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  October 2005 |
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***eBay Giving Works Now Available in Turbo Lister*** |
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October 31, 2005 | 01:43PM PST/PT


Kristin Cunningham
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Hi, this is Kristin Cunningham with eBay Giving Works, our dedicated program for charity listings. As most of you know, eBay Giving Works, powered by MissionFish, offers you the opportunity to sell items on the site, and then automatically donate part or all of your final sale price to one of the certified organizations in the nonprofit directory. Since 2000, you, the eBay Community, have raised well over $54 million for charity from listings sold on eBay worldwide, and your generosity was once again on display in the overwhelming support we saw for victims of the recent hurricanes.
I am pleased to announce that eBay Giving Works is now offered in Turbo Lister, so you can list items to support your favorite nonprofits even more quickly and easily. After you download the latest version of Turbo Lister, look in the Format Specifics section – here you’ll see a new field for Donate Percentage of Sale. Click the Change button, and then select a nonprofit and the percentage of the item’s final sale price you would like to donate. And as always, if you donate at least 90% of your final sale price to a nonprofit, eBay will take the Insertion and Final Value Fees that you paid on successful listings and donate them to the organization designated within the listing.
If you’d like to learn more about how to create eBay Giving Works listings using Turbo Lister, please join us for a workshop tomorrow, November 1st, from 14:00 to 15:00pm PT.
Thank you for supporting your favorite causes with eBay Giving Works!
Sincerely,
Kristin Cunningham
eBay Giving Works
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***Shipping and Currency Display Enhancements For Search and Listings Pages*** |
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October 31, 2005 | 11:57AM PST/PT


Leigh Goldstein
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Hi, this is Leigh Goldstein from eBay's Shipping team again. About a month ago, we started showing the shipping cost column by default on search and listings pages to help you shop more efficiently. I mentioned then that we were also working on a project that would show buyers the flat-rate shipping costs that are most relevant to their country location. I’m happy to inform you that this new feature will take effect in the next week or so.
For example, Canadian buyers shopping on ebay.com will see flat-rate shipping costs to Canada, instead of the U.S. domestic shipping costs which display now. Conversely, a buyer in the U.S. will see the flat-rate shipping charges to the U.S. for those items on eBay.com that are listed by international sellers. Listings physically located in other countries will also be denoted by the country name in search results - for example, “From United Kingdom”.
We’ll also be making another change to the way we display international listings that we think you’ll find helpful. On search and browse pages, we’ll show you the item prices for international listings in US dollars (currently prices on these pages are shown in the original listed currency). When a price has been converted from another currency, it will appear in italics.
This has the same effect as selecting “Convert prices to US $” when customizing your search and browse results – we’re just making this the default setting to give you more accurate results when you sort your results by Price. (Please note that item pages themselves will continue to show all prices in the original listed currency along with the converted amount.)
You can opt-out of either of these changes by using the Customize Display link near the top of the search results and listings pages.
Early next year, we will launch a project that will automatically display calculated shipping costs based on the buyer’s location (instead of the current “Calculate” link). Stay tuned!
Sincerely,
Leigh Goldstein,
Senior Manager, Shipping Product Marketing
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***eBay Motors: CARad Express Free Trial Offer*** |
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October 31, 2005 | 09:05AM PST/PT

eBay Motors is holding a CARad Express free trial offer for passenger vehicle and motorcycle listings from today through November 6. CARad Express is an easy-to-use listing tool to help sellers create professional-looking and effective eBay Motors listings. Normally offered for $9.95 per listing, it will be free during this trial period.
This offer for eBay Motors passenger vehicle and motorcycle listings starts today and runs through Sunday, November 6, 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 October 31, 2005 and scheduled to start during the promotional period (October 31-November 6, 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!
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***Online Workshops For the Week of October 31st*** |
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October 28, 2005 | 04:05PM PST/PT

