Value Added Resource Week In Review 7-31-22

Welcome to the Value Added Resource week in review!

eBay News

eBay Ads GM Elisabeth Rommel teased new ad options on the horizon last month and this week saw the very first sellers being invited to a closed test for eBay Offsite Ads beta - a cost per click product for Google Ad placement.

However, less than 24 hours after receiving public scrutiny and critical seller feedback on the nascent ad product, eBay unexpectedly pulled the invites and removed all mention of the beta test from the site. 🤨

eBay Rolls Out Offsite Ads Beta For Google Ad Placement

eBay rolls out new OffSite Ads Beta Cost Per Click Google Ads product for fixed price listings.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

eBay Australia continues testing the Share & Save social sharing feature with a limited time promotion for sellers with Basic, Feature or Anchor store subscriptions.

eBay Australia Runs Share & Save Social Sharing Promo

eBay Australia extends Share & Save promo to sellers with Basic, Feature or Anchor Stores through September.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Sellers in the UK are concerned about an apparent unannounced policy change that has turned "doesn't fit" from a buyer's remorse return reason to an Item Not As Described claim.

eBay’s New Return Reason For Car Parts Could Be Costly For Sellers

Unannounced return policy change for eBay Motors could cost sellers big money in not as described returns.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

And this week I discovered eBay's infamous on campus bar Walker's West, created as a vanity project replica of disgraced ex-CEO Devin Wenig's favorite Ithaca pub in 2017, has been quietly rebranded to The Sellar.

Is eBay attempting to distance themselves from Wenig's legacy?

eBay On Campus Bar Walker’s West Rebrands To The Sellar

eBay’s on campus bar gets new name in apparent attempt to distance from ex-CEO Devin Wenig’s legacy.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Technical Issues

eBay sellers are experiencing a serious glitch in the Send Offers feature causing major pricing errors when only the first digit of the price is recognized - turning offers of $24 to $2 and $130 to $1. 🤯

eBay Offers Glitch Only Accepts First Digit Of Price

eBay sellers report glitch in Send Offer feature causing major pricing errors - only picking up first digit of price.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Other sellers report both On Demand Payout and Spendable Funds are not working as advertised - the options are simply greyed out and not available, despite having previously successfully enrolled and used the services.

Problems With eBay On Demand Payout, Spendable Funds

eBay sellers report problems with on demand immediate payout to a debit card & spendable funds.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Other Ecommerce News

Shopify announced layoffs the day before their Q2 2022 earnings report, with a 10% reduction in workforce (about 1,000 people) effective immediately.

Shopify Announces Layoffs, 10% Reduction In Workforce

Shopify announces layoffs with planned 10% reduction in workforce just one day before Q2 2022 earnings.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Activist investor Elliott Management is making waves in the ecommerce world once again, reportedly taking on stakes in both Pinterest & PayPal in recent weeks and renewing speculation that a PayPal acquisition of Pinterest could be in the future.

Elliott Management Taking Stakes In Pinterest & PayPal

Activist investor Elliott Management has reportedly taken on large stakes in Pinterest & PayPal in recent weeks.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Etsy reported Q2 2022 earnings on Wednesday with sales down on the platform, but revenue up primarily due to the recent seller fee increase in April.

Etsy Q2 2022 Earnings Commentary

Etsy Q2 2022 earnings call commentary

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

And finally Postmaster General Louis DeJoy spoke to the American Enterprise Institute on Wednesday about Reinvigorating and Transforming the United States Postal Service.

Addressing concerns about rising postage rates and slowing service, DeJoy said - "I tell the mailers this, ‘You guys have short-term goals. I don’t." 👀

DeJoy Sees Pushback On USPS Transformation Plans

Postmaster Louis DeJoy sees pushback on rate hikes & more as he moves forward with plans to transform USPS.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

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