Insider’s Secrets to Selling on eBay

Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal

Internet auction house eBay Inc. may begin buying companies with low evaluations as a way to boost its classified ad business, according to a report Wednesday.

The Wall Street Journal said San Jose-based eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) will target classified-ad sites that have positions in market segments where eBay is not yet a player.

The company owns about 25 percent of online classifieds company Craigslist as well as sites in Germany and Spain.

The Journal said eBay's classifieds business generates from 5 percent to 10 percent of the company's yearly revenue, and eBay estimates about 82 million people visit its classifieds sites every month.

Posted by eBay Guru at 10:45 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
September 15, 2008

Sellers upset with eBay's new ban on paper payments such as checks and money orders wondered what the US Postal Service (USPS) thought about the policy, since the ban extends to USPS postal money orders. So we asked. A USPS spokesperson provided AuctionBytes with a statement that it has been releasing to customers who ask about the change.

"Beginning in late October eBay will no longer allow checks or money orders as payment methods. Only approved electronic methods will be allowed. In January 2009, all accepted payment methods will be integrated into eBay Checkout. For buyers, this change means a more consistent and secure payment experience. For sellers, it means faster payment and fewer unpaid items. Visit www.ebay.com for more details.

"This is an eBay adopted policy that the U.S. Postal Service has no commitment, or control of, from eBay.

"The U.S. Postal Service will continue to provide Money Orders for customers. Postal Money Orders are a safe, convenient, and economical alternative to sending cash through the mail. They can be purchased from any Post Office(tm) locations in the United States as well as from any rural route carrier, available up to $1,000 each. A current government-issued or state-issued picture identification is required for money order purchases of $3,000 or more in a single day."

Posted by eBay Guru at 11:00 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

azfamily.com

More than 300 round-trip flights are being auctioned off on ebay starting at 5 cents Phoenix - Too good to be true? Not if you time it right. For a starting bid of five cents, some lucky travelers started the ball rolling on a round trip ticket on JetBlue.

It’s hard to believe but with today's economy,the airline says it’s putting the price of spontaneous weekend trips this fall into the hands of its customers.

JetBlue is the first airline to use eBay to auction off more than 300 last-minute flights, as well as several getaway vacation packages. This particular promotion boasts more than 20 destinations, but none out of Arizona.

The tickets are for up to two people, roundtrip. The majority of trips we found on eBay are out of New York to places like North Carolina and Chicago. Bidding closes this Sunday.

AAA received an e-mail from JetBlue today boasting the promotion. Agent Brian Korgel says if this deal "takes off" other airlines might follow with a similar type of special. But the reality is that by the time bidding ends on Sunday, the ticket price will go back to being a full fare.

Posted by eBay Guru at 11:48 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

WorldofGood.com by eBay Helps Socially Responsible Shoppers Make a Difference

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sep 03, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

12:11pm 09/03/2008
EBAY today unveiled a new ecommerce marketplace called WorldofGood.com by eBay, which offers products that have a positive impact on people and the planet, empowering consumers to align their social values with their shopping.
Whether consumers are looking to purchase products made from recycled or natural materials, buy organic or support artisan women in developing nations, WorldofGood.com brings a new level of confidence and transparency to the socially responsible shopping experience. WorldofGood.com is a one-stop-shop where the products, producers and sellers are verified by various third parties called Trust Providers -- like TransFair USA (Fair Trade Certified), Co-op America and Aid to Artisans -- to meet a core set of ethical and environmental standards.
"WorldofGood.com by eBay gives shoppers who care about making a difference access to great products that help people and the planet," said Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay Marketplaces. "Socially responsible shopping just got bigger and better."
People PositiveTM and Eco PositiveTM items offered on WorldofGood.com span 15 categories such as home and garden, art, jewelry, clothing and even food items. For example, socially responsible shoppers can purchase fair trade coffee, accessories and home dA(C)cor items made from recycled materials, organic clothing and animal-friendly beauty products on the site. Many products on the new marketplace are handcrafted by artisans across the world, positively impacting these marginalized communities in developing nations. All WorldofGood.com listings are also available on eBay.com, seamlessly bringing these socially responsible products to eBay's more than 84 million active users worldwide.
Shopping That Can Change the World
WorldofGood.com's unique GoodprintTM labeling system is like a nutritional label for each product on the site, allowing shoppers to see the positive social and environmental impact each purchase makes -- whether it provides economic empowerment to people, conserves energy, supports animal species preservation, or is made of recycled, organic and/or sustainable materials.
"We created the WorldofGood.com marketplace to enable shoppers to purchase socially responsible products with confidence," said Robert Chatwani, general manager of WorldofGood.com by eBay. "Regardless of the social causes most important to consumers, they can easily shop for items according to a variety of different attributes, allowing them to customize their shopping impact."
Collaborating for Social Impact
WorldofGood.com is the result of a collaboration between eBay, the world's largest online marketplace, and World of Good, Inc., a purpose-driven start-up dedicated to building ethical consumer experiences, by bringing its deep knowledge of the global ethical supply chain to mainstream retail partners.
The WorldofGood.com marketplace features a vibrant online community that convenes people, products, ideas and organizations all in one place. This facilitates an ongoing dialogue between consumers, producers, sellers and Trust Providers about ethical shopping through relevant blog posts, articles, discussion boards and Q&A forums.
About WorldofGood.com by eBay
WorldofGood.com by eBay an online marketplace which offers products that have a positive impact on people and the planet, empowering consumers to align their social values with their shopping. WorldofGood.com brings a new level of confidence and transparency to the socially responsible shopping experience by working with independent Trust Provider organizations that screen products, producers and sellers on the site. WorldofGood.com is an eBay Global Citizenship Initiative.

Posted by eBay Guru at 09:10 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By John Oates

A court in Belgium has thrown out a complaint by L'Oreal that eBay was not doing enough to combat sales of fake versions of the cosmetics giant's products on its site.

The court ruled that eBay did not need to take proactive action to stop such auctions, although eBay was keen to say it does take down such auctions when notified by rights holders.

The online tat bazaar is involved in several court cases with various luxury brands. Tiffany recently lost a similar case in the US, but has vowed to appeal the verdict.

But handbag peddler Hermes won its case against eBay, along with a €20,000 fine.

In June eBay was told to pay £30.6m (€38.8m) in damages to handbag flogger LVMH on two separate grounds - sales of fake items and "unauthorised sales" of perfume - better known as grey importing - sales of products in a different country to that specified by the manufacturer.

Last month eBay met with various luxury brands in London to try and find a way to end the row.

L'Oreal was suing eBay in five countries, accusing it of not doing enough to combat sales of counterfeit L'Oreal products.

