Value Added Resource Week In Review 1-22-23

Welcome to the Value Added Resource ecommerce news week in review!

eBay News

This week we've seen some new features and user experience design being tested by eBay.

The biggest change is a new Quick View option for Stores that allows buyers to add to cart and go directly to checkout from the storefront without ever clicking through to the full listing page to see the description or other important seller provided information.

eBay Stores Quick View Bypasses Description On Way To Checkout

eBay adds Quick View feature to stores allowing buyers to Add To Cart & checkout without seeing description.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Buyers are also noticing intrusive Promoted Listings ads have pushed their way into Watch Lists as eBay continues to try to monetize every spare pixel on the site.

eBay Promoted Listings Intrude On Buyer Watch Lists

eBay continues to try to monetize every pixel on the site, now pushing Promoted Listings ads into buyer watch lists.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Speaking of Promoted Listings, we have a small update on the new display ads that promote competing stores in prominent listing page placement - it appears eBay has moved on from using test store accounts and now has real active sellers being promoted by these new ads.

The eBay ads team has yet to respond to requests for more information, but I believe it's likely a cost per click product.

New eBay Promoted Display Ads For Stores Seen In The Wild

Is eBay testing Promoted Display ads that will promote competing stores in prominent listing page placement?

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

This week's eBay for Business podcast included a question from a seller who was surprised that eBay charges the Promoted Listing ad fees on the full amount of the sale including shipping and tax.

This change went into effect June 1, 2022 but many sellers seem to have missed the memo - is inconsistent messaging and user experience to blame for the confusion?

Did You Know eBay Charges Promoted Listing Ad Fees On Tax & Shipping?

eBay sellers surprised to learn Promoted Listings ad fees apply to total sale including shipping & tax.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Sellers scrambling to find alternatives for discontinued USPS Regional Rate boxes ask if eBay will be adding USPS Priority Mail Cubic Rates as a shipping option available to purchase through the platform.

Will eBay Support USPS Cubic Rate To Replace Discontinued Regional Rate?

Sellers scrambling after USPS Regional Rate discontined ask - will eBay support Priority Mail Cubic as a replacement?

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Technical Issues

eBay sellers in both the UK and US experienced problems with processing refunds this week.

eBayUK Errors Processing Refunds, On Demand Payouts January 17, 2023

eBay UK sellers report “your refund did not go through” error message even with positive balance to fund return.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

eBay Can’t Process Refund Error 1-20-23

eBay sellers report errors preventing processing refunds.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

eBay community staff updated the Ongoing Technical Issues post, showing a troubling trend of 6 month+ resolution times on some very serious business impacting bugs.

eBay Ongoing Technical Issues Updated 1-16-23

eBay Ongoing Tech Issues community post shows 6 month+ resolution times on business impacting bugs.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Etsy caused seller panic as massive glitch falsely reported shops had been suspended due to failed bank verification.

Etsy Causes Panic With Shop Suspended Bank Verification Glitch

Etsy sellers see red as glitch falsely reports shops suspended due to failed bank account verification.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Some Etsy shops are experiencing intermittent checkout errors leaving both buyers and sellers in the lurch as support fails to respond.

Etsy Checkout Error - There Was A Problem With Your Order

Etsy experiencing intermittent checkout errors, buyers receive “There was a problem with your order” message.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Other Ecommerce News

Etsy is currently testing a Make Offer feature as well as tinkering with settings that will display how many orders a seller has had in the last 30 days.

Etsy Testing Make Offer & Displaying Seller Order History

Etsy testing new features including Make Offer & displaying how many orders a seller has had in last 30 days.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Changes to the Etsy listing page design are also being tested. Sellers are concerned the new design bumps descriptions too far down the page and removes important seller information like store location.

More Changes To Etsy Listings - Descriptions Buried, No Shop Locations

Etsy is testing changes to listing pages - sellers concerned new design buries descriptions, removes shop locations.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

The Etsy Strike inspired Artisans Cooperative has gained support from the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives and received a grant from the USDA to assist in their efforts to build a new handmade marketplace.

Etsy Strike Inspired Artisans Cooperative Gains Support From USFWC & USDA Grant

Artisans Cooperative working with US Federation of Worker Cooperatives to build new handmade marketplace.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

New Amazon FBA capacity limits were touted by the company as a more simplified approach to managing product storage at fulfillment centers, but with sellers bidding for additional space, it may not be so simple after all.

Are Amazon’s New FBA Capacity Limits Really Simplified?

Amazon introduces new “simplified” FBA capacity limits effective March 1, but they might not be so simple after all.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Amazon is shutting down AmazonSmile charity program next month and users are not happy.

The company claims the program did not have the growth or impact they had hoped but some very interesting Reddit comments about the origins of the program tell a different story.

Amazon Shutters AmazonSmile For Charities & Users Are Not Smiling

Amazon is shutting down AmazonSmile charity program, citing low impact & growth - users say company puts profit over people.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

In another update, Royal Mail is still working to recover from a ransomware attack that brought international mail to a grinding halt.

The latest news is a workaround is being implemented and letter service not requiring customs forms is resuming but parcel service is still severely limited.

Royal Mail International Shipments Crippled By Cyber Incident

Royal Mail continues to experience fallout from cyber incident, sellers wait for updates from marketplaces.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

And finally Q4 2022 earnings calls are just around the corner.

So far we have Meta on 2/1, Amazon 2/2, PayPal 2/9, and Walmart 2/21. Stay tuned for updates!

Q4 2022 Ecommerce Earnings Call Roundup

Q4 2022 earnings calls are just around the corner - track important dates for your favorite ecommerce marketplaces here!

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

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