Royal Mail Recorded Delivery, what a 'mare

A recorded delivery is not guaranteed to arrive in any way over and
above the standard postage, they go in with the rest of the mail and
the only difference is that a signature is required upon delivery.
Has your recorded delivery actually been confirmed by the recipient as
not having arrived? As I can almost guarantee it has been delivered, it
just wont have been confirmed into the system due to one of several
reasons - postie could be off sick/on holiday/failed to hand in the
delivery card for scanning, person in the locker might have had the
card back but hasn't scanned the barcode or has missed it, website
hasn't received the conformation, etc etc.
It happens a lot, recorded deliveries actually going missing happens
very very rarely - less than 1 in 50,000. Another thing to remember,
you sent the letter, you have conformation it was sent, so stick to
your timetable.Do you think the bank would listen if they said they'd
sent you a letter and you said you'd never received it? Of course not.Royal Mail recorded delivery is not a reliable service.
It would be extremely interesting to see statistics from Royal Mail as
to what percentage of recorded delivery items are actually signed for.
In my experience it is extremely unusual to be asked to sign for a
recorded delivery item. Indeed, I received one yesterday where someone
(probably the postman) had removed the recorded lable before delivering
it without obtaining a signature. Additionally many items are
prohibited from being sent by recorded delivery

Things to look out for when buying new Alloys

PCD:

PCD stands for (pitch circle diameter) and is the diameter of a circle drawn through the centre of your wheels bolt holes. PCD is measured in millimetres and also indicates the number of studs or bolts the wheel will have. The most common fitment has 4 studs and a PCD of 100mm, hence the fitment 4x100. Check the fitment guide above to check the fitment of your car, if you are unsure consult a technician.OFFSET (also referred to as 'ET'):Your car requires a unique offset. Simply this is where the outside of the wheel needs to be in relation to the bodyline of the vehicle, realistically you can go 5-7mm outside these recommendations, but always consult a technician if you are unsure, as there are often other factors that need to be considered.Detailed Explanation:There are 2 main reasons for fitting Alloy Wheels: Weight and Style. Alloy wheels are a lot lighter than the equivalent size of steel wheels, so the unsprung weight of the car is reduced. They also look 10 times smarter than a steel wheel, even with a fancy plastic trim covering it.Two things to look for when fitting after market wheels is the PCD(Pitch Circle Diameter, ) and spigot size. The PCD is easy to match as this relates to the number of studs you need to hold the wheel on the car. The ACTUAL meaning is the diameter of the studs from the centre of the wheel.Spigot size is a bit trickier....the spigot is the bit in the centre of the hub that you rest the inside centre of the wheel on whilst aligning the studs and screwing back the wheel nuts. On generic after market wheels, the spigot hole inside the wheels is a lot bigger than the spigot on the car. So what you need to do in this case is fit spigot locating rings. These are just rings of aluminium or hard plastic, that fit over the spigot on your car and then have a proper fit with the spigot hole on the wheel. If you don't have the spigot taking all the weight of the car, chances are you'll break one or more studs when you drive the car hard or have to brake hard. Remember the wheel nuts are simply there to hold the wheel on, NOT support the weight of the car. Also, as there is nothing to centre the wheel, you'll notice the wheels go in and out of balance because as you drive around, they'll move around on the hub.It is quite normal to alter the size of wheel when fitting alloys. When changing to alloys - you can replace with the same size of wheel, and keep the same size tyre, or move up to 13" wheels. The larger the wheel and the smaller the tyre profile the more impact the wheel chosen will have on the overall look of the car. The important thing is to keep the same overall tyre diameter. This is done by using a lower profile tyre. Increasing the tyre width and reducing the profile height will give the vehicle different handling characteristics. The car will be a lot more responsive when cornering, but a lot more sensitive to bumps and irregularities in the road.To give you an indication of what can be done if you want to change to a bigger wheel.Take the first number of your tyre size (this is the width of the tread) and multiply it by the second number (this is the profile height expressed as a percentage) and then divide by 100. You now have the height of one sidewall in millimetres.Multiply it by 2 (for top and bottom sidewalls) and divide this by 25.4 to convert to inches and add it to the third number of your tyre size (the rim diameter in inches) to give the overall diameter in inches.If you want to convert back to millimetres multiply by 25.4Wheel SizeTwo measurements, the Rim Diameter and the Rim Width, normally determine the wheel size. This is best explained with reference to the diagram:The Offset of a wheel measures the distance between the wheel centreline and the wheel mounting face and is measured in millimetres. It is extremely important that wheels of the correct offset are used in order to maintain the correct track of the vehicles.Offset can be Positive or Negative and is best illustrated in the two diagrams below.Most Modern vehicles are front-wheel drive, and as such generally require positive offset wheels. The main exception to this rule is 4x4 vehicles, which often use negative offset wheels.ClearanceIt is, of course, extremely important that the clearance Pitch Circle Diameter of both the vehicle body work and steering/suspension components are maintained. Failure to do so would most likely cause damage to both the tyre/wheel assembly as well as the body of the vehicles. Clearance is achieved by selecting a wheel of the correct size and type of tyre. Quality alloy wheel suppliers can give such information. Pitch Circle Diameter (PCD)The P.C.D. can be defined as the diameter (in millimetres) of an imaginary circle drawn through the centre of the stud holes on the wheel and/or the vehicle wheel hub.When new wheels are required, it is essential that they have the correct P.C.D. for the vehicle concerned.Just because a wheel from one vehicle has the same PCD and offset as the wheel from another does not mean they are interchangeable - the centre bore of the wheel and hub must also be the same to ensure centralisation of the wheel, and the shape of the spokes must ensure clearance of the brake calipers. Many manufacturers use the same wheel fitments as others, but some are unique.Wheel Location on HubAdaptor / Spigor Ring Arrangement Motor vehicle manufacturers use a central location collar on the stub axle hub in order to accurately locate the wheel. The wheel collar diameter varies, depending on the make of vehicle.Many replacement allow wheel manufacturers use an adapter (spigot ring) to vary the diameter of the locating hole. In this way, a particular wheel can, by changing the spigot ring, be used on a variety of vehicles.The adapter/spigot ring arrangement is illustrated in the diagram.As an example, TSW Spigot rings should always be fitted without the tapered edge facing the vehicle hub. This is to allow easy and accurate location of the ring onto the hub collar.Upstepping to High PerformanceLegal and illegal wheel/tyre combinationsVehicle performance can be maximised by selecting a lower profile tyre and larger wheel diameter combination. Care must be taken to select the appropriate replacement wheel / tyre combination to avoid problems.For example, it is a legal requirements that the tyre and wheel assemblies stay within the body of the car. The fitting of larger diameter replacement wheels is referred to as up-stepping. Up-steppingPlus One or Plus Two denotes how much larger the wheel diameter is.This approach of up-stepping allows the tyre section width to be increased whilst maintaining the correct overall diameter. This allows the optimisation of cornering force and grip whilst maintaining the original gearing of the vehicle.Aspect RatioAspect ratio is the ratio of section height to section width. It should be noted that in general, tyres with a lower section height (i.e. where the aspect ratio is lowered) have a higher cornering force and therefore improved performance-handling characteristics. When you have bought your new alloy wheels, you will need the special nuts to fit them to the hub. Stud threads vary, so dont rush out and buy the first set of wheel nuts you see at a bargain price because they may not fit and will strip the thread on the studs. Then you'll need to buy new studs and either fit them yourself or pay a garage to do it for you.Alloy wheels need special studs so that they fit inside the indent in the wheel and tighten up onto the stud properly. Normal nuts used on steel wheels are not suitable, as the nut will probably only go halfway down the stud, and when you brake suddenly or with normal driving over a period of time the nuts will work loose, or wear away the alloy hole in the wheel making the wheel useless, and the worse scenario would be the studs breaking and the wheel coming off completely.Rover Alloys use Rover nuts, many other manufacturers use either generic nuts or special nuts to fit their own brand of wheels. These nuts are not interchangeable, you can't use Rover nuts on some alloy wheels, and vice versa.You should also ensure that if using wider wheels that they do not protrude outside the line of the car, as in the diagram below.So please check you have the right specification alloys and the right nuts to hold them on!Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any more queries!

loola pushchair

why pay 190.00 for a new boxed loola off ebay without garauntee.when you can go to mothercare and have one with a garauntee for 200

Emmaljunga Twin Cerox

DON'T BUY THIS PRAM UNLESS YOU HAVE MONEY TO BURN

When I first got this pram when my twins were born I loved it as it was big and looked great. I soon realised it was too bulky and awkward to fold and too big for my car boot ( we have an estate car).

Now my twins are 18 months old and I have finally thrown it in the bin. Basically it has been back at the factory more than it's been in my house. Apparently I walk too much and my children are too heavy. Three times now it has been sent back with the same fault. Here I am walking along the street when my pram collapses with my babies in it. It literally just folds. Not good!!

I've always thought you get what you pay for but not with an Emmaljunga pram you don't. All the joins are made of cheap plastic and the aftersales service isn't too hot either. Generally when we have a problem we have to wait about 3 to 4 weeks to get our pram back on the road. Any parent of twins will know you just can't live without your pram for that length of time. At the price it's not as if you can afford to have another pram just lying around as a spare.

I hope this helps anyone looking for twin prams/strollers

Lazy Town /Peppa Pig/ Night Garden Products

Before getting in a mad bidding frenzy for all those supposedly 'RARE' hard to find items (because people wanting to make a few quid have bought them up.) Try shopping around. I expected not to find any lazy town /peppa pig/night garden products at all after looking on ebay and being convinced there was going to be nothing out there. I was surprised to see that the shops had a reasonable range.

I have bought most of my lazy town stuff from TK Maxx. They had loads of stuff. Even the 'RARE' Robbie figure which have been purchased on ebay for over 30 quid. Cost me 7.99.

Mothecare/Toyr us/Woolworths/Asda

In the last day I have bought various Lazytown and Peppa pig stuff from Mothercare. They had the big bang bam box, jigsaws, ropes, lunch bags, moveable figures and Peppa pig figures and various other items. Including some Peppa Pig girls pjs'/lunar Jim/night Garden Pj'shot items on Ebay.

