Ramblings of an e-trader

Chinese Online Shoppers

2009-12-07T17:49:00.000+08:00

The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) recently reported that more than 87 million Chinese (people in China) shopped online this year, and increase by 24 million people from last year, or an increase of 38.9 percent year-on-year.

Actually, I am not surprised that there are so many Chinese online shoppers because of the magnitude of China's population. In fact, many of my Chinese speaking friends in Malaysia are also starting to shop on China eCommerce sites like Taobao, an online marketplace similar to eBay. Needless to say, these friends used to shop on eBay and are not unfamiliar with online shopping or even online auctions.

What surprised me is in this same report is the average online shopper profile. A Chinese online shopper is said to be either a student or white-collar worker between the ages of 18 to 30 with a monthly income of 1,000 Yuan to 3,000 Yuan. That's ONLY US$146 to US$439 per month! And they shop so much?

And perhaps, that's also the reason that they shop online so much since shopping online may be cheaper than shopping in a local store!

Delayed "Wedding"

2009-12-07T00:07:00.001+08:00

My sister reminded me that she will be celebrating her first wedding anniversary at the end of the month and once again lamented that they did not have a chance to go through a proper wedding. One year has passed and they still haven't found time to go through a wedding ceremony. They do have the papers to show but without the ceremony, it doesn't feel like they are married, according to my sister.

Since they did not go for a honeymoon either, I suggested that they do it this year. At the same time, they could book a destination wedding where they don't have to organize anything except to present themselves. My sister told me that destination weddings are very popular among her friends and they did suggest the same to her as well.

My sister may take up our suggestion but it’s too bad that her family will not be around to witness the moment.

Violation of Trademark and Intellectual Property

2009-12-06T15:21:00.001+08:00

Off and on, Lelong administrators will issue a warning about violation of certain trademark and/or intellectual property. Recently, they have an alert for sellers of "Sony" products. Sellers can only mention the name Sony and other Sony trademarks if they are selling genuine products. If Sellers are not selling a Sony product, they are not allowed to mention Sony anywhere in their listing, certainly cannot mention "Not Sony, Not Ericsson".

Lelong has to be very strict with its sellers as these brand names are very diligent in monitoring the marketplace. After all, they are obligated to protect their brand name and reputation. They are multi-billion dollar concerns so it's understandable.

Should a seller be caught violating trademark and/or intellectual properties, his trading account will be suspended. A repeat offender will see his account banned totally. Do know that should the law be used against such a seller, Lelong will have no means to protect his identity and will fully co-operate with authorities, unfortunately for violators!

When Traffic Won't Come Naturally

2009-12-06T13:23:00.001+08:00

When I first started an eCommerce website, I was very naive. I knew nothing about search engine optimization or marketing. I was a little desperate when traffic did not come and I did not clinch the sales that I thought I would, with an independent store. I know that traffic to my website could not be compared to what I enjoyed selling on eBay but honestly, looking at the statistics, I was a little disappointed and lost.

I subsequently had the idea that starting a blog to promote my own products and linking to my own store would help improve web traffic, hence sales. I guess I had the concept right except that it was a lot of work and consumed too much time and energy. It was all right with me since I was doing it full time.

Although much of what I know today I learned by trial and error, I would suggest anyone starting an online store to seek professional seo services. It took me quite a while and lots work on the back end to see traffic starting to trickle in and I am sure not everyone has as much time to spare as I did, or even the energy to waste. If one could buy such services, why not?

Looking back, I would rather spend time working on the front end of my online store and concentrate on what I do best; sales and customer service. Technicalities are certainly not my cup of tea and if I had known that there are companies that would take on the task of search engine optimization for me, I certainly would hand over the job to them!

*** This post has been sponsored.

Adam Lambert Autographed For Your Entertainment CD on eBay For Charity

2009-12-05T20:22:00.001+08:00

If you are a fan of glam rocker, Adam Lambert of American Idol fame, this is probably a good chance to get your hands on an autographed CD of Adam Lambert's debut album, For Your Entertainment.

