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Nintendo opened an eBay store for some reason
Looking for a good deal on a refurbished Wii U, but don't like using Nintendo's clunky online shop? Now you have another option -- the company just opened an official eBay store, stocked with new and refurbished games, consoles and accessories. Don't expect to find any deals though: almost everything on the official eBay store conforms to current retail prices (fixed using eBay's "buy it now" feature) or Nintendo's existing refurb pricing.
eBay's revamped apps are big for sellers, not just buyers
eBay may like the idea of serving as a storefront, but it knows that this only works if it helps you sell your wares at the same time. That's where the company's reworked, version 4.0 mobile apps come into play -- the version 4.0 update for both Android and iOS gives auctions higher priority than they've had in the past. It gives you more help when you're a first-timer, a dashboard for frequent sellers and an overall simpler, faster interface for selling your goods. It's an acknowledgment that many eBay auction holders might prefer to run most (if not all) of their businesses from their phones. You shouldn't have to retreat to a computer just to sell your old gear, should you?
eBay is shutting down its on-demand delivery service
It was only a matter of time before eBay Now would be put out to pasture once and for all. But that's official as of today, eBay revealed in a statement about how it plans to simplify shopping for users. The company introduced its same-day, on-demand delivery service in 2012, but struggled to capture valuable attention from consumers -- which led eBay to retire the eBay Now apps and slow down the product's expansion strategy. Additionally, eBay also revealed it will be killing a few other applications over the coming weeks, with those being Fashion, Motors and Valet. It's been a busy month for eBay in terms of restructuring; earlier this month it finally let go of PayPal, a process that began back in 2014.
eBay and PayPal officially part ways today
We knew eBay and PayPal were headed to splitsville this year, and now it's actually happening. The auction site and the payment service separated into two disparate companies today, PayPal is getting its own stock ticker, starts trading on the New York Stock Exchange come Monday and, according to Business Insider that doesn't look so good for eBay. As the site tells it, PayPal's been the reason for "most" of eBay's gains for the past three years, and "nearly all" of it for 2015. eBay revenues have already jumped seven percent thanks to higher demand for PayPal, according to Reuters. Maybe the online auction house can use the $925 million it got from the PayPal sale to figure out a way to become profitable -- crazier things have happened. [Image credit: Associated Press]
Apple yanks games with Confederate flags from the App Store (update)
Following the lead of other major retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Etsy and eBay in removing products featuring the Confederate flag, Apple has reportedly begun removing apps that feature the Stars and Bars from its online store. The apps most affected are, unsurprisingly, Civil War games like Ultimate General: Gettysburg and Civil War. Update: In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple said it is only removing software that uses the Confederate flag in offensive or mean-spirited ways, which violate the existing guidelines. The company says it is working with any developers of educational or historical apps that were removed to get them back in the App Store.
Amazon, eBay and others to stop selling Confederate flags (update)
Many prominent online retailers have vowed to remove all items bearing the Confederate flag from their websites following a mass shooting last week at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina. So far, eBay, Wal Mart, Sears and Kmart have announced plans to stop selling Confederate flag merchandise online and in their brick-and-mortar stores. CNBC reports that Amazon and Etsy will also remove Confederate flag items from their online marketplaces, though the companies have yet to officially announce any plans. In addition to these online retailers, prominent US flag maker Valley Forge Flag today promised to stop producing and selling Confederate flags, Reuters reports.
Amazon: Hey public, can you deliver this package for us?
Amazon may be considering yet another way to get packages from its distribution centers to your front door. No, it doesn't involve more drones or warehouse bots. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon wants to hire members of the general public to act as impromptu delivery drivers -- kind of like what Sidecar does -- rather than paying UPS to deliver the goods. The service, which could be called "On My Way", would store packages at local brick-and-mortar retailers in urban areas where the company's new couriers could grab them.
eBay's Apple Watch app puts auctions on your wrist
If you're an eBay veteran, you know that every moment of a late-stage auction counts. You don't want to lose because you couldn't grab your phone quickly enough to make a counter-bid, after all. Appropriately, eBay is rolling out an Apple Watch app to go with its Pebble and Samsung Gear efforts. The wearable software both gives you alerts for auctions and lets you make quick bids -- you might prevent someone from sniping that antique auction without even reaching into your pocket. You can also reply to messages with voice dictation, and keep tabs on your top-level buying and selling activity. The update should hit the App Store today, so check it out if you always have to beat other buyers to the punch.
