AuctionWire

Alibaba.com and Softbank today announced formation of a joint venture company called Alibaba.com Japan. The total investment will be $20 million with Softbank accounting for 65 percent of the investment and Alibaba with the rest at 35 percent. The new company will take over the operation of Alibaba.com's existing Japanese-language website which connects small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Japan with buyers and suppliers around the world.

On washingtonpost.com

Yahoo email is adopting a new technology designed to block more fraudulent email scams such as those that pretend to come from eBay and PayPal. If you use Yahoo Mail, it is likely you will notice a reduction in email phishing scams in days to come, especially those pretending to come from eBay and PayPal. Yahoo is upgrading its system on Thursday with a new technology that they call "DomainKeys" that is designed to block phishing spam email along with other fraudulent email that looks like they come from eBay and PayPal that don't. The system upgrade is expected to be accomplished globally over the next few weeks.

On gameshout.com

Australian online auction site OZtion reports a 22 percent growth in listings to approximately 580,000, following eBay Australia’s announcement that all items must be paid via PayPal. Daily new member registrations have increased by 165 percent and daily new sellers registrations by 300 percent. OZtion's registrations have reached over a quarter of a million. Traffic has also increased to over 2 million visitors per month. OZtion experts believe that such increases across most metrics reflect the fact that Australians are looking for alternatives to eBay and will not be using only the PayPal option. 79 percent of buyers favour payments by bank deposit, according to OZtion internal data. In terms of fraud prevention, OZtion has developed a suite of identity checks for its members and has also teamed with Australia Post to provide the level of identity check which is required to open a bank account.

SAN DIEGO, May 12 - To help alleviate the high costs of carrier insurance, Zoovy, Inc. a leader in e-Commerce technology has formed a strategic partnership with U-PIC Insurance services. U-PIC is an insurance provider offering full coverage for packages shipped through most major carriers, while offering substantial discounts ranging up to 80% off competitor pricing. Zoovy merchants are now able to take advantage of this service to decrease their operational costs and thus increase overall profit.

Hi everyone...This is Ira Grossman from eBay's Shipping team. I wanted to let you know that the Canada Post- eBay Flat Rate Box is now available. You can now order Canada Post-eBay Flat Rate Boxes online through the Flat Rate Box Store here. Plus, you can create, purchase and print Flat Rate Box shipping labels through eBay/PayPal’s Online Shipping tool (visit here for step-by-step instructions).  The Flat Rate Box, designed exclusively for shipping goods sold on eBay, will help make selling on eBay and shipping to buyers easier, quicker and more convenient. Available exclusively through eBay, Canada Post Expedited Parcel™ and Expedited Parcel™-USA Flat Rate Box shipping labels are available at special introductory rates in effect until August 14, 2008:

eBay Announcement | Canada Post introduces Flat Rate Box for eBay users

EBay Inc. is diving into the murky waters of consumer credit in a bid to boost sales, even as consumer debt delinquency rates are rising nationwide. The Internet auction site said its popular PayPal electronic-payments unit, which saw revenue rise 32% last quarter, would begin offering financing options for purchases on its eBay.com auction site with credit issued by General Electric Co.'s (GE) consumer credit arm. With the expanded service, eBay shoppers that can't afford an item up front can fill out an online application for PayPal Pay Later, which the company says can be completed in 30 seconds, giving them instant access to credit.

On morningstar.com

uBid, the US-based online marketplace for discounted products, is preparing to enter the UK in the coming months following a reorganisation of its business. The company joins rival Overstock in targeting Europe for the first time this year as US merchants look to get their hands on more foreign currency. It will also provide more competition for the likes of eBay and Amazon in the battle to attract buyers of cheap goods. uBid CEO Jeffrey D. Hoffman told E-consultancy: “We are looking to acquire both buyers and sellers in European markets and are setting up an office in Europe. It will likely be in the UK.” uBid’s move – scheduled for the autumn - will provide another alternative outlet for manufacturers and retailers that are looking to offload their excess inventory without creating channel conflict.

On e-consultancy.com

A 23-year-old Oregon man has pleaded guilty to charges that he used identity theft to set up bogus accounts on eBay, where he sold counterfeit software with a retail value of more than US$1 million, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Jeremiah Joseph Mondello of Eugene, Oregon, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count each of criminal copyright infringement, aggravated identity theft and mail fraud before Judge Ann Aiken in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. He faces up to 27 years in prison and a fine of $500,000, the DOJ said.

By Grant Gross

SAN JOSE, Calif.- PayPal Pay Later, a convenient and secure credit service, is now available for payments on eBay.com. Starting today, eBay buyers in the United States can take advantage of Pay Later’s financing offer of no payments for 90 days for qualifying purchases between $50 and $199. With Pay Later, buyers now have more ways to pay for items at checkout and can use Pay Later even if they don't have a PayPal account. The streamlined application can be completed in 30 seconds and provides a buyer with instant access to credit.

The trend of declining unique visitors and page views shown for eBay in the first quarter of 2008 continued during the month of April. According to Nielsen Online, the number of unique visitors to the eBay site declined 10.73% year-over-year (YoY) in April, while page views declined almost 13% in April compared to April 2007. The time spent per person on the site, however, increased 12% in April, YoY.

By Ina Steiner