Anyone with creating Webshop experience?

**Fiskevatten** · 02-22-2015, 04:22 AM

Was thinking about open my own webshop, nothing big, just maybe 20-40 products.
Will either be health items, medicines, sextoys or the like. Maybe all lol
Hopefully with my contacts I can earn a little cash there, don't expect much.

Questions!
Read abt setting up credit card possibilities, payment gateways was something interesting, any experience with this? Good/ bad?
Getting Paypal payments, good/ bad?
If someone use fraud (stolen creditcards), will I be responsible for the refund?

Any other tips, experiences and how well it went for you is highly appreciated!

)
Looking around myself but good to get some feedback here as well.

**lovbyts** · 02-22-2015, 06:36 AM

I would wait and see what happens with the whole Internet regulation thing. If the Government/FCC do regulate it then all the rules will change. No more creativity and a LOT more taxes.

**Jesusbrah** · 02-22-2015, 01:39 PM

You can try shopify

**tdoe11** · 02-22-2015, 02:08 PM

I have one where I sell products. It's hosted through squarespace. I made my own site, and i update my stuff and track everything through squarespace. And I have no webmaster experience. It uses stripe for payments. It's very popular and safe.

**Fiskevatten** · 02-23-2015, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by tdoe11

I have one where I sell products. It's hosted through squarespace. I made my own site, and i update my stuff and track everything through squarespace. And I have no webmaster experience. It uses stripe for payments. It's very popular and safe.

Looked into shopify, might try something similar! Everything seems to already be in place, just put the products in, def worth the money!
They seem to take care of fraud and credit issues too.

How does it work for you with shipment cost contra possible custom fees tdoe11? Not sure how much I should demand. The products will be between 0.1 - 5kg , but size
varies so much and each country seems to have different rules for customs -.-

lovbyts mate, seems I can go around the normal company taxes with opening my business in, think it was hongkong and shenchel (spell?) and
a few others. Customs tho might be an issue, for the customers as well...

**lovbyts** · 02-23-2015, 06:40 AM

Oh yeah I keep forgetting you are in Pattaya. You suck.....

**tdoe11** · 02-23-2015, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by Fiskevatten

Looked into shopify, might try something similar! Everything seems to already be in place, just put the products in, def worth the money! They seem to take care of fraud and credit issues too. How does it work for you with shipment cost contra possible custom fees tdoe11? Not sure how much I should demand. The products will be between 0.1 - 5kg , but size varies so much and each country seems to have different rules for customs -.- lovbyts mate, seems I can go around the normal company taxes with opening my business in, think it was hongkong and shenchel (spell?) and a few others. Customs tho might be an issue, for the customers as well...

I would just get sold of the service you are using and get a base price. I sell only one item, so shipping is easy for me. I charge a flat rate usa, or flat rate everywhere else.

**lovbyts** · 02-24-2015, 04:01 AM

Originally Posted by tdoe11

I would just get sold of the service you are using and get a base price. I sell only one item, so shipping is easy for me. I charge a flat rate usa, or flat rate everywhere else.

Ohh the comebacks I have in mind..... but Ill be nice.

**tdoe11** · 02-24-2015, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by lovbyts

Ohh the comebacks I have in mind..... but Ill be nice.

Hey it's a small item but at least it sells

**Fiskevatten** · 02-24-2015, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by tdoe11

Hey it's a small item but at least it sells

Sometimes it's better to go with quantity instead of quality^^

**Honkey_Kong** · 02-26-2015, 06:20 AM

Originally Posted by Fiskevatten

Was thinking about open my own webshop, nothing big, just maybe 20-40 products.
Will either be health items, medicines, sextoys or the like. Maybe all lol
Hopefully with my contacts I can earn a little cash there, don't expect much.

Questions!
Read abt setting up credit card possibilities, payment gateways was something interesting, any experience with this? Good/ bad?
Getting Paypal payments, good/ bad?
If someone use fraud (stolen creditcards), will I be responsible for the refund?

Any other tips, experiences and how well it went for you is highly appreciated!

)
Looking around myself but good to get some feedback here as well.

As far as Paypal goes, if you sell under US $3k per month, expect to pay like almost 3% per transaction with a $.30 transaction fee. Their scale drops if you sell more.

