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May 2006
***Sell Your Item 3.0 almost here***

31 May 2006 | 12:57PM EST


The next generation Sell Your Item (SYI) will soon be available on eBay.com.au. Called SYI 3.0, our goal has been to make the SYI form shorter and more efficient.

New features in this version of SYI include:

  • A simple 1-2-3 listing process - fewer pages and fields help reduce the time it takes to create a listing.
  • A “category suggestions” feature – this ensures your item is listed in the best category for maximum exposure to buyers.
  • Dynamic help and personalised tips – these provide guidance and best practice tips to help you create a better listing.
  • Listing preview section – see what your listing will look like when viewed by potential buyers before you submit your listing.
  • Re-usable listing templates – these make it easier for you to list additional items.
We have received good feedback from sellers all over the world who have tried SYI 3.0, which has been available as a link on the Sellers’ Hub. We've incorporated much of what we've learned from you and are getting closer to releasing the final version.

However to be absolutely sure that SYI 3.0 is right for the eBay Community, we are going to run a very limited test over the next few weeks where a small number of randomly selected members will by default see the new form. Rest assured that if you are selected for this trial and don’t want to use SYI 3.0, the current version of SYI will still be available. Trial participants will be asked to share their experiences in a survey.

Thanks again to everyone who has provided feedback to date and we look forward to your ongoing help in our efforts to improve the selling experience on eBay.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***eBay Motors Launches Vehicle Purchase Protection***

31 May 2006 | 09:59AM EST


Buying a car on eBay Motors has never been safer.

When you buy a car through eBay Motors, you may be covered for up to $20,000 of FREE Vehicle Purchase Protection (VPP) insurance and there's no additional sign-up, opt-in, or registration necessary for either the buyer or seller*. We have arranged this cover with a major insurer so that you can buy a car with confidence on eBay Motors.

For more information please visit the Vehicle Purchaser Protection Program information page.

Regards,
The eBay Team

*Terms and Conditions apply. VPP insurance only applies to the purchase of an eligible vehicle by an eligible purchaser. Buyers must agree to the terms and conditions to make a claim under the policy.
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***June Category Changes***

31 May 2006 | 09:43AM EST


Every month changes are made to the category structure on eBay.com.au to make it easier for members browsing eBay to find what they are looking for. These changes are based on feedback from the eBay community and from experts in the affected fields, so a big thanks to those members who wrote in!

These changes are currently scheduled to go live early in the week beginning June 5th, 2006.

We strongly encourage members to pay careful attention to which categories have changed and to update Turbo Lister. Existing listings may be moved as categories are split, moved, or renamed.

We are always keen to receive suggestions on category structure. To submit a category suggestion, please click here.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Available Now - PayPal Dispute Resolution Process***

26 May 2006 | 12:00PM EST


This week PayPal have launched a dispute resolution process to help sellers and buyers communicate to resolve problems when an item was paid for with PayPal. For eBay members, this means that all Item Not Received disputes involving eBay items paid with PayPal will be directed to the new PayPal Dispute Resolution process.

Communication before claim escalation
The new PayPal Dispute Resolution process offers a number of features to help buyers and sellers resolve their transaction problems. These include:

  • Tracking all dispute and claim activity in one location – the PayPal Resolution Centre
  • A Customer Service Message box sellers can use to target buyers with important messages, such as shipping times and other policies, before buyers can escalate the situation to a claim
  • Buyers and sellers can communicate directly by posting messages back and forth in the Resolution Centre
  • Easy buyer access to updated tracking and delivery information
  • Automatic email notifications for sellers when new disputes are created
How it works
When a buyer opens a dispute in the PayPal Resolution Centre, they can read any customer service messages left by sellers about transaction issues such as shipping times. Buyers will have up to 45 days from the date of payment to open a dispute and up to 20 days after filing the dispute to escalate to a claim (disputes not escalated to a claim after 20 days will be automatically closed).

To open a dispute, please follow these steps:

  1. Log into your account at https://www.paypal.com/au
  2. Select the Resolution Center tab.
  3. Click File a dispute
  4. Enter or select the PayPal transaction ID for the transaction you would like to dispute
  5. Review the transaction information and select a reason for opening the dispute
  6. Enter in the details of the transaction and initiate communication with the seller in the Compose Message to Seller box and click Continue
When a dispute is filed, a temporary hold will be placed on the funds if the payment amount exceeds $100 AUD. Funds on hold are not available to a buyer or the seller.

