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/.

Beware eBay Coaching Services that Use High-Pressure Tactics

January 18, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Beware companies that offer coaching services to would-be eBay sellers and promise easy money. An investigative piece in the Salt Lake Tribune by Matt Canham provides insight into the shady world of ecommerce training companies that use high-pressure tactics to bilk thousands Read more

Amazon to Help Ship Goods from China to US

January 15, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

A new report says Amazon will help Chinese companies bring goods into the U.S. by offering ocean freight services through its Chinese subsidiary. It’s not news that Amazon is building out logistics in order to get orders into the hands Read more

PayPal Agrees to Change Business Practices in Lawsuit Settlement

January 15, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

A class action lawsuit that has been dragging on since 2010 and that has seen its share of complications is coming to a close. Zepeda vs. PayPal deals with the unpopular practice of holds that PayPal placed on sellers’ funds. Read more

eBay Negotiated Postal Rates Disappoint Sellers

January 15, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

With new postage rates taking effect on Sunday, eBay set up a live-chat session on Wednesday to answer questions about the USPS negotiated shipping rates it would offer sellers through its online postage service. There were several key points to Read more

eBay Report Says Its Small Merchants Are Big Exporters

January 14, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay said 97% of its small business sellers in the US sell outside of the country, and 64% of them sell to four or more continents. Can you guess the top five destinations for exports from US eBay sellers? The Read more

Etsy CEO to Discuss Entrepreneurship in Video Fireside Chat

January 14, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Etsy is running two Fireside Chats on the topic of entrepreneurship, one with Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson. The next Fireside Chat will take place on January 19th, and joining host Heather Jassy, who is Etsy Senior Vice President of Members Read more

PayPal CEO Eyes Next-Gen Payment and Crypto Currency

January 14, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

PayPal continues to be intrigued with innovative payment methods and on Wednesday the company named Bitcoin expert Wences Casares to its Board of Directors. In the announcement, PayPal CEO Dan Schulman said Casares’ focus on next-generation payment and crypto-currency was Read more

eBay UK Business Sellers Welcome New Listing Promo

January 13, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay is running a 7-day listing promotion for registered business sellers through January 17th. Invited sellers can create up to 50,000 listings using the fixed price format on eBay.co.uk – but they must actively opt in to the promotion. Sellers Read more

Etsy Sellers Deal with Direct Checkout PayPal Bug

January 13, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Etsy is experiencing a bug that is presumably impacting a small number of sellers, but because of major policy changes – compounded by the way it’s communicating with sellers in a thread about the glitch – a number of sellers Read more

European Sellers Face Online Dispute-Resolution Requirements

January 13, 2016July 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Online sellers in Europe are now required to provide a link to a new platform offering consumers Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) services. The former director of online dispute resolution for eBay and PayPal Colin Rule hailed the move as evidence Read more