Value Added Resource Week In Review 1-25-26

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

eBay News

eBay made big headlines this week with their latest User Agreement update explicitly banning unauthorized AI agents and scraping bots from interacting with their site, plus changes to the arbitration agreement.

eBay Explicitly Bans AI “Buy For Me” Agents, Updates Arbitration & Dispute Rules In User Agreement Update

eBay bans AI “buy for me” agents & LLM scrapers, updates arbitration & dispute resolution rules in User Agreement update effective Feb. 20, 2026.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

The AI crackdown continued a day later with updated terms to the eBay Partner Network affiliate program adding a list of prohibited uses of AI as well as updates to confidentiality agreements, and disclosure requirements for marketers and influencers.

eBay Tightens Affiliate Rules, Cracking Down On AI Use, NDAs & Influencer Disclosures

eBay updates Partner Network terms, adding new restrictions on AI use, confidentiality agreements, and disclosure requirements for affiliates.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

eBay's ex-Chief Privacy Officer/VP AI and Data Responsibility, Anna Zeiter, has revealed her new gig after leaving the company last month, taking on the CEO role at W, a new European social media platform positioning itself as an alternative to Elon Musk’s X and explicitly framing its mission around countering "systemic disinformation".

W, X, And The Business Of Defining Disinformation

W enters the social media landscape as an X alternative, raising familiar questions about disinformation, platform power & institutional trust.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Other Ecommerce News

Poshmark has responded to recent seller discontent with new updates and promises of improved transparency and communication about where the company is going under new leadership in 2026.

Poshmark Responds To Seller Backlash With New Updates, Pledges Greater Transparency In 2026

Poshmark responds to seller backlash with new platform updates and a pledge for greater transparency under new leadership in 2026.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Poshmark parent Naver is launching ThingsBook, a taste‑based, UGC‑driven social platform built around collecting & organizing “favorite things.” Here's how the fashion marketplace might fit into Naver's broader social strategies:

What Naver’s New ThingsBook Platform Could Mean for Poshmark Sellers

What Naver’s new ThingsBook platform could mean for Poshmark sellers, discovery, AI-driven visibility, and future buyer traffic.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Mercari has announced a limited‑time shipping promotion offering discounted rates on select prepaid labels for US marketplace sellers to partially offset higher shipping costs as the platform’s updated rate structure takes effect January 20, 2026.

Mercari Announces Limited-Time Discounted Shipping Rates On Select Prepaid Labels

Mercari announced limited-time discounted prepaid shipping rates on UPS, FedEx, and USPS labels for U.S. sellers through April 2026.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Q4 2025 earnings calls are just around the corner, track important ecommerce marketplace reporting dates with Value Added Resource!

Q4 2025 Ecommerce Earnings Call Roundup

Q4 2025 ecommerce earnings roundup: track reporting dates for Amazon, Meta, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, PayPal, Shopify & more with Value Added Resource!

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton