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April 2006
***eBay Radio: Call In Today at 3:00 p.m. PT***

April 30, 2006 | 12:48PM PST/PT


Jim Jim "Griff" Griffith

Call in to eBay Radio today, April 30, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm PT for the "Ask Griff" eBay Radio Sunday Show with your host Jim "Griff" Griffith, Dean of eBay University. This two-hour Sunday edition of eBay Radio is dedicated entirely to your calls! Call in during the show toll-free at 877-474-3302 (USA) or 001-858-678-8958 (Internationally) to talk with Griff, ask a question or just share your voice with the rest of the eBay Community.

If you can't catch the live show, you can always subscribe to the , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.


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***Upcoming Workshops: Natural Search, Seller's Assistant Migration, Skype, and Market Research***

April 28, 2006 | 05:24PM PST/PT


We would like to invite you to attend the following workshops this week:

Natural Search Workshop – Improving Your Search Engine Rankings & Traffic!
This workshop will be held on Monday, May 1st from 13:00 PT to 14:00 PT. Interested in improving your search engine rankings and driving additional traffic to your listings or store? eBay Staff will be on hand to discuss natural search best practices and critique your eBay pages – so bring your questions and your examples or your listings, store, Reviews & Guides, and more!

Transitioning from Seller's Assistant Basic to Blackthorne Basic
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, May 2nd from 13:00 PT to 14:00 PT. If you're using eBay's Seller's Assistant Basic, you'll want to join us for this workshop geared towards helping you move your sales and management processes to the newest seller tool: Blackthorne Basic. Blackthorne Basic will replace Seller's Assistant Basic, so take advantage of this interactive workshop to ask questions and get answers directly from the Blackthorne team. John Slocum, Founder of Blackthorne Software, will discuss the steps for transferring your data over and walk you through the key features of this new seller tool.

Transitioning from Seller's Assistant Pro to Blackthorne Pro
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, May 3rd from 13:00 PT to 14:00 PT. This workshop is the same as Tuesday's, but for users of Seller's Assistant Pro instead of Seller's Assistant Basic. Blackthorne Pro will replace Seller's Assistant Pro, so plan ahead so that you're familiar with the helpful new inventory management and multi-user features. Join John Slocum and his team to learn how to transfer your data over and key new features so that you're up and running with Blackthorne Pro in no time.

Skype – Free global Calls Using Your PC and the Internet
This workshop will be held on Thursday, May 4th from 09:00 PT to 10:00 PT. Skype provides you with free global telephony – unlimited, superior quality voice calls using a free software download and your internet connection. It's so easy to register and download, you can get started today at www.ebay.com/skype. Or, join Skype and eBay Staff to walk through the initial setup and how to start calling other Skype users for free. We'll discuss how Skype is good for your business, family and our eBay community. Plus, we'll explain additional paid features you can use with Skype.

Increase your Sale and Sell-Through on eBay with Market Research
This workshop will be held on Friday, May 5th from 11:00 PT to 12:00 PT. Please join Sara Taheri and Dave Frey, Brand Managers from eBay Certified Provider Terapeak, as they touch on the two important objectives of all eBay sellers: How to maximize the amount of money and highest number of bids on each listing. Please join terapeak in this informative workshop as they share their eBay market knowledge with the community!

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

  • Go to www.ebay.com
  • Click on Community at the top of the page
  • Click on "Workshops" in the "Events" section
  • This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

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

Want timely reminders about workshops? We recommend two ways to make sure you never miss an important workshop:

  • Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. (To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.)
  • Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Workshop board. When a new workshop becomes active, your RSS reader will be updated. (You can also subscribe to just the specific topic thread that interests you.) To subscribe, click on the RSS button ( ) at the bottom of the Workshop board or thread. Copy and paste the feed URL into your reader to subscribe. For more information on RSS, please read our RSS Help page.

We look forward to seeing you there!


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***PayPal Merchant Tools: Better Guides on Chargebacks and Online Privacy ***

April 28, 2006 | 01:00PM PST/PT


Larry Friedberg
Hi…I'm Larry Friedberg, and I work on Trust and Safety for PayPal. Today we are announcing two programs to help educate sellers about how to manage their online risk.

One program is the expansion of Merchant safety information on the PayPal site to include more educational resources, such as a series of step-by-step guides focused on Trust and Safety education for PayPal sellers.

The first guide focuses on helping merchants to avoid, prepare for, and respond to chargebacks when they happen. It will provide you with:

  • insights on how to avoid unauthorized payments
  • advice on the types of transaction records you should keep
  • an easy-to-understand description of the chargeback process at PayPal.