There are a total of three autographed CDs on eBay only and at the time of writing, there are already more than 30 bids on EACH auction, driving the price above US$350 EACH! How much would you pay for an autographed CD of Adam Lambert?

100% of proceeds will go towards Adam Lambert's choice of charity, DonorsChoose.org. Perhaps this is the reason fans of Adam Lambert willingly pay through their teeth for these CDs! It's all for a good cause, aye?

Visit Adam Lambert autographed CD auction page HERE!

Building Self-Confidence With Better Skin

2009-12-05T16:43:00.000+08:00

Looking at me now, I don't think one could tell that I spent half my life searching for the right skincare product. During my search, not only did I spend a small fortune on a multitude of products, I also wasted a lot of time and worst of all, the effects of acne shows on my face.

This past year, I have been rather fortunate that no new acne has popped up. Perhaps it is because I finally found a product suitable for my skin type or perhaps it is age that caused my hormones to stabilize but I still bear acne scars that I would pay anything to get rid of.

It's like searching for a solution for acne all over again but even as I have tried as many products on the promise to smoothen my skin to no avail, I still continue to do so without giving up hope. I know that it's out there except that I haven't found it.

This morning, I was introduced to this acne scar treatment system, called ZenMed. Although I have not heard of it before or know of anyone who has used it successfully, I will willingly try it out. It's inexpensive and if it works, then great. I would love to look in the mirror one day without seeing those all too familiar scars on my face. Perhaps this is it. Never try, never know.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Tesco Outlet

2009-12-04T16:57:00.000+08:00

I read with a little amusement that Tesco UK has gone the eBay way by setting up a micro site with eBay and calling it Tesco Outlet. Here, they will be selling consumer electronics and electrical products that were once available in-store but have discontinued. Shoppers will also be able to buy 'customer returns' online. According to Tesco, these 'customer returns' have never been used. All items come with 12 month warranty.

What amuses me is that if a person has bought an electronic or electrical product from a hypermarket once, I believe one experience would be enough to put someone off for life. I don't intend to touch on this in detail but I'll say that while I look for cheap deals all the time, I also take quality into consideration. Warranty means nothing to me because when I purchase something, I want to be able to USE it and not waste time running around claiming warranty or even getting an exchange for a similar sub-par quality product.

Simple Home Decorating

2009-12-04T06:04:00.001+08:00

I did a budget calculation the other day and realized that at this point, I could only afford a low to medium cost apartment in the capital city. The horrible part is that the size of such an apartment is only about four to five times the size of my bedroom at home. I wonder if I would feel claustrophobic!

But the advantage of living in a smaller home is that it's cheaper to upkeep and maintain and I like the fact that it's easy to decorate. I have plans to install simple wrought-iron lamps like those from Hubberton Forge. They are not too elaborate and yet has a classy air to them.

Of course, furnishing for the whole apartment has to gel too. The good thing about owning my home is that I dictate how I want to decorate it without interference from other family members!

PayPal Wishlist - Facebook Application

2009-12-03T22:24:00.000+08:00

A couple of days ago, a friend on my Facenbook contact list invited me to install a application called PayPal Wishlist. You know, when it comes to stuff like PayPal and online banking websites, I am extra careful. I clicked IGNORE on his invitation and promptly forgot about it.

Today, by chance I visited a PayPal sister website and noticed a link to the same PayPal Wishlist Facebook application. Now I know that it's an authentic application by PayPal.

I don't really know how this application works except that we are to create a wishlist and share it with our friends. Apparently, the more we share, the more we earn and we will have the chance to earn up to US$100 by the end of the contest period.

Unfortunately, not everyone could participate as this contest is only open to PayPal users from India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Every Facebook user can install the application, though.

I have installed it and invited a couple of friends from the above-stated countries. Let's see how much I will earn. I don't have much faith, though!

