Ebay ethics

[marioned]

Thenailking, can you fill us in a little about your experience and how long you have been in business? I'd rather take advice from people who have built up a huge wealth of experience and expertise over the years and whom I respect immensly.

 

[cro-mari]

I've been reading about E-bay here for awhile, many posts about it...

And this is what I don't understand - so if someone can clear it up for me - maybe it's different in other countries, all this book keepings and laws, or I haven't been reading right, but here in Croatia:

1. For every single thing that comes in to my salon, I need to have an invoice that has my name, my business name and some other stuff on it. I'm allowed to buy things online or from abroad, but if I do, I need a proof that I payed taxes, custom fees or whatever needed.

2. For that every single thing that exists in my invoices I have to fill out a form regulary. That form shows on what dates and in which amounts I was using that product, and finally, the day when, for example, one pot of gel was emptied. All of that has to match my reciepts that I give to my clients after every service.

3. Every year I have to bring my invoices, copies of my receipts and that forms that I described to my tax lady. And all of it has to match.

4. Tax control, or financial control can come to me out of the blue as they like. For every single thing in my salon there has to be a matching paper. If they find something that I haven't got an invoice for, I'm in trouble. If I have an invoice for something which says I do have it, and I don't, I'm in trouble.

So, as far as I know, E-bay folks do not write invoices. My boyfriend once thought he was doing me a favour so ordered some nailforms from e-bay. No invoice, no nothing. Just a little parcel. As we can easily predict, in 2 weeks, glue on forms went dry and I threw away 500 forms. Stupid feeling all around.

So apart from buying whoknowswhat and compromising my quality (and peace of mind), I would be violating the law.

So why would anyone do that? How does it work in your countries?
Or I'm just a naive little fool...

 

[Lucia Etch]

Since I use paypal for many online work related purchases, lot's of books, computer parts, my nail geek subscription, I have a "paper trail" for proof when it comes to taxes.

Years ago, I misplaced an important business related tax reciept, or possibly never recieved it (trade show cash purchase) My tax preparer explained that I could write my own reciept, keeping in mind that I was honest with the amount and use it as proof.

I keep all my reciepts, all of them.

I went to a face/body painting jam a couple of weeks ago.
$50 to enter. I purchased some books and guess what? No reciepts. Gas/travel too. I will use these amounts at tax time. I kept the amount in my palm pilot. It was so exciting I didn't even think of asking for reciepts.

 

[Cat_Therien]

You've got some excellent points about business practices and inventory control when it comes to ebay. Some people, like myself, see it as a business avenue. Others see it as a garage sale. No wonder ebay has problems.

I personally do have to track everything for my taxes because I have a business license and pay self-employment tax. So by golly I have to track every single sale with both a paper trail copy and a computer file copy. I need every expense deduction I can get!

So when a customer makes a purchase from me (ebay, etsy, website) - they get not only an email receipt for their purchase, they also get a packing slip. I email the customer to let them know their package is on its way. And I print everything twice: once for the customer and once for my stuffed-to-overflowing file cabinet.

But I understand things like that tend to be less common on ebay, and you take big risks when buying there. I don't buy my supplies there. I did at first. But now I only buy in bulk from recognized suppliers because I've been burned on ebay and save money in the end by not shopping there. Also, I'm assured of delivery times and quality of product, and the things I buy from my suppliers are backed by money-back satisfaction guarantees. You don't often find that combination on ebay.... but I also want to say that companies like mine exist there. We're just outnumbered by the beach shack variety of business.

Cat

 

[cro-mari]

OK, thanks