eBay Reseller Update: A Summary Of eBay Changes In 2010

Many of you are already reselling great-value China electronics online, especially on sites like eBay. They are a great way to make some extra money, but with quite complex rules and procedures they can be tricky if you’re not aware of what’s happening. This year eBay have changed some rules and regulations which will no doubt have an effect on your business if you’re one of these resellers or indeed if you’re planning on selling there any time soon. We’ve taken a look at these changes to make sure you’re up-to-date, so read on to get a summary of what’s what:

Better Privacy And Protection Against Spam

No one wants a load of spam cluttering up their inbox, especially when it interferes with real customers’ email enquiries for instance.

eBay have improved this and now protect users privacy better because, since June 2010, every eBay user has been given an anonymous email address that they can use to converse with other users on eBay. If someone else sends you an email, you will be able to click on the reply button and send your response. The address field of the email will only display your anonymous address, your email will be sent to the actual address of the recipient via the anonymous email system.

This email system also protects users better against spam since the email message system can confirm the addresses used by users. If you don’t respond to other users from a registered email address or the one you’ve specified as your preferred communication address then your message may not be delivered, hence spammers may have a problem!

Fixed Price Listings

The new Fixed Price format allows you to buy or sell items instantly at a set price, similar to the current Buy It Now option available with auction-style listings. It specifically allows you to buy or sell items at a fixed price. No bids can be placed on these items. Here’s the article explaining: (pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/bin.html).

eBay Store Charges

eBay stores will be charged with a new fee starting this summer. There are three different packages, basic, premium and anchor, allowing you to choose which one is more beneficial for you:

• Basic Store: An ideal solution for sellers who are just starting out and want an affordable and easy-to-use platform to sell online, and for sellers listing a high volume in the Auction-style format.
• Premium Store: A more comprehensive solution for small- to medium-sized sellers who want to aggressively grow their online business. Great choice for higher-volume sellers (more than 250 items per month) and sellers listing in both Auction-style and Fixed Price formats.
• Anchor Store: An advanced solution for higher-volume sellers who want maximum exposure on eBay. Higher-volume sellers get top savings and the lowest package rates on eBay.

Here’s the eBay articles explaining packages and fees in their entirety: (pages.ebay.com/storefronts/faq.html) and (pages.ebay.com/storefronts/subscriptions.html). This blog from ColderICE is also useful in understanding the changes: (3rdpoblogs.com/colderice/2010/01/26/ebay-spring-2010-fee-changes-cheat-sheet/).

Changes In September 2010

eBay will make certain media and electronics categories free for sellers to list in during the holiday selling season.

eBay is making changes to its Unpaid Item process and will allow sellers to create lists of preferred customers who will be excluded from Unpaid Item Assistant.

eBay is running a test in which it has moved the “Ask a question” link further down the item page for about one quarter of buyers, and expects to launch it to all buyers by the end of the year. eBay will also allow sellers to prevent blocked buyers from contacting them.

eBay will make shipping options and delivery estimates more prominent throughout the buying process using four terms: Economy, Standard, Expedited and One-day.

eBay is adding functionality to its bulk-edit feature, allowing sellers to edit up to 500 listings at once, as they are relisting or selling similar items.

eBay will also offer its own shipping insurance to sellers through Parcel Insurance Plan.

These changes were gleaned from the eBay announcements page which you can find here (announcements.ebay.com/).

As usual with eBay it pays to be in-the-know and prepared, as their changes will always go ahead regardless of whether you’re aware of them or not. Good luck!