Toys r us - gotanother lazy town jigsaw , but again check them out theyhad otherlazy town items. Also had loads of night garden stuff and Peppa Pig. Including the Space Peppa , and the double set of stuffed toys with Peppa and George, Iggle Piggle with his blanket. I bought a Peppa Watch and tons of jigsaws - Peppa pig jigsaws buy one get one half price. Shrek /Lazytown/Thomas/Roary/Night Garden all available.Watch was 7.99 , jigsaws 4.99

Woolworths - figures , dressup sets , jigsaws and various other items , even cheaper than toys r us.They have Peppa Pig sets for a good price including the Peppa Pig House selling for 14.99.One just been sold on ebay for over that and doesnt include the postage. The Peppa pig jumbo play setthat includes the car with the 4 figures , a playground , and grandpas train. Bargain at 19.99.

ASDA - was selling the super sportacus set for just under a tenner and they are still selling on ebay for 20.

Amazon -

Seem to have sellers with many Lazytown productsin stock and for many no postal charges. There seems to be quite a few things at sale price.

What I have found hard to get were the pj's for boys. So i have had to buy them off Ebay. Asda expect more stock in the next 2 weeks of the pj's but didnt want to take the chance.

Internet shopping is handybut not if you are paying over the odds for products that arent that hard to find.

What is Swarovski Crystal

What is Swarovski Crystal?

Many people misunderstand that the raw material used in the manufacture of Swarovski crystal objects occurs naturally, like rock crystal. Swarovski Crystal is not a natural crystal, it is man made at the factory in Wattens using basic formulae perfected by Daniel Swarovski and his three sons. In this section, we will tell you more facts about Swarovski Crystal Beads and answer a number of questions frequently asked.

Why is Crystal more expensive than glass?

Higher density and purity.Crystal quality is dependent on the production method and the processing of the raw material. Both factors play a major role in determining its brilliance and the measure of its value.

What distinguishes Swarovski products from imitations and those made by other manufacturers?

The factor that sets Swarovski crystal products apart is -and always has been - the superior quality of the cutting and polishing. In recent years,crucial role has also been played by exceptionally creative in - house and freelance designers.

Why there is so many different Swarovski Logo?

Swarovski has many different specialized divisions.Swarovski Components - Infinite possibilitiesSwareflex - Safety on the world's roadsSwarovski Optik - With the eyes of a hawk Thank you Please do also have a look at my store! If this was helpful to you please do vote! Thank you

Kawasaki Versys / ER6 TYRE GUIDE

I have recently purchased a Kawasaki 650 Versys and have already taken it on a supermoto only track day at Brands and tried some different tyres. This basic guide may be useful to ER6 owners as they share the same engine and cycle parts, although they are differently styled. Anyway this is what I've found with tyres so far on the Versys...

DUNLOP D221 OE

Original equipment on the Versys, they are very similar in the way they feel to the old D207's. Dry grip in normal conditions is adequate although the front will let go albeit in a controlled manner when the pace hots up. They seem to lose grip in very hot conditions, but never feel unsafe. Wet weather is a different story as they both front and rear need more care. If the weather is cold and conditions are slippery they are both lible to snap out, shattering confidence both on the brakes and on the throttle at even the mildest of lean.

DUNLOP D207RR THE RACER

Generally these tyres suit the versys down to the ground and are an instant cure to most peoples handling problems. They give good feedback in all conditions and are rarely troubled by the 650's chasis or engine power. Some care has to be taken in colder, slippery conditons, but in sensible hands they're safe as houses. They generally have way more grip than most ER6 or Versys riders will ever need in all but wet, cold wintery conditions, easily the best choice for summer and faster riders. If you can't find any or want a more modern tyre Michelin Pilot Power 2CT and Dunlop Qualifier RR would probably be the way to go.

BRIDGESTONE BT020 THE NOVICE

Another excellent tyre choice for these types of bike. There is generally less grip than the 207RR's, but more than the D221's and rider feedback are the 020's strong point. It doesn't matter how bad the conditions are the tyres allow you to save yourself from doom every time (so far). Both front and rear can be held right on the limit of adhesion for as long as needed even in wet, slippery conditions. They also seem to have as much grip as the 207RR's when it's really bad, so these are the choice for winter. Also they should give really high mileage as they are a sports/touring tyre and have a harder compound of rubber in the middle. Beginners and born agains that lack confidence will find these much easier to use than most other tyres, and probably find grip levels more than adequate until their riding improves. Again if these sound abit old hat the new Michelin Pilot Road 2CT may be worth a look.

Hope this little guide helps any fellow Versys riders, I'll update it as and when I try some different rubber.

UNBOXED PERFUME

Unboxed Perfume - is it really a bargain??

Be very careful - perfume is very delicate and needs to be kept in a dark environment (this is usually provided by the packaging). If a perfume has been left out of its box and is not in a very dark environment it can go 'off'. In other words it wont smell like it should do! Unboxed perfume is very common on ebay - ive bought some myself and it was described as a tester bottle. The bottle that i purchased did not smell like it should have - it wasnt completely off, but it wasnt the lovely fresh fragrance that is should have been. I have also purchased some lovely perfume which was alimited edition perfume from 2002 and there was nothing wrong with it at all as it was boxed and sealed - obviously carefully looked after.

Not all unboxed perfume will have gone off but if anyone is advertise perfume out of the box then you need to ask them where has it been kept? If it has been kept on a window sill do not even consider it - direct sunlight will definately cause it to be off. If it has been kept in a shut drawer all the time then maybe its worth a risk.

My advice is do not touch it - and if you do, make sure you know what it should smell like when it gets to you - if its off then get your money back (unless of course you did not ask the condition of it before hand). Of course if you are only buying cheap perfume then its not worth worrying about but i think the majority of us are buying expensive fragrances and need to be careful. There are far too many rip offs out there - remember even if it is a rare perfume it just isnt worth paying a high price for - some sellers are selling limited edition perfumes which are discontinued for about 50-80 pounds -make sure you know what you will be getting and that it is going to be in the best condition when you receive it.

I hope you found this guide useful - now go andbuy your special perfume

Struggling with HTML?

Once you know eBay there are a lot of things which are customisable, like your shop header and about Me page, which apparantly require the use of HTML.Did you know eBay inadvertantly have made using HTML possible for anyone - including those who wouldn't know where to start with it?Open Turbolister and design what you want in there, you can copy and paste tables in, use photobucket to put pictures in (will tell you about that in another Guide) and then when you have the look you want (check in preview screen) click on the HTML tab, highlight the lot, and cut and paste it into eBay Very easy - and it's how I created my About me page!:)Have funSuz xxPS- If you found this helpful please do click yes below, then I know what to expand on - many thanks Suz xxAbout meMy ShopWhy shop with me?









SkirtsTopsDresses Everything Else









Lost in post policyReturns policyPayments and postageFAQ

Dresses from Bargain Bridal also known as Zanadoo73

I brought a wedding dress ( alfred angelo) back in may this year, after9 weeks i emailed the seller asking where my dress was

Sony Ericsson warranty invalid if bought on ebay

Please note that if a Sony Ericsson product has been purchased on ebay, then Sony Ericsson will not honour the manufacturers warranty.My new Sony Ericsson product failed after six weeks and I sent it to the service centre with a copy of the ebay/paypal proof of purchase documentation. Sony Ericsson have refused to repair/replace it under their warranty because they do not accept the proof of purchase.They wish me to pay 10 to get my faulty item back and will only repair it if I agree to pay for it.I have tried phoning them, but had to pay for a premium rate line listening to music, whilst stuck in a queue.My advice is, only buy a Sony Ericsson product from ebay, if you are happy to throw it in the bin if it fails, or pay for the repair yourself.

IGGLE PIGGLE

Just thawt I would let people know that the 'must have' version of Iggle Piggle that kids are after this xmas, is the interactive 'BLANKET TIME IGGLE PIGGLE'(thereis a similar one on the market that is'nt interactive

Paypal Notification of Instant Payment -Fraud Scam

Hi,

I think this applies to most if not all users of ebay.

Most people must have at some stage used the buy it now function on listings. Sellers

Why choose a bevelled (beveled) glass mirror?

Bevelled glassmirrors have become a standardchoicefor most of today's interior designers who utilisethe effectsincreative waysto optimise the use of light within a room setting.

Bevelled glass mirrors are normally a quarter inch thick and have a slant (or bevel) of approximately one inch wide at their edgesto catch the light- creating interesting visual effects.

The bevels act as prisms which refract the light (artificial or sunlight) splitting it intothe colours of the rainbow.A quality bevelled glass mirror highlights boththeframe and the mirror design as a whole and thisenchanting rainbow effectwould be absentwith plainglass.

shrinking heatshrink

Heatshrink is a very versatile tubing that has over a thousand and one uses.

There is a variety of ways to shrink heatshrink tubing and the most popular and best way is to use a hot air gun (paint stripping gun) a gas blow torch can also be used but be carful not to burn the tubing.

The side of a soldering iron is aslo used a lot, ideal for small lengths but time consuming for long lengths.

If you dont have any of the above here are some other great ways of shrinking the tubing - the hob ring of a electric/gas cooker will do the job as well as the steam from a boiling kettle (another person will have to keep the on/off button pressed all the time) or even the steam from a wall paper stripper or one of them cleaning steamers.

Laying the tubing in hot water a little below boiling point does a good job too.

Acigarette lighter will work but it does tend to leave a black mark on the tubing which is very difficult to remove, ok if you using black heatshrink i suppose.

All of the above will work and there is probably a few others that i have not mentioned that will workas long as the heat source is above 70 degrees centigrade which is the starting shrinking temperature of the heatshrink that i sell. a good tip is to apply heat evenly over or rotate the job around the heat source.

Adomestic hair dryer will not work as they do not get hot enough, they average about 60 degrees centigrade.

Mannequin Care

Mannequins are fabulous for displaying the latest fashions, but their vulnerability to accidents and damage can shorten their life and decrease their value. Here is a quick guide to caring for your mannequin. I am a retail consultant with a strong interest in mannequins. I am fast becoming a large collector of these interesting items.Wear GlovesWhen handling your mannequin, wear gloves to avoid surface scratches from rings that you might wear on your fingers. If you choose not to wear gloves, always make sure your hands are clean. This will protect the mannequin from surface dirt.Assemble SlowlyBy taking time to assemble your mannequin, this can avoid unnecessary damage.Display SenseWhen choosing where to display your mannequin (on a shop floor or at an exhibition) bear in mind that human traffic can easily bump into your mannequin.Store CarefullyWhen you are not using your mannequin, be sure to store it with adequate packing materials, particularly around the face area and the hands. The fingers are best wrapped in foam, weaving in and out of the fingers to provide the best protection.If you would like any more advice on mannequin care, or if you have a mannequin that needs restoration, please feel free to get in touch.If you found this guide useful, please let me know by clicking the "YES" button below.These votes are used to determine writers' rankings - your own vote is anonymous. Thanks!