The make-up maker said it was surprised at the decision and would appeal. ®

Posted by eBay Guru at 02:05 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Hi everyone… I’m Naoki Ogishi from eBay's Mobile team. We've designed a better way for iPhone or iPod Touch users to access eBay. It's a free streamlined download from Apple's App Store, designed and built from the ground up specifically for your iPhone or iPod Touch. We've just released the first version which lets you search eBay, manage your My eBay and bid on items.

Here's how to install it:

If you're at a computer with iTunes installed, you can get it directly from the download page in iTunes.
If you have your iPhone or iPod Touch in front of you, just click the App Store icon and search for "eBay"—you can't miss our bright yellow icon.
I think you'll be amazed to see how fun it is to explore eBay using the touch interface on iPhone or iPod Touch.

In order to install eBay for iPhone, you must have the iPhone version 2.0 software installed. For more information, visit our eBay on iPhone page.

Sincerely,

Naoki Ogishi
Senior Product Manager,
eBay Mobile

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200808061436142.html

Posted by eBay Guru at 02:27 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Hi everyone…I'm Jen Ibarra with eBay Giving Works. We're committed to offering you a variety of ways to support your favorite cause on eBay, and I'm excited to let you know about a new feature we launched last month, called Donate Now.

As you know, you can easily help your favorite nonprofit organization by listing an item and donating a percentage of the final sale price, or by buying an item marked with the special charity ribbon. With the new Donate Now option, you have an additional option to give back: you can also make an online gift to your favorite organization. All you need is a PayPal account. You can give as little as $5 by visiting the new "Donate Now" tab on your favorite nonprofit's "About My Nonprofit" page on eBay Giving Works.

For more information, please feel free to visit the Donate Now information page.

Thanks, as always, for your generous support of such wonderful organizations!

Sincerely,

Jen Ibarra
eBay Giving Works

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200807291312012.html

Posted by eBay Guru at 01:03 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The French company LVMH claimed in a lawsuit that the Internet auctioneer had not done enough to stop the sale of counterfeit goods.

From Bloomberg News http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-ebay1-2008jul01,1,5118636.story
July 1, 2008

EBay Inc. was ordered by a French court to pay nearly $63 million to luxury-goods maker LVMH, which produces Louis Vuitton- and Dior-labeled products.

The French company, whose full name is LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, had claimed in a lawsuit that the Internet auctioneer had not done enough to stop the sale of counterfeit goods.

The ruling also banned EBay from selling perfumes by the company.

"It's a groundbreaking decision that will help protect creativity," said Pierre Gode, a member of LVMH's supervisory board and advisor to Chairman Bernard Arnault.

EBay, the world's largest Internet auctioneer, said in a statement that it would appeal.

"Today's ruling is about an attempt by LVMH to protect uncompetitive commercial practices at the expense of consumer choice and the livelihood of law-abiding sellers that EBay empowers every day. We will fight this ruling on their behalf."

LVMH, the world's largest luxury-goods maker, said it found in 2006 that 90% of the Louis Vuitton and Dior-labeled perfumes, watches and handbags on EBay were fakes.

Online sales of counterfeit clothes, bags and jewelry cost the makers of original products about $30 billion a year, Tiffany & Co. and other retailers claimed in a separate U.S. lawsuit.

In addition to the payment, the court ordered EBay to post the ruling on all its websites in English and French for three weeks and to pay for its publication in three French or international publications of LVMH's choice.

EBay spends about $20 million annually to identify counterfeit goods and remove them from its site, and has 2,000 employees worldwide involved in the task, the auctioneer said.

The court ruled that EBay wasn't qualified to sell LVMH perfumes, which should be distributed only through selected retailers with trained staff members.

Posted by eBay Guru at 01:30 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Hi everyone...I'm Scott Shipman with eBay's Legal team. We've updated the eBay User Agreement and eBay Privacy Policy, which go into effect immediately for new members registering on or after today, and on August 13, 2008, for current members. You'll also receive an email in your My Messages shortly explaining the updates.
Most of these updates are minor, and your rights and our responsibilities have changed very little. The changes are part of a worldwide effort make the user agreements and privacy policies for eBay platforms around the world much more consistent. This way, when you use any eBay platform, you can be sure that very similar policies apply to you.

There are a couple of substantive changes to our User Agreement I'd like to point out. First, we've changed the "Content" and "Liability" sections to accommodate a new program we're rolling out worldwide. That program makes catalogs of content and product descriptions available to sellers, so they can easily include complete and up-to-date product information for the items they list (similar to the Pre-Filled Item Information feature that we offer on eBay.com).

Similarly, we've revised the Privacy Policy's "Disclosure" section to make sure that the language used there accurately reflects the ways in which we're transferring information between companies in the eBay Inc. corporate family to streamline services, fight fraud and provide you with the best, most relevant experience when you use any of our sites or services.

With these changes, we continue to make sure that our legal documents are consistent with the ways our sites and services are evolving and that we meet the needs of our Community. We hope you'll agree that these changes will make the eBay sites and services work better for you. If you accept the new User Agreement and Privacy Policy, you don't need to take any action. If you do not wish to accept the new User Agreement or Privacy Policy, please refer to this Help page for instructions.

Thank you for using eBay!

Sincerely,

Scott Shipman
Senior Counsel—Global Privacy Practices

Original eBay Announcement

Posted by eBay Guru at 01:22 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

eBay is making some big changes to the jewelry category this summer.

Here are the details from eBay
We're planning significant changes to the Jewelry categories in August & September.

What we're doing:

Creating a top-level division between Fine Jewelry and Fashion Jewelry. "Fine" jewelry will be defined as precious metals and natural (not lab-created) stones. A high level sketch of our plan is included in the left-hand boxes.

Creating a separate section for Engagement/Wedding/Anniversary Jewelry

Updating and adding more Item Specifics values

Increasing alignment with the eBay UK Jewelry structure

How the changes will impact sellers:

In June, we're adding & expanding Item Specifics in Bridal Rings and Gemstone/Fashion Rings to give sellers better exposure, weeks before the category changes.

In August, sellers of Fine Jewelry will need to move their listings into the new Fine Jewelry section and adopt new Item Specifics. (Sellers who plan to move their items in August may choose not to revise them in June)

In September, the new umbrella of "Fashion Jewelry" will be placed over categories for jewelry "type" that you see on the site now (for example Bracelets, Earrings, Hair Jewelry, etc).

Sellers of high-end jewelry items, who have moved into the new Fine Jewelry section and adopted Item Specifics, should enjoy increased visibility.

Sellers of fashion-oriented rings, who have adopted the revised Item Specifics, should enjoy increased visibility as well.

