eBay

Sure eBay can get you stuff from across the country or across the world, but sometimes you don't want to shop on the other side of the planet, then wait for your purchase to arrive. Sometimes you want what you want right now and you'd head right out your front door and get it—if you knew where in the neighborhood to find it. eBay can help.

See Also:

     • Comparison Shop with RedLaser
     • Sell on Consignment
     • Clean Out Your House

eBay stock recently hit a 52-week high that has Wall Street applauding a John Donahoe turnaround, even as many small and independent sellers continue to feel increasingly alienated by the site. Meanwhile, analysts continue to discuss and debate eBay's growing stock value and what balance its rise reflects between eBay's marketplace business and it's more rapidly evolving PayPal payments business.

More at:

     • MSNBC
     • StreetInsider.com
     • Seeking Alpha

Starting an eBay business involves a lot of learning about rules, practices, features, tools and so on—but there's also a lot to be learned by watching other eBay sellers. Most importantly, it can be instructive to see what most "in business on eBay" sellers tend to have in common. Here's a list of things that most sellers tend to have.

More Bascis to Learn:

     • Rules and Fees for eBay Photos
     • Stay Safe while Trading on eBay
     • Things You Didn't Know about eBay

With the summer months just ahead, those hazy dreams of days in the garden, afternoons barbecuing on the patio, road trips across the country, and projects ready to be tackled are about to become a reality. Whatever you're up to over the summer, don't forget to visit eBay and see whether you can have more fun in more interesting ways by including eBay in your plans.

See Also:

     • Help Your Teen Start an eBay Business
     • Build it Yourself on eBay
     • eBay Home and Garden Tips

Are you a small business that doesn't yet have a website capable of selling what you make to online customers? Have you thought about getting one? Find it to be complicated? Expensive? Ever thought of opening an eBay Store? Here's what you need to know about whether an eBay Store can be your website's main online presence, as well as pros and cons each way.

See Also:

     • Open an eBay Store, Step-by-Step
     • Customize and Configure Your Store
     • Use PayPal for Your Website Instead

eBay has launched eBay Green Driving, a site essentially meant to help eBay buyers to choose an energy-efficient vehicle from amongst the myriad options out there today--hybrid, high-MPG gasoline, electric, and so on. The site combines search features, comparison features, and informative articles about green vehicles and green driving.

More at:

     • MarketWatch.com
     • Digitaltrends.com
     • PC World

eBay have made clear that the eBay Apps ecosystem is now closed, with no new developers being accepted. eBay has watched (or, some would say, stood by and watched) the eBay apps ecosystem struggle to take hold as the app model has taken off for a variety of other types of online platforms.

More at:

     • EcommerceBytes
     • TameBay

Two opinion pieces on EcommerceBytes dissect the benefits (or lack thereof) of the Top Rated Seller status on eBay. Conventional wisdom has it that becoming a Top Rated Seller is good for business. But is it? One status, two opinions.

More at:

     • EcommerceBytes (Pro-TRS)
     • EcommerceBytes (Opposing Viewpoint)

PayPal has revamped its payments product line for sellers and vendors, replacing the now venerable "Website Payments Standard" and "Website Payments Pro" products with a new three-tier line known simply as "PayPal Payments." Highlights include free mobile device credit card readers to business customers at all levels along with the ability to accept paper check deposits via mobile phone camera.

More at:

     • PayPal.com
     • EcommerceBytes
     • VentureBeat

eBay sellers are once again up in arms about changes to the Buyer Protection program that will go into effect in June. The changes allow eBay to issue partial refunds to buyers, and in some cases to refund money without requiring that the item be returned to the seller. Meanwhile, the UK buyer protection program has also been expanded to include new categories including ticket sales and cash equivalents like gift cards.

More at:

     • Ecommerce Bytes
     • eBay UK