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/.

eBay Adds Return Rate Metric to Seller Dashboard

February 23, 2016July 6, 2018 Ina Steiner

Some sellers were caught off guard when they saw a new metric in their seller dashboards beginning on Friday. The Return Rate metric shows the percentage of returns broken down by category, prompting rampant speculation about how eBay might be Read more

PayPal Users in UK Unable to Access Funds

February 22, 2016July 26, 2017 Ina Steiner

PayPal users in the UK have been unable to access funds since Friday; the company acknowledged the problem via Twitter on Saturday to say it was working to fix the problem. “As a seller, I can’t send anything until the Read more

eBay Gives UK Sellers a Break on Tracking Requirements

February 22, 2016July 26, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay is giving UK sellers a break on a key performance metric as it rolls out new seller performance standards. For now at least, sellers who use Royal Mail will not be punished for late deliveries as long as they Read more

eBay Launches New Seller Standards

February 22, 2016July 26, 2017 Ina Steiner

As of this weekend, eBay is no longer using negative feedback or DSRs to evaluate a seller’s performance. The change, announced last September, took effect on February 20, 2016. Avoiding claims, cancelled orders, and late shipping is now key to Read more

Amazon to Open Eleventh UK Fulfillment Center

February 19, 2016July 26, 2017 Ina Steiner

Amazon will build a new fulfillment center in England, and is part of the company’s plan to create 2,500 permanent jobs in the UK this year. Amazon will build the new 1-million square foot fulfillment center in Coalville, Leicestershire, which Read more

Etsy Calls on Local Government to Collaborate with Sellers

February 19, 2016July 26, 2017 Ina Steiner

Etsy launched a program called Etsy Maker Cities to explore opportunities for local governments to help members of its community to start and grow their businesses, and it is kicking off a Maker Cities Summit in May. Etsy Maker Cities Read more

eBay to Make Product Identifiers Searchable

February 19, 2016July 26, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay will soon make it possible to search by UPC, or “product identifier” in eBay vernacular, according to a member of the company’s Product Identifier (PI) team. The news came during a weekly chat session to answer sellers’ questions about Read more

Consumer Loyalty to Retailers Is Eroding

February 18, 2016July 26, 2017 Ina Steiner

A new report says consumer loyalty to retailers is eroding. Kibo’s 2016 Consumer Trends Report said consumers now expect digital services as standard, and if they can’t get it, they’ll jump ship. “Most consumers have their preferred places to shop, Read more

Zenstores Adds Shipping Support for Etsy

February 18, 2016July 26, 2017 Ina Steiner

Zenstores, an order-management and shipping platform for online sellers, added support for Etsy, it announced on Wednesday. The company is based in the UK and supports Royal Mail and many other couriers, but added support for US carriers is coming. Read more

eBay Promotes Car Parts Dealer, Car Rental Marketplace

February 18, 2016July 26, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay sent out an email this week advertising a sale on eBay Motors – but it linked to a single seller. The marketing email told recipients, “tune up with storewide savings up to 65% off auto parts – free shipping, Read more