The deadline to cast a vote is April 26, 2012. The winners will be announced on May 1. eBay also received two Honoree distinctions in both Best use of Camera and Best Lifestyle categories for the eBay Fashion and eBay Motors apps, respectively.

Congratulations to all involved! Please vote!

eBay is no stranger to the Webby Awards. Most notably, the eBay Community was awarded a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award back in 2007 for the hundreds of millions of registered buyers and sellers who “made eBay a cultural phenomenon and permanently changed the way people connect, discover and interact with each other.”

Cheers,
RBH

What does this mean for buyers?
We believe buyers can benefit from WHI’s world class catalog, which provides eBay with the foundation to expand our catalog from auto replacement parts to specialty equipment, racing performance and vintage parts to meet the needs of the automotive enthusiast.

What does this mean for sellers?
WHI makes it easier for sellers to list inventory, automatically populating listing fields including description, image and vehicle application data using WHI’s world class ecatalog, which has millions of SKUs.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Original post from 2/21/12

eBay Inc. has reached a definitive agreement to acquire WHI Solutions (WHI), a provider of software and digital catalog solutions for auto parts distributors and retailers.

With the innovative team and technology of WHI, eBay gains expanded selection and access to enhanced structured data which we believe will enable eBay Motors to improve parts selection and value for customers while enabling parts retailers, distributors, dealers, and manufacturers to reach more customers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

I’m a fairly stereotypical guy for the most part… I like my beer, my sports, and my action movies. Having said that, I’ve never been much of a gearhead and – in full disclosure – my wife is the one who has negotiated the price of both of my previously owned vehicles. From what I can tell, and I’ve been paying closer and closer attention to it lately, eBay Motors makes it pretty simple to find parts for cars – whether you’re a car enthusiast or not – and the integration of WHI seems to further emphasize that ease of use.

With WHI, eBay plans to expand its catalog – from auto replacement parts to specialty equipment – to meet the needs of the eBay customer. In addition to the catalog benefits for eBay Motors buyers, sellers will also enjoy a better experience with an easier way to list inventory, with automatically populating listing fields including description, image and vehicle application data using WHI’s catalog of millions of SKUs.

The plan is for WHI’s talent, technology and client base to be smoothly integrated into the eBay Motors ecosystem. WHI offices will remain in New York, New Jersey and Los Angeles at this time.

Cheers,

RBH

Click on the Infographic for more info.

Cheers,
RBH

As part of its nationwide launch, AutoNation Direct, the online automotive merchant operated by America’s largest auto retailer AutoNation, announced today it will be selling more than 25 vehicles for half price (50% off MSRP) through eBay Motors (the first car for sale, a Chevy Camaro, is pictured below).

Anyone interested in the opportunity can visit http://stores.ebay.com/autonationdirect during the offer period to view current half price vehicle listings. Customers must have a valid eBay User ID to participate.

What:
New vehicles included in the special offer consist of high-demand vehicles from Ford, General Motors and Nissan within the 2011- 2013 model year range. A total of 29 Buy It Now vehicle listings are scheduled to appear on eBay Motors at half price over the course of the offer period, including a 2012 Chevrolet Corvette. The variety of vehicles available during the special offer period reflects the wide selection of new vehicles available to customers on eBay Motors at great prices every day.

When:
The special offer for half-price on a select number of new vehicles will begin at Noon PT on Friday, March 23 and run through Friday, March 30.

How:
On each of the first seven days of the special offer period, four new vehicles per day will be listed on eBay Motors at half price MSRP and made available to customers at various times throughout the day on a first come, first served basis. If the most recent listing(s) have closed, customers are encouraged to check back on the site as new half price vehicle listings will be posted throughout the duration of the offer period. On the final day of the offer period, Friday, March 30, a single 2012 Chevrolet Corvette will be listed at half price at a random time during the day.

Of course, those of us who miss out on snagging one of the half price vehicles during this offer period can still check out brand new vehicles listed on eBay Motors each and every day. Having said that, I’m definitely going to check this offer out.

Cheers,
RBH

The eBay Motors’ My Vehicles experience has been accessed More Than 1 Million times by users who have “parked” a total of 1,370,000 cars, trucks and motorcycles in their personalized, virtual “garage.” With My Vehicles, owners can upload and share information about the vehicles they own or the vehicles they dream of owning with members of their social networks.

It’s the social aspect of the program that I really like. You can upload photos of your vehicles to share with others, and there is Facebook and Twitter integration for more sharing options (using the #MyVehicles hashtag).

My Vehicles also lets owners tailor their shopping experience to get parts and accessories that match the specific vehicles they own.

