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/.

No Bidding Allowed on Rare Beatles Photos on eBay

January 29, 2015August 25, 2017 Ina Steiner

It’s not surprising that the owners of some rare, “never before seen” photographs of the Beatles and Rolling Stones chose to sell them on eBay, but their selling strategy is unusual. Instead of listing them in auction format, the owners Read more

Amazon Rewards Sellers Who Offer Free Shipping

January 28, 2015August 25, 2017 Ina Steiner

Amazon is making a major policy change that benefits sellers who offer free shipping. Amazon spokesperson Erik Fairleigh said as of Tuesday, all Amazon seller-fulfilled items with free shipping are eligible to contribute to Amazon’s minimum order of $35 to Read more

Blizzard Brings Mail to a Standstill in Northeast

January 28, 2015August 25, 2017 Ina Steiner

USPS, UPS, and FedEx suspended delivery and pickup in large areas of the Northeast due to “Winter Storm Juno,” aka the Blizzard of 2015, while online marketplaces warned users of the possible impact of the storm on their transactions. eBay Read more

USPS Priority Mail Rate Filing Impacts Merchants

January 27, 2015August 25, 2017 Ina Steiner

The USPS filed a notice about its rate plans for Priority Mail, a popular service among online sellers. But the filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission included some good news – the Postal Service wants to keep domestic Priority Mail Read more

eBay Engineer Says He Helped Code Drug Marketplace

January 27, 2015August 25, 2017 Ina Steiner

One online marketplace you haven’t seen featured on EcommerceBytes is Silk Road. That’s because it’s an online bazaar for buying and selling illegal drugs, according to government prosecutors. That’s what makes it surprising to learn an eBay software engineer was Read more

eBay Sellers Stymied When Shipping before Storm

January 27, 2015August 25, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay sellers were scurrying to ship packages before the snow storm Monday, but were stymied due to technical issues on the site. “Is eBay Monday mean no shipping again? Got the first items out and now nothing will process on Read more

Study: Merchants Unaware of Dim Weight Shipping Rates

January 26, 2015August 25, 2017 Ina Steiner

Many merchants who ship online orders via FedEx and UPS ground are unaware of the significant changes to rates that took effect at the beginning of this year, according to Endicia. The company, which helps businesses with USPS shipping, surveyed Read more

UPS Holiday Preparedness to Cost Merchants Next Season

January 26, 2015August 25, 2017 Ina Steiner

Unlike 2013, UPS delivery performance during the recent holiday shopping season went smoothly, the company said. But its financial performance for shareholders in the all-important fourth quarter was not as satisfactory, according to its CEO. And that could prove costly Read more

Etsy Launches New Feature for Improved Deliverability

January 26, 2015August 25, 2017 Ina Steiner

Etsy added a new feature to help improve the deliverability of packages to U.S. buyers – the online marketplace is letting buyers verify their addresses against USPS records. When U.S. buyers add or edit an address in their Etsy account, Read more

Online Merchants Brace for Expected East Coast Blizzard

January 26, 2015August 25, 2017 Ina Steiner

Online merchants are bracing for operational disruptions and delivery delays after the National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the East Coast. Not only are sellers concerned about disruptions in shipping and delivery, but with the kind of storm Read more