eBay Solutions Finder
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 4th, from 12:00 PDT to 13:00 PDT. The eBay Solutions Finder is now available to help you find the right tools and services to grow your eBay business. Whereas the eBay Solutions Directory has been a one-stop resource full of tools and services, the new Solutions Finder walks you through a quick diagnostic process to help you find solutions that meet your specific needs. eBay Market Development Manager Laura Della Torre will talk about the Finder and how you can use it to find the right tools and services to grow your eBay business.

Fundamentals of Financial & Business Management
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 5th, from 10:00 PDT to 11:00 PDT. In this workshop, Greg Harrison, Founder and CTO of Mpire, will discuss the fundamentals of financial and business management for your eBay business. You’ll learn how Mpire can help you to determine profit and loss, track inventory, effectively use a chart of accounts and cash register to track your business expenses, and set a commission plan structure and tracking for consignors.

New Features in Selling Manager & Selling Manager Pro
This workshop will be held on Thursday, October 6th, from 11:00 PDT to 12:00 PDT. Do you have questions about the recent enhancements to Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro? Please join the eBay's Seller Tools team to learn how to use the new features and to ask any general questions about Selling Manager or Selling Manager Pro.

Feedback Manipulation
This workshop will be held on Friday, October 7th, from 11:00 PDT to 12:00 PDT. Feedback is the foundation of trust on eBay. Purchasing, selling or trading feedback undermines the integrity of the feedback system and decreases trust within the eBay marketplace. The new Feedback Manipulation policy, which replaces the Feedback Solicitation policy, enables us to take action against members when we identify a pattern of behavior consistent with feedback manipulation. Join Brian Burke, Senior Manager of eBay Marketplace Policy, to learn more about this policy change, how it will have a positive impact on the eBay marketplace, and to get answers to your questions about the policy.

Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board:

• Click on Community at the top of almost any eBay page
• Click on "Discussion Boards" in the "Connect" Section
• Click on "Workshops" underneath the category-specific boards on the right-hand side of the page
• This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

To view archived workshops or to learn more about future workshop events, please check our Workshop Calendar.

Want timely reminders about workshops? Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. Each notification will include the time and date, a brief description of the event, and a link to the discussion thread where the actual workshop will be held.

To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Everyone can preview the new home page, and soon a small sample of buyers and sellers will start seeing it when they visit www.ebay.com. The enhanced home page will require that you have Flash 7 installed within your browser.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

As the Community continues to grow and diversify, we want to give you more ways to interact with other members who share your interests. So I am pleased to let you know that we have now added 17 new discussion boards to our Community discussion area so you can meet and talk with other members.

Visit any of our new boards by clicking on the links below.

For those of you needing help to build your eBay business we've added the following discussion boards:

• Part-time eBay Sellers
• Building An eBay Business
• Buyer Central: Buying on eBay for Resale
• Accounting Assistant & Record Keeping

To give collectors a place to discuss a wide variety of era-based collectibles, we've added discussion boards for:

• Vintage
• Mid-Century/Modern
• Victorian/Edwardian
• Country/Rural Style
• Dollhouses and Miniatures
• One of a Kind & Collectible Edition Dolls & Figurines

For those interested in scrapbooking we've created a new Scrapbooking Discussion Board. And if you're looking to keep the little ones in style or find the best products for your child, we've added Handmade/Custom Clothing for Kids.

For members who want to talk about our recently-introduced Reviews & Guides, we've created the Reviews & Guides Discussion Board.

And finally, we've added eBay Friends From All Over for all of you who've made friends with other eBay members.

We hope to see you on our new boards!

Sincerely,

Rachel Makool
Director, Community Development

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Tune in to eBay Radio today, September 27, 2005 with your host Griff (Jim Griffith), Dean of eBay University, live from 11:00 to 13:00 PT. Guests this week include:

• Ryan Spoon, Associate Manager of Marketing for eBay, with news about an exciting new eBay feature - Reviews and Guides.
• Greg Isaacs, from the eBay Developers Program. Starting today, Greg will be with us each month to highlight a specific member of the eBay Developers Program.

Plus we'll have "The News" with Lee Mirabal, as well as the most important feature on eBay Radio: your calls! Call in during the show at 888-327-0061 (USA) or 001-858-623-0102 (Internationally) to talk with Griff and his guests or to ask a question and share your voice with the rest of the eBay Community. Remember, one lucky caller per week, selected at random, will receive an autographed copy of Griff's book, "The Official eBay Bible".

If you can't catch the live show you can always select and listen to any past eBay Radio broadcast, listed by topic and date, in the eBay Radio archives. Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

"Stop. Think. Click." – these three words sum up OnguardOnline.gov, a new site to help you guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer and protect your personal information. Launched today by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), OnGuardOnline.gov features tools and education about protection from Viruses, Spyware, Phishing/Spoofing, Identity Theft and other threats to online safety. The site includes tips, articles, videos and quizzes to help you become computer savvy.

eBay and PayPal are proud to support the FTC's efforts in helping people stay safe online. We encourage all eBay and PayPal users to visit OnGuardOnline.gov and share the educational resources with family, friends and colleagues. As a reminder, we want to highlight the following 7 tips on online safety which you can find on the eBay Security & Resolution Center, the PayPal Identity Protection Resource Area, and OnGuardOnline.gov:

1. Protect your personal information. It's valuable. If you are shopping online, don't provide your personal or financial information through a company's Website until you have checked for indicators that the site is secure and feel comfortable with its privacy policy.
2. Protect yourself from phishing/spoofing emails and Web sites. If you are suspicious about an email that claims to be from eBay or PayPal, and requests payment or other account information, report it by forwarding the email to spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com.
3. Use anti-virus software and a firewall, and update both regularly.
4. Be sure to set up your operating system and Web browser software properly, and update them regularly.
5. Protect your passwords.
6. Back up important files.
7. Learn who to contact if something goes wrong online.

I have invited the staff members of the FTC to join me and other members of the Trust & Safety team to conduct an "On Guard, Online" workshop on Wednesday, October 19th at 11 a.m. PT. This workshop will provide eBay and PayPal members the opportunity to the security of online transactions, and to learn more about how you can stay safe online. I look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

Dave Steer
Senior Manager, Trust and Safety, PayPal

Link to this announcement | Back to top

• US (www.ebay.com)
• eBay Motors (www.ebaymotors.com)

The promotion will start Tuesday, September 27, 2005 at 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second) and end on Thursday, September 29, 2005 at 23:59:59 PT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds).

During the Picture Manager two-week free trial:

First-time Picture Manager subscribers who sign up between September 27-29, 2005 will receive the first 14 days of their Picture Manager subscription for free. For full details on this promotion, please visit the Picture Manager two-week free trial promotion page.

We hope you enjoy the Picture Manager two-week free trial!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Item condition is an important piece of information for buyers, and we’ve found that listings with specified conditions are more likely to sell.

