@inas.bsky.social
Editor and reporter for EcommerceBytes
An Etsy coupon landed in our inbox on Tuesday prompting us to take another look at coupons technically funded by Etsy - but paid for by sellers according to Etsy's commitment when it raised seller fees in 2022.
www.ecommercebytes.com/x5zv
Shoppers surveyed in January said they are cutting back on holiday gifts including for Valentine's Day, but are spending more due to external pressures. Omnisend shared the major culprits to higher costs and also had some advice for sellers.
www.ecommercebytes.com/qtsa
Despite being mocked in Super Bowl commercials for its plans to add ads to its ChatGPT AI tool, OpenAI launched a test for the ads on Monday, stating: "Ads do not influence ChatGPT's answers. Ads are labeled as sponsored and visually separate from the response."
www.ecommercebytes.com/xa4x
Amazon sellers face cash-flow issues and administrative burdens due to Amazon's new DD+7 policy taking effect next month. One said the policy disproportionately nudges sellers towards using its FBA fulfillment service.
www.ecommercebytes.com/wbpm
eBay required sellers to fill in the Country of Origin field in all of their listings... then reports surfaced that eBay auto-filled sellers' listings with incorrect information. Today's letter to the editor with some helpful links.
www.ecommercebytes.com/4rsw
Sellers are waiting for eBay to confirm whether it intentionally disappeared the auto price-reduction feature on Tuesday or if it's a glitch.
www.ecommercebytes.com/wsdw
While lacking some features of Amazon Wish Lists, eBay Watch Lists give buyers and sellers a significant advantage thanks to offers. Here's a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly - and let us know any Watch List strategies you use as a seller.
www.ecommercebytes.com/01k2
Etsy is displaying badges to advertise items AI has identified as 'highly crafted' and said the ongoing test is designed to help buyers better understand the items they're browsing. Can artificial intelligence detect which items are made by human artisans?
www.ecommercebytes.com/gzhs
Why did an eBay rep tell a seller they must pay a 35-cent insertion fee to edit listings? And is this a case of a glitch raising its ugly head again? Today's letter to the editor.
www.ecommercebytes.com/8zlq
eBay will auction tickets to this weekend's Super Bowl in the Bay Area starting at a penny and will host a pop-up shop in San Francisco where it will live stream auctions as a marketing tie-in.
www.ecommercebytes.com/b7v3
Amazon grew total sales 14% in the fourth quarter. Its North American sales grew 10%, comprising 59% of its Q4 sales. And its AI shopping assistant Rufus delivered nearly $12 billion in incremental annualized sales last year.
www.ecommercebytes.com/1sqo
Amazon's Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post newspaper in 2013. Today, it laid off most of the staff covering the tech industry including reporters who cover his company. Who will hold the tech industry accountable?
www.ecommercebytes.com/1an0
International buyers may use freight forwarders for their US purchases, but some sellers say they're magnets for scammers. In today's letter, a reader calls for eBay to close the so-called freight-forwarder loophole they say harms sellers.
www.ecommercebytes.com/drmq
Former eBay CEO Devin Wenig weighed in on the 2019 transition away from using PayPal to manage payments on eBay - and the reason why.
www.ecommercebytes.com/toue
Amazon delivered over 8 billion items the same or next-day through its US Prime membership program in 2025. That's 30% more than 2024. It touted speed, selection, and the rural reach of Prime in a press release on Tuesday.
www.ecommercebytes.com/3c98
eBay is running a new monthly webinar series for sellers. The February 19th session will cover advertising strategies for sellers; next month's will cover Store Enhancements & AI.
www.ecommercebytes.com/obr8
Walmart's Post-Purchase Reviews program lets sellers offer buyers incentives for leaving reviews, but use caution going outside such programs.
www.ecommercebytes.com/ojpe
eBay sellers were unable to print shipping labels they had paid for during an incident on Thursday. In responses in discussion board threads, an eBay moderator said it was working to return any funds charged as a result of the glitch.
www.ecommercebytes.com/asr5
USPS is offering sellers an option to send international packages duty paid so buyers get no unwelcome surprises upon delivery.
www.ecommercebytes.com/28ed
An eBay seller demonstrated how he uses a virtual reality headset to complete online selling tasks. Watch the video and tell us if you think the Quest Visor could make your selling life easier, or if it's not yet ready for prime time.
www.ecommercebytes.com/8o94
Amazon is changing when it assesses Removal and Disposal fees to FBA sellers although the fees themselves are not changing. Good news for sellers or bad news?
www.ecommercebytes.com/c6uv
Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg signaled Meta's interest in agentic shopping and commerce this week as the company beefs up its AI capabilities and monetization.
www.ecommercebytes.com/pijr
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www.ecommercebytes.com/0bt3
Etsy is taking Valentine's Day in a new direction by launching a breakup gift registry so friends can contribute to their newly single pals, along with a breakup shop featuring divorce candles and other breakup "goodies."
www.ecommercebytes.com/5d21
Since its launch in 2020, eBay Standard Envelope for low-cost items has had mixed reviews. But is a lack of awareness about PIP claims a contributing factor? Here's a look at issues sellers encounter and resolutions their colleagues suggest.
www.ecommercebytes.com/5d21
Amazon invited sellers to integrate their QuickBooks accounting with Amazon Seller Central and listed some of the benefits of centralizing their data. Here's why some sellers are wary.
www.ecommercebytes.com/8sng
eBay sends push notifications to alert customers of its livestreaming auction events on its mobile app. Many are asking how to turn off eBay Live notifications - there's more to it than you might think.
www.ecommercebytes.com/t3b6
Americans are more supportive of tariffs this year than last even though they say they bear the cost through higher prices, according to a recent survey from Ominsend, which shared some advice for online sellers.
www.ecommercebytes.com/qdrt
USPS may require sellers to provide it with accurate dimensions on all packages beginning July 12 or pay a noncompliance fee of $1.50 per package.
www.ecommercebytes.com/we6d
An eBay seller says eBay is overriding his Promoted Listing Ad rates (with higher rates), and he must revise his new listings multiple times until his rates register correctly.
www.ecommercebytes.com/n6ap
Today's letter to the editor.
