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FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions: June 2008 update

Canada
1. Is Canada making the same changes as the US?

Rewards for sellers with high buyer satisfaction

PowerSellers

20% fee discount for 4.9 detailed seller ratings (DSRs)
2. When will I start getting the 20% Final Value Fee discount?

Diamond level
3. What are the requirements and benefits for the new PowerSeller Diamond level?

Grandfathering for improved DSRs
4. I've been receiving PowerSeller fee discounts, but I don't think I'll get to the 12-month DSR requirement of 4.5 by July. Will I lose my PowerSeller status?

Confident, satisfied buyers

Making eBay safer: Keep member-to-member email addresses anonymous
5. What is the change to member-to-member email, and how does it protect privacy and reduce fraud?
6. What does "anonymized" email mean?
7. How does the change to member-to-member email affect buyer-to-seller communications?
8. Are there other benefits to sellers from this change to member-to-member email?
9. Is there a time limit for responding to an anonymized email?
10. Why is eBay only anonymizing emails prior to the close of a transaction?
11. Can I still choose the "Hide my email address" option in transaction-related emails?
12. What is a "recent" trading partner?

Making eBay safer: Controls on user-generated "active" content
13. What is "active" user-generated content, and how does it relate to fraud?
14. What controls on active content are eBay introducing?
15. Will sellers need to change their listings and listing templates to comply with new active content controls?

Making eBay safer: Stronger seller verification
16. How is eBay's seller verification getting stronger for preventing fraud?
17. How is eBay using identity confirmation to help protect all sellers?

Better shopping experience: Redesigned Item page
18. I've heard eBay is redesigning the Item page. Is this true?
19. Where can I see the new design?
20. Why did you decide to remove things like High Bidder, Seller Location and Member Since?
21. Can I share my thoughts about the new page with eBay?
22. I see horizontal scrollbars are more common with this new design. What changed?
23. Where exactly are you showing my other relevant merchandise?

Better shopping experience: Critical item information
24. What is "critical item information" and how does it affect my listings?
25. Why require critical item information?
26. When will critical item information become required?
27. Who is required to specify shipping?
28. What information qualifies for specified shipping?
29. Will all categories require handling time?
30. Will all formats require handling time?
31. What if my item is available for local pickup? Do I still need to specify a handling time?
32. Do I have to accept returns?
33. What options do I need to specify for return policy?
34. If I list an item without critical item information before it becomes required, what will happen to my listing once it is required?
35. How do the changes in critical item information affect Good 'Til Cancelled listings?
36. I have thousands of listings. Is there a way to add critical item information to them all at once?
 

Canada
1. Is Canada making the same changes as the US?
Many of the changes being announced for eBay.com are also being announced for eBay.ca, with some important differences. Take look at our update pages for details.

At this time, Canada is not introducing PayPal's new buyer protection and improved seller protection for non-PowerSellers. Given the importance of these two initiatives, we have had to delay their introduction to Canada until we could obtain the appropriate resources from PayPal. Our goal is to offer PayPal's new buyer protection and PayPal's improved seller protection for non-PowerSellers in early 2009.

Rewards for sellers with high buyer satisfaction

PowerSellers

20% fee discount for 4.9 detailed seller ratings (DSRs)
2. When will I start getting the 20% Final Value Fee discount?
If you qualify for the 20% PowerSeller fee discount, you'll begin seeing it on your July invoice, applied to the Final Value Fees for your previous month's sales:
  • If you receive your invoice on the 1st of each month, you'll see your 20% discount beginning July 1, 2008, applied to transactions made on or after June 1, 2008.
  • If you receive your invoice on the 16th of each month, you'll see your 20% discount beginning July 16, 2008, applied to transactions on or after June 16, 2008.
To get complete details on the PowerSeller fee discounts, please visit the PowerSeller discount FAQ.

Diamond level
3. What are the requirements and benefits for the new PowerSeller Diamond level?
Requirements
To qualify for the Diamond level, a seller must meet one of two average minimum sales requirements:
  • Three-month minimum: $500,000 in sales or 50,000 items, per month, for three consecutive months
  • Annual minimum: $6 million or 600,000 items, for the prior 12 months
Also, the seller must have 4.8 or higher in all four DSRs based on the last 12 months.

Benefits
Diamond level PowerSellers get the same baseline benefits as Titanium PowerSellers. eBay may consider alternative fee structures for PowerSellers who meet or exceed this sales requirement and also deliver excellent customer satisfaction with 4.8 or higher in all four DSRs. Consideration for alternative fee structures will be made on a case-by-case basis. Additional requirements may apply.

Watch for more information on the PowerSeller Diamond level coming soon to the PowerSeller portal.