PayPal and eBay are also announcing a partnership with the Council of Better Business Bureaus to provide more education for small business owners on how to improve their security and privacy readiness. A key part of this campaign is a new online guide entitled Security & Privacy – MADE SIMPLER ™, which was developed in partnership with two nationally-renowned privacy and security experts: Dr. Alan Westin, founder of Privacy and American Business; and Dr. Lance Hoffman, director of George Washington University 's Cyberspace Policy Institute. This helpful guide includes:

  • Examples of the methods of data theft, from dumpster diving and employee theft to phishing and hacking
  • Checklists to prevent everyday vulnerabilities, such as shredding customer and business documents containing sensitive information, restricting access to sensitive records, keeping emails free of personal information, and training employees on new privacy and security policies
  • Common sense advice, such as “if you don't absolutely need a piece of customer information, the best policy is, don't collect it,” and “if you possess customer data you no longer need, discard it—securely”

PayPal is committed to helping sellers of all sizes manage their online risk successfully through education. Sellers understand their business better than we do – our aim with these educational resources is to give you the tools, insights, and protections you need to make intelligent risk-and-reward decisions for your business.

Sincerely,

Larry Friedberg
Senior Manager, Trust and Safety, PayPal


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***Updated: Reminder: eBay Town Hall Event with Bill Cobb – 11:00am PT ***

April 28, 2006 | 09:25AM PST/PT


Don't forget to join Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, for our Town Hall event today from 11:00am PT to 12:00pm PT (noon). Bill and some of his executive team will answer questions submitted before and during the event.

To submit your question or comment, please visit our Town Hall page.

You can listen to the audio of this Town Hall through Windows Media Player or Real Player. Details on how to download and install the latest versions of both of these are available on our Town Hall page.


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***Original: Submit your question for the eBay Town Hall Event with Bill Cobb – Friday, April 28th***

April 19, 2006 | 05:06PM PST/PT


Bill Cobb
Bill Cobb

Hi everyone...Please save the date for my next Town Hall event on Friday, April 28th, at 11:00 am PT.

This will be another general Town Hall, so we'll be answering questions on all eBay-Related topics. Joining me to answer your questions will be leaders from eBay's Trust & Safety, Customer Support, Marketing, Product, & PayPal teams. As always, we look forward to hearing what's on your mind.  Please visit our Town Hall page to send us a question or comment in advance.

During the event, members can listen to the live audio through Windows Media Player or through Real Player. Details on how to download and install the latest versions of both of these are available on our Town Hall page.


Sincerely,

Bill Cobb
President, eBay North America


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***Updated: Two-Week Free Trial of Picture Manager and Marketplace Research***

April 25, 2006 | 06:16PM PST/PT


Please note that there is a typo in the original post detailing the start time of the promotion. The post should reflect a starting time of Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second).

We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.


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***Original: Two-Week Free Trial of Picture Manager and Marketplace Research***

April 24, 2006 | 05:10PM PST/PT


As a special offer to our sellers, we will be holding a two-week free trial for Picture Manager and eBay Marketplace Research for members that sign up between April 25-27, 2006 on www.ebay.com and www.ebaymotors.com. (eBay Marketplace Research does not currently include eBay Motors data at this time.)

The promotion will start Tuesday, April 25, 2005 at 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second) and end on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 23:59:59 PT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds).

During the Picture Manager and Marketplace Research two-week free trial:

First-time Picture Manager and Marketplace Research subscribers who sign up between April 25-27, 2006 will receive the first 14 days of their Picture Manager and/or Marketplace Research subscription for free. Choose one or choose both! For full details on this promotion, please click here.

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


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***Coming Soon: Category Updates***

April 25, 2006 | 05:09PM PST/PT

The category structure will be updated in mid-May 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:

CELL PHONES
Look for changes under Accessories, Parts.

CLOTHING, SHOES & ACCESSORIES
Check out changes under Infants & Toddlers, Boys and Women's Accessories, Handbags.

DVDS & MOVIES
Look for a new category for UMD.

EBAY MOTORS
Check out changes under Cars & Trucks, Motorcycles, Powersports, and Parts & Accessories.

JEWELRY & WATCHES
Look for changes under Designer Brands.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Check out changes under DJ Gear & Lighting, Guitar, and Pro Audio.

SPORTS MEM, CARDS & FAN SHOP
Look for changes under Cards and Manufacturer Authenticated.

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: Call In Today at 11:00am PT***

April 25, 2006 | 09:23AM PST/PT


Jim Jim "Griff" Griffith

Call in to eBay Radio today, April 25, with your host Jim "Griff" Griffith, Dean of eBay University, live from 11:00am to 2:00pm PT (eBay Radio expands to three hours starting today). Guests this week include:

        • Chris Malta, eBay Radio Product Sourcing Editor, will discuss how WorldWide Brands can help with finding products to sell on eBay.
        • Eric Gazin, President of Auction Cause, will share some secrets of promoting and managing high profile auctions.
        • Jason Miner, of PayPal, will stop by to answer your PayPal questions and tell us more about the new “PayPal Mobile”.
        • Howard Rosenberg will discuss how the eBay Reseller Marketplace can help eBay PowerSellers.
        • Anthony McMurray, Owner of ProImpulse Web Design, will talk about how a branded eBay store can take your eBay store sales to the next level.

