Today, I had a chance to stop by the fun-filled festivities held at eBay's Park Campus in San Jose for eBay employees and their families to start the night off right. I had heard there were many activities planned, so I thought I'd check them out and brought my trusty camera in case I saw anything frightening.
Along the way, I ran into a set of Spidey twins. They told me they think they're going to be busy tonight fighting with the Green Goblin, but they have confidence in their abilities. Thanks, Spideys and good luck!
Not long after I was assured that no goblins were going to bother me, the future captain of the Black Pearl himself, mini-Captain Jack Sparrow was nice enough to let me capture his photo. I must have over stayed my welcome with Captain Jack, because he was threatening to make me walk the plank.
I wasn't about to mess with him so I hustled on out of there. As I was headed down the hallway, I heard a beautiful melody. When I turned the corner I was in the very presence of an amazingly stunning Green Fairy Princess doing her famous Halloween dance to scare away the evil spirits.
After I joined the Green Fairy Princess I ran into eBay employee-by-day/ Super-Woman-by-night, Leslie and Super Mom, Kathie, another eBay employee, and her Little Bumble Bee in the parking lot. I thought that was pretty strange that they were just standing around eBay's parking lot, so I asked them what they were doing. Their story is that they were in search of any dropped candy by early Trick-O-Treaters. I'm not sure if anyone believes them but that's their story and they said they were sticking to it. They're both super nice ladies and they're always always helpful to me when I need their help so I wished them good luck on their candy search and headed back to our main building. Can you believe that I was harassed by these two? That's right, it's our very own bloggers, Ninad and Jeff. (Actually, Jeff's costume is pretty clever, even if it is one that makes you moan when you hear what he is.)
Finally, I know I'll probably get someone wondering what I was dressed as, so here I am. Not sure exactly what I am. I was going with masquerading reveller, but then again a slimmed down Henry VIII was mentioned. I'll let you decide.
No matter what you decide to dress as tonight, remember to have fun, be safe, and look both ways before crossing the street while Trick-o-Treating.
During the month of October, eBay Giving Works turned its spotlight on Breast Cancer Awareness and fundraising. In true eBay fashion, there are thousands of items up for sale, all with at least a portion of selling price going toward a breast cancer non-profit organization. With such a wide variety of items up for bid, you're bound to find something that captures your imagination...and benefits a good cause!
Now you may be asking yourself - what does a duck have to do with this? Well, Project Pink has teamed up with Munchkin again to offer celebrity-decorated pink rubber ducks up for auction, with proceeds to benefit Susan G. Komen Foundation for the cure. These adorable ducks serve as a reminder - "Don't Duck a Breast Exam." eBay President and CEO Meg Whitman decorated one of the pink ducks and added her personal autograph, so be sure to check out her duck auction which ended on October 29th. But Meg isn't the only celebrity to offer support - you can also bid on ducks decorated by Matthew McConaughey,Dear Abby, and NASCAR star Tony Stewart, among others. If you'd rather add your own bling, bid on your very own pink duck! Remember, 100% of the proceeds from the duck auctions will go to Susan G. Komen Foundation for the cure, so don't dawdle.
Some of the ducks themselves are here to give you their message -- check them out in this video. (Disclaimer -- the strings and shadows you see in this cheesy animation aren't imaginary, but should be!)
...Mary C, from Tennessee! That's right, Mary C. was the first of three lucky people to win $50,000 in the eBay Sweepstakes!! Congratulations! We caught up with Mary to find out a little more about her and what it's like to WIN!
Tell us a little about yourself: I am a divorced mom of three great girls! I work full time in an office at a local university. My hometown is a great place to live and we are adjacent to an Army base. We support our troops and veterans! My children keep me very busy. My two younger girls play soccer and softball. When I am not at work we are off to practice or games. There is always so much going on I don't really have time for me. My daughter told me I should use a little of the money to spend at a day spa. She is so sweet.
How long have you been an eBay member? I have been an eBay member since April 2002. I just love eBay!
How did you discover the eBay Shop Victoriously game? I was looking on eBay for a cell phone, and I saw the "Shop Victoriously" Instant Win Game. I thought I would give it a try. I only entered the game once.