We would like to invite you to attend the following workshops this week:
Simplify Your Customer Relationships This workshop will be held on Thursday, November 3rd from 10:00 PST to 11:00 PST. In this workshop, Steve Yeich, CEO of Certified Solution Provider HostedSupport, will discuss the importance of a proactive customer relationship management solution. Come learn how to respond automatically and effectively to your buyers' questions.
Blackthorne Pro Templates This workshop will be held on Friday, November 4th, from 13:00 PST to 14:00 PST. Blackthorne Pro has a powerful What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) generator for creating your listing templates. Please join member going1nceamc in this workshop as she provides information and examples on how to enhance the appearance of your listings.
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!
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***Enhancements to Watch and Retrieving Removed Information in My eBay*** |
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October 28, 2005 | 03:51PM PST/PT
 In the next few weeks, we will make several enhancements to the Watch feature within My eBay, as well as making it easier to retrieve information removed from My eBay.
For Sellers – Number of Watchers Column: This column currently only shows in the Items Selling section. To help sellers more easily track traffic to their listing pages, it will also be displayed in the Items Unsold section by default. Additionally, you can choose to show this column in the Items Sold section by customizing your My eBay.
For Buyers – View Relisted Item link: When an item you’ve been watching is relisted, you’ll be able to jump right to the new listing page via a “View Relisted Item” selection in the Action drop-down menu in the Items I’m Watching section. This link will also be available in the Items I Didn’t Win section.
Retrieve Removed Items: This feature will soon be available at the bottom of the Items Sold, Items Unsold, Items Won, and Items I Didn’t Win sections, instead of within the Preferences area.
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***Pinks Day Today, October 25th*** |
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October 25, 2005 | 09:07AM PST/PT

Have you ever met an eBay "Pink"? Join us today, October 25th on the discussion boards as a number of eBay staff members, also known as "Pinks", from several eBay departments will be participating in discussions on a variety of boards throughout the day.
We also invite you to join us for a couple of special Pinks Day events:
A Pink Game on the eBay Friends From All Over board
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!
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***eBay Radio: Listen In Today at 11:00 PDT*** |
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October 25, 2005 | 08:49AM PST/PT

Jim "Griff" Griffith
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Tune in to eBay Radio today, October 25, 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, the company which produces the eBay Certified Solutions application HammerTap. Greg will be dispelling 5 specific myths about eBay selling.
- Daniel and Sally Wiener Grotta, authors of the PC Magazine Guide To Digital Photography and regular columnists with PC Magazine, with more eBay digital photo tips.
- Jason Miner from PayPal, who will answer your specific Paypal questions.
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.
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***Two Week Free Trial of Picture Manager*** |
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October 24, 2005 | 04:30PM PST/PT

As a special offer to our sellers, we will be holding a two-week free trial for Picture Manager for members that sign up between October 25, 2005 and October 27, 2005 on the following sites:
The promotion will start Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second) and end on Thursday, October 27, 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 October 25-27, 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!
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***Online Workshops For the Week of October 24th*** |
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October 21, 2005 | 01:30PM PST/PT

We would like to invite you to attend the following workshops this week:
Discover New Product Ideas with eBay Market Research This workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 25th, from 13:00 PDT to 14:00 PDT. Please join eBay Certified Provider Terapeak to learn how to use eBay market data to find in-demand products. This is an intermediate-level workshop, intended for eBay sellers that may be looking to expand their product lines. The workshop will include a variety of tips on how you can use market information to uncover growth categories and make smarter inventory and sourcing decisions.
Seven Steps to Scaling Your Business This workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 26th, from 13:00 PDT to 14:00 PDT. Most sellers are already doing many things right, and only need to make small tweaks to their selling strategy. However, these small tweaks can lead to significant improvements in your selling success. Please join us for this informative workshop as we cover the 7 Steps to Scaling your Business. We'll walk through the steps and then offer sellers an opportunity to have their own listings and Store reviewed live during the workshop.
New Safe Payments Policy This workshop will be held on Friday, October 28th, from 14:00 PDT to 15:00 PDT. Completing a transaction with a safe, convenient payment method is an important part of trading on eBay. Buyers have a wide variety of choices about how to pay eBay sellers, and while most of the payment methods offered by eBay sellers offer a high degree of safety and convenience, a few simply are not appropriate for the eBay marketplace. Based on safety concerns and input from the Community, we established a Safe Payments Policy that clarifies eBay's position on payment methods. Join Rob Chesnut, Senior Vice President of Global Trust and Safety, Matt Halprin, Vice President of Global Marketplace Policy Management, and Sarah Brubacher, 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!
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***Rethink Week 2005 from October 24-31*** |
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October 21, 2005 | 10:47AM PST/PT


