***eBay Radio: Call In Today, September 30th at 3:00pm PT***
September 30, 2007 | 01:21PM PST/PT
Jim "Griff" Griffith
Call in to eBay Radio today, September 30th, 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 podcast , 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.
***Consumer Product Safety Commission - Several Toys Recalled***
September 27, 2007 | 02:33PM PST/PT On September 26, 2007, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall of several types of toys due to a lead paint hazard. Items in the recall include certain Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys, toy gardening rakes, tools and chairs, Knights of the Sword toys, puppet theaters, spinning wheel-metal necklaces and additional children's metal jewelry.
Also, today, September 27, 2007, the CPSC also recalled several types of Kolcraft play yards due to strangulation and suffocation hazards.
eBay takes recalled items very seriously, and we work closely with the Consumer Product Safety Commission on these issues. We encourage buyers and sellers to visit http://www.cpsc.gov (See the Recent Recalls section) for more details about the products and model numbers included in this recall. You may also wish to visit our Recalled Items policy at http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/recalled.html
For Sellers: Please check your product model numbers and refrain from listing any items that are part of this recall. Any currently listed items that are included in the recall should be ended.
For Buyers: If you believe an item you are interested in bidding on or purchasing may be part of this recall, we encourage you to use the Ask Seller a Question feature to verify the model number.
Hi everyone...I'm Nate Etter with eBay's Seller Experience team, and I'm here to follow up on Jim Ambach's announcement from a few weeks ago. As he mentioned, we're making some improvements to our Sell Your Item (SYI) form. Here’s a rundown of what we'll be introducing over the next couple of weeks.
Easier Customization Options
One of the best things about the SYI form is that you can customize it to fit exactly what you need. Don't accept money orders, for example? Modify the form to turn off that option, and you won’t see it again.
However, you've told us that the customization system is a little difficult to find and use, so we went back to the drawing board. Soon you'll see several improvements to make the customization section more accessible and intuitive. In particular, look for a much better set-up that allows you to customize your shipping section.
A New Uploader for Pictures
Pictures are an important part of any listing, so we've spent time looking at how we can make the upload process smoother. You'll soon be able to use a Flash-based uploading tool that has a slick user interface, a real-time progress meter that lets you monitor your uploads, and advanced technology that makes it extremely reliable across a variety of computer platforms.
Improvements to the Shipping Section
We're also making big improvements to the Shipping section of the form, such as streamlining the entire section to make it much less cluttered.
In addition, USPS Flat Rate boxes and envelopes, for both Priority and Express mail, are being added as Shipping Services. These will be available for both domestic and international shipments when sellers use the Shipping Calculator or specify their own shipping costs.
***A Message from Kristina Klausen: Enter to win $2,500 in Shipping Label Sweepstakes***
September 25, 2007 | 06:08PM PST/PT
Kristina Klausen
Hi everyone. This is Kristina Klausen from eBay's Shipping team. Shipping is an important part of your eBay business, and printing shipping labels on PayPal is one way to make shipping easier. To make it even more fun, I'm pleased to announce the chance to win $2,500 in the Shipping Label Sweepstakes.
Automatic Sweepstakes Entry when you Print PayPal Shipping Labels
Entering the Sweepstakes couldn't be easier. Through October 21st you'll be automatically entered in the sweepstakes when you print a U.S. Postal Service® or UPS® shipping label on PayPal, with a limit of one entry per day, per User ID. At the end of the promotion, the Grand Prize winner will be randomly selected to win $2,500. Your entry will also be included in the weekly drawing, where we'll be giving out shipping scales to ten lucky winners each week of the promotion.
Save $$ when you use PayPal Shipping Labels PayPal Shipping Labels are a convenient way to purchase and print shipping labels right from your home or office. As a reminder, here are a few benefits:
No fees - you pay only the actual cost of shipping
Save on shipping costs through USPS and UPS
Automatic discounts of 8% on USPS Express Mail International and 5% on USPS Priority Mail International
eBay sellers may be eligible for savings of up to 31% from UPS when shipping labels are printed with PayPal
Automatic shipment notification to buyers
No special equipment needed – you can print with regular paper and a printer
Good luck, and thanks for using PayPal shipping labels!