Have you seen the new "Shop Victoriously" TV ads? What do you think of them? I have seen a couple and thought they were funny. I like the one where the guy wins at the carnival and says he will take the red one and it turns out to be a sports car.
What was your reaction when you won? I really didn't believe it at first, then I started jumping and laughing. I thanked God and then prayed it was all real. I told my mom yesterday and she still doesn't believe me.
Who was the first person you told? My oldest daughter - her wedding is next summer. There were so many things I couldn't do for her wedding but now I can. As a single working mom, I had no idea how I was going to be able to afford to pay for this wedding. What a blessing, thank you eBay!!
How do you plan to spend your Grand Prize? Definitely providing my daughter with the wedding of her dreams! She is also in college and needs a new computer. My family is going to have a great Christmas this year! My brothers will be excited when they open up their gift and it isn't another sweater. They are such good brothers and it will be wonderful to give them something nice. There are bills (doesn't everyone have these?) and car and home repairs that are soooooo overdue and taking care of some of these will be a big relief. Oh, and a new cell phone.
What was your greatest "win" when shopping on eBay? Last year, my two younger daughters each wanted an acoustic guitar. I went to the local store and once I saw the price, knew I wouldn't be able to get two of them. I went home and looked on eBay and found two great guitars. I got them both (with shipping) for less than the price of the one in the store. They arrived in perfect condition and the kids love them.
Is there anything else you'd like to share wtih us and the eBay Community? I just love eBay! You can find anything on eBay.
If you missed listening to last Friday's Town Hall with Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, you can still hear a recording of the event or read a transcript on the Town Hall Archives page in a few days. Meanwhile, take a look at some pictures from the event.
For Friday's Town Hall, we had live participation not only from people who called in on the phones and sent in their questions via email, but also from the newest members of the Voices of the Community program, who were in San Jose last week. You can see some of them in the foreground in this picture:
Senior Vice President of Trust & Safety, Rob Chesnut has made many friends in the Community over his eight years. That's because he's always kept the Community front-and-center in his work. Ironically, some of the decisions he's made in the interest of the Community's safety have also been the most controversial (like Safeguarding Member IDs). But, Rob's not only been a policy-maker, he's been a communicator, and this passionate interest in helping the Community understand is a big part of what has endeared him to so many people over the years. He was a faithful presence at eBay Live!, Town Halls, in email correspondence, and even as a Pink on the forums. Rob knew that helping people see a broader perspective goes a long way to building credibility and respect. Even if people don't agree with you at the end of the day, they respect you.
But Rob's kept an unusually low profile lately. So low that regulars on our Trust & Safety forum were recently speculating about his whereabouts.
Many people have been aware that Rob has been away on sabbatical. As time went on, we began to wonder if he'd be returning to his post. Recently, an internal email announced that Matt Halprin – another very familiar face and voice – is stepping up to lead the global Trust & Safety organization. So what about Rob?
In a personal email, he let the Chatter team know that he'll be helping our legal team on some special projects. As to a long-term position? Rob said that there are no definite plans. While it's sad to think of an eBay marketplace without Rob, the Chatter team wishes him the best. And we're all grateful for his contributions – both towards marketplace safety and to all that he did to help build a relationship built on trust and respect with our Community.
As for Matt, he's no stranger to the Community either. His team has been responsible for launching many initiatives, including Feedback 2.0 (Detailed Seller Ratings), Buyer Requirements, our anti-counterfeiting initiatives, and our recent efforts to raise seller standards to ensure great buying experiences. Congratulations, Matt!
Last week the Community Fantasy Football Team was dealt a setback, getting crushed by Rebuilding Year (who benefited from the fireworks show Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and the rest of the Patriots put on against the Dolphins last week to score 173 points, which is insanely high in fantasy football). We also had quite a bit of bad luck - the Blog team scored 102, which would've been good enough to beat anyone but Rebuilding Year. Oh well, such is the fickle nature of fantasy football.
The Blog team will be starting WR TJ Houshmandzadeh, RB Brandon Jacobs, TE Donald Lee, K Robbie Gould, and Denver's D for sure, but we need YOUR help to figure out who should play at QB and our other RB and WR spots. To vote, just visit our polls on the Chatter discussion board on the far right. To get to all the questions, just click on More Polls.