Greg Fant
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Hi, I’m Greg Fant, Vice President of eBay’s Technology categories. At the beginning of the year we introduced the Rethink Initiative, a coalition of industry, governmental, environmental and non-profit organizations to help our Community address the growing problem of electronic waste (known as e-waste). E-waste is one of the most significant problems facing our environment today. We want to make it easy for you to sell, donate or recycle unwanted electronics, so that more of us are disposing of these items responsibly.
I’m excited to let you know that we’re now holding Rethink Week 2005 to help increase awareness about this environmental problem and what you can do to be part of the solution. During the week of October 24th, we’re asking for your help to get the word out about Rethink and how people can avoid simply throwing away used electronics. If you’re a buyer, please take a few moments to learn about the Rethink initiative and our related programs. For example, find out how you can trade in old electronics for cash when you replace them, rather than just tossing them out.
If you’re a seller, take advantage of several tools we’ve created that are now available at our Rethink site, including:
- Downloadable Rethink flyers you can include in your packages.
- Rethink logos and information you can add to your listings or to your About Me page.
- Easy ways to offer customers trade-ins on their electronics with no hassle or cost to you.
- A Rethink discussion board where you can share stories and ideas with other members.
Thanks for doing your part to help tackle the problem of e-waste!
Sincerely,
Greg Fant
Vice President, eBay Technology Categories
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***Attend eBay University in Philadelphia, PA or Cleveland, OH on October 29th*** |
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October 21, 2005 | 09:36AM PST/PT

eBay University is coming to Philadelphia, PA and Cleveland, OH on Saturday, October 29th. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn all about selling on eBay from the experts - right in your hometown. Choose from one of the 2 courses below at either location to get started selling or increase your sales.
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 session before 11:59pm PDT on October 28th and bring a friend for free!
Event Details - Philadelphia
Radisson Philadelphia Northeast
1400 Old Lincoln Hwy.
Trevose, PA 19053
Event Details - Cleveland
Holiday Inn Cleveland South Independence
32083 Alvarado Niles Rd.
Independence, OH 44131
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***Coming Soon: it*** |
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October 20, 2005 | 09:47AM PST/PT


Kevin McSpadden
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Hi, I'm Kevin McSpadden with eBay Marketing, and I'm here to give you quick heads-up about “it”, our new eBay brand campaign which launches today. The campaign is designed to attract buyers by celebrating the extremely wide range of great things you can buy on eBay, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
We're looking to make a big splash through placements in top-rated TV programming, including Monday Night Football, Desperate Housewives, Lost and Alias. The TV ads will even run during the World Series! Our print ads will also appear next month in your favorite magazines, including People, Time, Oprah and Rolling Stone. Keep an eye out for it!
To view the campaign, visit www.whatis-it.com. We hope you enjoy it!
Sincerely,
Kevin McSpadden
Director, eBay Brand Marketing
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***Now Available – eBay Blackthorne (formerly known as Seller's Assistant)*** |
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October 18, 2005 | 01:15PM PST/PT

