John McDonald

After my announcement, we received questions and concerns from sellers about this change. At eBay Live!, our staff made it clear we would be going back to reconsider some aspects of the policy around how third-party links would be treated.

As promised, we’ve been reviewing all the different types of situations that our sellers have brought to our attention, and we’ve been meeting with additional stakeholders to understand how our policy update would impact them. After this additional research and discussion, we’ve decided to leave our Links Policy as is. There will be no Links Policy updates at this time.

I want to thank our sellers for your support and patience around this matter.

Sincerely,

John McDonald
Senior Director, Trust & Safety

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John Canfield

We built our strategy around three distinct layers of protection:

Preventing fraudulent accounts. Our first priority is to stop fraudsters from being able to operate on the site in the first place. Stronger verification of new sellers allows us to know our sellers better and makes it harder for fraudsters to open new accounts. Anti-phishing efforts, including our alliance with Yahoo! and recent announcement with Google, block phishing e-mails before they arrive in users' inboxes. Finally, trusted selling with identity confirmation, which will be fully implemented later this summer, prevents account take-overs by requiring anyone attempting to list an item from an "unknown" computer to go through identity confirmation.

Removing fraud visibility. Next, if fraudsters manage to get hold of an account, we make it unlikely that their fraudulent listings will become visible to the Community. We do this in three primary ways.

1) In April 2007, we announced that items most favoured by fraudsters would not be visible in search for a number of hours. During those few hours, our fraud detection algorithms and investigators in our over 2,000-plus Trust & Safety team, work to stop fraudsters and their listings before they ever become visible to the community. In the 15 months since that announcement, we have reduced fraud visibility by over 80%, and we're working to reduce exposure for this type of fraud even further.

Your community reports of potential fraudulent listings help us to identify additional problems, as well as help us to improve our algorithms. We appreciate the many members who contribute their support by reporting suspicious listings to us.

2) In March 2008, we expanded the use of anonymized bidder IDs to all auction-style listings. This project, known as the Safeguarding Member IDs initiative, protects under-bidders from fake (fraudulent) Second Chance Offer requests and other malicious spoof email. As a result of this initiative, fake Second Chance Offer volume has declined by over 90%. We're pleased with these results and the increased protection for our Community that they signify. (For more information, see "Safeguarding User IDs" in Help: Protecting Your Privacy.)

3) In order to further secure our listings against malicious content, we will roll out controls on "active" user-generated content in early 2009 that will provide rich user experience through eBay-approved secure widgets and mark-up language. (Stay tuned for more information from eBay and your Certified Providers on this subject.)

Ensuring safer transactions. Lastly, should fraudsters obtain a fraudulent account and get visibility for their fraudulent listings, we have safeguards in place to thwart them in their attempts to convince buyers to pay using an unsafe payment method. Our Accepted Payments policy requires that new sellers and listings for higher-risk items accept safe electronic payment methods only. (For more details, please read our January 2008 announcement.) Fraudsters can also attempt to use e-mail to coax buyers into unsafe, off-eBay transactions, even before the auction closes. To counter this, we recently announced Safer member-to-member email via anonymous email forwarding, which keeps pre-sale communications safe on eBay and keeps the buyers' e-mail address anonymous and protected. (For details, read our June 2008 announcement.) As a reminder, if you ever suspect that an email you receive isn't legitimate, make sure to forward it to us at spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com.

I hope this helps give you a better sense of how all the safety initiatives fit into our overall strategy -- and I hope that the results I've shared illustrate for you how these efforts are truly making a difference.

On that note, while the Trust & Safety teams here have been working hard to make security and safe transactions as seamless and automatic as possible to our Community, your safe practices play an important role as always. All buyers and sellers should know that paying with PayPal is the number one way to protect yourself against fraud. For additional tips on how to protect yourself from spoof and phishing emails, check out the eBay Security & Resolution Centre, the PayPal Security Centre and take PayPal's Fight Phishing Challenge.

Stay tuned for more news on our progress as the year goes on.

Sincerely,

John Canfield
Senior Director, Trust & Safety

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• Bright Starts ring rattles due to a choking hazard
• It’s My Binky’s personalized pacifiers due to a choking hazard

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This issue is now resolved. Thank you for your patience.

Regards,
eBay

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Please read eBay's Accepted Payments policy to learn more about the types of conditions under which PayPal or another safer electronic payment method may be required.