Amex is around 2.7 2.8? As far as credit cards go, they're the absolute worst. You'd think they'd be cheaper, because they're both the issuing and accessing banks involved in the transaction.

Then as far as Visa and Mastercard go, their rates vary depending on the type of the cards being used. Those signature rewards cards are fvcking bullshit for the merchant. To get the customer to sign up and buy more with those cards, they offer way more in rewards (cash back, airline miles etc). So to pay for that, they fvck the merchants over with a higher rate.

And depending on the type of transaction is going on, there are different rates. If you have a physical store where the customer is present and swipes their card, it's at a lower rate than if the customer is purchasing over the phone or if the customer is purchasing over the internet. Since the later two have higher risks of fraud.

Now you can buy your card processing services directly from a bank, but you're probably going to want to go with a thing called an independent sales organization (like Cardservice International or Paypal for example). Those organizations will assume the responsibility of submitting your payment requests to the credit networks, giving technical support, etc.

Now you really have to be careful about which ones you select. Like for instance with Paypal, if the customer disputes a sale with you, they will withhold the money until they determine if you were in the right or not (and they too often side with the customer). And things like that can take some time to resolve. And while that is going on, you are not receiving your money. Which brings me to the next point.

Chargebacks... Basically at any time a customer can do one of these. Where they dispute the transaction (IE customer dissatisfaction, they never received their goods, error in charging the customer, stolen credit cards, other forms of fraud). And the burden of proof is on the merchant in these disputes. NOT the customer! You can buy insurance on chargebacks. I believe companies like Riskified sell chargeback insurance, but this again is on top of your bottomline. Some ISO though WILL cover the chargeback in case it were to happen (which is again in your higher rates with them).

And one last thing you need to understand is that when somebody shops with a credit card or debit card, SEVERAL LOANS ARE OCCURRING. The customer is promising to PAY the money to the issuing bank (the bank that issues them the card) under the condition that they will pay it off within the next pay period or make payments on the balance plus interest. That bank is then promising the acquiring bank (your bank) the money that they loaned to the customer minus some fees (called an interchange fee). And your bank, the acquiring bank is loaning you the money they are getting loaned from the issuing bank minus their fee (which is called the discount rate). In other words credit is involved.

So the rates you get and really the ability to even be able to process transactions is dependent upon your credit (or your business' if it's incorporated). And if things go wrong, they can go after your home and possessions (which is probably a good reason to incorporate your business).

Sorry to throw all that on you in one post. There is a lot to think about in running an online business. The idea is to get the best possible deal so you can both keep your prices down AND get more sales all while keeping your ass safe.

**Fiskevatten** · 03-01-2015, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Honkey_Kong

As far as Paypal goes, if you sell under US $3k per month, expect to pay like almost 3% per transaction with a $.30 transaction fee. Their scale drops if you sell more.

Amex is around 2.7 2.8? As far as credit cards go, they're the absolute worst. You'd think they'd be cheaper, because they're both the issuing and accessing banks involved in the transaction.

Then as far as Visa and Mastercard go, their rates vary depending on the type of the cards being used. Those signature rewards cards are fvcking bullshit for the merchant. To get the customer to sign up and buy more with those cards, they offer way more in rewards (cash back, airline miles etc). So to pay for that, they fvck the merchants over with a higher rate.

And depending on the type of transaction is going on, there are different rates. If you have a physical store where the customer is present and swipes their card, it's at a lower rate than if the customer is purchasing over the phone or if the customer is purchasing over the internet. Since the later two have higher risks of fraud.

Now you can buy your card processing services directly from a bank, but you're probably going to want to go with a thing called an independent sales organization (like Cardservice International or Paypal for example). Those organizations will assume the responsibility of submitting your payment requests to the credit networks, giving technical support, etc.

Now you really have to be careful about which ones you select. Like for instance with Paypal, if the customer disputes a sale with you, they will withhold the money until they determine if you were in the right or not (and they too often side with the customer). And things like that can take some time to resolve. And while that is going on, you are not receiving your money. Which brings me to the next point.

