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  October 2008 |
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***A Message from John Canfield – Two Important Security Updates*** |
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October 28, 2008 | 11:56AM PST/PT

| John Canfield |
Hi everyone…this is John Canfield, Senior Director for Fraud Prevention Policy. I have two important updates on security initiatives to share with you.
Trusted Selling with Identity Confirmation -- Progress Update
Trusted selling with identity confirmation, which we first announced in April, is designed to prevent fraudsters from gaining access to members’ accounts in order to commit fraud on eBay. It adds a new level of security by asking anyone listing an item from an “unknown” computer to confirm their identity.
Last spring, we began to implement this project by noting which computers members typically use when they buy and sell on eBay. Then two months ago, we started testing the identity confirmation process for a small population of users. I’m pleased to let you know that our testing has been successful – we’ve seen a significant reduction in account takeovers, and it’s been a smooth experience for users. We are now expanding this initiative to the entire Community, which should be completed within one to two weeks.
Going forward, if you list from a different computer than you usually use (e.g. a computer at a friend’s house, at the library, etc.), eBay will make an automated call to you to confirm it’s really you attempting to list an item. If you are not available to receive a call, you can instead confirm your identity via Live Chat with our customer support team.
Making Winning Bidder IDs Anonymous
Early last year, we began to anonymize bidder IDs on listings. This change was designed to protect bidders from fake Second Chance Offers and other malicious emails. As I’ve shared before, this initiative has been very successful, resulting in a 90% reduction in this type of fraud.
Today, however, the winning bidder’s ID is currently visible to everyone after the listing ends, and this continues to lead to fake checkout offers and other spam. Consequently, it also leads to unpaid items, as winning bidders who fall victim to these fake emails often send payment to someone other than the seller.
Based on the positive results we’ve seen by anonymizing bidder User IDs, as well as our commitment to protecting all bidders from becoming targets for fraudsters, we’ve decided to extend anonymized User IDs to winning bidders, as well. This change will be implemented sometime this week.
As always, the following information will still be accessible:
- Sellers will be able to view all bidder IDs on their listings.
- All members can click on the bidder ID and view the bidder’s Bid History page, which will detail the categories in which they’ve bid over the past 30 days.
- Feedback pages will show the same information as now – buyer and seller IDs, with comments visible to all.
Thanks for taking the time to read about these updates to improve safety on eBay, and we thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
John Canfield
Senior Director, eBay Trust & Safety
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***Join your host Griff (Jim Griffith), Dean of eBay Education, for this week's broadcasts of eBay Radio and Ask Griff*** |
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October 27, 2008 | 04:18PM PST/PT

| Jim "Griff" Griffith |
Call in to eBay Radio on October 28th, with your host Griff (Jim Griffith), Dean of eBay Education, live from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time (3 hours). Griff's guests this week:
- McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty Insurance, joins us to talk about collector Vehicle Insurance and automobile coverage for your high-ticket eBay Motors listings.
- Ian Aronovich, President of governmentauctions.org, will give you tips on assessing the value of auction items and lots that you intend to bid on.
- Amy Skeeters-Behrens, Head of Marketing with WorldofGood.com -- a great place to get unique gifts that benefit people and the planet.
- Skip McGrath, Publisher of "The eBay Seller's News" at skipmcgrath.com and author of "Ten eBay Niche Businesses Anyone Can Do" and "How To Sell Used Books on eBay and the Internet," tells you "What Your Competitors Can Tell You" to help you increase your sales.
- Danna Crawford, CEO and Founder of PowersellingMom, Incorporated, talks about the holiday selling season and the launch of, "Ornaments for Charity."
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".
Don't miss the Thursday "Ask Griff" show
Call in to this week's live broadcast of the "Ask Griff" show Thursday, October 30th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific time. No guests on the Ask Griff show. Just two hours of your calls on any eBay topic of your choice!
If you can't catch either of the live shows, 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.
Select and listen to any past eBay Radio broadcast, listed by topic and date,
in the eBay
Radio archives. You can also join the eBay
Radio eBay Group for more information on eBay Radio.
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***Join your host Griff (Jim Griffith), Dean of eBay Education, for this week's broadcasts of eBay Radio and Ask Griff*** |
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October 21, 2008 | 04:52AM PST/PT

