2012 Fall Seller Update
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Boost Your Sales
Attract buyers to your listings, turn listings into sales
Updates coming this fall make it easier for you to create and maintain listings that appeal to buyers and set the right expectations—quality pictures, more details about your item condition, and accurate information about where your item is located. Motors sellers can also gain a greater on-average boost in Best Match when they include an AutoCheck by Experian Vehicle History report in the History Reports tab.
What are the new requirements for pictures and when do they take effect?
Are any categories exempted from these picture requirements?
Why do you have these new picture quality requirements?
When will the 2013 picture quality requirements take effect?
What if I put my name, logo, or other specifics on cards or signs next to the item so it appears in the picture?
I have a flaw on my item and I want to highlight the flaw for buyers. How do I do this without adding text to the image?
Do the new picture quality requirements apply to pictures in the description section of the listing?
If I already have a picture uploaded for my listing, will I have to change it to meet the new picture quality requirements?
What about Good ‘Til Canceled listings? When I revise and relist, do the picture quality requirements apply to these listings as well?
What if the item I’m photographing has a border in it?
500 pixels is the minimum picture size but what is the recommended size for a picture?
I use a third party application to upload my pictures. Will I be impacted?
Can I use a watermark in my photos?
What is eBay picture hosting?
Where will buyers see the information that’s entered into the item condition notes field?
Am I required to fill out the item condition notes field?
Will the item condition notes field be available in all categories?
What kind of information can I put in this item condition notes field?
Should I use the item condition notes if I already include this information in the item description?
Can I put condition-related information in my item description and include it in in the new item condition notes field?
How much information can I enter into this item condition notes field?
Why do I not see the item condition notes field when I’m listing an item in “New”, “Brand New”, “New With Tags” or “New In Box” condition?
Do all of eBay’s tools support uploading this new item condition notes field including APIs?
If I list using a third party tool, will I be able to use this new field?
Will you take the item condition notes field into account when identifying duplicate listings?
What exactly is eBay changing about the item location validation, and why?
How will international sellers be affected?
I source one product from multiple places. What should I enter for my item location?
Will my existing listings be removed if they are not updated with valid location information?
What if my item location zip code matches more than one city in the US?
What is changing?
Why is eBay making these changes?
Which eBay categories are affected?
How do I know if I'm a high volume vehicle seller?
Is it mandatory to include an AutoCheck vehicle history report when I list?
What information do I need to gather to include a vehicle history report in my listing?
I already have an AutoCheck subscription—what do I need to do to take advantage of this update?
What if I do not have an AutoCheck subscription?
What is the cost for an AutoCheck subscription?
What is the benefit of having an AutoCheck vehicle history report on my listing?
Highlights
Picture requirements to make your listings look great
Using lots of high-quality pictures is a great way to help sell your item. Quality pictures also show off eBay as a great place to shop. That’s why last February, eBay announced new requirements for pictures and picture quality. Here’s an update on how those new policies will be enforced:- Starting October 1, 2012, you’ll no longer be able to submit a listing through the eBay listing tools (Sell Your Item, Turbo Lister, or Blackthorne) that doesn’t include at least one picture. This requirement will apply to new, revised, and relisted items.
- To give sellers more time to comply, other requirements announced in February will take effect in 2013:
- A stock photo can only be used for new or refurbished items.
- All pictures must be at least 500 pixels on the longest side.
- Pictures may not include added borders, text, or artwork except for watermarks for ownership and attribution.
- These picture requirements apply to pictures uploaded to eBay picture hosting. Note that pictures uploaded into the listing description are not optimized for buyers viewing listings on mobile devices, a fast growing channel for eBay sellers.