John Slocum |

Sonia Wong |
Hi…we're John Slocum, Founder, Blackthorne Software and Sonia Wong, Product Marketing – Selling. For over a year, we've been talking to sellers about what you need in our Seller's Assistant product line, eBay's desktop tools designed for medium-to-large volume sellers. After a lot of listening, engineering, and beta testing, we're pleased to be launching the next generation of these tools under a new name -- eBay Blackthorne. This new product line includes Blackthorne Basic and Blackthorne Pro (formerly known as Seller's Assistant Basic and Pro).
We think you'll find that the new Blackthorne products are easier to use and more powerful than ever. We've included more features to help high-volume sellers meet the growing needs of your eBay businesses, while still offering you all the features of the original Seller's Assistant product line that you told us were important to you.
Both Blackthorne Basic and Blackthorne Pro have improved listing features, such as:
- The ability to input data quickly with pre-set fields.
- New ad templates that can include your standardized content, item variables, and visual themes. (All your listings will be updated automatically when you update templates).
- The ability to format listings easily with a WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) description editor.
- The ability to send bulk email and leave feedback in bulk for Blackthorne Basic users.
- Support for eBay Picture Manager.
You told us you wanted a simpler tool to use, so eBay Blackthorne products have fewer windows for easier and more efficient navigation. You can also edit multiple listings at one time in a grid view, just like a spreadsheet.
In addition, Blackthorne Pro incorporates advanced business features, including:
- Better support for multiple eBay businesses and users.
- Different views and access permissions for different individuals, based on their roles.
- The ability to design highly customizable consignment plans.
Information for Seller's Assistant Subscribers
Current subscribers to Seller's Assistant Basic can download Blackthorne Basic for free, and subscribers to Seller's Assistant Pro can download Blackthorne Pro for free. To avoid any disruption to your business, when you download Blackthorne products, they will not replace your existing Seller's Assistant products. You can use both Seller's Assistant and Blackthorne products on your computer at the same time.
We're no longer adding new features to Seller's Assistant, but we will continue to support the product until May 2006. Subscribers who have not done so already will need to switch to Blackthorne at that time. (We'll provide you with a reminder and how-to instructions as we get closer to the transition date.)
Resources
To subscribe to or learn more about Blackthorne, visit the Blackthorne page and the Frequently Asked Questions page. You can participate in discussions with other users on the Blackthorne Basic and Blackthorne Pro discussion boards. If you are a Seller's Assistant subscriber, download Blackthorne products by clicking here.
Thank you for your continued support and for helping us make Blackthorne a great product.
Sincerely,
John Slocum, Founder, Blackthorne Software
Sonia Wong, Product Marketing – Selling
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***eBay Radio: Listen In Today at 11:00 PDT*** |
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October 18, 2005 | 09:18AM PST/PT

Tune in to eBay Radio today, October 18, 2005 with guest host Jason Miner, live from 11:00 to 13:00 PT (Griff is out this week). Guests this week include:
- Ignacio Fanio, President of Worldwide Field Operations for Shopping.com.
- Diego Cardenas, business computer consultant and host of the CompuHombre Show on WSRadio.com.
- Bob Miller, long-time eBay Community member and chat board presence, who will bring his special brand of eBay expertise.
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 Jason 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.
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***eBay Motors Parts & Accessories 50¢ Insertion Fee Sale*** |
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October 17, 2005 | 04:53PM PST/PT

eBay Motors Parts and Accessories is holding a one-day 50¢ Insertion Fee sale on October 18! This promotion starts Tuesday, October 18, 2005, at 00:00:01 PDT (12 AM plus 1 second) and ends that same day, Tuesday, October 18, 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 October 18, 2005 that are scheduled to start during the promotional period (October 18, 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!
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***eBay Motors Vehicles Free 5-Day 21-Day Listing Duration Sale*** |
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October 16, 2005 | 05:00PM PST/PT

eBay Motors is holding a 5-day 21-Day Listing Duration Sale for all vehicles listings from October 17th through October 21st. During this promotion, the 21-Day Listing Duration upgrade will be free when used in conjunction with Best Offer!
This offer for eBay Motors vehicles listings lasts for five days only and starts on Monday, October 17, 2005 at 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second) and ends on Friday, October 21, 2005 at 23:59:59 PT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds).
During the 21-Day Duration Sale:
For Fixed Price eBay Motors vehicle listings on the US eBay Motors site (www.ebaymotors.com), the eBay Motors 21-Day Listing Duration upgrade will be free when Best Offer is used. Please note that the credit for the feature will not be immediately reflected on the site. You will see credits posted to your seller’s account by late November 2005.
Best Offer and 21-Day Duration are only available for Fixed-Price Listings. eBay Motors vehicles include Passenger Vehicles, Motorcycles, Powersports, and Other Vehicles as listed on www.ebaymotors.com. This promotion will not apply to non-vehicles listings, non-Fixed Price listings, listings without Best Offer, or for International, Live Auction, Professional Services, and Store Inventory listings. Listings on www.ebay.com are also not eligible for this promotion. For full details, please see our promotion page.
We hope you enjoy the eBay Motors Vehicles 21-Day Duration Sale!
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***Policy Announcement: Safe Payments Policy*** |
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October 14, 2005 | 05:49PM PST/PT