Every year, eBay's Government Relations team brings our sellers face-to-face with legislators in the United States Congress. Named "United States of eBay," the event is a great opportunity for our Community to let Senators and Representatives know how they and their eBay businesses might be affected by legislation being considered by Congress.
During this year's United States of eBay, the fifth of its kind, sellers from 21 states met with over 50 congressional offices, and also heard remarks from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL).
We asked one of the participants, eBay member golfingaddict, to share her experiences about the event and also explain why it's important that legislators understand the viewpoints of sellers like her, on issues like the Streamlined Sales Tax Proposal (also known as SSTP or Remote Sales Tax).
Here, in her own words, is what golfingaddict has to say.
Did you know that there are over 7600 state and local sales tax jurisdictions in the United States? If some special interest groups have their way, eBay sellers, large and small alike, would be responsible for filing sales tax in each and every one of those jurisdictions if they sell to a buyer residing in one of those locations! That means 45 different states (excluding some that don't have sales tax), 45 different filing procedures and the potential for 45 different audits each year!
When I first heard those numbers, I found them to be very scary and quite frankly, a nearly impossible task for me, a small eBay seller and business owner.
Going to United States of eBay
On September 26-28th, I was one of approximately 25 eBay sellers from across the country that took part in the United States of eBay Washington D.C. Fly In. We visited key legislators with our message:
The Streamlined Sales Tax Proposal (to force you to collect and remit sales taxes in thousands of different taxing jurisdictions) is too complex and would place unfair costs and burdens on small business owners like you and me!
The US of eBay Fly In was the fifth annual event held about this issue. We represented sellers from our states and regions and spoke directly with legislators that can make a difference. We met directly with members of Congress, including Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) on Capitol Hill and spoke about the impact this issue would have on our businesses. The eBay sellers were accompanied by members of eBay's Government Relations team that helped us with the process. Our message was very clear: this proposal would be very harmful to small business owners on eBay. We oppose the Streamlined Sales Tax project unless it provides for an exemption for small business owners.
SSTP would be a huge burden to small sellers Currently, the law requires sellers to collect sales tax if we sell to someone that resides in our own state. I collect sales tax from Washington State residents and submit that tax to the state each quarter. The Streamlined Sales tax proposal would require sellers to collect sales tax from all buyers in every different state that have sales taxes and submit that tax to the correct state or jurisdiction. This would be a huge burden to small sellers.
Can you imagine the paperwork required to file 45 different states? Even more complex is the local jurisdiction issues. There are over 7600 different jurisdictions across the states, all with different tax amounts. What this means is that sellers would likely have to collect a different sales tax amount depending on which of those 7600 jurisdictions the buyer resides in. I think this process would put a lot of sellers out of business simply because the burden would be too much to ask of someone without the means and ability to hire a team of accountants to deal with the issue. I know that I would not be able to handle all this paperwork on my own and would have to reconsider the burden of selling online if this sales tax collection process was imposed on me.
I encourage everyone to sign up to be an eBay Main Street Member. When you sign up you will get updates on the legislative issues that affect you as an eBay member. I also encourage everyone to contact their local legislators and voice your opinion on this sales tax initiative. I urge you to oppose the Streamlined Sales Tax Proposal unless it includes an exemption for small businesses.
October! It can mean so many things to so many people. Some think of World Series baseball, others may dream of football games on a crisp fall day. And of course, what would October be without one of my favorite holidays -- Halloween? If you haven't decided on a costume yet, you still have time to find the perfect one on eBay. If you've ever dreamed of dressing your baby up like a pumpkin, you're sure to find the right costume here. Of course there are plenty of costumes and accessories for boys, girls and even us grown-up kids.
To turn your house into the scariest one on the block, don't forget to look for everything you need to stand out on your street. You can find Halloween crafts and props creeping and crawling all over the eBay site!
Are you frightened by the thought your item won't arrive in time? You can search for items by sellers offering the Get it Fast option, which ensures your item is available with expedited shipping options.
