Additional security for invoice emails
The next invoice email you receive will contain only a text summary of your invoice information, including the amount due and your payment method on file. To see your full invoice details, you'll need to log in to your eBay account.

Asking sellers to log into their accounts from a safe URL (web address) is an important step in helping members stay safe from malicious links and buttons in spoof emails.

Enhanced reporting
We are providing more flexibility in how you analyse your invoices.

You'll be able to download your invoice into an easy to view, non-editable, HTML file. You can also download your invoice transaction level details into a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file, enabling you easily to sort and analyse your invoiced transactions using any application that supports the CSV format, such as Microsoft Excel.

We're also adding additional reports, such as new subtotals by fee or item, to help you track the fees you’ve paid.

To check your invoice, go to "My Seller Account" in My eBay and select "View Invoice."

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie Teams

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The site header is the bar at the top of almost every eBay page, containing the Buy, Sell, and other links. We’ve been working on the header to make it easier to search for items and to move around the site.

Here are the key changes that will be introduced in the next few days:

1. Quick access to eBay categories
   On most pages, the header will include a new ‘eBay Categories’ link. When you hover over the link with your mouse, a full list of eBay categories will be displayed, making it quicker and easier for you to go straight to the category that interests you.


2. A Fresh New Look
   We felt it was time to give the header a fresh new look. We hope you like what you see and find the navigational tools overall more useful.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie Team

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In February, we reduced the visibility of UK items on eBay.com, as they had reached a level where they were significantly impeding domestic trade on eBay.com. We are aware that a small percentage of sellers, who relied in whole or in part on US buyers, were significantly affected by this reduced visibility.

Since then, we have been planning how best to display some UK items on eBay.com and some US items on eBay.co.uk so that cross-border trade can thrive without impeding domestic trade on either site.

UK items on eBay.com

From 19th June, we will be conducting a test on eBay.com during which we will show UK items to a small percentage of US buyers. The test will include four variations, each of which will be seen by 1% of US buyers:

1. UK items will appear in main US search results
2. UK items will appear in main US search results, as long as the item is located in the UK, the seller is registered in the UK, and postage costs to the US have been specified
3. UK items will appear in the ‘international expansion’ box in US search results
4. UK items will appear in the ‘international expansion’ box in US search results, with the same conditions as the second variation

These variations will allow us to evaluate the best way to display UK items on eBay.com without harming domestic trade on eBay.com. We also expect that they will allow us to evaluate which UK categories are most suitable for visibility on eBay.com.

This test will run for about a month, ending in mid-July. We expect to take a final decision at the end of August on how we will display UK items on eBay.com.

US items on eBay.co.uk

We are also mid-way through tests in which we display US items on eBay.co.uk. These are slightly different to the tests above: we are showing US items by default in a small percentage of UK categories, as long as those US items offer Paypal, specify postage costs to the UK and are listed by sellers with 100 Feedback at 98% or greater positive.

Since March, we have been running the test in the following categories:

• Business, Office & Industrial: Medical/Lab Equipment
• Clothes, Shoes & Accessories: Women’s Accessories
• Collectables: Clocks
• Collectables: Disneyana
• Collectables: Knives/Swords
• Consumer Electronics: MP3 Players
• Jewellery & Watches: Watches
• Stamps: United States
• Toys & Games: Games

We will now be switching off the test in these categories, so that US items will no longer appear in them by default. In their place, we will be adding the following categories to the test:

• Antiques: Ethnographic Antiques
• Collectables: Advertising
• Computing: PDAs
• Consumer Electronics: Gadgets
• Health & Beauty: Bath & Body
• Health & Beauty: Make-Up/Cosmetics
• Health & Beauty: Skin/Face Care
• Home & Garden: Pet Supplies
• Musical Instruments: Guitars
• Photography: Film Cameras
• Sporting Goods: Golf

This second phase of the test will last until the end of July, and we expect to take a final decision at the end of August on how we will display US items on eBay.co.uk.

