Value Added Resource Week In Review 1-15-23

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

eBay News

Three ex-eBay employees who pleaded guilty in cyberstalking scandal have finally reported to federal prison, but questions about corporate accountability still linger.

Recently released sentencing transcripts reveal interesting arguments about whether the government should have pursued criminal charges against higher up executives at eBay.

Convicted eBay Cyberstalkers Serve Time, Will Execs Face Justice?

3 eBay employees in cyberstalking case ordered to report to prison, corporate culpability questions linger.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

eBay sellers question recent design changes to the search functionality that may negatively impact sellers without store subscriptions.

Are eBay Design Changes Hurting Sellers Without Store Subscriptions?

A recent change to eBay’s search functionality may negatively affect sellers without store subscriptions.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

eBay community members have discovered some lucky sellers have managed to escape having competitor Promoted Listings ads displayed on their listings - how did they opt out? 🤨

Why Do Some eBay Sellers Not Have Promoted Ads On Their Listings?

Some eBay sellers have no competitor Promoted Listings ads displayed on their listings - how did they opt out?

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

New USPS rates will go into effect January 22 - see what's changing and don't miss the increase for eBay Standard Envelope!

eBay Releases 2023 Shipping Carrier Rate Updates

eBay has released shipping carrier rate updates for 2023, effective January 22.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

eBay is welcoming back another boomerang rehire as Blair Ethington returns to lead Focus Categories after stints at Sam's Club and Meta.

Ethington faces an uphill battle as CEO Jamie Iannone's vertical focus strategy has struggled to get off the ground and left many sellers feeling left behind by eBay.

eBay Welcomes Boomerang Rehire Blair Ethington As VP Of Focus Categories

eBay is welcoming back yet another boomerang rehire with Blair Ethington returning to lead Focus Categories.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

It was a rough week for the tech-led reimagination of eBay with many sellers reporting draft listings disappearing without a trace and the listing form not saving updates.

eBay Draft Listings Disappearing, Not Saving Updates

eBay sellers report problems with draft listings disappearing completely or not saving updates.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Sellers also reported problems with order pages not loading and messaging servers being completely down for a day.

eBay Messages Server Down 1-12-23

eBay users report being unable to access messages, receiving the dreaded “it’s not you, it’s us” error.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Other Ecommerce News

Royal Mail has been hit by a ransomware attack, causing major service disruptions to outgoing international shipments from the UK.

Royal Mail International Shipments Crippled By Cyber Incident

Royal Mail continues to experience fallout from cyber incident, sellers wait for updates from marketplaces.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Amazon is expanding Buy With Prime to most sellers in the US by the end of January, bring increased conversions and the ability to show Amazon product reviews to direct ecommerce websites.

Amazon Expands Buy With Prime, Touts 25% Conversion Lift

Amazon Buy With Prime expands to more sellers, touts 25% average conversion increase & will include reviews.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

An Amazon ad glitch ruined Black Friday for some advertisers, with reporting problems causing them to either underspend or overspend on important holiday ad campaigns.

Now those sellers want answers and refunds.

Amazon’s Holiday Ad Glitch Costs Add Up

Amazon glitch caused under or overspending for some advertisers - now they want answers & refunds.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Etsy sellers are also struggling with a potentially costly glitch causing their ad campaigns to go over set daily budgets. Will Etsy credit sellers for the overages?

Etsy Ads Overspending, Going Over Budget

Sellers report Etsy ads are going over daily budget limit, costing additional fees they had not intended to incur.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

Now that the Naver Poshmark acquisition is complete, what will new ownership mean for sellers?

Here's what we know so far and my predictions for what may be coming soon.

What Does Naver’s Poshmark Acquisition Mean For Sellers?

Now that Naver’s acquisition of Poshmark is complete, what can sellers expect to change under the new ownership?

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

And finally, a member of a sophisticated international crime ring faced sentencing this week in a massive $3.5 Million fraud operation believed to have over 900 victims.

The criminals posted false advertisements to popular online auction and sales websites for goods that did not actually exist and created fake online accounts using stolen identities to post the ads and communicate with victims.

Hats off to the state, federal, and international authorities that worked to bring this case to justice. 👏

$3.5M, 900 Victim International eBay & Craigslist Fraud Ring Sentenced

Romanian crime ring sentenced in $3.5 Million, 900+ victim eBay & Craigslist fake car ad & gift card fraud.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton ~ Founder

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