eBay To Make PayPal Preferred Payment Method, No More Cash, Checks or MO’s

August 20, 2008 · Filed Under Uncategorized · 1 Comment 

We Knew This Was Coming

At midnight last night eBay made public it’s much anticipated site changes. Midnight??? Yep, eBay briefed a select group of bloggers and media outlets yesterday in their San Jose campus and via telephone and email regarding the impending changes. Those that were given the sneak preview were admonished not to post or publish anything until 12 midnight ET. eBay itself did not post the changes until 10:04 AM ET on it’s Announcements Page.

There are many significant changes in this announcement, but the one that really upsets my applecart is the move to only allow credit card payments. Now we all know that eBay tried unsuccessfully to implement PayPal only in Austrailia.

As this effort failed, and at the time eBay professed it was not going to try to move this to the US site, sure enough they held true to their word,,, sort of.

Electronic Check-Out Coming In Late October

According to the announcement, beginning in late October, cash, checks and money orders will NO LONGER be accepted on eBay.com with a few exceptions. eBay has decided that we as business owners no longer can chose how we are paid if we want to continue to use eBay as a marketing venue. To be fair, the vast majority of ecommerce sites do not accept “paper” payments.

While the vast majority of transactions are paid electronically, I still feel that PayPal is being stuffed down my throat as the other current options allowed are ProPay??? (I am still trying to find out more about ProPay, who owns them etc) or establish a merchant account.

While this policy change does not make PayPal the only accepted way to buy on eBay, it certainly is a move in that direction.

 

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eBay Reported To Make Major Changes But Nothing Posted On Site

August 20, 2008 · Filed Under News, eBay · 1 Comment 

eBay Reportedly Making Major Changes

It is being reported by Ina Steiner editor of Auctionbytes.com that eBay announced major site changes overnight. The reported changes include major fee changes to Buy It Now (BIN) and Fixed Price listings, Finding (Search or Best Match) Payments allowed, Shipping, and Seller Standards. While these changes are being reported by Auctionbytes, there is NOTHING posted on the eBay announcement board as of 7:30 AM ET.

No Cash, Checks or Money Orders

In the vast list of changes noted in the article, the one that hits at the core of business is payment options. eBay (as expected) has apparently decided in their wisdom that US currency is no longer acceptable (Wow, I knew the dollar was in trouble) as a form of payment. Neither are checks or money orders. As eBay attempted and failed to institute a PayPal only payment policy in Austrailia, this is not an unexpected move.

Seller Standards Set

In the article Auctionbytes reports that eBay Seller Standards will be set to a minimum 4.3 Detailed Seller Rating (DSR) across the board beginning November 1, 2008.

Shipping Charges

eBay is reportedly setting shipping fee limits.

Select Notification?

While it has long been anticipated that these changes were forthcoming, I for one wonder why there is nothing posted on the eBay General Announcement Board? Ina says she was briefed yesterday regarding the upcoming announcement, and that the news was set to be released at 12 midnight. Reuters and other outlets were also apparently briefed.

As eBay sellers awake to their computers this morning, checking the Announcement Boards as they should every morning (yeah right) they will see nothing of these upcoming major changes unless they read Auctionbytes or receive Google Alerts.

 

 

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