Regards,
The PayPal Team
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***Scheduled Maintenance This Week***

25 May 2006 | 11:01AM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 16:00 AEST to 18:00 AEST on Friday, May 26th. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Updated: Item Numbers Expanding***

23 May 2006 | 11:53AM EST


This is a reminder that eBay is expanding our 10-digit item numbers. Soon all new item numbers will be 11 and 12 digits. Over time, item numbers will expand, as needed, to up to 19 digits to accommodate listings growth.

We encourage sellers to check their business tools – such as spreadsheets, letter and label templates, etc. – to make sure they can handle item numbers that are up to 19 digits. If you use specialised software applications for listing and managing item data, please check with your developer to make sure they can support item numbers up to 19 digits.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Original: Coming Soon: Item Numbers Expanding***

17 May 2006 | 06:37PM EST


To ensure the site can accommodate a growing number of listings, we will soon increase the number of digits included in our item numbers. Current item numbers will not be impacted, but after this change, all new listings will have item numbers in the 12-digit range. These digits may increase over time to up to 19 to support future growth.

Regards,
The eBay Team

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***Shopping.com Australia Launch ***

23 May 2006 | 10:37AM EST


eBay.com.au is pleased to announce the launch of Shopping.com (www.au.shopping.com) in Australia.

Shopping.com, an eBay company, pioneered online comparison shopping and today is one of the fastest growing shopping destinations on the Internet. With millions of products, thousands of merchants and millions of reviews from the Epinions product review community, Shopping.com empowers online shoppers to make informed choices.

Launching Shopping.com in Australia follows the success of its sites in the US, Germany, UK and France.

Have fun shopping on Shopping.com!

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Scheduled Maintenance This Week***

18 May 2006 | 12:24PM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 16:00 AEST to 18:00 AEST on Friday, May 19th. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Coming Soon: Item Numbers Expanding***

17 May 2006 | 06:37PM EST


To ensure the site can accommodate a growing number of listings, we will soon increase the number of digits included in our item numbers. Current item numbers will not be impacted, but after this change, all new listings will have item numbers in the 12-digit range. These digits may increase over time to up to 19 to support future growth.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***FREE Gallery Promotion***

16 May 2006 | 01:01PM EST


eBay.com.au is pleased to announce a FREE Gallery Promotion! You can choose Gallery for FREE for three days, commencing Thursday 18th May, 2006.

All items listed on eBay.com.au between the hours of 12:00:01am AEST, Thursday 18th May, 2006 and 11:59:59pm AEST, Saturday 20th May, 2006 will be eligible for Gallery for FREE.

Adding your item’s photo to the gallery enables potential buyers to preview your item instantly in the search and browse view. Use a gallery photo to help attract more buyers and a higher price. On average, listings using Gallery attract 72% more bids than listings that use no listing upgrades.*

Price promotions on eBay.com.au only happen every once in a while, so make sure you take advantage of this opportunity. For more information, see eBay’s price promotion page.

Have fun trading on eBay!

Regards,
The eBay Team

*This represents an average based on data from June 2004 transactions on eBay.com.au. No representation is made that a seller's final price, number of bids or conversion rate of a specific item will increase by the average percentages noted above.
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***Scheduled Maintenance This Week***

12 May 2006 | 08:52AM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 16:00 AEST to 18:00 AEST on Friday, May 12th. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Updated: May Category Changes***

10 May 2006 | 09:05AM EST


Please be advised that these changes will not take place until the week of 22nd May which is 2 weeks after the originally communicated date below. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Original: May Category Changes***

02 May 2006 | 09:25AM EST


Every month changes are made to the category structure on eBay.com.au to make it easier for members browsing eBay to find what they are looking for. These changes are based on feedback from the eBay community and from experts in the affected fields, so a big thanks to those members who wrote in!

This month there are some major changes in:

  • Computers & IT
  • Cars, Bikes and Boats
  • Clothing and Accessories
There are also some minor changes to other categories not mentioned here.

These changes are currently scheduled to go live early in the week beginning May 8th, 2006. We strongly encourage members to pay careful attention to which categories have changed and to update Turbo Lister. Existing listings may be moved as categories are split, moved, or renamed.

We are always keen to receive suggestions on category structure. To submit a category suggestion, please click here.

Regards,
The eBay Team

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***Updated: Free Security Software Pilot***

09 May 2006 | 03:06PM EST

We have extended subscriptions for the Secure Desktop Pilot. Click here to download this free software.

For further information please see the announcement below.

Regards,
The eBay Team


eBay Australia is dedicated to making our members’ online experiences safe and fun. As part of these efforts and in partnership with software security companies Cleartext Holdings Pty Ltd and Tall Emu Pty Ltd, we are conducting a pilot to gauge the Community’s reaction to security software package Secure Desktop.

