Don't miss these 2008 January News archives and events

Catch these upcoming events:

Seller Webinar on Friday, February 1 at 10am Pacific time Come to a LIVE class hosted by eBay staff on the important changes announced this week.

January Town Hall with Bill Cobb  -- Monday, February 4th at 3:00 pm Pacific time   eBay Town Halls are broadcast on wsRadio. Caller questions are answered LIVE by executives.  Use the toll-free number on the link above to phone in your comment or question to Bill and other leaders.  They want to hear from you!

And these archives:

A Message from Bill Cobb - New Pricing and Other News

A Message from Jim Ambach - More Details for Sellers

2008 eCommerce keynote Webcast - with John Donahoe and Bill Cobb

2008 eCommerce Executive Q&A session

Reflections one day after 2008 eCommerce

If you follow eBay's Announcement board or popular eBay blogs, you know yesterday was a big news day. BIG.

eBay sellers have been waiting anxiously for this year's annual fee changes since January started. When the news "hit the wire" (PR talk), however, it contained substantive changes in several major areas -- the pricing model, new seller standards and rewards, and Feedback. As North America President Bill Cobb put it in his record-length AB post,

"I know that all of the changes we're making in pricing, seller standards and incentives, and feedback are big ones ... and that not everyone will like them. But the overall package is what you should focus on ... and the overall package is strong."

The "overall package" as explained in Bill Cobb's is about a number of major changes that are united by the single goal they share: improving the experience our buyers have on eBay. 

Comments that members are posting by the 1000's in the forums, especially about the change to prevent sellers from leaving negative comments for buyers, illustrate just how big these changes are in a very tangible way. Many feel the changes tip the scale too far in the buyer's favor. Some members have posted that they think eBay actually favors buyers over sellers.

I've worked here almost 10 years, and I know how big these changes are, too. It took me a while to adjust to them, because changes like preventing negatives for buyers and decreasing listings exposure in Best Match for sellers with high buyer dissatisfaction rates are dramatic -- they trample on core marketplace traditions. 

The bottom line is, though, we all want eBay to win.  But we have to do it in today's new competitive world.

I hope you watched the webcasts from the 2008 eCommerce Forum in Washington D.C.  yesterday -- Bill and the other executives made it clear to over 200 top sellers (many of whom were also concerned by the news) that, in fact, eBay wants to build a stronger partnership with sellers.  That's why eBay is -- for the first time -- offering real rewards to great sellers, or sellers who consistently give great service and meet their buyers' expectations.  The business needs great sellers.  Sellers, for that matter, need great sellers too.  Every good business person wants to be part of a marketplace that has a great reputation that buyers trust. 

eBay's soon-to-be CEO John Donahoe summarized how critical it is we work with our sellers, in partnership, to improve the buying experience together:

"eBay by itself cannot create a great customer experience.  We can smooth the process through enhancements to our platform, policies and pricing, but once a buyer is ready to buy, the experience is entirely in your hands."

Let me also say that some members have expressed concerns that warrant more discussion.  I know eBay staff are reading, listening, and discussing the details that sellers have brought up.  Issues like the difficulty that a seller who accepts international buyers has in scoring well in the DSRs the way the system works today -- this concern and others have been taken seriously by eBay leaders who know there will continue to be a need to evolve and tweak.

But overall -- the changes are not about eBay caring about buyers over sellers, as I've read often on the forums.  They are about making real change that will make a healthier marketplace that can continue to grow for the next 10 years (and beyond).  To do that, we all need to change the things that are ...right now, today...driving buyers away.

I'll paraphrase the comments leaders made yesterday in their keynote speeches and answers to sellers during the exec Q&A and sessions:  If we don't make bold changes, buyer confidence will continue to wane...i.e.  buyers will spend more of their money not here, not where our good sellers are, but with other retailers on the web. 

                                                               * * *

We're listening!  Tell us what you think by posting your thoughts to the Chatter forum linked at the bottom of this post.

Run Your Own Amazing Race While Looking Like Ron and Chris

I'm not a huge reality show junkie (except for that darn Survivor addiction that I always say I'm  going to shake and then never do), but I consider The Amazing Race to be must-see TV. If you've never tuned in, here's how it works. Teams of two people, each with a relationship that can vary from "Sisters" to "Newly Dating" to "Grandfather/Grandson," are racing around the world, completing tasks to earn clues that tell them where to go next. Each episode covers a leg of the race, and the last team to cross the finish line each show is eliminated. Once they're down to the final 3 teams, it's an all-out mad dash to finish first overall and claim the million dollar grand prize.