Amazon won't charge for shipping on small, light items
In an effort to better compete with rival eBay, Amazon announced a new service today that offers free shipping on small, lightweight items for every customer -- not just Prime members. Dubbed "Fulfillment by Amazon Small and Light" the new shipping scheme will bring tiny items your door in four to eight business days without the need for a minimum order value. The items just need to weigh less than 8 ounces, measure under 9x6x2 inches and cost less than $10 to qualify. Amazon reportedly hopes to attract a wider customer base including cost-aware shoppers -- ie folks worried that shipping and handling will cost more than their ear bud inserts. Additionally, the new program will act as an alternative to the company's existing $99 a year, delivery-in-two-days Prime subscription.
eBay's testing Amazon Prime-like shipping service in Germany
Amazon Prime offers many benefits to its subscribers, starting with super-fast shipping on web purchases. Not surprisingly, retail competitor eBay must try to match this. Over in Germany, the company has started trialling a program slightly similar to Prime, reportedly called eBay +, which will be launching in the second half of this year. Buyers there are said to have to pay between €15 and €20 (roughly $17 and $22) per year, an amount that would be reasonable considering the service's main purpose: free, fast shipping and other undisclosed exclusive benefits.
Gaming legend Sid Meier auctions his SNES kit for charity (update: not him)
Want a rare piece of video gaming history? We hope you're a quick-draw bidder. Legendary game developer Sid Meier is holding a charity auction for a Super NES developer kit (which is hard to find by itself) used during his MicroProse days. Yes, there's a real chance that you could be using a system that helped build an early console version of Civilization. Don't think that you can just take on some credit card debt to get that nostalgia kick, though. Meier is only selling the kit to trustworthy eBay users with verified PayPal accounts, and bidding starts at $5,999 -- it's worthwhile if you want to help St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, but you're paying for a lot more than someone's second-hand console. Update 5/7: 2K tells us that it's not Meier selling this system. That doesn't mean this is bogus gear, but it certainly loses some of its luster.
Venmo finally gets more secure with two-factor authentication
If you're the type who uses Venmo to pay your buddies back for artisanal cupcakes, congratulations: You're a little bit safer now. Venmo announced the other day that it was rolling out a new two-factor identification feature -- when the service detects a login from a new device, it'll send you an email and a 6-digit pin to your phone so you can prove everything's on the up and up. That might sound like a no-brainer for a financial services company that's (thanks to back-to-back acquisitions) part of eBay's payments empire, and you know what? It absolutely is. The only thing more shocking than Venmo not having something like this in the first place is how long its taken to implement.
eBay and Sotheby's high-end auctions will launch next month
You wouldn't expect to be let in to a fine art auction wearing nothing but tighty whities, but starting April 1st, no one's going to be able to stop you. Sotheby's has teamed up with its digital counterpart, eBay, to launch its long-promised digital sales channel. Now, online collectors flush with Beanie Baby sales cash can fight as equals against entitled Manhattan socialites for Ansel Adams' photography and Andy Warhol watches.
Venmo halfheartedly responds to its mobile payment security woes
eBay's Venmo mobile payment service can be extra-helpful when you need to repay a debt to a friend, but it's grappling with some significant security problems -- and it's not clear that a proper fix is in sight. Slate notes that Venmo not only lacks a few basic security measures, such as notifying you when login details change, but encourages risky steps like linking your bank routing info. If someone gets in under that circumstance, your bank account could be permanently compromised. There's also little support outside of a slow-to-respond email system, so you may be left high and dry if you need urgent help.
This iPod prototype will set you back $4,495
Prices on classic iPods saw a bit of a spike once Apple silently put an axe in the beloved media player but you might need to take out a loan if you're hoping to bring home this particular piece of Apple history. Currently up for bids on eBay is a supposed 4th generation iPod test unit, complete with its tracking stickers still in place. The iPod, which is currently priced at a hefty US$4,495, is engraved with the letters "DVTS" which, according to the seller, stand for "Design Verification Testing." The labels affixed to the unit supposedly helped to track the iPod's progress through assembly and testing. The photos included on the listing show that the iPod is functional, but even if it is a prototype test unit, at the end of the day it's just a 4th generation iPod, and an extremely beat-up one at that.
