Author: Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.

Stamps.com Waives Fees for Seniors to Avoid Trips to P.O.

April 17, 2020April 17, 2020 Ina Steiner

Online postage provider Stamps.com is waiving its monthly service fees for seniors through the end of July due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, sellers should know the program is for personal use only, not for business use. The US Centers Read more

eBay May Hold Virtual Conference to Connect with Sellers

April 16, 2020April 16, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay may hold a virtual conference for sellers, according to executive Marnie Levine. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, eBay had cancelled it is annual eBay Open seller conference normally held in July, but it had planned to send executives to Read more

Etsy Serves Up New TV Ads and a Guide to Help Sellers

April 16, 2020April 16, 2020 Ina Steiner

Etsy is running two new TV commercials and published a new guide for sellers to help them during the pandemic. The TV spots are part of Etsy’s newest ad campaign, “Always Open.” A spokesperson said it tells the story of Read more

eBay Board Appeases Activist Investors with Its CEO Pick

April 16, 2020April 16, 2020 Ina Steiner

Activist investor Starboard Value LP is easing off on its pressure against eBay, which issued a press release today containing a joint statement from the two companies. Last month, Starboard Value had nominated four candidates to the eBay board, which Read more

Ecommerce News Roundup: Amazon Shuts Down in France

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 Ina Steiner

Amazon shuts down in FranceThe AP reported a French court has required Amazon to stop selling “non-essential” goods for a month while it worked out new worker safety measures. Citing the complexity of trying to comply, Amazon temporarily suspended all Read more

eBay Gives Sellers More Time to Request Store Fee Deferrals

April 14, 2020April 14, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay is allowing certain sellers to request a deferral for some of their fees in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and it has extended the application period to April 15th. Sellers in the US who have a subscription to an Read more

USPS Tests Alert System for Mail Deliveries

April 14, 2020April 14, 2020 Ina Steiner

The US Postal Service will send email alerts to people after it delivers their mail as part of a test it is conducting. Online sellers might be the beneficiaries of having shipping carriers alert buyers when orders arrive, though the Read more

New eBay CEO to Get Millions, Schenkel to Depart in June

April 13, 2020April 13, 2020 Ina Steiner

eBay Interim CEO Scott Schenkel will leave the company in June. The news came Monday after the eBay Board of Directors named Walmart executive Jamie Iannone its new CEO. Iannone will officially start on April 27th, and Schenkel will take Read more

Amazon Continues Spring Hiring Spree, Seeks 75,000 More Workers

April 13, 2020April 13, 2020 Ina Steiner

Amazon is continuing its hiring spree after brining on over 100,000 new associates across the US in the last four weeks. On Monday, it said it’s hiring for an additional 75,000 jobs. It is regularly posting updates about developments related Read more

Amazon Sellers Can Hit Reset on Price-Gouging Blocks

April 13, 2020April 13, 2020 Ina Steiner

Amazon informed sellers they can try reactivating items they believe were incorrectly blocked in the marketplace’s efforts to fight price gouging. It’s a difficult situation for sellers as marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and others try to crack down on price Read more