Harry Rinker is mad as heck, and he's writing about it! I caught up with the famous appraiser and author by phone and asked him what was behind his latest column protesting eBay's new payment policy. In an interview (also available in podcast), he explains why eBay's ban on checks and money orders has him hopping mad.
Despite the eBay ban on checks, which goes into effect on October 20th, many sellers will continue to receive them through other venues and through sales on their own websites. Today we take a look at the DepositNow service that lets sellers scan their checks for remote, immediate deposit - saving both time and gas, since there's no need to make daily runs to the bank.
And while eBay is restricting competitive payment methods on their own site, it is working to integrate its payment system into more and more online retail sites. Walmart.com announced last week that it now accepts PayPal, and beginning November 3rd, shoppers will be able to use PayPal (and Google Checkout) to pay for goods on the Overstock Auctions platform.
While this year's seller boycotts of eBay did not seem to have an immediate affect on the number of listings, they did help sellers get - and keep - the attention of the media. In a CNNMoney interview conducted just last week, reporter Poppy Harlow asked eBay CEO John Donahoe about seller dissatisfaction due to changes to the fee structure and feedback.
The boycotts also breathed new life into alternative venues. We've seen more activity on new and niche sites than we've seen at any time in the past. Etsy and eCrater continue to experience solid growth, and Amazon has continued to increase its share of third-party merchant sales.
As part of our continuing series on alternative selling venues, Greg Holden interviews Bill Harding in today's issue. Bill is founder of Bonanzle.com, and he is getting some great viral buzz going about his new site that uses a built-in chat feature in store booths.
Finally, remember to check out the EveryPlaceISell.com (EPIS) website to find ALL of the marketplaces where merchants are selling. Registration is free (over 1,200 merchants have already registered) and creating your listing is painless. You may start seeing some interesting online ads for EPIS soon, too!
http://www.everyplaceisell.com
Thanks for reading.
