My career goal has always been to not have a career. Ever since I started my first job, I’ve always wanted to get to the point to where I would no longer have to work for someone. This goal has led to many unwise decisions, the unwisest of which was downloading a free e-book on May 23, 2013.

That day, I was scrolling through the free Kindle e-Books when I found one called Million Dollar eBay Business From Home. As someone with extreme interest in both a million dollars and working from home, I downloaded the book immediately.

The book began the way every book that has ever promised a million dollars begins – with a quote from Walt Disney. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” This was the best possible news — I had tremendous courage.

The author went on to explain why building a million dollar eBay business at home is so great (You’re making a million dollars. At home.) and shared his simple strategy for  making a million dollars (Find 56 products that each make $50 a day. Duh.)

How does one go about finding 56 different $50-a-day products? In chapter 3, the book explains that all one has to do is visit a site called Alibaba.com to find products from China that are already selling well on eBay.

After 20 minutes of reading, I was hooked. I had courage. I had access to Alibaba.com. Soon I would have my millions.

The author laid out his formula for finding good products on Alibaba.com. It was a little confusing, but fortunately, he had an alternative. “A carpenter can manually hammer nails one by one,” he said, “Or he can use a nail gun to speed up the process.” He then shared a site he had built where eBay sellers could spend $97 to learn about a product that would make at least $1,000 a month.

I was so excited that I couldn’t concentrate for the next few chapters. I finally gave up and reread the nail gun part.

That night, I told Deserae about my discovery.

“That sounds really cool,” she said.

“I know! What do you think about spending $97 on that site to get a product fast?”

“Couldn’t you just find one for free on your own?”

“Well yeah, but it’s like the difference between a hammer and a nail gun.”

“What?”

“Like I could find a product on my own, or we could just make money a lot faster by spending $97.”

“Well I’m not sure about that site. But I know you research things a lot, so I trust you to do what’s best.”

I nodded and reassured her that I wouldn’t do anything before researching this thoroughly.

I immediately began conducting my “research.” Mostly, I kept coming back to the guy’s site and using the calculator on my computer to tally up profit for different mystery products. I remember agonizing over the decision for weeks, however I just looked at my emails from that period and found that it was three days.

I never did finish the book.

After apparently three days, I felt ready. I picked out a product that promised $1,600 in profit per month, Paypaled my $97 and waited. An hour later, the golden goose arrived in my inbox.

It was a…a…a…

Junky greenhouse possibly?

I showed Deserae.

“Uhhhhhhh…”

“It’s OK! The numbers say it’ll work!”

I promptly visited the Alibaba link and informed the manufacturer that I would very much like a quote. This is the response I received.

Dear Dustin Brady,

Hi ,
thank you for your enquiry ,
i had sent price list as attachment ,pls check .
i send price as FOB ,because i cann’t know you
need size ,so i can send shipping cost to you ,
you can count CIF price .shipping cost is USD65/CBM,
35days to your port .thanks 

Wu ZengTao

I read the email five times. I did not understand a word of it. But, relying on Walt Disney’s advice, I pressed forward courageously.

Thank you. I would like a quantity of 10 of your OS-02 model as a sample.

Thanks!
Dustin

We went back and forth about a fee for such a small order, then Wu sent this email:

Hi ,

ok ,i agree you to cancel local fee form you,
i want you can place more quantity next time .
could you need PI now ?

What’s a PI, you ask?

Yes please, thank you!

Thanks!
Dustin

I had no idea. But I could need it very much.

The PI turned out to be a contract saying that I would pay $470 for 10 greenhouses to be shipped to me. This gave me a little bit of a pause, because the website said that I could buy them for $20 and sell them for $100, and they looked like they were already down to $90 on eBay. While I spent the next two days thinking about it, Wu grew anxious.

Hi,could you agree PI?thanks.

regards
wu zengtao

One day later:

Hi ,

could you had check PI?
are you agree it ?
thanks

Regards

I hated to keep the guy waiting, so I agreed.

Hi ,

ok ,pls send me copy of bill when you payment.thanks

Now it was time for me to payment. No matter how hard I couraged, I couldn’t figure out a way to pay him through Alibaba. I finally asked my bank if they could wire Wu money. It turns out they could. For $75.

While I looked for alternatives, Wu got anxious again. He sent me this same email four times:

Hi ,

how are you ?
could you had payment about tunnel greenhouse ?
thanks

We figured out a way to pay him through Alibaba for cheaper than $75, and he got to work. I didn’t hear from him for a few weeks, which gave me just enough time to convince myself that this would work out well. Then I got this email.

Hi，

the attachment is AMS information for you declaration.
pls send me your consignee and notify party information,
thanks

I finally decided that maybe it was time for some real research. After weeks of calling a lot of people who seemed shocked by how little I knew, I learned a few things:

1. My shipment would be going to a port in New York, not my house.
2. Someone in New York could put my shipment on a train to Cleveland – for a fee.
3. In Cleveland, my shipment had to go to a warehouse, not my home.
4. Someone could let me use their warehouse – for a fee.
5. To clear customs, my shipment needed something called a Harmonized Tariff Schedule Number that’s like a Dewey Decimal number for imported products. If I got this number wrong, I’d be fined $2,500.
6. Someone could provide me with this number – for a fee.

I tallied up all the fees.

$500.

I then took a closer look at the eBay numbers. Because the greenhouses came in giant boxes that weighed 50 pounds each, each one I sold would cost me an extra $75 in shipping and eBay fees. If you’ve lost track, each greenhouse I sold for $90 would cost me approximately $175.

I realized then what an idiot Walt Disney was.

On July 23, I came back to Wu with my hat in hand telling him that I was so sorry for his troubles, but I would like to cancel the order. I knew he had already manufactured the greenhouses, and I would take the loss and pay him for them.

I then had to go to Deserae to tell her that I was sorry, I had screwed up and it would never happen again. We had an honest conversation about it, then I breathed a sigh of relief. The nightmare was finally over.

Then I refreshed my email.

hi ,

the cargo had into ship ,the ship have set off this morning.
the cargo is on the sea now.i have pay the shipping cost.
pls tell me your thinks .

I thinks this will end poorly.

TO BE CONTINUED.

LIFE LESSON #76

Sometimes, a hammer is better than a nail gun.