Our goal with these tests is to create an environment, both on eBay.co.uk and on eBay.com, in which sellers who want to access overseas markets can do so without damaging the domestic trade in those markets. We also aim to balance the need to test carefully and thoroughly with the need to implement changes promptly so that sellers who trade overseas can do so effectively.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk Team

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You’ll only pay only 5p to make your item available to millions of buyers on ebay.co.uk. Kick sStart your Auction-style format listing at a price from between 1p and 99p inclusive and you’ll be able to list for just 5p per item this Thursday.

Take advantage of this offer and get selling!

Terms and conditions apply.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk team

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Bid Assistant manages bids and makes winning the right item at the right price more convenient for buyers.

Bid Assistant places bids for you on a series of items from your Watch list. You tell Bid Assistant which listings you want to bid on, tell it what your maximum bid is and relax while Bid Assistant handles the work of bidding.

Using Bid Assistant, you can group listings together and enter the maximum amount you want to pay. This amount could be the same for each listing, or you could decide to set different amounts based on the item condition for each listing or other considerations.

Listings are sorted by their end time, so when you’ve set up your group, Bid Assistant will bid on the item with the earliest end time first. Our proxy bidding system will automatically update your bid amount up to the maximum amount you set in Bid Assistant.

If you win, you get to celebrate your victory and Bid Assistant won’t bid on any other items in your group. If you lose, Bid Assistant will automatically bid on the second listing in your group for you. This pattern continues until you win one of the listings or all the listings in your group end.

To learn more, visit the Bid Assistant help page.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie Teams

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If you experience this issue, your comment will be displayed on your trading partner's Feedback Profile later today. Duplicate Feedback will not be displayed.

We appreciate your patience while we work to fix this issue.

Regards
The eBay.co.uk & eBay.ie teams

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If you'd like to start using the new version of the SYI form in advance of the old SYI form's retirement, click 'Start selling with the new version of the Sell Your Item Form' at the top of the Sell page. Please note that if you don't have that link, you're already using the new form.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie Teams

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Computing > Drives/ Storage > Zip Drives
Business, Office & Ind… > Office Equip. & Supplies > Office Equipment > Shredders
Computing > Laptop Accessories > Power Supplies > Surge Protectors
Consumer Electronics > Home Audio/ Hi Fi > Cassette Decks
Computing > Desktop PC Components > Power Supplies > Uninterruptable Power Supplies

Pre-Filled Item Information is a feature for sellers to easily add product information such as brand, model, storage capacity, and colour to their listings. The information is presented to buyers with standardised formatting in the item description. The added information and its clear and structured layout help make buying decisions.

Pre-filled item information is already available in DVDs and CDs. To learn more about Pre-Filled Item Information, please see our information page.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk Team

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Where Item Specifics have been introduced, sellers see an increase in sales. Buyers can refine their searches quickly, and Item Descriptions are more detailed and clearly structured.

Sellers can choose whether to include Item Specifics in their listing, and buyers can choose whether or not to use them in search.

Item Specifics are now available in the following categories:

Antiques> Antiquities
Baby> Baby Swimming Aids
Business, Office & Industrial> CCTV
Business, Office & Industrial> Labels
Business, Office & Industrial> Mailers
Cars, Parts & Vehicles> Commercial Vehicles
Cars, Parts & Vehicles> Agricultural Vehicles
Cars, Parts & Vehicles> Campers, Caravans & Motorhomes> Campervans & Motorhomes
Cars, Parts & Vehicles> Garage Equipment & Tools> Air Tools & Compressors
Cars, Parts & Vehicles> Garage Equipment & Tools> Lifting & Moving Equipment
Cars, Parts & Vehicles> Garage Equipment & Tools> Power Tools
Collectables> Autographs
Collectables> Barber Shop/ Shaving Collectables
Collectables> Disneyana
Collectables> Fast Food/ Cereal Toys
Collectables> Flags
Collectables> Phone Cards
Collectables> Radio/ Televison/ Telephony Collectables
Collectables> Religious Collectables
Collectables> Trading Cards
Collectables> Vanity/ Perfume/ Grooming> Hatpins
Computing> Apple Desktops
Computing> Video Switches
Consumer Electronics> Karaoke Systems/ Equipment
Crafts> Latch-Hook/ Rug-Making
Home & Garden> Celebrations & Occasions
Home & Garden> Cooking Supplies
Home & Garden> Crockery & Tableware
Home & Garden> Drinking Glassware
Home & Garden> Gift Wrapping
Home & Garden> Metaphysical & New Age
Home & Garden> Mirrors
Home & Garden> Patio Covers & Heating
Home & Garden> Safety & Security> Burglar Alarms
Home & Garden> Safety & Security> Safety Alarms
Home & Garden> Toilets & Bidets
Photography> Telescopes
Sporting Goods> Badminton
Sporting Goods> Gymnastics
Sporting Goods> Ice Hockey
Sporting Goods> Squash
Sporting Goods> Archery
Sporting Goods> Basketball
Sporting Goods> Canoeing
Sporting Goods> Equestrian> Horse Wear & Equipment
Sporting Goods> Golf> Golf Accessories
Sporting Goods> Golf> Golf Bags
Sporting Goods> Hunting & Shooting
Sporting Goods> Rugby Shirts
Sporting Goods> Running & Athletics> Athletics Equipment
Sporting Goods> SCUBA & Snorkelling> Masks, Snorkels & Flippers
Sporting Goods> SCUBA & Snorkelling> SCUBA & Snorkelling Equipment
Sporting Goods> Tennis
Sporting Goods> Tickets & Vouchers
Sports Memorabilia> Sports Memorabilia
Tickets & Travel> Holidays
Toys & Games> Casino & Poker

For more information about Item Specifics, please refer to the Item Specifics help.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk Team

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Terms and conditions apply. Click here for full details.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk team

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We introduced SMI to eBay.co.uk in November 2006. This initiative is designed to protect eBay's bidders from unwanted commercial and malicious spam, such as phishing, spoof, and fake Second Chance Offers. We've had a few months now to watch SMI in action, and we have seen a significant reduction in fake Second Chance Offers and other types of solicitations sent to bidders on higher-priced auction-style listings.

We've also received a lot of feedback from the Community about how we can improve the user interface, and we've been working hard to do so. Specifically, we want to replace some of the transparency that was removed when SMI was first introduced, without affecting the protection we're providing for bidders.

This week, we'll be making the following adjustments to SMI:

1. Enhancements to Search by Bidder
   When members use the Search by Bidder feature (found under Advanced Search), they’ll now be able to see all the details of that bidder’s bidding activity on items below the £100 threshold.
2. Sellers can use Advanced Search to research potential buyers
   Sellers will be able to use Advanced Search to conduct full research on their current bidders for a 48 hour period after the bid is placed. In addition, they will also be able to research the activity of any member who sends them an Ask Seller a Question email or uses Best Offer within a 48 hour period of the email/offer being sent.
3. Safeguarding Member IDs on listings with a Reserve or Buy It Now over £100
   If a bidder bids on a listing where the Reserve price or Buy It Now is above £100, their ID will be anonymised just as if they had placed a bid over £100.
   
   Note: where auction-style listings have a Buy It Now option, and this option disappears, the listing will continue to be anonymised to protect bidders in the early stages of the listing.

To learn more about SMI, please read our FAQs, which have been updated to reflect these new changes. As always, we appreciate your support as we work to keep the marketplace safe.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk Team

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The Dublin Fraud Investigations Team works with numerous law enforcement agencies throughout Europe to pursue, apprehend, and prosecute fraudsters who may use eBay or PayPal to facilitate their crimes. Due to the legal nature of the work this team does, our efforts to fight these crimes often need to stay behind the scenes.

In addition to the Fraud Investigations Team in Dublin, we have teams in North America and Germany. Together, the three teams make up Global Law Enforcement Operations.

Here are some interesting facts about the eBay.co.uk website:

• eBay.co.uk has achieved the ten million live listings landmark, meaning there are more than ten million items for sale on the site at any one time
• Every other (47%) active internet user visits eBay.co.uk at least once a month^*
• eBay.co.uk's audience reached 14,743,000 in March 2007^*
• eBay visitors average two hours on the site and view 266 pages per month^*
• eBay accounts for 11% of all the time people in the UK spend on the internet^*

^*Source: Nielsen/Netratings, March 2007

Once a case successfully closes we want to make sure you hear about it. That's why we make regular updates to our Police Blotter, which you can find on eBay's Security & Resolution Centre. Every 6 weeks or so, we update the Police Blotter with the latest news around our global law enforcement efforts.

