December 11th Weekly Board Hour

[kalvin@ebay.com]

Post your questions here and we'll see you at 1PM (ET)!

[pocomocomputing]

My experience with Selling Manager is that is shows up to 90 days of sales. But if I go to eBay Seller Information Center at this page on eBay.com, it says 120 days for Selling Manager. The 120 days appears to be incorrect.

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/featurecomparison.html

Is the 120 days for Selling Manager Pro only?

PS The eBay.ca page is here with the same 120 days. It is out of date as it says that eBay Blackthorne is available.

http://pages.ebay.ca/sellerinformation/sellingresources/featurecomparison.html

[pocomocomputing]

ebay.com has a listing feature where you list once and then get up to three free listings automatically. It seems to be a promo right now but it is documented in the ebay.com help files.

What is the status of this lisitng feature? Is it just a promotion? Is it going to be available on ebay.ca.

Reference information

A topic I started here on eBay.ca with no replies with more info

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/eBay-com-Automatic-relist-3-times-for-free/m-p/174573#M18...

The original eBay.com topic where I read about this listing feature

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Seller-Central/Automatically-relist-for-free/td-p/16713869

The eBay.com help file on this feature with no mention that it is just a promo.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/relist.html

I know this feature is on the eBay.com site and not on the eBay.ca site. But I am reaching out to you for more info on this.

[pocomocomputing]

My eBay -> Site preferences -> Third Party authorizations

I will complain again about third party authorizations in My Site Preferences that get added with out any authorization on my part or any notice that they have been added. The name of the application is poorly documented as to what it is and why it is there.

Here is a list of what is in my authorizations. I have only knowingly authorized InkFrog (free account), Auctiva (free account), eBay Selling Manager, Listing Analytics and eBay Turbo Lister. By "knowingly", I am asked to authorize an eBay token or I subscribed to the tool. All others just appear out of nowhere as far as I can tell whenever a new eBay feature is created.

There are several eBay authorization in the application name that just say eBay or eBay, Inc. What are they?
Why is eBay Business Policies (twice ? one for each site) there when I never knowingly joined it?
Why is there an authorization for Selling Manager Pro? I used it a few years ago and based on the date, that is when I went back to Selling Manager.
What the heck is dynetic solutions doing there? Who are they?
Why does Lithium have an authorization? I assume it is for these forums. Why am I not notified that they are added to this list?

The irony is that the list has "You have authorized" in the title but I never did authorize explicitly as far as I know.

All eBay authorizations should have a full name with what they are for. eBay is not enough and should be more descriptive like eBay Bulk Listing Management so at least there is a clue why it is there. Just a vague name of eBay does not inspire confidence that it is an eBay authorization.

Here is a copy of my third party authorizations in my settings

Third-party authorizations

You have authorized the following third party applications to perform certain actions on eBay on your behalf.
inkFrog inc. (created 23-Sep-12)
eBay Business Policies Management 2 (created 27-Sep-12)
eBay Selling Manager Pro (created 02-Nov-12)
eBay Business Policies Management (created 03-Nov-12)
Auctiva Corporation (created 12-Dec-12)
dynetic solutions (created 25-Dec-12)
eBay Bulk Listing Management (created 09-Jun-13)
Ebay (created 24-Jun-13)
eBay Turbo Lister (created 05-Sep-13)
eBay Asynchronous Bulk Relist (created 06-Sep-13)
eBay , Inc. (created 20-Sep-13)
Listinganalytics.com (created 09-Oct-13)
ebay (created 02-Nov-13)
Lithium Technologies, Inc (created 18-Nov-13)

[rose-dee]

Hi Kalvin! 

My question is from a marketing perspective.  I'd be interested in knowing what eBay.ca is currently doing, or has planned, to promote eBay.ca to Canadian buyers.  

In the years I've been selling, I've been unable to budge my ca. 8% to 10% sales to Canadian buyers any higher.  In fact, over the past few months Canadian buyers seems to have vanished, despite my offering free shipping promotions to Canada and discounted prices.  

I get the impression many Canadians go to eBay.com first and foremost and that many aren't even aware there is a uniquely Canadian eBay site.  Is the eBay.ca team doing anything currently, or have any plans that might change this? Local newspaper, TV ads, flyers, internet/online promotions, etc.?

[kalvin@ebay.com]

---

@pocomocomputing wrote:

My experience with Selling Manager is that is shows up to 90 days of sales. But if I go to eBay Seller Information Center at this page on eBay.com, it says 120 days for Selling Manager. The 120 days appears to be incorrect.

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/featurecomparison.html

Is the 120 days for Selling Manager Pro only?

PS The eBay.ca page is here with the same 120 days. It is out of date as it says that eBay Blackthorne is available.

http://pages.ebay.ca/sellerinformation/sellingresources/featurecomparison.html

---

Hi pocomocomputing,

I'll reach out to our Listing Tools team to get clarification on this. We'll notify our US friends & update our page accordingly if needed.

Thanks, 

[kalvin@ebay.com]

---

@pocomocomputing wrote:

ebay.com has a listing feature where you list once and then get up to three free listings automatically. It seems to be a promo right now but it is documented in the ebay.com help files.

What is the status of this lisitng feature? Is it just a promotion? Is it going to be available on ebay.ca.

Reference information

A topic I started here on eBay.ca with no replies with more info

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/eBay-com-Automatic-relist-3-times-for-free/m-p/174573#M18...

