Follow @ebayinkblog and see the eBay-related discussions coming out of CES this week using #eBayatCES hashtag. You can do the same for conversations coming out of NRF 2012 using #eBayatNRF.
Cheers,
RBH

It is my great pleasure to announce the newest addition to the official eBay blogging family. Authored by Joe MacFarland, the eBay stories Blog‘s charter is to inform eBay Marketplace members of eBay.com product and features, surface “remarkable listings,” and to highlight weekly search trends. You can read more in his eBay stories Welcome post.

I have been following the development of the blog closely and have met regularly with Joe as he ramps up towards today’s launch. I am looking forward to collaborating with him on posts where appropriate and having another resource for eBay users to get information… this time with a link directly from ebay.com! (Don’t worry… I’m trying to find out what I have to do to make that happen for Ink). ;)

I sat down with Joe earlier this week to chat about the blog, his vision for the editorial content, and how he sees this will differ from our focus here on Ink…

Full Name: Joe MacFarland
Nickname: Joe
Official Title: I don’t have one, I am a “non-employee: ☺
What you really do: Write a blog
Education: BA in Sociology from Dartmouth College
Interests: Travelling, reading, cycling, playing with my kids, soccer
Favorite Quote: We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. – Vonegut
Most Memorable eBay experience: Selling my 2006 World Cup tickets (soccer) to someone once my team (Brazil) was eliminated…
Most recent eBay purchase/sale: A set of six Pokemon Black and White Figures with Light (for my son’s 6th birthday in August… shhhhhhh)
Favorite Album(s): Too many to mention, who listens to albums anymore – bring me Pandora or Spotify! But anything from the Café del Mar series would work in a pinch.
Favorite Movie(s): Again, to many to mention, but I was intrigued by Before Sunrise
What you wanted to be growing up: A paperback writer (like the Beatles song)

Fill in the blanks:
I should have gone to the beach yesterday
I wish that I could visit my family in Brazil.
The first thing I do when I get to work is check to see what the most popular items are being sold on eBay.

RBH: What is your vision of eBay stories?
Joe: 1. To be the place folks come to learn about the amazing product features the entire team at eBay works on every day to make the life of the eBay shopper better. 2. To be the reference point for people interested in finding out more about the amazing products that are being sold via eBay; 3. To keep a casual “history through commerce” view of any given week.

RBH: How does this differ from existing official eBay blogs? Like eBay Ink for example?
Joe: The blog focuses specifically on ebay.com, not on eBay, the company, as a whole. And within this focus on ebay.com, the blog further focuses on eBay product features, the stories behind the remarkable listings that are not surfaced anywhere else on eBay itself, and what people are searching for when they come to the site.

RBH: Who is your target audience?
Joe: eBay shoppers who are interested in, and want to learn more about our products and features, and are interested in the stories behind the remarkable items being sold on the site.

RBH: What do you consider success to be with eBay stories?
Joe: If people enjoy what they are reading.

RBH: What are you most looking forward to with the blog?
Joe: Finally launching it and having a conversation with our readers about the things written on the blog.

RBH: What does it take to get some link love on the ebay.com homepage?
Joe: I don’t know what this question means, and if I did, I wouldn’t answer it. ;)

So with that, please join me in welcoming Joe and the eBay stories blog to the blogging family. Looking forward to reading future posts!

Cheers,
RBH

That headline might be a bit misleading to be honest. After all, eBay’s Certified Provider program has been around since 2004 so tagging anything “all new” can be a bit confusing. However, eBay is re-launching the existing program with all new criteria, requirements and benefits in an effort to make Certified Provider the stamp of seller tool quality on eBay. There’s even an all-new Certified Provider Program landing page.

The following criteria will be used to determine eligibility for the new program moving forward:

** Marketplace Impact: We select eBay developers who are impacted the most by eBay changes and who can make the most impact on your business.
** Customer Satisfaction: Don’t take our word for it. We gauge customer satisfaction through annual customer surveys and ongoing product review.
** Feature Support: Certified Providers must support the features you need the most to be a part of the program.