I love it because the contestants get to visit (and do activities in) a variety of locales all around the world. In fact, I've even applied for the show - the fact that we didn't even make it to the "rejection form letter" stage tells you all you need to know about how interesting our video was.

Anyway, as I perused the CBS site looking for details about next season, I saw a note that father/daughter team Ronald and Christina, the second-place finishers from the previous race, were auctioning off the shirts they'd worn during the race on eBay (including his famous "Who's Your Daddy" shirt). Theirs was a cool story. He's a self-described workaholic dad that wasn't around much while Christina was growing up, and they hoped the race would bring them closer together. After some rough moments early on, Ronald learrned to put away his critical side and started treating his daughter as an equal. After that, they cruised to the finals, and were just edged out for the big prize at the end.

But the reason why they're auctioning off the shirts is even cooler. During the show they spent two legs in Burkina Faso, one of the poorer nations in the world. There they were struck by the living conditions, and the fact that most children don't have access to even basic education. They decided to do something about it, and are auctioning the shirts off through eBay Giving Works to benefit Sheltering Wings, an orphanage in the town of Yako that provides shelter and care to children who have lost their parents and have no access to primary education. Check out all the details, and the shirts, on the About Me page they put together.

Striking the Jackpot...and Paying it Forward

"You're a Winner!"  If you're like most people, the thought of winning an incredibly cool prize might seem like one of those things that only happens to other people. That's what Sophia from Virginia thought too...that is, until she attended eBay Live! in Las Vegas in 2006.  She recently shared her great story with us, and we had to pass it along.

While at the event, Sophia stopped by the UPS booth to try her hand at the roulette-themed (we were in Vegas, remember?) prize wheel. Sophia can no longer say "I never win anything" because she won the grand prize of a brand new Dell laptop computer from UPS!

However, that's not where this story ends. Sophia soon learned through her friend Jim that his son Jon was to be deployed by the military to Iraq and that Jon was planning to buy a computer so he could stay in touch with friends and family. Sophia surprised him by "paying it forward" and giving Jon her brand new laptop. 

At eBay Live! in Boston in 2007, Sophia and Jim stopped by the UPS booth to meet the UPS staff and let them know Jon would soon be heading to Iraq. Jon is currently serving as a Private First Class in the 101st Airborne Division near Baghdad, and he has his Dell laptop with him, courtesy of Sophia.

Thank you Sophia, for demonstrating how to turn winning a prize into something really amazing. And of course...to Jon and everyone in the military who serves our country each and every day, we "bid" you a huge thank you!

Celebrity Stars Shine for a Good Cause

If you haven't visited the Shop Victoriously site lately, take a look around! The site has been updated and the red carpet rolled out for some great celebrities and their auctions to benefit various non-profits.

Tom Hanks has kicked things off with some unique Lifeline radios up for auction.  Not only has he autographed the radios, but the winner will also receive a personal letter and signed photo from him as well! Lifeline radios can be powered either by solar or by wind-up, and they provide crucial lines of communication in many parts of Africa where electricity is non-existent. These radios provide education, health advice, life skills and news to children, farmers, and the general population. Check out the video (starring, of course, Mr. Hanks) which really demonstrates the power of these radios.

He's listed 10 of these autographed radios through eBay Giving Works, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Freeplay Foundation. The Freeplay Foundation's mission is to provide sustainable access to information and education to the poorest of the poor.

While on the Shop Victoriously site, you might also see another exciting promotion coming in early February for your chance to win cool prizes as we continue to roll out the red carpet. In addition, other unique celebrity auctions will be added soon from Shakira, Counting Crows, Scarlett Johansson, Kristin Davis, Colin Firth, and more! Check the Shop Victoriously site regularly for updates.

Developer's Program: Check out eBay Flyer!

Hey There,

Faithful Chatter readers may know that our friend and guest blogger for the eBay Developer's Program, Delyn Simons, is out enjoying her new baby. Filling in for her while she's out is the very talented Gail Bower. She's using her first appearance on The Chatter to tell us about the new eBay Flyer. Enjoy!

---

What’s old is new again!  With eBay Flyer, you can now quickly create the familiar “FOR SALE” paper flyers, complete with tear-strips along the bottom, so interested buyers can easily find you on eBay.  eBay Flyer is fantastic for selling those large, awkward or locale-specific items like couches, TVs, cars, furniture, scuba gear and anything else you don’t want to or can’t haul to the post office.

Creating a flyer is super easy, free, and your listing information is even already in the flyer!  Post flyers (legally, of course) all around town … college campuses, churches, stores, health clubs, the Laundromat – you get the idea. The potential buyer can take a tear-strip off the flyer and when they return home, they simply enter the URL on the tear-strip which will take them directly to your auction.  It’s another great way to get the word out about items you have for sale on eBay.