Soon we will extend the ability to list your item’s condition to more categories across the site. For details about how item condition will work in each category, please see our links below:

• Baby
• Clothing, Shoes & Accessories
• Home & Garden

Sellers using eBay listing tools (such as the Sell Your Item form or Turbo Lister) will be able to include this information in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will offer the item condition functionality in these categories.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Reviews
Most of us have been in the situation where we want to buy something like a digital camera, but would like to see what other people recommended before making the purchase. Now with reviews, you'll be able to see what other people said about many products on eBay – or write about them yourself! At first you'll be able to review many products in the Books, Movies, Cell Phones, Music, Digital Cameras, Games, Golf Clubs, PDAs, and Video Games categories (basically those that you can list using Pre-Filled Item Information). And as time goes on, we'll keep adding more and more categories and products that you can review.

So thinking about buying a new digital camera? Read what other eBay members think about different models. Just watched Toy Story 2 on DVD? Write a review to let others know your impressions. The eBay Community not only will create these reviews – they'll vote on their helpfulness, and the most popular reviews will reach “Top Review” status.

Guides
While reviews rate a specific product, you can write a guide about almost anything you want to share with other members. You can even include extra information like pictures and links within eBay. Have advice on how to start a coin collection? Want others to know which ‘80s movies are the greatest of all time? Write a guide and share your insights and knowledge. If you're a seller, write about your area of expertise to attract new interest. Similar to reviews, readers can search for guides on a certain topic area, and vote on whether they found it helpful. Plus, guides that are written by eBay (many of which have been able on the site for some time) will also be included here, marked with the eBay logo.

You can access Reviews & Guides at reviews.ebay.com; we'll add more links there as time goes on. Members who write Reviews & Guides can find theirs in My eBay, and can edit them at any time.

For more information about Reviews & Guides, please see our information page. We also hope you'll join us for a workshop about Review & Guides tomorrow, September 27, at 2:00pm PDT. To attend, please see our workshop thread.

Sincerely,

Matt Ackley
Senior Director, Marketing

Link to this announcement | Back to top

New Feedback System Change
This workshop will be held on Monday, September 26th, from 14:00 PDT to 15:00 PDT. As we recently announced, eBay now will begin removing all feedback from users who are indefinitely suspended within 90 days of their registration. Please join Brian Burke, Senior Marketplace Policy Manager, Amjad Hanif, Group Product Manager, Jon Logan, Product Manager, and other eBay staff to learn what this change to the Feedback system means, how it works, why we believe it's important for the Community, and what other changes are planned for the Feedback system. This session will be dedicated entirely to questions and feedback about this new Feedback system change.

Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board:

• Click on Community at the top of almost any eBay page
• Click on "Discussion Boards" in the "Connect" Section
• Click on "Workshops" underneath the category-specific boards on the right-hand side of the page
• This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

To view archived workshops or to learn more about future workshop events, please check our Workshop Calendar.

Want timely reminders about workshops? Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. Each notification will include the time and date, a brief description of the event, and a link to the discussion thread where the actual workshop will be held.

To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Hurricane Rita is expected to reach land within a day or two, and many people are evacuating ahead of the storm. As with those affected by Hurricane Katrina, our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the area. We also ask that you be patient and keep trying to communicate with any trading partners you may have in the Southeast United States.

For information on ways you can help those who need it, please see our eBay Giving Works page or visit our Natural Disaster & Relief Information discussion board.

Sincerely,

Rachel Makool
Director, Community Development

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Attend the Selling Basics course if you’re just getting started and learn about:

• Basic selling techniques
• How to create listings
• How to accept online payments with PayPal, and more.

Attend Beyond the Basics of Selling to take your sales to the next level and learn:

• Advanced selling techniques
• How to market your eBay listings
• What selling tools will save you time and increase sales, and more.

Register online for either site before 11:59pm PDT on September 30th and bring a friend for free!

Event Details for Anaheim, CA
Anaheim Marriott
700 West Convention Way
Anaheim, CA 92802

Event Details for Memphis, TN
Holiday Inn Select Memphis Airport
2240 Democrat
Memphis, TN 38141

Link to this announcement | Back to top

We've added a number of features to eBay Toolbar based on Community input, including:

• Gallery photo included in desktop alerts -– Now you'll see item photos when you receive desktop alerts.
• Item won/not won alert -– You can track the items you've won, or not won, from your desktop. You'll be alerted shortly after items that you're bidding on or watching end.
• Item sold/not sold alert -– You can also keep track of your sold and unsold items from your desktop. You'll see alerts on your desktop when your listings end.
• Ask Seller a Question alert -– Sellers will now be alerted when a buyer has a question pending.
• Second Chance Offer received alert -– Buyers will now be instantly notified when a seller makes them a Second Chance Offer on an item.
• Best Offer received/accepted alert -– Sellers will be alerted when a buyer makes a Best Offer on an item they are selling, and buyers will be alerted if a seller chooses to accept their Best Offer.

For more information, please visit the eBay Toolbar page.

Please note: eBay Toolbar requires Internet Explorer for Windows. Users of previous versions of eBay Toolbar will be prompted to upgrade to the new version.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Please visit our thread on the Photos & HTML board for more details and for information about the software installation process.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Enhancements to both Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro include:

• HTML emails -- You now have the option of using HTML-formatted emails for your post-transactions communications. This allows you to include rich content in your emails, such as your eBay Stores logo with a custom header at the top, a Pay Now Button, your invoice details, and merchandising information.
• Additional custom email templates -- You can now create multiple email templates, instead of just one.
• Stored email preferences -- Both Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro will now conveniently "remember" your latest email preferences, such as whether or not to send a copy of each email to yourself.

Enhancements to Selling Manager Pro only include:

• Automated listing rules -- You can create automated listing rules that fit your listing strategies. For example, you will now be able to set a rule that automatically relists additional items when your items sell, or set a rule that relists your unsold items (you decide how often). If they don't sell after that, you can have them automatically move to your eBay Store. Additionally, you will also be able to automate your Second Chance Offers from Selling Manager Pro.

To learn more about these new features, please visit the threads we've created on the Selling Manager discussion board and the Selling Manager Pro discussion board.

If you would like to receive an email when new eBay Selling Manager enhancements are introduced, join the eBay Seller Tools Group.

For more information on how these selling tools can help make selling on eBay easier, please visit the Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro pages.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

To display Feedback information once this feature is available:

• Click the "Customize Display" link above the listings on the right-hand side of any search results or listings page
• Check the "Display Feedback information" checkbox in the Display section
• Click on the Save button.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

I'm happy to say that the first phase of these changes -- removing all feedback from users who are indefinitely suspended within 90 days of registration -- is now live. Our belief is that members who are indefinitely suspended within 90 days of their registration were never truly members of the Community. Therefore, their feedback should not count.

These feedback changes are effective on all eBay sites.

To learn more about removing all feedback from users who are indefinitely suspended within 90 days of registration, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions. Our Trust and Safety team will also be available to answer your questions during our workshop on feedback changes on 26th September from 14:00-15:00 PDT.

