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***Scheduled maintenance ***

31 January 2008 | 10:13AM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 15:00 AEDST to 19:00 AEDST on Friday 1 February. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay team
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***Improvements to the Women's Clothing finding experience ***

31 January 2008 | 10:10AM EST


eBay.com.au is pleased to announce a new improvement to the way buyers search for items within Women's Clothing.

As of this week, when sellers list an item in the women's clothing category, they will be asked to add an item specific for "Size Type". All sellers of Women's Clothing are encouraged to use Item Specifics for Size Type to ensure buyers can find their items. The size types to choose from are:-

  • Petites (generally for sizes 6 and under)
  • Standard Sizes (generally for sizes 8 to 16)
  • Plus Sizes (generally for all sizes over 16)
  • Maternity (for any clothing specifically designed for maternity use, regardless of size)
  • One Size (one size fits all)

From next week, buyers will then be shown within the Women's Clothing Product Finder the option of searching for all Clothing items for their size type. This new development was a direct result of community feedback and allows buyers to browse all items in their size group without having to choose a particular type of clothing first.

Regards,
The eBay team
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***Changes to the Feedback system***

30 January 2008 | 09:19AM EST


Feedback is evolving

Feedback on eBay is an essential ingredient to building trust and having a positive trading experience. The current system has been in place since eBay began 12 years ago and was intended to provide a simple, honest and accurate record of members' experiences.

We’ve made adjustments to the system over the years to try to improve its accuracy, including the addition last year of anonymous Detailed Seller Ratings, but as eBay has grown, we feel the Feedback system is no longer working as well as it could - it’s time for it to evolve.

So what are the changes?

  • Repeat feedback credit – coming in February
    Members will receive credit for multiple feedback from the same buyer or seller for purchases made in different calendar weeks (Monday though Sunday).

This is great news for sellers. If you deliver great customer service – and it shows through repeat buyers – your feedback score will reflect this.

  • Feedback percentage – coming in May
    The feedback percentage which calculates a member’s percentage of positive feedback will be based on the last 12 months only (not a member’s lifetime transactions as it is today).

  • No negative or neutral feedback for buyers - coming in May
    Sellers will not be able to leave negative or neutral feedback for buyers. Of course sellers will have the option to not leave any feedback if they feel the buyer has not warranted positive feedback.

We know this is a huge change and it’s important we put appropriate protection in place for sellers so that buyers don’t abuse the system. With this in mind, we're also introducing these changes in May:
  • All negative and neutral feedback comments will be removed (not just de-scored) when a buyer doesn’t respond to the Unpaid Item Dispute (UPI) process.

  • All negative and neutral feedback comments left by suspended members will be removed. This will be done retroactively, so all negative and neutral feedback left by suspended members in the past will also be removed.

  • Buyers will not be able to leave negative or neutral feedback within 3 days of the end of a listing. We expect this will help promote communication between the buyer and seller so they try to resolve their issues before leaving feedback.

  • The number of days a member can leave feedback by will be reduced from 90 to 60.

  • Sellers will have an increased block bidder list capacity (up to 5000 User IDs).

These and many other changes were announced today on eBay.com in a “Message from Bill Cobb”.

It is important to note that other changes in the eBay.com announcement are NOT currently scheduled to launch on eBay.com.au.

Regards,
The eBay team


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***Scheduled maintenance ***

24 January 2008 | 01:56PM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 15:00 AEDST to 19:00 AEDST on Friday 25 January. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay team
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***Queensland - Trading Advice***

22 January 2008 | 10:01AM EST


As you are most likely aware, almost two thirds of Queensland has been effected by rising flood waters. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to everyone impacted.

Communication, postage, and other buying and selling activities may be temporarily interrupted by these floods, so we ask that you be patient if you have any trading partners in the affected areas.

Regards,
The eBay team
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***Scheduled maintenance ***

17 January 2008 | 10:03AM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 15:00 AEDST to 19:00 AEDST on Friday 18 January. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay team
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***Consumer Product Safety - Remote Control Cars***

11 January 2008 | 02:34PM EST


eBay has been contacted by Customs Australia and advised of concerns regarding several models of remote control cars manufactured in China that may contain asbestos brakes.

eBay takes the sale of items containing hazardous materials very seriously and is currently working closely with Customs to identify and remove listings involving affected models. eBay is monitoring the site in an effort to stop further such items from being listed.

