People are buying high-ticket items on eBay, filing returns, then sending back thank-you cards instead of the product. Sellers are reporting the scam (with proof the return label is on a tiny envelope) but get stuck in an endless appeals process. Good luck getting eBay on the phone to help. I’d steer clear for now.
Haven't logged into LinkedIn lately? 5 reasons you really should be using it
How much do you know about LinkedIn? Sure, you probably understand it’s a social network for professionals, but it’s so much more.
Unlike most social networks that are used to share the latest vacation pictures, LinkedIn was designed for more important reasons. It can help you make connections, share work experience and find or post jobs.
Your LinkedIn profile can be set up to look like a resume, complete with accomplishments and referrals from colleagues. If you’ve never experienced the power of LinkedIn, we can help. Here are five smart ways to use LinkedIn to network, poach employees, boast and more.
Visit LinkedIn.com/Kim and post a job for free.
1. Sales prospecting
If you’re wondering what sales prospecting is, it’s exactly what it sounds like — sorting through tons of companies and individuals to find prospects who will most likely turn into paying customers.
This can take a lot of time and effort and relies on knowing where to look. In the past, sales prospecting mainly consisted of cold calling and following up with every potential lead.
Now that we live in a digital world, those days are gone. Most buyers make decisions online. That’s where LinkedIn comes into play.
With about 1 billion members, LinkedIn is a leader in connecting buyers and sellers. One of the most important sales techniques is understanding how buyers behave, making prospecting easier with greater success.
An IDC social buying study revealed:
- 75% of B2B buyers use social media to make buying decisions.
- 50% of B2B buyers use LinkedIn to make purchasing decisions.
- 76% of B2B buyers prefer to work with recommendations from their professional network.
Those numbers prove how important LinkedIn is when it comes to sales prospecting. Information is power and LinkedIn is packed with information buyers are looking for.
Light on the wallet, big on value
💰 These picks will upgrade your life for under $20.
- Bottle-emptying caps ($16) are reusable and get every drop of liquid out of plastic bottles. No more wasted dish soap!
- Got a new pair of boots for Christmas? Use a shoe-stretch spray ($10) and say bye-bye to blisters and sore toes.
- The only thing able to ruin a cute black dress? Deodorant stains. Use these sponges ($9) to scrub them away.
- These coffee filter pods ($16) let you use your own coffee in a Keurig instead of buying K-Cup pods.
- Washing machine descaler pods ($18 off, $19) break down gunk and grime buildup that make your clothes smell funky. Bonus: Dishwasher version!
🪇 Amazon has a name for products going viral: Movers and Shakers. Hit this page to see what folks are loving. Neat, an emergency weather radio is tops in electronics.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🧱 Don’t buy a brick: Before you buy a used phone, check its International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Here’s how: Just dial *#06# on the phone to display its IMEI. Now, pop that number into the Stolen Phone Checker to see if the phone has been reported lost, stolen or blocked by a carrier.
Why you can’t trust Zillow’s home values
Zestimates might look like the gold standard, but they’re often way off. Here’s what you need to know before buying or selling.
😳 I pass gas: Auto software provider Cariad leaked the location data for 800,000 electric vehicles. We’re talking owners’ names and the movements of politicians, cops and business big-shots driving Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda EVs — all wide open for months. They say nothing was accessed before they patched it, but I’m not buying it.
$125,000
How much 17-year-old Peter Cancro paid for a sandwich shop in 1975. He renamed it to Jersey Mike’s Subs … and just sold it for $8 billion. Guess who gave him the idea to buy it in the first place? Mom!
Useful deals under $20
- Bluetooth shower speaker: Turns your shower into a concert hall! Waterproof, good sound and super affordable. (60% off, now just $12)
- Smart LED bulbs (2-pack): Light up your life with color-changing bulbs you control right from your phone. (50% off, only $10)
- Cordless handheld vacuum: A lightweight lifesaver for crumbs and dust bunnies. (Just $19)
- Silicone baking mats (set of 2): Bake like a pro. No more scrubbing, sticking or buying expensive parchment paper. (Only $6)
- Multipurpose phone stand: Use it for video calls, watching videos or propping up your phone in the kitchen. (40% off, only $6!)
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
$1 to buy Dish
DirecTV is looking to buy its rival. If the deal goes through, they’d pay just $1 and take on Dish’s debt — about $9.75 billion. Why buy Dish? Separately, DirecTV and Dish are screwed. Together, they might be big enough to stand up to the streaming platforms.
Stolen phone checker
Thinking about buying a used smartphone to save money? Be careful — if it’s reported stolen, it could be locked and totally useless.
Stop buying movies on Apple, Amazon and others: A new California law will force digital stores to admit you’re licensing content and you don’t actually own it. This is in response to companies like PlayStation and Ubisoft deleting games from players’ accounts after shutting down the servers.
🚨 eBay scam alert: People are buying high-ticket items on eBay, filing returns, then sending back thank-you cards instead of products. Sellers report the scam (with proof, but the return label is on a tiny envelope) and get stuck in an endless appeals process. Find another place to sell your expensive stuff.
🏠 Buying or selling property? Scammers are targeting you. A sharp title company owner just stopped a fraudulent sale. The first clue: The seller’s driver’s license was from West Virginia, but the property tax bills had been sent to the Bahamas since 1978. They asked the seller to video chat to confirm, and the seller, a woman who said she was deaf, turned out to be a looped AI video. Here’s what the faker looked like.
$65,530 purse
Built around Nvidia’s H100 processor, the workhorse powering ChatGPT-4. An AI research scientist started GPU Purses. I wouldn’t buy one, but I appreciate the ingenuity.
⏰ The clock is TikTok-ing: A three-judge panel just heard TikTok’s argument against splitting from ByteDance, a company with direct ties to Communist China. They say 170 million Americans use TikTok (think of that loss of productivity!) and questioned why other Chinese-owned apps like Temu and Shein aren’t being targeted the same way. I hope Mr. Wonderful’s idea of letting everyday Americans buy TikTok comes to fruition.
Buying a house or wiring money? A former Mastercard exec nearly lost $100,000 after scammers got into her real estate agent’s email account. They posed as a title company, requesting an “accelerated” payment (paywall link). The wire instructions had the same letterhead and typography, but the phone number and email were off. Luckily, she called the original number and dodged the scam. Always double-check the details.
Buying in bulk: There’s a sweet new beta feature in the Costco app. You can search to see if what you want is in stock at your store. Go to the Warehouse tab, then see if you have the option to Search Warehouse Inventory. Log out of the app and log back in if you don’t see it. If it’s a no-go after that, sorry, you’ll have to wait.
3 ways grocery stores track you
You’re not just buying dinner — retailers are watching your every move, from your purchases to your location.
Never hurts to ask: Some credit cards offer extended warranties on anything you buy with the card. If your expensive vacuum or laptop craps out, it’s worth asking Amex or Chase if they’ll pay to repair or replace it.
$200K liquid net worth
Would make 56% of Americans content, according to a poll of folks ages 18 to 43. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but a safety net sure doesn’t hurt.