DISNEY COOL BAKE MAGIC OVEN REFILLS

I HAVE JUST BOUGHT REFILLS FOR THE MAGIC OVEN FROM WILKINSONS/WILKOS FOR ONLY 2.99. THEY HAVE A BEST BEFORE DATE UNTIL 2010 . THEY HAVE BOTH THE CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA FLAVOURS. HOPE THIS SAVES YOU A COUPLE OF POUNDS!!

ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION IS THAT THESE MIXES CONTAIN PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL (TRANS FATS) WHICH MAY BE UNSUITABLE FOR YOUR CHILD IF YOU ARE TRYING TO CUT OUT THESE FATS FROM YOUR DIET.

RAIFERU - perfume for Valentines - DO NOT BUY FROM HIM!

Beware a seller called RAIFERU !!! I have pasted a link below to awarning from another ebayer. I've had trouble with the seller, and I know others who have too. Ebay aren't interested in the issue because he makes too much money for them, surprise surprise.........

If you don't want to be ripped off this Valentine's Day, make sure you read this first......

http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/rip-off-mr-john-shaw-perfume-guy_W0QQugidZ10000000000937485?ssPageName=BUYGD:CAT:-1:SEARCH:1

PIXEL CHIX RIP OFFS IN UK

HI

Regarding the new pixel chix BABYSITTER, do you know it is cheaper to buy it from U.S sellers than U.K and thats with the postage.

Selling on ebay in Uk with starting prices of 29.99 (that is the retail price) silly postage prices of 5 and over thats over 34.99 if you buy from a UK seller (and if you dont get outbid)

You can either buy from Tesco at the above retail price

Or to save money I bought a brand new one on buy it now from the U.S at only 18.49 and the postage was only 4.99!!

Same with the roomies, selling the set of four in this country with starting prices of over 40 and high postage........go to the U.S set of four on buy it now only 35 and postage again of only 4.99

Save some money go overseas!

Or to TESCO

Guide to buying 15mm figures on ebay.

I have written this guide to help people negotiate the nightmare of buying figures and losing out because they are not what they expected.

What surprises me here, is every other person is selling 'Pro-Painted' models or calling themselves Pro Painters. This is quite annoying because you expect anything with that sort of title to be a well-painted, high standard, tidy model fit for a display cabinet.How wrong you would be though.Some E-Bayers out there seem to stick Pro-Painted onto just about any model, irrespective of whether it is painted in a slapdash fashion, or an exquisite example of fine blending, highlighting etc.

Pro-Painted actually means the person applying the paint, does it for a living and nothing more than that.

It has no bearing on the standard of figures you will end up with.

1. A wargames standard figure will have little or no shading or highlighting, will be basically based and ready to play.

2. A collectors or True Pro painted model will be shaded and highlighted and these details should appear on the photographs in the advert or be clearly pointed out in the advert, often the basing will be of a better quality.

3. Ask yourself if there are not close ups why? modern cameras have macro function allowing good images of 15mm figures, so blurry out of focuspictures that are generally unclear should be a thing of the past even pics from a mobile these days are clear and crisp.

4. Never buy from advertisers who use stock photos for their auctions. Why use a stock photo, if you have nothing to hide? there should always be a picture of what is actually being sold... remember too that if you have bought from a stock photo you may have a claim under the significantly different to listing rules...

3. Make sure you see exactly what you are getting for your money. Ask the seller to mail you additional pictures if needed or request further information from them.

4.You get what you pay for!!! Remember its your money that your spending and if you dont check everything out it will be your fault. As nearly all these auction are ona sold as seen basis. "A great statement often used is slightly better than wargames standard but not quite collectors standard" misleading when you get a figure that just has basic colours applied and no more..

5. Postal charges, these will be a bit more expensive from a good seller than usual as if you want to receive your miniatures in perfect condition as they need very good packaging to survive postal systems around the world. If your paying good money for figures you want them to arrive in the best condition..

Finally there are a lot of very good painters and good figures out there but there are a lot of rogues too so always always check the sellers feedback and use the feedback from buyers tab you can also find out about painters and their work from many of the web forums for wargaming.

this is in no way an exhaustive list but are just some of the pitfalls i have experianced over the years...

japanese swords all types

i am suprised as to how much money people are prepared to pay for japanese swords on ebay i have collected these swords for a very very long time and here is some advice to take on board. from 1600ad to the present there have been in japan thousands and thousands of sword smiths. some good some bad some terrible and some really superb. the age of a blade does not contribute in any way to its value. that is down to the smith. the world record is about three quarters of a million and the blade was not that old. japanese sword smiths were the worlds most proficient copiers of other smiths signatures there were just a very very few that relied on their own signature. up to now most japanese swords with a famous signature have turned out to be forgeries. even though the blades were very skillfully made. i have always thought it strange that sellers on ebay who profess to have great knowledge of japanese swords take a gamble on ebay. the market for quality pre showa blades in japan is red hot. if the blade is that good they will have it appraised the cost is one hundred pounds. no cost at all if the sword will sell for thousands. a cheaper way is christies bonhams sotherbys or wallis and wallis sale rooms their japanese experts will appraisethe blade for a small charge and give an estimate of the blades worth. the best advice i can give is join the tok:en society and if paying a lot of money on ebay for a japanese sword discribed as being by a rare and famous smith ask that ifthe sword turns out to be a forgery you can send the sword back for a full refund. and i would bet now that you will be stuck with it. as an example a good blade made by an average smith in good polish will, with commission set you back the thick end of two thousand pounds. for every good sword out there there are a hundred that look dead good but under the dressing up are rubbish. very few people if anyone except mebbe superman with exray vision can tell whether or not a blade will polish. its pot luck. . under that very little bit of pitting that really does not make much differance is a carbon pit that makes the blade scrap metal. and finally ask yourself this, if the sword is that good and the seller knows his stuff why is he taki ng a gamble on ebay.

Beware of fake/counterfeit/imitation Prada

There is large amounts of fake Prada for sale on eBay, especially bags, coats, jackets, t shirts and shoes. Before buying anything Prada from eBay, bear the following in mind:

Price and Number of Items Sold

1) Prada is a very expensive brand, so if the item seems cheap alarm bells should immediately be ringing. APradajacket begins at about 400 ($800), so anything claiming to be brand new but selling for much less than this is suspect. Hats cost at least 50($100) so, say, a seller selling 20 'brand new' hats for 10 ($20) is almost certainly selling fakes. If the seller is also selling large numbers of the same item (for example, in many different sizes) they are almost certainly selling fakes. Prada does not wholesale their goods out to be sold on eBay.

Logos

2) Prada never puts both the triangle logo and the red stripe logo on the same item. This is because the triangle logo is from the Prada mainline, while the rubber red stripe logo is from the subsidary sports line. Bags, for example, which have both the triangle logo and the red rubber logo on are fake.

3) An item which has a red rubber tag with Prada written in white is most likely fake. The exception to this is on the tongue of trainers (sneakers), where there is sometimes a red rubber logo with Prada written on in white and on the arms of Prada Sport sunglasses. Otherwise, the word Prada is embossed into the red tag and NOT written on in white.

The second picture displays a number of hallmarks of a fake: the white-on-red logo used incorrectly, the authenticity card directly attached to the item (never happens) and the red-on-black tag on the zip (Prada have never put black tags with red writing on anything). Also the material looks cheap and wrong: these bags are made of nylon when they are real.

4) Look where the logo is placed on an item, if it has an external logo. A real Prada Sport jacket, for example, is not going to have the red logo obviously placed on the breast pocket.

5) Check the typeface of the logo. It is hard to believe, but some of the fake Prada items have not even got the Prada logo in the right typeface.

The real typeface looks like this:

Not like this (!):

5) If something has a large logo on, be suspicious. Prada do not do prominent tacky branding for the most part. Be aware of giant triangle logos on bags too.

This is wrong on a number of levels: although the label and tag look quite good, Prada do not use the white-on-red logo on clothes and they do not print it onto items like this. If it was real, the logo would be much smaller, it would be located at one side of the t-shirt at the bottom and it would be sewn on, not printed on, to the shirt. It would also be red with Prada embossed in, not red with white writing on.

Authenticity Cards,Packagingand Claims

6) Just because the item appears to have an authenticity card it is by no means authentic. People who produce and sell fakes can easily fake the white Prada authenticity card. This card should be in a black paper envelope, which is embossed with PRADA in shiny black. The authenticity card is never attached directly to the item.

7) Just because the seller says it is "100% authentic" it does not mean that it is!

8) Fakers can employ a number of tricks to make an item appear authentic regarding packaging. Sometimes the fake seller will buy one item from a Prada store in order to get a store bag to photograph their items against to give the air of authenticity. If something is photographed with a store bag and packagaing, ask if this will be included. Be aware that fakers have faked the Prada packaging too including, for example, the storage dust bags which come with some accessories. You can still look for suspect signs, like the fact that these are printed in black, not with red on:

Here, other signs that the item is a fake include the way 'Prada' is written on the strap (they do not do this), and the red-on-white logo. In addition the fact that many sellers offer many versions of this (fake) bag is a cause for suspicion in itself.

This is just a brief guide to spotting (and avoiding - who wants to be seen with embarrassing fakes?!) fake Prada on eBay, but it is by no means exhaustive as a complete guide would be much longer!

Unfortunately, a large amount of the 'Prada' sold on eBay is fake so be suspicious, be wary and ask questions before you part with your hard earned money. If it seems too good to be true in terms of price it probably is, and don't be duped by apparently authentic packaging or tags. Good luck and happy shopping.

2nd hand Soft toys for babies

BOUGHT A SECOND HAND SOFT TOY?

Is it for a young baby?

When your child is very young everything is supposed to be sterilised and clean as babies will always put everything in their mouths.

Having had 3 children myself I understand how important it is to a parent to make sure that everything a child puts into its mouth is clean. Because of this you may have been put off buying soft toys for a young child second hand as some of them are not machine washable.

TO MAKE SURE AN ITEM IS CLEAN AND GERM FREE

Wash it according to the label - usually just sponge clean. (Milton or Dettol solution on a sponge is a good idea)

When drysimply place it into a freezer bag and place it in your freezer for 24 hours.

This will kill anything that may be on the item and then can leave you worry free. Your baby will be able to chew on it all they like.

Babies are expensive little bundles - so if this means you consider 2nd hand because you now know you can clean them then GREAT.