Diamond Rings At Wholesale Prices

2009-12-02T16:09:00.000+08:00

A friend, Canny, keeps lamenting that she has not received any wedding ring from her husband even though they have been married for ten years already. She didn't have an engagement ring as well. While she is proud of the fact that she did not spend a small fortune on her wedding, she still harbors hopes of receiving a wedding ring. Sometimes, she would joke that she was still single because she has no wedding ring to show her marital status, but I guess she was just trying to drop loud hints on her husband.

I guess I have to tell her husband, who is also a friend, that he could buy a diamond wedding ring online cheaply. To make up for the looooong delay, he needs a ring with a really large diamond and it would help if he shopped at an online store that sells Diamond Engagement Rings and wedding rings at wholesale prices. They could price their diamond rings cheaply because they are the manufacturers.

Even though I have no plans to buy any diamonds or diamond rings, I still took the time to browse through the website of Adiamor. I guess the glitter of the diamonds is just too captivating! Hopefully, Canny would finally get her diamond wedding ring so that I no longer need to listen to her lament aloud that she doesn’t have one.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Maxis Dividend For 2009

2009-12-02T15:54:00.001+08:00

I read in the papers yesterday that Maxis has declared dividend for the year 2009 at 6 sen per share. I don't remember the exact words and this 6 sen per share may even be wrong, if my memory failed me.

Whatever it is, conservatively, we should be getting $60 per 1000 shares. So little? Frankly, I was expecting something to the tune of $500 for 1000 shares. I hope that my calculation is wrong! Or better yet, I hope that I have more capital to buy even more Maxis shares! LOL But that's not possible right now. SIGH!

But even at 6 sen, it is better than none. Whatever amount I get would mean that the price of my Maxis shares is even cheaper than RM4.75. I was afraid that I would have to wait for another 12 months to reap the dividend. LOL

New Brand Name

2009-12-02T15:44:00.001+08:00

Davis, a friend who also runs his own ecommerce store, told me that he has plans to start selling his own brand of clothes. Davis actually started selling brand name watches but he thinks that he should diversify. Perhaps he thinks that he could make better business selling clothes than watches! The watches he sells are very expensive so he would like to capture the market of an entirely different group of internet shoppers.

Davis asked me if I could give him a couple of suggestions for his new clothing line. He needs a new name but I told him that I wouldn't be able to help him. I said that he should consult a branding or a Naming Company. I am sure they would be able to come out with something. The reason I didn’t help him was because I also have plans to start my own clothing line and thought that there would be a conflict of interest.

My sister asked me why I don’t joint venture with Davis since we are both planning to go into the same business. I have actually thought about it after Davis proposed but after much thought, I decided that Davis is not the kind of partner I like. Davis is a good person but to be a business partner, one really has to be able to gel.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Rampant Car Thefts

2009-12-02T15:34:00.001+08:00

A friend, who lives in Kuching, related to me that there has been a spate of car thefts in Kuching City targeting Perodua Kembara. She said that her family car, a Kembara, was targeted two times; once last year and once this year.

Where I live, the top stolen car is Toyota Harrier but this doesn't mean that owners of smaller cars are spared. Even Perodua Kancil cars are stolen as well. It really doesn't matter if a car is big or small, old or new. If people can snatch handbags, they can steal cars too.

I guess the economy is so bad, there are so many jobless people, they have to resort to stealing and snatching to make ends meet. Of course, car thefts involve a syndicate, it's not something that could be done by one or two people.

The scary thing, my friend told me, was that these thieves would first steal the keyhole of the car first and they would then make a duplicate key, come back to steal the CAR! My, how much trouble these people go through. They must be making a lot of money from this activity.

Major Book Fair

2009-12-02T14:47:00.000+08:00

A couple of friends told me that they have just returned from the Big Bad Wolf Books book fair and they had to carry their book purchases in boxes. I think they just want to make me jealous of them. I so would like to go too but can't because of commitments at home so I am not able to travel to the capital city.