| Jim "Griff" Griffith |
Call in to eBay Radio today, October 21st, with your host Griff (Jim Griffith), Dean of eBay Education, live from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time (3 hours). Griff's guests this week:
- Jen Cano, VP of Customer Experience with Hammertapnow.com and eBay Radio Contributing Editor, answers a question you might be asking yourself, "Should I invest?" She'll also give you tips for deciding whether to purchase a product or renew a sourcing contract.
- Bobby Tzekin, PayPal Product Manager, tells you all about PayPal Micropayments pricing and how it can work for you.
- Tod Cohen, VP of Government Relations and Deputy General Counsel, discusses some of the challenges facing eBay right now from a government relations perspective.
- Laurie DeAgostino, owner of Jordan and Jack's, a thriving eBay store.
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".
Don't miss the Thursday "Ask Griff" show
Call in to this week's live broadcast of the "Ask Griff" show Thursday, October 23rd from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific time. No guests on the Ask Griff show. Just two hours of your calls on any eBay topic of your choice!
If you can't catch either of the live shows, 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.
Select and listen to any past eBay Radio broadcast, listed by topic and date,
in the eBay
Radio archives. You can also join the eBay
Radio eBay Group for more information on eBay Radio.
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***A Message From Dinesh Lathi: Current Seller Promotions at a Glance*** |
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October 17, 2008 | 02:53PM PST/PT

| Dinesh Lathi |
Hello again...A number of sellers have reached out in the last few days with questions about some of our current listing promotions. Here's a quick summary to help clear things up:
Free shipping:
- PowerSellers get double Final Value fee discounts on all Fixed Price and Auction-style items with free shipping sold from October 1 – December 31, 2008.
- All sellers get a free Subtitle upgrade on Auction-style and Fixed Price items with free shipping listed from October 1 – December 31, 2008.
Books, Music, Movies & DVDs and Video Games:
- All sellers get 5 cent Insertion Fees for Fixed Price listings in these categories when they list with pre-filled item information between September 16 – December 31, 2008. (This does not include Video Game Systems).
- All sellers get a free Subtitle upgrade for Fixed Price and Auction-style listings when they list with pre-filled item information between October 13 – December 31, 2008, whether or not they offer free shipping.
I hope this helps clarify the great promotions we're offering our sellers, and thanks again for your support!
Dinesh Lathi
Vice President, Seller Experience
Reposted Thursday's original announcement to make a minor typographical correction, and on Friday to correct sub-title promotion.
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***A Message from Dinesh Lathi: New Look for Product Pages, Plus Other Important Updates*** |
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October 15, 2008 | 04:05PM PST/PT

| Dinesh Lathi |
Hello everyone...This is Dinesh Lathi, VP of Selling Experience. As we head into the busy holiday shopping season, I’d like to let you know about a few important changes we’ve made to help sellers be successful this season:
New Look for eBay’s Product Pages
In the next few days, we’re making some important design updates to eBay’s product pages (i.e. the pages you see when you click on "Matching Products" in search results.) You’ll see two different versions of this page—one style is for Books, Music, Movies & DVDs, and Video Games and one is for products in other categories. Sellers’ items will appear on these pages when they list with pre-filled item information.
Both new pages make it faster and easier for buyers to find just what they’re looking for from sellers they trust. Get a closer look at the new pages, along with tips for getting the best position for your listings.
Special Offer Starts: FREE Subtitle for Media Listings
From now through the end of the year you’ll get a FREE Subtitle upgrade when you list books, music, movies, DVDs and video games with pre-filled item information. Subtitles show up on the new product pages, so take advantage of this offer to help your listings stand out.
Introducing Featured First, a New Listing Upgrade
We’re also introducing a new listing upgrade called Featured First. Add Featured First to your listings for an opportunity to appear in the featured area at the top of the first page of search results. A limited number of Featured First listings are randomly selected to be rotated into the featured area, so there’s no guarantee yours will appear. But this upgrade is still a great way to significantly boost your chances of being displayed on the first page for increased visibility and increased likelihood of a sale. It’s also a great way to jump start "recent sales" for a new Fixed Price listing.
Featured First takes the place of Gallery Featured and is offered for the same price: $24.95 for up to 10 days, and $74.95 for up to 30 days. This upgrade is available only to sellers who have not been demoted in Best Match search results (see your seller dashboard for your status). Also note Featured First is not available for any Motors categories. Gallery Featured is still available for Motors sellers.
Relist Credits Ending for Fixed Price Listings October 22
As you know, we recently reduced Insertion Fees for Fixed Price listings to just 35 cents for a full 30 days, and just 15 cents in Books, Music, Movies & DVDs, and Video Games. As a result, starting October 22 we will no longer be offering Insertion Fees credits when Fixed Price items are relisted. Credits will still be issued for unpaid items and are now being extended to single quantity Store Inventory Format listings if there is an unpaid item. Note that relist credits for Auction-style listings will continue.
Best Match for Store Inventory Format Listings in Search Expansion Box
As you know, when search results surface a limited number of items, the search results page expands to show matching Store Inventory Format listings available from eBay Stores sellers. Best Match is now used as the sort order for these Store items, using the same factors that apply for Fixed Price listings. These include recent sales, competitive pricing—including shipping—and seller track record. Also, you may have noticed that we’ve increased the threshold for when Stores items appear from 30 listings or fewer to about 50 to show even more of your Store Inventory listings.
These changes create a more consistent experience and ensure that buyers find the most relevant inventory from sellers they trust. See details on how Best Match works, and how to make it work for you.
Thanks for taking the time to read about these updates, and we thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Dinesh Lathi
Vice President, Seller Experience
This was reposted to add a link to the Featured First help page above.
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***Upcoming Workshops: Selling with Paperless Payments, Profiting from Customer Complaints, A Guide to Double Entry Bookkeeping and Buying with Paperless Payments*** |
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October 10, 2008 | 02:30PM PST/PT