On September 21, 2007, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, along with Simplicity Inc., issued a recall of about one million cribs. The drop-side can detach from the crib, which can create a gap and lead to the entrapment and suffocation of infants. The recalled Simplicity crib models include: Aspen 3 in 1, Aspen 4 in 1, Nursery-in-a-Box, Crib N Changer Combo, Chelsea and Pooh 4 in 1. The recall also involves the following Simplicity cribs that used the Graco logo: Aspen 3 in 1, Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in 1, Ultra 5 in 1, Whitney and the Trio.
eBay takes recalled items very seriously, and we work closely with the Consumer Product Safety Commission on these issues. We encourage buyers and sellers to visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07307.html for more details about the products and model numbers included in this recall. You may also wish to visit our Recalled Items policy.
For Sellers: Please check your product model numbers and refrain from listing any items that are part of this recall. Any currently listed items that are included in the recall should be ended.
For Buyers: If you believe an item you are interested in bidding on or purchasing may be part of this recall, we encourage you to use the Ask Seller a Question feature to verify the model number.
For additional information contact Simplicity at (888) 593-9274, or visit the firm's Web site at www.simplicityforchildren.com.
***eBay Radio: 'Best of' Today at 11:00 AM Pacific Time***
September 25, 2007 | 09:34AM PST/PT
Jim "Griff" Griffith
Tune in to eBay Radio today, September 25, from 11:00am to 2:00pm PT for a special "Best of" eBay Radio Show with your host Jim "Griff" Griffith, Dean of eBay University. Griff will be back next week with an all new show, so be sure to check it out!
If you can't catch the live show, you can always subscribe to the podcast , 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/ebay
radio
for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your
computer.
***Update on eBay.com’s On-Site Advertising Strategy***
September 24, 2007 | 11:01AM PST/PT
Steve Hartman
Hi everyone...I'm Steve Hartman, the Director of On-Site Advertising for eBay. My team is responsible for the ads that show up on eBay.com and I'm here to give you an update on our progress and future plans.
From the beginning, we've approached on-site advertising with the belief that displaying some types of ads to the right people at the right time would benefit buyers by providing them with greater opportunities to find what they were looking for. By satisfying needs this way, we add value to the overall marketplace and further establish eBay as the first and best place to shop.
Our findings so far
There are different reasons people use eBay. Some come to browse, buy, sell, and connect. Others simply come to research or have fun. The testing we've done has helped us better predict when providing advertising actually helps as part of these experiences.
Today our strategy is to identify when people are most likely to buy or bid, so that we don't display ads that are likely to put potential transactions on eBay at risk. In addition, we're working with our advertising partners to show ads that are more relevant, so that their presence truly enhances the buying experience. Analysis to date has shown that this approach to advertising does not get in the way of people who intend to buy or sell items on the site.
Make no mistake – above everything else, we want buyers to transact on eBay. But we also want to offer alternatives when we believe it will improve the buying experience. Our advertising efforts have shown no significant impact to our core transaction business, and subsequently to our sellers' revenue, which further convinces us that we are on the right path.
Let me also say that while we are encouraged about our findings to-date, we have more to learn. I'm sure that everyone can come up with an example of an ad on eBay.com that was not "beneficial" to their user experience, and, yes, I've seen a few of them myself. To that point we're continuing to try new and improved ways to show the right ads in the U.S. And globally, our other sites are developing their own approaches to advertising that meet the unique needs for their markets.
***eBay Radio: Call In Sunday, September 23rd at 3:00pm PT***
September 22, 2007 | 06:46PM PST/PT
Jim "Griff" Griffith
Call in to eBay Radio Sunday, September 23rd, 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 podcast , 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.
***Town Hall: Monday, September 24, 2007 from 2:00 - 3:30 PM PT***
September 22, 2007 | 06:39PM PST/PT
Bill Cobb
Hello everyone...I’m Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, and your host for our Community Town Hall events.
I know our sellers are gearing up for a busy holiday shopping season, and so are we. As you know, our teams have been busy all summer working on a variety of innovative site changes and marketing that all work together to help buyers Shop Victoriously!