Currently, the following models have been identified:

  • 1:10 Scale 4WD Speed Sonic 2005 RC Car Model 94102
  • 1:10 Scale HSP Atomic Warhead Nitro Buggy Models 94105 and 94106
  • 1:10 Scale 2007 Hi-Speed Nitro/Gas Tyrannosaurus Monster Truck Model 94108
  • 1:10 Scale Gas Powered RC Car Model Frc-10
  • 1:10 Scale Gas Powered 4WD RC Truck Model Frc-08

If you have purchased any of these specific models of remote control cars or are concerned about a similar item you have bought, you can visit www.workershealth.com.au/facts001.html for information on asbestos and contact the Environmental Protection Agency in your state for advice on next steps.

Queensland - www.epa.qld.gov.au
SA - www.epa.sa.gov.au
Victoria - www.epa.vic.gov.au
NSW & ACT - www.epa.nsw.gov.au
WA - www.epa.wa.gov.au
Tasmania - www.environment.tas.gov.au
NT - www.nt.gov.au

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Scheduled maintenance ***

10 January 2008 | 01:58PM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 15:00 AEDST to 19:00 AEDST on Friday 11 January. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay team
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***Unlimited half price listings* for 4 days starting Friday 11th January***

10 January 2008 | 10:42AM EST


It's time to clear out your cupboards and sell any of those unwanted Christmas gifts! Remember one member’s trash is another member’s treasure!

eBay.com.au is offering unlimited half price listings* for 4 days from this Friday 11th January 2008 on auction and fixed price formats when PayPal is offered as a payment method.

*Final value fees will still apply as do certain terms and conditions. Full details of eBay’s fees can be found at http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/sell/fees.html.

Happy new year
The eBay team

The PayPal service is provided by PayPal Australia Pty Limited (ABN 93 111 195 389) which holds an Australian Financial Services Licence, number 304962. You should consider the Product Disclosure Statement before deciding to sign-up for or use the PayPal online payment service at https://www.PayPal.com.au
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***February changes to the Cars, Bikes, Boats categories***

08 January 2008 | 03:44PM EST


As announced in December, eBay.com.au is making additional changes to the Cars, Bikes, Boats categories in mid February. The changes will impact the following categories:

Cars
As advised in December, car makes and models can continue to be classified in item specifics /product finder but to reduce duplication within the listing and finding process, the new Cars structure will be:

Cars

    Collector Cars
    Passenger Vehicles
    Restoration, Salvage
Please note that all current make and model categories will be combined to the new ‘parent’ category “Passenger Vehicles” [35227] so any recurring listings need to be edited to reflect the new category number.

Car Parts, Accessories
The various Car Parts, Tuning, Performance Parts, Audio and Accessories categories have all been combined to make it easier for buyers to find their items. The Car Parts category will no longer be divided into individual car makes. Keyword searches can be easily conducted for any particular make / model within the new Car Parts, Accessories category, allowing buyers to search across all car parts at once, rather than having to search in a number of individual categories. The new structure also makes it easier to find universal parts. The new structure will be:

Car Parts, Accessories

    Air Conditioning, Heating
    Air Intake, Fuel Delivery
    Audio, Video
    Brakes
    Cleaning, Car Care
    Cooling Systems
    Decals, Badges, Detailing
    Engines, Components
    Exhausts
    Exterior
    Filters
    Gaskets
    Gauges
    Glass
    Ignition, Charging
    Interior
    Lights, Indicators
    Navigation, GPS
    Number Plates
    Performance Parts
    Safety, Security
    Suspension, Steering
    Tools
    Transmission
    Wheels, Tyres
    Wholesale, Bulk Lots
    Other Car Parts, Accessories
Please note that all current make and model categories will be combined into the “Other Car Parts, Accessories” [6763] parent category and will need to be edited to be aligned with the new category structure. A full list of all new categories and their numbers will be posted on the eBay Motors Discussion Board soon.