Sincerely,
Brian Burke
Senior Marketplace Policy Manager

Link to this announcement | Back to top
	***Original: Update on Feedback System Changes Announced at eBay Live!***
	September 06, 2005 | 04:21PM PST/PT Brian Burke Hi… I'm Brian Burke, Senior Marketplace Policy Manager for Feedback. Earlier this year, at eBay Live! 2005, we announced a number of changes to eBay's feedback system that would be launched later in 2005. The response from the Community has been very positive, and I'm back to give you an update on our progress. It was our hope and expectation to launch all of these changes later this year. The good news is that we expect to launch three of the four changes, as scheduled, later this year. However, one change will be delayed until 2006. Let me give you a rundown of how we anticipate the feedback system changes to occur: Below are the changes that we expect to launch later this year: Removing all feedback from users who are indefinitely suspended within 90 days of registration. Later this month we will begin removing all feedback from members who are indefinitely suspended within 90 days of their registration. As discussed in my June 23 letter, our belief is that members who are indefinitely suspended within 90 days of their registration were never truly members of the Community. Therefore, their feedback should not count. Requiring new members to complete a tutorial before leaving neutral or negative feedback. In late November/early December we will begin requiring members who have 10 feedback or less to complete a brief tutorial before leaving their first neutral or negative feedback. In addition, we will be updating the current page all members see prior to leaving neutral or negative feedback. The updated page will emphasize the importance of communicating with your trading partner prior to leaving feedback. It will also urge members to make sure they have given their trading partner enough time to fulfill their obligations. Removing feedback ratings (not comments) left by buyers who don't participate in the Unpaid Item process for that item. In November we will begin automatically removing feedback ratings left by buyers who do not participate in the Unpaid Item process for that item. This means the rating (whether positive or negative) will not affect the recipient's feedback score. The feedback comment itself will remain and will include an administrative note from eBay indicating that the feedback rating was removed because the member did not participate in the Unpaid Item process. Removing feedback ratings (not comments) left by sellers who don't participate in the Item Not Received process. In order to remove feedback ratings left by sellers who do not participate in the Item Not Received processes we must first align the eBay and PayPal systems. Unfortunately, aligning the systems will take longer to complete than we had originally estimated. This component of the announced changes will be ready sometime in 2006. It was a difficult decision not to be able to launch the Item Not Received rating removal at the same time as the other changes. But we decided that the benefits of the other changes described above were too important to delay. I will keep you updated via our Announcement Board as we get closer to delivering each of these changes. Please also watch the Work shop Calendar for workshops on these Feedback changes. The first workshop, on removing all feedback from users who are indefinitely suspended within 90 days of registration, will be held on Monday, September 26th at 2.00 pm PDT on the Workshop board. During this workshop, we'll go into detail on this first phase of the feedback changes and answer your questions. We hope you can join us. Sincerely, Brian Burke Senior Marketplace Policy Manager
	Link to this announcement | Back to top

At eBay Live! I announced some policy improvements and new enforcement consequences. As part of our effort to make it easier for members to understand and comply with our policies, I also announced that we would create four new policy tutorials.

I'm pleased to announce that this week we are launching four new tutorials. Together with the Intellectual Property Rules and VeRO tutorial that we launched earlier this year, these tutorials will help you understand some of our most important policies.

These four new tutorials will help you understand the following policies better:

• Shill Bidding
• Feedback
• Search and Browse Manipulation (also known as keyword spamming)
• Fee Circumvention

Each tutorial is organized into three parts:

• Policy overview and examples
• A few questions to test your understanding of the policy, with explanations indicating why your answers are correct or incorrect
• A summary of key lessons

You'll be able to access these tutorials from the Feedback Forum and the Help pages for shill bidding, feedback, search and browse manipulation (also known as keyword spamming), fee circumvention, and Intellectual Property Rules and VeRO.

Next month, we will launch these tutorials on all our sites globally. Furthermore, in a few months we will require that members who repeatedly violate these policies take these tutorials in order to continue trading on the site.

Sincerely,

Matt Halprin
VP, Global Marketplace Policy Management

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Tune in to eBay Radio today, September 20, 2005 with your host Griff (Jim Griffith), Dean of eBay University, live from 11:00 to 13:00 PT. Guests this week include:

• Greg Cole, President of Bright Builders. Bright Builders makes HammerTap, software designed to help you find out what’s hot on eBay.
• PowerSeller and Trading Assistant Christopher Spenser, with tips about opening an eBay brick-and-mortar storefront.
• Stacey Zuniga of Unwired Buyer, a new free service that allows eBay bidders to bid over their cell phones.

Plus we'll have "The News" with Lee Mirabal, as well as the most important feature on eBay Radio: your calls! Call in during the show at 888-327-0061 (USA) or 001-858-623-0102 (Internationally) to talk with Griff and his guests or to ask a question and share your voice with the rest of the eBay Community. Remember, one lucky caller per week, selected at random, will receive an autographed copy of Griff's book, "The Official eBay Bible".

If you can't catch the live show you can always select and listen to any past eBay Radio broadcast, listed by topic and date, in the eBay Radio archives. Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

The promotion will start on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at 00:00:01 PDT (12:00 AM plus one second) and end on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 23:59:59 PDT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds). Listings created prior to September 20, 2005 that are scheduled to start during the promotional period (September 20-21, 2005) will be eligible for the promotional rate. Take advantage of this promotion to try Border with all your listings!

During the Border for a Quarter Promotion:

For auction-style, Fixed Price, Real Estate, and Ad Format (for those that will run for less than or equal to 30 days) listings, the fee for Border will be $0.25. This promotion will not apply to the following types of listings: International, Live Auction, Professional Services, Motors Vehicles and Non-vehicles, and Store Inventory listings. For full details about the promotion, please see our information page.

We hope you enjoy the Border for a Quarter promotion!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

During the eBay Motors Parts and Accessories 50¢ Insertion Fee sale:

For regular auction-style and Fixed Price Parts and Accessories listings with a starting price above $9.99 on the U.S. Motors site (www.ebaymotors.com), the insertion fee will be capped at $0.50. All insertion fees less than $0.50 will still be charged at the normal rate. For more information about insertion fees during this promotion, please click here. Listings created prior to September 20, 2005 that are scheduled to start during the promotional period (September 20, 2005) will be eligible to receive the promotional rate. Excluded are Vehicle listings, listings on international eBay sites, Live Auction listings, Professional Services and Store Inventory listings, and listings on www.ebay.com. For full details about the sale, please see our information page.

We hope you enjoy the eBay Motors Parts & Accessories 50¢ Insertion Fee sale!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

In the next week or so we're going to make the following changes:

For Sellers
Sellers will be able to create Favorite Searches within Want It Now to let you quickly see whether anyone is looking for an item you may have. Plus, you'll be able to choose to receive an email whenever a buyer creates a Want It Now post that matches your search criteria.

We've also heard from sellers that you'd like to know when one of your sales is a result of your listing being used as a response to a Want It Now post . So soon we'll also include a note in your End of Item email when your listing sells because of a bid from Want It Now.

For Buyers
When you finish creating a Want It Now post, you'll be shown items that are currently on eBay that may match what you're looking for.

We're also making a few general additions to Want It Now. We're going to add a “Report this post” link on all View Post pages to make it easier for you to let us know about posts that violate Want It Now policy, and to increase awareness about these rules, we'll show more policy information on the Post to Want It Now page.

Later this year we're planning on making more changes designed to help buyers describe the items they're looking for. These will include features such as giving buyers the ability to include pictures, and allowing sellers to ask questions about the desired item. I'll be back with more information about these changes as we get closer to launching them.