I’d like to hear your questions and thoughts about our ad new campaign and all the other changes in the works. I hope you can join me and the Town Hall panel on Monday, September 24th from 2:00-3:30 Pacific Time for our September Town Hall.
Phone In with a Question:
As usual, we'll be broadcasting LIVE via Internet radio with the help of our friends at wsRadio (the same folks that produce Griff's eBay Radio show). You'll be able to listen in with a MP3 file, Windows Media Player, or Real Player.
If you have a question to ask live on the air, you can dial toll free 877-474-3302 to talk to us in person.
Email Us Your Question:
If you'd prefer to email us your question, send it to
TownHall@ebay.com
***List a vehicle on eBay Motors -- Save 50% on insertion Fees from September 22-23, 2007 ***
September 21, 2007 | 04:22PM PST/PT
List a vehicle on eBay Motors using any format (auction-style listing, Fixed
Price, or Best Offer) from September 22-23, 2007, and get
50% off your insertion fee. Save as much as $20 during this two-day promotion!
This promotion starts Saturday, September 22, 2007 at 00:00:01 Pacific time
(12:00 a.m. plus one second) and ends on Sunday, September 23, 2007 at 23:59:59
Pacific time (11:59 p.m. plus 59 seconds). Listings created prior to September
22, 2007 which are scheduled to start during the promotional period (September
22, 2007 through September 23, 2007) will also be eligible to receive the promotional
rate.
This offer applies to vehicles listed on eBay Motors in the Cars & Trucks,
Motorcycles, Powersports, or Other Vehicles & Trailers categories. For more
information about insertion fees during this promotion, please click
here.
Excluded are listings in the eBay Motors Parts & Accessories categories,
as well as Live Auction, Professional Services, Motors Local Market, and Store
Inventory listings. Listings on eBay.com and international eBay sites are also
excluded. For full details about the sale, please see our information
page.
Please join expert group leaders shop4uniquegifts and danna along with eBay Groups Coordinator Maeve, in this exciting and informative workshop where they will present tips, tricks and strategies for optimizing the new tools. We will have tutorials to help you navigate groups more easily. Plus, we will cover everything from emailing other members of your group to featuring special content. We hope you will join us.
Our current version of the Sell Your Item form is great for experienced sellers. However, it can be a little complicated for our newer sellers who aren't as familiar with all the options and choices available – and sometimes even experienced sellers just need the basics. To help these sellers out, very soon - if you want to - you'll be able to list with a simplified listing form, needing only to fill in a small number of required fields. We pre-fill many of the options for you (such as setting your auction starting price at $0.99), but if you don't like the way we fill in the blanks, you can easily change them. Please join the seller experience product management team and get your questions answered, and maybe take home – or offer – a tip or two.
Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the 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 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.
***Coming Soon: Pre-filled Item Information in Car Amplifiers, Sewing Machines, and Blenders***
September 20, 2007 | 01:57PM PST/PT Pre-filled Item Information will soon be available in the following categories:
Blenders
Car Amplifiers
Sewing Machines
Pre-filled Item Information is completely optional, and gives sellers an easy way to add basic, standard information to their listing. Examples include brands, models, colors, and stock photos. Using Pre-Filled Item Information can help save sellers time, and provides buyers with helpful information when searching for items to purchase.
Note: Sellers who use a 3rd party listing service (ChannelAdvisor, etc.), should contact them to verify that they will offer the Pre-filled Item Information capabilities in the categories listed above.
***eBay Radio: Call In Today at 11:00 AM Pacific Time***
September 18, 2007 | 09:15AM PST/PT
Jim "Griff" Griffith
Call in to eBay Radio today, September 18th, with your host Jim "Griff" Griffith, Dean of eBay University, live from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time. Guests this week include:
Jen Cano, VP of Marketing and PR for Hammertapnow.com, to tell you more about how market research can help you make important sourcing decisions.
Steve Haas, Senior Manager of FSBO and Enthusiast Vehicles for eBay Motors, who will share information about eBay Motors that you probably didn't know.
Mike Enos, founder of PlatinumPowerSeller.com, to tell us about his new site, AuctionTNT.com, and how it benefits eBay sellers.