' FAKE ' GOLD BARS / BULLIONS

There are recent Gold bars/bullions fake items are on sale in ebay, painted in gold plated color, some of those who doesn't know what is .999 purity assume simply imprinted on the fake bar as real gold. Recent incidents revealed metal bars are imprinted and are circulated in ebay, the buyer reveals after sometime or never.

Please be aware of this and don't be fooled by the fake items. Make sure you crosscheck on the very same day or within the 45 / 90 day period in ebay /paypal. else you will lose your money.

Good luck. SAFE BIDS and Healthy EBUYERS

Picking an Eskrima Kali Arnis Training Stick

A common question often posed by new and experienced Filipino Martial Artists alike: What is palasan or basiko or labsika or kamagong or bahi or Molave sticks? So before I commence on the usage of each stick, I will just give a brief laymans term on each of the words I just used: Palasan: Is a type of rattan. Basiko: Is a type of rattan. Labsika: Is a type of rattan. Kamagong: Is a fruit tree found only in the Philippines, the wood of which is extremely dense and hard, and famous for its dark color. And like many other very hard woods is sometimes called 'Ironwood'. Bahi: Is the wood from a Coconut tree trunk or the Anahaw palm.Molave: Is a type of hardwood found in the Philippines. So here is some information to assist you when it comes to the difficult decision of picking the right stick for you.To find a stick that lasts can often be down to the individual stick rather than the type of stick. As a rule the palasans I stock are stronger because they still have their skins and often have more nodes, whereas the basikos are semi skinned and often have less nodes which can make them weaker. But it is not always the case. If you get a good dense feeling basiko of any thickness it can outlast every stick in your bag. I prefer the basikos myself because they are varied and you can find a stick for all purposes, light for more contact, dense to last longer, thick, thin or heavy. There is a stick for every occasion and person. I have 2 sticks purely for solo, 2 purely for double stick drills, 1 for espada 'y' daga (Stick

Roary 100% Cheaper AT...........

Roary the racing car

Clothing, toys, books are all 100% cheaper in Woolworths

Big Chris 14.99

Walkin sleep suit 12.00

Racing car pyjamas 10.00

Do i really need to go on.......

Take a look for yourself

Just log onto the woolworths site

Save you pounds instead of lining the pockets of dis-honest sellers

Speaker brands to avoid - usually "White Van" types!

Ever wondered where the amazingly cheap sets of huge hifi speakers on eBay actually some from? Well, read on and take note, as there are many brands that are well worth avoiding...

Everyone by now must have heard of the "White Van Speaker Scam"; it goes on all over the world, and involves members of the public being approached by dodgy indivuduals, usually in a rented white van, who claim that they've somehow got their hands on some allegedly high-end (but in reality, rubbish)hifi speakers that they are willing to sell for a suspiciously low price. (Search "White Van Speakers" on Wikipedia for more details on this).

The problem is that, although they claim these speakers are worth several thousand pounds, the reality is that the scamsters are flogging them for 200 or so and still turning a profit! The speakers are usually knocked out in massive quantities in Chinese factories and can be bought in bulk for about 40 a set. The quality is reflected in this price - they are shoddily built using dirt-cheap, badly-madecomponents.

Very often the unwitting buyer/mug gets home and sets his speakers up, only to find that they either don't work, or if they do they sound utterly awful. Hence they frequently end up on eBay as people try to get shot of them and recover the money they wasted on lousy speakers!

The following "brand names" are commonlyfound on these speakers:

Audiofile
Acoustic Monitor (or Acoustic Studio Monitor)
Acoustic Response, Acoustic Image, Acoustic Lab Technology
AST (Advanced Sound Technologies)
Denmark
Dogg Digital, Digital Dogg Audio
Dahlton
Digital Research
DiVinci
Dynalab
Digital Pro Audio, Pro Audio, Digital Audio, Digital Audio Professional Speaker Systems, Digital Audio Skyline Digital Research
Epiphany Audio
Elite Audio
Genesis Media Labs
Grafdale
Hauffman
Kirsch
Omni Audio
Matrix Audio
Proline Acoustics
Protecsound
Pro Dynamics
Paradyme
PSD
Theater Innovations
Theater (sometimes Theatre) Research

These brands really are best left alone no matter how much of a bargain they may appear.

Instead, spendyour hard-earned hi-fi fundon some second-hand speakers from a reputable manufacturer. The 5-foot-tall speakers with hordes of big drive units for 150 may look impressive; the truth is that, in terms of sound quality, an unassuming pair of bookshelf speakers from a proper manufacturer will wipe the floor with the big cheap ones.

This chap has some more useful info on these dodgy speakers.(eBay review page - click link to view)

how to test that old valve amp you found in the attic

Heres how to test that old valve amp you found in the attic. Why, just find the nearest mains socket and plug it in! See the lights come on therefore it works! Its obvious isn't it? - but not so obvious is in the second it takes you to do that you have probably destroyed the amp. Yes, really. And yet people keep on doing this. Look around the listings - so often you find somebody saying the amp has been tested and the power comes on but to quote ' have no means of testing it further'.

Why you should not plug these things in:

First reason; compared to this day's standards in wiring - old valve amps are dangerous. They have voltages running around inside them that can kill you. A lot of them are not earthed. You don't know what the history of the amp is and why it ended-up where it is - there might be parts missing or parts damaged or a mouse might have got inside and chewed-up a few wires or dislodged a component or two.... you simply don't know.

Second reason: I am not trying to trick anyone, you can cause serious damage to an amp simply by plugging it into the mains. If you don't have the correct speakers to connect to it, and all impedence settings match, then you will very quickly burn-up the output transformer and do damage to the valves. The valves can sometimes be replaced but you will find it next to impossible to locate the correct transformer as a spare part. Modern generic replacements that don't perform quite as well are still very costly.

Third reason: potential buyers don't like it, so you will get less bids than if you had resisted the temptation to power-up.

If you have found what looks to you like an interesting item then my advice is this. Go and check the internet to see if there is any information on it first. As a starting point you can look on the advanced search option of ebay to find out if similar items have been sold here, (just type in your keywords and click on the box which is marked 'search completed listings only' - this will tell you if an amp like yours has sold recently and the price it achieved). If the amp looks like it will be worthwhile listing then find a local repair shop and take it along to get checked over by a qualified technician first. Most music/instrument shops can put you in touch with somebody who does repairs. The repair man will be able to tell you if the amp is working or needs some attention. Get a quote. Then you can either go ahead and get it repaired, or simply list the item on ebay stating what needs to be done and the likely cost of the repair. Being honest will get you a lot more bids, even if you say 'there is a problem with the item'. In the end everybody is happy and you save that vintage piece of amplifier gear from almost certain destruction.

remember- don't plug it in!

Feedback Scam

I write this in exasperation at certain people who seem to delight in spoiling 100% feedback for reasons only known to themselves.

Scenario: I sell two identical items within hours of each other from my ebay store to persons who are brand new to ebay and joined the day of the bid obviously Zero feedback. The items are Buy It Now items and therefore it is clearly shown by eBay that a Paypal account is required to purchase the items. My description also indicates that items will not be despatched until the payment has been received and shown in the account.

No payment is indicated as having been received by paypal for either item and as per normal I send off my first reminder - nothing heard for aweek I then send a further reminder and wham 1 negative feedback stating I had received a cheque and cashed it - Damn Lies. I respond and again abusive/ libelliousfeedback left. a week later another one again stating that they had paid by cheque sent in the post and given negative feedback because of the Royal Mail Strike - more lies.

After receiving the first negative feedback and responding I sent an email to ebay saying that this was a set up for the fake bidders delight having now received the second negative this has served to confirm my fears. Ebay was asked to help over 10 days ago and to date have not responded and have done nothing other than forward emails to each other, I find the way that this has occurrred to be unsavoury and unfair, these people should not be allowed to make unfounded accusations and lies and as we pay a lot of money over the years to use ebay then they should assist in removing these people who take their delight in offending others.

There are many honest and hard working people who use ebay and yes we all started out with zero feedback and I am grateful for those sellers who allowed me to make a purchase which after all allowed me to build up a feedback, I COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY WHENI READ THE DESCRIPTION OF AN ITEM THAT PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY SAYING 'NO BUYERS WITHZERO FEEDBACK' however, after what has happened to meI now know why,I very sadly have now set my profile tonot allow bidding to those withzero feedback.

The 2 bidders had hotmail addresses, and I have dealt with people with hotmail addresses with no problems but Ihave heard that anyone can set up a hotmail address at any time. SELLERS PLEASE BEWARE

DO NOT BUY FROM CHINA

I bought a wedding dress from xiaojingling_888 when the dress came it was the wrong size and the material was different to what was described. I informed seller of this and she said she could make me another dress for an small extra payment, which I agreed to after waiting a number of weeks for my new dress I contacted seller to be told that new dress was not being made! after alot of emailing I eventually got refund of 20 out 110 that I originally paid for dress. I had to report ebayer to paypal also. i am now having to pay for a new dress which i will buy from Britain. BE WARNED BUYING FOM SELLERS ABROAD IS A BAD IDEA!!!!!

FAKE Odysey Putters

Hello All,

After just looking through the Odyssey XG Putters that are listed it is clear that there are many fakes listed. The most obvious ones are those that are listed with a location of Hong Kong. Please also beware of sellers that say their item will take around 10 days to get to you as even if they say they are located in the UK they will probably be shipping in from the far east.

If you require any further information please contact us. We are PGA Golf Professionals and will behappy to help.

Tennis racket grip sizes

I've been looking for a tennis racket recently and after some digging on the internet discovered that you need to know your grip size to get the right racket. Basically when you hold the racket there should be a finger width's space between the tops of your fingers and the rest of your hand - you can find illustrations of this on the web. So grip the racket and if your finger tips go all the way round and touch the other part of your hand then the grip is too small. But if the distance is more than a finger width it's too big.

Grip sizes go from 4" - 4 3/4" (going up in 1/8 inches), so it's quite precise. However, I found that when I was looking to buy, it was only the more specialist that had these measurements on them, a lot only had small, medium orlarge, so youkind of had to measure it yourself.

Hope that's helpful.

