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FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT OUR ONLINE AUCTIONS & STORES
zippytazz (eBay)
UncommonFindsShop (Etsy
store)
uNcoMmon
FiNdS (Mercari store)
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Please know that when you bid
on one of our auctions
or make a purchase in one of our stores, you are
legally agreeing to a contract to abide by the
following Terms of Service. |
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If you're looking for a particular topic, find
it easily by simultaneously holding down the control ("Ctrl") and
"F" keys on your keyboard to create a search box. Then type in a
keyword. |
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What do I need
to know BEFORE I bid on or purchase one of your items? |
1. If you have any questions about the
item that could affect your purchase, please use the ASK SELLER A QUESTION
feature in the auction listing or email us to ask for the clarifying
details you need to know -- before you bid on it and before you
purchase it. This will save us all a great deal of stress!
2. Before bidding, please make sure
your address and telephone number are accurate, and that your email
address is a current address you check on a regular basis. Many
times we're unable to reach the winning bidder because they forget which
email address they signed up with and our email messages to complete the
transaction either get bounced back as undeliverable or sit in a web-based
email account the buyer forgets to check. This results in confusion and
sometimes in negative feedback ratings in your profile because it appears
you're just ignoring the communications. So please don't forget you've bid
and please make sure we can contact you by email and by telephone when the
auction is over. If we don't hear from you within 8 days of the auction's
close, the item will be RELISTED and unfortunately your ratings will
suffer.
3. We sometimes use the early close
option on our auctions, so if your interest is serious please bid
and if you bid please be serious. If you’re new to the online
auction experience, please realize that a bid is a binding contract
between buyer and seller.
To quote from eBay's rules:
"The only acceptable
reasons for retracting your bid are: you entered a wrong bid amount; the
item description changed substantially after you bid; or you cannot
authenticate the seller's identity. Otherwise, your bid is a binding
contract and you should follow through with your purchase."
4. See payment
options below to make sure you are able to pay for your
purchase.
5. See
international sales policies below if you live outside the USA.
6. Backing out on your bid is a
BIG No-No with us, I'm sure you share our sentiments if you have
any experience selling on auctions yourself. Don't you hate it when a
buyer never responds to your emails? Don't you hate it when you have to
leave the item sitting in dead space on hold when a decent customer could
have purchased it already? Don't you hate having to "eat" the listing and
commission fees the auction site extracted from you because now the item
has to be relisted and valuable time has been wasted? Don't you hate the
hassle people put you through just because they're insensitive or too
afraid to admit they changed their mind or didn't know what they were
doing? We have no qualms about filing the Non-Paying Bidder complaint
process with eBay. This can result in receiving an Unpaid Item Strike,
which will adversely affect your buying and selling activities and can
even result in suspension.
We understand mistakes are sometimes
made and there are sometimes extenuating circumstances, but if you just
bid and close our auction and then go out and buy the item somewhere else
-- leaving us in the lurch -- that's a totally different story.
By the same token, we do enjoy leaving
positive feedback
for good customers and will take the time to do so after we know
you've received your item and are happy with it. The highest ratings go to
customers who follow instructions, keep their promises, pay quickly, and
maintain good communication during the transaction.
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When do you
expect payment? |
Payment must reach
our office
within 4 days of the auction's close
in order to avoid the
problems of unsatisfactory feedback and the danger of relisting.
NOTE -- On eBay auctions:
if we have not received payment within 5 days, we will file an UID
(Unpaid Item Dispute) and follow through with the process. This can
seriously affect your buying and selling activities on the auction site,
so it's important to pay on time to avoid this procedure.
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What
payment methods do you accept? |
USA buyers:
1) MONEY ORDER.
Easily available at the post office,
bank, grocery store, Walmart,
Western Union, etc.
2)
PAYPAL --
Going through PayPal will allow you to use a credit
card, personal check, or bank transfer to pay for your auction transaction
…(sorry, but we cannot accept those directly). PayPal accepts Visa,
MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Conducting online transactions
this way increases your safety by keeping your financial account
information private. We are Verified members with PayPal's Buyer
Protection Policy coverage.
