It seems like EBay is tightening the corporate belt. Since the first of the year the auction site has made a couple of strategic moves to combat fraud.
First, in January EBay announced the acquisition of an Israeli based online risk tool provider to help them bolster their proprietary anti-fraud management systems. See article at Market Watch.
Last week EBay announced an increase in fees and some policy changes which seems to be just the latest in a series of changes. One policy change in particular seems to have struck a nerve with EBay sellers – the plan to hold payments sent through PayPal for up to 21 days. See article at CNN. The stated reason for this change is “We have found that after 21 days the chance of a buyer dispute or claim significantly decreases.” See EBay’s 2008 FAQ. It doesn’t appear like anyone noticed the raised eligibility requirements for EBay’s PowerSeller program though.
EBay recently offered to buy back items stolen from the State of New York’s Archives and sold on their website. See the article from the AP. While they are not responsible, this action seems to indicate EBay’s acknowledgement of how easy it is to use their service for the sale of stolen goods. To be fair, EBay makes an effort to educate buyers on how to avoid scams and it is very hard for a remote buyer to verify the ownership and authenticity of some items.
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