If you would like to learn more about Want It Now and these enhancements, please join us for the Want It Now Brown Bag Lunch on the Search discussion board on Thursday, September 29th.

Sincerely,

Susan Kim
Manager, Product Marketing

Link to this announcement | Back to top

• Microsoft Xbox 360
• Nintendo Game Boy Micro

We will also be updating the Item Specifics within the Accessories subcategory for Sony PSP by adding “Headphones” and “Skins” and removing “Card, Card Reader” and “Light”.

Item Specifics is an eBay feature that allows sellers to provide additional item details during the selling process. Buyers can then search using these item details, in addition to regular Title search and Description Search, thus finding these items more quickly and easily. 

If you list items through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister, Selling Manager) or the eBay API, Item Specifics will be available in mid-October.  If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Marketworks, Commerce Canyon , Channel Advisor, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will offer the Item Specifics changes in the above categories.

Please also check out Seller Central for further details on upcoming changes to Item Specifics. If you have any comments or suggestions about the changes to Item Specifics in this category, please email them to louis27@ebay.com and they will be considered for future enhancements.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

How the Design of Your Listing Can Increase Sales
This workshop will be held on Monday, September 19th, from 12:00 PDT to 13:00 PDT. Some sellers think that a professional or unique listing design is a low priority. But did you know that your listings' design and appearance directly affect how trustworthy, reputable, professional, and memorable buyers find you to be? Your listing makes or breaks your sale! Join Debbie Levitt of As Was, an eBay Certified Service Provider, as she explains how shoppers perceive the appearance of your listings and how to make them more compelling.

How to Increase Your Sales & Sell-Through with Andale Research
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, September 21st, from 14:00 PDT to 15:00 PDT. In this workshop, Crystal Wells-Miller, Community Manager of Andale, Inc., will discuss how to use Andale Research to increase your sales. Other topics to be discussed will include how to use Andale Research to select the best category for your item, the date and time to end your item for the best sell-through rate or best price, and much more.

Trading Assistants – Finding Clients Beyond the Consumer
This workshop will be held on Thursday, September 22nd, from 16:00 PDT to 17:00 PDT. You may already have consumers who hire you to sell for them on eBay, but what about local businesses, charities, and even local government? Come to this workshop and learn how to position your Trading Assistant services to customers beyond the consumer.

Understanding How Wholesalers Work
This workshop will be held on Friday, September 23rd, from 13:00 PDT to 14:00 PDT. Understanding how wholesalers actually function greatly improves your ability to work with them successfully. In this workshop, Chris Malta from Certified Solution Provider Worldwide Brands, Inc., will discuss how wholesale supply companies operate from an insider's point of view.

Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board:

• Click on Community at the top of almost any eBay page
• Click on "Discussion Boards" in the "Connect" Section
• Click on "Workshops" underneath the category-specific boards on the right-hand side of the page
• This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

To view archived workshops or to learn more about future workshop events, please check our Workshop Calendar.

Want timely reminders about workshops? Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. Each notification will include the time and date, a brief description of the event, and a link to the discussion thread where the actual workshop will be held.

To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

All of the recommended solutions are either eBay Certified Providers or eBay tools. Everything the Finder recommends is carefully screened and reviewed, so you can be confident that the recommendations are valid solutions for growing your eBay business.

Try it today – it's easy, it only takes a minute, and it might change the way you're doing business on eBay.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Soon we will extend the ability to list your item’s condition to more categories across the site. Categories receiving item condition include:

• Computers & Networking
• Consumer Electronics
• Cameras & Photo
• Cell Phones

Sellers using eBay listing tools (such as the Sell Your Item form or Turbo Lister) will be able to include this information in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will offer the item condition functionality in these categories.

We have started a thread on the Computers & Networking discussion board to provide more detail about the upcoming changes. To access the thread please click here.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Pre-Filled Item Information is an additional feature for sellers to easily add product information such as brand, type, model, waypoints, display, and more detailed specifications to their listing, along with a stock photo. Item Specifics are set automatically for listings using Pre-Filled Item Information.

If you list items through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister, Selling Manager) or the eBay API, Item Specifics and Pre-Filled Item Information will be available in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will offer the Item Specifics and Pre-Filled Item Information functionality in the above category.

We also encourage your to check out our Pre-Filled Item Information page for more information and Seller Central for details on upcoming changes to Item Specifics.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

For sellers, Item Specifics help make it easier to present a clean, well-organized description that clearly articulates important details that buyers want to see. Using Item Specifics is free and optional. For buyers, Item Specifics improves the ability to find the right item for a given application, and you'll be able to search for items using Item Specifics a few weeks later.

If you list items through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister, Selling Manager) or the eBay API, Item Specifics will be available in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will offer the Item Specifics functionality in the above categories.

We have started a thread on the Sports Cards, Memorabilia & Fan Shop discussion board to provide more detail about the upcoming changes. To access the thread please click here.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

• Redesign of the Printer Version page – This view is being reformatted to only include key information. For example, the Shipping and Payment sections will appear before the description, and Help text and links unrelated to printing will be removed.
• Summary Printer Version Page - An optional Summary version of the page will be available that will include all the key listing details except for the description.
• More Printer Version links - More links to the Printer Version page will be added under the “What else can I do?” heading on the item and bid confirmation pages, as well as other areas.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

• Downhill Skis
• Snowboards

For sellers, Item Specifics help make it easier to present a clean, well-organized description that clearly articulates important details that buyers want to see. Using Item Specifics is free and optional. For buyers, Item Specifics improves the ability to find the right item for a given application, and you'll be able to search for items using Item Specifics a few weeks later.

If you list items through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister, Selling Manager) or the eBay API, Item Specifics will be available in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will offer the Item Specifics functionality in the above categories.

We have started a thread on the Outdoor Sports discussion board to provide more detail about the upcoming changes. To access the thread please click here.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Plus, anyone who registers online before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, September 16th can bring a friend for free! For more information about this session and the classes offered, please see our original announcement directly below.

Link to this announcement | Back to top
	***Original: Attend eBay University in Miami, FL on September 17th***
	September 08, 2005 | 09:40AM PST/PT eBay University is coming to Miami, FL on Saturday, September 17th. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn all about selling on eBay from the experts - right in your hometown. Choose from one of the 3 courses below to get started selling, increase your sales, or build a business on eBay. Plus we'll have real-time translation offered in Spanish (traducción simultanea en español). Attend the Selling Basics course if you’re just getting started and learn about: Basic selling techniques How to create listings How to accept online payments with PayPal, and more. Attend Beyond the Basics of Selling to take your sales to the next level and learn: Advanced selling techniques How to market your eBay listings What selling tools will save you time and increase sales, and more. Attend eBay for Business if you want to turn your eBay operation into a business entity. This curriculum will discuss: Tax issues that can affect your business Operations and inventory management How to maximize your sales with Internet marketing How to find new sources of inventory, and much more. Register online before 11:59pm PDT on September 16th and bring a friend for free! Event Details September 17th, 2005 Hyatt Regency Miami 400 SE 2nd Avenue Miami, FL 33131
	Link to this announcement | Back to top

If you list items through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister, Selling Manager) or the eBay API, Item Specifics will be available in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will offer the Item Specifics functionality in the above categories.