Diddy Kong amiibo has no mouth, and he must scream
The craze for defective amiibo reached a fever pitch last month, when bids for a legless Princess Peach amiibo exceeded $25,000. Prior to that absurdly-pricey posting, bids on a Samus amiibo with two arm cannons closed at $2,500. Now however, the dust is settling, and defective amiibo no longer seem to fetch quadruple-digit or higher prices. Case in point: this jawless Diddy Kong amiibo, which closed out bidding at $471.99 Canadian (approx. $403.03 USD) earlier this week. Diddy's high price now seems to be the exception rather than the rule, as a cursory glance through defective amiibo on eBay reveals far more inactive listings than active ones. (It also reveals a very liberal interpretation of the word "defect," as many of the so-called "defective" toys have simply come loose inside their packaging). Of course, just because an item's auction has closed doesn't mean that a bidder will be true to their word - a deal's not done until money has exchanged hands. Still, this is fun reminder that one man's trash is another man's treasure. [Image: Nintendo/bam_fan101]
Facebook's going after eBay and Craigslist with group-based selling
Facebook likes to experiment with little projects that could, someday, be as popular as Poking and Graph Search. One such project is enabling selected users to sell their unwanted items on the social network, in a move that'll surely strike terror into the hearts of the folks over at Craigslist and eBay. New Zealand-based developer Indy Griffiths took to Twitter to reveal that he'd been given the option to sell an item to a group, with the button nestled next to the write post button.
Bidding tops $25,000 on Peach amiibo with missing legs
The only thing Nintendo fans love more than the highly collectible amiibo are amiibo with massive factory defects. For proof, look no further than eBay, where a Peach amiibo with no legs recently attracted bids as high as $25,100. Described as "factory sealed and in mint condition," the amiibo features the same flowing dress found on normal Peach figures, but in this apparently valuable defect, the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom appears to have misplaced her legs within all of that pink fabric. Despite the aesthetic oddity, this defect has no effect on the NFC chip that allows the amiibo to transfer data to and from Wii U games. While all eBay auctions are suspect until money actually changes hands, this is not the first time an oddly constructed amiibo has drawn huge bids on the auction site. Earlier this month, we reported on the auction of a Samus amiibo equipped with an extra arm cannon that reached $2,500. [Image: Nintendo/usmik_72rcplxb]
Want a pair of 1st gen iPhones? Fork over $30,000
The original iPhone is a bit of a rarity these days thanks to its age and the number of units that have undoubtedly been smashed, dropped, or plopped into a toilet, so finding a working one will cost you. Finding a sealed box with one of Apple's first smartphones inside is even harder, so you can imagine how much it will cost you if you want both in the same package. Actually, you don't have to imagine at all, I'll just tell you: US$30,000. A pair of iPhone 2Gs has just appeared on a single eBay listing -- one "lightly used" and one still sealed in its box -- along with the collectible (?) iPhone gift bag that they were placed in for their trip home from the Apple Store. Both are the larger 8GB models and both are obviously in pristine condition. Whether or not that warrants a price tag the size of a new SUV is of course up to you. The seller, who has a 100% approval rating with over 800 sales, ships to anywhere in the world... except for Russia. A special note on the listing reads "Not shipping to Russia... no shipping to Russia." Perhaps the recent Apple vs. Russia atmosphere is drifting over to eBay as well?
Deep Silver is auctioning off the real-life Saints Row Genki Mobile
Saints Row publisher Deep Silver is auctioning off a truck based on one of the franchise's vehicles for charity. The studio's 1956 Ford F-100 available for bidding on eBay starts at $7,500 and has just over 80,000 miles on it. The truck is decorated to look strikingly similar to the Genki Manapult truck offered as a pre-order bonus and DLC for Saints Row: The Third. The real-life Genki Manapult vehicle is complete with its trademark cannon, which shoots t-shirts as opposed to people. As of this writing, the auction does not have any bidders. All proceeds for the auction will go to Wings for Life, a not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation that funds "world-class scientific research and clinical trials around the globe aimed at healing the injured spinal cord." The auction is slated to end on Saturday, December 13. [Image: Deep Silver]