And as always 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 877-474-3302 (USA) or 001-858-678-8958 (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 subscribe to the , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an  reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.


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***Join Us For Pinks Day Today, April 25th***

April 25, 2006 | 07:00AM PST/PT

Rachel Makool
Rachel Makool

Hi everyone...have you ever talked with an eBay "Pink"? I'd like to invite you to join us for Pinks Day on the discussion boards today, April 25th. A number of eBay staff members, also known as "Pinks", will be participating in discussions on a variety of boards throughout the day. Here are a few highlights:

Visit the Brand New eBay Express Board
The eBay Express Team will be taking your questions about this new eBay specialty site from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM PST, and from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM PST, on the eBay Express board.

Get To Know Your Community Development Team
The Community Development Team manages the eBay resources on the Community Hub – like the Discussion Boards, eBay Groups, Town Hall events, and the Announcement Board. Several of us will be posting to various boards from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM PST.

Meet our Friends from North of the Border
The eBay Canada Team will be on the Canada Town Square today. If you have questions about eBay.ca or just want to visit and make some new friends from Canada , please drop by.

As always, other Pinks from around the company will also be checking in on various boards, including on the Park Discussion Board where the Pinks Game will be happening from 11:00 AM and end at 2:00 PM PST. See you there!

We hope you enjoy Pinks Day!

Sincerely,

Rachel Makool
Sr. Director, Community Development


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***A Message from Bill Cobb – eBay Express is Here!***

April 24, 2006 | 05:03PM PST/PT


Bill Cobb
Bill Cobb

I'm pleased to announce that eBay Express is now available as a preview site at www.ebayexpress.com. As you know from reading my message in January, eBay Express offers a completely new buying experience for eBay inventory. You'll notice right away that eBay Express has a unique feel to it – the overall presentation of eBay Express is rich in photography with a clean look and feel. Buyers on eBay Express will be able to purchase only Fixed Price and Store Inventory Format items, and will benefit from an easy, yet intelligent new way to find products – and, at last, a true shopping cart!

As I've said before, we think eBay Express will encourage more shopping among our existing buyers and will attract new buyers to eBay who prefer a more convenience-oriented shopping experience. This makes a better marketplace for all of us.

Plus, Sellers Get Additional Exposure
The best part of eBay Express is that it's still part of the eBay marketplace. This means that qualifying sellers whose eBay listings meet the criteria for eBay Express will automatically get the additional exposure. (Read here for seller and listing requirements for eBay Express.) To learn if you meet the seller criteria, or to opt-out if you do not wish to have your listings shown on eBay Express, sellers should refer to your Selling Preferences within My eBay.

There are some important details to know about seller requirements, listing requirements, and supported categories at launch, so please make sure to read our eBay Express FAQs.

Preview Launch of eBay Express
All site features are up and running today in eBay Express – it is a fully functional site. eBay staff have been testing and purchasing through eBay Express for several weeks. I've used it to buy a variety of things myself, and the site is fantastic. We'll be doing some fine-tuning of the site over the next several weeks. And more importantly, we'll be listening to your suggestions, comments, and concerns.

I want to take a moment to thank the huge team of dedicated people at eBay and PayPal who have worked together on this enormous undertaking. I'm very proud of all the thought and effort that have gone into delivering what we hope will delight and inspire you.

Finally, the eBay Express team will be spending time with you on our new eBay Express discussion board, so shop eBay Express for your next purchase, and come let us know what you think!

Sincerely,

Bill Cobb
President, eBay North America

* Original message posted April 24, 2006 at 11:32AM PST/PT. It has been edited to reference an updated URL
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***New Resource Center for eBay Stores Sellers***

April 24, 2006 | 09:32AM PST/PT


Darlene Clementz
Hi everyone, this is Darlene Clementz, Sr. Marketing Manager for eBay Stores. I am excited to announce that we have redesigned the eBay Stores Resource Center to provide improved tools for both potential and existing Stores sellers.

Here's just a sample of the helpful resources available to you:

        • Access information on Stores products and tools that will help you build, manage, promote, and track your Store
        • Download our checklist for maximizing your Store's success
        • Check out a visual showcase of product features on the Anatomy of a Store page
        • Review eBay Stores tutorials and audio tours
        • And much more!

If you're an existing eBay Stores seller, be sure to visit the main toolkit page at www.ebay.com/storesoverview to get tips on how to build, manage, promote, and track your Store. If you don't have an eBay Store, learn more about this powerful ecommerce solution by going to www.ebay.com/stores.