Item condition notes field sets the right expectations
Prevent misunderstandings about the condition of your items by providing all condition-related information in the item condition notes field beginning the week of October 22. Your item condition notes will be prominently displayed near the top of the item page where buyers are more likely to read them. This will help you avoid buyer questions and prevent issues with items not as described.Accurate item location information builds buyer confidence
Seeing an accurate item location helps build buyer confidence in listings. Starting the week of October 22, you’ll have a new, easier way to specify item location. If your item is located in a country where zip codes can be validated, you will only be asked to enter a valid zip code and eBay will automatically fill in the correct city and state. If a listing does not contain a valid zip code, buyers will only see the item country on the item page.Vehicle History report helps boost sales for vehicle listings
Starting the week of September 4, vehicle sellers can get a boost in Best Match by including a vehicle history report from AutoCheck by Experian on the History Reports tab. Research shows that purchase rates are higher whenever a buyer views a full vehicle history report on eBay!Take Action
Picture quality requirements
- Learn about the new picture quality requirements coming in October 2012 and in 2013. Visit the eBay Photo Center to learn about the new requirements and download a free photo guide with tips and tricks for taking great pictures.
- Make sure you’re ready for the October 1, 2012 requirement that all new and revised listings and re-listings contain at least one eBay hosted photo.
- Get a head start on the 2013 photo requirements by starting now to check and update listings.
- Upload up to 12 pictures FREE to showcase your item from all angles (Motors Vehicles excluded). Save time by making sure any photos you add meet all the quality requirements coming in 2013.
Item condition notes and item location
Start using these new features when they become available in October. These new fields will be available in the Sell Your Item flow, in Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro, APIs and in third party listing tools.Vehicle history reports
- Learn more about vehicle history reports.
- If you’re a low volume seller (listed fewer than 7 vehicle in a year), you’ll get a free AutoCheck report from Experian. You don’t need to do anything.
- If you’re a high volume seller (listed 7 or more vehicles in a year) and you currently subscribe to AutoCheck by Experian, you’ll need to supply them with your eBay and AutoCheck ID. This will ensure vehicle history reports appear on your eBay listings automatically and provide your listings with a Best Match boost. Visit AutoCheck and complete a simple form to link your accounts.
- If you’re a high volume seller (listed 7 or more vehicles in a year) and do not currently subscribe to AutoCheck by Experian, simply visit AutoCheck to sign up. This will ensure vehicle history reports appear within your eBay listings and that your listings receive a greater average boost in Best Match. You can choose a subscription to display vehicle history reports on your eBay listings only—at an exclusive eBay member rate—or a program to display vehicle history reports on all your Internet listings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Picture quality requirements:
As originally announced in the 2012 spring seller update, all pictures on the US and Canadian (English and French) sites must meet the following new picture quality requirements:
- Starting October 1, 2012, every listing must have at least one picture.
- Starting in 2013 additional picture quality requirements will apply to new, revised or relisted items:
- When listing a used item against the eBay catalog, sellers may not use the eBay stock photo as the primary picture of the item. The eBay stock photo may be used as the primary picture for a new item or refurbished part.
- All pictures must be at least 500 pixels on the longest side of the picture.
- Pictures must not contain borders.
- Pictures cannot have added text in the picture such as item specifics, marketing or branding messages, shipping or country of origin information.
Yes, eBay Motors Vehicles and eBay Motors Parts & Accessories categories are exempted from these requirements.
There are several reasons for these changes. Buyers have told us that bigger, cleaner pictures provide a better buyer experience. There are fewer disputes when buyers fully understand the condition and can clearly see all aspects of an item. Studies show that pictures are one of the most important influences on making a purchase decision. Lastly, pictures without borders and seller-added text often get better exposure in outside search engines.
The dates for the 2013 picture requirements have not been finalized. When they are, we’ll let sellers know with adequate notice to complete the adoption of their listings to the changes. In the meantime, we encourage all sellers to continue taking action now to be ready for the enforcement of requirements in 2013, including making sure all new listings include pictures that meet the new quality requirements.
Listings that try to circumvent the spirit of this policy will be considered in violation when new requirements launch in 2013.
