Does it cost anything to use this site?
How do I buy items?
How do I register?
How do I post a curriculum item, group, activity, or piece of advice?
Can I register several email addresses if I have a lot of items?
How do I edit or delete a curriculum item, group, activity, or piece of advice?
How do I renew my listings?
Can I temporarily hide items (pending sales, going on vacation)?
I need longer listings!
Help! I can't edit/post new listings!
How do I post a picture of an item?
 I'm a reseller; can I post "For Sale" ads?
I'm a distributor/curriculum creator; can I post "For Sale" ads?
Can I post my homeschool service/music lessons/paid classes in the "Activities" section?
What is ppd?
How do I change my username/email/info/password?
What is my username (or password)?
I can't contact a seller/buyer!
The "Email this user" button doesn't work!
How do I leave feedback about a transaction?
How do I keep track of a buyer, in order to leave feedback later?
How do I check out a seller?
Do you provide any protection against fraud?
I've sent money, but not received my material!
I've never sold anything over the internet...
Do you delete listings you think may be duplicates?
Why do my listings keep disappearing?
What is your policy on listing material with usage/resale restrictions?
My emails to the seller/buyer bounce.
I'm not getting a copy of the email I sent.
My emails to the seller/buyer aren't answered -- are they getting them?
Will the sellers ship to Canada (or overseas)?
Can you match up those who wish to donate a book or two with families in need?
How can we edit edit the information about our group or event?
If your question is not answered here, feel free to contact us.
Does it cost anything to use this site?
There is no cost for buying items, or for listing up to 7 homeschool-related items at a time for sale
(we don't currently limit the number of wanted items, groups, activities, or pieces of advice). If some of your
items sell, list others in their place. Feel free to list items for neighbors, friends, or fellow homeschoolers.
You are welcome to list more than 7 for sale items at a time (we have some people that list several hundred), if you buy a paid registration. We hope you will consider this, since it helps pay for the site.
Another way to list more "for sale" items is to post homeschool groups, activities, or advice. In order to
encourage use of these sections of the site, we currently increase your
for sale item "quota" by three credits for each group, activity, or piece of advice that you post.
This happens automatically and immediately.
How do I buy items?
Registration is not required to buy items. Items are offered by individual homeschoolers/sellers --
click on the username at the end of each listing to see the seller's page
and any other items they have for sale. Contact them directly (using the link below their name) to purchase items.
How do I register?
In the menu appearing at the top of most pages, click "Register".
Fill out the user profile (general information that applies to all your ads), then click the button.
You are now officially registered and have your own page.
How do I post a curriculum item, group, activity, or piece of advice?
After you've registered (see above):
- In the menu appearing at the top of most pages, click "Go to user's page".
- Enter your username or email address, then click "Go".
- This is your page. Enter your password in the upper right corner, then click "Log in".
- Choose the appropriate tab on your page, then click 'Add a "For Sale" item', 'Add a "Wanted" item',
'Add a group', 'Add an activity', or 'Add homeschool advice'.
- Add your item.
Can I register several email addresses if I have a lot of items?
No, not if you are honest. Consider buying a paid registration and supporting the site.
How do I edit or delete a curriculum item, group, activity, or piece of advice?
- In the menu appearing at the top of most pages, click "Go to user's page".
- Enter your username or email address, then click "Go".
- This is your page. Enter your password in the upper right corner, then click "Log in".
- Choose the appropriate tab on your page, then click the 'Save changes' or 'Delete' link next to the individual listing.
How do I renew my listings?
- Go to your page and log in.
- Click the "For sale" tab on your page.
- Click the [Renew all listings] link right above your listings.
(Listings must be almost a month old to be renewed, and the system automatically removes listings that haven't been updated or renewed
in more than two months. So, if you renew about once a month, you'll maintain your listings.)
Can I temporarily hide items (pending sales, going on vacation)?
Items for sale can be temporarily hidden by clicking on the "Pending sale" checkbox on the item's form. Currently, you will need to do this
for each item individually, making this method somewhat impractical if you have many items. If the sale falls through, or when you return from
vacation, just uncheck the box.
I need longer listings!
If you have sufficient credits, you can add longer descriptions to your listings -- a "Long description" field will appear in the listing form. This may help make your selling more efficient by reducing the
number of questions a buyer may have. If you do not see the "Long description" field when creating/editing your listing, you will need to purchase a higher registration level to use this feature.
Help! I can't edit/post new listings!
If you can't edit or renew your listings (the Edit button has a line through it) or can't add new items, you have as many or more listings than
you are allowed.
To increase your allowance, please purchase a paid registration, or post groups, activities, or thoughts.
How do I post a picture of an item?
If you have sufficient credits, you can add a picture. An "Upload image" link will appear after your listings if you have sufficient credits.