I figured it had been a while since we sat down with someone here at eBay for a “5 Minutes with…” feature so managed to chat with Laura Della Torre of the Seller Experience team who works with eBay’s top developers. Here is a short interview with Laura discussing the new program and how it differs from what we first introduced 7 years ago.

Cheers,
RBH

Full Name: Laura Della Torre
Nickname: LDT
Official Title: Sr. Manager, Certified Provider Program
What You Really Do: Bring developers along the eBay ride.
Education/Schooling: BS in Design at UC Davis
Interests: SCUBA, Skiing, & photography
Favorite Quote: Everyone has a photographic memory, but not everyone has film. ~Author Unknown
Most memorable eBay experience: Taking our Certified Providers out on an “Appreciation Event” at eBay Live Las Vegas
Most recent eBay purchase/sale: Battery case for iPhone 4
Favorite Album(s): Whatever’s on my iPod today
Favorite Movie(s): Whatever’s on my DVR today
What You Wanted to Be Growing Up: I’m never going to grow up

Fill in the blanks:
I should have slept more yesterday.
I wish that I could have a sabbatical every year.
The first thing I do when I get to work is check my email to see how I can help our Certified Providers today.

The 15 Certified Providers, as of today, are as follows:
* Auctiva
* Channeladvisor
* Cloud Conversion
* Frooition
* GarageSale
* Infopia
* InkFrog
* Kyozou
* Mercent
* Monsoon
* Seller SourceBook
* ShipRush
* ShipWorks
* Terapeak
* Vendio

Highlights of ProStores 10:

** Easily integrate with your eBay inventory. Import your eBay product listings. Remove all inbound listings or convert them to products in ProStores in a single action. Assign default listing templates to your eBay items. Easily synch your inventory between ProStores and Selling Manager Pro.

** Customize your storefront. With Page Builder, a new drag-and-drop design tool, it’s easier than ever to customize your store. Create multiple layout versions of key pages. Manage page elements and rich text without using custom coding.

** Advertise and promote your store. Highlight your store discounts and promotions with images and text. Schedule and associate advertising banners to specific promotions.

** Manage catalogs easily. Manage large catalogs and assign products to categories faster with enhanced search, sort, and viewing capabilities. Easily add a product to a category or advertise a product more effectively by assigning it to a featured category.

** Manage invoices and order entry with ease. Save time and provide great customer service by locating and revising orders more quickly, easily processing phone orders.

Here is a video demo of ProStores 10:

Connect with ProStores
Follow ProStores on Twitter
Follow Lin on Twitter
Become a fan of ProStores on Facebook
Check out the ProStores YouTube Video Channel
Subscribe to ProStores blog feed

Cheers,
RBH

RecycleBank rewards people for positive green actions (currently the recycling of trash and electronics) and seeks to create a greener economy with key partners across the U.S. In just five years, the model has proven its success; on average, recycling volumes increase two-to-five times and members across the country earn hundreds of dollars in reward value. RecycleBank has programs in hundreds of cities around the country, reaching over one million consumers.

By teaming up with eBay, the RecycleBank program brings consumers online, offering 50 RecycleBank Points for joining eBay’s Green Team. Additionally, RecycleBank members will be able to use their RecycleBank Points for discounts on eBay purchases.

“RecycleBank has always been rewarding more responsible environmental behavior like recycling for households across America. Working with eBay on an initiative to promote reuse and reward you for that behavior becomes a natural progression of our business,” said Morley Ivers, Chief Rewards Officer, at RecycleBank. “Together, we look forward to amassing a movement of people committed to reusing and recycling.”

I asked Morley if he would take part in our series of “5 Minutes with…” features here on Ink and he obliged. Here you go…

Full Name: Morley Ivers
Nickname: RED (the term was coined by Suze Orman)
Official Title: Chief Rewards Officer (a title only a mother could love)
What You Really Do: I manage a team of very smart and passionate people who execute the strategy, operations, partnership development and account management for RecycleBank – the world’s premier green loyalty program that motivates consumers to recycle and to take environmentally preferred actions
Education/Schooling: I studied business at The Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario in Canada
Interests: Spending quality time with my wife and son; great food, travel and maximizing the utility of my loyalty points portfolio
Favorite Quote: “Good, Fast or Cheap….pick two”
Most memorable eBay experience: Snagging first row tickets to a Dave Matthews Band Concert from a seller in Boston who used his loyalty access with DMB to get seats to the concert in Toronto
Most recent eBay purchase/sale: A water filter for my fridge
Favorite Albums: Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, Bob Marley, Nickleback
Favorite Movies: The Bourne Series
What You Wanted to Be Growing Up: An entrepreneur that changed the world

