A seller on the eBay discussion boards asked on Saturday, "Anyone heard of this?" and pasted the following text: "recovery of expenses for policy monitoring and enforcement." 

It's not clear what prompted the seller's question, but those responding on the discussion thread seemed unfamiliar with the policy and were unsure when eBay had added it to the User Agreement.

We had brought the policy to EcommerceBytes readers' attention in a 2018 blog post titled, "When Is the Last Time You Read the eBay User Agreement?" when we wrote: "eBay gives itself the right to charge you for ... Read More

If you could create an eBay tool to help improve your business, what would it be?

Let your imagination run wild - anything goes. 

Tell us what you need (or want) to help you sell online. (And feel free to share what you think was the biggest "flop.")

An eBay seller noticed that their listing is showing "check" as a payment option, even though it's not allowed in the category in which the item is listed.

According to this eBay policy page, "Checks, money orders, and bank wire transfers aren't allowed for most eBay purchases. However, you can use these payment methods to buy vehicles, capital and business equipment, real estate, and items you pick up in person."

The seller's item is not listed in any of the allowed categories, nor does the listing appear to offer local pickup.

Here's a redacted screenshot showing the ... Read More

eBay sellers rely heavily on Facebook, just as many businesses and individuals do. But a second problem has cropped up for sellers in recent weeks that has us wondering if there's something going on behind the scenes between the two entities.

We heard from a reader that the eBay for Business Facebook account has been throwing off strange messages when they attempt to contact eBay through the platform, a problem that has been happening for the past 3 days. 

That seller is not alone - others are discussing the problem in the comments section of a recent post on the ... Read More

A CBS photojournalist captured video of ripped-opened ecommerce packages strewn across railroad tracks in Los Angeles, California, looted from cargo containers on trains when they had stopped ahead of a station. The crime scene looked like a garbage dump - a seller's nightmare, an EcommerceBytes reader called it.

It's not a new problem - in 2013, CBS New York ran a story about train robberies that one associates more with the 1800s than the 2020s. The article from 8 years ago quoted Freight Watch International Vice President Ron Green, who told CBS that it was "fairly easy" to ... Read More