An excerpt from a recent arrest story published on our Police Blotter:

The Thames Valley Police contacted the Dublin Fraud Investigations Team with an urgent case. A large amount of computer games were stolen from a local company in the UK. With the help of an eBay/PayPal Investigator, law enforcement obtained a search warrant and executed it in late March. Three brothers who resided at the address were arrested after approximately 2000 computer games were found. Over £20,000 in cash was found on the premises as well as a number of addressed envelopes containing games sold online. They have been charged with handling stolen goods.

Remember, we can only release the details of a case once law enforcement makes an arrest, so the stories that appear on Police Blotter are just a sample of the many cases we are involved in.

Over the past few months we’ve been working on a number of initiatives to support a proactive approach to securing the safety of the eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie marketplaces. We wanted to take a moment to highlight some of these initiatives:

• Last autumn we put in place restrictions on listings to help reduce the number of potentially counterfeit items on the site.
• We’ve also taken steps to protect the identity of users when bidding on high-value items through the Safeguarding Members ID project.
• With feedback 2.0, the second generation of our feedback system, we’re using Detailed Seller Ratings as a way of helping buyers choose sellers who offer the best customer experience.
• In early summer, we’ll be changing our buyer protection plan to encourage the use of safe payments through PayPal.

You can read the full Trust and Safety announcement by reading last month's update: A Message from Rob Chesnut – Combatting Online Fraud.

We'll be back again next quarter with another update from the Global Law Enforcement Team.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie Teams

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From June 2007, PayPal will provide £150/€200 of coverage with no processing fee, no minimum purchase price and no seller requirements for all UK / IE buyers who pay with PayPal. This coverage protects buyers for purchases made of certain items which are either not received or for those that are significantly not as described.

Additionally, buyers who use PayPal to purchase items from eligible sellers may be entitled to up to £500/€1000 protection.

Buyers can look in the Meet the Seller, Buy Safely section on item listings to see how each specific listing is covered.

The protection offered by PayPal is an expansion of PayPal Buyer Protection and replaces the eBay Standard Purchase Protection Programme which previously covered most eBay listings for up to £120/€200 minus a £15/€25 processing fee. We’ve responded to community feedback that eBay Standard Purchase Protection wasn’t meeting the community’s needs, so we’ve decided to retire it and just offer simplified purchase protection through PayPal – making coverage on eBay much simpler and more comprehensive.

Find out more about why protection is important and details of our policies along with other useful information about buying with confidence in our Safety Centre.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie Teams

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The new version of the SYI form has been available to all sellers since March (as previously announced), and the vast majority of sellers are now using the new form.

We strongly encourage sellers still using the old form to click ‘Start selling with the new version of the Sell Your Item Form’ at the top of the Sell page. (If you don’t have that link, you’re already using the new form.)

We’ve kept working on the new SYI form, so if you haven’t used it for a while, you should notice some changes that make the form more efficient for all our sellers.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie Teams

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We have changed the way Detailed Seller Ratings are displayed. Detailed Seller Ratings are the anonymous star ratings that buyers leave for sellers. Currently, the system displays the Detailed Seller Ratings to the nearest ½ star. Later today, the system will be updated to display Detailed Seller Ratings to the nearest 1/10 (one-tenth) star. We believe this update provides members with more specific information.

The results we’ve seen so far indicate that there is a good take up of the new Feedback features, and no negative impact to bidding and listing. While some members were initially concerned about the changes, we’ve received an increasing number of positive comments, from both buyers and sellers.

The positive results mean that we are extending the new Feedback system to eBay.com and other sites around the world.

We appreciate the input and support we’ve received from our members. These changes help ensure that eBay’s Feedback system continues to be a credible measure of trust in the eBay marketplace.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie Teams

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