be a social butterfly anytime!

Nokia Trademark Violation

Lelong has issued a warning that any Lelong seller who violates Nokia trademark in their logo or name will have the account restricted. I think that Nokia has served a warning to them to take action on all the Nokia lookalikes.

I think this is a good move. If you are selling Nokia, by all means do so. If not, there's no point making people think that you are selling Nokia when you are not. That's called deceiving already.

I don't see a point in making people go through your "not Nokia" or "Nokia look-alike" listing when they actually want Nokia. This would only piss off a potential buyer, right? What is the purpose of a search filter, then?

Do take note that this ruling has been effective since 5th March, 2009 so take heed. I presume this should apply on eBay as well. It's called ethics, right?

Local Holiday

My sister, who has yet to go on her honeymoon, has wisely decided to go local. Since they are in Tennessee, her boss suggested that they should try one of the very popular Pigeon Forge Tennessee hotels which is just a short drive away.

My sister thinks it's an awesome idea. It would save them some money as well having just to travel a short distance only and they don't have to face travel stress. Besides, in the current economic climate, we don't want to spend too much unnecessarily, right?

We have, actually, have heard a lot about Pigeon Forge but this is going to be her first trip there. I think she will not be disappointed!

Paris Hilton Feels "Violated"

It's funny how Paris Hilton would feel "violated" after having discovered that her stolen Blackberry has landed on Craigslist. Yes, Craigslist for a change. LOL

So all the stuff that brought Paris Hilton on the limelight is OK by her standards, but to have her Blackberry on Craigslist and offered 5000 dollars is NOT OK. It's a violation. What funny reasoning this girl has! Perhaps this is a sickness of the filthy rich?

Although Paris Hilton's phone was stolen in 2005 by a club manager's girlfriend (now ex), it was only recently that this guy put it up for sale and that was also how he was discovered with the stolen property and has since been booked. If convicted, he will face a year in prison. Is the possibility of extra US$5000 cash worth spending a year in prison? Bah... he should have used the Blackberry himself!

Fresh Wedding Flowers

Although most bridal couples are now opting to decorate their wedding hall with balloon sculptures of various shapes, the most popular are heart shaped ones, I am glad to know that there are couples who still treasure conventional wedding flowers.

Of course, we now have way more choices when it comes to selecting wedding flowers in terms of species and colors, we now even have the opportunity to buy flowers that are not available locally from online florists.

I used to think that buying flowers online would compromise on the freshness quality of these flowers but I have been mistaken as these fresh cut flowers are shipped directly from flower farms from various parts of the world.

In addition to that, buying these flowers in bulk would save us money compared to buying the same amount of flowers from our neighborhood florist.

Merchant Fees

A friend made a purchase at an online store based in Singapore just yesterday. The store only accepts payment by PayPal for international transactions. Unfortunately, the store charges service fee of 3.5% which is PayPal fee charged on Seller for accepting payment.

Now, I know that most of us Sellers would add this fee on top of our merchandise because I think that PayPal does not allow us to add this fee on our charges towards our buyers. At least, as far as I know, this isn't allowed by PayPal and eBay.

Well, my friend went ahead with the purchase nonetheless even though it would have been cheaper to take a bus down to Singapore to shop for it. However, I did not ask if the store allowed personal pick up. LOL

Michael Kors Talulah Open Toe Mary Jane Pumps

A couple of weeks ago, a girlfriend told me that she bought a pair of Michael Kors heels for $x and I asked if she was crazy. You see, I am someone who owns just the basic pairs of shoes, and even so, do not see the logic in buying really expensive shoes. Anything above $100 is "expensive" to me. Hehe!

My friend says that once I have tried something as comfortable as the heels she bought or the cute Michael Kors pump, I would know that it's worth paying for!

This pair of Michael Kors pumps is known as Talulah open toe Mary Jane pumps and it is currently retailing at $245. Although this is 2.5 times over my budget, I think that it would be something I'd gladly wear. I love the way the top is twisted and the two matching tones certainly attracts attention.

I once read that ladies who wear open toe shoes must paint their nails or they would look “naked”. This would give me an excuse to go for toe pampering and nail coloring, yay!

So what do you think of this pair of pumps that I discovered? If you don’t like it, what kind of shoes do you like? When I was younger, all I wore were just sneakers. LOL

Too Much Advertising

Earlier this month, with the new changes that came into eBay, including the new My eBay page. I wrote how disgusted I am with the way that eBay has been advertising links and banners that take eBay buyers away from eBay sellers.