Sincerely,

Darlene Clementz
eBay Stores Team


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***eBay Radio: Call In Today at 3:00 p.m. PT***

April 23, 2006 | 09:04AM PST/PT


Jim Jim "Griff" Griffith

Call in to eBay Radio today, April 23, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm PT for the "Ask Griff" eBay Radio Sunday Show with your host Jim "Griff" Griffith, Dean of eBay University. This two-hour Sunday edition of eBay Radio is dedicated entirely to your calls! Call in during the show toll-free at 877-474-3302 (USA) or 001-858-678-8958 (Internationally) to talk with Griff, ask a question or just share your voice with the rest of the eBay Community.

If you can't catch the live show, you can always subscribe to the , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.


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***Upcoming Workshops: Getting Started with the New Version of Turbo Lister***

April 21, 2006 | 12:42PM PST/PT


We would like to invite you to attend the following workshops this week:

Getting Started With the New Version of Turbo Lister
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 26th from 10:00 PT to 11:00 PT. If you are currently using Turbo Lister to upload your listings to eBay, you'll want to join us for this workshop to learn about the all-new version of the popular listing tool. The Turbo Lister team will be here to explain the changes, get you set up to use the new and improved bulk listing tool, and answer your questions.

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

  • Go to www.ebay.com
  • Click on Community at the top of the page
  • Click on "Workshops" in the "Events" section
  • This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

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

Want timely reminders about workshops? We recommend two ways to make sure you never miss an important workshop:

  • Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. (To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.)
  • Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Workshop board. When a new workshop becomes active, your RSS reader will be updated. (You can also subscribe to just the specific topic thread that interests you.) To subscribe, click on the RSS button ( ) at the bottom of the Workshop board or thread. Copy and paste the feed URL into your reader to subscribe. For more information on RSS, please read our RSS Help page.

We look forward to seeing you there!


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***It's official -- the new Turbo Lister is here!***

April 20, 2006 | 03:02PM PST/PT

Gui Bastos
Hi… I'm Gui Bastos with eBay Product Management and I'm excited to announce that the new Turbo Lister is here!

During the past year we've worked with you to make improvements to Turbo Lister, a free listing tool that helps make listing items in bulk on eBay faster and easier. We greatly appreciate the time hundreds of thousands of you took to try out the early release versions, send us your feedback, and participate in the workshops -- a huge Thank You from us on the Turbo Lister team!

I encourage you to download the new Turbo Lister and check out its enhanced features:

  • Easier listing process – Now you can create listings within a single page. You can also customize the options you want to see on the page, allowing you to look only at the fields that you use.
  • Enhanced editing capabilities – Now you can edit your items directly in the main inventory list. Change the prices, modify the title, and make other quick changes from the list view without having to open another window.
  • Faster performance – We've also made some technical changes to the new Turbo Lister to make it faster and more reliable.
Join us for our next Turbo Lister workshop on Wednesday, April 26, to learn all about this popular listing tool. For more information or to download the new Turbo Lister, visit the Turbo Lister information page. We've also created a new Turbo Lister Upgrade page to help you as you move from the old Turbo Lister to the new.

Sincerely,

Gui Bastos
eBay Product Management
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***Combating Spoof - Making It Easier to Distinguish Legitimate Second Chance Offers***

April 20, 2006 | 11:55AM PST/PT


Scott Loper
Hi everyone. It's Scott Loper here, back again with news from eBay's Buyer Product Team. One of the features my team works on is Second Chance Offer. In case you've never used it, Second Chance Offer gives sellers an easy way to offer an item to non-winning bidders – when they have more than one of that item to sell, their listing ends without a winner (such as if they are using Reserve), or if the winner doesn't actually complete the transaction. Second Chance Offers are great for interested buyers, plus they are a powerful selling tool for sellers.  

Unfortunately, fake Second Chance offers can be used by phishers and fraudsters to defraud eBay members. Fake Second Chance Offers are emails which are designed to look like legitimate Second Chance Offers.  The fraudsters who create them hope you will believe they are from the original seller.  In reality, they are trying to get you to send money to the spoofer for the non-existent item.

To combat this fraud, we're making some changes in the next few days that will make it easier for you to tell when you have received a legitimate Second Chance Offer. If your seller has sent you a Second Chance Offer, you'll soon be able to verify its authenticity in the following locations:

  • The closed item page for that listing, underneath the “You were outbid” message.
  • The ‘Items I Didn't Win' section within My eBay by clicking on the “Second Chance Offers” link.
  • At the top of any eBay page after you sign in (next to the “Hello, ” message under the header).

In addition, sellers will be able to add a personalized message to the buyer whenever they send an Second Chance Offer.

Along with these new features designed to protect against fake “Second Chance Offers”, we remind you that sellers may not ask buyers to send cash through instant cash transfer services (non-bank, point-to-point cash transfers) such as Western Union or Moneygram. For more information about Second Chance Offers, please see our information page. For more information on how to stay safe online, please visit our Security & Resolution Center.