Emmaljunga Twin Cerox

This a superb double pram/pushchair that really saved my sanity when my twins were small. It is top quality and so practical with separate seats that recline independently, washable seat covers, one of the best hood systems that tilts fully over or back with a sunroof/viewing flap and a part that zips off in summer to allow a breeze. There's a big apron that keeps the wind off and means that the raincover is only needed on really wet days. You can keep the apron in the big pocket on the back of the hood. The handle is adjustable for your height and it is really easy to flip over while they're in the pram in literally three secondsto have the children facing you or away from you. There is a brake on front or backthat makes it easy to use either way. There is suspension and tyres are pneumatic like bike wheels that means they run on grass or country lanes really easily. The smooth ride,big hood and lift up full size footrestsmakes it really comfortable for the kids. Laid back with the footrest up it is more like a bed than a seat.There is a decent enough shopping basket underneath.

You get the quality you pay for. I've never had a problem in 4 years. The pram is bombproof and yes it isbigger and heavier than cheaper double prams out there but it depends what you want it for- I kept it in the boot of my estate car and made no attempt to keep it inside. If the kids were asleep after a walk out, then I could bring it into the conservatory through the double doors. It is heavy to lift into the car but with practise you get a technique for it. Even though it is heavy to lift up, it is so well balanced that it glides along really easily even on grass and you can do it one-handed - on pavements even my two year old could push it along like a walker if I bent the handle down low.I had one of the first models with four equal, fixed wheels and had no problems turning but I understand the new ones have two swivel wheels now. I don't know what differnce that will make to the ride or handling.

Going round shops is no better or worse than other side-by-side double prams. These days shops are legally required toaccomodate wheelchairs anyway, and where a wheelchair can go so can any of the double prams. I've had someone rush past and fall over the front of an earlier tandem on a busy Saturday as they didn't realise the pram was sticking out so far in front of me- that's why I prefer side by side prams anyway. Altogether my twins love it, I loved it and all my family and friends used to love pushing it.

why i sold my quinny buzz!

i had a 2006 model of the buzz but my little boy who is only 1 filled the seat! and then when using it on the bus(easy access bus ) i couldnt ]lift it up as the front swivel wheel would get stuck making it very hard for me to push this on to the bus it was the same when lifting it up onto the kurb!

it was very badly designed i thought it would be a great buggy as its very stylish! it may be suitable for a newborn/baby but as soon as they get a bit bigger its useless!

when the seat is facing mum it doesnt sit up straight! this was the only reason for buying the buzz! and my little man hated it he sat the whole time proping him self up!

if i was buy another buggy it would not be a quinny as ive read other bad reports about the zapp and speedi!!!

maybe quinny should have a re-think about there buggys!

Hong Kong Scammers

Hi,I just thought i would warn you about buying things from people who live inHong Kong. I have been scammed before by these people, and i do not want it to happen to anyone else.I bought a 2GB Mp4 player. It was 13 pounds. I thought wow that was cheap for one, but i thought that it was just people weren't bidding. His feedback was 99.8% positive, so i thought why not.I payed straight away, and i got an email saying it would be with me within 14 working days. a month later, it still hadn't arrived. My daughter was getting upset at this time, as i had bought it for her birthday.At this time his feedback had gone down to 87% with lots of feedback saying item not received. I opened a dispute on Paypal immediately, and the next day, he deleted his account.I never got the money back, and it left my daughter upset, and i wasted 13 pounds.What i am saying is, even though the feedback might be good, please, do not buy from hong kong. They sell cheap and scam.If you do buy, please do not pay until you find out whether the seller is a genuine seller. He/she might seem genuine, but the internet is a great place for being someone you are not.If you do pay, and it doesn't come when it should, open up a paypal dispute as soon as possible, and try and get your money back.Tell the truth on the story, making it as accurate as possible.Oh, and another thing people from these countries do, is sell e-books and information books on the item, like a nintendo ds, or an iPod, but they make it out to look like they are selling the actual item and only write in small print, you are not bidding for the actual console or whatever they are selling.People bid lots of money and find themselves getting a book.Please take note of this, I don't want anyone to be scammed, as i know what it feels like.ThanksBeverly

WARNING: REFURBISHED GOLF BALLS

At Ace Golf Balls we do not, and will not sell refurbished/refinished golf balls. Refurbished golf balls involve one or more of the following steps; * Stripping * Painting * Stamping * Clear CoatingGenerally speaking this process means taking off the factory clear coat and/or paint and using less than factory quality coatings to recoat the balls. By doing this there is no way of knowing how old the original ball is. Under the new coating could be a ball that's 10 years old! Acushnet (owners of Titleist) assert that "the refurbishing process produces a golf ball that bears no resemblance to a genuine Acushnet product in performance, quality or appearance" and that the refurbishing process so alters the basic composition of Acushnet's golf balls that "it would be a misnomer to call the article by its original name"

FAKE ADIDAS SUPERSTAR 35TH ON EBAY

I'LL START WITH STATING IF YOU DON'T KNOW YET 90% OF ADIDAS SUPERSTAR 35TH ANNIVERSARY SOLD ON EBAY ARE FAKES

TO SPOT A FAKE ALWAYS CHECK THE SELLERS FEEDBACK AND ALSO HIS OTHER ITEMS, IF ITS A SELLER THAT STOCKS LOADS OF THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY INCLUDING THE CONSORTIUM SERIES, GUARANTEED ALL HIS STOCK ARE FROM THE FAR EAST.

ALSO ITS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE WHEN THESE SHOES RETAIL PRICE/VALUE ARE OVER 100, THEN YOU COME UP TO EBAY AND FIND SELLERS WITH 49.99 BUY IT NOW PRICE, HOW ARE THEY MAKING PROFIT?

Deckers Ugg Australia Boots, The Essential Ebay Guide

The first thing to remember when buying Ugg boots is that there is more than one brand available. There are many brands of Ugg Boot. Ugg is the generic term used forthis style ofpull on sheepskin boot. The brand made popular in recent years by celebs is however Ugg Australia. These boots are made by the Deckers Outdoor Corporation. Don't confuse them with Jumbo Uggs, Made In Australia Ugg Boots, LFA Ugg Boots or any of the other similarly named boots.

Points to consider before you purchase your Deckers Ugg Australia Boots

Firstly Look at the UggAustralia website.The site has very detailed stock photographs and size information. You can look at the boots in tiny detail. Authentic boots do not differ. It also gives you the current prices. Bear in mindthatauthorised Ugg Australia Dealersare not allowed to sell boots for less than RRP. Also bear in mindthat authoriseddealers have agreed not to sell Ugg Australia Boots on Ebay. There are no authorised dealers on Ebay !!! I would avoid anyone who claims to have any association with Deckers, Deckers Outdoor Corporation or Ugg Australia.

Having said all that, it is possible to buy genuine Ugg Australiaboots on ebay if you do your homework first.

Check the seller. Check how long they have been registered for. Check their feedback. Look at their other items for sale. Avoid any new sellers with no feedback who have just registered with ebay.Do not buy items from China. I personally would only deal with UK Sellers unless you have lots of prior knowledge.

If you purchase your boots from abroad you are liable for Customs

Should I go to eBay university?

Absolutely yes. I attended my first eBay university whilst clearing out the attic and cupboards and selling anything I could lay my hands on!The best part of the day for me back then was meeting other new sellers and swaping stories and catching up, I made some very good friends, who I keep in touch with.Everyone there when you are new, is there for the same reason to learn.Three years on and the whole university experience has taken a very professional feel - with banners and signs and a more organised approach. On the day you can choose which sessions you want to go too, and the best bit is the CD with all the sessions powerpoint presentations on.As a business seller I was interested in the higher tracks 3 and 4, I attended the paypal session (and apparantly exciting changes are afoot for sellers) and I went to the Branding and Marketing Session in the morning, during lunch I popped into the Powerseller lounge! (not as posh as it sounds) and attended a session by ChannelAdvisor, who provide advanced eBay strategies for the big boys. In the afternoon I went to the Tax, Vat and Other numbers, which was interesting, but really aimed at newbie business sellers, and then the strategy review which summerised the whole day, for the last hour you get to interrogate some powersellers who are Titanium level! (95k a month turn over...!) Nice bunch, :) and not that scary! And most of them "happened" on the big idea which has made them the success they are today! I would recommend eBay university as a good place to idea's share and get advice from peeps in the same boat as you, a good place to network and meet other sellers, go with a packed lunch and an open mind, and see what you can learnKindest wishesSuz xx- For 2008 eBay have no university events planned- boo!Ps -Please vote to let me know if you find these interesting - so I know if I should add more! Ta

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Defender Td5 performance intercooler

If you are thinking about fitting an aftermarket or performance intercooler to a Td5 Defender fitted with factory aircon have a quick read of this - it might save you a few problems in the future.

I fitted a performance intercooler and some 20 miles later realised Ihad fouled a radiator hose in the belt that drives the aircon. On the right of the engine bay the belt passes very close to the radiator hose as standard- ensure that after fitting the intercooler that you have not reduced this clearance or lost it altogether. Performance intercoolers don't seem to be made to the same level of precision as the factory item and therefore there is a chance that others may encounter the same problem. The radiator on the Td5 is partly aligned by the intercooler and the intercooler, built to a diffeent tollerence, pushed the radiator sligtly further into the engine bay - along with the coolant hose.

If by chance you do end up with the belt cutting into the radiator hose you can look forward to around 30 to replace the hose but more frustrating is the lack of space to get access to the lower connections of the hose and the time taken to replace it.

Incidentally fitting an intercooler to a vehicle with aircon is not as straight forward as a Td5 without aircon. The main problem being the lack of access and the tight space to work in. Allow a good few hours for fitting.

THE COMIC PRICE GUIDE FOR GREAT BRITAIN 18 (T-V)

(see The Comic Price Guide for Great Britain 17) Please vote if you find it interesting!

TV TORNADO. City. 1 14th Jan 1967-88 14th Sep 1968 (joins TV 21)A surprisingly short-lived title given the high, culty television content. Designed as a companion piece to TV Century 21. The original Mysterons strip that begins with #36 is a highlight. The free gift Bat-Parachute with issue #1 is extremely rare and would add 150 to the value. The predominantly white cover makes it very difficult to find a true Near Mint or even genuinely high grade copy. Issues to watch out for are #7 (Green Hornet begins), #15 (The Saint begins), #36 (The Mysterons begin), #37 (1st Tornado

When is Versace not Versace?

I sell designer clothing on eBay, and am getting fed up with the counterfeits and fakes which are undermining customer confidence in brands,Did you know that Versace is made up of several brands for instance?There is the main Gianni Versace Couture label then Versus, Versace Jeans Couture If you are buying something which is Versace Classic, please note that the Versace Collection replaced this branding in 2005,Also there is Versace ceramic designs and Versace Sport.Also if you love Versace and can't get enough - why not stay at their hotel Palazzo Versace!Hope this helpsKindest wishesSuz xxPs -Please vote to let me know if you find these interesting - so I know if I should add more! TaAbout meMy ShopWhy shop with me?