And on the new My eBay page, we have to content with an advertisement with every click, which slows down our listing or whatever we want to do on our eBay control panel page.

I really don't know what sense it makes that eBay allows for third party advertising that competes with sellers selling on eBay who paid for exposure but get relegated to below the fold, or worse, in the back pages of search listings.

While it sure is attractive to collect advertising dollars from companies and websites that aren't selling on eBay, I think it is bad business practice for eBay to have one foot on two boats.

Jeepers Peepers T-shirt From Marc by Marc Jacobs

I am normally not someone who goes after brand names because I think that they are basically overhyped and overpriced. Having said this, it is not beyond me to treat myself to something branded occasionally because I know a good thing when I see one! Besides, quality comes with price!

This morning, I came across this Marc Jacobs top known as Jeepers Peepers T-shirt that's retailing at £60. Frankly, I do not see myself buying this Jeepers Peepers T-shirt from Marc by Marc Jacobs because at approximately USD84 excluding shipping and handling, it is a little pricey for me. However, this doesn't mean that I wouldn't love to receive this as a gift! *ahem*

I am partial to good fitting shirts and t-shirts like Jeepers Peepers because I look better in them. Also, this looks very casual but not too casual and is an all-season item, if you know what I mean! Of course, one could easily match this with denim; long or short pants for that casual look and also, if one desires, top it with a jacket.

As far as I could tell, Jeepers Peepers t-shirt only comes in one colour; off-white. Wouldn’t it be great it we have more colour choices, like PINK? Heheh!

Google Checkout Increases Fees

While at first many of us who run ecommerce sites thought that Google Checkout would be the one to give PayPal a run for its money, it looks like this is not to be. Google Checkout announced the new fee structure a couple of days ago.

Guess what? It's now comparable to what PayPal is charging and in some cases, even more costly to use Google Checkout than PayPal. On top of that, PayPal offers many extra benefits and is an established brand name, more recognized worldwide; making it more viable to stick to PayPal now than ever.

Online traders like me certainly would like to offer payment options for our customers but at the same time, we are looking for a gateway that is inexpensive so that we could offer our wares at more competitive prices. This will make it more attractive to shop with us, no?

Many of my friends are already saying that they will use PayPal exclusively once the new Google Checkout fee structure is in place. As for me, I will be doing the same.

Mini Pink Ugg Boots

If you love boots, I am sure you are familiar with ugg boots already. My favorite ugg boots, for your information, will have to be the mini boots in pink!

The good news is that there is a new, improved range of ugg boots in sheepskin for better circulation and thermostatic properties, which means that they provide better warmth in the cold winter but cooling effect during hot summer days. Did you know that the 100% merino sheepskin inside could keep our feet warm in temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius?

My friends who have not worn ugg boots before think that ugg boots are too funny looking but they are actually very comfortable to wear, light weight and cute looking too. Ugg boots help keep our feet warmly protected without making us feel like Ronald McDonald.

Also, while some people think that ugg boots are a little pricey, let me tell you that they remain one of the most popular gifts for Christmas and it is not uncommon for stores to run out of stocks during this season.

Ugg boots have become more than just footwear; with their striking colors moving away from traditional brown, ugg boots are now a fashion statement too, for both men and women.

$4.5 million eBay Fraud

I read a few reports on a pair of Aussie guys whose credit card / eBay fraud syndication was smashed by police. I have always know the modus operandi of some people who would make purchases of items in brick-n-mortar stores using stolen credit card information and then off-loading those goods at a cheaper price.

Many such goods were sold in eBay and other similar online auction marketplaces. As you know, selling on eBay is very easy; selling cheap items is easier.

Like I said, I have always known about the way these people operate but I never know how large they could get. In this case, it was $4.5 million syndication. I take it to mean AUD4.5 million and not USD4.5 million since these two guys are Australians and the news reports came from major Aussie publications.

These two guys will be charged over their eBay fraud syndication and it would be interesting to see is they would be convicted and if so, what punishment awaits them.

Honeymoon

My friend is getting married at the end of the year. Well, at least that is how he is planning it. He told me that he is undecided where to go for his honeymoon. I would have thought that normally, the bride would be the one who decides but it looks like he is not allowing his bride this luxury in case she selects a tour that is too expensive!