Sincerely,

Scott Loper
Buyer Product Team


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***eBay First Quarter 2006 Earnings Released***

April 19, 2006 | 01:30PM PST/PT


Meg Whitman
Meg Whitman

Today, we announced eBay's financial results for the first quarter ending March 31, 2006. I'm happy to report that the company delivered excellent results in Q1.

The success eBay enjoyed this quarter is a direct result of our Community of members. Your passion and loyalty have helped us build a thriving marketplace that continues to grow quarter after quarter.

We look forward to working together for even greater success throughout the year.

Thank you,
Meg

To learn more about eBay's performance for the quarter, click here.


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***eBay Radio: Call In Today at 11:00am PT***

April 18, 2006 | 09:20AM PST/PT


Jim Jim "Griff" Griffith

Call in to eBay Radio today, April 18, with your host Jim "Griff" Griffith, Dean of eBay University, live from 11:00am to 2:00pm PT (eBay Radio expands to three hours starting today). Guests this week include:

        • Greg Isaacs, Director of the eBay Developers Program, with Dave Cotter, CEO of Mpire, to talk about Mpire's new research tool.
        • Alex Zai, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer of Pak Mail Centers of America, with the do's and dont's of International Shipping .
        • Colin Rule, eBay Dispute Resolution Specialist and eBay Radio's Mr. Manners and Etiquette, on how to "keep your powder dry" when buying and selling on eBay.
        • Lisa Suttora, Founder and CEO of WhatDoISell.com, to help you find your niche on eBay.
        • Rieva Lesonskly, Senior VP, Editorial Director of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. with tips for your eBay business.

And as always 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 877-474-3302 (USA) or 001-858-678-8958 (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 subscribe to the , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.


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***Get Highlight for 50% Off from April 18-19***

April 17, 2006 | 05:03PM PST/PT


Try Highlight for Half-Price during this 2-day special offer on www.ebay.com. With this upgrade, a bright colored band is added to your listing on listings pages to differentiate and draw attention to your item.

The promotion will start on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second) and end on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 23:59:59 PT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds). Listings created prior to April 18, 2006 that are scheduled to start during the promotional period (April 18-19, 2006) will be eligible for the promotional rate. Take advantage of this promotion to try Highlight with all your listings!

During the Half-Price Highlight Promotion:

For auction-style, Fixed Price, Real Estate/Ad Format (which run for less than or equal to 30 days) listings, the fee for Highlight will be $2.50. 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 Half-Price Highlight promotion!


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***eBay Motors Parts & Accessories 50¢ Insertion Fee Sale***

April 17, 2006 | 04:45PM PST/PT


eBay Motors Parts and Accessories is holding a one-day 50¢ Insertion Fee sale on April 18! This promotion starts Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at 00:00:01 PT (12AM plus 1 second) and ends that same day, Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at 23:59:59 PT (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 April 18, 2006 that are scheduled to start during the promotional period (April 18, 2006) 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 Giving Works Update: Sellers can now use PayPal!***

April 17, 2006 | 12:00PM PST/PT


Kristin Cunningham Kristin Cunningham

Hi everyone!  I'm Kristin Cunningham with eBay Giving Works, our dedicated program for charity listings.  As you may know, eBay Giving Works, powered by MissionFish, offers you the opportunity to sell an item on the site and then donate between 10% and 100% of its final sale price to any one of more than 8,000 certified nonprofit organizations. And, of course, nonprofits can sell items using the program too. eBay Giving Works listings stand out in the eBay Marketplace with a special ribbon , and donation information.

Sellers May Now PayPal Their eBay Giving Works Donations
Thanks to the teams at MissionFish and PayPal, sellers now have the option to fulfill their eBay Giving Works donation commitments by PayPal!  When your eBay Giving Works listing closes, simply sign into your My MissionFish account to make your donation with PayPal.  As always, if you do not make your donation by the second Monday after your listing ends, MissionFish will automatically charge the donation to the credit card you have on file with them.

If you do not have a PayPal account and want to take advantage of this new way to fulfill your eBay Giving Works donation commitments, sign up today at www.paypal.com.

To learn more about eBay Giving Works, please visit http://givingworks.ebay.com.

Sincerely,

Kristin Cunningham
Sr. Manager, Cause-related Programs


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***eBay Radio today at 3:00pm PT***

April 16, 2006 | 04:00AM PST/PT

Jim
Jim "Griff" Griffith

Tune in to eBay Radio today, April 16, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm PT for the "Ask Griff" eBay Radio Sunday Show with your host Jim "Griff" Griffith, Dean of eBay University.

Don't miss today's special show, when we revisit some of the best discussions from previous "Ask Griff" shows. We'll be back next Sunday with a live show.

