Introducing eBay Groups-A New Way to Connect With Other eBay Members
by Kelley
eBay Staff Member

Several weeks ago, eBay added a new feature for the Community called eBay Groups. eBay Groups use boards, similar to the Discussion Boards, but they are also like clubs. In addition to boards, groups can upload and share images with other group members, schedule events on a calendar all group members can read, conduct polls, and even receive email notifications of some happenings.

Groups are started for, and by, eBay members as a way to connect with others around a common eBay-related interest and/or a common physical location. There are many to choose from. Most groups are open to anyone with an interest, although some groups are private, and by invitation only.

You can find Groups by going to the Community link at the top of any eBay page, clicking on it, then looking in the lower right "postage stamp" for "eBay Groups." When you click on that link, you go to the "Group Center" where you can explore all of the existing eBay Groups. Not all will fit on the first page, so be sure to use the "View All" link to see all the Groups in any category. If you have an idea of what you are looking for, you can also search groups by keyword or by zip code!

Keyword searches look for words in the names of Groups, so you might also want to browse through the different kinds of Groups: Collectors Clubs, News & Events, Regional, Special Interest Groups and Seller Groups, etc. Just in case the name of the Group does not give you enough information, in the "View All" for each section, there is a line of description of the group along with each name. This will also let you know how many members there are in the Group and whether the Group is public or private.

For private Groups, you must be invited to join by the Group leader or moderator. When you click on the name of the eBay Group, you go to the page about that particular group, which has additional information about the Group. If you are interested in joining a private Group, you can email the Group Leader from the link on the Group information page with your request. For public Groups, all you need to do is to sign up!

While eBay Groups are bound by rules, they are a little bit different from the Board Usage Policy. You can see the Groups Usage Policy by going to Help at the top of the page (any eBay page) and going to: Topics > eBay Policies > Rules for Everyone > Groups Usage Policy. Be sure to follow the links on the page to important information on Groups.

In the unlikely event that you don't find a Group that suits your wishes, you can start a new one! We will discuss that in next month's issue of the Community Chatter.