These friends told me that they managed to buy new magazines, good quality foreign travel magazines, at only $3 each while new novels were only $8 each. There were books sold at other prices as well, of course. They just told me the cheapest prices. My, am I envious of them!

My friends said that they abused their credit cards after their cash ran out. It actually wasn't money that limited their purchases. It was their inability to carry anymore boxes of books. I think that if they bought anymore, they would need a Moving Company on standby to help them send their books home.

I think it’s a blessing in disguise as well that I didn’t manage to visit the book fair of I would bust my budget again and then have a huge problem on my hands trying to figure out how to cart those books home!

*** This post has been sponsored.

No Easy Money

2009-12-02T14:22:00.001+08:00

Jason, a long time friend, told me that since losing his job, he has been speculating shares and betting on race horses. You know, this guy has a terrible gambling habit since he was young even though he held a really high post in a multi-national company, until he lost it recently.

Even with his high pay cheque, he was still always short of money and when he lost his job suddenly, he was in a difficult time because he did not have savings. Yes, no savings DESPITE his high pay! And now, he is not even bothering to look for a job but speculate in shares and bet in horses, two extremely high risk investments.

I helped him to monitor his stocks on KLSE and NASDAQ for a few days over these past couple of weeks just to see how the markets trend but after so much trouble, I found that he did not gain anything. That's because he hasn't sold his holdings. Still, even if he did, he would only have gained US$20. That's for all the energy spent monitoring the market at ungodly hours!

If Jason thought that he could find easy money then I think that he's so wrong. I wonder why he doesn't realize that even after going through some really difficult time!

New Restaurant Business Venture

2009-12-02T13:38:00.000+08:00

My friend, Amy, and her husband, just took over a Japanese restaurant in the Boston area. It's funny that although they are both Koreans, and used to run a Korean restaurant, they are now bosses of a Japanese restaurant. The husband is a trained Japanese chef, luckily.

Anyway, Amy said that they had to look for a Boston Moving Company to help them move their utensils from their recently closed Korean restaurant to their new Japanese restaurant. There were not many things to move, though, because of the different furnishings. Japan and Korea may be just neighbors but their cultures are surprisingly different.

Actually, Amy, who is also my sister’s friend, had asked if my sister would like to joint venture with them. My sister had to decline because if she were to invest in the restaurant, she would have to do it full time, which means that she would have to leave her job. At this point, my sister said she cannot afford to leave her job even though she wants to be a boss as well!

However, running a business is very risky and has many uncertainties, especially now when people are trying their best not to eat out. For Amy and her husband, I guess they have no choice since their Korean restaurant closed.

*** This post has been sponsored.

RM450 Refund On Maxis IPO From MIH Arrived

2009-12-02T13:20:00.000+08:00

The long awaited check from Malaysian issuing House (MIH) has arrived this morning. This is actually the balance from the application of Maxis IPO, where we sent in RM5.20 but the IPO of Maxis was subsequently adjusted to RM4.75 only, hence, we were returned the extra of RM450 for 1000 shares.

The arrival of this cheque took almost two weeks from the day that Maxis was listed. I didn't wait for it, actually, but a couple of friends kept asking me when they will be getting back their cheques. I just told them to be patient that it will arrive sooner or later. I can imagine all the red tape since Maxis IPO was oversubscribed by I don't remember how many times now.

Anyway, I had felt that RM5.20 for Maxis IPO was too expensive and I know that many people thought so too. Luckily, the price was adjusted to RM4.75, a more attractive price to me and I am happy that I decided to apply for it and had the luck to be successful in my ballot.

Cutting Costs

2009-12-02T13:06:00.001+08:00

Philip, a friend who runs an architectural firm with a few branches, told me that he's seriously considering closing a couple of his offices to consolidate his business and as a cost cutting measure. He said that he should have done so earlier but thought that he could withstand the financial turmoil but it looks like his industry is badly affected as well. Of course, when people have less expendable income, who would want to spend money on renovation or construction?