| Bev DeSomber |
Hi everyone, I'm Bev DeSomber, and I manage the eBay Workshop program. I'd like to invite you to attend the following workshops taking place next week:
Selling with Paperless Payments
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 14th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific time.
Join this workshop to learn more about what sellers need to do get ready for paperless payments. Starting October 20, sellers will need to offer credit
card payments through an internet merchant account, PayPal, or ProPay, all of which will be integrated into checkout in early 2009 (read our paperless
payments page for more information). Staff from eBay, PayPal, and ProPay, a 3rd party payment provider, will be on hand to tell you more about the changes
and answer your questions.
Profiting from Customer Complaints
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 14th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time.
In this workshop, Jerad Schempp, COO of Certified Solution Provider Hosted Support will discuss how you can turn those pesky complaints you get from your
customers into real profits.
A Guide to Double Entry Bookkeeping
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 15th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific time.
Please join Phyllis Wischer, eBay Education Specialist and Business Success Coach for SageFire, Inc., Certified Solution Provider and creator of
KeepMore.net, for a comprehensive explanation of double entry bookkeeping, how the equation “Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity” works in double entry
bookkeeping and reasons why a simpler method (single entry bookkeeping) might work just as well as the more comprehensive double entry bookkeeping for your
eBay business.
Buying with Paperless Payments
This workshop will be held on Thursday, October 16th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time.
You may have heard that beginning October 20th, checks and money orders will no longer be allowed on eBay. Use this workshop to learn the details of the
actual policy. Plus, if you have never signed up for an electronic payment method such as a credit card, PayPal, or pre-paid cards, come and see how easy and
convenient it is. Members of eBay's Trust and Safety and Marketing team will be on hand to discuss how to seamlessly continue to shop and pay on eBay, and
some of the intrinsic benefits of our accepted payment methods.
Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshop Forum. Remember,
if you can't make it during a particular workshop, just visit our Workshop
Archives, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Want timely reminders about workshops? We recommend two ways to make sure you never miss an important workshop:
- Sign up for the Workshop 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 Forum. 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.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Sincerely,
Bev DeSomber
Community Development
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***A Message from Brian Burke: Feedback Revision Launches Soon*** |
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October 09, 2008 | 04:17PM PST/PT

| Brian Burke |
Hello...I'm Brian Burke, Director for Global Feedback Policy. I’m pleased to announce we will introduce Feedback Revision the week of October 20th.
Feedback Revision will enable buyers to change a Feedback rating, comment and Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs). While the Feedback revision process is initiated by a seller, buyers have the option to accept or decline a request. Buyers will have 10 days to respond and non-response will result in the Feedback remaining. Only one request can be made per transaction.
Sellers should only send a Feedback Revision request to the buyer once they have addressed, to the buyer’s satisfaction, the cause for the negative or neutral Feedback. They may also send a request if the buyer accidently left incorrect Feedback in the first place.
Sellers will have a limit of 5 requests per 1000 Feedback earned within a 12 month period. On average, sellers receive 8 negative Feedbacks per 1000 Feedback earned, so the 5 per 1000 limit will enable sellers to address the occasional mistake, while at the same time not enable sellers with greater than average negative Feedback to "cleanse their record."
We will monitor system use and make adjustments as required.
Onsite Buyer Messaging about “Free Shipping” During the Feedback flow
Free Shipping is a great way for sellers to improve their DSRs and attract more buyers. To enhance the accuracy of Feedback left on these transactions, beginning next week buyers will be reminded that the seller offered Free Shipping on the transaction as they are leaving Feedback for the seller.
I’d also like to let you know that in July we introduced messaging to remind buyers when their transaction was an international transaction.
Since Feedback is often left days or even weeks after payment is made, providing these reminders should increase the accuracy of buyer Feedback and help ensure sellers who do cross-border business or who offer Free Shipping receive appropriate DSRs for Shipping time and Shipping & Handling cost.
Sincerely,
Brian Burke
Director, Global Feedback Policy
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***A Message from Nate Etter: Update on Mandatory Return Policy and Handling Time*** |
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October 07, 2008 | 01:40PM PST/PT