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THE COMIC PRICE GUIDE FOR GREAT BRITAIN 17 (T)

(see The Comic Price Guide for Great Britain 16) Please vote if you find it interesting!TV ACTION HOLIDAY SPECIAL. Polystyle. Mar 1973PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1972 48 pages; features Dr. Who, The Protectors, Mission Impossible, The Persuaders and UFO; Martin Asbury art.25 .50 1.00 3.00 5.00 10.00TV CENTURY 21. City. 1 23rd Jan 1965-242 20th Sep 1969 (joins TV 21

PYPAL AND SHIPPING ABROAD

NEVER USE PAYPAL WHEN SHIPPING ABROAD.. FOR THESE CUSTOMERS YOU ARE ALWAYS BETTER TO USE NOCHEX OR PERSONAL BANK TRANSFER.. THEN IF THE BUYER COMPLAINS THEY DIDN'T RERCEIVE THEIR GOODS EVEN THOUGH THEY DID? THE BUYER THEN CAN'T COMPLAIN TO PAYPAL AND RECEIVE A REFUND.. I WAS BURNT ONCE LIKE THIS IN THE PAST AND NEVER AGAIN JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF I LOVE PAYPAL AND USE THEM FOR MOST OF MY ON LINE TRANSACTIONS ON E BAY JUST BE SURE HOW TO USE PAYPAL AND YOU WILL BE SAFE, BEST THINGTO DOWITH FOREIGN BUYERS IS TO HAVE THIS ALREADY CONFIGURED IN YOUR PAYMENT OPTIONS FOR FOREIGN BUYERS WHICH AUTOMATICALLY DOES THIS FOR YOU IN YOUR SELLER ACCOUNT THEN ALL YOU DO IS LIST YOUR ITEMS FOR SALE AND HEY PRESTO FOREIGN BUYERS CAN'T BUY OF YOU UNLESS YOU ALLOW THEM TO..

I FIND THE MAJORITY OF BUYERS ON E BAY WHICH INCLUDES MYSELF TO BE HONEST WITH GOOD INTEGRITY BUT AS WE ALL KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THE E BAY COMMUNITY MAKE THIS PLACE A NIGHTMARE I KNOW I WAS THIS VICTIM OF SUCH A SCAM SO I'M SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE..

THE ABOVE SHOULD GIVE YOU SOME IDEAS FOR FOREIGN BUYERS BUT GENERALLY YOU MAKE A JUDGMENT CALL AND IF THE BUYER IN QUESTION HAS GOOD FEED BACK AND WITH A GOOD RATING THEN YES ALLOW THEM TO BUY OF YOU USING PAYPAL YOU JUST HAVE TO BE SAFE AND KNOW WHO AND WHO NOT TO ALLOW TO USE PAYPAL, THEN AGAIN IF YOU PRE CONFIGURE YOUR BUYING RESTRICTIONS IN YOUR SELLING ACCOUNT THIS IS DONE FOR YOU AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A THING. SO FAR FOR ME THIS HAS WORKED ATREAT AND HASN'T CAUSEDME ANY HEART ACHE SINCE..

Cyclone Box NOKIA UNLOCKER Flasher DCT4 DCT3 DCTL BB5

Cyclone Box is a brand new tool for flashing and servicing of the latest Nokia BB5, DCT-L, DCT4, DCT4+ cell phones.
Updates:

Cyclone Box pre beta

Unlock support for BB5 Rapido SL2 phones - 5800, N96, E75 etc.
INI selection added for BB5 phones flashing
GUI redesign
Other major bugs fixed

New security DCT4+ supported (2009.03.26)

Direct unlock (no downgrade, etc) supported for the following DCT4+ new security models:
RH-116 7070p v6.82
RM-258 2760 v6.82
RM-298 2630 v6.82
RM-340 2600c v6.82
RM-362 5000d v5.27
RM-362 5000d v5.45
RM-392 2680s v6.82
RM-394 1680c v6.82

Leather dye - Jaguar - SAAB - RANGE ROVER - BMW - AUDI

I have written this guide myself in order to find out how to leave a guide for buyers and also I can leave instructions here for people to read, this may help them in using the product.

The leather dye is a water based product and is thus environmentally friendly and will not harm the user of the product. The small kit has been designed primarily for touching in scuffs, nicks and scratches for leather interiors of motor vehicles. Common purchases are for Jaguar, Range Rover, BMW, AUDI, Mercedes Benz and SAAB. I have also supplied kits from samples supplied for Rolls Royce, Bentley and many classic motor vehicles.

Essentially you must clean the leather thoroughly, it's surprising how much dirt can be found, use a nail cleaning brush and give it a scrub, wipe off with paper towel to remove the loose dirt.

I have found that the leather often looks worse after this as loose dye is removed and the dirt hides the damage somewhat See the website for examples

After allowing the seat to dry sponge the dye onto the seat. Do not be in a hurry to cover the damage (It will be covered eventually so don't be despondent) a light coat followed by another approx 30-60 minutes later, it could take as many as 4-5 coats. This allows the dye to be absorbed and the water to dry off.

If you condition the seats a couple of days later, the cleaning process will have removed some moisture (oil) between the conditioning and the dye the cracks will "heal".

Be aware that whilst many find their seats "like new" age and patina are a factor of leather that makes it the desirable product it is so you may not find the same result as the next person or the last person. However you will get rid of the nasty looking "scabs" and give the appearance of the leather interior a consistent colour that is most satisfying.

Speaking of satisfying, it is a job that you can do DIY and will give you immense pleasure having achieved the result you required, you can always look at the feedback to get an idea of the performance of the products.

Finally the dye is available in larger quantity kits that come complete with conditioner, cleaner, a brush, some spirit cleaner (critical if used on steering wheels).

Thanks for looking and best wishes Steve 01582 499777

Brine Shrimp (Artemia cysts) Hatching Guide

Hatching Brine Shrimp Eggs

A good hatch will depend on a few important criteria, getting the best hatch you can, can save you substantial amounts of money.

First, pH in the hatching container should be 7.5-8.5 during the whole hatch. Many people's water will have the pH fall drastically during the hatch-out, so you should test it after 24 hours of incubating the eggs. You can use some epsom salt and some pH Fixit 8.3 to get it where you need it although you will still get a decent hatch a little outside these parameters.

Second, salinity should generally be high. 1.023 to 1.030 on a hydrometer is the range you should try for. Some eggs will hatch better in different salinities than others. a good rough guide is 25 - 30 parts per thousend or 25 - 30 gramms per litre of water (Not worrieing about the intricacys of atomic number),well disolved.

Third, temperature should be approximately 80 degrees F. If the container is too hot, the shrimp will not hatch as well and it will die easily. If it's too cold, then hatch-out times can be delayed and hatch-out percentages will fall. It is best to keep the hatching containers in a temperature controlled room or box.

the best illumination is 2000lux at the water surface.

Enough aeration is necessary to keep all the cysts suspended. Any that remain on the bottom will not hatch. When artemia hatch, they consist of mostly a yolk sac. As the hours go by, the artemia consume the yolk sac to stay alive and in the process they become less nutritious. For these reasons, artemia should be fed as soon after it hatches as possible. It should not be stored excessivelyfor future feedings. Hatch only enough at one time to feed all the fish at that feeding.

To harvest, remove aeration and let the hatched artemia settle to the bottom. Then siphon this out through a brine shrimp sieve, rinse with fresh water into a feeding container and then feed using an eyedropper or turkey baster.

Own a Suzuki TLR , TLS or SV ?

Want a wealth of info about your bike ?

Then you need to get to 'tlzone.net' ... Its free to join and if you cant find out what you are looking for I will eat a banana.

We have meets, buy

Remastered CDs

The Art of remastering is basically the art of increasing the amount of information perceived to be on a CD.

When artists record music they have a choice of using analogue or digital recording equipment, both of which are superior to home recording equipment, usually. This equipment captures a vast amount of imformation with regards to the music being recorded, more than almost every playback system is capable of reproducing. In order to get this music onto a medium that can be listened to at home record producers take "liberties" with the information. Usually this involves some degree of compression, whereby the information is limited in order to fit it onto the medium CD/vinyl/cassette(remember them?). In the case of CD 24bit digital information is usually compressed into 16 bit information, in the case of vinyl the amplitude of the music is compressed(literally to stop the needle being ejected from the record by dramatic passages in the music).

All of this means the sound gets degraded somewhere. A digital recording is also just an imitation of a soundwave. If a sound wave fed into a microphone is analysed it looks like the alps gone mad. If this wave form was then digitised it would look like the alps gone mad made from neatly stacked piles of bricks. The sharp peaks and troughs would be replaced by flat edges. This is due to the analogue signal being cut up into 44100 slices every second and being turned into a binary number.

So the skills of the remastering expert bring as much music back out of the recordings as possible. They also use new equipment which can eek out nuances and character that was not picked up by early analog to digital converters.

Tim de Paravicini, hi-fi designer extraordinaire - EAR Yoshino top man, has produced a custom valve EQ unit which gets stunning results when used in conjunction with dB Technologys 24 Bit anologue to digital converters. Going to the EAR Yoshino website is an education in itself.

HDCD is a method which uses software to allow an ordinary CD to hold extra information, up to 20 bits instead of the usual 16 bits. This extra information helps bring significant detail to music, the sound of brushs on snare drums, the zing of a cymbal, inflections in a singers voice and so on. The music has to be encoded in HDCD and the CD player has to have the HDCD decoding software built into it. On an ordinary CD player HDCD sounds just like an ordinary CD, but on a HDCD player they sound so much more lifelike than any ordinary CD can. Remastering allows an engineer to add this extra feature, used recently by ZZ Top on their Smoke, Chrome and BBQ box set to stunning effect. Neil Young has also used it in order to give his remasters a more natural sound.

XRCD is a system designed by JVC to give their CDs a more natural sound. Going to the JVC XRCD website will explain all! Only one factory in the world has all of the prerequisites necessary for this form of remastering, which is why they are so expensive and rare.

Great examples of what a good remastering can bring out of a recording can be heard on the following CD's -

Echoes - Pink Floyd , all of these tracks are noticeably better than even the last remastering

Dire Straits - any of the recent remasters

Bowie - all of his last set of remastered albums sound much better than the RCA issues(but are not as collectable!)

ZZ Tops - Smoke, Chrome and BBQ boxset, stunning quality and in HDCD which makes it even better!