Try it today and you may wind up selling more and selling faster.  That’s money in your pocket!

In the blogosphere…A VeRO case has its day in court

Questions about how VeRO (our Verified Rights Owners program that protects the rights of intellectual property owners) works are commonplace during our Town Hall events and on our discussion forums.  When a seller wondering why one of their items was removed came to our Watches, Clocks & Timepieces forum recently, gregoryswatches gave a good outline of the VeRO process:

“If the reason is [VeRO], eBay had nothing to do with the takedown and was just responding to the VeRO complaint as they are required by law to do. If they fail to take down an auction reported by a VeRO member (manufacturer), they become jointly liable for the infringement under the Safeharbor provisions of the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act). For VeRO takedowns, you need to contact the VeRO member to resolve the problem before re-listing. If they were in error, have them contact eBay to remove the complaint from your eBay record.”

While intellectual rights ownership is a complex legal environment that often straps eBay’s hands, the Chatter team thought a post on the influential tech policy blog Techdirt was worth calling out. It comments on a current case between an overzealous rights owner and an eBay seller in which eBay’s legal team has become involved. It underscores that while we need to protect the rights of copyright owners, we also will fight against those trying to abuse the system.   

Member Spotlight Shines on The Bidding Board

Hey Chatter Readers,

Today, I'd like to draw your attention to a new variation of the Member Spotlight program at eBay. As you may know, the Member Spotlight program highlights a specific eBay member who has a unique or interesting eBay related story. However, there are also so many other interesting stories from members who make their own special communities within the larger eBay Community. To highlight these communities, enter a new variation of Member Spotlight. Instead of focusing on just one member, we'll shine the spotlight on groups of members, who make eBay special.

Today's Member Spotlight focuses on all the members who participate on the Bidding discussion forum also known as the "Bidding Board."

The Bidding Board features a dedicated, fun, and passionate group of eBay members, who proudly refer to themselves as "Biddies." The Biddies come from all walks of life with unique experiences, but one thing they usually share in common is buying items on eBay. Whether their purchases add to their favorite collections or were impulsively made while browsing ("I couldn't resist bidding on a new pair of my favorite shoes!"), the Biddies are among eBay's most active and loyal buyers. I don't know anyone here at eBay who would disagree with the Biddies' expertise on all things buying.

Biddies throw themselves with a passion into all aspects of bidding and buying on eBay. Some are quick to assist the "newbie" member still learning eBay's automatic bidding system (which many eBay veterans still call Proxy Bidding); another camp of Biddies is those who swear by the snipe. In fact, this thread, The Sniping Revival: Ye all come, is where many of the "Biddies" boast about their sniping prowess.

On this thread, resident Biddie and highly-respected member, tiptie, eagerly congratulates and awards his "Tiptie Sniper" ribbons, which are coveted by other members. However, tiptie is also a champion of the old-fashioned proxy bid. In true Community form to celebrate every buyer's experiences, tiptie created a thread to honor buyers whose winning bid was the earlier placed proxy bid, beating out all sniping attempts. You can read about those experiences here, Early Proxy Winners Versus The Snipers...The Testimonials and the Awards.

The Bidding board is also home to more serious and controversial discussions. One long-standing topic focuses on eBay's decision to make member IDs anonymous on the Bid History page (called Safeguarding Member IDs). You can read about the Biddies who have weighed in with their opinions and provided eBay with feedback on this thread, Bid History Changes including a***b user IDs. Other discussion topics include experiences with sellers, excessive shipping charges, Second Chance Offers, and Feedback.

Of course, the Biddies have their interests outside of eBay as well. Not everything discussed on the Bidding Board is about eBay. Usually, when they start discussing something not related to bidding on eBay, they'll type "OT" in the title, which means "Off Topic."

I hope that this spotlight on the Bidding forum has been educational for you. Now you know whom Bill Cobb is referring to when he talks about the Biddies during his regular Town Hall events. For me, reading the stories of items found and purchased on eBay in members' own words are what make my time reading the Bidding board enjoyable. So, if you haven't ever visited the Bidding board or stopped by in a while, be sure to check in soon and say hello to some of the Biddies.

“Psst! Wanna Buy This Item Outside Of eBay?”

Remember that Seinfeld episode where George concocts a fake charity, in order to wriggle out of buying holiday gifts for his co-workers? Instead of buying them gifts he claims that a donation has been made in their name to "The Human Fund" (with the slogan "Money for People"). The holiday season and the first few weeks of the new year might bring out the best in most people, but for fraudsters, it's a time to bring out their worst scams.