If you can't catch the show when it airs, 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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***Upcoming Workshops: Listing Template & Design Clinic, Global Law Enforcement, Get to Know the New SYI, and Finding a Niche Market***

April 14, 2006 | 10:03AM PST/PT


We would like to invite you to attend the following workshops this week:

Listing Template Design & Layout Clinic
This workshop will be held on Monday, April 17th from 12:00 PT to 13:00 PT. In this workshop, Debbie Levitt, President of eBay Certified Provider As Was, will review some of the key elements eBay listing designs and templates should include (and avoid) to help you generate sales and inspire repeat business. She'll then take questions, and look at one listing each from workshop attendees who would like to get feedback on their designs.

Niche Profits
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 18th from 11:00 PT to 12:00 PT. Did you know selling in a niche market gives you greater buying power, product profitability and advertising precision - "The 3 P's" - all of which can lead to a strong and sustainable eBay business? Join Lisa Suttora, Founder/CEO of What Do I Sell.com, an eBay Certified Service Provider for this workshop, and learn how to find your niche!

Global Law Enforcement Operations: What is eBay/PayPal FIT?
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 19th from 11:00 PT to 12:00 PT. Last year, eBay broke up a notorious Romanian Internet crime ring. Learn how eBay stops such rings through proactive prevention efforts, and how we work with law enforcement in case something bad does happen. Join Carolyn Patterson, Sr. Director Global Law Enforcement Operations and members of her team for a closer look into the infrastructure of eBay, Inc.'s Fraud Investigation Team and highlights from their successful investigations. This workshop is intended for all eBay members who want a better understanding of how eBay, Inc. works with Law Enforcement to investigate fraud on eBay and PayPal. Carolyn would also your feedback on how to best share the achievements and highlights of the Fraud Investigation Team with the Community.

Get to Know the New Sell Your Item (SYI) Form
This workshop will be held on Thursday, April 20th from 14:00 PT to 15:00 PT. New and experienced sellers will want to join us for this workshop to discuss in the new SYI form. With fewer pages and more customized features, the new form helps to make selling on eBay faster and easier. You can learn more about the new features here.

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

  • Go to www.ebay.com
  • Click on Community at the top of the page
  • Click on "Workshops" in the "Events" section
  • This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

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

Want timely reminders about workshops? We recommend two ways to make sure you never miss an important workshop:

  • Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. (To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.)
  • Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Workshop board. When a new workshop becomes active, your RSS reader will be updated. (You can also subscribe to just the specific topic thread that interests you.) To subscribe, click on the RSS button ( ) at the bottom of the Workshop board or thread. Copy and paste the feed URL into your reader to subscribe. For more information on RSS, please read our RSS Help page.

We look forward to seeing you there!


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***Vote for your Favorite eBay Store in the 2006 Best in Stores Contest***

April 12, 2006 | 03:23PM PST/PT


In early March, we kicked off the 2006 Best in Stores contest. Now it's your turn to pick the final winners by voting for the best eBay Stores in the following categories:

  • Best Looking Store: Which Store best represents their business and brand? Does the eBay Store use appealing colors, consistent themes and their own custom logo?
  • Best Shopping Experience: Which Store do you feel offers a truly unique shopping experience? Is the eBay Store using effective eBay merchandising to help buyers find products?
  • Best Store Marketing: Which Store maximizes exposure by using eBay Stores promotional features and tools? Does the seller integrate eBay Store marketing into their listings?

To review the list of finalists and vote for the Best in Stores winners, visit www.eBay.com/BestInStores2006. Voting is open through April 30th. Winners will be announced on the eBay Stores discussion board in May.

Congratulations to the finalists and to all the Stores who entered the 2006 Best in Stores Contest!


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***Last Chance to Save $20 on Registration for eBay Live! in Las Vegas – Sign up by April 15th***

April 12, 2006 | 01:44PM PST/PT


Mike Rudolph

Mike Rudolph
Hi everyone, it’s Mike Rudolph and I'm back with an update on eBay Live! 2006. Registration for the event, taking place June 13-15 in Las Vegas, is well under way and we have an important deadline coming up.

If you are planning to attend you need to register by April 15, 2006 to get the lowest possible price and save $20 off the regular registration fee.

eBay Live! features something for everyone – from the newest buyer to the most veteran PowerSeller. Your admission to eBay Live! gives you full access to the three-day event, including:

  • Dozens of classes, labs and discussions
  • More than 100 exhibition booths
  • Special networking activities
  • The Closing Gala, with headline entertainment Huey Lewis & the News

Sign up before April 15 and save $20 off the regular registration fee. Please go to www.ebay.com/ebaylive for all the details on eBay Live! 2006. We look forward to seeing you at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas!

Sincerely,

Mike Rudolph
Director, eBay Education & Events


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***eBay University - Coming to Denver, CO on Saturday, April 22nd***

April 12, 2006 | 10:21AM PST/PT

eBay University is coming to Denver, CO on Saturday, April 22nd. 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 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 before 11:59pm PT on April 21st and bring a friend for free!