Here are some more stats:
** Nearly 250,000 users have parked two or more vehicles in their garage
** Chevy is the most saved make on My Vehicles (more than 236,600 saved)
** Ford, Dodge, Toyota and Honda round out the top 5 respectively
** The Ford F-150 is the most saved model on My Vehicles (more than 42,200 saved)
** The Ford Mustang, Honda Civic, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and Dodge Ram 1500 complete the top 5 respectively
** 2004 is the most saved vehicle model year on My Vehicles (more than 76,700 saved)
** 2005, 2003, 2006 and 2001 round out the top 5 respectively, in line with recent R.L. Polk report indicating Americans are driving their current vehicles for longer periods of time.

NOTE: Anyone who registers a vehicle on My Vehicles before Midnight PST, on Thursday, March 15 is also eligible to win a new 2012 Dodge Challenger R/T.

Cheers,
RBH

Related Reads:
Mashable: eBay Virtual Garage Pimps a Million Rides

For racing fans, the new app update also includes, for the first time ever from eBay, live streamed content of behind-the-scenes action from the Rolex 24 at Daytona racing event. Former Le Mans winner Justin Bell will host the “under the hood” live look into the pit crews at the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 this weekend, January 26-29. The coverage will complement the live broadcast on SPEED, ongoing updates on GRAND-AM.com, and “after-hours” coverage on SPEED.com.

Other new app features include:
** More winning – receive notifications for when you are outbid, when items you are watching are ending, and updates on the current Best Offer
** Stock your Garage – stock images for vehicles are now available for quick and easy profile updates to users’ personal eBay Motors “Garage,” providing simple search for parts that fit your car, and simple sharing options
** Tweet it out – easily share the parts and vehicles you are buying or selling with your followers on Twitter (currently for iOS 5 only).

Cheers,
RBH

You’ve never been shy about expressing your opinions on your favorite cars, parts and accessories. So let the world know what you already know by voting for your favorites. The winning brands will be announced at this year’s SEMA in Las Vegas.

Vote for your favorite brands and you’ll be entered to win the Grand Prize, a VIP trip to SEMA plus $10,000. And hundreds will win other awesome prizes.

You can also learn more on the eBay Announcement Board.

Here’s a TV spot currently running on SPEED Network…

Cheers,
RBH

eBay Motors iPhone App Key Features

· My Garage feature saves shoppers’ car collection and dream vehicles.

· VIN scanning quickly adds any vehicle to My Garage, using scanning technology powered by RedLaser. The car’s year, make and model will populate – simply hit “edit” to add additional photos and details.

· Part Finder will surface the parts and accessories that match cars listed in My Garage.

· Integrated with eBayMotors.com My Vehicles for a seamless My Garage experience online and on the iPhone.

· Access vehicle history information with free Experian AutoCheck Vehicle History Reports.

· Customized home screen slideshow surfaces eBay Motors listings. Simply input keywords, categories, models or a price range and the slideshow will match shoppers’ preferences – whether it is sports cars, classic hot rods or even minivans!

· Save searches tailored to vehicles interested in or owned – any eBay listing can be saved to My Garage Dream Vehicles.

· Ask Seller Question option in every listing to contact the car owner or dealer directly.

· Photo galleries in each listing allow users to view dozens of seller photos to see cars inside and out.

· Advanced search for cars & trucks or parts helps users to find just what they are looking for.

· My eBay instant access to stay current on all your buying and selling activities.

· Share listings with your social network through Facebook, Twitter or email.

eBay and Triad will collaborate on an innovative approach to display ads that takes customers “beyond the banner” and engages them with new brand experiences that are complementary to the eBay experience:

• Banner advertising will be more customized, with category-specific content embedded directly into the ad so customers can view content without clicking off the site.

• eBay and Triad will also integrate new experiences from popular brands and cross-category “content centers” – sponsored landing pages on eBay that will highlight seasonally relevant and interactive content, and inspire new purchases through integrated merchandising with eBay listings.

You can read more about it in today’s Wall Street Journal article: “EBay Moves To Boost Display Advertising Business” or in the press release.

Cheers,
RBH

I was fortunate enough to have time to walk around some of the other booths at CES last week and made it a point to stop by the Panasonic area on the show floor. I knew that eBay manager of platform business solutions, Rob Harris, would be demoing a new technology (still unavailable publicly and still in its prototype phase) called eBay Flick2TV.

The eBay Motors app is due out in the first quarter of 2011 and the eBay Flick2TV experience will be a new app available later this year with Panasonic’s new connected TV platform called Viera Connect. The Flick2TV functionality on the iPhone would be part of an update release to the eBay Motors app.

Again, it’s all very much in its infancy but CES is all about showing new technology so I thought I’d share with you folks now. I look forward to getting a more thorough demo later this year when we’re closer to launch.

For more info and video specific to the new Panasonic Viera Connect, check out the PCWorld First Look.

Cheers,
RBH