Value Added Resource Week In Review 8-30-26

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

eBay appears to be quietly building an electronics verification operation in the UK and Europe, raising questions about whether the marketplace could be preparing a new service for used and refurbished tech.

eBay Quietly Builds Electronics Verification Operations In UK & EU

eBay is quietly building an electronics verification operation in UK & EU to go head-to-head with rival Vinted on testing used tech.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

eBay will stop allowing airbags and airbag inflators to be sold on the marketplace following NHTSA investigation, despite Section 230 win in related wrongful death suit.

eBay Bans Airbag Sales After Deadly Replacement Parts Draw Federal Scrutiny

eBay bans airbags following NHTSA investigation, despite Section 230 win in wrongful death suit.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Less than a month after completing its $1.4 billion acquisition, eBay is giving Depop prime homepage and search placement, sending buyers offsite to its new subsidiary while sellers pay for clicks to appear in the same top-of-search space.

eBay Gives Depop Prime Placement, Sends Buyers Offsite

eBay gives Depop prime homepage and search placement, sending buyers offsite as sellers pay for similar visibility through ads.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Former eBay Chief Architect Randy Shoup says an internal overhaul doubled engineering productivity and sharply sped up software releases, but did little to change the “pathological” culture of fear, politics and risk aversion that held the company back.

eBay Doubled Engineering Productivity, But Former Chief Architect Says Culture Held It Back

eBay doubled engineering productivity, but former Chief Architect Randy Shoup says a culture of fear and politics still held it back.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

eBay is once again "nudging" sellers to pass discounted shipping rates along to buyers as carrier increases put the squeeze on margins ahead of the holidays.

eBay Revives Push For Sellers To Pass Shipping Discounts To Buyers

eBay pushes sellers to pass shipping discounts to buyers as another round of USPS increases approaches for the holidays.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

USPS seeks higher holiday shipping prices after an unusually turbulent year for package rates.

USPS Pushes Holiday Rates Higher With 8% Temporary Increase Still In Place

USPS wants to raise holiday shipping prices after an unusually turbulent year for package rates.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Microsoft's limited edition Xbox Series X25 sold out almost immediately after preorders opened August 27, sending buyers who missed out at retail straight into a familiar eBay presale trap.

Xbox X25 Scalpers Cash In As eBay Looks The Other Way

Microsoft’s Xbox Series X25 sold out almost immediately, sending buyers straight into a familiar eBay presale trap.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Magical Listing AI expansion and new View Item Page image test are throwing eBay users for a loop - what buyers and sellers need to know.

Magical Listing AI Expansion & Item Page Image Test Throw eBay Users For A Loop

Magical Listing AI expansion & new View Item Page image test are throwing eBay users for a loop - what buyers & sellers need to know.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

UPS and FedEx have released holiday shipping surcharges for 2026, with basic residential Ground charges increasing roughly 23% to 25% from last year.

UPS, FedEx Raise 2026 Holiday Shipping Surcharges

UPS and FedEx raise 2026 holiday shipping surcharges as USPS prepares temporary peak-season increases of its own.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Poshmark is finally bringing gift cards to Canada, nearly three years after launching the feature for US shoppers.

Poshmark Brings Gift Cards To Canada Nearly 3 Years After US Launch

Poshmark launches gift cards in Canada nearly three years after introducing the feature to US shoppers.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

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