Multiply Marketplace Closing on May 6, 2013

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After less than 6 months of being a dedicated e-commerce service, Multiply had suddenly announced that it will be closing its marketplace service on May 6.  This announcement came amidst several complaints both from sellers and buyers regarding various issues on their payment system.

Multiply's Announcement

Multiply's short-lived dabble in online selling was a great revolution of trying to foster honest selling and buying experience online.  Sellers had the option of using Multiply's escrow service that would accept payments from buyers thru Multiply system.  As a reward, sellers would gain points that would allow them to ship the items to the customer free of charge.

Several sellers had issues of not receiving the payment on-time since Multiply had a hard time disbursing the payments back to the sellers who should receive them.  For the buyers, the experience led them to believe that the sellers renegade on them and had turned scam after not receiving the items they paid for.

My First PayPal Payment -- Account is Limited!

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Getting an email from PayPal saying that your account was set to limited after just verifying it is quite daunting.

This mostly happens when you’ve just received your very first payment for an item sold or a service rendered.  However, this shouldn’t cause you any alarm.  First of all, ensure that there hasn’t been any unauthorized activity on your account.  Secondly, make sure that the payment you received is from your customer.

Once you’ve satisfied the above criteria, proceed with shipping the merchandize to your customer as normal.  Follow these simple steps to ensure that PayPal would lift the limit on your account and protect you as a seller as well.

1. Log-in to your PayPal account.
2. Right beside the payment you received, click the Details link.
3. At the end of the page, click Edit Tracking Info.
4. Change the Order Status to Shipped.
5. Write the tracking number provided by the courier you’ve used.
6. On the Shipping Company choose Other.
7. A new box will appear.  Write here the official website of the courier that you’ve used.
8. Click Save

After just a few minutes, PayPal would lift the limit on your account.  However, the payment you received will remain on hold.  You can’t do anything about this but wait for the standard 21days to pass for PayPal to transfer the money to your Available Fund, granted that buyer won’t raise a dispute.

Succeeding payments from any other customer would no longer be placed on your Pending Fund, but would go direct to your Available Fund even if the 21days hasn’t passed yet.

Remember to keep a copy of the waybill even if in electronic form for a minimum of 60days.  This is the time frame when customer can raise a dispute and reverse the payment.  Always update the shipping information of all your subsequent transactions to enjoy the convenience brought by PayPal.

Don't have PayPal yet?  Check this out and get your own.

This Year's Goal, My New Year Resolution for 2013

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OK, it's late to be doing this post for a New Year's Resolution. Let's all pretend that I'm Chinese and had just celebrated the Spring Festival and ushered in the year of the Water Snake.

Putting a resolution is good, but sticking to it is the problem.  Most of us can sustain the changes for up to the quarter of the year then lapse little by little until we revert to previous vices or workings.

To sustain the resolution, I've made a lists of goals instead. Only 6 for this year and they're actually a continuation of lasts years changes. Here they are written to the easiest to the most difficult. I hope to stick to them and check by the end of 2013 if I made anything or everything came true.

My List

6. Double last year's investment.  I've put this as the easiest since I'm most determined to make this come true.
5. Post regularly.  I put here regularly instead of daily or weekly.  But I'm sure that there won't be a month without a post.



Courtesy of www.blogote.com

4. Create an emergency fund.  I've started my investment in no particular order.  I just jumped into it even though I know that creating a 3 to 6 months worth of expense for emergency fund is a prerequisite.  This year I'll create that fund and not touch it.

3. Drink at least 5 glasses of pure water daily.  You may find this weird, but there.  I'm not fond of drinking water.  It has to have color on it; taste on it; and I'm lucky enough, fizz on it.
2. Complete my cross-stitch project.  I've been doing this project for more than 5years now.  I know, that's a long time to be doing a cross-stitch, but I have my excuses lined up including a wedding and two pregnancies.  I'm allowed! My project should like a little like the photo below once completed.  Sorry, I don't have the actual picture with me.



Happy Lovers - courtesy of www.free-cross-stitch-pattern.com

1. Start a physical business.  This would be the most difficult of all.  There's a lot of planning to be made and capital to start a business.  I hope that this year would be the year to have that physical store.

Ways to Pay for Your eBay Seller Fees

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For eBay sellers who availed the eBay store feature, paying your seller fee dues is a no brainer already.  However, those new into the business will find themselves lost once due date comes in.

Every month eBay sends invoice for your last month’s transaction bills.  If you avail the very basic eBay store which costs 150pesos a month, you will see it billed the next month.  But don’t fret, eBay requires immediate payment only for invoices 300pesos and up.  Meaning you can use the store feature for 2 months before you’re required to pay.

Not paying past due invoices will automatically put your account on hold preventing you from listing new items, including those in automatic listing.

Ways you can pay

Credit Card

• Automatic credit card payments - Each month eBay will charge the credit card that you placed on file.  This is safe and very convenient.  Credit card must bear the Master Card or Visa logo.

• One-time credit card payment - Pay your seller fees manually using credit card.  Usually takes 24 to 48 hours for eBay to confirm acceptance of payment.

• One-time payment thru BDO bank deposit - Print a payment voucher from your eBay account and deposit the payment at BDO.  Great for those without credit cards.  See the detailed instruction on my next post.

eBay Voucher

Sorry guys but PayPal payment of fees is not offered for eBay.ph sellers.  Yes, I’m also disappointed with this.

Pancake with Jellyfish Jelly

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Pink Jellyfish Jelly

The kids and I love pancakes. And they surely can’t get tired of watching SpongeBob.

One episode of SpongeBob gave me an idea to give a twist to our regular pancakes. The episode is
name Jellyfish Hunter. You can watch it here.

In it SpongeBob collects Jellyfish Jelly in a jar and spreads it to his patty. He gave a sample to a customer
and it tastes so good that the customer broke into a song. To cut it short, the jelly was such a hit that
Mr. Krabs decided to offer it as a regular at the Krusty Krabs.

Jellyfish Jelly looks like any jam and is either pink or blue, depending on the color of the jellyfish that made it. Remembering that we bought several jars of strawberry jam from our trip in Baguio, I decided to sample how it would taste with the pancake. And sure enough, it’s a hit. I then introduced the combination to the kids telling them that its pancakes with Jellyfish Jelly.

Pancake with Jellyfish Jelly

Dean enjoying his jelly pancake