Event Details
April 22nd, 2006
Denver Marriott City Center
1701 California Street
Denver, CO 80202


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***Cast your Vote! The 'eBay and Real Savvy Mom's Baby Dream Room' Contest***

April 11, 2006 | 12:37PM PST/PT

In January, six finalists of the eBay and Real Savvy Mom's Dream Room Contest (read our original announcement) were given $2,500 to make their redecorating dreams come true. Since then, these savvy moms have been purchasing items and materials on eBay to redecorate their children's rooms. Two finalists created nursery rooms, another two transformed toddlers' rooms, and the final two created toy rooms.

After two months of shopping and decorating, it's now time for the eBay Community to vote for one Grand Prize winner! The Grand Prize winner will be awarded a trip for four to Orlando, Florida and be featured on Public Television's show "Real Moms, Real Stories, Real Savvy."

Which finalist do you think best transformed her room into a "Dream Room" through her eBay purchases? Cast your vote at www.ebay.com/redesigncontest/vote!


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***eBay Radio: Call In Today at 11:00am PT***

April 11, 2006 | 09:22AM PST/PT


Jim Jim "Griff" Griffith

Call in to eBay Radio today, April 11th, with your host Jim "Griff" Griffith, Dean of eBay University, live from 11:00am to 2:00pm PT (eBay Radio expands to three hours starting today). Guests this week include:

        • Chris Malta, eBay Radio Product Sourcing Editor, and Ian Aronovich, President of Cyweb Holdingson, will discuss how to tap into Government Auctions..
        • Greg Cole, President of HammrTapNow.com, will discuss how starting price affects auctions.
        • Anthony McMurray, Owner of Prolmpulse Web Design, will discuss how an effective brand can help take your eBay Stores Sales to the next level.
        • Meg Whitman: A conversation with eBay's CEO.
        • Kevin Dulsky, Director, PayPal Mobile Payments, will discuss the new PayPal Mobile Payments Service.

And as always 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 877-474-3302 (USA) or 001-858-678-8958 (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 subscribe to the , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.


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***Upcoming Workshops: Last-Minute Income Tax Relief and Seller's Assistant Migration***

April 07, 2006 | 10:36AM PST/PT


We would like to invite you to attend the following workshops this week:

Last-Minute Income Tax Relief
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 11th from 13:00 PT to 14:00 PT. Please join small business expert Cliff Ennico, popular eBay University instructor and host of the PBS television series "MoneyHunt," for the Last-Minute Income Tax Relief workshop as he discusses business tax issues and online selling. Cliff will cover hot topics such as what tax returns you have to file, getting a filing extension, and taking business deductions that you may have overlooked. Come join Cliff as he answers your toughest tax questions and gives you the information you need to survive yet another tax season.

Transitioning from Seller's Assistant Basic to Blackthorne Basic
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 12th from 13:00 PT to 14:00 PT. If you're using eBay's Seller's Assistant Basic, you'll want to join us for this workshop geared towards helping you move your sales and management processes to the newest seller tool: Blackthorne Basic. Blackthorne Basic will replace Seller's Assistant Basic, so take advantage of this interactive workshop to ask questions and get answers directly from the Blackthorne team. John Slocum, Founder of Blackthorne Software, will discuss the steps for transferring your data over and walk you through the key features of this new seller tool.

Transitioning from Seller's Assistant Pro to Blackthorne Pro
This workshop will be held on Thursday, April 13th from 13:00 PT to 14:00 PT. This workshop is the same as Wednesday's, but for users of Seller's Assistant Pro instead of Seller's Assistant Basic. Blackthorne Pro will replace Seller's Assistant Pro, so plan ahead so that you're familiar with the helpful new inventory management and multi-user features. Join John Slocum and his team to learn how to transfer your data over and key new features so that you're up and running with Blackthorne Pro in no time.

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

  • Go to www.ebay.com
  • Click on Community at the top of the page
  • Click on "Workshops" in the "Events" section
  • This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

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

Want timely reminders about workshops? We recommend two ways to make sure you never miss an important workshop:

  • Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. (To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.)
  • Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Workshop board. When a new workshop becomes active, your RSS reader will be updated. (You can also subscribe to just the specific topic thread that interests you.) To subscribe, click on the RSS button ( ) at the bottom of the Workshop board or thread. Copy and paste the feed URL into your reader to subscribe.

We look forward to seeing you there!


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***Updated: From Chris Tsakalakis – Update on Store Inventory Listings in Search Results***

April 06, 2006 | 02:05PM PST/PT

As mentioned in Chris Tsakalakis’ letter directly below, we are going to return search to the way it was in early February. The rollback of Store Inventory listings in search results will begin today for eBay.com, and will take several more days to complete. Going forward, we’ll be testing new ways to increase exposure for Store Inventory listings, while working to avoid the unintended consequences caused by our original attempt.

