Sellers can now revise live multi-quantity listings with sale

As announced, sellers can now edit almost everything in live multi-quantity fixed price listings even after a sale on the item, except for title, category, duration and format. If you need to add quantity, modify the item price, edit the description, modify shipping costs etc, you don’t need to end and recreate the listing. You can simply revise your live listings. Buyers who had previously bought the item will have an option to see the earlier version of the listing.

For developers looking for new revenue opportunities, consider building feature-rich revision tools. Sellers are searching for listing revision tools that help them identify which listings need to be revised, regardless of which tool launched the listing. For easy policy compliance updates, we recommend all listing tools offer listing revisions, including multi-quantity fixed price items with a sale, with a quick way for sellers to determine which listings need revision. Or build a new revenue stream by building a query and revise tool, for easy search and replace on any parameter (even return value = null).

Developers will want to update their code to retrieve a particular version of a listing for proper reconciliation and dispute resolution purposes.

Developer Impact:
No code change is necessary to edit these listings, but any developer blocking these types of edits should remove such a block. Revisions can be done using any existing revise API call including ReviseItem, ReviseFixedPriceItem, ReviseInventoryStatus. Be sure you are using ReviseFixedPriceItem or ReviseItem so no additional seller fees are incurred (i.e. when using RelistFixedPriceItem). Revisions on multi-quantity fixed priced listings with a sale will still be blocked if a seller tries to edit title, category, duration or format.

When retrieving listings, a new Transaction ID field was added to GetItem on release 627 and GetItemTransactions on release 635 to return a specific version of the listing. If no transaction is specified, the latest version will be returned. Changes to the GetItemTransaction API call may cause a change to the behavior of several Platform Notifications. GetSellerTransactions will return the snapshot of the item as it was at time of transaction on release 635. Read the Release notes for more information.

Resources:
Release notes
ReviseItem
ReviseInventoryStatus
ReviseFixedPriceItem
GetItem
GetItemTransactions
GetSellerTransactions

eBay Giving Works lowers minimum donation to $1, extends automatic collection date

Starting October 1, the eBay Giving Works minimum donation will be reduced from $5 to $1 per successful listing. In addition, the automatic collection date for donations will be extended from the second Monday after a listing ends to the fourth Monday after a listing ends.

The lower minimum donation will make it more affordable than ever for sellers to get the cause marketing benefits of eBay Giving Works. The extra two weeks before automatic donation collection gives sellers more time to receive their funds from PayPal and the buyer, before MissionFish collects the donation. (As always, donation minimums and collections dates do not apply to nonprofits selling on eBay to raise funds.)

If you have questions about these changes — or want to learn how to offer eBay Giving Works to your users — please contact MissionFish, eBay’s nonprofit partner. For information on how to use the API with Giving Works, see the API Docs.

Bill Me Later Coming Soon to eBay

In the coming weeks we'll be introducing Bill Me Later on eBay, as well as on other merchant sites through PayPal, beginning with a launch for a limited number of buyers and sellers in the U.S.

Qualified PayPal customers will be able to use Bill Me Later during eBay checkout. For select sellers, PayPal will automatically add Bill Me Later as a way to pay. Sellers included in the initial rollout will be notified via email by PayPal.

Developers who currently support PayPal will not need to make any code changes to support Bill Me Later. In GetItemTransactions and related calls, items that are paid for using Bill Me Later will use the existing PayPal value in the BuyerPaymentMethodCodeType.

Third-party checkout (3PXO) providers must use Express Checkout for Bill Me Later purchases. Bill Me Later is not supported by CP Cart.

Find out more at https://www.billmelater.com/help/ebay_seller_faq.xhtml.

Excluding Locations to Where You Ship Items

Starting with version 635, you will be able to use My eBay to create a list of the locations to where you will not ship items. Once set up, all items that you list on eBay will, by default, use the Ship To Exclusion List. If a buyer's primary ship to location is a location which you have listed as an excluded ship to location (or if the buyer does not have a primary ship to location), they will receive an error message if they attempt to buy or place a bid on your item.

You can override the settings in your Ship To Exclusion List using ExcludeShipToLocation fields in your item-listing calls. Use the ExcludeShipToLocation field to specify individual locations to which you will not ship. Including ExcludeShipToLocation in any AddItem family of calls overrides the default Ship To Exclusion List you might have set up in My eBay--only the sites specifically specified with ExcludeShipToLocation will be excluded. Specify NONE in ExcludeShipToLocation to open up all areas for shipping.

Specify locations to exclude using ISO Country Codes. The ExcludeShippingLocationDetails node in the GeteBayDetails response lists the valid ISO Country Code values that you can exclude for a given eBay site.