If your item is used, include any notations about item condition in the item condition notes field or in the item description. Also, up to 12 pictures are free (excluding Motors Vehicles) so be sure to upload pictures of your item from different angles and show flaws.
The new picture quality requirements only apply to pictures that are uploaded to eBay picture hosting. Pictures which are uploaded into the description portion of the listing are exempt from this policy. Note, however, that uploading pictures to the item description is not a recommended best practice. eBay picture hosting is the only way to show pictures at the top of the item page and also provides a better experience for buyers shopping with a mobile device.
The new requirements apply to new listings and when you revise or relist an existing listing.
Yes. All new and revised listings and re-listings are subject to the new picture quality requirements, including Good ‘Til Canceled listings. Good ‘Til Canceled listings that automatically renew (without revisions) are not impacted this fall.
The new picture requirements do not allow borders added to the picture after it was taken. There are some items where the item itself might have a border (like a rug or a postcard), or the background might appear to be a border. These types of items will not be blocked from listing.
We highly recommend a picture size of at least 1600 pixels on the longest side. This helps ensure the zoom and enlarge feature can be used to give buyers a good look at the item. Most modern digital cameras can produce at least this size image. We also recommend that you do not compress the photo before uploading it to eBay.
Not this year. However, in 2013, photos uploaded, revised or relisted using third party tools must meet the minimum picture quality requirements described above.
Yes, watermarks are allowed for the purpose of establishing picture ownership to protect your intellectual property. Watermarks are only permitted for ownership and attribution and need to meet the following guidelines:
- May not be used for marketing
- May not obscure the image in the photo.
- May only an eBay user ID or company name.
- May not contain specific information about your product or customer service.
- Must be no bigger than 5% of your photo and at a transparency level of no more than 50%.
eBay picture hosting is the feature that allows you to put your pictures at the top left-hand corner of your listing on the item page and next to your item's title in search results. Pictures hosted on eBay stay in your completed listings for up to 90 days, and can be re-used when you relist or sell similar items.
eBay picture hosting allows you to upload up to 12 pictures for free (excluding Motors Vehicles), and also provides zoom and enlarge capabilities on the item page, now at no charge.
eBay picture hosting allows you to upload up to 12 pictures for free (excluding Motors Vehicles), and also provides zoom and enlarge capabilities on the item page, now at no charge.
Item condition notes
Buyers will see the condition notes at the top of the item page. It will be separated from the description and easily discoverable by buyers.
Buyers see key details about the condition of your used items right up front.
Buyers see key details about the condition of your used items right up front.
No, this new field is not required. However, research shows that including the item condition description higher on the page can improve the buyer’s understanding of the condition of the item.
Yes. The field will be available in all categories, including categories with no condition values or optional values.
The item condition notes field is meant to contain information related to the condition of the item such as the location of any imperfections or how many times the item was used. Information related to shipping, price, promotions, branding or other unrelated information is not allowed and will be blocked.
Yes, we recommend you include the information in both areas of the listing. Make sure the condition information is the same in both sections to avoid buyer confusion.
Yes, we recommend you include this information in both areas of your listing. Make sure the condition information is the same in both sections to avoid buyer confusion.
You can enter up to 1,000 characters in this field. Please note that this field is not meant to replace the item description.
New items should not need further explanation. If your item requires an explanation, you should consider a different condition value for item condition
Yes. All eBay tools will support this field as well as all APIs.
As long as your third party tool provider updates their application to expose this field, you will be able to use it.
No. The condition notes field will not be used in determining if listings are in violation of the duplicate listing policy.
Item Location
Providing the item location helps let buyers know where the item will be shipped from or where they can pick it up. It may also be used by eBay to help determine the approximate shipping delivery time. Previously, sellers had to enter the country, zip code, city and state manually. If your item is located in a country where zip codes can be validated (including US, UK, Australia, Germany, Austria or China), you’ll be able to simply enter the zip code and eBay will validate the zip code and automatically fill in the correct city and state. This makes the listing process easier for you and ensures that each listing displays the correct location.