RECLAIM YOUR BANK CHARGES FREE - NO FEE

Many people have been charged hefty fees by their banks. It turns out these fees are unlawful; thousands of people have successfully reclaimed millions of pounds.The banks turn and squirm, plead and threaten, but always eventually give in and refund you money.This guide tells you exactly how to get your fees back. It includes* how to find out what you bank has charged you over the last six years* a free spreadsheet for calculating what to claim, including interest* standard letters for you to send to your bank after filling in the amounts* addresses to send you letters to* how to use the government moneyclaim site if your bank does not pay up* how to send the bailiffs round to collect the cashAnd - best of all - it is free!Just go to www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk and register free. Then see and read the FAQs.You do not need to pay anyone for their services - just the 10 Data Protection Act fee to your bank to obtain your past six years' statements, and the court fee of about 20 to 120 (which you can recover in your claim.)

The content of this guide is not endorsed by any group or organization - I felt it was important to post this as some sellers are charging for templates and advice that is freely available on the internet.

Gas mask, asbestos risk

Whilst a WW2 gas mask may be a fun thing to own, it should never be worn.

The filters of most WW2 gas masks contain asbestos, you may contract any of the associated medical problems due to asbestos exposure.

The choice is yours. Caveat emptor.

I hope this is of help

Regards to all

Brian

Paypal Refund Awareness

I'm writing this to inform people about refunds from paypal.

At the beginning of this year my partner bought a phone from a seller on ebay. The phone arrived but was damaged in the post. We emailed the seller who said that if we were to send the phone back he would inspect it and either replace it or give us a full refund. So we sent the phone back and waited. After about a week we hadn't heard anything so decided to email the sller again. He said he had received the phone and would post a new one out within a few days. Again we waited but no phone. We emailed again and he said he had been busy but would post in a few days. Still nothing. We waited and sent email after email to the seller but got no reply and no phone. After some time we decided that the phone was not going to come so opened an item not received dispute with ebay and paypal. Again the seller did not respond so we asked for a refund. What we didn't know is that after all the times the seller said he would post in a few days but never did our time had run out with paypal to ask for a refund as they only allow something like 45 days after the auction end to give a refund. We had applied for a refund outside of the 45 days. We emailed paypal and they said they would look into it. Eventually we received an email from paypal saying that we were not entitled to a refund because of 2 reasons. Firstly we had received the phone in the first place within the stated time and secondly we were clearly outside of the 45 day limit. Paypal basically said that it was our fault for sending the phone back in the first place.

To this day (about 7 months or more after this happened) we have still never received the phone or a refund, and have not heard from the seller at all. We paid 152 approx to this seller for the phone and still have not got it back. So be warned if a seller asks you to send an item back make sure you know what you are dealing with and make sure he/she is reputable and also that you are within the 45 day limit on paypal or like us you may never see your item or money again.

I hope this helps some people as we were seriously conned and cannot do anything about it!! Oh and just incase you were thinking about a new phone the seller we dealt with was called phonelockup so beware.

Caring for Vintage Plastic Toys.

I have been selling on eBay for over a year. I have mostly specialised in selling vintage toys such as My Little Ponies, Care Bear Figures

TOP DIPPING ITEMS FOR YOUR CHOCOLATE FONDUE FOUNTAIN

CHOCOLATE FONDUE FOUNTAIN - TOP DIPPING ITEMS








FRUIT

Strawberries

Bananas (fresh or frozen)

Fresh Cherries

Grapes

Apples

Pears

Dried Pineapple

Dried Apricot

Marchino Cherries



All fruit MUST be throughly dried
prior to dipping into the chocolate. Melted chocolate must not
come into contact with any liquid!



SWEETS AND SAVOURIES

Marshmallows

Graham Crackers

Pretzel SticksChocolate Creme Cookies

Salted Rolled Nuts

Smores

Assorted Coookies

Rice Krispie Treats

Peanut Butter Fudge

Mini Creme Puffs

Biscotti

Caramels

Waffles

Wafer CookiesCreamy Vanilla FudgeTurkish DelightProfiteroles



STAY AWAY FROM

Cake

Brownies

Blackberries

Raspberries

Watermelon

Anything that crumbles (can clog fountain!)

Anything with water on it (can seize chocolate!)PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION!!Sarah's
Sweet Fountains (UK) Ltd. specializes in Chocolate Fondue Fountains and
Chocolate Fountain Accessories. A Chocolate Fondue Fountain provides
the perfect touch of elegance that is sure to make your business stand
out!! Make a lasting impression on any occasion with a Chocolate Fondue
Fountain!We offer the widest selection ofSephra Home Chocolate Fountains ,Commercial Chocolate Fountains , Business

Knitting Machine patterns

Call it Punch lace or Thread lace - it is a shawl.For Standard Knitting machines.Using a cone of 4 ply

Laptop Scams

Buyers beware the 'Second Chance Offer', I have twice been offered the chance to buy a laptop I had bid on but lost. The first time I was taken in completely, followed his request to pay the money by bank transfer as 'He had some problem with Paypal and it was too slow'. Transferred the funds then, when he didn't respond to my e-mail telling him the transfer had been done I tried to stop the funds going through. "Too late" said LloydTSB, the money had been drawn the next morning from a brand-new account which was now dormant. How can somebody open a bank account so easily with no background check?

Incidentally, the same machine was offered to me the following day in exactly the same manner but with a different sellers I.D. I reported it to Ebay, as I had the first case. Hopefully nobody else has been sucked in by this B_______d!

Piedfort - Heavy Weight Coins - Silver Gold Platinum

Piedfort - Heavy Weight Coins - Silver Gold Platinum
A piedfort is a specially struck coin, originally made for
presentation, perhaps by a monarch. The word "piedfort" is French and
literally means "heavy weight". Most piedforts are double the normal
weight. Now made for sale to collectors.

Silver Gold and Platinum
Most of the modern piedforts, made to sell to collectors, are made in
silver, gold, or platinum. They are usually double the normal thickness
and weight, but some are only about 50% thicker and heavier than
normal. Most of issued as proofs with highly polished fields and matt
finish on their raised design surfaces.

Etymology
The word "piedfort" is French, and combines the two words "pied"
meaning weight, and "fort" meaning strong or heavy, thus a piedfort is
literally a "heavyweight" coin. From our schoolboy memories of French,
we would have probably translated it as "strong foot"!

Pronunciation
French numismatists would of course have no problem pronouncing this
word, but English speaking collectors and dealers all seem to have
their own version of its pronunciation.
Here is our own "Chard" guide:
"Pee - ed - four"
Note, the final "t" is not pronounced, or is only pronounced very softly,
although
"pee - aid - four"
would also be about right.
We have heard the following, all of which are wrong:
Pied - fort (pide - fort)
piddy fort

UK Piedforts
In the UK, the Royal Mint started issuing silver proof piedforts in
1983 with the introduction of the new pound coin. They have continued
every year since.
Fifty pence silver piedfort proofs have been issued since 1992.
The first piedfort silver proof crown was issued in 2000 for the Queen
Mother's centenary year, and seems to have flopped slightly at release.
They were originally sold at 67.50, but can now be bought for less.
In 2004, the Mint issued a piedfort proof 5 Entente Cordial crown in
platinum, containing 3 tray ounces of platinum, probably because of a
cooperative marketing campaign with the French Mint, the Monnaie de
Paris. They seem to have been pleased with sales, as they repeated the
experiment in 2005 and 2006 with platinum issues for Nelson and the
Queen's eightieth birthday.

More to Follow
We cannot find any side-on photographs of piedforts in our extensive
image library. We will take some photographs, and add them to this page
soon.

Useful?
We hope this helps.
If you found this guide interesting or useful, please spare two seconds
to vote "Yes" by clicking the button below. If it disappointed you,
please think about contacting us to let us know what else we could have
included to make it more helpful.

Author

Pregnancy buying guide - must haves

I wish i had known about a few of these things before I had my baby - but they are the things that you learn about Afterwards - so here is a helpful guide to new mums or mums to be...

Get yourself a rocker/glider chair - they are comfortable, great to feed in as they have good back support and its very easy to develop sloping sholders feeding from breast or a bottle.

If you are brest feeing buy an electric breast pump as they save so much time. Do give your baby a bottle of expressed breast milk from 2 weeks on at least once a day as this way babies will get used to a bottle and you wont havea struggle when you try weaning your babe from the breast.

Dont bother about washable breast pads as they dont keep you dry - buy johnsons breast pads - v good and absorbent

A sling is well worth buying and great for being close to your babe

Get two baby sleeping bags at least - they are brilliant for babes and for your reassurance at night.

Get a pushchair that is light and easy to fold and put in the boot of a car - the three wheelers might look great but are often huge and can take up a boot very easily. Try Mamas and PApas Aria pram.

Buy a mini diary or a beautful notebook - every day jot down things that your baby is doing - even a couple of words - its so easy to miss milestones in development and its great to look back on.

Definately get a tummy tub - an upright bath - such fun and I couldnt belive how much my little one loved being in there.

Get a bumbo for about 3/4months plus - they are great for a baby to sit in and they love the view!

Good luck and enjoy the adventure

Memory Foam Mattresses

Remember you cannot use an electric under blanket with Memory Foam.The foam needs to react to your body heat to respond to your body shape.Many people find these mattresses warmer this is because a much higher proportion of your body is in contact with the sleeping surface thus reducing air circulation.However I am normally a hot sleeper and since changing to memory foam have not noticed a great difference.I think the benefits far outweigh a few hot nights in the peak of our summer.

Selling on eBay

Virtual Retail may indeed be new to eBay, however we have many years experience in advertising and completing multi million pound deals. We have therefore created this guide to assist new buyers and sellers with their eBay experience. There is no real set criteria to determine whether a buyer or seller is genuine, the only real way is to do your homeworkand check them out yourselves. If you went into a high street store looking to buy a large item, would you buy the first one or look around at compariable products? Consider the same approach when using eBay and you should be fine and enjoy your eBay experience.

General Information

You will notice guides on here stating 'check feedback', 'if less than 100 then avoid' and various other claims that to be honest, are way off the mark. A good example is a company that sells widgets, assume they sell over 500 a day on eBay and one gets lost out of each batch posted, surely when you consider that over the space of a month the seller will have on average 15,000 positive feedback versus the 30 negative feedback for the same period. Does this make that seller a risk or bad 'eBayer'? Not in the slightest - its actually reasonably good and very justifiable. Royal Mail admit that for 15,000 items sent a small proportion such as 30, going missing is acceptable and they will take that risk. Therefore as buyers or sellers on eBay we have to consider taking a similar approach and be more open and understanding when it comes to buying or selling online.