Here is an example of using the ExcludeToShipLocation field within an AddItem call:

...

  <ShippingDetails>
    <ExcludeShipToLocation>FR</ExcludeShipToLocation>
    <ExcludeShipToLocation>IT</ExcludeShipToLocation>
  </ShippingDetails>

...

With this call, bidders in France (FR) and Italy (IT) will be unable to buy the associated item; buyers in all other locations are eligible to buy the item, regardless of any settings in your global Ship To Exclusion List.

Alternately, use a value of NONE in the ExcludeToShipLocation field to disable the Ship To Exclusion List and allow buyers from all locations to bid on or buy your item:

  <ShippingDetails>
    <ExcludeShipToLocation>NONE</ExcludeShipToLocation>
  </ShippingDetails>

Use GetUserPreferences to review the default set of ExcludeShipToLocations that you've set up in My eBay, and whether or not the default Ship To Exclusion List is in effect:

  <GetUserPreferencesRequest xmlns="urn:ebay:apis:eBLBaseComponents">
    <ShowSellerExcludeShipToLocationPreference> true </ShowSellerExcludeShipToLocationPreference>
  </GetUserPreferencesRequest>

Potential "appinfo" Breaking Change

The eBay API team is considering changing the case of the appinfo tags found in various wsdls—specifically, changing from upper to lowercase on the first letter only. For example, CallName could become callName, RequiredInput could become requireInput, and MaxLength could become maxLength.

Example... Before:

<xs:appinfo>
  <CallInfo>
    <CallName>AddItem</CallName>

After:

<xs:appinfo>
  <callInfo>
    <callName>AddItem</callName>

Note that schema elements such as names of calls, elements and types are not affected (e.g. AddItem). Our proposal is only about the names of tags unique to the xs:appinfo structure.

The eBay API team would like to hear from anyone who would be affected by such a change: characterize, if you would, the impact of such a change on your tools, etc.

Please contact    developer-relations@ebay.com

Thanks
John Darrow
API Tech Docs and Tools

Removal of the Shipping Insurance Option

In researching buyer satisfaction, eBay has found that the shipping insurance option in item listings causes many negative experiences for both buyers and sellers alike. Buyers are confused as to why they need to purchase shipping insurance, especially in light of PayPal's Buyer Protection service (which applies whether or not a seller uses shipping insurance).

Beginning with version 635, sellers will no longer be able to list shipping insurance as an optional service for domestic or international items. This restriction affects the following eBay sites:

• BEFR
• BEBL
• CA
• CAFR
• HK
• IE
• IN
• MY
• Motors
• NL
• PH
• PL
• SG
• UK
• US

While you do not have to update existing listings, you will be unable to add shipping insurance as a separate cost to new, revised, and renewed listings. If you attempt to add a shipping insurance option to an item listing on one of the above-mentioned sites, the item listing will succeed, however, the insurance option will be removed from the item listing and a warning will be generated.

Sellers are responsible for safely delivering an item into the hands of the buyer. Sellers may wish to work with bulk shipping insurance providers for low cost insurance that they can include in the item price. Also 3rd party developers of listing tools may find an additional revenue stream by providing bulk shipping insurance to their customers.

Reminder: Breaking Change: GTC Listings must Include Return Policy and Handling Time Starting Mid-September

Just a reminder that we rolled out the requirement to specify Return Policy and Handling Time in two phases. The first phase, where they are required for new and relisted items, was enforced in June. The second phase, where they are required for Good Til Canceled (GTC) listings, will be enforced in mid-September.

In mid-September, when GTC listings are renewed, they will be checked for Return Policy and Handling Time. If they are not included, the listing will break.

It is likely that you have some customers that will break if they do not take any action. Please make sure that your application supports Return Policy and Handling Time in the structured data, and that your sellers are specifying it. If Return Policy and Handling Time is mentioned only in the Item Description and not the structured data, it will not count toward enforcement and the listing will break.

Also, if you have a lot of listings to update, make sure that you have left enough time to make the updates by the compliance deadline of mid-September. Your bandwidth constraints may limit you in how many revisions you can do in a day, so you may need to start your revisions as early as mid-August to make sure you have enough time to do all the revisions.

Note: Return Policy and Handling Time are not required in categories like Vehicles or Parts & Accessories.

For more information on how to specify Return Policy and Handling Time, see the API Documentation on Return Policy and Handling Time.

Developer Impact: Summer 2009 Updates

Today, Stephanie Tilenius announced the Summer 2009 Updates. Here is the developer impact for those announcements. Watch the developer blog for more details on these changes.