Why we're making the changes:

The community reports that it is currently difficult to sort between higher price-point jewelry pieces and the more fashion-oriented items

Creating a well-defined, separate section for precious metals & stones improves community Trust and Safety, and makes counterfeit items easier to identify.

We've received many requests to increase visibility of the highly popular engagement/wedding market.
Item Specifics allows sellers a more faceted description than categories. By including metal & stone quality, type & style in Item Specifics, sellers won't be forced to choose between a gold category & a sapphire category, for example.

We'll be sharing more categories with the UK, to increase opportunity for cross-border trade
When these changes will be visible:

Phase one (the new Fine & Bridal sections) is planned for launch in early August.
Phase two (moving non-Fine categories under the Fashion umbrella) is planned for launch in early September.

Final thoughts:

We encourage sellers to move their high-end listings into the new Fine categories in August, and to adopt the new Item Specifics values, before the Fashion designation is added in September.

Please note that the new Fine section will be created empty. We don't have the capability of moving individual listings.

Remember that "Fine Jewelry" will be defined as precious metals and natural diamonds & gemstones. Lab-created stones will no longer be considered Fine.

Fine Jewelry Materials
Metals considered Fine
Gold (9k-24k)
Platinum
Sterling Silver

Gemstones considered Fine
(natural stones only)
Diamond
Amethyst
Aquamarine
Citrine
Emerald
Garnet
Opal
Pearl
Peridot
Ruby
Sapphire
Topaz

High Level Sketch of Category Changes in August

Body Jewelry
Bracelets
Charm & Charm Bracelets
Children's Jewelry
Designer Brands
Earrings
Engagement/Wedding/Anniversary

Engagement Rings
Engagement/Wedding Ring Sets
Wedding & Anniversary Bands
Wedding Party Jewelry

Ethnic, Regional & Tribal
Fine Jewelry

Fine Bracelets
Fine Earrings
Fine Jewelry Sets
Fine Necklaces & Pendants
Fine Pins, Brooches
Fine Right-Hand Rings
Men's Fine Jewelry

Hair Jewelry
Handcrafted & Artisan
Jewelry Boxes, Cases & Display
Jewelry Sets
Loose Beads
Loose Diamonds & Gemstones
Men's Jewelry
Necklaces & Pendants
Pins, Brooches
Rings
Vintage & Antique
Watches

High Level Sketch of Category Changes in September

Children's Jewelry
Designer Brands
Engagement/Wedding/Anniversary

Engagement Rings
Engagement/Wedding Ring Sets
Wedding & Anniversary Bands
Wedding Party Jewelry

Ethnic, Regional & Tribal
Fashion Jewelry

Body Jewelry
Bracelets
Charm & Charm Bracelets
Earrings
Hair Jewelry
Jewelry Sets
Men's Jewelry
Necklaces & Pendants
Pins, Brooches
Rings

Fine Jewelry

Fine Bracelets
Fine Earrings
Fine Jewelry Sets
Fine Necklaces & Pendants
Fine Pins, Brooches
Fine Right-Hand Rings
Men's Fine Jewelry

Handcrafted & Artisan
Jewelry Boxes, Cases & Display
Loose Beads
Loose Diamonds & Gemstones
Vintage & Antique
Watches

To see all the details

Posted by eBay Guru at 01:15 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

June 24, 2008 | 03:06PM PST/PT

Hi everyone. It's Renee VonBergen from the My eBay team. Since we launched the beta version of My eBay last summer, we've gathered a lot of feedback which has been incorporated into the beta version. Based on what you've told us, here are a couple of the newest features we've included in this latest beta version of My eBay:

Columns so you can quickly scan for information, as well as the traditional sections available in the current version of My eBay--Watching, Bidding, Active Selling, and so on.

The ability to organize your items the way YOU want to--put items into lists that you create, such as "Items to Research," "My Wish List," or "Possible Gifts for Joe's Birthday." (More details are available on this thread on the My eBay discussion board.)
A new test
We're ready for a new round of testing, as we prepare for the expansion of the new My eBay to the whole Community sometime later this year. In the next few days, a group of members who have not yet used the beta will be randomly selected to be in the test. The easiest way to tell if you've been opted into our test is that My eBay will appear primarily yellow, while the "classic" My eBay is primarily blue.

Two different test groups will have slightly different experiences: one group will be able to opt out of the test, and one group will not. Why no opt out? Because it's important that we be able to measure the effectiveness of our changes through the total clicks and activity our test group makes. No single member is singled out, but together your numbers will be compared with the aggregate numbers in the control group.

You can learn more about the test by checking out my new thread on the My eBay discussion forum.

Send us Feedback!
Anyone who is placed in the test this week, or who is already using the beta version, can send us feedback at any time through the Send Comments link near the top of any My eBay beta page. You should also check out the beta thread on the My eBay discussion board and leave your feedback--my team and I monitor the thread and will pop in from time to time to answer questions.

I want to emphasize how much we appreciate the time you take to send us comments. Your opinion on what works--and what doesn't--helps us build a better tool. On behalf of the My eBay team, thank you!

Sincerely,

Renee VonBergen
Product Management

Original Announcement

Posted by eBay Guru at 10:45 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

June 20, 2008 | 09:47AM PST/PT

Hello everyone...I'm here at eBay Live! 2008 in Chicago, along with 600 staff from eBay and PayPal. I truly wish you were here – the energy is great, and I never feel more connected to the Community than when I'm talking to buyers and sellers face to face. But for those of you who couldn't make it, I wanted to share some thoughts.
Today, we announced some exciting news that will go a long way toward meeting our goal of a healthy, vibrant marketplace. We also provided the audience with some updates on the changes we've rolled out over the past six months, including how members are responding to incentives, pricing and Feedback. Overall, we're pleased with what we've seen, but as with anything we do, we are committed to listening to all of you and looking for ways to improve.

I know that many of you have seen a lot of change over the past six months, and for some it hasn't been easy. But as I told the audience here, people simply expect more when they come to eBay ... and it's our job to make sure we meet their expectations.

Although we have more work to do, we're seeing signs of real progress. The news we announced today builds on what we've done to date ... and I know these changes will make our marketplace stronger.

I'm providing a summary below, and I encourage all of you to read our overview page to learn more about all of the changes announced today.

Improved Protection from PayPal When You Buy or Sell on eBay
PayPal is one of the safest ways to pay on eBay and already used by a majority of eBay's buyers and sellers. This year, our partners at PayPal are making another significant investment in building trust on eBay.

Starting this fall, eBay and PayPal are rolling out improvements to Buyer and Seller Protection on eBay.com. This is huge!

