You save a few bucks but was it really worth it?

Here are 5 tips for spotting fake Nike merchandise. Some are more subtle than others but the main point is to check so you aren’t unpleasantly surprised.

1. If the shoes came plastic or shrink wrapped that’s not a good sign. Legitimately made Nikes come wrapped in tissue paper.
2. If you’re buying from eBay, make sure you’re buying from a reputable seller who has high feedback, a good seller reputation, and has been selling on the site for a while. This will ensure they have a good track record. Most fake Nikes will come from new sellers who are trying to make a quick buck and get kicked off the site.
3. The sole material is a major giveaway. True Nike soles are made of BRS 1000 rubber so it should feel like rubber. Fake Nikes soles are usually made of plastic and are extremely slippery when you wear them in slick areas. This is especially dangerous when you’re using them for heavy physical activity.
4. If you’re buying them through eBay or an online vendor and they are being drop-shipped from China, Hong Kong or the Philippines, chances are they’re fake. These two countries have the majority of fake merchandise manufacturers.
5. Finally, check the SKU Number. Real Nikes have unique matching SKU numbers on the box and inside tag of the shoe.

After properly lacing your shoes, make sure there is no more than 1/4″ (6mm) heel lift when you walk around. A locked heel reduces the friction that causes blisters, and prevents your foot from moving forward on a downhill.

Support, But No Pressure

Outdoor footwear should hold your foot comfortably where you need it the most: toward the inside of the foot. Proper support prevents fatigue and injury.

Room to Wiggle

The toe box is the wiggle zone that lets your toes spread, move, and keep you stable. It’s also the key to preventing cold toes. Count on blisters if your toes hit the front of your shoes.

Here are 10 tips to help you keep your passwords safe and secure.

1. Use a number and/or punctuation
2. Change it every 3 months or so
3. Use different passwords on different sites
4. Always use at least 8 characters
5. Blend upper and lower case letters
6. Use a phrase with no spaces (don’t use proper spelling though)
7. Use multiple words strung together separated by punctuation
8. Never use personal information (like your name, someone you know, etc.)
9. Never use common single words (like dog, street, etc.)
10. Don’t share your passwords
    

It’s based on the idea that fixed price goods sold on the site will be environmentally sound. Categories are arranged according their items impact on the earth with listings that offer more than just product descriptions but where the items came from, whether sales will go to a charitable organization, etc.

eBay hopes that their involvement in the new venture will help raise awareness of the need to be more environmentally conscious. After all, it’s eBay we’re talking about and their status and position in the global market is extraordinary.

The new site will work similarly to eBay in that you will pay to list items and give commissions on sales.

For more information go to http://worldofgood.ebay.com/home

Thoughts?

2. New bulk-edit features on the Selling Manager and Turbo Listing Tools have been added that will be available this Friday (Sept. 5, 2008).

3. Sellers must use eBays shipping calculator to display the actual shipping charges in their listings based on the buyers zip code.

4. Shipping charge limits have been placed on media categories such as Books, DVDs, Movies, Music and Video Games.

5. Beginning next month sellers must offer at least one shipping option within the specified limits.

For a list of subcategories affected by the maximum shipping and handling charges go to http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/MaxShipping.

This is a unique service eBay offers sellers allowing them to check their account on their cell phone. You can bid, buy, compare prices and search/track sales for those key times you may not be in front of a computer.

To download it, point your cell phones browser at bango.bonfiremedia.com.

Marketworks

Marketworks is a powerful email marketing tool for your business. This service will help you generate repeat business and build a quality relationship with your customers not really available through traditional advertising avenues.

For more information go to http://www.marketworks.com

Configurator by Infopia

eBay is currently offering this pilot program that allows larger sellers to build custom listings through their eBay stores. For example, if you were selling computers, you could not only sell the computer, but display drop down menus that show related items for that product on the same listing. This helps circumvent listing fee issues associated with individual items postings.

For more information go to http://www.infopia.com/

Turbo Lister

Need to create listing items in bulk on your store? Try Turbo Lister, its free! This service will help you create professional listings, link multiple items at once, upload thousands of listings in a single click as well as add photos to your listings and preview them without even being on the internet.

For more information go to http://pages.ebay.com/turbo_lister/index.html

BANS (Build a Niche Store)

This service will help you build your store through a special web platform that connects to affiliate marketing programs all over the world.

For more information go to http://www.buildanichestore.com/

That moment was the start of ShoeMetro. In late 2003, after only three months into it, we sold the cell phone business and moved back home to Southern California. Armed with credit cards, proceeds from the sale of the previous business, a digital camera and a laptop, we started selling shoes out of our home. After about three years, ShoeMetro has grown to become one of the top discount shoe retailers on the internet.

Still remembering the reason that got us into the business we believe that our core mission is to provide our customers with high quality brand name shoes at incredible prices. We purchase our shoes by the truckloads, maintain a very low overhead, and leverage technology as much as possible. By doing this we pass the huge savings onto our customers. We know that when you shop at ShoeMetro, you’re saving 20% to 80% off retail. We hope you shop ShoeMetro first, for the best deals on footwear anywhere…GUARANTEED!!!

“In the latest judicial message of “buyer beware” on Internet shopping, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said a federal district court in Northern California properly decided it didn’t have jurisdiction to require a Wisconsin classic car seller to abide by this state’s consumer protection laws.” per the Los Angeles Times

Recently, a car was sold on Ebay that was advertised as being in good condition, no rust, etc.  The buyer spent over $30,000 only to find out when it was delivered from out of state that the condition was actually really terrible and the car wouldn’t even start. Then they went to file suit in federal district court claiming the breach of the California Consumer Protection Act among other claims.

Once in court, the judge ruled against the plaintiff stating that since the seller was not intending to sell specifically to Californians, state law could not be involved.

Lesson? If youre going to spend that much money on any auction site, be sure without a shadow of a doubt that what youre buying is what its supposed to be. Also, check the laws for your state!

How did authorities figure it out? An investigation was conducted when large amounts of inventory came up missing. They then identified him by his user id which was the plate number off his sports car.

He now faces 18 months in prison.