We also encourage your to check out our Pre-Filled Item Information page for more information and Seller Central for details on upcoming changes to Item Specifics. We have started a thread on the Computers & Networking discussion board with more details about these changes. To review or provide comments, please visit the discussion board thread.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Tune in to eBay Radio today, September 13, 2005 with your host Griff (Jim Griffith), Dean of eBay University, live from 11:00 to 13:00 PT. Guests this week include:

• Chris Malta, eBay Radio Product Sourcing Contributing Editor, who joins Griff for his monthly segment on effective product sourcing.
• Colin Rule, eBay Dispute Resolution Specialist, who will discuss how eBay is handling transaction disputes and protection claims stemming from Hurricane Katrina.
• Kristin Cunningham, General Manager of eBay Giving Works, and Sean Milliken, Executive Director of Missionfish, who will update us on the current efforts of eBay buyers and sellers assisting the victims and survivors of Katrina.

Plus we'll have "The News" with Lee Mirabal, as well as the most important feature on eBay Radio: your calls! Call in during the show at 888-327-0061 (USA) or 001-858-623-0102 (Internationally) to talk with Griff and his guests or to ask a question and share your voice with the rest of the eBay Community. Remember, one lucky caller per week, selected at random, will receive an autographed copy of Griff's book, "The Official eBay Bible".

If you can't catch the live show you can always select and listen to any past eBay Radio broadcast, listed by topic and date, in the eBay Radio archives. Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

We appreciate your input on how we can make categories better for everyone. You may submit categories suggestions here.

Thanks again to all our members who contribute to these trade-enhancing changes!

Link to this announcement | Back to top
	***Original: Coming Soon: Category Updates***
	August 30, 2005 | 11:14AM PST/PT The category structure will be updated in mid-September based on feedback received from the eBay Community and from experts in the affected fields. You may provide category structure feedback at any time by clicking here. A complete list of the new category structure can be found on Seller Central here. Updated categories: BABY Check out changes under Baby Gear, Baby Safety & Health, Bathing & Grooming, Car Safety Seats, Diapering, Feeding, Nursery Bedding, Nursery Décor, Nursery Furniture, Strollers, and Toys. BUSINESS & INDUSTRIAL Look for changes under Construction, Industrial Electrical & Test, Office, Printing & Shipping, and Other Industries. CAMERAS & PHOTO Check out changes under Lenses & Filters. COMPUTERS & NETWORKING Look for changes under Drives, Controllers & Storage, Input Devices, Laptop Parts & Accessories, and Monitors & Projectors. CONSUMER ELECTRONICS Check out changes under DVD Players & Recorders, Digital Video Recorders, PVR, Gadgets & Other Electronics, GPS Devices, Home Audio, Home Theater in a Box, MP3 Players & Accessories, and Televisions. CRAFTS Look for changes under Bead Art, Candle & Soap Making, Ceramics, Pottery, Crocheting, Cross Stitch, Decorative, Tole Painting, Drawing, Embroidery, Fabric, Fabric Embellishments, Floral Supplies, Framing & Matting, General Art & Craft Supplies, Glass Art Supplies, Handcrafted Items, Kids Crafts, Knitting, Latch Rug Hooking, Leathercraft, Mosaic, Needlepoint, Painting, Quilting, Ribbon, Rubber Stamping & Embossing, Scrapbooking, Sewing, Spinning, Upholstery, Weaving, Woodworking, Yarn, and Crafts Wholesale Lots. EBAY MOTORS Check out changes under Passenger Vehicles and Parts & Accessories. HEALTH & BEAUTY Look for changes under Fragrances, Hair Care, Health Care, Makeup, Natural Therapies, Skin Care, and Vision Care. HOME & GARDEN Check for changes under Bath, Bedding, Building & Hardware, Dining & Bar, Electrical & Solar, Food & Wine, Furniture, Gardening & Plants, Heating, Cooling & Air, Home Décor, Home Security, Vacuum Cleaners & Housekeeping, Kitchen, Lamps, Lighting, Ceiling Fans, Major Appliances, Outdoor Power Equipment, Patio & Grilling, Pet Supplies, Plumbing & Fixtures, Pools & Spas, Tools, and Window Treatments. JEWELRY & WATCHES Look for changes under Earrings. SPORTS MEM, CARDS & FAN SHOP Check out changes under Fan Apparel & Souvenirs. TOYS & HOBBIES Look for changes under Radio Control. TRAVEL Check out changes under Lodging. EVERYTHING ELSE Look for changes under Education & Learning, Genealogy, Gifts & Occasions, Metaphysical, and Religious Products & Supplies. As always, you can move your item to another category by revising your listing here as long as it has not received a bid and there are more than 12 hours left in the listing. We appreciate your input on how we can make categories better for everyone. You may submit categories suggestions here. Thanks again to all our members who contributed to these changes!
	Link to this announcement | Back to top

We also invite you to join us for a couple of special Pinks Day events:

• A Pink game in The Park
  How well do you know the eBay site? eBay Staff will ask questions relating to the areas of eBay they work in, and the first member to answer each question correctly will receive a prize! Visit the Pinks Game thread to find out more.

  The thread will be open for posting in the morning and the game will continue throughout the day as different staff arrive to ask their questions!

• Welcome new Pinks in The Park
  Some eBay staff will be posting for the first time, or are still pretty new to posting, so we've created a thread where they can introduce themselves to the Community - and you can introduce yourself to the Pinks!

  Please stop by, say hello, and tell us about yourself on the Welcome New Pinks thread on the Park Discussion Board.

To find the discussions that staff are taking part in, look for the little "eBay" icon next to a topic title.

To get to the discussion boards, click "Community" at the top of any eBay page, then click "Discussion Boards."

We look forward to seeing you there!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

The Reserve Price fee will continue to be credited if the item sells. Please note that the Reserve Price fee will be based upon the Reserve Price set when the item is originally listed, regardless of whether it is lowered before the listing closes.

For more information, please see our original announcement directly below, and review our FAQs.

Link to this announcement | Back to top
	***Original: Coming Soon: Ability to Lower Reserve Price Even After Bids are Placed***
	August 17, 2005 | 04:15PM PST/PT Note: We have re-posted this announcement to include more information about the feature. In the next few weeks, sellers will be able to lower their Reserve Price on a listing on www.ebay.com, even after bids have been placed, to make their item more likely to sell. This option is already available on eBay Motors and on eBay UK, and is now being extended to the US eBay site. How it works Regardless of whether a bid has been placed, you will be able to adjust your Reserve Price through the “Revise Your Item” process as long as 12 hours or more remain in your listing. The Reserve can be reduced downwards to a minimum of one bid increment above the listing’s current price. Once the Reserve Price has been lowered, bidders will receive notification about the change through email, My eBay, and on the item page. If this new Reserve price is lower than the high bidder's proxy bid, the proxy bid will also be reduced to one increment below the new bid price (meaning they'd have to bid again to meet the Reserve price). This will prevent buyers from unexpectedly becoming the winning bidder on an item where their previous bid didn't meet the Reserve price. For example, say a listing starts at $1 with a Reserve of $100, and the first bidder bids $75. The current price would stay at $1 since the bid didn't meet the Reserve. If the seller then reduces the Reserve amount to $50, the bidder's proxy bid will be reduced to one bid increment below $50 as well, so they wouldn't become the winning bidder unless they place another bid.
	Link to this announcement | Back to top

This offer for eBay Motors passenger vehicle and motorcycle listings starts today and runs through Sunday, September 18, 2005 at 23:59:59 PDT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds).

