Is it REALLY Rosewood? Why buy branded goods?

The saying is that a Rose by any other name would smell as sweet... I don't disbelieve it. What I do feel is that a brand name is a 'Value Added' feature. Goods from the same manufacturer are not necessarily the same as they are when produced for a particular brand. They may be made of different materials, to different scale, specification, or simply not to the same standard of care. When you buy branded goods you are buying peace of mind with the customer care that goes with it - mind you, I'm only talking about GOOD brands here! Unfortunately there are sellers on eBay who are listing goods under a brand name, and selling manufacturer's own name items as being the branded items. It seems they don't understand the difference? Some even show "List price" for the item they "appear" to be selling, to show the discount! If the manufacturer's own name was really as good a selling point, then shouldn't they use their own? Rosewood goods have their own badge and individual number on them - if it doesn't say Rosewood, then it isn't! This isn't the only abuse of a brand name going on on eBay; Sony, amongst others, is ripped off left, right and centre. Don't encourage these sellers to carry on doing this! It is the buyers who lose!When you buy goods CHECK the listing carefully - then check information about the seller. Is there anything that would lead you to wonder about the items? There's no point calling the customer care line for the product you THOUGHT you were buying, and there may not be one for the product you have actually bought.Not all companies yet understand the eBay VeRO program, which is a shame. This allows brand owners to register with eBay, and have all listings that are showing their name removed when it doesn't relate to their products. Until the brand owners are more pro-active some less educated (or less scrupulous) sellers will continue to sell incorrectly.Don't be caught by them!

Some thoughts on buying a man's suit on ebay

I absolutely agree that used suits are a terrific bargain as pointed out by one of my fellow guide writers. That said, I feel I should contribute some additional thoughts for the unitiated because there's nothing worse then shelling out your hard-earned cash and receiving an unwearable rag. With that in mind, the following are some random thoughts on buying used/preowned suits.1) Brand is a strong indicator of quality. However, there is a danger. Keep in mind that most designer brands are stratified. It's kind of like Banana Republic, Gap, and Old Navy, which are owned by the same folks yet sell goods at different price ranges. In the same way, Armani Collezioni, Armani Exchange, and Emporio Armani are all Armani, but they're not all Armani in the sense of peerless Italian quality. This is because the bulk of the latter two ranges are produced outside of Italy as a cost cutting measure. So before you go to buy an Armani suit, make sure it's from the top range and actually made in Italy. The reason is that the Italian made garment is likely to be vastly superior and the price will only be marginally higher on ebay than the lesser-made items. For Italy, you can confirm origin of manufacture by looking at the large (about 2x2), white, standardized label in the breast pocket which gives you all the information you need. Ask to see a picture of that tag to verify authenticity, dont trust a random tag that says made in italy.The same applies to lots of other designer houses. They're only going to employ top materials and workmanship with their flagship labels so do your homework by checking out their websites before bidding. 2) Higher thread count is desirable. But maybe not. If you are lured by high thread counts like Super 120 or above, be wary of the age of the suit, or the miles on the odometer so to speak. High thread counts are indeed soft and beautiful, but they also wear much faster than lower thread counts, which are coarser and more durable. Ask to see pictures of the crotch area of the trousers in order to inspect for wear. 3) You can always have it tailored to fit properly as long as you buy the right general size. Well, yes and no. To really get a suit to fit properly, it will have to be drastically altered pretty much no matter what because absolutely nobody is an off the rack size. More than likely, you will have to have the trousers , sleeves, and sides altered at the very least, if you're lucky. More than likely, you will also have to have the chest adjusted so that the back doesn't bunch up around the collar. All these alterations cost money and nowadays, skilled tailors are few and far between (at least in the USA, less so in Europe) which means said alterations could be expensive and will likely double the cost of the suit. If you live outside a major city in the United States, it may be all but impossible to find a tailor skilled enough to carry out the required work. Furthermore, some alterations are so expensive that nobody bothers. Those would be along the lines of adjusting the length of the suit, relining, or altering the shoulders. 4) Here's some stuff to look for (in no particular order) that denote a top quality suit. You won't see this often but it's usually a good sign you're on to a sweet item. Sleeve buttons that actually unbutton. Indicates the suit was probably custom made and thus of superior quality. No belt loops is also a strong indicator that the piece was bespoke. The brand of the fabric as a separate label placed next to the actual brand of the suit. Indicates they outsourced the fabric from a reputable textile manufacturer. A lapel that is dotted and indented on regular intervals with matching thread. That means it was assembled by hand, or the manufacturer bothered to give the impression that it was assembled by hand.A new suit with white thread holding the pockets shut, white thread where the buttons should go, and white thread around the shoulders. This particular suit will often be missing buttons. These are measures taken by high end producers to prevent wear and damage on their product. Normally, the store will remove the thread and add buttons after the customers makes their purchase.5) Every country makes a different kind of suit employed towards different ends. Now if youre going to wear the suit for weddings and funerals, then I dont suppose it matters where the suit is from given that it will be subjected to light use. However, if youre going to wear the suit for work, I personally would not buy an Italian suit. Italian suits are beautiful, but that beauty comes at a price in terms of delicate fabrics and lack of structure. They wont hold up to the daily grind in my opinion (countless others would beg to differ, Im sure). English made suits are far tougher and designed to endure the abuse of daily wear. Keep in mind that the English invented the modern suit and have a pragmatic conception of its place in their wardrobe. Yes, German, Italian, and French companies abound with great looking suits, but Ive always felt that their pieces lack a tradition of hardiness. Moreover, each country employs a slightly different cut. In other words, the garment simply fits a certain body type better than others due to its inherent architecture. Zegna for instance, makes suits that best fit middle-aged men (of Europe). Brooks Brothers is for middle-aged men too (of the USA). Hugo Boss is for skinny folks. Take a field trip to your local department tore and try out different brands to get a feel for their house cut. It shouldnt take long to find a brand that fits comfortably on your frame. Admittedly, buying anything on ebay can be a roll of the dice. In my mind, great bargains are had alongside utter lemons, its just the nature of this world. Hopefully, the tips Ive given will steer you in the right direction and reduce the risk to a reasonable level.All right, best of luck on buying your ebay suit! May it fit perfectly straight out of the box!