If you're not familiar with this free service
used by more than 94 million online consumers in over 190 countries, the
funds would be transferred to our PayPal account after you fund your
account with either a credit card, personal check, or electronic bank
transfer. This is the preferred method of payment because of its speedy,
free money transfer which enables us to ship the product sooner (no delay
from waiting for your payment to arrive through the mail). You
are immediately granted a $1,000 initial spending limit, which you
can later lift by completing their Verification process. You can withdraw
the money from your account at any time through bank transfer or the debit
card (which also doubles as a cash
back MasterCard for spending too, by the way). Plus, you may
be eligible for a $5 new account bonus when you join! It takes literally 2
minutes to open an account. The majority of our auction customers pay
through PayPal.
NOTE: The only PayPal transactions
which clear instantly are those funded by a credit card or your PayPal
balance. If you choose the eCheck as a payment
option, please note that the product you are purchasing cannot be shipped
until funds clear our PayPal account. Since an eCheck is an electronic
funds transfer that withdraws money directly from your bank account,
PayPal holds the transaction as pending for 3-4 business days,
until the electronic funds transfer has cleared both banks. If your bank
initially declines the electronic funds transfer, the payment can be
delayed for up to an additional 7 business days. Most customers choose to
use the instant payment option rather than the eCheck.
3) ESCROW.COM -- This
will allow you to place money in the custody of a trusted third party. The
money is then paid to the seller once the item is received and inspected
by the buyer. USA buyers can pay escrow.com with a check, money order,
PayPal, wire transfer, and in most cases with a credit card. International
buyers must pay escrow.com by wire transfer. Please visit the escrow.com
site to be sure you can use it. NOTE: There is a fee to use this service,
a minimum of $25. We usually ask the buyer to pay this fee, but on some
items we may be able to split the fee with you 50/50. Contact us to
inquire if your transaction qualifies for this discount.
(Escrow cannot be used to
purchase software, digital media, or written materials.)
Escrow.com is the recommended transaction
settlement service of many of the top names in eCommerce, including eBay.
It is a privately held company that has pioneered the process of online
escrow services. The Company, founded in 1999 by Fidelity National
Financial, has established itself as the leading provider of secure
business and consumer transaction management on the Internet. Since this
is the only escrow service approved by eBay, we will NOT use
any other escrow company, so please do not even ask. This is for your
protection and ours.
4)
WESTERN UNION -- Your payment can be made with cash at a
nearby agent location, by U.S. bank issued Visa or MasterCard credit or
debit card over the Internet, or by credit card over the telephone. I pick
up the payment at an agent location in a matter of minutes or hours.
Available in over 200 countries. Western Union payments
must be in the exact amount of the transaction (NO exceptions).
5) CASH -- for your protection, we only accept small amounts of
U.S. Dollars by mail. Cash is the REQUIRED payment option for local
in-person pickups. (We provide a proof of payment receipt.)
... and on almost every auction we also
accept:
6) BARTERING -- We are open to bartering on many of the items we
sell, so if you have a product or service don't be afraid to offer a
trade. Depending on what it is, we may want it. (Hey, we're even willing
to trade for postage stamps!) Even if the value of your item isn't as much
as the auction item you're purchasing, you might be able to reduce your
price by offering it toward payment. If it's of equal or greater value,
that's even better! You would still bid and win the auction and we can
leave feedback for one another ... your "payment" would be the traded
product rather than money. Click here for
details on how it works.
NOTE: The only way to pay immediately by
credit card with no funds clearance process is either with
a PAYPAL instant payment or
a Western Union Money Transfer. (At this time we cannot accept credit
cards directly.)
International buyers:
If it is determined that we
can ship to your country,
please be sure you can comply with our Terms of Service:
~
PayPal -- if your country is on their list
~
Western Union money transfer -- (see above)
... must
be in the exact amount of the transaction -- NO exceptions
~ Escrow.com -- (see above)
We do not accept payments by mail for international transactions.
Much higher shipping rates and
handling charges apply to foreign shipments.
Customs valuation will be final bid price
/
All customs, duties, import
fees, and taxes are between buyers and their government (they are your
responsibility) / We will not
mark the package as a Gift since it is merchandise you purchased from us
/ Invoice will be included in package / Invoice number will be marked on
customs form.