While my friend wants to go on a cheap Bali tour, his bride-to-be suggested Machu Picchu travel, a more exotic vacation and would make a most memorable honeymoon, there's no denying.

I told my friend to just go with the flow and let the lady decide. After all, this will be their first honeymoon and I am sure he wants it to be an awesome trip, doesn't he? They could always head for Bali some other time! Sometimes, guys could be so duh!

eBay Auction Closing!

There are certainly plenty of stories that are associated with eBay and I enjoy reading them. I highlight some of the more interesting ones to share with readers and also for my own collection. Some are classic.

There was this guy who was caught speeding and as the police patrol booked him, he said that he was speeding because he had to rush home as an eBay auction was closing soon and he had to place his bid.

Ah... he should have gotten himself a laptop or mobile device and bid on the road. Or quite simply, just use automatic bidding. However, I do understand that not everyone likes to use automatic bidding. Heck, I don't like it because I like to decide at the last minute if I should bid or not, pay that higher price or not.

The really cute thing about him is that his car, which had been impounded, was filled with Star Wars memorabilia. Probably the item that he wanted to bid on also was Star Wars related.

I feel bad, even though this is quite funny, that he had been arrested. You know, you read about lots of crime in USA and you wonder if the police do anything. Well, this isn't the kind of guy they should be after, don't you think so?

My Shopping List

One of the main reasons that I love shopping online is the fact that I could save some money because of the more competitive prices. If you do not know, sometimes even though a retailer may have an online store and a brick-n-mortar store, they may have certain items that are sold at "internet prices".

Since the day I discovered online shopping with coupon codes, I make it a point to surf for coupon codes before shopping. You may think that like most ladies, I shop for shoes, clothes and accessories only but let me tell you, I probably buy 80% of the items in my shopping list online.

Also, I used to shop for home medical supplies for my late grandmother and one of the things that I used to pick up for her online was diabetes supplies. Yes, I did it so often, I don't think I will ever forget this!

L'Oreal Takes eBay To UK Court

L'Oreal continues to legally pin eBay in a bid to stop counterfeit products being sold, or authentic products sold that were sourced from outside of European Union.

eBay continues to maintain that it is just only providing a platform for traders and everyone is free to trade and the regulation of brand name and counterfeit products remains the responsibility of the trademark owners.

I kind of agree with eBay on that point but I also agree with L'Oreal that they have to right to maintain where their products are to be sold, and they don’t want their products to be associated with eBay.

I admit that buying these high end beauty and skincare products are cheaper away from their stores but I also understand the doubt that is cast when the prices are way lower than sold at stores and people start to question if these are authentic or fake.

Having said this, I think it should be all right to sell one or two items lying around the house, which happen to carry such a brand name, but not to the point of doing business with them.

It will be interesting to see who will win in this tussle, though it surely would help all parties if the law has some sort of uniformity to it in the various regions of the world.

Ireland on eBay

Of course it was just a spoof listing. Still, I marvel at the time some people have, coming up with the idea to play a prank like that and taking the time to write long description that actually makes sense and gels together.

The auction listing for Ireland started at a low price of 69c only but it attracted a total of 26 bids with the highest at €10,100. I have no idea if the bids were placed in jest or if the bidders thought that they really could buy a nation. eBay finally caught the prank and pulled it off the marketplace soon after.

This seller, with the ID of biffo2009 copied the idea of the guy who almost "sold" Iceland on eBay not too long ago, which attracted bids of up to £10m. Of course the sale was unsuccessful as well since as far as we know, a nation could not be sold.

On the other hand, islands could be sold. Now, if there was a nice island listed on eBay, I surely would be bidding as well.

Source: Belfast Telegraph

Partnership

Last year, I wrote about a male friend who wanted to partner with me in my online business and he proposed to expand my stocks to include a larger variety of items for sale and I continue to take care of the administration of the store, customer service and delivery of packages. I was very happy with the arrangement but I ended up waiting and waiting for his stocks which never arrived. Naturally, we never did form that partnership.

A couple of days ago, this same friend asked me for my opinion on selling weight loss products online. He wanted to know if there will be demand of these slimming products and proposed to joint venture with me in an online business selling weight loss products, including weight loss pill and food.

Well, thanks but no thanks. I know what kind of person he is now and I know that I would only end up waiting for his action and being frustrated when I see that he is not putting in effort at all to make this partnership work. Why should I even waste time discussing business with him now, right?