The original eBay.com topic where I read about this listing feature

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Seller-Central/Automatically-relist-for-free/td-p/16713869

The eBay.com help file on this feature with no mention that it is just a promo.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/relist.html

I know this feature is on the eBay.com site and not on the eBay.ca site. But I am reaching out to you for more info on this.

---

This is news to me, thanks for the head's up. I checked out the .com Help page & notes that you should be able to select this option on the Review Your Listing page but I can't seem to find it. What category did you use to come across it?

[bryan.ca@ebay.ca]

---

@pocomocomputing wrote:

My eBay -> Site preferences -> Third Party authorizations

I will complain again about third party authorizations in My Site Preferences that get added with out any authorization on my part or any notice that they have been added. The name of the application is poorly documented as to what it is and why it is there.

Here is a list of what is in my authorizations. I have only knowingly authorized InkFrog (free account), Auctiva (free account), eBay Selling Manager, Listing Analytics and eBay Turbo Lister. By "knowingly", I am asked to authorize an eBay token or I subscribed to the tool. All others just appear out of nowhere as far as I can tell whenever a new eBay feature is created.

There are several eBay authorization in the application name that just say eBay or eBay, Inc. What are they?
Why is eBay Business Policies (twice ? one for each site) there when I never knowingly joined it?
Why is there an authorization for Selling Manager Pro? I used it a few years ago and based on the date, that is when I went back to Selling Manager.
What the heck is dynetic solutions doing there? Who are they?
Why does Lithium have an authorization? I assume it is for these forums. Why am I not notified that they are added to this list?

The irony is that the list has "You have authorized" in the title but I never did authorize explicitly as far as I know.

All eBay authorizations should have a full name with what they are for. eBay is not enough and should be more descriptive like eBay Bulk Listing Management so at least there is a clue why it is there. Just a vague name of eBay does not inspire confidence that it is an eBay authorization.

Here is a copy of my third party authorizations in my settings

Third-party authorizations

You have authorized the following third party applications to perform certain actions on eBay on your behalf.
inkFrog inc. (created 23-Sep-12)
eBay Business Policies Management 2 (created 27-Sep-12)
eBay Selling Manager Pro (created 02-Nov-12)
eBay Business Policies Management (created 03-Nov-12)
Auctiva Corporation (created 12-Dec-12)
dynetic solutions (created 25-Dec-12)
eBay Bulk Listing Management (created 09-Jun-13)
Ebay (created 24-Jun-13)
eBay Turbo Lister (created 05-Sep-13)
eBay Asynchronous Bulk Relist (created 06-Sep-13)
eBay , Inc. (created 20-Sep-13)
Listinganalytics.com (created 09-Oct-13)
ebay (created 02-Nov-13)
Lithium Technologies, Inc (created 18-Nov-13)

---

Thanks pocomocomputing for the feedback. I'll be sure to take the back to the team responsible for managing these services and the hope we can increase the level of information provide to you/the end user.

[kalvin@ebay.com]

---

@rose-dee wrote:

Hi Kalvin! 

My question is from a marketing perspective.  I'd be interested in knowing what eBay.ca is currently doing, or has planned, to promote eBay.ca to Canadian buyers.  

In the years I've been selling, I've been unable to budge my ca. 8% to 10% sales to Canadian buyers any higher.  In fact, over the past few months Canadian buyers seems to have vanished, despite my offering free shipping promotions to Canada and discounted prices.  

I get the impression many Canadians go to eBay.com first and foremost and that many aren't even aware there is a uniquely Canadian eBay site.  Is the eBay.ca team doing anything currently, or have any plans that might change this? Local newspaper, TV ads, flyers, internet/online promotions, etc.?

---

Hi rose-dee,

We're partnering with other eBay Inc. companies like Kijiji and PayPal and driving more attention to eBay.ca. Our PR team have had a few TV spots promoting Holiday campaigns and other partnerships. We've also got our Social Media channels such as Facebook and Twitter that help put eBay more top of mind for those communities.

[rose-dee]

---

kalvin@ebay.com wrote:

Hi rose-dee,

We're partnering with other eBay Inc. companies like Kijiji and PayPal and driving more attention to eBay.ca. Our PR team have had a few TV spots promoting Holiday campaigns and other partnerships. We've also got our Social Media channels such as Facebook and Twitter that help put eBay more top of mind for those communities.

---

Thanks Kalvin, I hope eBay.ca can keep it up (and ramp it up).  For some reason, eBay.ca has never seemed to be able to get the exposure to Canadians that, for example eBay.fr or eBay.de do in those countries.  Is it just because people who don't sell on eBay.ca (and therefore know otherwise), figure that  .com is the only legitimate site to go to, I wonder?

Maybe what is really needed is an awareness campaign to specifically sell .ca to Canadians -- along the lines of: "after the dot, make it ca, not .com!" -- if you see what I mean.

[rose-dee]

I know time is running out for this session, but I'll just say that, having been involved in marketing a number of years, I'm always interested in "man on the street" data.  I regularly ask people (once I've mentioned I have an eBay store) whether they use .ca or .com.  Most who are aware of eBay never knew there was a .ca.  

Perhaps some market research/surveying along these lines would be of help?

Oh yes, it just occurred to me, don't forget to use a moose somewhere in the ads...

[kalvin@ebay.com]

Thanks for everyone's feedback and contributions - see you next week!