Rob Chesnut
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Hi, this is Rob Chesnut, head of eBay's global Trust & Safety organization. Completing a transaction with a safe, convenient payment method is an important part of trading on eBay. Buyers have a wide variety of choices about how to pay eBay sellers, and while most of the payment methods offered by eBay sellers offer a high degree of safety and convenience, a few simply are not appropriate for the eBay marketplace.
Based on safety concerns and input from the Community, we feel it's time to establish a Safe Payments Policy that clarifies eBay's position on payment methods. This policy will be enforced beginning January 15, 2006 and will not affect any commonly used payment method on eBay today.
Sincerely,
Rob Chesnut
Senior Vice President, Trust & Safety
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***Online Workshops For the Week of October 17th*** |
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October 14, 2005 | 10:57AM PST/PT

We would like to invite you to attend the following workshop this week:
Staying Safe Online with eBay, PayPal & the Federal Trade Commission This workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 19th, from 11:00 PDT to 12:00 PDT. The FTC recently launched ‘On Guard, Online’, an online campaign aimed at raising awareness of online safety issues and providing consumers with tips on staying safe. Join eBay, PayPal and FTC staff for this interactive workshop which will provide you with insights on how to prevent identity theft, how to spot a spoof/phishing email and website, and how to fight viruses and Spyware.
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!
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***A Message From Julian Green: ProStores Enhancements*** |
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October 11, 2005 | 02:17PM PST/PT


Julian Green
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Hi everyone, I'm Julian Green, the new Director of ProStores, and I’m here to tell you about some enhancements we have made to ProStores. Ever since Chris Tsakalakis announced the launch of ProStores at eBay Live! last June, we’ve been talking to sellers and buyers, both on and off-eBay, about how we can make ProStores better. Based on what many of you have told us, I am pleased to let you know about some of the changes that have just been released as part of what we call ProStores 6.0.
More Inventory Management Options
Inventory Management will now be available for the Express and Business tiers (in addition to the Advanced and Enterprise tiers, which have these services currently). Sellers using the Express version will be able to set whether you have one or several of each item, while Business users can indicate the exact quantity you have for each item. Subscribers to the higher tiers are now able to allow backorders, as well as list quantities by a variety of details, such as size or color.
Better eBay and PayPal Integration
For merchants who sell on eBay, we’ve made it easier to set up and manage your eBay listings from ProStores. We’ve added a set-up wizard that walks you through connecting ProStores to your eBay account. We’ve also made it easier to manage your eBay listings (including relisting and searching for items) and import your eBay listings and photos into ProStores with eBay File Exchange and Turbo Lister.
Search Engine Optimization
You’ll have the option of letting the ProStores software automatically optimize parts of your ProStore for natural search, so that buyers are even more likely to find your listings. Based on an assessment of your items, the program will also give you extensive tips to help you improve your ProStore’s position in search engine results.
Enhancements To Improve the Buying Experience
The ProStores checkout system is now more flexible – sellers can select whether to require your buyers to register or not in order to buy from you, or you can let them decide on their own. If they do register, checkout will “remember” their shipping and billing information the next time they buy something from you. The shopping cart is also being improved so that buyers can access it from anywhere within your ProStore and more easily add or remove items. Finally, buyers will be able to enter their ZIP code to determine the actual shipping cost of an item prior to going through checkout.
We appreciate all the input you’ve given us on ProStores so far, and ask that you keep it coming. To learn more about these enhancements, please see our information page. Thank you for using ProStores!
Sincerely,
Julian Green
Director, ProStores
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***Updated: Category Changes Now Available*** |
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October 11, 2005 | 11:59AM PST/PT

The category updates outlined in the announcement below have now been introduced to the site.
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!
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Link to this announcement | Back to top
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***Original:
Coming Soon: Category Updates*** |
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 September 27, 2005 | 03:54PM PST/PT

The category structure will be updated in mid-October 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 Diapering, Feeding, Keepsakes & Baby Announcements, Nursery Bedding, and Nursery Décor.
BOOKS
Look for changes under Catalogs.
BUSINESS & INDUSTRIAL
Check out changes under Construction, Food Service & Retail, Industrial Electrical & Test, Industrial Supply, MRO, Manufacturing & Metalworking, Office, Printing & Shipping, and Other Industries.
CELL PHONES
Look for “Memory Cards” as a new category under Accessories, Parts.
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
Check out changes under Car Electronics, Home Audio, and MP3 Players & Accessories.
CRAFTS
Look for changes under General Art & Craft Supplies and Glass Art Supplies.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Check out changes under Bath & Body, Fragrances, Hair Care, Makeup, Massage, Oral Care, Skin Care, and Vision Care.
HOME & GARDEN
Look for changes under Heating, Cooling & Air, Home Décor, and Pet Supplies.
JEWELRY & WATCHES
Check out changes under Loose Diamonds & Gemstones.
SPORTS MEM, CARDS & FAN SHOP
Look for changes under Fan Apparel & Souvenirs.
TOYS & HOBBIES
Check out changes under Model RR, Trains as well as TV, Movie, Character Toys.
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!
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***eBay Radio: Listen In Today at 11:00 PDT*** |
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October 11, 2005 | 09:14AM PST/PT

