Value Added Resource Week In Review 2-25-24

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

eBay News

eBay's future strategy may be up in the air as Chief Business and Strategy Officer Stefanie Jay is reported to have resigned following mass layoffs, cost cutting pressure and uncertain Q4 2023 financial results.

eBay Strategy Faces Uncertain Future, Potential Leadership Shakeup

eBay Chief Business Strategy Officer Stefanie Jay has reportedly left the company amid mass layoffs, cost cutting pressure & uncertain Q4 financial results.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Along with the potential leadership shakeup, open job positions show eBay may be seeking fresh ideas and new strategies, with a possible pivot back to a wider consumer-seller focus.

eBay Job Listings Hint At Strategic Pivot & Fresh Consumer-Seller Focus

Amidst layoffs & potential leadership shakeup, job listings show eBay seeking new strategies with possible pivot back to consumer-seller focus.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Recent promotions and title changes have also revealed the increasing importance of AI and the changing face of Global Customer Experience at eBay.

Content Creator To AI Architect: The Changing Face Of eBay Customer Experience

Recent eBay promotions & title changes reveal increasing importance of AI & the changing face of Global Customer Experience at the company.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

eBay released their February/Winter Seller Update this week, starting with Australia, which included changes to marketing tools, multi-user access, draft listings, item not received cases, and a reminder about third-party fulfillment policies.

eBay Australia Clarifies Policies Blocking Use Of Amazon FBA, Presale Restrictions - Will Other Countries Be Next?

eBay Australia reminds sellers about 3rd-party fulfillment & presale policies - is enforcement crackdown coming & will other countries follow?

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

The costs of increasing regulation add up and eBay is passing them on to sellers as part of the seller update for the UK, effective April 8.

eBay Adds Regulatory Operating Fee For UK & Some EU Countries

The costs of compliance & regulation add up & eBay is passing them on to sellers in the UK & some EU countries with new Regulatory Operating Fee.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

The eBay UK community was also buzzing this week with news that some private sellers have received a special promotion for zero selling fees, including no listing fees, no fixed $0.30 per transaction fee and no variable Final Value Fees through April 2023.

eBay Tests Fee Free Selling For Private UK Sellers With Special Promo

eBay UK tests zero listing & selling fees through April for private sellers in special invite only promotion.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

And the big news in the US Seller Update is the per order transaction fee will be increasing from $0.30 to $.40 for orders over $10 across all categories.

eBay Winter Seller Update 2024 - Increased Transaction Fees, Unpaid Offers & More!

eBay releases Winter 2024 Seller Update including per order transaction fee increase from $0.30 to $.40 on orders over $10 across all categories.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

eBay's efforts to end unpaid items on the platform have taken a step back as previously available settings which allowed sellers to control whether they require immediate payment for auctions or not have been quietly removed.

eBay Quietly Removes “Payment Method Required To Bid On Auctions” From Sellers’ Buyer Requirement Settings

eBay’s efforts to solve unpaid items stall as option to require payment method before bidding on auctions disappears from sellers’ settings.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

eBay's Presidents' Day Sale wrapped up this week but unfortunately, Honest Abe would be disappointed, as yet again many dishonest sellers used false discounts and fake strikethrough pricing to trick buyers into thinking they are getting a deal.

eBay Presidents’ Day Sale Disappoints, Tricking Buyers With Fake Discount Deals

Honest Abe would be disappointed as eBay Presidents’ Day Sale features brands using false strikethrough pricing to trick buyers with fake deals.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Donald Trump announced a new line of sneakers at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia and predictably, the preorders are already flooding eBay at insanely inflated prices on listings that violate presale policies and put buyers at risk for scams.

Trump Sneaker Presales Flood eBay Exposing Buyers To Scam Risks & Violating Listing Policies

Presales for Donald Trump’s new line of sneakers flood eBay at inflated prices, violating listing policies & putting buyers at risk for scams.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

And as eBay continues pressuring sellers to offer free or discounted shipping, sellers tell the company it should consider lowering its fees if it wants items on the site to be more price competitive.

eBay Sellers Push Back On Continued Shipping Discount Pressure

eBay continues press sellers to offer free or discounted shipping, sellers say eBay should lower fees if it wants more competitive pricing.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Etsy News

Etsy reported Q4 2023 earnings this week with Gross Merchandise Sales down 1.4%, active buyers up 3% and increased revenue primarily driven by growth in Etsy ads and payments.

Ahead of earnings, Etsy announced they're introducing new policies to "strengthen new shop onboarding and keep the community safe" - including a shop set up fee, seller ID checks requiring submitting government ID and a a selfie and delaying payment schedules for new sellers.

Etsy Introduces Shop Set Up Fee, ID Checks For New Shops To “Keep Community Safe”

Etsy introduces new shop onboarding policies including a shop set up fee, seller ID checks & delayed payouts for new sellers to keep community safe.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

While the ongoing spam, scams and illegal and policy-violating listings problems were not really touched on in the call, Etsy's 10-K annual report revealed newly created Risk Committee, while touting CTO & CISO credentials and efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risks.

Etsy 2023 Annual Report Reveals New Risk Committee, Focus On Cybersecurity

Etsy reveals newly created Risk Committee, touts CTO & CISO credentials & efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risks in 10-K annual report for 2023.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Elliott Management's 13% stake and new position on the board may be beginning to show itself as Etsy faces pressure to make House of Brands strategy pay off with Reverb getting a new team focused specifically on growing revenue.

Reverb Gets New Revenue Team As Etsy Faces Pressure To Make House Of Brands Pay Off

Reverb is getting a new team focused on growing revenue as parent company Etsy faces pressure to make “House of Brands” pay off.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

The Etsy seller community was also abuzz this week with speculation after a supposedly leaked survey raised the possibility of a listing fee increase and monthly subscription plans for listings.

Etsy Tests Seller Sentiment On Potential Listing Fee Increase, Monthly Subscription In New Survey

Etsy seller community buzzing with speculation as leaked survey raises possibility of listing fee increase, subscription plans for listings.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Etsy is testing a "Quick View" feature that allows buyers to see a mini-listing module with images, links to reviews and more, directly from the search results page.

Etsy Tests “Quick View” In Search Results

Etsy tests “Quick View” allowing buyers to see a mini-listing module with images, links to reviews & more, directly from the search results page.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

And Etsy says changes to abandoned cart and thank you coupons are "coming soon", including expiration dates and codes no long being reusable or sharable.

Etsy Abandoned Cart & Thank You Discounts Will Soon Have Expiration Dates

Etsy says changes to abandoned cart and thank you coupons “coming soon”, including expiration date and make codes not reusable or sharable.

Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

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