This is to comply with the law, to be honest, and for your protection as
well as ours. Please understand there will be NO exceptions. Since customs
policies vary widely from country to country, you should contact your
local customs office for further information if you do not have experience
in this area.
We can only ship your package to
the address provided on the payment service's transaction page.
[NOTE: The payment options listed
on this page are the
only ones we can accept, as clearly explained in the auction
listing. Please do not ask about any other methods. If you send payment by
an unapproved method, the money will be returned to you -- which will
unnecessarily delay shipment and create problems. Thanks for understanding.]
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Why are you
giving away those 75 great bonuses? How do I get them? |
Some shoppers have mistakenly assumed that we're
offering
the bonus package as part of some sort of MLM scheme or that they'll
automatically be signed up for 75 different things that will clutter
their emailbox. Allow us to put those fears to rest: What will happen when
we give away these bonuses is that you will receive an email link with the
location of the online area granting free access to the list of over 75
bonuses. You are free to choose whichever ones appeal to you and can go
back and re-visit any time you want. There are no strings attached. It's
simply my personal collection of outstanding freebies and special deals
I've found in my travels as a Professional Research Consultant … which I
am sharing with you in appreciation for doing business with me on this
auction and paying promptly (within 2 days of the auction's close or using
Buy It Now). That's
all !
You won't be disappointed.
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What do I do after I win the
auction? |
We will be sending you an
invoice shortly after the auction closes or store transaction is
initiated. Please be sure to go to the special insidersecrets.info
page link in the Payment Instructions section of the invoice -- it
contains all payment details and transaction details needed to walk you
through the buying process step by step.
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How do I reach you by email? |
You can contact us by email in
one of these 3 ways:
Use the ASK SELLER A QUESTION feature in our eBay listing.
or
If you have won an auction or purchased a store item, use the seller email
address shown in the congratulations notification eBay sent you.
or
Fill out this form:
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What is your return
policy? |
Unless otherwise indicated, up to 15
days after the auction's close a request for a refund or a store credit
may be made (another reason it's important to pay on time), and processing
instructions will be emailed to you. Refunds and credits are granted on
the purchase price of the item only (not on the shipping cost), if the
item is returned in original condition. And you must pay the shipping
costs to send the item back to us. So please bid carefully because if you
decide you don’t want the item, you’ll end up paying shipping costs twice.
The item must be shipped back to us within 7 days of your refund request.
NOTE: Returns on music/recordings,
videos/DVD's, musical instruments, software, computer hardware,
electronics, products with working parts, art prints, and reading
materials are only accepted if you bought a
brand new and sealed item AND it is returned brand new and
unopened/sealed. Clothing refunds are only given on garments sold new with
original tags returned in original condition. Refunds and credits are not given on emailable or downloadable products / digital reading material.
Please be assured that items with
working parts are tested prior to listing them for sale. If the items are
untested, it will CLEARLY be stated in the listing and will be sold at a
discounted bargain price.
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Do you offer any
discounts? |
Look around at the other auctions in our auction booth,
our eBay
store, our
other online sales booths, and the items for sale here on our website
… if you buy more than one item you’ll get a shipping discount. Once you
buy something from us you’ll get a 10% discount on future shipments
(up to a $20 discount each month).
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What if the auction
closes and I still haven't heard from you? |
If it has been longer than
the 3 day window suggested by the auction site and you have not heard from
us, there may have been an emergency, the computer is down, internet/phone
service has been interrupted for some strange reason, or the electricity
is out due to a storm OR ... some email servers such as AOL and
web-based email accounts have such sensitive Spam/Bulk Mail filters that
sometimes legitimate messages get miscategorized as spam and therefore get
automatically deleted. PLEASE check your Delete/Spam/Bulk Mail box before
contacting us if you have not heard from us to make sure our message did
not get sent to that dead zone. It will save us both some time if you
could extend this courtesy.
The majority of our more
than 1,300 combined eBay and Yahoo feedback ratings are from customers who
offer mention of a speedy transaction ... therefore, you can be sure we do
get to our customers quickly. Although it's highly unlikely that no one
could respond, the possibility exists. If we're out of town, we try to
check in with our auctions every few days, so we will get to you even if
away.
