eBay introduced two services yesterday in the "practicals" area - it will offer a warranty and insurance program for vehicle purchases and expanded timeshares in its real estate category. eBay, with roots in the collectibles market, has been aggressively pursuing the sale of practical items on its site - everything from professional services to computers. Yesterday eBay introduced an Assurance Program for vehicles and a Timeshare Marketplace in the real estate category

eBay announced the eBay Assurance Program for Vehicles on its eBay Motors site. The program includes a Limited Warranty, Purchase Insurance, Payment Protection and Mobile Inspection. The use of any or all of these features is optional for both the buyer and seller involved in an eBay Motors transaction. Vehicles must be purchased on eBay Motors (through an auction-style listing or Buy It Now) to qualify for the program. eBay said the eBay Assurance Program for Vehicles applies only to vehicles on eBay Motors and will begin to appear on the site over the next few days. http://www.ebaymotors.com

eBay also launched a "timeshare marketplace" yesterday. The eBay Real Estate site will feature an expanded inventory of vacation ownership listings and new services and information. The company also announced relationships with three major industry players: Timeshare Nation, a consortium of vacation ownership developers and resellers; Century 21 Vacation Properties, one of the largest resellers of timeshares in the industry; and Dynetech, a leading enterprise development and management company for the vacation ownership industry. eBay launched eBay Real Estate in August 2000 and operates five core categories within its marketplace: residential homes, timeshares, foreclosures, plots of land and commercial real estate. http://pages.ebay.com/realestate/timeshares.html