Clothing, Merchandise, Media
The various clothing, automobilia, merchandise, manuals and media categories will all be moved under this new category.

Clothing, Merchandise, Media

    Aircraft
    Boats
    Cars, Trucks
      Advertising Collectables
      Badges, Posters, Patches
      Clothing, Accessories
      Media
      Novelties, Keyrings
      Oil Company Collectables
      Replicas, Scale Models

    Motorcycles
      Clothing, Accessories
      Keyrings, Novelties
      Scale Models, Replicas
      Stickers

Motorcycle Parts, Accessories
Motorcycle Parts and Motorcycle Accessories will be moved under this new category.

Motorcycle Parts, Accessories

    Bags
    Bike Parts
    Classic, Vintage Parts
    Covers, Protectors
    Decals, Stickers
    Key Chains
    Locks
    Scooter Parts

Feedback, comments and suggestions regarding this new structure are welcome. Please email the Finding Team at aucategory@ebay.com or post to the Motors Discussion Board: http://forums.ebay.com.au/forum.jspa?forumID=20

Regards,
The eBay team
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***NSW North Coast and Queensland South Coast - Trading Advice***

08 January 2008 | 03:44PM EST


As you are most likely aware, severe storms and floods hit the North Coast of NSW and South Coast of Queensland late last week.

Our thoughts and best wishes go out to everyone impacted. Communication, postage, and other buying and selling activities may be temporarily interrupted by these storms, so, we ask that you be patient if you have any trading partners in the affected areas.

Regards,
The eBay team
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***Scheduled maintenance ***

20 December 2007 | 12:08PM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 15:00 AEDST to 19:00 AEDST on Friday 21 December. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay team
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***Changes to the Cars, Bikes, Boats categories***

17 December 2007 | 04:54PM EST


In mid January, ebay.com.au will be making changes to the Cars, Bikes & Boats categories. The changes allow for more comprehensive classification and will help you find items faster. Several new categories have also been created to meet community demand.

The following structure (with category numbers) will be in place in mid January:

Cars, Bikes, Boats [9800]

    Aircraft [158320]
    Automobilia [29707]
    Boats, Watercraft [72535]
    Caravans, RVs [158346]
    Cars [29690]
    Car Accessories, Tuning [29692]
    Car Audio, Video, Electronic [3270]
    Car Manuals [29698]
    Car Parts [72364]
    Turbo, Performance Parts [43806]
    Motorcycle Accessories [33341]
    Motorcycle Apparel [32076]
    Motorcycle Parts [35228]
    Motorcycles [32073]
    Pocket Bikes, Go Karts [158321]
    Trailers [9882]
    Trucks, Commercial Vehicles [158348]
    Other Cars, Bikes, Boats [32636]

Cars category – new structure

    Cars [29690]
    Collector Cars [101893]
    Passenger Vehicles [35227]
    Restoration, Salvage [130628]

No categories will remain for the various Car Manufacturers and Makes. You should use the Item Specifics / Product Finder to narrow your options to specific makes and models.

Boats category – new structure

    Charter Boat Hire [158323]
    Inflatable, Semi-Inflatable [102699]
    Personal Watercraft [72536]
    Power Boats [158324]
    Sail Boats [158335]
    Other Boats [33342]

The current categories of Fishing Boats [102698]; Power, Motor, Ski, Race [102700]; Sailboats, Yachts [102701] will be combined into Other Boats [33342] in mid January.

Farm Equipment – this will be combined into Tractors, Heavy Machinery [105816] within the Business, Industrial category.

For comments or further suggestions, email eBay at aucategory@ebay.com (please note this is a read-only email address).

Regards,
The eBay team
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***New expanded search***

13 December 2007 | 04:45PM EST

eBay Australia has made changes to increase the relevance of your search results. Until recently search results relied on a precise match of keywords in the item title. Now, clever new algorithms mean the system can automatically link certain keywords within categories.

For example, a search for AFL in the Sports category will show everything listed within that category related to AFL, instead of only the 30% of listings which include the precise keyword "AFL" in the title.