One such scam eBay members should watch out for is an offer to buy or sell listed items outside of the eBay website (instead of buying "on-eBay," which means bidding on or buying the item on eBay, and then paying through the eBay Checkout process). Going outside of eBay to buy or sell an item listed on eBay is worse than falling for an old, legendary scam like "Psst! Wanna buy the Brooklyn Bridge?" It's like going down a dark alley to settle the transaction with your buyer or seller. You might find your money or item taken, with nothing to show in return. It's an unsafe and unprotected way of doing business.

On the other hand, completing the transaction on eBay (and with PayPal) is safe, because eBay has many buyer and seller protection programs, such as the Purchase Protection programs and Seller Protection programs to protect you if something goes wrong.

Fraudsters will attempt to lure you off the eBay site with Fake Second Chance Offers
Recently one of our members (let's call him Robert) recently bid on an item that he really wanted, but didn't win. Shortly after the listing ended, he received an email in his personal email inbox that looked something like this:

"I am the seller of the item you recently placed a bid on: Hoover SteamVac F7425-900 Shampooer Steamer. The winner got rejected due to security reasons. Your last bid price is taken into consideration. If you are interested to buy it please email me at myemailaddress@aol.com and include your name, address and eBay ID. Please contact me at myemailaddress@aol.com with your response, either yes or no."

It seemed too good to be true, but Robert contacted the "seller" anyway. Robert thanked him, stated that he did still want the steamer and agreed to pay using the "seller's" preferred payment method, Western Union. He sent him $185 through Western Union. 

You can guess where this story is going. Robert didn't get the steamer, and ended up losing his money.

Another common method a fraudster might use to lure people "off-eBay" is by including an email address in their listing, telling buyers to contact them directly for a "better deal."

If you're faced with a situation like Robert's here are some tips to avoid the errors of judgment that he made:

• Do not use Western Union for eBay items. You will NOT be protected. Western Union is not an accepted payment method on eBay because it is unsafe when paying someone you don't know.
  • Check out a really creative page our friends in eBay Australia have come up with for tips on how to spot fraudsters using Western Union to lure you into an unsafe transaction.

• Ask Seller a Question – Sellers, beware of buyers asking you to contact them about a transaction at a personal email address instead of using the Ask Seller a Question feature.
• Report off-eBay offers to us – Lastly, if you receive an offer to to buy or sell a listed item outside of eBay, let us know about it! Here's how to contact us to:
  • Report an outside offer from a seller
  • Report an outside offer from a buyer
• Confirm all Second Chance Offers in My Messages – In fact, make sure you check My Messages for ALL communications from your buyer or seller. If it's a genuine email, you should see a copy of it in My Messages.

Lastly I encourage you to take the Buying Safely tutorial and spend some time in our newly revamped Security Center. There are some great tips in there for both new and experienced buyers alike.

On the Road Again... The Traveling Lab Coat goes Truckin'

Breaker One-Nine! Breaker One-Nine! This is "Brian D. Chatter-Blogger" here bringing you an update on the ongoing journey of the Traveling Lab Coat. It's been listed again by the previous winner, ebwizcom.

The TLC, (as it has been nicknamed by ebwizcom), just might be in the most interesting part of its journey so far on this 5th leg of on going grassroots effort by eBay Community members to raise money for various favorite non-profit organizations. 

The non-profit chosen by ebwizcom is the St Louis Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which you may know works to save lives and end breast cancer. 

What makes this fifth edition of the TLC interesting? As ebwizcom puts it, "I thought it would be fun (to) put some real MILES on this thing and put the 'travel' in the traveling lab coat!" Convenient for the TLC that its current owner is one of our nation's dedicated truckers, responsible for hauling goods across the country. And boy, have they seen some interesting things, like when ebwizcom's big rig the TLC was riding in hit a buzzard.  But the TLC and ebwizcom survived, thankfully.

With the 4,587 miles traveled, the TLC has been on a whirlwind tour through 11 states. It sure resembles the campaign tour of a Presidential candidate. It's not too late to get the TLC on the ballots, is it? "TLC in 2008" has a nice ring to it, eh?

But I digress. If you'd like to read about the entire journey the TLC and ebwizcom took together, be sure to check out ebwizcom's TLC Journal. Don't miss the TLC Map where you can follow the route the TLC traveled. 

Finally, let's not forget the auction for the TLC ends on January 14, 2008. Don't miss out on the Free Shipping offer. Perhaps most importantly, the winner is helping to raise funds for the St. Louis Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Currently the highest bid is $251.00. It should be exciting to see how this stage of the TLC's fascinating journey turn's out.

That's a Big Ten-Four, Good buddy!

Over and Out!