Help Ebay combat the pirate dvd scammers !

First of all let me just say yes I have been subject to scammers who make out they are selling genuine dvds :o(

Pointers :

1.NEVERBUY if you are in doubt ! If we don't buy the seller is out of business !

2. Report the seller to ebay staff found on the help pages !

3. Ask advice from other sellers if you are unsure use the link saying ask seller a question.

4. If you are buying a disney etc check that the item carries a hologram.

These are just a few tips but remember ebay is full of non authentic items, Never accept it !!! It is illegal and you have the right to a full refund REPORT REPORT REPORT THEM !

They will be banned from ebay !

Sorry if this has been posted before but I have lost out for the last time !

Lets fight piracy !

Merry Xmas all !!!

Choosing a Reading that is Right for You

The Purpose of a Reading

Readings are often seen as just a bit of entertainment and Tarot parties are becoming more and more popular. There is certainly nothing wrong with enjoying a good reading however they are also an excellent tool for analysis, especially if we are too close to a situation ourselves.

More often than not, a reader will only tell us what we already know, whether consciously or unconsciously, and it is this confirmation what allows us to move on and deal with what life has dealt us! However, a reading will not always make sense at the time and may seem totally unrelated to us and our situation. From personal experience I have found that even after re-doing a reading two or three times in this case,the information from the cards is the same every time. This is a case of either the readee not being prepared to accept the truth of a situation orthat the message from the cards is 'lost in translation'.

Telling the future is not an exact science and time does not exist in linear fashion in other planes of existence as it does here on Earth. Besides, we live neither in the past or the future we exist only in the present. Our present actions create our future and a reading can identify patterns of behaviour and give us guidance as to what situations we are drawing to ourselves. If we dont like what we see we can change it. The future is not written in stone and sometimes a good reading is one that doesnt come true!

Tarot

Perhaps the best known form of divination they are perfect for looking at many situations at once and in detail. They pull no punches though they are not necessarily as direct as Runes.

Angel Cards

Angel cards are best used for looking at emotional issues and for healing. They are much gentler than Tarot cards and are always positive in the messages they give.

They are not especially good for looking into the future but are more concerned with the present condition. They give a good overview of a situation and can be used to identify an issue which can then be looked at in more detail using the Tarot.

Crystal Gazing

A very intuitive form of divination, crystal gazing allows for a lot of information to come through in a very fluid way so can need some sorting by the reader to put in a form which can then be understood.

Often the information that comes through is in symbolic form. Though clear quartz is the most common form of crystal used, different crystals can be used for different types of question.

Egyptian Runes

These always answer that which is in the heart of the questioner, even though it is often not the question asked. If you truly want to get to the heart of the matter, these are a very good tool to chose.