For sellers -- ALL eBay.com sellers will receive improved seller protection benefits previously available only to PowerSellers. Specifically, this means:

There is no additional cost to receive this protection
There is no coverage limit!
There is no cap on items sold or dollar amount!
You're no longer required to ship to confirmed address to be covered ... just send the goods to the address provided by PayPal and keep proof of shipment!
Protection covers shipments to any of the 190 countries in which PayPal is accepted, so the world is more open than ever for U.S. sellers.
For buyers, I can sum it up in a phrase: "Pay with PayPal and you're covered."

This means you're covered on eligible transactions for the purchase price and original shipping costs. Again, this coverage is provided at no additional cost and with no cap on coverage, whether an item costs $50 or $50,000.

For more details about the improved PayPal protection and some eligibility requirements, please read our Frequently Asked Questions.
More rewards for PowerSellers
Last fall, we told you that detailed seller ratings (DSRs) would be an increasingly important success metric for seller standards and rewards. We also stated our intention to turn the PowerSeller label into a badge of distinction, one that buyers would come to recognize as a mark of trust. Today, the PowerSeller program is just that – it rewards sellers for their success in driving sales and buyer satisfaction, as demonstrated by great DSRs.

What's more, I'm pleased to share that sellers have done well improving their DSR averages over the last few months. When we first announced the PowerSeller incentives in January, we knew that 60% of PowerSellers had DSRs of 4.6 and above ... today 67% have DSRs 4.6 or greater.

Also in January, 15% of PowerSellers had DSRs of 4.8 and above ... today, 33% have a DSRs 4.8 or greater – that means that we have more than doubled the number of our best sellers!

In response to this great progress, we announced two new PowerSeller rewards to further encourage and reward our best sellers:

Starting with July invoices, PowerSellers who have a 4.9 or higher across all four DSRs will receive a 20% discount on their final value fees. Today, 16% of all PowerSellers qualify for this substantial new discount ... and we hope to see that number grow.

And - thanks to our partners at UPS - PowerSellers may now receive savings of up to 23% off UPS Ground Daily Rates. This is in addition to the current UPS Special Pricing Program for all eBay sellers, which offers Ground Daily Rates with savings of up to 31%. PowerSellers can enroll now at www.ebay.com/UPSPowerSellerSavings.
Pricing
Back in January, we announced that we were going to reduce the risk of listing and move towards success-based pricing. It's working ... we've seen an increase in volume.

Between now and the holiday season we'll do more to support your success and ensure we are price competitive in every key category. The intent of all this change is obvious: We want great stuff and great deals on eBay – new, used, and collectibles.

Please stay tuned for more pricing information on the Announcement Board later this summer.

Investments in our best buyers
We're investing heavily to make eBay.com safer and easier to use for all buyers. This includes enhancements in our search and user experience, so buyers will see more relevant, high-quality products than ever before on eBay.com.

We're also giving top buyers a bigger reason to keep coming back to eBay. Starting in May, we began sending coupons to top buyers. This is good for sellers too because we know that buyers who redeem these coupons go on to buy more frequently. By the end of June, we will have delivered millions of coupons to top buyers, and we’ll do even more during the holidays.

Top buyers are also getting more attention from us in terms of service. Starting at the end of June, we will be providing live customer phone support to our top buyers. We've been offering phone support to our top sellers for many years, and it is time to extend that to top buyers.

Feedback progress
I want to acknowledge the concerns many of you have shared about the changes to our Feedback system in May. As we outlined in January, we felt strongly that we had to make significant changes to preserve the system's integrity and to reduce the bad experiences created by retaliatory feedback that were driving buyers away. Many of you have written to me personally about your concerns, and I want you to know that we are listening.

I also want to share that, while it's still early, we're seeing encouraging results. Although sellers feared buyers would leave negative feedback more often, I’m happy to report that the combined rate of negative and neutral feedback is unchanged over the first month. Also, the percentage of buyers who are leaving detailed seller ratings has increased: Now buyers who leave Feedback leave DSRs 76% of the time, showing an increased confidence in the Feedback system. And when buyers have more confidence in feedback, they have more trust in shopping on eBay.

That said, this is an evolving system. For example, we’re looking at enabling buyers to withdraw/change their Feedback in limited circumstances to help resolve issues or correct the occasional mistake. Our goal is to address this by the holidays. And we're doing this based on input from our Community, including at eBay Live!.

We'll continue to monitor the effects of these changes carefully, and rest assured, we’ll make additional improvements as needed.

* * *
I hope you can see that although there's still work to be done, we're making progress in improving the overall marketplace. And I have to tell you, being here in Chicago with so many fellow Community members also gives me and the eBay team a huge lift. There is nothing more inspiring to me and all of us at eBay and PayPal than to see thousands of people gathered who have empowered themselves through eBay.
I'm so proud to work for a company that means so much to people ... and we at eBay are more committed than ever to making our marketplace better for all of us.

Sincerely,

Lorrie Norrington
President, eBay Global Marketplace Operations

Original eBay Announcement

Posted by eBay Guru at 10:26 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
June 16, 2008

Developers gathered in Chicago are hearing more about eBay's plans to allow third parties to integrate applications directly onto its site. The eBay Developers Conference kicked off this morning, with a keynote address at 9:30 am central.

According to eBay, the move toward an open platform will give developers "unprecedented access to eBay's community of professional sellers, creating more opportunities for developers to market their tools and giving sellers a wider variety of sales optimization applications." Developers will be able to submit seller tools for inclusion directly onto eBay Selling Manager, an online tool for managing and tracking listings on eBay. In the past, users had to seek out a little-known "Solutions Directory" in order to learn about third-party solutions. With Project Echo, the code-name for the initiative, interested subscribers will get a free, 30-day evaluation period to trial applications.

Over 28 percent of all eBay.com listings are launched with third-party tools, and over 700,000 sellers subscribe to Selling Manager. "By giving developers the opportunity to showcase their tools to eBay's most active sellers, eBay aims to help developers and sellers alike create new revenue streams and maximize their ability to make money through eBay," according to eBay's announcement (http://developer.ebay.com/echo).

Also announced at the conference, PayPal has introduced a new Developer Central portal. Scheduled to launch in July, it will offer a complete set of free business and technical kits to help developers market their services, identify customer leads, complete integration projects more easily, and share knowledge with community peers. PayPal also introduced new application programming interfaces (APIs) to give merchants more flexibility to manage their customer transactions. PayPal's new Recurring Payments API offers merchants more options for subscription billing. The new Reference Transaction API will enable merchants to more easily transact with their repeat customers.

More news is expected at eBay's annual user conference kicking off on Thursday. eBay is expected to roll out new search features onto the main site, such as its snapshot view feature that gives shoppers the option of viewing search results in a "window shopping" display (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y207/m09/abu0199/s04). It appears eBay is also planning to add more third-party advertising in more places on its site.