Jim "Griff" Griffith
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Tune in to eBay Radio today, October 11, 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. Chris will be joined by special guest Lisa Suttora of WhatDoISell.com. Together they will provide specific tips on effective product sourcing.
- Greg Isaacs, Director of the eBay Developers Program, who will talk about a new Solutions Finder tool, and will also be showcasing eBay Solution Provider Mpire.com.
- Lynn Dralle, known as "The Queen of Auctions", who returns with our monthly Powerseller best practices, tips and tricks segment.
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.
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***Online Workshops For the Week of October 10th*** |
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October 07, 2005 | 05:05PM PST/PT

We would like to invite you to attend the following workshops this week:
Your First Listing This workshop will be held on Monday, October 10th, from 10:00 PDT to 11:00 PDT. In this workshop, Janelle Elms, eBay consultant for Certified Solutions Provider Receller, will discuss tips and tricks to help you get that first listing created, and how to make it easy and profitable.
Online Market Research & Picking Products That Sell This workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 11th, from 10:00 PDT to 11:00 PDT. Understanding how to pick the right products to sell is crucial to the success of your online business. In this workshop, Matthew Hedges of eBay Certified Solution Provider Worldwide Brands, Inc. will discuss some of the basic key factors of online market research and review common mistakes people make when choosing the products they plan to sell.
Using the Latest Version of eBay Toolbar This workshop will be held on Thursday, October 13th, from 11:00 PDT to 12:00 PDT. eBay Toolbar is a free downloadable tool that sits at the top of your web browser and gives you 1-click access to My eBay and PayPal, offers a convenient search box, sends you timely desktop alerts, and offers Account Guard to help protect you from spoof emails and web sites. A new version of eBay Toolbar is coming soon, so take this opportunity to join us for a review of the new features and to ask questions.
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!
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***Attend eBay University in New York, NY on October 14th - 16th*** |
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October 07, 2005 | 03:51PM PST/PT

eBay University is coming to New York, NY from October 14th through the 16th. 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. And attendees will also receive free admission to DigitalLife - the ultimate consumer technology, video gaming and entertainment event!
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
- How to sell to an international audience and maximize your global reach, 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
- How to sell to an international audience, and more.
Register online before 11:59pm PDT on October 13th and bring a friend for free!
Plus, if you are interested in taking both the Selling Basics and Beyond the Basics sessions, we are offering a special package price of just $89. This eBay Basics Package includes the Selling Basics session on Saturday, October 15 from 9:00am - 4:30pm, and the Beyond the Basics session on Sunday, October 16 from 9:00am - 4:30pm.
Event Details
October 14th – 16th
Javits Convention Center
New York, NY
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***Updated: Discontinuation of the U.S. eBay Anything Points® program*** |
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October 05, 2005 | 04:15PM PST/PT

This is a reminder that we are discontinuing the eBay Anything Points program on the US site (www.ebay.com). Certain features and functionality related to eBay Anything Points have already been removed, and we encourage you to use any eBay Anything Points you have accumulated (all points must be used by August 31, 2006).
As part of this transition, the Refer A Friend program, which used eBay Anything Points as a reward, will also be retired by the end of October. For more information, please see the Refer A Friend page.
For more information about the discontinuation of the eBay Anything Points program, please see our original announcement directly below, or visit our information page.
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***Original:
Discontinuation of the U.S. eBay Anything Points® program*** |
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 July 18, 2005 | 09:26AM PST/PT