If you do not see the "Upload image" link when editing your page, you will need to purchase a higher registration level to use this feature.
I'm a reseller; can I post "For Sale" ads?
You are welcome to resell materials, either from your own homeschooling, or that have been previously used or owned by others. So, for example,
if you have a business (small or large) reselling homeschool items, from your own library, from friends,
from yard sales, etc., you are welcome to list your items.
We have a number of resellers that post hundreds of items each, and welcome those from eBay, Half.com, and other boards --
please invite your friends as well!
I'm a distributor/curriculum creator; can I post "For Sale" ads?
If you are a distributor for new items, or are posting items that you created to sell, you need to use a
separate business listing rather than our "For Sale" listings. A business listing is a paid listing with
additional detail, web or
email link(s), and a bright background. We offer a variety of text and banner options, which allow you to "interleave" your listing
both alphabetically and on an appropriate category page (Math, Science, Language arts, etc.).
These ads are a cost-effective way of reaching thousands of homeschoolers each week --
homeschoolers who are in a buying/selling frame of mind.
Can I post my homeschool service/music lessons/paid classes in the "Activities" section?
Yes, currently, such listings are allowed (though multiple listings from the same business are subject to deletion).
Because some states and categories have dozens of listings, you may want to consider a business listing
with additional detail, web or email link(s), and a bright background
This can either be "interleaved" alphabetically and on an appropriate
category page (Math, Science, Language arts, etc.) or, if more appropriate, targeted to a particular state and zip codes near yours.
These ads are a cost-effective way of reaching thousands of homeschoolers each week --
homeschoolers who are in a buying/selling frame of mind.
What is ppd?
Ppd means that shipping is included in the seller's price. If you are selling and you want the
buyer to pay shipping, you can choose that option when you list your item, and the ppd will not appear.
How do I change my username/email/info/password?
- In the menu appearing at the top of most pages, click "Go to my page".
- Enter your username or email address, then click "Go".
- This is your page. Enter your password in the upper right corner, then click "Login".
- Click on the link (upper right side of the page) that says "Edit your user profile."
- Change the desired information and click "Update".
Help! What is my username (or password)?
To have your username and password emailed to you, go here. In the "Help" section near the bottom of the page, enter your email address, then press "Go".
I can't contact a seller/buyer!
Some buyers/sellers have reported difficulty getting through the spam filter of those they are trying to contact. To help prevent this,
make sure your own filter is not putting replies into your "junk" folder. You may also want to check that folder periodically while you are
buying or selling to catch unintended filtering.
On rare occasions, a user's internet provider may inappropriately block mail from Homeschool Classifieds. To get the user's actual email address,
at the bottom of our "Email this user" form, click "Get user's email address". Use this address to contact them directly from your own email account.
The "Email this user" button doesn't work!
Clicking the button opens a separate window that may be hidden by other windows if you have already used it or have other applications open. In Microsoft Windows, use Alt-Tab to page through open applications and bring the email form window to the front.
Or, you may need to enable Javascript (to allow the window to pop up). Instructions for doing this for various browsers are here.
If these steps do not solve the problem for you, please let us know exactly what you did and how the computer responded.
How do I leave feedback about a transaction?
Only registered users can currently leave feedback. If you are registered, log in to your page and go to the Reputation tab. If the transaction
is shown, click on its "Edit" link to add your feedback. Otherwise click on the "I was a buyer" or "I was a seller" link (at the bottom of the
page) to leave feedback.
How do I keep track of a buyer, in order to leave feedback later?
One possible method for tracking (that we haven't fully thought through) is as follows:
When you sell an item, instead of deleting the listing, replace the "Short summary" field with the buyer's email, then set the "Pending sale" checkbox to hide the listing. Once payment is received, leave feedback, then delete the listing. Let us know if this is a workable system, or if you have other suggestions.
How do I check out a seller?
Since May 2007, we've had a reputation/feedback system. Occasional or new sellers may not yet have entries, so you should:
- Look at how long the user has been registered (shown below their user name and email as "Active since..." on their page).
- Develop some level of comfort through email interactions.
- See the "help against fraud" entry below.
At the end of the day, transactions are always "buyer beware", but our experience has been that the
overwhelming majority of transactions are honest and uneventful.
Do you provide any help against fraud?
To keep this in perspective, we are aware of only a few disputes out of many thousands of transactions each year.
While we cannot offer any guarantee, we do take a couple of simple steps to prevent fraud:
1. We provide a reputation system (see the tab on each user's page) where feedback can be left about a transaction.
2. We also have a page dealing with general scams.
3. At the top of each of our curriculum ad pages, we warn
buyers not to send money without checking the complaints page.