Fill in the blanks:
I should have got more sleep yesterday
I wish that I had more hours in the day
The first thing I do when I get to work is redeem my Odwalla RecycleBank Reward for an OJ

Also, I saw that eBay commissioned proprietary research last month that measured the carbon savings of specific items available on eBay.com and got some neat little facts back:

• Choosing a new-to-you blender saves 95% of the CO2 needed to produce a new one
• Selecting a refurbished smart phone saves the energy equivalent of driving 186 miles
• Choosing a classic, previously loved watch saves the energy equivalent of 39 days of refrigerator use

“Thousands of eBay sellers have built successful businesses by recycling, reusing and re-selling products that already exists and may otherwise have ended up in landfills,” said Amy Skoczlas Cole, Director of the eBay Green Team. “Our relationship with RecycleBank offers an innovative way to encourage and reward green-conscious consumers who are looking for more sustainable ways to shop.”

Cheers,
RBH

Lynda gives an overview of the eBay Buyer Protection announcement…

Lynda discusses how the program differs from PayPal Buyer Protection and how this differs from last year’s initial launch…

Lynda talks about how this will benefit both buyers & sellers on eBay…

Cheers,
RBH

Part 1: Dinesh Lathi, VP of Buyer & Seller Experience for eBay, sits down with eBay Ink blogger RBH to answer some questions. Here he explains what he believes to be the top three messages coming out of today’s Seller Release…

Part 2: Dinesh addresses smaller sellers in the eBay marketplace and the new zero Insertion Fee pricing for auctions starting under $1…

Part 3: Dinesh talks about eBay’s “level playing field” and how it still applies with the Seller Release news of January 2010…

Part 4: Here, I ask Dinesh why the focus on Auctions again (e.g. zero up-front Insertion Fees), even though we’ve been emphasizing Fixed Price in the last year and a half. Dinesh also talks about why some up-front insertion fees remain…

Part 5: Dinesh addresses the concern some smaller sellers may have with regard to their ranking in search coming out of the changes made in the Seller Release announcement…

Part 6: I ask Dinesh about Best Match…

Part 7: Dinesh talks about what this news will mean for buyers and sellers and for the eBay Marketplace as a whole…

In addition to feedback regarding the news itself, I’m interested to hear if you find this new format of interviewing helpful. I’m trying to evolve the video integration here on Ink to accompany trends and news that I cover. Let me know.

Cheers,
RBH

Our first-ever eBay Mobile Boutique will be painting the town all things Holiday tomorrow, and spreading good tidings to our San Francisco community. The eBay Mobile Boutique will preview just some of the best products available on eBay and highlight today’s hottest gifting trends from “Eco-Excellence” to “Savvy Splurging.” There will also be interactive shopping kiosks showcasing live listings from local eBay sellers. And on-site merchandise displays will feature popular holiday gift items this season such as Zhu Zhu Pets, Beatles Rock Band, iPod Touch, Xbox 360, Elmo Tickle Hands, Twilight dolls and more.

Cool Yule! The first 100 guests to show up at the eBay Mobile Boutique on Wednesday, December 15th at 12 noon and share a secret password will receive a $50 eBay Gift card. To learn the password and share your holiday wish, visit http://www.eBayHoliday.com. Here are details on where to find us on the road.

Where:
eBay Mobile Boutique
Justin Herman Plaza – San Francisco
Market Street at Embarcadero

When:
Tuesday, December 15 from 11am – 6pm

To date, more than 20,000 people have visited the eBay Mobile Boutique which kicked off on November 10, and wraps up its coast-to-coast tour in Los Angeles later this week where we’ll have some very special visitors joining us – more on that later…. Meanwhile, check out some videos with Griff from the San Jose stop of the Mobile Boutique from last week.