At the moment, Philip said he is calculating his costs and the ways to lower them. If the cost cutting measures do not work, then he has no choice but to close down a couple of offices. Well, I don't even know why he opened so many in the first place. He would have to look for a Boston Moving company to help him with the move.

I joked with Philip that he could operate his architecture business from home. This is what another friend of mine is doing. He’s also an architect and he works from home. He told me that his operating cost is really low and he relishes the time flexibility that working from home offers. I think Philip should seriously consider this option if all else fails.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Unexpected Pay Cut

2009-12-02T12:36:00.001+08:00

Many of my friends are earning just enough, they tell me they would not be able to manage should an unexpected bill arrive. They say they probably would have to resort to cash advance on their credit card or even a payday loan.

The scary part is that these people are not low wage earners. I would say they do draw a comfortable salary and would have no problems bringing up a small family on that amount. Yet, they find it difficult to live on their salary and I think they would go into a financial crisis should they suffer a pay cut.

A friend told me that his son had to take out an advance from him when his salary was cut. It was not a big cut, just a small percentage and yet, he said that unexpected cut caused him much financial distress and had to look for backup from his father.

I guess it all boils down to poor financial management. Back in those days when there were not this many distractions and temptations, entire families lived on such pay without problems. Now, many of us always find ourselves short of money. The problem is, we don't even know where we have spent the money on!

Moving Home

2009-12-02T12:16:00.001+08:00

Paul's friend says that much to her chagrin, she has decided to move back with her parents. Westerners are really different from people in the East. We have no problems living with our parents, in fact, we are encouraged to do that, to care for them in their old age but Westerners, they get out of the nest as soon as they could and think it's an embarrassment to still be living with their parents when they are adults. I guess it's their way of being independent.

Anyway, this lady says that even though she hates it, she has no choice, because she is facing foreclosure on her home. Right now, she is looking for reliable Boston Movers to help her with her possessions before she loses everything in the house as well. Yes, I've read that this happens so I guess she just wants to make sure that even though the house may be taken away from her, at least her other possessions aren't.

Paul told me that this lady friend is only one of the many people facing a similar situation no thanks to the recent financial meltdown which affected many people. It really is too scary a thought to think that if one loses her job, she loses her home too.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Running Up Huge Debts

2009-12-02T11:47:00.000+08:00

I recently read a survey report that says that people in my age group are running up huge debts. The majority of these people are women, unfortunately. A lot of them are working professionals with good pay and single, some are still living with their parents, sort of like me.

The problem is that they also spend a good chunk of their monthly salary repaying debts; debts with high interest rates like credit cards, store cards and even payday loans. No, this isn't like me.

As far as I know, the two major loans that we have to shoulder are housing and car loans though some people are still repaying their student loan. And I think it is a concern if one overspent and have to resort to cash advance or payday loans to make ends meet. I think most of us know that once an advance has been taken out, one would be caught in a catching game, except that it's like we are perpetually being left behind trying to catch up but never can.

If one is in such a situation, it's time to cut down on expenses and turn the lifestyle around.

Getting The Books In Order

2009-12-02T11:33:00.000+08:00

It's the end of the year already and every business has to get the books in order. It’s not something that we like to do but it has to be done. Most of my friends, who run their own business, large or small, try to get this unenviable task over and done with before the start of their holidays. I do the same as well otherwise I keep worrying over the unfinished business.

One thing I like about running my own business is that I am comfortable with the scale and it's entirely up to me how I want to run it. A friend told me that his partner has accrued debts in a failed venture that he found out way too late only upon the arrival of Debt Collection agents at their office. Running my own small business, something like this has no chance of happening.