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Andrew Sloss

For the last few months, we have been testing Best Match in all categories on eBay.ca in English. (Best Match is the new sort feature that gives buyers another way to organize their search results, helping them more quickly find what they are looking for.)

As we've mentioned in earlier updates, we have been giving higher priority to domestic items in search. Previously, we were limited to promoting items in search that were listed on eBay.ca. Canadian items listed on other sites - such as eBay.com - didn't receive the same consideration because of a technology limitation.

Enhancing Domestic Prioritization
I'm pleased to announce that we are now able to give higher priority in search to all Canadian items on eBay.ca - regardless of the site they were originally listed on. (Other criteria, such as price, shipping cost, DSRs and listing ending time, will continue to play a role in our Best Match algorithm. )

We will be testing this new functionality (which we call the "Item Location" factor) in select categories in the weeks ahead, and hope to see the same positive results that we've seen in the earlier phases of testing.

Just a reminder that if you prefer to use a different sort order in these categories (such as "Time: Ending Soonest"), you can change it by using the Sort By drop-down menu at the top of the search results. If you've already set your sort order preference using the "Customize Display" link (found to the right of the "Sort By" drop-down), you won't be affected by this test.

We look forward to sharing future results of our continued testing with you.

Sincerely,

Andrew Sloss
Country Manager

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Ira Grossman

I realize it has taken a long time, but I am pleased to let you know the issue on the eBay/PayPal shipping tool concerning Newfoundland as a “Ship From” province has been resolved.

Previously, users with a Newfoundland address who attempted to print a shipping label (with postage) on the eBay/PayPal shipping tool received an error message “The Ship From State or Province is not a valid state or province code”. Even though we all know Newfoundland is a valid province, it took quite a while for our system to recognize this. For this, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Thank you for your patience in dealing with this.

Sincerely,

Ira Grossman
Senior Manager, Shipping

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Kari Johnson

Here are a few highlights of what you'll find in The eBay Shop:

• A Fresh New Look. We've redesigned The eBay Shop to make it easier to find just what you’re looking for.
• New Products. We now carry over 125 brand-new products to choose from.
• International Shipping. By popular request, The eBay Shop will now ship to international destinations.
• Customization Options. Most merchandise can be customized with your User ID or Store name. It's a great way to build awareness of your business
• Bulk Orders. Need something in large quantities that you don't see in the shop? Contact customerservice@theebayshop.com to create a special order.

Sincerely,

Kari Johnson
The eBay Shop

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Ira Grossman

Back in May, we introduced the Canada Post-eBay Flat Rate Box to the eBay Community, with three convenient flat rates for your shipping needs: Regional and National (shipments within Canada) and USA (shipments to the United States).

We also launched the Flat Rate Box with limited time introductory pricing in effect until August 14, 2008. There's less than one month left to take advantage of the following discounted Flat Rate Box rates:

• Regional C$8.99 (10% savings off the regular rate of $9.99)
• National C$11.49 (10% savings off the regular rate of $12.99)
• USA C$15.99 (11% savings off the regular rate of $17.99)

Here are some helpful Flat Rate Box links:
To order Flat Rate Boxes: http://stores.ebay.ca/CanadaPostFlatRateBox
To print a Flat Rate Box shipping label through eBay/PayPal: http://pages.ebay.ca/flatratebox/faq.html#postage
To learn more about the Flat Rate Box: http://pages.ebay.ca/flatratebox/faq.html

For those of you already using the Flat Rate Box, or for those of you who have yet to try it, I encourage you to ship your items through August 14 to enjoy the 10% savings on regional and national Flat Rate Box shipments, and the 11% savings on Flat Rate Box shipments to the USA.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Sincerely,

Ira Grossman
Senior Manager, Shipping

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What are the fees? Insertion fees for Fixed Price listings will be 25¢. Listings created prior to July 16, 2008 which are scheduled to start during the promotional period July 16-29, 2008 will be eligible to receive the promotional rate.

What is excluded? This promotion does not apply to the following listing types: Auction-style listings, All eBay Motors listings including Passenger Vehicles, Parts & Accessories, Motorcycles, Power Sports, Other Vehicles, Real Estate, Ad Format and Store Inventory listings. The following business and industrial categories are excluded from the Insertion Fee Sale: tractors & farm machinery (91952), heavy equipment (25249), concession trailers, carts (67145), imaging and aesthetics equipment (92036), forklifts and other lifts (97185), manufacturing equipment (92080), metalworking equipment (92082) and commercial printing presses (26247).