Posted by eBay Guru at 03:26 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com

eBay is testing a new shopper rewards program. Once shoppers sign up for the program, they earn eBay Bucks on qualifying purchases from May 15 through August 14. Participants will then have 30 days to spend the "bucks" on eBay. Purchases in certain categories are excluded from the promotion, such as all categories in Motors except Parts & Accessories; Classifieds; Live Auctions; Giving Works; Real Estate; and Business & Industrial Capital Equipment.

The reward amount is calculated as a percentage of the total qualifying amount spent, and it appears eBay is testing different percentage amounts with invitees. Some invited to the eBay Bucks Rewards Program also receive a starting balance.

eBay has been spending its marketing budget on such shopping programs this year, including coupon programs (http://blog.auctionbytes.com/cgi-bin/blog/blog.pl?/pl/2008/2/1204153476.html).

http://rewards.ebay.com/terms.jsp

Posted by eBay Guru at 09:19 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

eBay sellers in Australia continue to express anger over the new ban on any payment method other than eBay's own PayPal payment service, covered in AuctionBytes last week (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y08/m04/i10/s01). An online petition calling on eBay Australia to rethink its decision to remove direct deposit, money orders and checks as payment options has garnered over 2930 signatures as of Sunday evening (http://www.petitiononline.com/ebayau/petition.html), and discussion boards are lighting up with complaints over eBay limiting sellers - and buyers - payment options (http://forums.ebay.com.au/thread.jspa?threadID=500078838).

One member posed the question, "Any One EVER Had a problem with Direct Deposit????" Most replies were negative other than the problem of buyers occasionally entering incorrect account numbers.

However, it was pointed out that recently a seller who had allegedly ripped off eBay Australia buyers for over one million dollars used direct deposit to accept payments from his victims (http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2008/03/08/8591_gold-coast-top-story.html). eBay promised last month to pay back the victims for their losses (http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2008/03/10/8646_gold-coast-top-story.html).

Phil Leahy, president of a seller organization based in Australia, sent AuctionBytes a statement stating that the PayPal-only requirement will result in higher fees for sellers, and it called on eBay to reduce fees before the new policy takes effect.

The beneficiary of eBay Australia's new policy may be eBay rival OZtion, which is getting a lot of mention in the discussion boards. http://www.oztion.com.au/company/aboutoztion.aspx

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y08/m04/i14/s03

Posted by eBay Guru at 02:20 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Meg Whitman, who raised funds for Romney, has been asking key Republicans about the possibilities, sources say.
By Joe Mathews, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 25, 2008
As she prepares to depart from EBay after a decade at the helm, Chief Executive Meg Whitman appears to be investigating a new career -- in politics.

Whitman has talked with top Republicans about the possibility of a run for California governor in 2010, according to three operatives who have had discussions with her. Whitman is said to be asking detailed questions about the logistics of a run and the effect she could have as governor, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal the conversations.

Whitman did not make herself available for comment. A source close to her said she had been talking with Republicans around the state and had become "fascinated" by politics in her work as a fundraiser for GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts and a former colleague of Whitman at the consulting firm Bain & Co.

The source close to Whitman, however, downplayed the seriousness of the conversations, saying that Whitman was still new to politics and that California Republicans, not Whitman, were the ones driving the discussion.

"This thing has come to her," the source said. "She hasn't given it all that much thought. It's not, 'I'm going to run. Give me a game plan.' "

Last September, Whitman switched her party registration from "decline to state" to Republican, according to records in San Mateo County, where she lives. The source close to Whitman said she had made the change in part so she could vote for Romney in the Feb. 5 Republican primary, which is closed to independents this year.

"Whitman has the potential to be a very strong candidate," says former Republican consultant Dan Schnur. "She brings very strong private sector experience to the table, and her involvement in politics gives her a potential base of support as well."

Whitman could breathe life into a party that has little money and few stars beyond Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is often at odds with Republican doctrine.

A moderate, she is a billionaire who could fund her own campaign. She ranked No. 361 on Forbes' 2007 list of the richest Americans, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion.

Another anticipated GOP gubernatorial candidate, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, is also a billionaire from Silicon Valley. The two do not know each other.

Whitman, like Poizner, could face a difficult Republican primary against a conservative candidate such as State Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks). "It will be very difficult for her to explain to primary voters why she and Steve Poizner are different in any respect other than gender," Schnur said.

Former Republican Party Chairman Duf Sundheim, who was among those who encouraged Schwarzenegger to leave Hollywood for politics, says he sees Whitman as a potential candidate.

Sundheim is leading an effort to find candidates for 2010 and is talking to people inside and outside politics, including nontraditional candidates who are wealthy enough to finance their own campaigns, according to people who have spoken with him. Three sources said Whitman is among the candidates with whom he has talked.

"I've heard from others that Meg may have an interest in running for office someday," Sundheim said in an interview Thursday.

"We have many excellent potential candidates and I think Meg could be one of those candidates, and I hope she seriously considers it."

Margaret C. "Meg" Whitman, a 51-year-old New York native, joined EBay as its president and chief executive in 1998, when the online auction company had 30 employees and annual revenues of $4 million, according to a biography posted on the company's website. The company now has 15,000 employees globally.

Whitman said Wednesday that she would retire from EBay on March 31.

Since launching her career at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati in 1979, Whitman has spent her professional life in the corporate sector, as an executive at toy maker Hasbro, Florists Transworld Delivery, Stride Rite Corp. and the Walt Disney Co.

She did her undergraduate work at Princeton and later earned a master's degree at Harvard Business School.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-whitman25jan25,0,7858915.story

Posted by eBay Guru at 09:33 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
December 18, 2007

An economics professor at Loyola Marymount University analyzed auctions of gift cards on eBay and found that gift cards from certain stores fetched consistently lower sale prices than others. Professor Jennifer Pate's research suggests gift cards are less valuable to recipients when given for stores that offer less product variety and fewer locations.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, also revealed that the average gift card is resold with a 15% discount. "In other words, people who receive gift cards are willing to accept around $85 in cash in exchange for a $100 gift card. For many gift givers, this means that a $100 cash gift will go much farther than a $100 gift card," said Pate.

Ranked according to their resale value, the ten "best" gift cards are Home Depot, Lowe's, Office Max, Circuit City, Starbucks, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, Target, Staples and Best Buy, all selling for above 86% of their original value (a 14% maximum discount). The five "worst" gift cards are Tiffany & Co, Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, with Express coming in last at 74% (a 26% discount).

