In case you hadn't heard, eBay sellers are now limited to the payment methods they can accept in their eBay listings. Here's my take on eBay's new Safe Payments policy (http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y05/m10/i19/s00). Bottom line: banning wire-transfer payments and dubious payment services isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the timing of the move calls into question eBay's motivations. (Google Payments, anyone? http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y05/m10/i13/s02)
Amazon made a policy move effective October 5 that continues to baffle sellers (I've included one seller's questions in today's Letters from Readers section). They've changed the way shipping charges and credits appear on sellers' statements http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y05/m09/i13/s01. I give Amazon a big thumbs-down for making it harder for sellers to figure out their costs and for adding to the tension between buyers and sellers.
I'm pleased to announce a promotion we're rolling out in cooperation with the Online Traders Web Alliance (OTWA). OTWA members and AuctionBytes readers can sign up to receive one-year ads in the classifieds section of each site. Normally this would cost over $100, but with this program the price is set at only $25. Read today's This & That for more information or go to http://www.otwa.com/o/partners/auctionbytes/cap.html.
And be sure and check today's This & That column for a chance to receive a complete set of the 2005 Antiques titles by Judith Miller published by Dorling Kindersley.
Thanks for reading.
About the author:
Ina Steiner is Editor of AuctionBytes.com and author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). She has a background in marketing and research in the high-tech and publishing fields. If you have story ideas, comments or questions, send them to ina@auctionbytes.com.
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