Power Sellers Unite

ashevillekat · Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 125

Hi All, 2 years ago I tried to open an ECrater store and gave up in abject frustration. All the stores look so nice and organized and I could not make heads or tales of where to start. I have been listing on Ebay mind you for 10 years and I have a college education. But it seemed there were no instructions included with ECrater. I must have simply overlooked them. Does anyone know of link to an ECrater for Dummies? PS why does my feedback here say ashvillekat 3 ? Is that Ebay feedback? Are my questions making any sense? Its awful late and Im feeling pretty ditzy after another failed go round with ECrater.

mugzinnys · Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 56

Hi Ashevillekat,
Ecrater.com home page click on the community tab and post your questions.

That the quickest way to get help the community forum. Also here is a link to the easy store setup procedures located in the eCRATER community forum below

http://community.ecrater.com/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=a21a596803c7a2fc6d3c7a02bc05e491

http://mugzinnys.ecrater.com

survival · Joined: 02 Oct 2009 Posts: 44

Check the forums, they are full of information. If I remember correctly they have tutorials set up within the forum.

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

kat,

The problem is that you've been with the bay for 10 years, and have forgotten how confusing it was, in the beginning.

So now, you're the new kid in the new school and are having a bit of a problem finding your way around.

Think of it as an adventure, and if you get lost, send a PM to Big T. He's a moderator in their forum, and I've found him to be very helpful.

IllinoisGal · Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Posts: 203

Go to the community forums and check out this section. There is also a help section. http://community.ecrater.com/viewforum.php?f=6

ashevillekat · Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 125

Thanks so much for these kind replies. But Ohmygosh it must be my ADHD. The tutorials start by saying
Please note the date of this post. Many changes have been made since this Tutorial was written
Then the nice tutorial by cupatea goes on to say that it is not a step by step tutorial and that such a thing would be nice
The other tutorial tells how to start with categoies and then does not continue after that or there is not a simple way to get to the next post for the next step.
At the forum I feel like I have walked into the middle of difficult movie and have no idea of the plot.
Is there a step by step guide anywhere that would help thowe who are ECrater impaired?

ashevillekat · Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 125

Ok, I finally read the last post at that forum website you suggested., (When in doubt read the directions). I am pleased to announce that I have gotten as far as the shipping matrix. Well named! Cool Text as one of the forums mentioned was a great free site for creating a logo banner. I sure wish I could just use a fixed rate for the shipping in the listing but I guess more will be revealed on that score. Thank you for addressing my dilemma. Much appreciated. kat

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

kat,

You are not required to use the shipping matrix. You can indeed used a fixed rate for shipping.

ashevillekat · Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 125

Ohhhhhh that is so good! I always use fixed shipping in Feebay. Thanks for your response.
I have also started listing on Bonanzle. I should say migrating ....as I just import all my listings over there the minute I post them at Ebay. Its a one step process and while nothing has ever sold I am going to continue doing this to do my part to support start ups. Im wondering if something like that can be done at ECrater. I saw the mention of the batch listing but it said that you must do 50 listings at one time and then when I got to the part about Excel my ears shut down!

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

Can't help you there.

When I start listing, it will be one item at a time.

And I have some 28 thousand items to list.

rocco · Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Posts: 31

I know what you mean, well at least I did for the first hour or so of trying to list on eCrater but it ain't really that bad. It is way more basic than ebay, well apart from the Matrix that is but boy is if fast to list.
The easiest way I have found is to cut n' paste from your closed, deleted or open listings on ebay or wherever, it will convert to plain text but that is fine.
I have been on eCrater for several days now and have managed to list 75 items in not a lot of time probably half what it would have taken on ebay where I am no longer, for the time being.
The listings have just surpassed the 3,000,000 plus on eCrater, it is the next largest site to ebay.
The BIG plus point is that it is completely FREE, a very clever move by the guys that run the site as they make their cash from Google adwords, it has shot from virtually nothing to recently sunstancially high traffic.

Just watch the Drip, Drip effect from ebay. Taking the top 3 sites below ebay there are 10,000,000 items listed between them, I recon' mainly ALL ex ebay business, I may be wrong but I don't think so.

The Matrix really is not too bad, all I have done or am doing is working through it. It does take time but I think well worthwhile, the first thing I did was to work out a £ to $ conversion chart out covering the main price structure that I use. Use number 1 say up to 100 gram, number 2 for up to 180 gram and so on, you only need to enter once as when there is a dip or surge in conversion from £ to $ if it is significant you simply adjust your start price. The problem would come in if there was a large difference but I think you have to look at that when it happens, hopefully eCrater will revise the system, who knows.

Hope that has helped.

rocco · Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Posts: 31

DaLizardsLair wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")Can't help you there.

When I start listing, it will be one item at a time.

And I have some 28 thousand items to list.

Goodness, I hope you are really young ! :shock:

ashevillekat · Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 125

DaLizardsLair wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
Can't help you there.

When I start listing, it will be one item at a time.

And I have some 28 thousand items to list.

Ha! she hopes you are really young LOL! Very cute. Here is my work around... how bout this for laziness and total lack of cost effectiveness?
I go to my Auctiva and Inkfrog old dusty listings.
( Yes, I have 2 listing services cause Inkfrog has that cheap insurance .55c ...international and US ...and I kept the basic $2.95 Auctiva for when I forget to insure and need the extra 3 day window from the time I mail the item.
Ok, then I relist the listings as a .35c buy it now on Ebay. Then I went to to Bonanzle and migrated all the new live listings to Bonanzle.
This is just to keep from having to fill in all the blanks and pics at Bonanzle over again when I have them saved at the listing services. I requested that Inkfrog add the ability to post at alternative websites and they said they are working on it.

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

Maybe that's why Inkfrog is down.

ashevillekat · Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 125

Thats it!!
Good thing I kept my Auctiva account open... I hope the malware does not get in there too . But I only get 15 listings a month with this little itty bitty minimal account so Im using them up my listings fast. Inkfrog sure is in big big trouble tonight. Even my Ebay listings flash the awful malware screen if you enlarge my pics.