Jason Miner, eBay University instructor and host of the PayPal Radio Show, to let us in on what's new with PayPal.
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 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 podcast, 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.
***A Single Sign In for Community Forums & the Rest of eBay***
September 17, 2007 | 10:28AM PST/PT
Rachel Makool
Hi everyone...I'm Rachel Makool with eBay's Community Development team. In the next few days, we'll be making a small change for your convenience. Once you've signed into your account anywhere on eBay.com, you'll be able to use our Community forums (such as our discussion boards, eBay Groups, Answer Center, etc.) without going through a second sign-in process until you close your browser.
This small change should not only save you time, but should also improve your account security, since you'll no longer have to remember to sign out of both your main account and the Community area when you leave your computer.
Set your Sign In Preference in My eBay
Although most members appreciate a single Sign In, there may be some who prefer to sign in to the Community forums separately from the rest of the site. (For instance, if your business has multiple User IDs, and you use a specific one in the forums.) For this reason, once this change launches, you can set your preferences in My eBay to indicate you want a separate Sign In for the Community forums area.
The Community forums are a great place to get answers from other experienced members, attend an Online Workshop, and connect with others who share your interests. Check out our Community forums by visiting the Community tab at the top of almost any eBay page.
Sincerely,
Rachel Makool
Senior Director, Community Development
***eBay Radio: Call In Sunday, September 16th at 3:00pm PT***
September 15, 2007 | 10:37PM PST/PT
Jim "Griff" Griffith
Call in to eBay Radio Sunday, September 16th, 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 podcast , 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.
In this workshop, Debbie Levitt from As Was, eBay's first Certified Service Provider, discusses ways to keep your happy buyers thinking about
you, coming back for repeat purchases, and telling their friends how great you are. Come and ask your questions about retaining your customers and
getting them to promote you!
The time is NOW to put your holiday selling strategies in place! 44% of holiday buyers plan to START their holiday shopping in September. But
successful holiday selling tactics change from year to year. And you'll want to know what's new and what works for 2007! Please join Lisa Suttora
Founder/CEO of Certified Provider WhatDoISell.com and featured speaker on the eBay Live 2007 Product Sourcing Panel as she discusses which
holiday strategies work now, and which you should leave behind. You'll also learn some tips for keeping your business organized and humming along
throughout the busy holidays and how YOU can stay sane through it all!
Please join Phyllis Wischer, Business Coach of Certified Solution Provider SageFire, Inc., in this informative workshop as she outlines some of
the common mistakes small business owners make that can end up costing them literally thousands in overpayments to the IRS each year. Members
will also learn how to use the new KeepMore.net solution, the "Plain English", online accounting solution for their eBay business.
Do you "get" that running your business as an LLC or a Corporation can help lower your taxes and protect yourself legally ... but don't where to go
from there? Or, do you understand the basics but have a few questions? Then this workshop is for you! We're talking "why should I" and "how do I,"
so bring your coffee and all those questions you've been dying to ask!
Your entrepreneurial spirit, passion, and (we bet) help from family and friends have led to a thriving business on eBay. But what do you do when
you need to hire outside your network of friends and family in order to keep the business growing? Please join Eric Winegardner from Monster, the
leading online careers and recruiting site, as he guides you through the daunting task of hiring your first employee in this one hour workshop.
Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get
to the 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 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.
***A Message from Gary Briggs: Marketing Update***
September 14, 2007 | 03:31PM PST/PT
Gary Briggs
Hi everyone...I know our Community looks forward to seeing our new fall and Holiday advertising each year. After many months of hard work, our marketing team is ready to launch this year's new television commercials and integrated ad campaign. As you might imagine, this is a massive effort with lots of interrelated components, but they all work together to do one thing - drive buyers to the site for the benefit of the many sellers and businesses who make up the eBay marketplace.
One of the perks of my role is getting to be part of such an enormous and creative undertaking. I have to admit that it's so great to see something go from idea to action. On behalf of the many people who contributed their long hours and expertise into making this all possible, I'm really thrilled to introduce this year's brand new marketing campaign.