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m12/i18/s03

Posted by eBay Guru at 09:44 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
November 20, 2007

eBay launched a new site called BestofeBay that showcases the most popular, eccentric, interesting and unique listings on the auction site. When voting for their favorite auctions, users can add comments to the Best of eBay nominees to support their votes. The concept is similar to the Digg website that lets users submit content from anywhere on the web and vote on them, with the most popular ones showing up at the top of the lists.

The new eBay site, online at http://bestof.ebay.com, includes viral marketing elements; users can share their favorite auctions with friends through an "Email to a Friend" link at the bottom of each listing.

On Monday, the top featured auction was for a fake meal consisting of a knitted (with new wool) baked quiche ("looks fluffier and tastier than real scrambled eggs"), listed for sale by eBay Storeowner The Knitted Cafe.

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200711191341062.html

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m11/i20/s02

Posted by eBay Guru at 09:06 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
November 01, 2007

eBay launched eBay Gift Cards, available in stores and supermarkets nationwide in denominations of $25 and $50. Consumers can use the eBay Gift Cards on items where the eBay seller accepts PayPal, but cannot use them on eBay Express.

It's important to note that consumers who want to redeem the gift cards must have a PayPal account and link it to their bank account or credit card. One eBay member discussing the cards on the discussion board said, "I know there are some people (buyers) who refuse to use paypal, so I think they'd be awful po'd to get this as a gift." (http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?messageID=1010737376&forumID=21).

eBay said it will distribute over one million gift cards in more than 10,000 retail stores, including Kroger, Safeway, Vons, Dominick's, Fred Meyer and Ralphs, through distribution with the Blackhawk Network, the largest provider of third-party prepaid cards. Cards will be in stores year-round. Consumers who receive an eBay Gift Card and need help using it can call (866) 914-8078.

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200710311046462.html

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m11/i01/s03

Posted by eBay Guru at 01:40 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Check out our New Features!

FREE eBay Canada
FREE Consignment
FREE CSV Reports
FREE Relist Scheduling
FREE New Insurance Claims Process

eBay CA joins Auctiva's list of supported eBay sites. List your items to eBay CA today.

Consignment allows you to add, list items for, and manage your consignment accounts through Auctiva. Keep track of your consignment accounts, items listed and payouts with our new consignment functionality.

Relist* Scheduling allows you to schedule relists in bulk with staggered launch times. You also have the ability to edit certain fields as you are relisting, like Start Price and Duration.
*Items relisted through Auctiva will be eligible for reimbursement of eBay relisting fees according to eBay rules and regulation.

CSV Reports are designed to allow you to track your sales data. Comma separated values (CSV) files can be opened in applications like Microsoft Excel, for example, and allow you to sort, organize, make graphs and create views of your data.

File Auctiva Shipping Insurance claims online. So far, you have been used to saving lots of money buying Auctiva Shipping Insurance over USPS. Now, should you need to file a claim, the process is step-by-step and online. Save money and sanity using Auctiva Shipping Insurance.

Try them out today! Visit www.auctiva.com.

Sincerely,
Auctiva Staff

See a complete list of new features: http://www.auctiva.com/about/newfeatures.aspx

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 10:03 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Lissa McGrath
AuctionBytes.com
October 07, 2007

Recently eBay introduced a new Bid History page. I must confess, I thought this was another gimmick. But I think there are some positive changes and improvements.

I'm very pleased to see that they brought back the exact feedback score rather than just displaying the feedback star. I like to know what experience the buyers I'm bidding against have, and frankly, I can't remember what every star represents, so this was a positive change for me.

The biggest new feature is the Item information on the right side of the page. Not only do you see the thumbnail picture, but also the title, current bid, shipping information, and a box to enter your bid.

At the top of the page it clearly states the number of unique bidders who have bid on the item as well as the total number of bids and, most importantly, the time remaining on the auction.

What I really like about this page, and I'm sure eBay is testing here before launching on the main Auction page, is One-Click Bidding. When you enter a bid in the box on the Bid History page, you are not taken to another page to confirm it (as you are currently from the Auction page). Instead, a pop-up window appears and the rest of the page goes into a washed out effect (similar to when you get a pop-up window on the Sell Your Item form) and you can confirm your bid here. There's no page load time, so this is great if you're sniping, or if you're not on the fastest of Internet connections. This is a change buyers have been requesting for some time now, and I think it's been well executed.

I have always been a faithful user of the Auction page for bidding, but I decided I would give using the Bid History page a shot. I used the refresh button (that appears when there are only 15 minutes remaining on the auction, same as on the Auction page) to keep an eye on the time remaining, and placed and confirmed my bid from the Bid History page. It was actually a lot of fun. I didn't feel distracted by other things going on (mainly because this page is very minimalistic and has no ads or fluff to it).

Unfortunately, all of these positive changes are overshadowed by eBay's Safe-Guarding Member IDs (SMI) change. Most buyers were unhappy with the Bidder 1, Bidder 2 idea, but they're not happy about eBay's compromise either. Initially eBay shielded all bidder IDs after the bidding reached $200 (or the reserve price was over $200) by replacing the User ID with Bidder 1, Bidder 2, etc. based on the order the bids were placed. This did not go down well in the eBay community where both buyers and sellers said they felt this was shielding shill bidders and removing a lot of the transparency from the site. (See AuctionBytes January 16th article about SMI at http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m01/i16/s01).

So, eBay has responded with a compromise. Now you will see two random characters from the member's User ID with three asterisks between them (for example, auctionbytes could be b*y, c*t, or any combination of letters from within the User ID.) On the forum about the Bid History page, this is the number one topic of discussion. And it's not just buyers who are unhappy. Sellers are complaining that they are losing bids, even more so than when the Bidder 1, Bidder 2 change was first launched.

The reason was clearly put by Goldcoastbridal: "I have been confused over this asterisk thing for a while now and missed out bidding on a couple items I would normally bid on...the names like r**t seemed fishy to me and I thought they were screen names...did eBay send a message about this to all of its users informing them this was going to happen? I thought for sure the auctions I was watching were shilling!" Goldcoastbridal has a feedback score of over 100, so is certainly not a newbie.

This concern is echoed by other users on the forum, such as ehprop, who said: "What eBay has done is to add a cool tool that will gradually convince a lot of good people to shy away from many transactions that earlier would have seemed safe." And rskmgtpro: "I find the User ID masking for bid history information on higher priced items to be totally offensive."

One suggestion that has been made on the board is allowing an established, high-feedback buyer access to the full User ID of bidders he or she is bidding against (i.e. after the bidder has already placed a bid on the item). The suggestion is that buyers go through a verification process to gain access to this information.