Scare us with your Halloween photos! Do you have a funny, cute or scary picture of your child or pet dressed up in a Halloween costume purchased on eBay? Have you dressed your dog as Yoda or a princess? Perhaps your baby made an adorable Spiderman? Maybe you've been even more creative with your eBay costume purchases. If so, we'd love to see it. Send a photo to chatterblog@ebay.com and maybe your photo will be highlighted here in the Chatter on Halloween day.
I'm here to warn you to be on the lookout for a traveling lab coat.
You know, those sterile, white jackets doctors or scientists wear in
their laboratory. But this ain't your ordinary lab coat. It's a very
special lab coat because it's "Traveling on for Charity" and listed through eBay's Giving Works tool.
Since I'm a native of Salt Lake City, I wanted to blog about this fantastic, grass roots, idea to raise money for the Primary Children's Medical Center, located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
A big pat on the back should be given to eBay Community member danna who
started the lab coat on its adventures. She's even written about the
lab coat on her own blog. Please be sure to read her story, The Traveling eBay Lab Coat
to learn how her idea came to fruition. In a nutshell: Lab coats like
this one were worn only by a few eBay employees during eBay Live!
earlier this year. When the event ended, the employee who had worn this
lab coat listed it, donating the proceeds to charity. danna won
that auction, and then had a brilliant idea -- why not "pay it forward"
by listing the lab coat again, and donating the proceeds from the
second auction to her own favorite charity? Whoever won the second
auction could re-list it yet again for their own favorite charity, and keep "paying it forward."
And so the lab coat's travels began...
danna says, "the
goal is to keep the Lab Coat Traveling around eBay and for each owner
to sign it and re-list it back on eBay as a 100% Charity auction! A
company logo can be added, an autograph, a patch, pin... the ideas are
endless!"
We couldn't agree more, so we're going to try to keep track of the
traveling lab coat here on the Chatter Blog, and give you updates about
its progress and the money that it is raising for various charities.
Fast forwarding a few weeks after danna listed the lab coat, here we are again to discuss the latest version of the eBay Live! Traveling Lab Coat. The “pay it forward” torch has passed on to the winner of danna's auction, kompolt.
The
Kompolt team created a clever About Me page for the coat as it narrates
its short life span within the eBay Community. You can read more about
it here traveling_lab_coat.
For the non-profit organization that will benefit from this auction, kompolt has chosen the Challenged Athletes Foundation, in memory of the late Bob Hebeler, an eBay employee. Bob passed away suddenly last year and the Challenged Athletes Foundation
was set up as a way for those of us who knew him or others that want to
support this cause as a way to honor Bob and his love of outdoor sports
and athletics. 100% of the proceeds from the eBay Live! Traveling Lab Coat auction will go to supporting and encouraging challenged athletes to achieve their goals.
There
are still 7 days remaining so bid now, or maybe wait until the auction
is drawing to a close and try to win with your best sniping finger. Who
knows, maybe I'll be blogging about you and your favorite non-profit as
you join in on the fun of "paying it forward" with the eBay Live Traveling Lab Coat!
Happy Halloween to all eBay Members!
Along the way, I ran into a set of Spidey twins. They told me they think they're going to be busy tonight fighting with the Green Goblin, but they have confidence in their abilities. Thanks, Spideys and good luck!
Pearl himself, mini-Captain Jack Sparrow was nice enough to let me capture his photo. I must have over stayed my welcome with Captain Jack, because he was threatening to make me walk the plank. 
I wasn't about to mess with him so I hustled on out of there. As I was headed down the hallway, I heard a beautiful melody. When I turned the corner I was in the very presence of an amazingly stunning Green Fairy Princess doing her famous Halloween dance to scare away the evil spirits. 
and Super Mom, Kathie, another eBay employee, and her Little Bumble Bee in the parking lot. I thought that was pretty strange that they were just standing around eBay's parking lot, so I asked them what they were doing. Their story is that they were in search of any dropped candy by early Trick-O-Treaters. I'm not sure if anyone believes them but that's their story and they said they were sticking to it. They're both super nice ladies and they're always always helpful to me when I need their help so I wished them good luck on their candy search and headed back to our main building. Can you believe that I was harassed by these two? 
That's right, it's our very own bloggers, Ninad and Jeff. (Actually, Jeff's costume is pretty clever, even if it is one that makes you moan when you hear what he is.) 
