eBay Quietly Expands Pro Seller Program In US, Offering Tailored Advice & Growth Tips By Invitation Only
eBay has been quietly expanding their Pro Seller program in the US over recent months, offering account reviews and tailored growth tips to select sellers by invitation only
Information about the program is sparse as there are no public help or policy pages about it, but sellers who've received the invite say it's being offered at no cost (for now) and pitched as a 10 week program where they'll have access to a ProSeller Advisor who will work with them on their account to identify growth opportunities.
- Throughout the 10-week program, there will be about 6 scheduled meetings. These sessions are vital for tailoring our growth suggestions specifically to your account and goals. Depending on your account’s needs, additional meetings may be scheduled to ensure we provide the most effective support.
- In addition to meetings, you will be required to complete certain actions on your account based on the personalized recommendations provided during our sessions. These tasks are key to implementing the tailored strategies we develop together, and they are designed to help you achieve measurable growth on eBay.
- You have access to your own personalized portal during the program.
If that sounds familiar, eBay has had a Growth Advisor program for years, ostensibly offering similar support, but sellers say often Growth Advisors are nothing more than high pressure sales people pushing usage of eBay's various Promoted Listings ad products.
Liz Morton
Whether or not Pro Seller is significantly different or offers any really actionable insights is almost as much of a mystery as the existence of the program - you'll find several posts on Reddit and across eBay's own community forums from sellers who have been invited asking for feedback from those who are enrolled, but very few answers.
For example, 6 months ago, this Redditor was looking for information to help him decide if it was worth signing up for Pro Seller:
i just got an invite to join their prosellers program, and im trying to find out what the program actually offers and if its worth even signing up for.
in their little blurb about it, it looks like its just 10 weeks with a dedicated growth specialist, and a couple general tips and tricks?
i cant really find any info about the program online anyplace.
Several other sellers responded to say they too had been invited around that time, but none returned to share any insight about their experiences.
A seller also recently posted to the eBay community forum asking for information about the program, but also so far as not gotten any responses from anyone who has actually used it.
Pro Seller Program Invitation
Has anyone been invited to the Pro Seller Program? What did you think of it? It’s free and looks like I will get dedicated help. However, I don’t remember the last time I contacted eBay for help.
To recognize your outstanding performance as an eBay seller in the Trading Cards category, we’re inviting you to the exclusive ProSeller Program—our premium support program designed to help sellers like you take their business further.
eBay often requires sellers who are invited to participate in Daily Deals, special discount events, or programs like Certified Refurbished to sign non-disclosure agreements - and while it's not clear if that is part of the Pro Seller agreement, that could be one reason you won't find much public discussion about results from those who have gone through the program.
But US sellers may be able to get a glimpse of what the Pro Seller program offers, as well as a look into its possible future, from looking at similar program eBay has launched in other markets in recent years.
eBay Germany offers multiple levels of growth support for commercial/business sellers starting with an entry level program for new accounts which offers perks including 3 months of 0% commission fees, a mid-level program with 1:1 consulting on the basics of eBay selling for those who have been on the platform for more than a year but have sold less than €100,000, and a more advanced Pro Trader program for select businesses over €100,000 which appears to be roughly equivalent to the Pro Seller program in the US - all of which are at no cost to the seller.
And for those sellers in Germany looking for longer-term access to elevated support and consulting with eBay Advisors, there's an Account Management option for €199 per month with the following benefits (translated by Google):
- Personal contact person with excellent eBay expertise
- Access to premium customer service (Concierge)
- Individual recommendations tailored to your business in the following areas:
- Optimizing listings
- Placing ads
- Conducting sales campaigns
- Optimizing transactions and returns
- Using eBay tools and features efficiently and effectively
- Selling and expanding internationally - Personal help with eBay account settings
- Personal advice on changes on eBay
Similarly in the UK, eBay introduced the Pro-Trader Plus Programme in September 2024, replacing the previously free Pro Trader Programme with an offering that now costs a hefty fee of £399 per month, with a minimum 3 month commitment.
Pro-Trader Plus members will receive exclusive access to be featured in certain eBay promotions and onsite advertising placements - but those may come at an additional cost to the already steep monthly subscription price.
What benefits does Pro-Trader Plus include?
- One-to-one support with a Pro-Trader specialist
- A business development plan tailored to your business needs alongside a customised performance dashboard
- Expert guidance on listing optimisation to help your products stand out
- Guidance on how to effectively use eBay’s suite of marketing tools to promote your products
- Access to exclusive eBay promotions and onsite promotions
What kind of deals and promotions will we receive?
Your Pro-Trader specialist is here to offer personalised advice on promotional opportunities that can enhance your business growth.
Please note that participating in these exclusive Pro-Trader Plus deals and promotions might involve additional fees and come with particular terms and conditions.
While we strive to support your business, access to these promotions is subject to availability and not automatically included with program participation.
In fact, lack of clarity around the costs/time commitment versus benefits was one of the major complaints sellers aired about eBay Open UK 2024, saying they felt like eBay staff were pushing the program hard without providing details about the costs involved.
Liz Morton
Ironically, at eBay Open US in 2017, then SVP Global Operations & Customer Service Wendy Jones acknowledged eBay had a lot of work to do in supporting sellers, promising that all sellers would have access to eBay's higher tier support experience called Concierge within 18 months.
Almost a year later, eBay had not made much progress toward making Concierge the standard support experience - but that didn't stop then CEO Devin Wenig from awarding Jones an $11 Million bonus ($8 Million of which was specifically ear marked as a retention bonus.)
Sellers at the time questioned the wisdom of such a large bonus, given the still lagging state of customer support under her purview, and it was also seen by many as particularly insensitive given the round of layoffs the company undertook around the same time.
When Jones stepped down from her position in 2020 under current CEO Jamie Iannone, she collected another $11 Million+ in severance benefits, again despite perennial complaints about falling levels of service and failing to bring Concierge to the masses and despite her alleged role in the 2019 cyberstalking scandal.
Fast forward to 2021 and Concierge service shifted yet again, with many long time sellers unceremoniously dumped from the program with no warning and no explanation, and in recent years Anchor and Enterprise Store subscribers often complain they also are not receiving the dedicated higher-tier support they are entitled to for the monthly fees they pay.
Liz Morton
Despite VP Global Customer Experience Derek Allgood making the podcast rounds last year pumping up eBay's supposedly "phenomenal" customer experience, many sellers report support has only gotten worse, especially as the company has increasingly introduced AI "solutions" into the customer service equation.
Liz Morton
Rather than Concierge for all, eBay has instead been moving to monetize customer service with their various Pro-Trader/Managed Accounts offerings reserving access to the top tier of support and business advice only for those who are willing to pay - and it won't be surprising if the Pro Seller program in the US eventually goes the same way.
Would you be willing to pay a monthly fee for access to higher tier support and tailored business consulting from eBay? Let us know in the comments below.
Or if you've participated in either the free or paid Pro Trader types programs and would like to share your experience anonymously - contact VAR!