Grandfathering for improved DSRs
4. I've been receiving PowerSeller fee discounts, but I don't think I'll get to the 12-month DSR requirement of 4.5 by July. Will I lose my PowerSeller status?
Not necessarily. If you don't meet the 12-month requirement, but you've been receiving a PowerSeller fee discount at 4.6 minimum DSR or higher every month since the discounts launched in April 2008, you'll stay in the PowerSeller program and continue to receive your discount - as long as you stay at 4.6 and above in all four ratings and meet the rest of the PowerSeller requirements.

Confident, satisfied buyers

Making eBay safer: Keep member email addresses anonymous
5. What is the change to member-to-member email, and how does it protect privacy and reduce fraud?
Starting in September, eBay will "anonymize" email addresses sent through the member-to-member communication system (Ask Seller a Question, Reply to Question). When users hit the "reply" button, the email is routed through eBay before being sent to the original sender. This enables eBay to detect and stop fraudulent messages and prevents fraudsters from easily obtaining buyer email addresses and taking transactions off eBay.
6. What does "anonymized" email mean?
"Anonymized" simply means eBay will replace the sender's email address in the "From" field with a temporary anonymous address, and replies will be routed through eBay for processing prior to delivery. Only the email address is made anonymous. You'll still be able to identify the eBay member from their eBay User ID included in the subject header and/or personal details such as name and/or business name that would be included in most communications.
7. How does the change to member-to-member email affect buyer-to-seller communications?
When buyers and sellers receive responses from each other, they'll see an "anonymized" email address, rather than the actual one. However, sellers can still reply to the message as usual, and eBay will route the reply back to the buyer. This removes the prior "Yellow Button" requirement that was problematic for many sellers. Also, email addresses will no longer be allowed in listings. Sellers will get the buyer's email address after a buyer wins an auction or selects Buy In Now. For sellers using third parties, email addresses accessed through the API will also be anonymized.
8. Are there other benefits to sellers from this change to member-to-member email?
Yes, along with resolving the "Yellow Button" issue for many sellers, the initiative will allow sellers to clearly differentiate pre-sale and post-sale questions from bidders and buyers. Sellers will also get an optional separate email address for receiving member-to-member communications.
9. Is there a time limit for responding to an anonymized email?
Yes, the temporary anonymous email address created by eBay will expire; when it expires depends on the listing format. Addresses for auction-style listings will last until the listing end time, plus a few days. Addresses for eBay Store listings will expire after 30 days.
10. Why is eBay only anonymizing emails sent prior to close of a transaction?
The greatest risk or possible exposure for abuse is prior to the closing of an eBay transaction. The risk of abuse post-transaction is negligible, hence eBay does not feel it is necessary to make these communications anonymous. If the risk increases, eBay may also begin to make those communications anonymous to safeguard its members.
11. Can I still choose the "Hide my email address" option in transaction-related emails?
This option will no longer be available. Instead, in communications with members who are not your recent trading partners, eBay will automatically hide your email address for you. eBay will share your email address with those members with whom you close a transaction - your recent trading partners.
12. What's a "recent" trading partner?
A recent trading partner is defined as an eBay member with whom you have recently either committed to buy or sell. The period of time that defines "recently" is still to be defined but will be less than 180 days.
 

Making eBay safer: Controls on user-generated "active" content
13. What is "active" user-generated content and how does it relate to fraud?
"Active" user-generated content refers to dynamic content such as JavaScript, Flash or other rich media such as videos created or added to eBay by members. Fraudsters use forms of active content to deceive buyers, taking them off the eBay site unknowingly to make a fraudulent purchase.
14. What controls on active content are eBay introducing?
To remove the risk and still allow members to provide a rich experience similar to active content, eBay will gradually roll out a safe mark-up language and approved "widgets" for uses such as counters, photo galleries, video and cross-merchandising. Safe HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) will be allowed, but JavaScript and Flash will not be allowed.
15. Will sellers need to change their listings and listing templates to comply with the new active content controls?
Sellers who use active content will need to modify listings to comply with the new standard in early 2009. Sellers who already use safe HTML in compliance with the eBay safe markup language specification will not need to make changes. Watch for specifications and migration tools in the coming months.

Making eBay safer: Stronger seller verification
16. How is eBay strengthening verification of new sellers?
eBay is helping reduce new-account fraud through stronger verification of new sellers, including phone verification during seller registration. As their selling volume increases, new sellers may also be required to be PayPal Verified.
17. How is eBay using identity confirmation to help protect all sellers?
As we announced in April, eBay began noting which computers members use to conduct their buying and selling activity. Starting in July, if you are a seller, and you attempt to list an item from a different computer - for example, from a PC you are borrowing in a hotel or library - we will ask you to confirm your identity.

Confirming your identity is easy. When prompted, you can choose to receive an automated call to one of the numbers you have registered with us. If this is not possible, we will provide the alternative method of an automated call to a new number. The alternate method will require you to provide additional information, such as the correct answer to your secret question.