Pyromancy

This is perhaps one of the oldest forms of divination yet is rarely used these days. Like crystal gazing, Pyromancy is a very intuitive form of divination.

Choosing a Reader

It is important to use your intuition when choosing a reader. This is not necessarily because one reader is better or worse than the other but simply so that you choose someone who is able to connect to you.

Some readers do not ask for any personal information others do. They ask for this information so that they can connect with the person they are reading for. It is about sensing your energies, connecting with your angels or spirit guides so that they can gain information which is relevant to you at this time and for your highest good.

All readers have their own methods. Some read cards literally, others use them as a focusing tool to access higher information and others can tap into the information and do not need to use any form of tool at all (the traditional psychic medium). Some readers focus on telling the future while others try to interpret what they see. Some use pattern breaking techniques which look at the possible outcome and then advise who this can be achieved or changed.

None of these methods are better than the other, but it is important you consider these so you can use a reader who is right for you and the type of question you have at this time.

Exchanging Tesco Vouchers for Clubcard Deals

I have noticed that most of the listings for Tesco Vouchers are stating that the seller will convert them and forward them to the buyer.

THIS IS NOT ESSENTIAL.

ANYBODY can enter the tesco voucher number when applying for the Clubcard Deal. This will then allow the Deal tokens to be sent directly to the applicant and in their name (in some circumstances).

You should also be aware that the Tesco Vouchers have an expiry date on them. Make sure that you ask the seller what this date is.

My friends and I have been combining our vouchers together for a long time now and when we have a substantial amount I make the application for the Deal tokens.

Fake Ebay E Mails - How To Avoid ??

As a ebay member you should expect to be targetted by hackers. Most usual way is through bogus emails which looks like they are from ebay but in fact they are not. Some hackers can even programas good that the messages seems to be received from ebay's servers and return address is a genuion ebay email address but they are not from ebay.

Most commonly in these emails you'll be either get a threat like your account is suspended , some has opened a dispute against you and so on.

The very first thing you can find out if it is a fake email is it will not contain your name. Alloriginal ebay emails starts from[eBay sent this message to Your Name (your ebay id)]. Fake emails will start with same line but instead of your name it will only say[ebay sent this message to You]. They will not have you name in it. But still you have to be very conscious there. If your email address is part of a mailing list of hackers it will not have you name, but if some one is personally trying to break in to your ebay account you may find your name and ebay id in email.

The purpose of these emails is to make you surprise and force you to quickly act upon them. They will all have link for you to log in to your ebay account. But in fact when you click such a button in email it takes you to a site which looks same as ebay but it's not ebay's web site. Once you enter your ebay id and password the hackers will have these details open to them which they can use to log in to your account and do what ever they want.

How To Avoid?

Most of the time you'll know straight away that email is bogus because it doesn't contain your name and ebay id.

Make your habit not toact uponemails even if they are from ebay. Always open anew browser window and go to ebay website. Log In,you will find any task need your action.

Whensome body asks question about your item, if you are replyingusing your email software/website, it will contain originalemail in reply which has your name in it. Delete this part of message or better you open ebay website in new browser window and use ebay's message service to reply.

Set your email servers security bit higher for spam, butalways keep aneye on yourspam email folder as it will some timescatch some original and necessary emails.

Mamas

For all new mums and dads out there or expectant mums and dads - I would just like to let you know what happened to us when we bought a Mamas and Papas Primo Viaggio Car Seat for a newborn. We bought our seat five months before our baby was born, and when we started to use it we noticed that our baby was flopping forward a little bit, but as new borns don't move around that much, we thought maybe it was the way our baby was lieing. After a month or so it became clear that the seat really was suitable for our baby, he was flopping forward, and the car seat was potentially dangerous if we were in an accident as our babies neck would have been injured or even broken, if he was pushed forward. I contacted Mamas and Papas about this problem and advised them that I was very concerned about what could potentially happen to our baby should we be involved in an accident. They said my purchase was out of guarantee because I had at that point had the item more than six months, and that their car seats met the European Safety Standards, and didn't appear thatinterested in the fact that my baby had been put at risk of serious injury.

I bought a new car seat for my baby, and would notrecommend Mamas and Papas,they charge a lot of money for their goods, which gives the impression that you are purchasinga quality safe item, but I would not class the Primo Viaggio car seat as a quality safe item - in fact I would not advise any parent to put their child into one. I also foundother customers on review websites whoalso had the same problems with the Primo Viaggio car seat- they also ended up having to buy new car seats, with no help or feedback from Mamas and Papas.