See you on the road!

Video: Jim Griffith on the buzz around the eBay Mobile Boutique.

Video: Jim Griffith on How the Boutique Benefits Small Sellers.

I sat down with Nate to talk about how the tests were doing and what new wrinkles were being added to the mix. Of course, no conversation with an eBay colleague would be complete without a “5 minutes with…” Q&A. You’ll find it below the videos.
Cheers!
RBH

What have you been testing over the past 4 months? Are you expanding the tests?

Screenshot of one of the 5 variations of the Feedback Test page:
(more images in the previous blog post)

Will more people be participating in the tests? What will they experience?

What are you hoping to accomplish with these tests? What are the goals?

How are these tests incorporated into the SR2 changes going into practice at the end of the month? Are they?

5 Minutes with… Nate Etter
Full Name: Nathan Etter
Nickname: Nate
Official Title: Director, Product Strategy
What You Really Do: My recent focus has primarily been leading projects related to Trust on eBay. My current efforts revolve around improving the eBay Feedback system for both sellers and buyers. I work with a cross-functional team that includes individuals from our user interface, engineering, QA, research, analytics, and marketing groups.
Your First Day at eBay: January 3, 2006
Education/Schooling: Stanford University
Interests: Triathlon, open water swimming, photography
Favorite Quote: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain
Most memorable eBay experience: Attending my first eBay Live in Las Vegas!
Most recent eBay purchase/sale: A Bottecchia all-carbon road bike for my wife (it arrived this week and I’m green with envy!!)
Favorite Albums: There are so many!! A sampling: Live at Luther College (Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds), Sanctuary (Arvo Pärt), Our Endless Numbered Days (Iron & Wine), Haunted (Poe), Gossip in the Grain (Ray LaMontagne), Rodrigo y Gabriela (Rodrigo y Gabriela), To Venus and Back (Tori Amos)
Favorite Movies: Forrest Gump, Awakenings, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Fisher King, Lord of the Rings
What You Wanted to Be Growing Up: It was a toss up between being a doctor or a chef on a cruise ship.

Fill in the blanks:
I should have gone for a run yesterday.
I wish that I could fly in small planes without getting airsick.
The first thing I do when I get to work is check emails.

Based out of Dublin, Uwe joined PayPal last year and brought a strong background in operations, customer service and customer loyalty. Uwe’s professional experience includes eight years with AOL Germany, where he served as CEO and held other key leadership positions in AOL’s customer service operation. Prior to joining PayPal in September, 2008, Uwe was Chief Operating Officer for Loyalty Partner.

I didn’t get a chance to ask him specific questions yet but I thought it might be nice to start soliciting questions from Ink readers. If there’s something you’d like to ask Uwe, simply ask it in the Comments section below and we’ll see what happens. Might be nice to start doing that for all of these “5 Minutes With” Features. I could even try and do a follow-up post with answers captured on video.

No video for you this time folks, I’m afraid, but here is your Friday edition of “5 Minutes with…” Uwe Heddendorp…

Cheers,
RBH

Full Name: Uwe Heddendorp
Official Title: Vice President PayPal European Operations
What You Really Do: Remove obstacles for our staff and customers
Your First Day at eBay Inc.: Sep 29, 2008
Education/Schooling: University degree in business administration and mechanical engineering
Interests: Mountain hiking, swimming, cycling, reading, eating out, and I like shopping!
Favorite Quote: “Fear is a bad motivator”
Most memorable eBay Inc. experience: Communicating via Skype for the first time with my son who lives in Munich
Most recent eBay purchase/sale: Pair of Boss Jeans
Favorite Albums: The Wall – Pink Floyd, Celtic Woman
Favorite Movies: Slumdog Millionaire, Once Upon a Time in America
What You Wanted to Be Growing Up: Professional Soccer Player
Person you most admire: My assistant – how can she put up with me?
(self-added)Favourite Holiday Destination: La France

Fill in the blanks:
I should have thanked my team yesterday for how great they are.
I wish that I could go on sabbatical next year instead of 2014
The first thing I do when I get to work is acknowledge how nice our building is. (See picture below)