Granted, most people say 'why should I, i'll just go elsewhere', but this shouldn't always be the case. For example, we are new to eBay but have been trading worldwide for many years and have a wealth of buying power so we can sell expensive items at less than 50% of the RRP. Does that mean we are not genuine? Of course not. We probably have more experience in large business deals than 75% of the stores you see on eBay but this does not mean we are better than them and likewise does not mean they are better than us because they have a higher feedback score.

Top Tips

Many people first try selling on eBay because they want to clear out their unused items or clear the garage/loft space andbecause they just fancy giving it a go. Very few start out to sell on eBay professionally from day one but it does happen and you should therefore take this into account when you consider buying from a new member.

Before we explainthe selling process, firstly ask yourself whatdo you intend to sell, why you think eBay is the best venue and what do you want to get for your item? Experience and statistical analysis suggests that you should look into naming your item properly, have a realistic view that eBay may not be the best venue and also that you may not get the price you actually want.

Top 10 Considerations prior to selling on eBay

Before you start selling there are a number of things to consider.The main ones are shown below;

1) Do your own research: Do you want to be stuffing jiffy bags with CDs/DVDs or sell larger electrical/homeware items?Each have their own practical aspects and their own pro's and con's. For example how towrap, how to ship and any after salesservice you may offer. You will need to consider the space that you have, for example a spare bedroom or garage.You willbe surprised just how quickly you can fill that space. Do you want to start small and grow your business, or are you going to start big and go for it?

2)Your eBay user ID:Will your user name reflect what you sell? Or would you rather a catchy sounding name? If you are a company try using that, although websites such as test.com will not be allowed.It is entirely your choice just so long as the name is available.

3)Growyour Feedback Score:There are lots of guides stating a minimum number of feedback as being trustworthy. This is not the case whatsoever.A minimum of 25 positive feedback sounds good but what if that person is new, genuine and just wants a quick sale? If they are willing to give a phone number, have a website/store or are well known then forget their feedback score as their own reputation speaks higher than any score eBay can provide. Remember you get people trying to deliberately mess a feedback score by bidding, not paying and leaving negative feedback just to discredit the seller - its sad but it does happen!

4)Image

Getting Started in witchcraft

I have just read a guide written by someone who obviously felt very lost intheir quest for spirituality. So I am writting this guide to help them and all others like them who feel lost in the midst of it all.

When you start on the path of witchcraft you are at a crossroads with many paths ahead of you. I cannot tell you which path to choose as this is a very personal decison, but I can tell you that you will get many chances to revisit the cross roads and try other ways if your first choice was innappropriate for you.

So you buy a book off ebay or from a book store and it is full of information. Think about this information, debate it in your mind, question it. This is the only way you will find your true path, as your beleifs come from within. You need to read many books and question them all. Also read books on other faith systems too, such as buhdism and druidism as you may find they spark yourinterest. (Remember you can sell your books back on ebay to fund the purchase of others if cash is tight or use your local library)

You may want to just dive in and cast spells, I know i sure did!! Most of the comercial spell books are safe to use without any prior knowledge, for example Titania Hardy does a range of exceptional spell books full of safe to create magic. The only thing I would suggest is not casting love magic if you already are infatuated as this will affect your spell. Love spells should only be used in the absence of a love interest to draw to you one who may be suited. It goes against the whole free will thing if you are thinking about someone (even subconciously!!)

There is no set time to start spell casting, some people only ever spell cast and do so along side another religion. So if you are worried that you are not experienced enough then bite the bullet and give it a try. Magic will only have a negative affect if it is sent with a negative force. Its very simple, send out negative and it will cause anegative BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT you will get a negative back. Its a bit like feedback on ebay really!! So only ever send out good intent, and make sure not to mess with free will,and you will reap the rewards.

This guide is written from an ecclectic point of view and bears no resemblence to more formal sectors of witchcraft such as Gardenerian and Alexandrian covens or British Traditionalist covens as I have no working knowledge of these forms. I have written this based on my own working knowledge which I developed through reading many books and practicing for 9 years.

recovery truck mot/tax

Ihave worked and delt with recovery trucks for the last8 years all recovery trucks carrying a load eg car van etc have to have an mot /tax cars and vans can be moved with out an o licence if they r broken down our damaged but have to be mot,d . recovery trucks that tow hgvs and cannot carry a load on tow do not have to have a mot only a road worthyness test and they come in a cheaper tax bands ifyou ever need recovery of a truck car van etc.

Platinum Information Facts Data - Jewellery

Facts and Data about Platinum
Platinum is a dense (heavy) hard silvery metallic element, a precious metal used in jewellery, coins, chemical engineering, and a catalyst used in industry and for car exhausts.
Atomic Number: 78
Atomic Weight: 195.08
Density or Specific Gravity: 21.45
Melting Point: 1768.90 Celsius
Hardness (Moh) 4.3

Sellers - How to Achieve and Keep 100% Ebay Feedback

Sellers - How to Achieve and Keep 100% Ebay Feedback
Introduction

If you want to maximise your sales on Ebay, you need to maintain a good feedback score.

It gives buyers extra confidence in you, so you are more likely to sell, and at a higher price, than other sellers offering similar items, but with a lower feedback score.

This first thing to understand about the Ebay feedback system is that it DOES NOTprovide a reflection of the quality of the goods and services on offer.Rather, it gives an indication of how reliably the seller provides them.This is because Ebay rules state that Neutral and Negative Feedback should only be left as a last resort if satisfaction cannot be achieved with the seller.

Ground Rules

Make sure your item titles and descriptions are fair and accurate.

Offer a 100% no-quibble refund on returns.

Edit your end-of -auction email to state that buyers should contact you if they have any concerns, and otherwise to leave you positive feedback, and that you will do the same for them.

If a buyer has a complaint, try to address their concerns rather than defending your position.

Learn From Your Mistakes

After you've dealt with a complaint, examine what you could have done betterto have avoided the problem in the first place.

Even if its the customer that is wrong, think about how the situation could have been avoided.

Perhaps by sending product information or instructions, or by wording your Ebay description differently.

Tactics

It's now not possible for sellers to leave Negative Feedback, so you might just as well leave positive feedback as soon as you get your payment, and hope that your buyer follows suit.

Use Ebay's My Messages to respond to complaints - it's more likely to reach them.Also check your own Spam Folder regularly or you may miss complaints.

And Finally

I hope you found this guide useful. I can't promise you'll never get a negative, but follow the above and you'll keep your record near perfect.Ifyou think the above has been useful or helpful to you, please vote YES below

Thank you

Eddie

Quality Economy Refills

RECOVERY TRUCKS AND MOT EXEMPTION

JUST TO CUT TO THE CHASE , IF YOU BUY A BEAVERTAIL MOT TRUCK IT IS 100% NOT MOT EXEMPT , THE ONLY TRUCK THAT IS LEGALLY MOT EXEMPT IS A TRUCK THAT HAS A SPEC-LIFT FITTEDOR A HARVEY FROST TYPE CRANE SO THAT THE RECOVERED VEHICLE IS BEING TRANSORTED BY MEANS OF A SUSPENDED TOW, IF IT HAS A SLIDE BED OR BEAVERTAIL AS WELL,IT IS NOT MOT EXEMPT IF A VEHICLE IS LOADED ON IT , BE CAREFULL IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR DRIVING LICENCE AS NOT ONLY ARE YOU DRIVING WITHOUT AN MOT ( THIS IS NORMALLY DEALT WITH BY MEANS OF A FINE ), BUT ALSO YOUR INSURANCE IS NULL AND VOID ( NORMALLY DEALT WITH BY MEANS OF 6 YES SIX POINTS ON YOUR LICENSE ! ), IS IT REALLY WORTH THE RISK JUST FOR THE COST OF AN MOT ? I THINK NOT .IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE DONT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT , JUST GIVE THE FRIENDLY INSPECTORS AT VOSA A RING .

Unblocking a Drain

As we stock a wide range of drain tools one of the questions we are
constantly being asked is 'what should we buy to help with a blocked
drain'.

Click the link to see our range of Drain Tools Bamford Trading Drain Tools

This guide has been written with that question in mind!

Lets assume you would like to fix this unpleasant problem at the lowest cost?

First thing is to understand the nature of the blockage. Many blockages are local to the sink or drain where you discovered it.

Sinks, Baths, Showers and Basins

The most usual problem with sinks is caused by a build up of hair or grease. If other sinks locally are still working fine then this is almost certainly your problem (you lucky thing). If the water is draining slowly you may be lucky and get away with pouring very hot water down the plug. Be careful if you do this. Chemical solutions may also work for this kind of blockage.

If this does not work or the water is not moving you can try a plunger or a blaster which force water down the drain and should take the blockage with it or a wire which can find its way around the u bend.

If these solutions do not work you will have to resort to a plumber or to disassembly of the U bend if you can get to it. Don't forget to have a bucket handy!

When you have fixed the blockage be sure to rinse the sink with hot water to clear any remaining grease.

Toilets

Joy. A blocked toilet can be the source of real problems not least health problems and needs to be dealt with quickly. Fortunately they are normally quite easy to clear.

Do you know what caused the blockage? If it was a 'soft' item you may be lucky and get away with a 'Wire Spring'' type unblocker - these are flexible and can go around the bend and are often successful.

Plungers may also work if the blockage is a soft one.

If its a hard blockage close to the toilet its a job for a plumber I'm afraid - you don't want to push it further down the pipe. A plumber will remove the toilet and gain access to the drain.

Outside Drains and Gulleys

Often a blockage affecting the kitchen only will be causd by a blocked gulley. An outside drain normally around 4" square. Simple but dirty job in most cases. Use gloves and get your hand in there - you will find the gulley blocked with soap or dirt. If water is moving slowly pour lots of hot water down first. A hose pipe with a jet attachment may help clear it too.

If more than one sink or toilet is affected especially if the blockage
is house wide then the problem is most likely to be in the drain
outside the house. If more than one house is affected it will be a
problem in the sewer and the water authority should be involved.

Drain problems usually manifest themselves by a full man hole. There are drain cover keys at Bamford Trading Drain Tools In this case its likely you will need drain rods. The rods should be used to push the blockage down the drain using the rubber plunger. Remember to always turn the rods clockwise.

We are happy to answer your questions - please see the 'ask seller a question' link on any listing.

We hope this has helped save you worry and money - if it has please vote.