Value Added Resource Week In Review 9-8-24

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

eBay News

eBay is once again making stealth edits to policy pages, removing critical Guaranteed Fit protections for Motors Parts and Accessories sellers with no public notice or announcements.

eBay Guaranteed Fit Update Removes Critical Protections For Auto Parts Sellers

Sleath update to eBay Guaranteed Fit policy removes feedback & service metrics protections for Motors Parts & Accessories sellers with no notice.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

eBay community staff have finally responded to the rest of the questions posed in the Ask Me About: eBay Ads topic, a month and a half past the originally promised date.

Community Program Manager Kayomi Kayoshi says feedback about the event was being reviewed and they will "aim to improve the process" going forward. A frequent commenter in the community asked whether anyone would be held accountable for this debacle - predictably, they received no response.

Meanwhile....eBay is still paying for ads and sponsored influencer content trying to distract from everything that is wrong with the new ads dashboard.

eBay Community Hosts “Ask Me About eBay Ads” Discussion

The eBay Community team is hosting next installment of “Ask Me About” discussion series, taking seller questions about new eBay Ads Experience.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

UK sellers worry about losing sales as some items show inflated prices due to eBay glitch adding additional 20% VAT in error.

eBay UK VAT Glitch Stalls Sales With Inflated Prices Shown In Error On Some Listings

eBay UK sellers worry about losing sales as some items show inflated prices due to glitch adding additional 20% VAT in error.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Trading card sellers also reported pricing problems this week as a glitch in the eBay app changed prices when creating listings, creating havoc with some items selling for far less than they should.

eBay Trading Card Price Snafu Causes Items To Sell For Less Than Intended Price

eBay app glitch changes seller’s prices on trading card listings, creating havoc with some items selling for far less than they should.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Dentsu’s iProspect has been chosen to handle eBay's new global media agency following a competitive review as company hopes to draw Gen Z attention to rare, vintage and pre-loved items on the platform.

eBay Puts Media Contract Up For Review - Could It Signal Marketing Shift For C2C Strategy?

eBay launches media agency review, moving from decentralized market-based model to global centralized model amid larger business strategy shift.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Other Ecommerce News

It's that (not) most wonderful time of the year when holiday shopping ramps up and carriers roll out peak season surcharges and rate hikes, with USPS announcing an increase in postage prices for commercial and retail Express, Priority and Ground Advantage services October 6th through January 19, 2025.

USPS Announces Holiday 2024 Peak Season Rate Hike Starting October 6

USPS announces Holiday 2024 rate hike for Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail & Ground Advantage starting October 6th.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Online marketplaces and postage providers are also warning users of new negotiated USPS rates going into effect September 16th.

Confusingly, these rate adjustments are zip code based rather than using the familiar zone structure, raising questions about whether the increase is a de facto rural delivery surcharge.

USPS Zip Code Rate Increase Mimics Rural Delivery Surcharge For Priority Mail & Ground Advantage

USPS is increasing rates for Priority Mail & Ground Advantage in 17,000+ zip codes, prompting questions about rural surcharges & discrimination.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Walmart is taking an unusual approach to fast track pre-owned expansion into sneakers and streetwear with StockX partnership clearly aimed at trying to take a bite out of one of eBay's key focus verticals.

Walmart Teams With StockX To Steal eBay’s Sneaker Thunder In Pre-owned Expansion Push

Walmart takes unusual approach to fast track pre-owned expansion into sneakers with StockX partnership bringing hot drops to the marketplace.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Mercari VP Marketing David Lee reveals plans to cap buyer fees at 10% in interview with reselling influencer Becky Park, as platform tweaks new fee structure & tries to goose US GMV through the end of the year.

Mercari US To Cap Buyer Fees At 10% As Platform Tweaks New Fee Structure

Mercari VP Marketing David Lee takes questions about plans to cap buyer fees & more in interview with reselling influencer Becky Park.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

As Mercari US pushes items from Japan, buyers say the site feels less relevant and sellers say sales are suffering - is international expansion just another failed strategy on top of fee structure changes introduced earlier this year?

Mercari’s Japan Focus Leaves U.S. Buyers & Sellers Frustrated: Is Expansion Hurting Platform?

As Mercari US pushes items from Japan, buyers feel alienated & sellers say sales have suffered - is international expansion hurting the platform?

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Poshmark unveiled new features and tools as part of PoshFest 2024 Hackathon, with Consignment offerings in partnership with trusted sellers, new options for giveaways and auction timing for Posh Shows, AI listing tools and more!

Poshmark Consignment, Giveaways, AI Listing & More At PoshFest Hackathon 2024!

Poshmark unveiled new features at PoshFest Hackathon 2024, including Consignment, Posh Show giveaways & sudden death auctions, AI listing & more!

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

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