If eBay is able to validate zip codes in the country selected, the city and state information will be populated in the city/state field. However if eBay is not able to validate the postal code, the city/state information provided by the seller will be used.
Sellers should enter a single primary location that most accurately indicates where the item will be shipped from. If the item ships from multiple locations, we recommend selecting the location with the greatest amount of inventory available.
No. For existing as well as new listings, eBay simply will auto-populate the city and state information if a valid zip code is provided. If a valid zip code is not provided, items will not be rejected. However, in such cases, buyers will only see the item country on the item page.
The default city as designated by the US Postal Service will be used.
Vehicle history reports
Starting on the week of September 4, sellers will receive a greater on average boost in Best Match, eBay’s default sort order, for listings that include an AutoCheck by Experian vehicle history report in the History Reports tab.
Research shows that purchase rates are higher whenever a buyer views a full vehicle history report on eBay. This update provides an added incentive for sellers to provide vehicle history reports in this consistent, easy-to-find format.
This change is applicable to eBay Motors Cars & Trucks categories only.
When you've submitted 7 or more vehicle listings in a single calendar year, you're considered a high-volume seller. Once you become a high-volume seller in any calendar year, you're permanently considered a high-volume seller, and high-volume seller fees apply. Learn more.
Inclusion of an AutoCheck vehicle history report is not mandatory, although it is highly recommended, since it enhances buyer confidence and gives your listing a Best Match boost.
You need a valid vehicle identification number (VIN).
If you currently subscribe to AutoCheck, you will need to notify AutoCheck and link your eBay ID to your AutoCheck subscription in order to have vehicle history report content automatically included within your listings and receive the Best Match boost. Visit Experian Automotive today to fill out a simple form.
If you are a low volume seller, an AutoCheck report will be included for free with your listing.
If you are a high volume seller and do not currently subscribe to AutoCheck by Experian Automotive, this will ensure vehicle history reports appear on all your eBay vehicle listings automatically. You can choose a subscription to display vehicle history reports on your eBay listings only—at an exclusive rate—or a program that displays vehicle history reports on all your Internet listings. Visit Experian to subscribe or to learn more.
If you are a high volume seller and do not currently subscribe to AutoCheck by Experian Automotive, this will ensure vehicle history reports appear on all your eBay vehicle listings automatically. You can choose a subscription to display vehicle history reports on your eBay listings only—at an exclusive rate—or a program that displays vehicle history reports on all your Internet listings. Visit Experian to subscribe or to learn more.
If you are a low volume seller, an AutoCheck report will be included for free with your listing. As eBay’s preferred vehicle history report service provider, Experian Automotive, is offering high volume sellers exclusive eBay member subscriptions for your eBay listings. Contact AutoCheck for a subscription solution that meets your needs.
| AutoCheck VHR prices for high volume Bay sellers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Price | For each additional |
| Up to 25 | $99 | $4.00 |
| Up to 50 | $175 | $3.50 |
| Up to 100 | $275 | $2.75 |
| Up to 120 | $299 | $2.50 |
An AutoCheck report displayed in the Vehicle History Report tab of your listing is a prominent reminder to buyers that a trusted, independent third party has evaluated the vehicle. The prospective buyer can easily review the ownership history of the vehicle they are considering. A 2010 eBay study of 600,000 used car listings showed that purchase rates were always higher for similar vehicles where a full AutoCheck report was available and run by the consumer. Lastly, with this announcement, your listings that include a report on the History Reports tab will automatically receive an on average boost in Best Match.
Buyer confidence and the likelihood of a sale goes up when your listing includes a free vehicle history report. Now including an AutoCheck report also helps your position in Best Match.
Buyer confidence and the likelihood of a sale goes up when your listing includes a free vehicle history report. Now including an AutoCheck report also helps your position in Best Match.