|
Auctionbytes-Update, Number 51 - October 21, 2001 - ISSN 1528-6703
This & That
1) ReliableMerchants.com Introduces Fees
By Ina Steiner
ReliableMerchants.com will institute fees beginning in January. The company offers a service to give "reliable" eBay members a "seal of approval." The company said it recently purchased new servers and maintains a strict no-advertising policy on its Web site. The $4/month fee will go into effect on January 21, 2002. There will be no listing fees or final value fees, and the monthly fee will grants users access to all of the services on the ReliableMerchants.com site. Any current members who don't register with the new plan will be inactivated.
http://www.reliablemerchants.com/6.html
2) eBay Updates Links Policy
eBay has updated its Links policy, which defines ways in which eBay members can market their business from the View Item and About Me pages. It has also "clarified" several sections of the Policy that were confusing to members.
You may now link your terms and conditions details from the View Item page.
You may now link to an email web form from the View Item page
eBay has added an exception for third party acknowledgements, such as payment services, dispute resolution services or verification services, to allow for both text and a logo.
You may now link to listings under a secondary User ID from the View Item page.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-links.html
3) BidBay Announces Television Commercials
By Ina Steiner
BidBay said it will begin airing a television commercial in Los Angeles, to be expanded eastward. There are two versions of the commercial, one for sellers and one for bidders. BidBay also said its BidBay Search feature is growing rapidly with hundreds of sites already listed. http://www.bidbay.com
4) OAUA Special Elections
By Ina Steiner
The Online Auction Users Association (OAUA) has announced it is holding a Special Election to fill the vacancies left by resigning members of the Board Of Directors. There are 7 director seats available, with staggered term limits. Nominations are being accepted now through October 26, 2001.
http://www.auctionusers.org/announce/special-election.shtml
5) Stamp History in the Making
By Ina Steiner
In 2002, twelve countries in the European Union (EU) will make the final transition to the single "Euro" currency. In Germany, the post office began making postage stamps in dual denominations: pfennigs and Euros. In January 2002, all German postage stamps will be denominated in Euros only, but there will be a grace period for older stamps- in pfennigs only - until On June 30, 2002.
That means that during the first half of 2002, three kinds of stamps will be valid in Germany: pfennig only, pfennig and Euro, and Euro only. By sticking all three on one letter, a so-called "mixed franking" is possible, creating a unique record of this significant moment in German and European history.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/postal/general/index.htm
6) USPS to Mail Postcards This Week
By Ina Steiner
The United States Postal Service is mailing postcards to every household in America this week containing information about safety and mail handling. http://www.usps.com/news/2001/press/pr01_1019postcard.htm
7) 'United We Stand' Postage Stamps to Be Released Early
By Ina Steiner
The USPS will make the "United We Stand" postage stamp available starting Oct. 24 at post offices in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, in the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and by online and telephone orders. The United We Stand stamp will be available at post offices nationwide beginning Nov. 5. However, preorders of coils of 100 stamps are now being taken online through the Postal Store at http://www.usps.com.
8) Correction: Search Alerts
By Ina Steiner
In last week's story on Search Alert Services http://www.auctionbytes.com/Email_Newsletter/49/50/50.html#search, I said you can set up 15 alerts using eBay's "Favorite Searches" service, and eBay will notify you by email when items come up for auction. Well, an alert reader pointed out that while you can set up 15 alerts, eBay will only EMAIL you for up to 3 of your search alerts! You must visit "My eBay" to keep posted on ALL of your alerts.
9) Auction Crossword Puzzle
Want to take a break from listing auctions? Grab a cup of coffee and relax with an online crossword puzzle!
We have another challenging crossword puzzle for you this week! Sharon Devine has concocted a crossword made up entirely of Beaded Jewelry terms. This one is challenging, so don't say you weren't warned! You can find the puzzle at http://www.auctionbytes.com/crossword/cwbeads1.html
You can find all the previous puzzles we've published at:
http://www.auctionbytes.com/crossword/crossword.html
If you'd like to submit a crossword puzzle, email dsteiner@auctionbytes.com for details. If we use your puzzle, we'll send you $20 for the first one published.
|
