From 31st March, eBay will no longer allow you to sell digital products in auctions.
This means that the only way you will be able to sell digital products using ebay will be as Classified Advertisements.
So what is the impact of this change?
Firstly, Classified Ads are not included in the Feedback system because the sale is actually made outside the eBay environment.
This prevents people from artificially inflating their Feedback score by buying 100 ebooks that cost just a few cents, which is the main reason why eBay have done this.
On the other hand, people who make their living by selling ebooks will no longer accrue points on their Feedback score.
So what are the alternatives?
The obvious solution is to deliver those digital products on a physical CD or DVD.
However, that signals the end to the automated business as the vendor has to duplicate, package and post discs.
The buyer will have to wait for delivery of the product instead of getting an immediate download.
However, is there anything wrong with the vendor sending the buyer a download link to allow them access to it while they are awaiting the physical medium?
One benefit that I can see is that eBay will be cleared of all those trashy 2-cent ebooks that clutter up the listings.
If you're a buyer trying to artifically inflate your Feedback score, there are plenty of tangible goods on offer in eBay for just a few cents. They may not be as quick and as cheap as the ebooks, but you can still build up a decent Feedback score for relatively little outlay.
If you sell ebooks on eBay; the marketplace is changing. Adapt and survive.
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