eBay.com announced it will allow sellers to add Skype buttons to their listings across all categories on the site. Buyers who are registered with Skype can click on the Skype buttons to send an instant message or make a call to the seller. Sellers using the Sell Your Item form or Turbo Lister can choose to add either a Chat, Voice button, or both to their listings.
eBay had previously limited the use of Skype buttons to certain categories. In Tuesday's announcement, eBay said the Skype buttons give sellers "a quick, easy way to talk or chat directly with their buyers, resulting in quicker answers to questions and an increased level of trust in their transactions." eBay had recently banned a competing service called Jajah from its site (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m10/i05/s02).
eBay recently entered into an agreement with MySpace that integrates MySpace's instant messaging (IM) client with Skype. Users can link their MySpace profiles and photos or avatars to their accounts on Skype.