As announced in April, in the spirit of partnership, eBay is now consolidating changes that impact your business into two or three major releases a year, with two months advance notice. This post introduces the second and final major release of 2009. Most of these updates will launch between September 22 and October 1, 2009.

In some cases we will launch these features to the eBay Sandbox before the September 22 release. Watch the blog for a list of those features. Also note that "September 22" means "the week of September 22" as it takes time to roll code to all the eBay servers.

• Rewards for sellers delivering great buyer experiences

• New way to look at DSRs
  • Avoid getting low DSRs—1s and 2s. Buyers have different ideas about what constitutes a high rating, but most leave a 1 or a 2 only when they experienced a significant issue with their transaction. eBay will be shifting focus from average DSRs to the number of low DSRs as a more accurate measure of customer satisfaction.

The Feedback API allows you to get insight into your seller DSR ratings, including which group of transactions may have resulted in 1s or 2s. It is a good idea to add this functionality to your application so your sellers can carefully monitor their DSRs.

• Only domestic DSRs will count toward requirements for eBay.com. International transactions can be subject to factors outside a seller's control and we want to make sure sellers can expand globally without undue impact to their standing on eBay.com.

There are no specific API changes for this feature, but the API will reflect eBay site behavior.

• PowerSeller program update: rewarding quality over quantity
  • Starting in October, a new eBay top-rated seller status will be added to the PowerSeller program to recognize and reward sellers providing great buyer experiences based on the new way to look at DSRs (very few 1s and 2s). eBay Top-rated sellers will receive the highest PowerSeller Final Value Fee discounts (20%), increased visibility in search results for Fixed Price listings, exclusive access to purchase Featured First and a prominent Top-rated seller badge on item pages. The Top-rated seller badge will be tested in search results pages this summer. The current PowerSeller icon will no longer be displayed on buyer-facing pages including item pages.
  • All sellers with 100 or more annual transactions and at least $3,000 annual sales who meet the requirements for Top-rated seller status will be invited into the PowerSeller program and can start receiving Top-rated seller benefits in October.
  • Next April, the PowerSeller program will also include a requirement for sellers based on the new way to look at DSRs (very few 1s and 2s). PowerSellers that don't have Top-rated seller status will get 5% Final Value Fee discounts.
  • Meanwhile, the current PowerSeller discount structure will continue until April 1, 2010 to give sellers 8 full months to keep their current discounts while they adjust business practices to qualify for the new Top-rated seller status.

Information about top-rated sellers will be returned in Trading API and other API calls, just as it currently is for PowerSellers. We are currently planning to make more information about Top-Rated Sellers available via a dedicated API in a future release.

• New minimum standards for all sellers:
• Starting in October, there will be a new minimum standard for all eBay sellers based on the number of low DSRs (1s and 2s) received. The minimum standard will be stricter in April, 2010.
• A new Selling Practices policy will define guidelines for professionalism and accuracy in all aspects of listings and transactions.
• Optional buyer charges for shipping insurance will no longer be allowed. Sellers can still buy shipping insurance and add the cost to the item or shipping price.

As of SR2, any insurance charges including in listing calls like AddItem will automatically be dropped from the listing with a warning. The listing will not fail.

• Updates to the Seller Dashboard: You can now see a snapshot of your low DSRs (1s and 2s) and standing toward the new Top-rated seller requirements updated monthly through a link at the top of your Seller Dashboard. In September, you will be able to see daily updates.

For SR2, this additional information will only be available via the Seller Dashboard on the ebay.com website. We are currently planning to add this information to a dedicated API in a future release.

• Enhanced search presents more relevant listings

• Best Match, eBay's default sort order, will look at listing's recent sales in relation to the number of recent impressions it received as a key factor for Fixed Price listings. An "impression" is any time a buyer sees a search results page that includes the listing.

This new Best Match behavior will be reflected in the new Finding API for searches with a Best Match sort order specified. However, for technical reasons, will not be reflected in other Search calls.

• In addition, single quantity and newly listed Fixed Price items will be given exposure in Best Match even though they have no sales history. These listings will be given initial impressions based on the performance of similar listings. This change will improve the exposure of new Fixed Price listings that are relevant to buyers.
• Auction-style listings will still get a boost in exposure as they are about to end. To keep auctions enticing, Auction with Buy It Now listings will be required to have a BIN price at least 10% higher than the auction start price.

Listing calls that do not meet this criteria will fail with a blocking error.

• A new Search Visibility tool will help you evaluate how your Fixed Price and auction-style listings are performing in search results.

A new, dedicated Best Match API is being released with SR2. This API offers the same functionality as the Search Visibility Tool that will be offered on ebay.com.

• Several features will be discontinued including Featured Plus, Border, and others to save you money and keep the focus on relevance.

