EBay lowers fees for listing items; raises minimum seller standards
BOSTON, Jan. 29, 2008 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) -- EBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) Inc. Tuesday said it is lowering fees for listing items, raising minimum selling standards, and offering best seller incentives and discounts in an effort to improve the overall customer experience.
The fee changes, which vary by country, are intended to encourage sellers to list more items and use more pictures in listings, the San Jose, Calif.-based provider of online marketplaces said.
Starting Feb. 20 in the U.S., eBay said it is reducing fees to list items by 25% to 50%. The company will balance that change by increasing the fees it charges when an item is sold.
The company will also eliminate fees in the U.S. for its gallery option, which it hopes will spur sellers to include more photos of the item for sale.
In addition, EBay said it is making its minimum standards 'more stringent' for anyone who sells on the site, primarily to discourage behavior that causes buyer dissatisfaction, such as charging excessive shipping fees or not describing items accurately.
To this end, the company will begin to limit 'search exposure' for listings of sellers who have high rates of customer dissatisfaction.
EBay also said qualified 'powersellers' will receive valuable fee discounts and better payment protection from PayPal as a reward for being 'great sellers.'
Shares of ebay closed Monday at $26.80.
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