Personally, I don't think eBay will go for this, however I do wonder why eBay doesn't just use the first and last initial of the User ID (so auctionbytes would always show up as a***s). This would make it easier for bidders to see when a user is bidding on a seller's items multiple times, or when they are bidding against the same person for similar items, but it wouldn't give scammers the full User ID (to try to steal the bid, or send a phishing Second Chance Offer, etc.). With the exact Feedback Score also displayed, the likelihood of there being two users bidding on the same item who have the same first and last letters in their User ID and the exact same feedback score is quite minimal. I think this would be a true compromise.

You can read all of the comments, as well as the original eBay announcement on the forum board: http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=2000430110&start=40

It's a shame that so many good changes have been overshadowed by this one issue. I do think that in general the changes to Bid History are a success. I think we can expect some further changes to the SMI policy, but I doubt eBay will return to showing the full ID as many eBay users have requested.

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y207/m10/abu0200/s02

Posted by eBay Guru at 01:58 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

October 02, 2007 | 10:00AM PST/PT

Hey everyone...I'm Alan Lewis, and I'm here to tell you about eBay Desktop - an exciting new product we are launching in beta today.
In a nutshell, eBay Desktop lets you take care of most of your normal eBay activity – without having to use your web browser. You can search, bid on, and watch items right from the eBay Desktop application, all while getting alerts about their status. One of the features I like most is the Favorite Search feed, which lets you download items from your favorite searches and browse through them, even when you're not online!

Of course, describing these features in text doesn't do them justice – check out the screenshot below, and try it out for yourself! Thousands of users have been helping us test early versions of eBay Desktop over the past year, and have given us hundreds of awesome suggestions on how to improve the product. Today, we’re inviting everyone in the entire eBay Community to give it a whirl through our public beta. It's fun, it's easy to use, and it's free!

Most importantly, let us know what you think! eBay Desktop has a built-in product feedback tool, and I encourage you to use it to give us your thoughts. Or if you prefer, you can send a note to sneakpeek@ebay.com with your comments and suggestions.

Thanks for trying out eBay Desktop!

Sincerely,

Alan Lewis
eBay Desktop

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200710.shtml#2007-10-02095418

Posted by eBay Guru at 03:28 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
September 24, 2007

Auctiva has introduced a new website called BattleBids.com that features games designed to make bidding on eBay more fun and interactive. The games "animate" auction bids, and include a hot-dog eating contest, a golf game and a racing game. A future game called BattleBids will be a Sotheby's-style auction house with virtual bidders holding paddles. Shoppers can go to Auctiva's BattleBids website, and eBay sellers can place the games directly in their auction listings.

Visitors can click on "Replay of the day" on the BattleBids.com website to see the game applied to a live eBay auction. An animated game called Bid Racer depicts real eBay bidders as racecars speeding along a racetrack. A bidder can shout taunts such as "Eat my dust" when they outbid other bidders. The game page also displays the auction listing description, and clicking on the title brings up the listing on the eBay website.

Auctiva founder Jeff Schlicht said he expects the games to be viral. "At the end of each replay is an invitation to tell a friend which sends them the replay," he said. The first games are called Bid Racer, Nitro Boats, Golf, Shuffleboard, Hot Air Balloons, Galactic Bidder, and Hot Dog Eating Contest. The next group of applications will be focused more towards women shoppers, and Schlicht said he had ideas for other applications that would appeal to adults, such as puzzle games and word games.

"We're planning on building more features around the community of users," Schlicht said. "Each user has their own profile page which displays some of their recent Battlebids wins and losses along with some of their stats." There's no charge for buyers or sellers.

Auctiva provides eBay auction-management and marketplace tools, including the Sellathon analytics tool acquired earlier this year.

http://www.battlebids.com

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m09/i24/s02

Posted by eBay Guru at 09:32 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
September 21, 2007

Many eBay sellers have disputed the legitimacy of VeRO claims regarding copyright and trademark rights. But some have also begun complaining about the legitimacy of the members themselves. They say some VeRO members do not have the rights to the intellectual property they claim, and use eBay's program to remove sellers' listings.

A seller named Tom who said eBay pulled three of his listings because of reports by a fake VeRO member, said, "If this keeps up, they will put me and a lot of their sellers out of business. And unless abated, these skammers now know they can claim anything and get away with it."

eBay spokesperson Catherine England said eBay has a zero-tolerance policy for any eBay seller that engages in anti-competitive practices by filing fraudulent VeRO complaints against other eBay sellers. She said eBay immediately and indefinitely NARUs (suspends) any seller who does this. "It's considered a blatant breech of the eBay User Agreement and it just isn't the way we treat one another in the eBay community."

eBay has verification processes in place, England said, and does its best to ensure that VeRO participants are legitimate rights owners. She said there are several third-party companies and individual consultants that are often authorized by rights-owners to monitor eBay and file VeRO complaints on their behalf, so it isn't always easy to tell by contact information alone if the complaint or the individual submitting it is legitimate.

England said eBay's VeRO team "doesn't blindly remove all listings reported to us - they often call to confirm or take other steps to verify the complaint is legitimate before removing a particular listing. That said, our system isn't 100% fool proof and it's possible some folks may slip through from time to time."

If an eBay seller believes a fraudulent VeRO complaint has been filed against them, or the rights owner is in error, England said the seller can appeal the report and eBay will review it; if eBay finds in favor of the seller, eBay will reinstate the listing.

On the bottom of the information page about the VeRO program, there is a "Contact Us" link (http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/questions/vero-ended-item.html). England said sellers can use this link to submit appeals to VeRO report.

In a thread in the AuctionBytes forum devoted to VeRO issues, eBay sellers talk about the problem and the challenges of disputing VeRO claims and discuss strategies for dealing with fake VeRO members (http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=22324).

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m09/i21/s02

Posted by eBay Guru at 09:37 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Hi everyone...I'm Raza Malik, and my team is responsible for My Messages, your inbox within My eBay where you receive secure, relevant messages from eBay and other members. Not only is My Messages the best way to communicate with your transaction partners on eBay, but it's also an important safety tool to help you verify that the email you receive from eBay is authentic.
We've been working on some changes to the user interface that we think will make it more intuitive and user-friendly - much like most standard email applications.

Here is some more detail about the changes you'll see in the next few days:

Easier identification for alerts, eBay messages, and member messages
To help you prioritize at a glance, we're making it easier to identify what types of messages are in your inbox. Alerts (important messages about your account from Billing, Trust & Safety, etc.) are now displayed at the top of your inbox in a separate section from other messages. If you don't have any alerts, this section will not be displayed.

In the Messages section, messages from eBay will be highlighted in green, while messages from other members, such as questions about an item, will be in black.