This won't eliminate occasional instances of fraud, but we believe
it helps reduce them. It is still up to each buyer to decide whether or not
to send money to a particular seller. We recommend you send something traceable --
like a check, postal money order, or PayPal payment -- made out to a person at a street address
(rather than cash to a P.O. box). While we haven't tried them, there are escrow services
that, for a fee, will hold your payment until the merchandise is shipped (see information
on eBay).
I've sent money, but not received my material!
We suggest doing some of the following (and informing the seller):
- If you are a registered user, leave "Poor" feedback for this seller, with a clear explanation.
- Consider filing a complaint with their email host (aol, geocities, google, etc.) if you can find a complaint email address.
- Consider filing a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov.
I have never sold anything over the Internet before -- if I request
payment via cashier's check or money order, is it reasonable for me to send the
material after I receive payment?
It is very appropriate to wait to send material until you receive a payment
in which you have confidence (i.e., money order, cashier's check, or cleared check). This
may mean waiting several days for the buyer to get to the bank or post office; waiting
several more days for the mail to arrive; and, in the case of a personal check, waiting a
week or so for the check to clear.
If you do much buying and selling, you may want to consider a
PayPal or similar account, which allows an
instant, secure payment with a substantial level of confidence.
Do you delete listings you think may be duplicates? I'm curious,
as some of my listings are missing. I teach two children in the same grade, and
have two copies of each student text. Would you prefer that I list them together,
indicating that I have two to sell?
Yes, we delete apparent duplicate items because some users post more than once. Deletion is
done very quickly, without a great deal of examination, as there are many new items each day.
If you genuinely have duplicate items, you have several options:
Preferred -- A single listing, with the single book price, perhaps with wording like "2 copies avail."
or "Two to sell" at the end. This is less work for you, and won't be in danger of deletion.
Alternate method -- Separate ads, with some distinguishing wording -- i.e., different condition descriptions,
or "copy 1" vs. "copy 2". Make sure we don't think it is the same item!
Why do my listings keep disappearing?
Your listings may be deleted if you use EXCESSIVE CAPS, repeat the publisher or grade in the title field, or commit one of
various other infractions (just be very careful to follow the instructions on the form).
We don't mean to be hard-nosed about format, but we believe our listings are easy to scan precisely
because we try hard to standardize them. It would be nice to notify users of offending listings, but
there are simply too many listings to make that practical.
What is your policy on listing material with usage/resale restrictions?
We can't possibly keep up with the licensing of various curriculum, but we do respond to "Take down" notices that show clear evidence of a
violation. Please read whatever copyright or license information is available on your material or the parent company's website, then do
what is right and abide by those terms.
My emails to the seller/buyer bounce.
Try emailing them at least three times over a period of at least a week. If the emails
bounce each time (you get some sort of error message from the mail system), move on to another buyer/seller.
If they've changed email addresses, they'll eventually
realize that they aren't getting any responses. Please don't contact us -- we have no other way of reaching them.
Note that this is not the same as failing to get a reply -- which could just mean
they are on vacation or out of town.
I'm not getting a copy of the email I sent.
This doesn't necessarily mean that the recipient is not getting the email. Several thoughts:
- Sometimes it takes minutes (or perhaps even an hour or so) for an email to show up, due to servers only polling their mail periodically.
Make sure the email isn't just delayed.
- It is possible that your email system is blocking messages from our server (mail that comes from us, but has your return address).
If your email system uses a "white list" of approved email sources, make sure homeschoolclassifieds.com is on it.
- You may have mis-entered your email address.
My emails to the seller/buyer aren't answered -- are they getting them?
If you are getting a copy, our system is also sending it to them. Try emailing them at least three times over a period of several weeks.
They may be on vacation or out of town. If they are no longer keeping up with their list, their listings will be removed after two months.
It is also possible that their email system is blocking messages from our server (mail that comes from us, but has your return address).
They'll eventually realize that they aren't getting any responses, and either unblock us or give up.
You can also try contacting them directly -- at the bottom of our "Email this user" form, click "Get user's email address".
Use this address to contact them directly from your own email account.
Will the sellers ship to Canada (or overseas)?
The curriculum items on the board are offered by individual sellers, who may or may not ship to
Canada (or overseas) -- ask them.
Can you match up those who wish to donate a book or two with families in need?
We suggest you:
- Describe your offer (with whatever qualifications you want) in your profile information.
- Put some standard text (i.e., "Donation possible" or "Free to family in need") in each listing you want to include.
People can then see the offer on the specific item, and get the details at your page.
How can we edit edit the information about our group or event?
On the group or event page, there is a "Corrections?" link that will take you to the page of the user who posted that item. You need to contact them to make changes.
If they are no longer active, let us know and we can transfer "ownership" to another registered user.
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