Janet Jenkins Surprised To Find Prince Charles Love Letters On eBay

Janet Jenkins, the British born Canadian who received love letters from Prince Charles between 1976 and 1980, was surprised when she read that the letters she sold to Alicia Caroll of Everything Royal seven years ago have ended up on eBay. She would have preferred the letters in a museum.

Well, from what I understand, these letters are just mild romantic letters which aren't scandalous at all. I am not sure if paying US$30,000 would be justified but then I am a cheapo. Perhaps there is a collector of Royal memorabilia out there who would pay US$30,000 and even more to own these love letters by Prince Charles to Janet Jenkins.

The thing is, once these letters are sold, the new owner could do whatever he/she wants with the letters. So there's no point for Janet Jenkins to feel disappointed to find them on eBay, right?

Pierre Hardy GAP Sandals

Unlike most of my girlfriends, I only own a couple of pairs of shoes. I don't like buying shoes because of my odd-sized feet and it looks like I can't find anything that is comfortable enough. if I do find something I like, though, I will buy a few pairs of the same but of different colors, of course, but this is really rare! Some of my friends could buy ten pairs of shoes every weekend, which makes me wonder how they could even finish wearing them all.

Just now, I came across this pair of Pierre Hardy Gap sandals which I think I wouldn't mind wearing. For one, they don't look chunky unlike wedge sandals, which is still popular today. Secondly, I prefer open toe shoes because they give me a chance to show off my toe nail art.

I actually like the thick straps and prefer them over thin straps anytime. I guess thin straps give me the feeling that my sandals will come off anytime soon while thick straps provide me with a secure feeling so that I could walk more confidently.

This pair of sandals by Pierre Hardy for GAP is sold at US$98. Do you think it’s too expensive? Personally, I wouldn’t mind paying more for a pair of good fitting, comfortable pair of shoes.

Set Of 6 Prince Charles Love Letters On eBay

Isn't it embarrassing that six love letters written by Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, is now up for auction on eBay with a starting price of US$30,000? These letters is said to be written on official Windsor Castle letterhead between 1976 and 1980 to a British-born woman who was working in Montreal at that time.

Prince Charles, although enamored by Janet Jenkins made it clear that he could not marry her as she is five years his senior and already engaged.

The seller of these letters is Alicia Carroll of Everything Royal, a dealer based in Los Angeles. She said that she has been offered to sell these letters previously but she refused to sell because her reserve price was not met. After all, Prince Charles is the future King of England.

Frankly, I would love to read these letters. I guess I am just a busybody who loves to read other people's private letters, not because the writer is a Prince. However, I wouldn't pay US$30,000 to own them. That would be crazy!

eBay listing: HERE

James Perse T-Shirt Dress

My friends have been wondering why I keep wearing the same t-shirt dress lately. They must be thinking that the poor economy has made me too poor to dress myself better. Actually, I bought the t-shirt dress from an online store recently and although the quality lacks a little, I simply love the cutting. It's my first t-shirt dress and I have been looking for something similar ever since but to no avail until I came across this James Perse Tshirt Dress last evening. This t-shirt dress looks so comfortable! Can you just see how soft it is?

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I will be getting it anytime soon no matter how much I like the cutting because frankly, it is a little too expensive for me. After all, it is "just" a t-shirt. I am trying to console myself that I don't like ink sulphur, though this looks more like dark brown, which I do not like as well. I keep hoping that they do not have this in pink, and I just KNOW that if pink as available, I’d be saying bye to US$110 and this isn’t inclusive international shipping which could easily double my cost!

If you haven’t worn a t-shirt dress before then you wouldn’t understand what I am gushing about but if you have, I bet you will agree with me that t-shirt dresses are simply awesome!

Man Fakes Death After £25,000 eBay Scam

Over an eight month period, Jason Hart sold items on eBay that he does not have, including watches, cell phones, computers, concert and sports tickets, etc.

Of course, these buyers chased for the goods or money back and called him up. Jason Hart answered the phone giving various excuses, including a lie that his mother had died, but in the end, he just said that Jason Hart died.

To better convince these unsuspecting buyers, he sent in a fake obituary to the local newspaper and sending the clipping to the buyers.

It was said that Jason Hart used the money to buy a car and gifts for a girlfriend. For this scam, Jason Hart was sentenced to two years jail while his girlfriend was sentenced to 12 months of community service for acquiring criminal property.