As part of the changes, similar rules for plurals, misspelt words and synonyms have also been updated, so if you search for "tees" for example the results will show you all "tee shirts", "t-shirts", "tee-shirts", "t shirts", "tee", "t-shirt" etc.

If you have a suggestions for mapping keywords in search, let us know at aucategory@ebay.com.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Introducing: shopping on eBay.com.au for guests***

12 December 2007 | 09:30AM EST

Have you ever felt that you were missing out on sales from non-members? Now non-members can shop as a guest.

Guest Buying allows new buyers to purchase and pay for up to five items on eBay.com.au without registering.

Here's how it works:
  • Guest buyers will be able to use Buy It Now to purchase eligible Fixed Price and Store Inventory items.
  • Guest buyers need to complete their payment through PayPal, or through a Visa or MasterCard.
Eligible items must meet the following criteria:
  • The seller must have a premier or business PayPal account in order to accept credit card payments through PayPal.
  • Postage costs must be specified on the listing. (ie sellers must state how much postage is)
  • The seller must qualify for PayPal Buyer Protection.
  • The item price must be less than $3,000. (excluding shipping and handling)
  • Guest buyers must use eBay's checkout system. Third-party checkout will not be supported at this time.
Can Guest Buyers leave feedback?

As a Guest Buyer you cannot leave Feedback. Feedback may only be left by registered eBay members. You will have an opportunity to register as an eBay member when you complete checkout as a Guest Buyer. Then you'll be able to use all the same features and programs our current buyers do, such as Feedback, My eBay, PayPal Buyer Protection, access to Customer Support, discussion boards and more.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Grab your share of the Christmas rush - 4 days of free fixed price listings!***

10 December 2007 | 03:15PM EST

From Tuesday 11 December to Friday 14 December fixed price listings are free when you offer PayPal as a payment method.

It's that time of year when Christmas shopping starts to get a little frantic, which means that it's a great time to be a seller on eBay.

To ensure buyers receive their gifts in time for Christmas, list using fixed price and PayPal to speed up the purchase and payment so items are sent without delay.

*Final value fees will still apply as do certain terms and conditions. Full details of eBay’s fees can be found here.

Happy Xmas The eBay team

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Scheduled maintenance ***

06 December 2007 | 12:53PM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 15:00 AEDST to 19:00 AEDST on Friday 7 December. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay team
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***Christmas Discussion Board***

05 December 2007 | 03:36PM EST


It's almost here again - Christmas is just around the corner!

Each year we set up a discussion board for you to share some Christmas cheer with your fellow eBay members and this year is no exception.

Share your favourite recipes, seek advice on decorating your home or perhaps you'd like some tips on buying the perfect Christmas gift? Maybe you have a funny Christmas tale to tell? As long as it's related to Christmas, the holidays, the silly season or New Year, this is the board to visit!

So come and spread some joy on the Christmas Discussion Board.

Happy holidays
The eBay team.
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***New features for Markdown Manager ***

30 November 2007 | 10:54AM EST


Earlier this year we introduced Markdown Manager, a free tool for eBay Stores subscribers that allows sellers to put Fixed Price and Store Inventory items "on sale."

We would now like to tell you about two enhancements we've made to this popular feature in time for the holiday season.

Email Marketing with Markdown Manager
We've recently integrated Seller Email Marketing into Markdown Manager. Email is one of the most effective ways to let your buyers know about items that have been marked down, and now you can choose to automatically send an email to your subscribers whenever you start your sale.

Adding a filter for "Sale" items in search
Since the launch of Markdown Manager, buyers have asked us for easier ways to find sale items. This week we've added a "Sale items" filter to the Search Options section on the left-hand side of search results (in the drop-down menu under More Buying Options). Buyers using this filter will see items from eBay Stores sellers that are on sale through Markdown Manager.

We hope these enhancements will help increase your sales this holiday season – and afterwards!