Better shopping experience: Redesigned Item page
18. I've heard eBay is redesigning the Item page. Is this true?
To enhance conversions and the experience of shopping on eBay, we're making changes to how sellers list items and how buyers see them in a redesigned Item page. The new design will roll out gradually, starting with a small percentage of users in June 2008, and full launch is targeted for late this year or early next year. The new design is more visually appealing and engaging with larger pictures, a real-time countdown timer, easier bidding and more.
19. Where can I see the new design?
Get a preview of the new Item page now.
20. Why did you decide to remove things like High Bidder, Seller Location and Member Since?
Research showed this information was less important to buyers making a purchase decision than information such as item condition, pictures and the seller's return policy. Most of this information is still available, just a click away. High Bidder is available in the Bid History page, and Member Since is available in the user's My World or Feedback profile page.
21. Can I share my thoughts about the new page with eBay?
If you see the new page "live," we'd like your feedback! If you land on the redesigned page, you'll see a link at the top - "Send us your comments."
22. I see horizontal scrollbars are more common with this new design. What changed?
Previously, the description width could flex up to 940 pixels. On the redesigned page, the description width and horizontal scrolling is fixed at less than 710 pixels. Additional merchandising appears to the right. The appearance varies depending on your browser, so if you are sending us feedback on this (and we encourage you to do so), please be sure to include the item number, your browser, your screen resolution, and if possible, screenshots.
23. Where exactly are you showing my other relevant merchandise?

If you do see the new page, you might come across more of your merchandise in four locations:

  1. To the right side of the description tab on open items;
  2. at the top of closed items;
  3. in a separate merchandising tab;
  4. in the Bid/BIN confirm layer.
We're displaying merchandise in these areas to give shoppers more relevant results and hence boost conversions and order size. If you offer shipping discounts on multiple purchases, you'll give buyers added incentive to buy more from you.

Better shopping experience: Critical item information
24. What is "critical item information" and how does it affect my listings?
To enhance conversion rates and make shopping on eBay a better experience, we're making changes to how sellers list items and how buyers see them in a redesigned Item page. The new design will roll out gradually, starting with a small percentage of users in June 2008, and full launch is targeted for late this year or early next year. At the time of full launch, sellers will be required to add all the following critical item information to their listings: shipping service and cost (required in July on eBay.com), handling time, item condition, and whether you have a return policy. Adding this information is optional now, so this is a great time to get started.
25. Why require critical item information?
We want to narrow the gap between buyers' expectations and their experiences by providing this information up front. Buyers want to know when they should expect to receive their items and if they can return them.
26. When will critical item information become required?
Shipping cost and service will be required in July on eBay.com. Handling time and return policy will be required sometime in or near October.
27. Who is required to specify shipping?
Starting in July, all sellers will be required to specify domestic shipping details including service and cost within the listing flow if they want their item to appear on eBay.com. The only exceptions will be items listed with freight (freight must be specified as a service but cost is not required), a vehicle on the Motors site, or real estate.
28. What informationqualifies for specified shipping?
Flat shipping, calculated shipping, freight shipping (cost not required), or local pickup (cost not required) are all valid services for specified shipping.
29. Will all categories require handling time?
No, not all categories will require handling time. Real Estate, Specialty Services, and Motor Vehicles (with the exception of Parts and Accessories) will not require handling time.
30. Will all formats require handling time?
No, not for all formats. On eBay.ca, Real Estate Ad Format and Want It Now format won't require handling time. On eBay.com, the following formats won't require handling time: Real Estate Ad Format, Live Auctions, Want It Now, Half.com listings, Classified Ads, and Digital Download Goods.
31. What if my item is available for local pickup? Do I still need to specify a handling time?
If your item is available for local pickup only, you don't need to specify a handling time. If your item is available for local pickup and also shippable, you'll need to specify a handling time for the other shipping method(s).
32. Do I have to accept returns?
We encourage you to accept returns, as this increases buyer satisfaction. However, you don't have to accept returns. You may specify "No Returns Accepted" as your return policy.
33. What elements of my return policy do I need to specify?
If you choose to accept returns, you'll need to specify the time period in which the item may be returned, how you'll give the refund, and who'll pay the return shipping cost.
34. What if I list an item without this critical item information before it's required?
Your listing will continue to be live on site until (1) the listing expires, or (2) you revise your item details. Once the listing expires or you revise the item details, you will be required to enter the critical item information.
35. How do the changes in critical item information affect Good 'Til Cancelled listings?
Good 'Til Cancelled listings listed before critical item information is required will continue until the next renewal cycle. If at that point they do not have the critical information specified, they will not be automatically renewed and will be ended until you add this information.
36. I have thousands of listings. Is there a way to add critical item information to them all at once?
Yes, you can add critical item information to all of your listings at once using Turbo Lister or Selling Manager Pro.


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