First – as way of a little introduction – I wanted to briefly mention our summer Windorphins campaign. You may have seen or heard about Windorphins - a concept that captures the euphoria of winning – which made a splash all over the country this summer via colorful billboards, cab signs, etc. Our Windorphins promotion was what the marketing world calls a "teaser" campaign - a way of piquing people's interest with a bit of surprise and curiosity.
Now that we've seeded the idea of Windorphins in the public's mind, our audience is primed for our brand new integrated advertising campaign and television commercials, all focused on winning on eBay...drum roll please!
Shop Victoriously!
We have a series of innovative television commercials we'll be releasing in the next few days and weeks that focus on the "Shop Victoriously" theme. "Winning" is the overall message that comes through each of these unique story lines, because we all know that "it's better when you win it." In the "land of bland" out there, eBay is like an oasis – it's the only place where you can find that rockin' good deal and get a good rush of windorphins to boot.
But really the ads speak best for themselves! To get a better sense of the campaign, I'm pleased to be able to give you this sneak peek at one of our ads called "Dog Race." See for yourself what I mean:
"Shop Victoriously" Ads Debut in 23,000 Theaters
To kick things off, this afternoon moviegoers in front of over 23,000 theater screens across the country will learn that at eBay they can "Shop Victoriously." Then, on Sunday, these ads will be appearing during major prime time television shows, starting with Sunday Night Football on NBC and continuing with shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Deal or no Deal, and Heroes.
If you miss these shows, no worries. Keep an eye on the homepage next week for links where you can watch the rest of these ads from your computer screen.
Where's Griff?
By the way, has anyone seen Griff? Rumor has it our very own Griff has been hiding out at a football game. See if you can spot him!
Personalized Catalogs Reach 4 Million Buyer Households
In addition to our new television ads, we'll be sending a personalized buyer catalog to over 4 million prospective buyers – each one features a wide selection of the great items you can get on eBay, and even includes a personalized URL that the recipient can visit to get some shopping suggestions based on their own interests.
Internet Marketing Campaign
Plus, we'll be spreading the "it's better when you win it" message across much of our online advertising, which will reach 90% of the online shopping population. The campaign will run across some of the most visited sites on the internet including Yahoo, MSN, AOL, MySpace, Facebook, and many more. We want buyers everywhere to know they can Shop Victoriously on eBay!
This is all just the beginning of the Shop Victoriously campaign, with much more to come. I'll have more details to share with you about this ambitious integrated marketing campaign later in the fall.
Coming soon - eBay Gift Cards!
You've asked for them before and we've heard you. This holiday season we're making it even easier for you to give the gift of "just about anything" with our new eBay Gift Cards. YES!
In the next few weeks, eBay Gift cards will start hitting shelves at stores near you, and will be widely available by November. eBay Gift Cards are "always the right size and always the right color." Plus they make great stocking stuffers! One of my team members will be back in a few weeks to tell you even more, so stay tuned.
Thanks for reading and may you Shop (and Sell!) Victoriously!
Sincerely,
Gary Briggs
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
eBay North America
***Join Griff at eBay University in San Jose, CA - Sept. 22nd***
September 14, 2007 | 10:03AM PST/PT
Jim "Griff" Griffith
Hi everyone, this is Jim Griffith (most people call me “Griff”).
I’m eBay’s Dean of Education, and author of The Official eBay Bible. I’m also the host of eBay Radio, and I regularly answer member questions on eBay’s Chatter blog (www.ebaychatter.com). We’ll be hosting an eBay University in our hometown, San Jose, on September 22nd, and I want to personally invite you to join me and our other esteemed instructors; Jason Miner, Peggy Pattavina, and Patty Ruby.
I’ve been teaching at eBay Universities nationwide ever since the program began in 2000. I usually teach the Basic Selling course, where I enjoy getting to meet “newbies” or buyers who are just thinking about selling for the first time. Our San Jose event will host the Basic Selling course as well as the Beyond the Basics of Selling course (for those who are looking to increase their eBay sales). Don’t miss your chance to learn about eBay from me, as well as other great instructors.
Our one-day program is only $59, and you can even bring a friend for free if you register before 11:59pm (ET) on September 21st. See our course page for a description of the classes, and for more information about eBay University.
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