Firstup is hardware. I’m using a medium level Asus Notebook – K50ij series with 2gigs of ram, 320g storage, Intel Dual Core T4300.   This has surprised me with its speed and ability to multi-task with Photoshop, Corel draw, Gmail and a few other browsers. Lastly a 500g external usb powered drive for daily backups of all files, settings, software, etc. Watching movies and playing games is not a priority hence a 15” LED backlit screen suits me just fine.

For file management between JHB offices, webclients and myself. We are all using Dropbox.  The 2gig free version is more then enough to keep things going smoothly.  Website updates, advert submissions and text documents are all handled through this. A few successful referrals has bumped me to about 4gigs of online storage.

Now add in Skype, MSN, Gmail and SMS text messaging to keep constant contact with colleagues, friends and family at a near free cost.  Skype to landlines (to south african landlines) costs about R5 for a 10 minute call.  Obviously Skype to Skype is free and preferred. Free Video calls are an added bonus!

Connectivity is where Egypt shines! Broadband is fast, relatively cheap and accessible almost everywhere.

We are using Etisalat’s 3.75g hsdpa post-paid option.  1750egp (about R2360) gets you a high speed up to 7mbps USB modem and unlimited monthly usage for 6 months. Thereafter its 299pounds per month. However their ‘fair use’ policy is good for up to 6gigs. Thereafter throttled to 64k speeds.
In short, 290egp per month for 6gigs & USB modem included.  The modem has a MicroSD memory card slot which allows it to act as a flash drive too.

A cheaper option is a slightly slower USB stick modem and 1gig prepaid for 99egp (about R135) – simply recharge by paying cash at an Etisalat store or scratch cards.

Mobile phones, once again is cheap and cost effective,
SMS costs .25egp local and .80egp international.  Calls are per minute and cost between .25egp and 50egp for local calls.  We are using Skype for international calls

check out www.etisalat.com.eg for the full breakdown

Apparently the apartment we move in tomorrow has broadband at 50egp per month. While I’m not sure about the speed, it would most likely be rather fast due to an internet cafe operating in the same building. Methinks the landlord (who owns it all) piggybacks of their connectivity.

LinkDsl offers extremely cheap broadband – fellow South Africans can sob a tear when viewing their website and pricing.  We will most likely stick to 3.75g hsdpa for easier movements.

Lastly my trusty Canon 300D dslr camera has been replaced by a 1000D.  Added bonus is the SD Memory card storage and my notebook having a built in SD memory card slot.  One less device to carry with.

Now when selling online, we do not always have an item in stock or even carry it in stock. Out of over 7000 items on system, there are a few hundred that are either sold out or on special order.  Many a time it is not financially viable to stock a R30 000 alloy wheel that you might only sell once a year and customers fully understand this and do not mind waiting a specific time period for the item.

Below is a ruling from SunniPath: (original link)

Question:
I’m thinking of starting an online PC shop. Consumers would see PC’s on my website and if they buy any, they pay for it straight away. However I would only buy the relevant parts after I have received payment from the consumer. The reason for this is that consumers can customize the PC’s so the parts may vary and I do not have the funds to keep that much stock. Can you tell me if it is permissible for me to trade like this?

Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

The general principle of Shariah is that it is not permitted to sell a commodity that is not in one’s ownership. It is one of the basic requirements for a valid sale that the commodity or item being sold is in the ownership and possession of the seller. Hence, if the seller does not own a particular item, it will not be permitted for him/her to sell it to someone else.

Hakim ibn Hizam (Allah be pleased with him) reports that he said to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace): O Messenger of Allah! At times an individual comes to me to purchase a specific item that I do not possess. Can I sell him the item and then purchase it from the market? The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: Do not sell what you don’t own.(Sunan Tirmidhi, no: 1232 and others)

However, there is an exception to this general rule, namely the sale of what is known as Salam. Salam is a special type of sale wherein the seller undertakes to supply the commodity or goods to the buyer at a future date in exchange of payment fully paid at spot. (See: al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 3/178)

The fact that Salam was an exception to the general rule, it was subjected by the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) to certain strict conditions. The jurists (fuqaha) have explained these conditions in great length and detail in their respected works. It is not possible to explain these conditions here in detail, but the following is a very brief summary of these conditions:

1) The buyer must pay the price in full at the time of effecting the sale. If the buyer defers all or some part of the price to a later date, the sale would be invalid, for this would constitute exchanging a debt against a debt which has been prohibited by the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).

2) Salam is only permitted in commodities and items whose quality and quantity can be specified exactly. Precious stones and similar items cannot be sold on the basis of a Salam contract, for every stone is normally different from the other in quality, size or weight.

3) The commodity or item being sold on the basis of Salam must be specified and described clearly. All the various relevant details and descriptions must be clearly mentioned leaving no room for ambiguity.

4) The exact date of delivering the commodity must be specified in the contract. (The Hanafi fuqaha, contrary to the fuqaha of the other three schools, have made a minimum of one month between the contract and delivery a condition for the validity of this sale. However, many contemporary Hanafi jurists have overlooked this condition due to the needs of the time; hence both parties may fix any date for delivery with mutual consent).

5) Salam is not permitted in items that must be exchanged at spot, such as exchanging gold in return of silver.

6) The item or commodity must remain in the market right from the date of contract to the date of delivery. Hence, if the item being sold is not available in the market at the time of contracting the sale, it will not be allowed.

7) The contract of Salam cannot be carried out on particular commodities, such as the fruit of a particular tree, etc, as it could be destroyed before delivery. Thus, it will not be allowed to effect Salam in commodities the supply of which is not certain. (See: al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 3/ 179-181)

In light of the above details, it would be permitted for you to sell PC’s with the consumer paying at spot and you delivering the commodity at a later date, provided all the conditions mentioned above are fully met.

The consumer must pay the payment in full and not defer any amount. Similarly, all the necessary details of the commodity must be clearly outlined and specified, the date of delivery must be determined, and other such conditions must be met. By doing so, your trade in selling PC’s in the manner explained by you will be halal(lawful), Insha Allah.

And Allah knows best

Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari
Darul Iftaa, Leicester, UK

To summarise, not only Islamic but good online business practice should have the following:
1) delivery time frame (eg 2 to 4 working days) and notification if there are any delays
2)clear and concise description of the product as well as a good resolution photograph or graphic and open lines of communication should a customer need clarification.
3) payment must be made in full for us to being an order process.
4) items are fixed in shape and size. Not like Gold or silver.

We do have measures in place to prevent this and having less then 5 charge backs over 3 years is a pretty good average I think.

The scammer below sent us a copy of his credit card and Identity Document as part of our verification process.

I’m offended, at least have the decency and professionalism to send proper ‘fake’ documents instead of this newbie induced photoshop vomit.

Seriously – this is the original image he sent.