If discontinued listings enhancements such as Border are included in your listing calls, they will be dropped with a warning. The calls will not fail.

• Product pages are rolling out to more buyers, so list with product details to make sure your listings are included. Also, eBay will start selecting sellers' photos for inclusion in the eBay product catalog on September 1. If your photo is chosen, your user ID and a link to your profile page will appear on the product page. If you'd prefer not to have your pictures selected, opt out no later than August 31.

Listings must include a valid Product ID to be shown on Product Pages. Product catalogs are being rolled out to more categories, so there are more items that are eligible to be shown on Product Pages when you include their Product ID.

Also, there is no way via the API to opt out of sharing photos. Sellers must go to their My eBay to opt out.

• Easier, more profitable selling on eBay

• Faster recourse for unpaid items. A streamlined process will cut the resolution time in half. We are also working on a new automated option that will make the process even more efficient, cut the time to resolution to as little as 8 days and block negative feedback when a seller opens a claim and a buyer doesn't pay. This automated option will be tested in late September and our goal is to gradually make it available to all sellers by the holidays.

This new process also applies to items listed via the API. LeaveFeedback will be blocked in cases where this new process applies.

• eBay dispute resolution for buyer claims is expanding to more buyers to make the process faster and easier for sellers and buyers.

No additional dispute-management functionality is being added to the API with SR2. We are exploring the option of adding it in a future release.

• Buyer communications will be faster and easier to manage with enhancements to My Messages and streamlined post-transaction emails.

There are no API changes as part of this change, but developers who offer email management will want to be aware that fewer emails will be generated for each transaction.

• Get more control over international ship-to locations. You'll have the same ship-to choices you have now, plus you'll be able to specify countries you do not want to ship to.

With SR2, sellers can specify a list of countries they will not ship to. They can specify this globally, and on a per-item level. Global preferences can only be set via the ebay.com website, but per-item preferences can be set in the AddItem call. To take advantage of this feature, sellers must select the option in My eBay to exclude countries that they will not ship to.

• Upload tracking and delivery confirmation numbers for more shipping carriers.

Currently shipping carriers are selected from a list of enums. With the SR2 release, you will be able to specify the shipping carrier in a string. This will allow sellers to include more shipping carriers in their listings, including ones that the eBay site does not currently support. You can also specify a tracking number for that shipping carrier. Where eBay can identify the carrier, the tracking number will be displayed as a link to more shipping information.

• Editing listings, even multi-quantity listings with a sale and listing descriptions, will be faster and easier.

Currently it is not possible to edit live, Fixed Price listings once there has been a sale. As of SR2, this will now be possible. Also, when retrieving listings via GetItem, and so on, you have the option of retrieving a specific version of the listing. If no version is specified, the latest version will be returned.

• New Selling Manager applications boost efficiency for sellers of all sizes-try them free!

Selling Manager applications will be generally available to sellers shortly after SR2. To build your own Selling Manager application, see Selling Manager Applications.

• Category and Item Specifics changes are now consolidated with the rest of updates. Find out if there are changes to your categories.
• Stores subscribers-now you can put all your Fixed Price listings on vacation.
  

Get more details on all these updates You're also invited to:

• Take part in one of several upcoming webinars on Tuesday, July 28 and Thursday July 30.
• Join me and other leaders from eBay and PayPal in a Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, July 29. Check the Announcement Board soon for more details.
• Talk with members of my staff during the next two days on a special discussion board we've set up for this purpose.

Watch the developer blog for more details on these changes.

REST GetSearchResults migration to Unified Schema

Beginning January 15, 2007, the eBay Web Services REST GetSearchResults call will no longer support legacy XML formatted output. The supported output format will be the unified schema GetSearchResultsResponseType. 

Developer Impact: If your application currently relies on legacy XML formatted output, you will need to modify your application by January 15, 2007 to use the eBay unified schema formatted output.  This includes modifying your application to be able to recognize and understand the data elements and values returned in the GetSearchResultsResponse.

Developers should read the Knowledge Base article that we put together to assist you with the migration. The article includes detailed steps to help you migrate your application as well as pointers to key resources that would be useful with the migration.

NonSchemaSOAP Enum To Be Removed

The 467 WSDL, to be released by July 3rd, will not contain the following enum value: NonSchemaSOAP. In the Release Notes for version 463 of the API, it was announced that the NonSchemaSOAP enum (which formerly could be used in SetNotificationPreferences) should not be used because
that enum applies to the legacy schema XML API.

Information about migrating notifications-related code from the legacy XML API to the unified schema is available in the following Knowledge Base article: Migrating Notifications from Legacy to Unified Schema.

Please note that updates to applications using new WSDL versions should always be done in a test environment.