Tax-free Vehicle Reimbursement

My friend told me that he would like to trade in his car to buy an older, cheaper car. I guess many of us are finding ways to downgrade our lifestyle and try to ride this economic turmoil as best as we could.

The problem with my friend is that he needs a car, and a good one at that, in his work. He is in sales and it is important to drive a good car to show how successful he is, to build confidence of his clients. He may be using his own car but the image he is projecting is that of his employer's. I can certainly understand that but my friend is afraid that he may not be able to afford a luxury car anymore.

Well, I think that as long as he is holding his job and his employer continues to pay him his monthly car allowance, he should be fine. Although he is using his car, the company opted for is using a vehicle reimbursement program to the benefit of both parties, the employer and himself.

And since this allowance is tax-free, I think that my friend would gain a little from that, even though the employer isn’t providing him with company vehicle.

No More Dutch Auction On eBay

eBay has decided to discontinue Dutch Auction after finding out that not many people use it because Sellers don't find it economically viable while Buyers find it confusing. I have to agree with the confusion part!

Although I have been selling online for a few years now, I have to say that I never used Dutch Auction before and never bothered to read and understand how it works. I guess basically when I could list and sell my items with a profit quickly and without problems, I see no reason why I should take the trouble to learn about Dutch Auctions, which may even raise my overall listing cost.

Well, frankly, with eBay removing Dutch Auction, I wouldn't even miss it and judging from the number of people who actually use it, most sellers and buyers wouldn't either! What about you?

Old Navy Women's Lightweight Scarf

Although I am not an accessories person and I dress up with as little frills as possible, I do read a lot of fashion magazines to keep up with trends. After all, I am supposed to be well-versed in lingerie fashion!

I recently discovered this Old Navy women's lightweight scarf on Style Hive which I think would make a great addition to our wardrobe, and I am not saying so because pink is my favorite color! I love the way that it is trimmed with fringe on both ends, sparsely; otherwise, it would look like a table runner already!

Scarves, particularly lightweight ones, add color to our outfit, giving us a fresher and trendier look. I understand that not everyone likes scarves but lightweight ones should be all right and could be worn even in warm weather.

To achieve a polished, complete look, it is important to wear a scarf in a correct way, making sure that the color matches our overall outfit, shoes and bag. Of course, color match does not mean that everything has to be the same color, or different shades of the same color! Sometimes totally contrasting colors could bring out an even more striking appearance.

This women’s lightweight scarf from Old Navy is sold at US$12.50 only. I think it is well worth the money!

School Trailer Sold For US$1 Only on eBay

Well, should we laugh or should we feel the pain of this seller, a school in East Stroudsburg, Pa., that sold a trailer, owned by the school on eBay with a starting bid of US$1 and only attracted one bid and closed the transaction at US$1 only.

The school said it was a newbie mistake and the trailer is actually worth US$10,000 which they hoped they would get but eBay says the sale is final and that's how much they will be getting, just US$1.

I guess all of us eBay sellers were newbies before and made our mistakes, some more costly than others. If you have read my blog in the really early days of my eBaying adventure, you would know of my mistake as well. It was a great lesson to learn, truly, but we move on and just hope never to repeat such mistakes again.

I am sure this school has more than one trailer and the next one they put on eBay will surely not be US$1 only!

Catching Up With IT

Although I am not that well-versed in internet technology, I grew up in the internet age and know how helpful IT is in our lives, let alone in a business environment. Many of my older friends who are in my father's generation are not receptive of it; perhaps they felt that IT is something so difficult that it not worth learning.

Each time there is an opportunity, I would let them know how useful internet technology is and how every day, it is advancing and if they do not catch up, the gap will be too wide and it will be too late as they see their business competitors grow by leaps and bounds.

One thing I stress is that they do not have to have hands-on experience or knowledge of IT though it would be good to know a little about it. The main thing is that they should be willing to change for the better and upgrade their operations. As for the technical side of it, they could outsource it to companies that offer it consulting and solutions.

This means that they are adopting IT without incurring addition costs from hiring new people and setting up a new IT department in the company. Besides, the staff would be able to refocus on their specialized fields.

RM10 Billion Supplementary Supply Bill

While Malaysia is on the brink of recession, a RM10 billion supplementary supply bill will be tabled to supplement Budget 2009 that was tabled last year.