December is a time of revelation on how healthy one’s business has been throughout the year and if the books don’t look too good, it is time to reflect on the past and see what sort of changes could be implemented to improve on the business. This is the kind of challenge I like in business, not the books. I hate figures!

*** This post has been sponsored.

Credit & Charge Card Annual Service Fee

2009-12-02T11:10:00.001+08:00

There's another month to the New Year where a RM50 annual service fee will be imposed on each credit card and charge card while RM25 annual service fee will be imposed on supplementary cards.

Even though there's still just one month to go, we still have no concrete update yet if there really WILL be a service fee on all credit and charge cards, or if all these noise that we are making has made the Government do an about-turn and thinking twice if this service fee will be imposed at all, if it will be, will the service fee for the first card, or two, be waived?

I personally think that it's a dumb idea to restrict credit card ownership. Of course, if you are thinking from the revenue point of view, this is an excellent idea but I am thinking from the consumer point of view, from the average person's point of view. I AM an average person, after all, and I surely know what a burden the RM50 annual service fee makes for us.

Anyway, if you have multiple credit or charge cards have you decided on which cards to cancel and which to hold on to?

Demand Letters

2009-12-02T10:59:00.000+08:00

Mary, a friend who works at a legal firm, told me that she has been so busy drafting demand letters to send out to companies that defaulted on payment whether for machinery that was rented or for work that was done and not paid after a reasonable amount of time. Times are really this bad, huh? Or is this the effects of the recent economic downturn?

According to Mary, sometimes, creditors would try to collect their monies with the help of Collection Agencies first before they take legal action. Chinese people usually do not like to resort to court cases but the cases that are handled by Mary have already reached a dead end and the creditors have no choice but to let the law take care of it.

I don't know if these companies that defaulted on payment really cannot pay up or if they just refuse to pay since going through the legal process takes such a long time because of red tape. Perhaps they want to gain some time first and then eventually settle their debt. Mary says the amount owed is usually not that big, surprisingly. Perhaps these debtors know that it's not that easy to go into bankruptcy?

*** This post has been sponsored.

Christmas Gift Ideas For The Family

2009-12-02T10:38:00.000+08:00

A friend was asking if I could let her know what top Christmas gifts one gets for family members. Well, I know that Zhu Zhu Pets are all the rage for young children, an eBook reading device would make a good gift for someone who loves reading, though lately I personally prefer audio books. For teenagers and young adults, mp3 devices like iPod and iTouch are cool though a little expensive and for adults, PS3, Wii or Nintendo would be great if they love gaming. Camera lens or accessories are great for the photography lover.

I know there are people who do not enjoy reading or think that playing games is a waste of time. But if they love shopping, that's where shopping vouchers come in! We could never get enough of them, can we? It sure saves a lot of time thinking what to buy for these shopaholics. At least they can use the shopping vouchers and buy what they like.

For people who love to eat, or try out new restaurants or diners, I take the trouble to accompany them for a meal. It's also an opportunity to sit down and catch up with one another. A rare thing with everyone so busy with their own lives!

Ramblings of an e-trader

Chinese Online Shoppers

Delayed "Wedding"

Violation of Trademark and Intellectual Property

When Traffic Won't Come Naturally

Adam Lambert Autographed *For Your Entertainment* CD on eBay For Charity

Building Self-Confidence With Better Skin

Tesco Outlet

Simple Home Decorating

PayPal Wishlist - Facebook Application

Diamond Rings At Wholesale Prices

Maxis Dividend For 2009

New Brand Name

Rampant Car Thefts

Major Book Fair

No Easy Money

New Restaurant Business Venture

RM450 Refund On Maxis IPO From MIH Arrived

Cutting Costs

Unexpected Pay Cut

Moving Home

Running Up Huge Debts

Getting The Books In Order

Credit & Charge Card Annual Service Fee

Demand Letters

Christmas Gift Ideas For The Family

Adam Lambert Autographed For Your Entertainment CD on eBay For Charity