Chargebacks... Basically at any time a customer can do one of these. Where they dispute the transaction (IE customer dissatisfaction, they never received their goods, error in charging the customer, stolen credit cards, other forms of fraud). And the burden of proof is on the merchant in these disputes. NOT the customer! You can buy insurance on chargebacks. I believe companies like Riskified sell chargeback insurance, but this again is on top of your bottomline. Some ISO though WILL cover the chargeback in case it were to happen (which is again in your higher rates with them).

And one last thing you need to understand is that when somebody shops with a credit card or debit card, SEVERAL LOANS ARE OCCURRING. The customer is promising to PAY the money to the issuing bank (the bank that issues them the card) under the condition that they will pay it off within the next pay period or make payments on the balance plus interest. That bank is then promising the acquiring bank (your bank) the money that they loaned to the customer minus some fees (called an interchange fee). And your bank, the acquiring bank is loaning you the money they are getting loaned from the issuing bank minus their fee (which is called the discount rate). In other words credit is involved.

So the rates you get and really the ability to even be able to process transactions is dependent upon your credit (or your business' if it's incorporated). And if things go wrong, they can go after your home and possessions (which is probably a good reason to incorporate your business).

Sorry to throw all that on you in one post. There is a lot to think about in running an online business. The idea is to get the best possible deal so you can both keep your prices down AND get more sales all while keeping your ass safe.

Wow, thanks a lot mate! That pretty much covers a lot I couldn't find online. Everyone gives tips, solutions and promises but not risk information and reality information.

You seem to know a lot! One thing I get different answers on weather I call a lawyer or search online.
I am thinking about selling prescribed drug/ medicine for mostly cure STDs, Viagra and all that, have too good pharmacy/ doctor contacts in these fields with good quality for lower prices.
Even chinese herb medicine that hospitals doesn't have today bcus of the lifetime on the med but works extremely well.

Now it seems Thailand, where I stay don't realy have a law on this, greyzone. And I contacted Scandinavia that said customs in different countries have different regulations, that doesn't mean
what I sell is illegal but they migh seize it, which I am prepared for.
But i read of one Thai lady selling this stuff to America, ending up involving FDA, FBI and so on resulting in (think it was) around 5 million USD fine.
The law seems to say that a licensed doctor or pharmacist have to see the person (buyer) physically and recieve a prescription to recieve the medicine legally.
And these "online forms" prescriptions are illegal.
But this again doesn't explain what I as a middle hand (seller) will be in risk for and can be charged of. Or if it is the buyers responsibility and risks.

Hope you understand my thinking. Do you have any input in this?
Weather it is illegal or not and how I can get around it. The information I find says tons of different things and it's hard to contact every countries customs
and regulators^^

**Honkey_Kong** · 03-04-2015, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by Fiskevatten

Wow, thanks a lot mate! That pretty much covers a lot I couldn't find online. Everyone gives tips, solutions and promises but not risk information and reality information.

You seem to know a lot! One thing I get different answers on weather I call a lawyer or search online.
I am thinking about selling prescribed drug/ medicine for mostly cure STDs, Viagra and all that, have too good pharmacy/ doctor contacts in these fields with good quality for lower prices.
Even chinese herb medicine that hospitals doesn't have today bcus of the lifetime on the med but works extremely well.

Now it seems Thailand, where I stay don't realy have a law on this, greyzone. And I contacted Scandinavia that said customs in different countries have different regulations, that doesn't mean
what I sell is illegal but they migh seize it, which I am prepared for.
But i read of one Thai lady selling this stuff to America, ending up involving FDA, FBI and so on resulting in (think it was) around 5 million USD fine.
The law seems to say that a licensed doctor or pharmacist have to see the person (buyer) physically and recieve a prescription to recieve the medicine legally.
And these "online forms" prescriptions are illegal.
But this again doesn't explain what I as a middle hand (seller) will be in risk for and can be charged of. Or if it is the buyers responsibility and risks.

Hope you understand my thinking. Do you have any input in this?
Weather it is illegal or not and how I can get around it. The information I find says tons of different things and it's hard to contact every countries customs
and regulators^^

Good luck with it. You need to look in to the credit card policies more. I think they all have in their terms that you cannot use their credit networks for illegal activity. And I don't know if selling Viagra in to the states constitutes as that.

Either way, unless you hit it big, I wouldn't expect the DEA to come after you.