Happy shopping
The eBay team


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***Scheduled maintenance ***

29 November 2007 | 04:56PM EST


The eBay system will be undergoing general maintenance from approximately 15:00 AEST to 19:00 AEST on Friday 30 November. During this maintenance period, certain eBay site features may be intermittently unavailable or slow.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Scheduled Maintenance: eBay Discussion Boards, Answer Centre and Cafe ***

29 November 2007 | 04:56PM EST


LiveWorld will be doing maintenance on their systems from approximately 15:00 AEST to 19:00 AEST on Friday 30 November. This means that eBay's Community forums (Answer Centre, Discussion boards and Australia Cafe) may be unavailable or slow during this time.

If you are unfamiliar with these areas, we invite you to visit them by clicking "Community" from the eBay navigation bar at the top of any eBay page.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***New postage calculator now available***

27 November 2007 | 12:05PM EST


We’re very excited to announce that the eBay Postage Calculator is now live on www.ebay.com.au. Calculated Postage is a free and simple-to-use feature that allows you to easily include postage costs in your listings.

Calculated Postage will allow you to:

  • Automatically calculate and display accurate Australia Post domestic and international postage costs in the item listing and eBay search results, based on the buyer's location;
  • Research domestic and international Australia Post postal services and costs, based on your item’s weight, dimensions, and location.

Calculated Postage will help you:

  • Increase sales. Listings that include calculated postage costs are more likely to end in a sale.
  • Improve efficiency. The need to manually research and calculate postage costs is eliminated.
  • Save time. Emails from buyers about postage costs will be reduced.
  • Speed up checkout. Pre-filled postage details make it easy and quick for buyers to checkout.
  • Build customer loyalty. Up-front, accurate postage costs enhance the buyer’s experience, building trust and chances of repeat purchases.

The calculator is now available in the postage section of the Sell Your Item form. It will also be available when you download the latest version of Turbo Lister very soon.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Win everyday for 12 Days***

19 November 2007 | 05:45PM EST

Join in the fun of eBay's 12 days of Christmas and you could win one of 82 prizes, worth $50,000 in total.

Over the next 12 days, we'll announce an activity every day at 9 am AEDST here so make sure you check in daily for your chance to win.

There are all sorts of goodies up for grabs including iPods, cameras, an iMac and loads of PayPal vouchers.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Misleading and Discouraging Payment policy***

16 November 2007 | 05:21PM EST

eBay is now enforcing the Misleading and Discouraging Payment policy. This policy is in place to allow buyers to bid on or buy a listed item knowing what payment options are available to them up front, and what buyer protection may be applicable to that transaction.

Sellers who state in their listing that they accept certain payment methods must not selectively offer those payment methods to buyers. In addition, sellers must not discourage buyers from using any of the payment methods offered in the seller’s listing.

Examples:
1. A seller offering PayPal cannot say it’s available for international purchases only.
2. A seller who accepts credit card payments cannot say that they only accept them for items over a certain value.
3. A seller who accepts cheques must make it clear that the cheque needs to be accepted by an Australian bank or they must restrict sales to Australia only.

Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions, including:
- Listing cancellation
- Forfeiting eBay fees on cancelled listings
- Limits on account privileges
- Loss of PowerSeller status
- Account suspension

PayPal may also take action against sellers, in accordance with its User Agreement and applicable policies.

You can read the Misleading and Discouraging Payment policy here.

Regards,
The eBay Team
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***Exclusive to Power Sellers - 3 days of free* auction listings***

16 November 2007 | 05:01PM EST

From Sunday 18 November to Tuesday 20 November eBay is offering free* auction listings for auctions starting at 99c or less AND if you choose to add the Buy It Now feature then that's free too!

This promotion is exclusive to eBay Power Sellers but remember you must be a Power Seller at the time you list to qualify.

eBay's latest campaign – the 12 days of Christmas – will be ushering buyers to the site to get all their holiday goodies so make sure you take advantage by listing your stock on eBay in time for the rush… and make the most of the 3 free* listing days.

* Free insertion and free BIN feature fees for auction listings starting at 99c or less. All other eBay fees including listing upgrades, final value fees, format fees, subscription fees and PayPal fees apply as normal. Terms and conditions apply. View full details of eBay’s fees. Happy listing The eBay team

Regards,
The eBay Team
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