We have decided to discontinue the eBay Anything Points program on the U.S. eBay site (www.ebay.com). The process of transitioning certain features and functionality related to the eBay Anything Points program will begin immediately and continue over the next few months, with the program officially ending on February 28, 2006. However, you will still be able to use any points you have accumulated until August 31, 2006 (all points that have not been used by August 31, 2006 will become invalid).
Please note that the eBay Anything Points program will remain in effect on eBay Canada (www.ebay.ca).
Starting August 15th, sellers will no longer be able to offer eBay Anything Points as an incentive on new listings (listings already offering eBay Anything Points on this date will continue to do so). On September 30th, 2005, we will remove eBay Anything Points from any listings still offering them.
For more information about your eBay Anything Points credit card, please contact your respective credit card provider at the number printed on the back of your credit card.
For more details regarding the phase-out of the eBay Anything Points program, please see the eBay Anything Points home page.
eBay Anything Points must be used in conjunction with a valid PayPal account and in accordance with the eBay Anything Points Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions available at http://anythingpoints.ebay.com/terms.html.
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***Updated: Archives from September's PayPal Town Hall Now Available*** |
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October 05, 2005 | 09:35AM PST/PT

The transcript and audio archives from September's PayPal Town Hall event are now available. Check out Jeff Jordan, President of PayPal, and Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, as they discuss and answer questions about PayPal.
Please visit www.ebay.com/townhall to read the transcript or to listen to the audio archive.
Also, remember to save the date on Wednesday, November 2nd for our next Town Hall event will Bill Cobb!
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***Previous update:
PayPal Town Hall Event Tomorrow, September 16th*** |
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 September 15, 2005 | 12:54PM PST/PT

Don’t forget to join Jeff Jordan, President of PayPal, and Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, for our Town Hall event on Friday, September 16th at 10:00am PDT. They’ll be discussing the current state of PayPal, and welcome questions from the Community.
To submit your question and to join the event on September 16th, please see our Town Hall page.
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***Original:
Save The Date: PayPal Town Hall Event on Friday, September 16th*** |
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 September 02, 2005 | 01:54PM PST/PT


Jeff Jordan
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Bill Cobb
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Hello,
I'm Jeff Jordan, President of PayPal. I will be joining Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, to discuss and answer questions about PayPal at our next Town Hall event on Friday, September 16th, at 10:00am PDT.
Have a general question or suggestion about PayPal? Visit our Town Hall page to submit yours for the event.
As always, you can listen to the audio of this Town Hall through Windows Media Player. And now, you can also use Real Player if you prefer. Details on how to download and install the latest versions of both of these are available on our Town Hall page.
See you on the 16th!
Sincerely,
Jeff Jordan
President, PayPal
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***eBay Motors Vehicles Dollar Days Sale*** |
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October 04, 2005 | 05:00PM PST/PT

eBay Motors is holding a two-day Dollar Days Sale for all vehicles listings during October 5th and 6th. During this sale, both the Vehicle Picture Pack and Listing Designer upgrades will only be $1 each!
This offer for eBay Motors vehicles listings lasts for two days only and starts on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 at 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second) and ends on Thursday, October 6, 2005 at 23:59:59 PT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds).
During the Dollar Days Sale:
For auction-style and Fixed Price eBay Motors vehicle listings on the US eBay Motors site (www.ebaymotors.com), the fee for the eBay Motors Picture Pack and Listing Designer upgrades will be $1 each. eBay Motors vehicles include Passenger Vehicles, Motorcycles, Powersports, and Other Vehicles as listed on www.ebaymotors.com. This promotion will not apply to non-vehicles listings, or for International, Live Auction, Professional Services, and Store Inventory listings. Listings on www.ebay.com are also not eligible for this promotion. For full details, please see our promotion page.
We hope you enjoy the eBay Motors Vehicles Dollar Days Sale!
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***Now Available: The Chatter for October, Showing Support for Hurricane Victims*** |
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October 04, 2005 | 04:49PM PST/PT