As before, Store Inventory listings will continue to appear when 30 or fewer Auction-Style or Fixed Price listings appear in a buyer’s search. Buyers who wish to broaden their search results with all Store Inventory listings will be able to do so by selecting a new box in the Search Options area on the search results page.

Full details about this change can be found in our FAQ.
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***Original: From Chris Tsakalakis – Update on Store Inventory Listings in Search Results***

March 28, 2006 | 01:01PM PST/PT

Chris Tsakalakis
Hi everyone. As you may know, we recently implemented an expansion of item search results to include all Store Inventory listings. Our intent was to provide more exposure for these listings while improving buyers' shopping experience by showing more listings in search results.

In the few weeks since we launched this new feature, it's become clear to us that it's had some unintended consequences. Many buyers have found that their searches are now producing too many results, and that search results overall are sometimes less relevant than they used to be. In addition, Auction-Style and Fixed Price listings are harder to find for buyers, so sellers of these items have unintentionally been put at a disadvantage.

We strive to deliver the best buying experience on the eBay marketplace. Therefore, we're going to discontinue this feature while we further test and refine it. Given the unintended consequences we’ve seen, we want to take more time to optimize this feature and ensure a healthy balance between Auction-Style, Fixed Price and Store Inventory listings on eBay. This is in the interests of both buyers and sellers.

We plan to make this change within the next couple of weeks – it will take several days to fully launch across the site. Essentially, we will make search the way it was in early February, with up to 30 Store Inventory listings appearing when there are 30 or fewer Auction-Style or Fixed Price listings in a buyer's search results. Buyers who wish to broaden their search results with all Store Inventory listings, will still be able to do so by selecting a box in the Search Options area on the search results page.

This change will affect eBay.com, eBay Motors and eBay.ca. More details on the change can be found in our FAQ.

I'll be joining Bill Cobb for our Community Town Hall tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time, and we’ll be happy to take any questions you may have about this decision (you can submit questions here). In addition, my team and I will be hosting a Brown Bag Lunch for Stores sellers on Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific time, and we'll be happy to answer questions and provide more details.

We think this is the right decision to maintain a healthy balance in the eBay marketplace. Thanks in advance for your understanding and flexibility.

Sincerely,

Chris Tsakalakis
Vice President, Advanced Solutions


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***Updated: Transcript and Audio Archive from March’s Town Hall Now Available***

April 04, 2006 | 02:30PM PST/PT


The transcript and audio archive from March's Town Hall event are now available. Check out Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, and members of his executive team as they answer questions on a variety of eBay topics.

Please click here to read the transcript or to listen to the audio archive.

Also, remember to save the date on Friday, April 28th at 11:00am PT for our next Town Hall event. Bill and team will be back to answer your questions on just about any eBay topic. For more information, please see our Town Hall page.


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***Previous update: Join the eBay Town Hall today at 10:00 AM PT***

March 29, 2006 | 07:56AM PST/PT

Bill Cobb
Bill Cobb

Hi everyone...I hope you can join me and a panel of eBay leaders for today's Town Hall event from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT. To join the event, please go to the Town Hall page.

Sincerely,

Bill Cobb
President, eBay North America


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***Original: Submit your question for the eBay Town Hall Event with Bill Cobb – Wednesday, March 29th***

March 17, 2006 | 01:06PM PST/PT


Bill Cobb
Bill Cobb

Hi everyone...Please save the date for my next Town Hall event on Wednesday, March 29th, at 10:00 am PT.

This will be a general Town Hall, so I'll be opening up the floor to all topics. Joining me to answer your questions will be leaders from our Product, Marketing, Trust & Safety, and PayPal departments.   As always, we look forward to hearing what's on your mind.  Please visit our Town Hall page to send us a question or comment in advance.

During the event, members can listen to the live audio through Windows Media Player or through Real Player. Details on how to download and install the latest versions of both of these are available on our Town Hall page.


Sincerely,

Bill Cobb
President, eBay North America


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***Introducing 'Report this Item' on item pages***

April 03, 2006 | 04:26PM PST/PT

Naresh Narwani
Hi everyone… I'm Naresh Narwani, a Product Manager for Trust and Safety features. Earlier this year, Matt Halprin, VP, Global Marketplace Policy Management, in his message on new consequences and other policy management processes, outlined our plans to make it easier for members to report possible listing violations.

I'm happy to say that the "Report this Item" feature will be here over the next few days. Every item page will have a "Report this Item" link at the bottom of the page. Using this link will bypass the Contact Us flow and take you directly to a list of possible reasons why a listing needs to be brought to our attention. This will save you valuable time and help us review potential listing violations quickly. The item number will be included automatically when you use this link.

With millions of active listings on eBay on any given day, we need your help in keeping the marketplace safe. We truly appreciate the efforts of our members who report potential violations to us, and help us keep eBay a safe marketplace to buy and sell.

Sincerely,

Naresh Narwani,
Product Manager, Trust and Safety


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