During the CARad Express Trial Offer:

For auction-style and Fixed Price eBay Motors passenger vehicle and motorcycle listings on the US eBay Motors site (www.ebaymotors.com), CARad Express will be free. This promotion will not apply to non-passenger vehicle/non-motorcycle listings, or for International, Live Auction, Professional Services, and Store Inventory listings. Listings on www.ebay.com are also not eligible for this promotion.

Listings created prior to September 12, 2005 and scheduled to start during the promotional period (September 12-18, 2005) will be eligible for the promotional rate. All other fees (transaction service fees, PayPal fees and all other optional listing upgrade fees) will still be charged. A description of optional listing upgrade fees may be found here.

We hope you enjoy the CARad Express Trial Offer!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Skype has set a new standard in online voice communications with outstanding sound quality and unmatched ease of use. And like eBay, Skype has a fast-growing community -- some 54 million Skype users around the world already use their PCs to talk with one another.

And best of all, conversations between Skype users via PC are free. You can get up and running on Skype in just a few minutes. Just go to http://www.skype.com/go/x.home to learn more and download the free Skype software application. Try it – it’s fun!

Over time, we intend to make voice communications a part of the eBay marketplace – a huge step forward in making transactions faster and easier, as well as bringing even more interactivity and humanity to the eBay Community.

You can include your Skype ID in your About Me page. For now, however, Skype links may not appear in View Item pages. We’ll be working with you, our Community, over the next few weeks to thoughtfully work out the details of how eBay and Skype will interact, including any policy changes that may be required.

We expect this acquisition to be finalized soon. In the meantime, you can learn more about our Skype plans in the news release we issued just a few minutes ago.

Working together, eBay, PayPal and Skype will redefine online trade and community. I hope you’ll join us in this exciting new chapter in eBay’s history.

Sincerely,

Meg

Link to this announcement | Back to top

We’ve given a lot of thought to how eBay and our Community can make an impact on relief efforts in the affected areas. I want to give you update on what we’re doing, and how you can join in.

To assist the eBay Community directly, we’ve set aside $1 million which we’re putting into the hands of eBay business owners in the region. From talking with a number of them, we know that some were very fortunate and suffered minimal impact, while others were devastated. Within the next few days, we’ll deposit $1,000 into the PayPal accounts of our top 1,000 sellers who reside in the affected areas. They can either use these funds to help get back on their feet or – if their needs are met – we’ll ask them to share this money with others in their local community, either directly or through local or regional charity organizations. They know best what their community needs, so we’ll rely on them to make these dollars work as hard as possible. And we believe that getting these funds to them via PayPal will enable evacuees to access it faster.

In addition:

• When you sell an item via eBay Giving Works with 100% of the final sale price benefiting a certified nonprofit organization, eBay will continue to donate Insertion and Final Value Fees to your selected organization. Some Community members have asked us to expand the number of listings eligible for the eBay Giving Works Fee Donation Policy to enable you to set aside some of the final sale price to cover your selling fees – so effective immediately, if you donate at least 90% of the final sale price of an eBay Giving Works listing and the item sells, we will donate the Insertion and Final Value Fees to the organization you specify within your listing. We’ll soon be updating our site information accordingly.

• We ask that you continue to be patient with buyers and sellers who may live in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. To help ensure that eBay members in the region aren’t unfairly penalized for not completing transactions in a timely way, a message will appear to users about to leave negative feedback, reminding them that their trading partner may be impacted by this disaster.

• In case you missed Rachel Makool’s announcement board post last week, the eBay Foundation made a $250,000 donation on behalf of the eBay Community to the American Red Cross and is matching employee donations dollar for dollar up to $500 per employee. We also dedicated a section of the eBay homepage to relief efforts and information – including how to make a cash donation using PayPal and how to buy or sell an item with eBay Giving Works to support a relief organization. We also established a Natural Disaster & Relief Information discussion board.

The Hurricane Katrina crisis is horrific, and its toll continues to grow. This is an opportunity for the eBay Community to demonstrate how we can mobilize to help others in need and make a difference in their lives. I know many of you already have taken up this cause, and I hope many more will, too. Along with our efforts as a company, I’m enormously proud of the eBay Community.

Sincerely,

Bill Cobb
President
eBay North America

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Safety online starts with keeping your accounts and your computer secure, as well as knowing who you can trust. We'd like to reiterate some basic tips to protect yourself from spoof (fake) email and Web sites, especially those pretending to be eBay and PayPal, or well-known relief organizations, such as the American Red Cross. Please follow these tips to make sure that your contributions go to the right places and to stay safe online.

• Never click on a link in an email that requests updates to your account information. Always check for these types of emails in My Messages in your My eBay. Any email eBay sends you about your account or requesting personal information will be in My Messages. If you receive an email about your account or requesting personal information and it's not in My Messages, it's a fake.
• If you are suspicious about an email that claims to be from eBay or PayPal and requests payment, report it by forwarding the email to spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com.
• Get eBay Toolbar with Account Guard. This feature indicates when you are on eBay or PayPal and warns you when you are on a potentially fraudulent site. Download eBay Toolbar with Account Guard.
• Keep your operating system, Web browser, and virus detection software up to date. Microsoft recently updated its browser security – you can receive the latest updates by visiting its Web site at www.microsoft.com.
• When in doubt about whether you are really on eBay or PayPal – especially after clicking on a link in an email – open a new Web browser and type in either www.ebay.com or www.paypal.com.
• Frequently check your account status to see if there is any suspicious activity.
• Always use a secure server when submitting credit card numbers online.

Educate Yourself
eBay's Security Center, our Spoof Email Protection Tutorial and PayPal's Identity Protection Resources provide detailed information about spoof emails, identity theft, and what to do if your eBay account has been compromised. eBay is committed to enabling you to have a safe and enjoyable experience online. Your vigilance helps us ensure that eBay remains a safe and vibrant online marketplace.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Sell Smarter – Pricing Your Goods with eBay Research
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, September 14th, from 11:00 PDT to 12:00 PDT. Please join Dave Popowich from Certified Provider Terapeak for this workshop about research tools that will help you sell smarter. This is an introductory-level workshop intended for new sellers who could use some help understanding the marketplace and for more experienced sellers looking to incorporate research into their sales strategies. The focus of this workshop will be on pricing your goods.

Increasing Your Cross-Border Sales on eBay’s International Marketplaces
This workshop will be held on Thursday, September 15th, from 13:00 PDT to 14:00 PDT. In this workshop, Chris Adams, Director of Business Development for Certified Solution Provider JustDeals.com, will discuss how to increase your sales volume and profits through cross-border sales. You’ll learn about the advantages of cross-border selling, and how the sales process can differ from domestic selling. We will also discuss the specific issues you need to be aware of when you sell internationally, including shipping, duties, taxes, and much more.

Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board:

• Click on Community at the top of almost any eBay page
• Click on "Discussion Boards" in the "Connect" Section
• Click on "Workshops" underneath the category-specific boards on the right-hand side of the page
• This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

To view archived workshops or to learn more about future workshop events, please check our Workshop Calendar.

Want timely reminders about workshops? Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. Each notification will include the time and date, a brief description of the event, and a link to the discussion thread where the actual workshop will be held.

To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

If you list items through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister, Selling Manager) or the eBay API, Item Specifics will be available in the next couple weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will offer the Item Specifics functionality in the above categories.

There is a thread on the Toys & Hobbies discussion board which provides more detail on the upcoming changes. To access this discussion thread, please click here. Please also check out Seller Central for further details on upcoming changes to Item Specifics. If you have any comments or suggestions about the changes to Item Specifics in this category , please email them to jim.migdal@ebay.com and they will be considered for future enhancements.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

This limited-time offer is free of charge to sellers and will be automatically displayed on eBay items over $199 as long as sellers accept PayPal and have not opted out of displaying PayPal Buyer Credit messages on their listings.

PayPal Buyer Credit is a line of credit exclusively for PayPal members. Once you are approved, it is automatically added to your PayPal account. It's safe, convenient and a great way to make low monthly payments on PayPal purchases.

If you don't have PayPal Buyer Credit you can apply now.

* For new PayPal Buyer Credit customers only. Offer applies if (a) you purchase an item with PayPal using PayPal Buyer Credit as your source of funds, and (b) your total purchase is over $199 (the total transaction amount will receive the financing promotion). Under the promotion, no monthly payments are required on the promotional transaction and no finance charges will be assessed on the promotional transaction as long as you pay the following in full by the end of the promotional period: (1) the promotional transaction amount, and (2) any optional Debt Cancellation charges related to the promotional transaction. If you do not, finance charges will be assessed on the promotional transaction amount from the date of the transaction and minimum monthly payments will be required on the balance of the amount. Standard credit terms apply to non-promotional transactions. The variable APR, as of 9/1/2005 is 22.00%. A variable delinquency APR of 24.75% as of 9/1/2005 may apply if any required minimum payment is not made when due two times in any six consecutive billing periods. Once the delinquency rate is in effect, regular credit terms will apply if the minimum payment is made when due for six consecutive billing periods. Minimum finance charge is $1. Offer is subject to credit approval by GE Money Bank. If your transaction is eligible for more than one type of financing promotion, the promotion deemed most favorable will be applied to your total transaction. If you would prefer to select a different qualifying promotion, then call 1-866-571-3012. For U.S residents only.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Now we need you to help determine the final winner, who will receive another $10,000! To vote for your favorite based on our voting criteria, please visit our contest page.

Link to this announcement | Back to top
	***Original: Introducing: “The eBay & Country Living Remodeling Challenge” Contest***
	April 07, 2005 | 10:22AM PST/PT Have a room in your home that you would like to remodel? Need a kitchen sink, major appliances, bathroom fixtures, or flooring? Enjoy shopping on eBay? If so, then click here between now and April 27th to enter The eBay & Country Living Remodeling Challenge for your chance to win big! You could win $10,000 to spend on eBay to remodel a room in your home.* Based on an essay of 250 words or less, a panel of expert judges will select three finalists to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime remodeling adventure. eBay will award the finalists up to $10,000* each to be used on eBay.com between May 26th and August 18th to make their remodeling dreams a reality. The finalists will then submit "after" photos of their remodeled room, which you, the eBay Community, will view to select one grand prize winner who will win $10,000 cash! We will also be holding a workshop on Friday, April 15th from 13:00 - 14:00 PDT for you to learn more about how the contest works and how you can enter. Information about this workshop will be added to our Workshop Calendar shortly. * "The eBay & Country Living Remodeling Challenge" ("Contest") begins at 12:00 AM PT April 7, 2005 and ends at 11:59 PM PT April 27, 2005. Contest is open to confirmed registered members of www.ebay.com who are legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age and older. Void in Colorado, Vermont, Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. Three (3) finalists will each be awarded up to $10,000 in their PayPal account as follows: Initial $5,000 to be deposited into each finalist's PayPal account on or about May 26, 2005. An additional $5,000 will be deposited into each finalist's PayPal account on or about June 26, 2005 under the condition that the finalist has purchased at least one (1) item on eBay.com between May 26, 2005 and June 26, 2005 for the purpose of the remodeling project. Unused portions of the funds provided to the finalists must be returned to the Sponsor. Finalists must have a verified PayPal account on PayPal.com to receive any funds. For complete details and Official Rules go to http://www.ebay.com/remodelingchallenge.
	Link to this announcement | Back to top

Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board:

• Click on Community at the top of almost any eBay page
• Click on "Discussion Boards" in the "Connect" Section
• Click on "Workshops" underneath the category-specific boards on the right-hand side of the page
• This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

Link to this announcement | Back to top
	***Original: Online Workshops For the Week of September 5th***
	September 02, 2005 | 11:41AM PST/PT We would like to invite you to attend the following workshop this week: Protecting Your Online Feedback & Reputation through Effective Communication This workshop will be held on Tuesday, September 6th, from 10:00 PDT to 11:00 PDT. Please join Joe Craparotta, President of Certified Solution Provider Commerce Canyon, LLC, to learn how to protect your online feedback and reputation and how to manage your customer relationships through effective communication. Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board: Click on Community at the top of almost any eBay page Click on "Discussion Boards" in the "Connect" Section Click on "Workshops" underneath the category-specific boards on the right-hand side of the page This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board. To view archived workshops or to learn more about future workshop events, please check our Workshop Calendar. Want timely reminders about workshops? Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. Each notification will include the time and date, a brief description of the event, and a link to the discussion thread where the actual workshop will be held. To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here. We look forward to seeing you there!
	Link to this announcement | Back to top

As we announced earlier, the "Services" link in the navigation area at the top of almost all eBay pages has been removed. Most of the links found on the Services page have been moved to the new site map.

A link to the old site map and the Services page will be available for a short time near the top of the new site map as you become familiar with the new version.

Link to this announcement | Back to top
	***Original: Coming Soon – New eBay Site Map***
	August 05, 2005 | 02:00PM PST/PT As we announced in February, we are currently working on a new eBay site map. Because many members use the site map to help navigate eBay, our goal is to make it as easy as possible to find the information you are looking for. In addition, the "Services" link that currently exists near the top of almost all eBay pages will be moved to the site map. To preview the new site map, click here. We have also started a discussion thread about the new site map so you can leave your feedback and comments. The new site map should be available in about a month. After the new version is introduced, links to the old site map will still be available for a short time to give you more time to learn about the new version before the old site map is completely removed.
	Link to this announcement | Back to top

This promotion starts Wednesday, September 7, 2005, at 00:00:01 PDT (12 AM plus 1 second) and ends that same day, Wednesday, September 7, 2005, at 23:59:59 PDT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds).

During the eBay Motors Parts and Accessories 50¢ Insertion Fee sale:

For regular auction-style and Fixed Price Parts and Accessories listings with a starting price above $9.99 on the U.S. Motors site (www.ebaymotors.com), the insertion fee will be capped at $0.50. All insertion fees less than $0.50 will still be charged at the normal rate. For more information about insertion fees during this promotion, please click here. Listings created prior to September 7, 2005 that are scheduled to start during the promotional period (September 7, 2005) will be eligible to receive the promotional rate. Excluded are Vehicle listings, listings on international eBay sites, Live Auction listings, Professional Services and Store Inventory listings, and listings on www.ebay.com.