The October issue of The Chatter is now available. Check out eBay's official Community newsletter for interesting stories by and about the eBay Community and staff.
In a special lead story this month, we empathize with the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and highlight the eBay Community's outpouring of help and hope.
In this issue, you can learn how to gear up for holiday sales with tips from experienced sellers danse and stpebble. You can also read how member it-girls built a local eBay community of fellow eBay enthusiasts in Eugene, Oregon.
In October's Ask Griff column, Griff explains how people can donate proceeds from their eBay sales to hurricane relief. Colin Rule's Marketplace Safety column looks at how members can reduce anxiety about transactions. In The Selling Edge, Lourdes applauds the efforts of a group of eBay sellers who created Doors2Stores, an innovative buyer education campaign about shopping eBay Stores.
We turn the Member Spotlight on golfloft, a big fan of Americana, vintage items, and not surprisingly, golf products. And this month's eBay In Person is Kevin Cantoni, whose team helps keep our sites running 24x7.
To get to The Chatter, follow these steps:
- Click "Community" in the navigation bar at the top of most eBay pages.
- Scroll down to the "News" box and click on the link for The Chatter.
Do 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.
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***Contact eBay Member Email Changes*** |
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October 04, 2005 | 02:18PM PST/PT

As you know, an important part of staying safe on eBay is knowing who your trading partners are. We think this is also true when you are choosing whether to respond to emails sent to you through Contact eBay Member.
In the next few weeks, we’ll be adding more information about the sender to Contact eBay Member emails. Soon when someone sends you a message through Contact eBay Member, we’ll show you their publicly-available information, including their Feedback score, date of registration, general location, and whether or not you’ve transacted with this person.
This additional information will help you decide whether or not you feel safe replying to the email. If you are concerned about the contents of a Contact eBay Member email, or if the email contains an offer to buy or sell outside of eBay, do not reply to the sender.
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***eBay Radio: Listen In Today at 11:00 PDT*** |
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October 04, 2005 | 09:03AM PST/PT

Jim "Griff" Griffith
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Note: This has been re-posted due to an update in the guest schedule.
Tune in to eBay Radio today, October 4, 2005 with your host Griff (Jim Griffith), Dean of eBay University, live from 11:00 to 13:00 PT. Guests this week include:
- Richard Kristof, President and CEO of American Research Institute, the company that has implemented the very popular eBay Education Specialist Program.
- Barbara Weltman, attorney and nationally-recognized expert on tax and small business. She is the author of "The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business" and has presented at eBay Live. Barbara will have tips to help eBay sellers reduce their tax exposure.
- Colin Rule, eBay’s Dispute Resolution Specialist and eBay Radio’s contributing editor, who will have "The What, Where, and Why of Return Policies."
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.
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***Policy Change: Feedback Manipulation*** |
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October 03, 2005 | 02:02PM PST/PT


Brian Burke
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Hi… I'm Brian Burke, Senior Manager, eBay Marketplace Policy. Today, I'm here to announce
that we're replacing our current feedback solicitation policy with a more comprehensive
policy that covers the larger issue of "feedback manipulation". The new policy, while
continuing to prohibit feedback solicitation, will expand our ability to take action against
members for artificially enhancing their reputation on eBay in other ways.
First, let me provide some background. We created the feedback solicitation policy to
prevent members from artificially enhancing their reputations on eBay by selling, buying, or
trading feedback. (This behavior is also called "feedback padding".) Under this policy we
prohibit sellers from soliciting feedback within a listing description or title. For
example, including language like "Build your feedback score quickly" in the listing title of
a very inexpensive item is prohibited.
As the eBay Community has grown, unfortunately some members have become increasingly
sophisticated at building up a false reputation on eBay. Some of their feedback manipulation
patterns are not covered by the existing feedback solicitation policy. For example, a member
might sell ten items with a Buy It Now price of only $.10 each, and even offer free
shipping. After accumulating positive feedback in this way, they might immediately begin
selling more expensive items such as plasma televisions. We needed a policy that would
address such situations.
Feedback is the foundation of trust on eBay. Manipulating feedback undermines the integrity
of the feedback system and decreases overall trust within the eBay marketplace. Our new
feedback manipulation policy will enable us to take action against members when we identify
a pattern of behavior consistent with feedback manipulation. Violations of this policy may
result in a range of actions including listing cancellation, limits on account privileges,
account suspension, forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings, loss of PowerSeller status,
and feedback removal.
To read the complete policy, please visit the feedback manipulation policy page.
You'll also find more information on why we're making this change in our frequently asked
questions about the policy. And I hope you can join the Trust and Safety team for an online workshop on feedback manipulation policy, scheduled for October 7th, at 11.00 a.m. PT.
The feedback manipulation policy is now in effect on eBay.com and will be in effect on all
eBay sites in the next few weeks.
Sincerely,
Brian Burke
Senior Manager, eBay Marketplace Policy
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