| Nathan Etter |
Hi everyone...Good news for sellers who are in the process of updating their listings to prepare for the holiday season. We had previously announced that specifying both your Return Policy and Handling Time would be made mandatory in late October. However, given the breadth of changes we’re asking sellers to make to their listings this year, we’re giving sellers a reprieve on these two items until after the holiday season.
The new enforcement date for mandatory Return Policy and Handling Time will be in early 2009. To give sellers adequate time to get their listings ready, we’ll be giving sellers at least 30 days notice before we start enforcement.
I also wanted to take this opportunity to clear up a couple of questions around Return Policy.
Do I have to accept returns?
We encourage you to accept returns, as this increases buyer satisfaction. However, you do not have to accept returns. You may specify “No Returns Accepted” as your return policy.
If I specified Returns Accepted before the new fields were added, do I need to revise my listings again?
No, if you specified Returns Accepted before the new fields were added, you do not need to revise your listings again. The new field, which specifies who pays return shipping, will be defaulted to Buyer.
Even though we’re pushing out the enforcement date, it’s never too early to add Return Policy and Handling Time to your listings. We encourage you to start listing your items with Return Policy and Handling Time now.
Sincerely,
Nate Etter
Seller Experience
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***Upcoming Workshops: Revising Listings Quickly, The New Search Experience, Tax Strategy, Buying with Paperless Payments and How to Buy Wholesale Products*** |
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October 03, 2008 | 03:38PM PST/PT

| Bev DeSomber |
Hi everyone, I'm Bev DeSomber, and I manage the eBay Workshop program. I'd like to invite you to attend the following workshops taking place next week:
Revising Listings Quickly and Efficiently
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 7th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific time.
Join this workshop to learn more about revising your listings, especially if you have several listings to revise at one time. The Listing Tools team
will be on hand to answer your questions as well as guide you through specifics of using Selling Manager Pro, TurboLister, or the Revise your item flow (RYI).
The New Search Experience on eBay - A Guided Tour
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 7th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific time.
Please Join the Finding team for a tour through the new features and latest enhancements available in Finding 2.0. Learn about the new look & feel of
Finding 2.0, navigating by aspects, and the updates to your search options you know and love.
Tax Strategy
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific time.
eBay sellers, as small business owners, are all eager to cut costs, save money, and earn extra income right now. Unfortunately, this is also the perfect time for unscrupulous tax schemes and promoters who promise you everything, deliver nothing, and leave you holding the bag. Do you know if the tax strategy you're using is legit? Do you know the 5 signs of a tax scam? Join us to learn about these scams, as well as the 30 audit red flags the IRS is cracking down on.
Buying with Paperless Payments
This workshop will be held on Thursday, October 9th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific time.
You may have heard that beginning October 20th, checks and money orders will no longer be allowed on eBay. Use this workshop to learn the details of the actual policy. Plus, if you have never signed up for an electronic payment method such as a credit card, PayPal, or pre-paid cards, come and see how easy and convenient it is. Members of eBay's Trust and Safety and Marketing team will be on hand to discuss how to seamlessly continue to shop and pay on eBay, and some of the intrinsic benefits of our accepted payment methods.
This workshop is just the first of a series of workshops on Paperless Payments. Don’t miss the rest of the series, including:
If you miss the Buying with Paperless Payments workshop on October 9th, you can catch it again on October 16th.
How to Buy Wholesale Products
This workshop will be held on Thursday, October 9th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific time.
At WorldwideBrands.com, we get a lot of questions about how to find legitimate wholesalers. Chris Malta, CEO of WorldwideBrands.com, created a video series to share tips for avoiding Internet scammers and finding real wholesalers who'll work with your home business. The first video explains why forming a legal business helps you find and work with legitimate wholesalers. In the first video Chris reveals one of the top signs that tell you when a wholesale supplier is fake. Join us in this workshop with Worldwide Brands Product Sourcing Expert, Colette Marshall, as she expands on Chris’s advice on finding legitimate wholesalers and answers your questions about how to buy wholesale products. Watch the video now.
Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshop Forum. Remember,
if you can't make it during a particular workshop, just visit our Workshop
Archives, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Want timely reminders about workshops? We recommend two ways to make sure you never miss an important workshop:
- Sign up for the Workshop 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 Forum. 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.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Sincerely,
Bev DeSomber
Community Development
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