All other optional listing upgrade fees will still be charged. The promotional offer does not apply for listings with a start date prior to September 7, 2005, including those listings revised during the promotional period (September 7, 2005), or for listings created during the promotional period but scheduled to start after September 7, 2005.

We hope you enjoy the eBay Motors Parts & Accessories 50¢ Insertion Fee sale!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

The 21-day Fixed Price listing duration will provide Motors sellers with more time to promote their vehicle listings. Plus, you will also be able to use the Best Offer format on these 21 day listings if you choose. To learn more about Best Offer, please see our information page.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

Tune in to eBay Radio today, September 6, 2005 from 11:00 to 13:00 PDT for a rebroadcast of last week's show. Host Jim "Griff" Griffith, Dean of eBay University, will return with a live show next week.

You can also catch up on any shows you've missed over the last 3 years by listening to the eBay Radio archives. Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

The Get 3 Free First Time Seller Promotion will be available on the following sites:

• U.S. (www.ebay.com)
• eBay Motors (www.ebaymotors.com), for non-vehicles listings

During the Get 3 Free First Time Seller Promotion:

New eBay sellers who create up to three auction-style or Fixed Price listings will receive credits for their insertion and Gallery upgrade fees. In order to qualify for the special offer, the eBay member must not have sold on eBay before, and must list their first three items during the promotional period (September 6-10, 2005).

To take advantage of this offer you must register for the promotion on our information page. After signing up you will be taken to the Sell Your Item process.

This offer is good for up to three free insertion and Gallery credits only. Please note that the credits will not be immediately reflected on the site. You will see credits posted to your seller’s account by early October 2005. For full details about this promotion, please see our information page.

Take advantage of this special offer and start selling on eBay!

Link to this announcement | Back to top

What a tremendous decade it's been! It's hard to imagine what the world would be like had Pierre spent that weekend doing something else.

And it's equally hard to imagine what eBay would be like without the passion, commitment and ingenuity of eBay members around the world. You took an idea that many dismissed as naïve, and you ran with it. You trusted one another…you pushed eBay in exciting new directions…and you spread the word.

Today, eBay is more than an e-commerce destination, and more than an online community. Together, we've built something historic and important. We've truly made the world a better place, and that's something few can say.

Also, on behalf of everyone here at PayPal and eBay, I would like to extend our sympathy and prayers to those impacted by Hurricane Katrina. We urge you to be patient with trading partners residing in the affected areas. For more information on ways you can donate to relief efforts on eBay, please see our previous announcement.

Thank you for being a part of the eBay Community. And Happy 10th Anniversary!

Sincerely,
Meg

Link to this announcement | Back to top

In this month's lead story, both members and eBay staff share their thoughts on eBay's 10th anniversary. We also revisit the Fireside Chat from eBay Live!, in which eBay's founder, Pierre Omidyar, and eBay's first President, Jeff Skoll, chatted about the early days with another eBay legend - Jim "Griff" Griffith.

In September's Ask Griff column, Griff explains the concept of "maximum bid" to a new member. Colin Rule's Marketplace Safety column deals with a big seller concern - Chargebacks. And in The Selling Edge, Katie Sween explains how selling to our Canadian friends north of the border can be the first step to expanding your sales to other international markets.

This month we turn the Member Spotlight on member playerlots4u, who sells in the Sports Memorabilia, Cards, & Fan Shop category. Our story on the Community Codebase shows how third party software developers are collaborating with eBay's help to develop new features on the site. And September's eBay In Person is Leigh Goldstein, a Senior Manager in charge of improving shipping.

To get to The Chatter, follow these steps:

1. Click "Community" in the navigation bar at the top of most eBay pages.
2. Scroll down to the "News" box and click on the link for The Chatter.

If you have a story suggestion for us, we encourage you to send us email at chatterstaff@ebay.com. For other useful and interesting Community-related information, take a look at the Community Calendar.

Link to this announcement | Back to top

We’ve set up several ways for you to donate funds to the relief efforts. You can buy or list items to support a relief organization with eBay Giving Works. A section of the eBay home page has been dedicated to relief efforts and information, and contains a link to our donation page on PayPal so that you can make a direct contribution to the United Way. You can also visit the Natural Disaster & Relief Information discussion board.

In addition, the eBay Foundation is making a $250,000 donation to the American Red Cross on behalf of the eBay Community.

Please also keep in mind that many people have been displaced by this disaster, and others may not be able to access their computers or ship or receive items. We encourage you to be patient and to keep trying to communicate with any transaction partners in the affected areas. Additionally, both the U.S. Postal Service and United Parcel Service have posted information about their services to the affected areas on their respective websites. You can find the USPS information here and the UPS information here.

Sincerely,

Rachel Makool
Director, Community Development

Link to this announcement | Back to top
	***Original: Hurricane Katrina – Trading Advice***
	August 29, 2005 | 12:58PM PST/PT The Southeast part of the United States, such as Louisiana and Mississippi, has been hit very hard by Hurricane Katrina, and our thoughts go out to everyone affected. If you are involved in a transaction with a member in these areas, please keep in mind that many people are without power or otherwise unable to do some of the activities associated with trading on eBay. We encourage you to be patient with these members and to keep communicating with them if any concerns arise. Sincerely, Rachel Makool Director, Community Development
	Link to this announcement | Back to top

Please visit our Town Hall page to read the transcript or to listen to the audio archive.

Link to this announcement | Back to top
	***Previous update: Reminder to Join Us for the eBay Trust & Safety Policy Town Hall on Tuesday, August 23rd at 2:00pm PDT***
	August 19, 2005 | 04:08PM PST/PT Don’t forget to join Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, and Matt Halprin, Vice President of Global Marketplace Policy Management, at our next Town Hall event on Tuesday, August 23rd starting at 2:00pm PDT. They’ll be discussing our Trust & Safety policies, and welcome questions from the Community. To submit your question and to join the event on August 23rd, please see our Town Hall page.
	Link to this announcement | Back to top
	***Original: Join Us for the eBay Trust & Safety Policy Town Hall on Tuesday, August 23rd at 2:00pm PDT***
	August 15, 2005 | 09:10AM PST/PT Bill Cobb Matt Halprin Hi everyone, Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, here to invite you to our next Town Hall event on Tuesday, August 23rd at 2:00pm PDT. I've asked Matt Halprin, Vice President of Global Marketplace Policy Management, to join me as we talk about our Trust & Safety policies. Do you have a question about why eBay has a certain Trust & Safety policy?  Or a suggestion on how we can improve the way we handle our marketplace policies and their enforcement?  Come and learn more about how our Trust & Safety team is approaching policy management and what new policy initiatives are being introduced. This Town Hall event will be a live audio event, streamed to you through Windows Media Player. To download and install the latest version of Windows Media Player, please click here. You can submit questions anytime from now through the actual event.  Visit our Town Hall page to submit your question and to join the event on August 23. Sincerely, Bill Cobb, President, eBay North America
	Link to this announcement | Back to top