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/.

FedEx to Raise Rates on January 5th

September 18, 2014August 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Like clockwork, FedEx and UPS raise rates at the beginning of each year. On Tuesday, FedEx made it official for 2015. FedEx is raising rates in January by an average of 4.9%. Among the services affected are FedEx Express, FedEx Read more

An Unpleasant Surprise in New PayPal User Agreement

September 18, 2014August 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Online sellers who accept PayPal payments on or off eBay were in for a surprise this week when they noticed changes to the company’s user agreement. Catching the most attention was an extension to the Dispute Filing Window. Buyers will Read more

eBay CTO to Receive Perks upon Departure

September 17, 2014August 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay executive Mark Carges will receive health insurance through COBRA for up to 18 months after he officially steps down as Chief Technology Officer on November 3rd. A report filed with the SEC five days after eBay announced the news Read more

Skrill Offers Marketplaces a New Alternative to PayPal

September 17, 2014August 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Skrill has launched a brand new platform for marketplaces that want to offer a payment solution that enables their sellers to start trading instantly under their own accounts. The UK-based company, previously known as Moneybookers, is better known in Europe than Read more

eBay Credits Some Seller Fees following Latest Outage

September 17, 2014August 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

After a 7-hour disruption to eBay’s site on September 14, the company told sellers in an email it would credit certain fees and protect them from defects. Only those sellers it identified as being impacted by Sunday’s issue were promised protection – Read more

Amazon Expands Corporate Presence in London

September 16, 2014August 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Amazon will lease a new corporate office in the Shoreditch section of London in 2017. The company currently employs 1,700 employees in its UK offices (and over 7,000 permanent jobs in the UK in total), and the new space will Read more

eBay UK Runs Listing Promotion for Business Sellers

September 16, 2014August 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay is running a promotion for UK sellers, but unlike most promos there, this one is for business sellers rather than private (casual) sellers. On the downside, it is an invitation-only promotion. The promotion is limited to eBay.co.uk registered business Read more

After Resigning eBay over a Family Matter, CTO Joins Splunk Board

September 16, 2014August 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Software firm Splunk created a new seat on its Board of Directors for former eBay executive Mark Carges. He recently resigned his post as Chief Technology Officer at eBay to focus on an unspecified family matter. Carges accepted the seat Read more

Etsy Makes Changes in Move toward Calculated Shipping

September 16, 2014August 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

Etsy launched a new way of displaying shipping costs to buyers as a first step in a two-part plan to introduce a calculated shipping option for marketplace sellers. The company said the new update makes it easier for buyers to Read more

New eBay Ad Program Lets Sellers Pay for Added Exposure

September 16, 2014August 29, 2017 Ina Steiner

eBay is testing a new program called Promoted Listings that lets sellers advertise their eBay listings. “Promoted listings gives you another way to attract more buyers to your items – beyond search results. This service – which is completely optional Read more