The promotional rate does not apply to listings with a start date prior to July 16, 2008 - including those listings revised during the promotional period. The promotional rate also does not apply to listings created July 16-29, 2008 and scheduled to start after the promotion ends.

Click here to learn more
http://www.ebay.ca/promo/25CPROMO1608/

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The eBay Canada Entrepreneur of the Year awards recognize ambitious and hardworking members who run a successful small business on eBay.

eBay Canada's Entrepreneur of the Year Award is open to eBay small business owners in Canada who sell full-time and part-time and who meet the eligibility criteria below. The winner of this title wins $5,000!

To celebrate the fourth year of the awards program, eBay is excited to announce three additional categories in addition to the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Each of the following titles wins $2,000!

eBay Canada's Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award - Open to eBay small business owners in Canada who are between the ages of 18 and 24.

eBay Canada's Mompreneur of the Year Award - Open to eBay small business owners in Canada who are also parents, and who use eBay full or part-time as a way to balance their entrepreneurial instincts (and their pocket books) with their family life.

eBay Canada's Enviropreneur of the Year Award - Open to eBay small business owners in Canada who have adopted "green" practices while selling on eBay in an effort to minimize their environmental footprint.

Think you got what it takes to be the next eBay Canada Entrepreneur of the Year? Enter today!

To qualify for entry, eligible members must meet the following criteria:

1. Achieve a minimum of $1,000 CAD in sales per month on eBay.ca/eBay.com or the sites combined
2. Post a minimum of ten listings per month one eBay.ca/eBay.com or the sites combined
3. Have at least 98% positive feedback

To enter, click here or visit www.ebay.ca/entrepreneurs for more information.


* All prizes awarded in Canadian dollars, and deposited into the winner's valid PayPal account.

Winners will be announced during Canadian Small Business Week in October.

Good luck,

eBay Canada

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• Bayside Furnishings recalls Youth Bed Toy Chest (sold at Costco) due to strangulation hazard
• Parragon Books recalls The Magical Ballet Shoes charm necklace due to high levels of lead
• Faded Glory Lip Gloss, Locket, and Bracelet sets recalled due to high levels of lead
• Action Products recalls Children's Charm Craft Kits due to high levels of lead

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Scott Shipman

• New Catalogue Services. The agreement’s Content and Liability sections have been revised to accommodate new features that may give sellers catalogues of content and product descriptions, so they can easily include complete and up-to-date product information for the items they list.
• Late Payment Withdrawal From PayPal After 180 Days Past Due. The vast majority of our sellers settle their balances on time or before 180 days. eBay may resort to a PayPal withdrawal for overdue eBay fees only after the balance has been overdue 180 days and our other collection efforts have been unsuccessful. We believe this helps level the playing field for the rest of the sellers who pay their bills. Should eBay withdraw late fees, this will not alter the status of a seller’s PayPal account or funds remaining after the withdrawal.

• Combating Fraud. We're increasing our efforts to combat fraud on the site with a variety of programs. We've made some changes that allow us to address "Ask a Question" and "My Messages" spam and other malicious activities using our message systems, or to better authenticate you if you’re using an unfamiliar computer to prevent fraudsters from abusing your account. We're also making sure our disclosures about cooperating with law enforcement allow us to respond to increasingly sophisticated fraudsters and criminals.
• Streamlining Services. We've heard your comments about how many steps it takes to complete a transaction or get customer support where multiple eBay companies are involved. We’ve made some changes to our Disclosure section that will help make your experience across all eBay platforms as seamless as we can make it. These changes will allow our Customer Support team to help you with questions that span our companies, and streamline your use of the services provided by multiple members of the eBay corporate family. Some of our new programs also mean you'll see eBay services and content in a lot of places (not just on the site), so we've made some changes to clarify where our policies apply.
• Customizing Your eBay Experience. We're rolling out programs and working with partners that help make our sites and services, and some of the ads you see on the web, more relevant and useful to you. Naturally, because we're a transparent community, we provide you with choices about these programs. You’ll notice a new preference now available in My eBay—named AdChoice—that lets you tell us whether you want us to use the information we have about you to customize the ads you see. You'll be able to sign in and change your advertising preferences in My eBay at any time. You'll see links on the ads we serve this way, so you'll know an ad is served with the new program and be able to set your preferences right from the ad. In some cases, we may also use information from other companies to select the right audiences for our promotions. In the revised Privacy Policy, you’ll see a new Marketing section that describes in more detail our collection and use of information for these and all our marketing programs.