Now, I am not an economist or banker and I certainly do not know if a supplementary supply bill would help the economy. After all, this is a global financial disease and no matter how much funds we pour into the economy, if the world economy doesn't recover in tandem, it will not help much.

Also, I felt that we haven't even seen any results of the first and second economic stimulus packages and in fact, it was admitted that when the second economic stimulus package was announced, the first one hadn't even been utilized yet. Now, what has happened to the money? Why do they need to top up with RM10 billion? Don't you think we need a little bit more transparency?

Appreciating Fine Art

In late February, many of us followed excitingly the three-day auction of fine art from the private collection of Yves St. Laurent and his partner. On the first day alone, US$264 million worth of art was bid on and won.

While I certainly understand why investors would spend a chuck of wealth on fine art, I cannot understand how such ridiculous price tags could be placed on these fine art pieces. Sure, to some people, they really worth that much but to me, these pieces of art certainly do not look anything different from what my friends and I could do. In fact some of my friends could paint better.

I also know that while ordinary art lovers like myself would want to display such art at home or office, real art investors would rather utilize the services of Art Storage companies that would ensure that these extremely expensive fine art pieces were well stored so that the value is preserved. You never know, they may fetch an even higher price sometime in the future!

Tell me, when fine art like those from YSL and his partner are stored, how could anyone appreciate the beauty of art? I guess the only thing that appreciates is the value and that’s all that matters for the owners, right?

Victoria’s Secret Gift Cards

My sister received two Victoria's Secret gift cards recently; one for Valentine's Day, one for her birthday She was so happy as she rust discovered the joy of online shopping and what could be better than having your purchases already paid for and you just have to pick and choose and place them all into your shopping cart and check out?

My sister had a whale of a time, picking things for me as well but I told her that Victoria’s Secret ALWAYS have on-going sales and it is wise to keep a lookout for these and use the appropriate coupon code.

Right now, VS has a bikini promotion where they are for sale from US$29 only. The best thing about shopping for bikini on Victoria's Secret is that we are allowed to match different sizes for our bikini top and bottom. This ensures that we get a pair that fits is the best.

No Drinking & Driving

I can never understand how most of my male friends can spend the weekend drinking and drinking. They say it's a way to de-stress but I don't see it that way. The hangover would add more stress to me! I guess people deal with stress in many different ways and it just seems that most guys I know go the cigarette and alcohol way.

I do tell them, however, to be careful when out on the town. While they may enjoy themselves, they still have to look out for pickpockets. It's getting rampant because more people are resorting to crime in this challenging global economic crisis.

On the other hand, they must take care of other people in the road as well. I told these friends to take a cab and not drive. The do realize that if they get caught drunk driving and charged, they may ending losing many things, including driving license, job, family and worse of all, they may have caused injury or even death on other road users.

When my friend, Stevie, went to Boston, Massachusetts on business recently, he was very well prepared that he even got hold of the contact of a Massachusetts OUI Lawyer. Of course, he takes precautions not to drink and drive because of the consequences but one could never be too careful, especially in a new city.

New My eBay Page

So, March has rolled around and like eBay announced, they will start to force the new My eBay page upon us. Malaysian eBay site already has the new My eBay which I noticed a couple of days ago.

Frankly, I am not against the idea of change and I like the idea that we get to customize almost the entire page; what we would like to see first, in what colour, etc.

However, I think it's too much that eBay forces an advertisement on us every time we access My eBay. Even though it's not third party advertisement, I think it's pretty excessive to for the promotional items on us ever single time we access My eBay.

It would be all right, if that's so important, to just show that advertisement to us each time we log in and not each time we click on My eBay. Gee, that's pretty irritating and slows down our work on eBay!

Zero Insertion Fee For eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie Auctions

Beginning 12th March, 2009, eBay UK and eBay IE will scrap insertion fees for qualifying auctions by individual sellers on eBay UK and eBay IE. Those who qualify will be listing that are under 99p for eBay UK and €1.49 for eBay IE.

Individual private sellers here means those who are not selling on eBay as a business as stipulated by law which says that those who resell items that they have bought for a profit or those who make items to sell for a profit have to register their activities as "business".

So I am taking it to mean that the people who would benefit from this are those who search their house for second hand items to sell.

This is not the only change though because eBay UK and eBay IE are increasing commission (Final Value Fees) to 10% across the board for these sellers. At the end of the day, one can't help but wonder if the old terms are better.