Our research shows Australian Internet users are concerned about the protection of their personal and financial data. Identity theft, phishing, spoof websites and account takeovers impact the entire Internet industry. One way to lessen the likelihood of becoming a victim of these threats is to install security software on to your computer such as anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-spyware and firewall applications.

Installing security software and keeping it up to date is an important first step for all Internet users but it must also be coupled with sensible online practices. For more information of safe Internet practices read the eCommerce Safety Guide.

In an effort to assess the take-up and usage of such software applications, eBay Australia together with Cleartext Holdings Pty Ltd and Tall Emu Pty Ltd is offering 1,000 eBay Australia members the opportunity to download Secure Desktop which is next generation IT security software and includes:

  • Online Armor (free one year licence) – this may augment existing security software running on your computer. Click here for Online Armor FAQs
  • eBay Toolbar (free). Click here for eBay Toolbar FAQs
  • Kaspersky Antivirus Engine (free 60 day licence)
Please note that upon the expiry of the term for the applicable software licences the Online Armor and Kaspersky Antivirus Engine programs will cease to function effectively and you may wish to purchase further licences.

During the course of the pilot eBay will conduct a survey among members who have downloaded the Secure Desktop Pilot. Any immediate feedback can also be provided to: onlinearmor_feedback@ebay.com.

To download the Secure Desktop Pilot click here.

I look forward to reading your feedback on the Secure Desktop pilot.

Stay safe,
Alastair MacGibbon
eBay Australia Trust & Safety Director
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***Original: Free Security Software Pilot***

08 May 2006 | 07:00PM EST


eBay Australia is dedicated to making our members’ online experiences safe and fun. As part of these efforts and in partnership with software security companies Cleartext Holdings Pty Ltd and Tall Emu Pty Ltd, we are conducting a pilot to gauge the Community’s reaction to security software package Secure Desktop.

Our research shows Australian Internet users are concerned about the protection of their personal and financial data. Identity theft, phishing, spoof websites and account takeovers impact the entire Internet industry. One way to lessen the likelihood of becoming a victim of these threats is to install security software on to your computer such as anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-spyware and firewall applications.

Installing security software and keeping it up to date is an important first step for all Internet users but it must also be coupled with sensible online practices. For more information of safe Internet practices read the eCommerce Safety Guide.

In an effort to assess the take-up and usage of such software applications, eBay Australia together with Cleartext Holdings Pty Ltd and Tall Emu Pty Ltd is offering 1,000 eBay Australia members the opportunity to download Secure Desktop which is next generation IT security software and includes:

  • Online Armor (free one year licence) – this may augment existing security software running on your computer. Click here for Online Armor FAQs
  • eBay Toolbar (free). Click here for eBay Toolbar FAQs
  • Kaspersky Antivirus Engine (free 60 day licence)
Please note that upon the expiry of the term for the applicable software licences the Online Armor and Kaspersky Antivirus Engine programs will cease to function effectively and you may wish to purchase further licences.

During the course of the pilot eBay will conduct a survey among members who have downloaded the Secure Desktop Pilot. Any immediate feedback can also be provided to: onlinearmor_feedback@ebay.com.

To download the Secure Desktop Pilot click here.

I look forward to reading your feedback on the Secure Desktop pilot.

Stay safe,
Alastair MacGibbon
eBay Australia Trust & Safety Director

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***Scheduled Maintenance This Week***

04 May 2006 | 03:47PM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 16:00 AEST to 18:00 AEST on Friday, May 5th. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***FREE Gallery Credits for PayPal listings***

01 May 2006 | 08:32AM EST


eBay Australia is pleased to announce a PayPal FREE Gallery Promotion! You will receive a credit for each use of Gallery for three days when you choose to accept PayPal as a payment option, commencing Tuesday 2nd May, 2006. All items listed on eBay.com.au between the hours of 12:00:01am AEST, Tuesday 2nd May, 2006 and 11:59:59pm AEST, Thursday 4th May, 2006 with PayPal as an accepted payment method will be eligible for Gallery credits.

Adding your item’s photo to the gallery enables potential buyers to preview your item instantly in the search and browse view. Use a gallery photo to help attract more buyers and a higher price. On average, listings using Gallery attract 72% more bids than listings that use no listing upgrades.*

If you're not already a member of PayPal it's quick and easy to sign up. Click here.

Price promotions on eBay.com.au only happen every once in a while, so make sure you take advantage of this opportunity. For more information, see eBay’s price promotion page.

Have fun trading on eBay!

Regards,
The eBay Team

*This represents an average based on data from June 2004 transactions on eBay.com.au. No representation is made that a seller's final price, number of bids or conversion rate of a specific item will increase by the average percentages noted above.
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