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How long will it take for my
item to be delivered? |
Shipment is made upon
receipt of the funds of your payment. The US Postal Service is the
carrier for most items. (Occasionally we use UPS Ground or FedEx, which can
take anywhere from 2 to 7 business days.) Of course they won't ever
guarantee delivery speed unless you're paying for their expensive Express
Mail service, but here's a good
estimate of time frames during non-holiday seasons:
Within the USA --
First Class (under 13 ounces) -- 3 business days
Priority Mail (over 13 ounces) -- 2-3 business days, up to 7
Media Mail (the default method for books, music, and videos
weighing over 1/2 pound) -- 2-9 business days, possibly longer if it's a
heavy package
Parcel Post (cheapest method for packages over 12 lbs. going a long
distance) -- 5-8 business days, possibly weeks if it's a very heavy
package ... sometimes just as fast as First Class mail
Express Mail -- (anything that needs to get to you immediately) --
overnight to most areas
International --
Priority Mail International (4 lbs. or more) -- 6 to 10 days
First Class International (under 4 lbs.) -- variable ... could take
2 to 12 weeks or more
Express Mail International -- 5 to 6 days
Global Express Guaranteed -- 1 to
3 days
Insurance coverage is REQUIRED on all international shipments.
To meet PayPal requirements, some
international packages must be sent Express Mail.
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Anything else I need to know
about shipping? |
1. If
you live outside the United States, you must contact us before
bidding so that we may determine if we can ship this product to your
country. There are restrictions on payment methods which also have to be
met.
2 .
Delivery Confirmation (and in some cases Signature Confirmation) with
online tracking is used on most shipments as a protection for both of us.
If you claim to have never received the shipment but the official
Confirmation tracking shows that it was delivered, we are no longer
responsible for the package. This is just normal policy for companies
doing mail order business.
3. On some items, USA shipping charges listed in our auctions for items weighing
more than 1 lb. are calculated as flat rate as if the package were going
to the most distant point from us, Zone 8 (Pacific Time Zone). If you live
elsewhere, your S&H charges will most
likely be less than the shipping price in the listing. In
that case, we recommend that you contact us in advance with the name of
your city AND zip code so we can give you an accurate quote before you
buy. Otherwise, we will either adjust your invoice or issue a refund of
excess shipping. The same applies to international shipping quotes. Why do
we do this? Because when listing items on
eBay, their shipping calculator makes us enter a package size and the
shipping carrier ... we don't know either one of those details
because we don't procure shipping boxes for things until they sell, so we
don't know the exact measurements for the packages when we put the items
on eBay.
Also, we sometimes use UPS and sometimes the post office, depending upon
price, convenience, and whether the customer's address is a P. O. Box or a
street. The flat rate shipping allows us to just enter Standard Shipping
without having to name the carrier or package size.
4 .
On breakable items and also on all international packages, we include
insurance in the shipping price. For all other (USPS) shipments, it is
available for an additional charge upon request. Very few of our packages
are ever lost or damaged, so we leave it as an extra option to help keep
your shipping costs down.
5. If you own a business
and have a shipping account (for example with UPS), please do not
give us your account number and ask us to ship through your account so you
don't have to pay our shipping charges. We are not able to do this. Please
respect our Terms Of Service just as you would if ordering from any other
online store.
6. There is usually a small
handling charge added to the shipping costs ... this covers reasonable
expenses such as packing and shipping materials, Delivery or Signature
Confirmation, gas to the package dropoff location, extra time, and related
fees. Don't worry though, it's never excessive. PLUS, you get at least one
free gift with every auction purchase, so you're really always coming out
ahead of the game anyway.
A note about used software:
Unless otherwise specified, each product includes only original manuals
and media. We are not selling licenses to use any software or media but sell
to computer professionals who understand the complexities of software
licensing. You should contact the software manufacturer to determine what
action you must take to be licensed for any software use.
Thanks for your interest ... I hope we can do business together soon!
We'll do our best
to ensure that everyone walks away happy and willing to do business again in
the future.
HAPPY SHOPPING!
zippytazz (eBay)
UncommonFindsShop (Etsy
store)
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