ChannelAdvisor Launches Free DSRWatch Tool
Taking advantage of the important details offered by eBay's Detailed Seller Ratings, ChannelAdvisor launched a new tool that displays any registered eBay seller's Detailed Seller Ratings (DSR) and lets buyers compare the DSR ratings to other sellers.

DSRWatch lets anyone enter a seller's user ID and see how that seller stacks up in terms of raw numbers, and where the merchant stands compared to other sellers. DSRWatch is freely available to everyone online at dsrwatch.com. To use the tool, you simply enter an eBay user ID into the search box and get a view of the sellers' five-star rating for communication, shipping time, shipping and handling charges, along with where the member ranks overall and the number of ratings in each category.

CRE Loaded Adds PayPal Express
Online merchants and sellers using the shopping cart application, CRE Loaded, can now offer PayPal Express Checkout with the new CRE Loaded 6.2 SP1 release. Customers can click the PayPal Express Checkout button to be transferred to PayPal, where they select their payment method, shipping and billing information and then are returned to the store to complete their purchases.

eBay To Lower Fees?
Yes, you read that headline right. For the first time ever, industry news reports indicate that eBay may be evaluating new fee changes that could affect the company's financial performance. The Silicon Alley Insider is reporting that comments made by eBay CFO Bob Swan and President of Marketplaces John Donahoe suggest that eBay may radically lower listing fees in an attempt to entice sellers to stick around instead of switching to Amazon and other marketplaces. We'll certainly be watching this issue closely as it develops — or not.

New Service Lets Sellers Say ThankYa
ThankYa.com recently launched a new service that lets eBay sellers send a free "ThankYa Card" after successful online transactions. ThankYa.com founder and CEO, Michael Atchie, says that electronic thank you cards are an ideal way for online buyers and sellers to show appreciation for a smooth purchasing experience. In addition to using the e- cards as a way to show appreciation, sellers can also work on encouraging repeat business by including links to their other items listed on eBay embedded in the customer ThankYa card.

eBay Tells UK Sellers To Curb Shipping Fees
The UK eBay site is warning its sellers to clamp down on inflated shipping and handling charges. In a recent announcement, eBay said that over the past year buyers who have left eBay, or who no longer buy as much as they used to, indicated that overcharging for postage and packaging was one key reason for not using the auction marketplace.

EBay will use the Detailed Seller Ratings to identify sellers whose ratings for postage and packaging are 3.9 or below, and those sellers will be penalized in eBay search results. Starting Dec. 17, UK-based sellers who constantly inflate shipping and packaging prices will find their items showing much further down in search results.