EBay Sellers Plan Boycott Week

Site claims 'no impact' on listings, but one source sees 13% drop

(NEWSER) - More eBay goodies may go on sale tomorrow as angry sellers end a 1-week boycott, USA Today reports. The ban "has had no impact on our listings," one eBay exec said, but third-party tracking sites saw a 13% drop. The sellers' snub was sparked when eBay recently upped its commission and eliminated bad buyer feedback. More»

Used handkerchiefs, sisters... the possibilities are endless!

(NEWSER) - Hard up for cash? Perhaps the Daily Mirror’s list of the 10 most bizarre eBay auctions will inspire you to sell off some of your own belongings:

• Scorned by your ex-wife? Consider selling her wedding dress. If you model it yourself, as one man did in 2004, you could get $6,300.
• Pregnant? One mom got $15,500 from a casino in exchange for the right to name her kid. Fair warning: Said child is now saddled with the moniker Golden Palace Benedetto.

Johansson auctions off used tissue to feed the hungry

(NEWSER) - Scarlett Johansson is proving that even Hollywood glamour-pusses can be gross. The actress thinks her flem would make a nice fan memento, so she’s auctioned off a used tissue to raise money for a hunger charity. Bidding on eBay has already topped $2,000, the New York Daily News reports. Johansson alerted the world to the auction on Leno, telling him that she caught a cold from co-star Samuel L. Jackson while filming The Spirit. More»

Company faces slowing growth, competition

(NEWSER) - As John Donahoe takes over from Meg Whitman as CEO of eBay today, he inherits a grande dame where Whitman oversaw the rise of an e-commerce belle. Still dominant in online auctions, the company has nonetheless faced slowing growth and stiffening competition. But analysts think Donahoe, the former eBay Marketplace president, can hold the site's high bid on the market, USA Today reports. More»

System designed to prevent retaliatory feedback

(NEWSER) - Ebay’s new feedback system is leaving a negative impression on sellers. Noticing that many buyers were fed up with “retaliatory” feedback, the auctioneer has decided to prevent sellers from leaving feedback at all, Ars Technica reports. “The current feedback system isn’t where it needs to be,” explained eBay’s North American president. “Buyers are more afraid than ever to leave honest feedback.” More»