Bulk actions and other message management tools
Now you can manage multiple messages at once using Delete, Save to Desktop, Move to, and Mark As actions. You can also set how many messages you want to see on each page, and use a new filter to quickly find messages related to a particular item.

We're also working on "threading" member-to-member messages, so that you can easily read your entire conversation with another member. Look for this in the next few months.

Improved look-and-feel
We've updated the left-hand navigation to make the most commonly-used links stand out more, plus we've designed a cleaner-looking layout to My Messages overall. In addition you'll see new icons that "describe" many of the features and actions and more customization options.

We think these changes will make My Messages an even better tool for you – but your opinion is most important! After checking out the new-look My Messages, please send us an email at mymessages@ebay.com and tell us what you think.

Sincerely,

Raza Malik
Buyer Experience

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200709111528472.html

Posted by eBay Guru at 09:25 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

ChannelAdvisor has acquired Marketworks.

The combined companies have over 5,500 customers and $2.5 billion in annualized GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) on a global basis, as well as operating offices in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Seattle, Washington; Bacharach and Berlin, Germany; London, England; Melbourne, Australia and now Atlanta, Georgia.

ChannelAdvisor will continue to support Marketworks’ customers and invest in its products. This includes the Marketworks platform and the Premium Web Store offering.

Over the years, our two companies have competed on many levels, and ChannelAdvisor has always respected the Marketworks team and products; we’re excited to welcome them into the ChannelAdvisor family.

To learn more about the announcement please visit www.marketworks.com or www.channeladvisor.com.

To learn more about selling on eBay please visit www.auctiontips.com.

Posted by eBay Trainer Education Specialist at 09:06 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
September 05, 2007

eBay has ramped up testing of its ad program with Yahoo on the US site, and sellers - and possibly some eBay executives - are concerned about the possibility of the ads cannibalizing eBay sales. The ads appear in a section called Yahoo Sponsored Links at the bottom of eBay search results pages and now compete directly with eBay's own listings.

eBay has told sellers that the Yahoo ads would appear where there were no matching eBay items, or for complementary items, both in the original announcement and during June's eBay Live Conference (http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200605250457542.html and http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m06/i18/s04).

That is no longer the case. For instance, a recent search for "Nike Women Sneakers" showed eBay listings followed by Yahoo ads, including ads for sites selling sneakers such as FinishLine.com (Shop the Large Selection of Nike Women's Shox & More) and DrJays.com (DrJays.com has a wide selection of Nike women's shoes on sale in our online store). Similarly, a search for collectible Longaberger baskets displayed ads for competing sites on the same page as eBay's own listings.

A seller wrote to AuctionBytes on August 23rd, "Today while searching for a Toshiba stylus on eBay, I was dumbfounded to see 3 huge links in the middle of the page, offering the same item that several poor eBay sellers had paid to list. For less ! Live links ! to other sites ! including AMAZON !!"

The competing ads are actually appearing ahead of many of eBay's own listings. On September 3rd, a search for "Nike Women Shoes" showed 1006 matches on 21 pages. But the Yahoo ads appeared on all 21 pages of results. Shoppers viewing the first page of results saw ads for competing sites ahead of 956 of eBay's own listings.

In an interview with MediaPost's Behavioral Insider, eBay senior counsel of Global Privacy Practice Scott Shipman acknowledged concerns over the Yahoo and Google ads. He told the publication, "The key notion, as you can imagine, is that we don't want to cannibalize the activity on the site and direct people off of the Web site. So we are very sensitive to where they appear and the content they are advertising." (http://blogs.mediapost.com/behavioral_insider/?p=187)

However, as a thread on an industry discussion board revealed, sometimes the Yahoo Sponsored Links contain adult ads, such as the one containing the description, "Meet Sexy Local Housewives For Real Nasty Sex. Every Type and Fetish." (http://www.vendio.com/mesg/read.html?num=2&thread=665396).

eBay spokesperson Catherine England said eBay does have some control and filters in place for the ads, but said the process is highly automated and is not 100% fool proof. "The ad that you saw was not specific to eBay but slipped through Yahoo's system and was being served on their entire ad network. We've alerted Yahoo to the ad so they can remove it. Yahoo has been very responsive as we've reported various ads to them and we continue to improve the way we work together."

Yahoo also serves up the graphical ads on eBay. In May, the AuctionBytes blog reported Yahoo was serving up ads on eBay for Netflix on search results for DVDs. Netflix offers shoppers DVDs for rent and for sale (http://tinyurl.com/3bgc9f). The ads for Netflix continue to appear when searching for DVD tiles on eBay.

When asked if eBay had geared up the Yahoo ads, England said testing is ongoing and will continue over the coming months. She said visitors to the site may see different advertising formats, in different places, for different types of items, including sponsored links and graphical advertisements, and sometimes no advertising at all. "We're working hard to determine the best ways to integrate and optimize advertising on eBay, including showing ads to the right users, using the right ad network partners at the right time, and allowing ads from the right advertisers. In our testing, our focus is on understanding whether there is any impact on our transaction business from advertising. This is our primary concern as we are not looking to take business away from our sellers as we enhance our user experience."

When asked about eBay's statements about the conditions under which Yahoo ads would appear, England said, "In Bill's original post about the Yahoo agreement, we did say that we were starting our testing on null search results but also pointed out that we'd be testing other placements too, including complementary items. Due to the very nature of testing - we didn't explicitly state what we would and would not test moving forward. What we did clearly state is that we would not place these ads on view items pages."

http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m09/i05/s01

Posted by eBay Guru at 10:36 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

August 22, 2007 | 09:49AM PST/PT

Hi everyone... This is Don Fotsch with PayPal's product, user experience and design team.
Over the past several weeks, we've been testing our new home page design with the Community and we've seen an extraordinary amount of participation and encouraging feedback.

In the next few weeks, we will be ending the beta test of our new home pages so that we can incorporate your feedback and begin phasing in the new site design and experience.

The new PayPal logo
As part of our overall redesign, I'm excited to let you know that later this month, PayPal will be introducing a new logo.

Our current logo has served us well over the years. However, based on research and discussions with consumers and merchants throughout the world, we believe the time is right to take an evolutionary step in our look. You'll see this reflected in a new PayPal logo. You can see the new Paypal logo here.

You'll see an immediate change of the new logo on the PayPal and eBay website and in our emails in the next few weeks. We are also reaching out to the millions of merchants who accept PayPal to update their checkout buttons to the new look. Please note that eBay sellers do not need to take any steps to update the logo.

Thank you for your support as we continually improve the user experience on PayPal and make it safer and easier to pay and be paid online. I hope you enjoy our fresh new look and I look forward to your continued feedback!

- Don

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200708220949452.html

Posted by eBay Guru at 12:33 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)