eBay

raphael@ebay.com · ‎06-25-2014

Hello Canadian eBayers!

Welcome to the first Weekly Board Hour of the 2014 summer! We're looking forward to chat with you at 1 PM Eastern. Please feel free to get a head start and post your questions and comments at your convenience.

bryan.ca@ebay.ca · ‎06-25-2014

@pierrelebel wrote:

Follow up to last week thread.

"At one point or another everyone has opened up their inbox and has found unwanted emails. Sometimes called junk email or unsolicited bulk email (UBE), the Canadian government is implementing a new law, Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), to crack down on unwanted emails and texts. This law will have a major impact on businesses, because now businesses and organizations will need to prove they have consent to reach out to new, existing, or potential customers using electronic messages.

CASL will take effect on July 1, 2014. Non-compliance will result in penalties for each violation that can reach as high as $1 million for an individual and $10 million for organizations.

My question is: what is eBay doing to protect its store sellers using email marketing through eBay - sending messages to users (in Canada and elsewhere) who have added their names to the mailing list over time (I count hundreds of them on my eBay mailing list).

The legislation requires new consent be obtained or we face fines. Is eBay.ca aware of the new legislation?

What will eBay.ca do to protect us?"

You seem to indicate that you were not fully aware of the new legislation and, not being a lawyer, could not offer an answer at that time. In the meantime, I have received several requests from Canadian businesses wishing to comply with the new legislation and asking me to confirm I wish to remain on their email list.

A week later, what do you suggest for our eBay store mailing list?

Hi Pierre,

Thanks for following up, unfortunately I do not have an answer for you yet. CASL legislation has many facets and as such requires proper due diligence. As I said previously, we are actively reviewing CASL legislation to ensure all eBay communications are compliant.

Bryan

raphael@ebay.com · ‎06-25-2014

@pierrelebel wrote:

"was always this way."

????

I do not think so.

Once upon a time, a buyer refusing to pay could state why. Typically seller changing shipping price would be the reason.

The unpaid item process still allows for a buyer to respond to the case. That was never a mechanism to avoid ending up with a strike though, but a platform provided by eBay for the seller and the buyer to engage with one another and resolve the issue, much like the pre-Resolution Centre case resolution platform. At the end of the unpaid item process, a buyer with a strike they feel shouldn't have been given always had to contact eBay to appeal it.

raphael@ebay.com · ‎06-25-2014

@pierrelebel wrote:

According to Stats Canada, Canadians purchased nearly $19 billion dollars online in 2012, a jump of 24% from 2010..

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canadians-spent-18-9b-online-in-2012-statscan-says-1.2254150

Several years ago, the eBay.ca country manager in an article written in the Globe and Mail indicated that purchases by Canadians on eBay were in the $600 to $700 million range. Hopefully, these purchases had grown to one billion dollars by 2012. However, my recollection is that about 2/3 of purchases by Canadians on eBay came from outside Canada (mostly the USA).

Has that ratio changed over the years?

Thanks for your question PierreLebel.

As you know, we can't share material insider information about Canada-specific sales or the geographic breakdown of our buyers and sellers. There have been occasions when we have released information - such as the Globe interview you referenced - but we only do so after having the release of the information reviewed and approved by investor relations.

I can tell you this much: eBay Canada has continued to grow dramatically since then, US imports continue to make up a very substantial share of what Canadians buy on eBay.ca, and generally the mix of imports to domestic and, say, US imports to EU imports to Asian imports does move around based on inventory, foreign exchange, and buyer demand.

I'm sorry I can't give you a more specific answer.

ryanne@ebay.com · ‎06-25-2014

@pierrelebel wrote:

A different type of question today.

For twelve or so years, in addition to the weekly chat, the staff at eBay.ca would often visit different boards and, from time to time, answer questions of a technical nature, often on the Seller Central board.

In the year year or so, I have not noticed staff answering questions.

Is this a change of policy? Or is it the result of lower staff level in Toronto?.

In the past we have had someone working here who was responsible for the boards. Unfortunately we no longer have that position so yes, it is a result of lower staff.

Thanks,

Ryanne