eBay Seller News, Tips & Insights Week In Review 10-3-21

Welcome to the Value Added Resource eBay Seller News week in review!

We started the week off with a guest article from eBay seller Jackie Miller. Between unannounced changes and unclear messaging, sellers may feel misled and confused when navigating the constantly changing eBay return process.

eBay’s Misleading Return Process

Guest Article: Sellers feel misled and confused by eBay’s constantly changing return process.

Value Added ResourceJackie Miller

Speaking of unannounced changes, it appears eBay has changed the Offers expiration timeframe and also disabled the Sales Last 31 Days module in Seller Hub - both without any warning or announcement.

eBay Changes Offers Expiration To 24 Hours

eBay appears to have made yet another unannounced change - this time to timeframes to accept offers.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

eBay Disables Sales Last 31 Days Module In Seller Hub

eBay disabled an important sales metrics & market comparison module in Seller Hub causing seller confusion & concern.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

On the technical side, eBayUK sellers reported delays in Managed Payments payout processing from September 28th.

eBayUK Experiences Managed Payments Payout Delays

eBayUK sellers are reporting delays in Managed Payments payouts from September 28th, 2021.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Many US sellers have been reporting dramatic drops in views and sales, particularly since the new Promoted Listings Advanced Cost Per Click ad option started rolling out to the masses.

Is it a technical issue, normal market fluctuations or something else? It's hard to say and there may be multiple factors in play but eBay's new click filtering system to combat click fraud for Promoted Listings Advanced may be part of the problem.

Are Your eBay Impressions & Sales Down?

Sellers report dramatic drops in views & sales - is new click filtering system for Promoted Listings Advanced to blame?

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Other News

USPS suspended some service to New Zealand.

USPS Suspends Some Services To New Zealand

eBay posted an announcement stating USPS has suspended some services to New Zealand, effective immediately.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

eBay added cell phones and smartphones to gated certified refurbished program.

eBay Adds Cell Phones to Gated Refurbished Category

eBay adds refurbished cell phones and smartphones to their gated “certified refurbished” program.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

There's also a new portal for sellers who participate in eBay's Daily Deals program. I've previously participated in Deals as a seller and found it to be a cumbersome, manual process lacking even the most basic reporting functionality.

It's good to see eBay taking steps to improve the process.  Unfortunately, this improvement will only help a small handful of sellers - there are many more improvements to the overall seller experience that are urgently needed.

eBay Updates Daily Deals Experience For Sellers

eBay is rolling out a new Seller Portal for the Daily Deals program - here’s what we know so far.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

And finally, we have a couple deep dive topics this week on eBay's tech led reimagination and marketing techniques.

There's no place like home for the holidays and Etsy is making a splash with their augmented reality Etsy House experience just in time to take advantage of all the important Q4 retail moments.

In contrast, eBay's tech led reimagination led by CEO Jamie Iannone has been slow rolling updates and new features all year, many of which simply catch eBay up to where the competition has been for years.  Where's the excitement and innovation?

Does eBay’s Tech Led Reimagination Stack Up Against Competition?

Etsy’s new augmented reality experience draws a stark contrast to eBay’s somewhat tepid tech led reimagination.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

There's been a lot of media buzz about the Pokémon Oreo craze, but what does it reveal about eBay's sometimes less than transparent marketing techniques?

The Unsweet Side of the eBay Pokémon Oreo Craze

eBay hasn’t always been transparent when promoting hot trending products- are Pokémon Oreos any different?

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

eBay has a troubling history of profiting from enabling and encouraging scalpers as well as promoting listings that violate presale and other eBay policies - sometimes in partnership directly with "top brands."

What does that say about CEO Jamie Iannone's claim that "doing business with integrity drives our success"?

Thanks for reading! Likes, comments, and shares are always appreciated. 👍

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