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Who is included? All Canadian resident users who list their items in Auction Format or Fixed Price on eBay.ca and specify shipping (Shipping costs have to be specified on the Sell Your Item form within the "Give buyers shipping details" section or the equivalent Turbo Lister, Selling Manager, Selling Manager Pro or any third party auction listing tool) will be eligible for the promotion. Items listed in two categories will receive the 5¢ promotional fee for each category.

What is excluded? Buy It Now upgrade, Motor Vehicles, Business and Industrial Capital Equipment, Store Inventory Format, Real Estate Auction Format listings and Real Estate Ad Format listings will not be included in this promotion. The promotional rate does not apply to listings revised during the promotional period. The promotional rate also does not apply to listings created during the promotion July 7, 2008, but scheduled to start after the promotion ends.


Click here to learn more
http://pages.ebay.ca/promo/5CP0707/

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Who is Included? All Canadian resident users who list their vehicles on eBay.ca Motors will be eligible for the promotion. Items that do not match these criteria will be subject to an account-level debit for the full insertion fee amount. Items re-listed that match the above eligibility will qualify for the promotion.

What is excluded? Items listed in Non-Motors categories, Motors Parts & Accessories, Pocketbikes, Powersport Vehicles under 50cc, Business and Industrial Capital Equipment, Store Inventory Format and Real Estate Ad Format listings will not be included in this promotion. Items listed on the U.S. eBay Motors site or items listed by a user who is not a resident of Canada will be excluded. The promotional rate does not apply to listings that begin before the promotional period, but are revised during the promotional period to meet eligibility. The promotional rate also does not apply to listings created during the promotion on July 6-12, but scheduled to start after the promotion ends.


Click here to learn more
http://www.ebay.ca/promo/MOTFLW0806/

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David Pride

We want you, our customers, to understand how much we do behind the scenes to stop counterfeits from ever making their way onto our sites (see eBay Against Counterfeits and eBay VeRO for more information). We've invested millions of dollars into combating the problem of counterfeits. In 2007 alone, across all eBay sites around the world, we removed over 2 million potentially counterfeit listings, and we suspended over 50,000 sellers whom we believed may have been attempting to sell fake goods.

In fact, our efforts to remove counterfeits from our site - often before anyone is able to see them, let alone buy them - are recognized by 18,000 manufacturers whom we successfully work with to combat counterfeiters.

While recognizing the importance of fighting counterfeits, we do not agree with overly broad attempts to protect uncompetitive commercial practices of authentic items at the expense of consumer choice. This threatens the livelihood of our law-abiding sellers and the ability of our buyers to get great deals. Overzealous implementation of restrictive sales practices are anti-competitive and give you, our buyers and sellers, a bad deal. This is recognized by European Union policy-makers who are seeking to create a better framework for online sales to promote e-commerce in Europe.

For sellers: Be certain that your item is authentic
Sellers who list items that are popular targets for counterfeiters must be certain that their items are authentic. Sellers should not purchase from unknown distributors and should beware of prices too good to be true, or of suspiciously large volumes of available items.

Also, please know eBay has a variety of safeguards in place to protect the marketplace from counterfeits, and occasionally good sellers with legitimate items will be slowed down by these restrictions. We recognize this can be inconvenient for some sellers, and we appreciate your continued support in this very important matter.

eBay will continue to fight against counterfeits, but we will not accept outdated attempts to restrict unfairly the Internet to the detriment of our Community. We will continue to fight for consumer value through e-commerce, and we will be appealing the ruling in France.

David Pride
Vice President, eBay Trust & Safety

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• 2nd Nature Built to Grow Cribs recalled due to entrapment hazard
• Thunder Wolf remote controlled indoor helicopters recalled due to risk of fire
• Coolibar Sun Block jackets and hoodies recalled due to strangulation hazard
• Taggies Sleep'n Play infant garments recalled due to choking hazard
• Redcat Racing FM remote controlled vehicles recalled due to remote control defect
• Hayes Bicycle SunRinglé Hollow Quick Release Devices recalled due to fall hazard

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