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Tag: eBay

  • Kim Kardashian Defends Her eBay Auction

    Kim Kardashian Defends Her eBay Auction

    Last month, Kim Kardashian created an eBay auction and said that she would be donating a portion of the proceeds to the Philippine typhoon victims. What seemed like a sincere gesture quickly stirred controversy after it was reported that only ten percent of the earnings would be donated.

    She started out by explaining the auction on her personal website saying: “Hi guys, this is a very special auction because a portion of the proceeds of my eBay auction are going to International Medical Corps, which is a nonprofit organization that provides critical health services on remote islands where families are struggling to access medical care and basic resources like food, clean drinking water and vital medications.” “The proceeds will go directly to the communities they’re serving in the Philippines and will help typhoon survivors get access to medical care and ultimately save lives,” she continued. “My prayers and thoughts are with those affected by the typhoon. Check out my eBay auction here and support those who need our help in the Philippines. Xo”

    When the public found out that only ten percent would be donated, they were outraged. It’s no secret that Kardashian is a multi-millionaire, so the question was… Why not donate more? After thousands of remarks came in about her auction, Kardashian decided to defend her decision to only donate ten percent and explain that she is always donated to different charities and doesn’t appreciate the negativity.

    “I feel compelled to speak about something that is in my head and my heart,” she wrote. “Over the years, I’ve had to grow a thick skin. Being in the public eye, there are times I feel like I get criticized for any and everything I do. I’m used to it now. I just choose not to feed into negativity or become consumed by it.”

    Kardashian continued saying that she was taught to give back at an early age by her father, the late Robert Kardashian. “The problem comes in when I get attacked for giving and trying to help people. My dad always taught me the importance of giving back,” she explained. “I don’t publicize everything I do to help charities and people all over the world. I do it because I want to. I do it because my dad taught me to. I do it because it’s the right thing to do. So for people to attack me for giving 10% of my eBay auction sales to the people of the Philippines, that hurts.”

    She went on to explain how the numbers are broken down when she decides to use an eBay auction to promote a charity. “In regards to these eBay auctions, when the eBay numbers get broken down, the auction management agency that posts for me gets a percentage for all of their hard work, then eBay listing fees, end of auction fees, eBay Store fees, Paypal fees, etc., all add up to about half of the sale,” she explained. “Then I give 10% to a charity. Truth is how the # is broken down, is neither here nor there. The people of the Philippines need all of our help, no matter how big or small.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Is Amazon’s Drone Delivery a ‘Long-Term Fantasy’?

    Is Amazon’s Drone Delivery a ‘Long-Term Fantasy’?

    Although Amazon claims that one day unmanned delivery drones will be “as normal as mail trucks,” one high-profile CEO isn’t really buying into it yet. eBay CEO John Donahoe is skeptical, and thinks that delivery drones are a “long-term fantasy.”

    In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Donahoe was asked about Amazon’s recent announcement that they want to start delivering small packages to customers’ doors with unmanned delivery drones (as soon as possible, pending FAA approval). After a quick chuckle, Donahoe responded with a pretty clear dismissal.

    “Now, Amazon made a lot of headlines a few days ago talking about delivery by drone – they’re working on octocopters. Are you gonna show me an octocopter today? I was sorta hoping I’d see one,” said Bloomberg TV’s Emily Chang.

    “No, we’re not really focusing on long-term fantasies – we’re focusing on things that will change consumers’ experience today,” said Donahoe.

    “So you think it’s a long-term fantasy?” said Chang.

    “We’ll see.”

    But to Amazon, the tech is no fantasy.

    “It looks like science fiction, but it’s real. From a technology point of view, we’ll be ready to enter commercial operations as soon as the necessary regulations are in place,” says Amazon.

    Other companies would disagree with Donahoe – take UPS for instance. They’re testing drone delivery. You know who else is interested in drone delivery? Pizza chains.

    Donahoe isn’t scoffing at innovation or anything. In fact, he says that “moonshot” ventures and technical innovation are important.

    “I think bold innovation is important,” he says. “But our focus on our bold innovation is around commerce. So the notion of making a storefront window a touchscreen? I’d call that bold innovation. The notion of saying you can get a product delivered to you within an hour? I’d call that a bold innovation.”

    Donahoe is referring to a couple of recent eBay experiments – Shoppable Windows in New York City and eBay Now, which first began in San Francisco a little over a year ago and has since expanded.

    What do you think? Are Amazon’s drones a pipe dream? Are they the future of delivery?

    Image via Amazon

  • Teen Pays $735 For A Photo Of An Xbox One On eBay

    Teen Pays $735 For A Photo Of An Xbox One On eBay

    For only £450 ($735), Peter Clatworthy, a 19-year-old student of Bilborough, Nottingham, United Kingdom, thought he was going to get an Xbox One. He didn’t.

    Instead, Clatworthy ended up paying the hefty price on eBay for a picture of the new video game console.

    The console was intended to be a surprise Christmas gift for his four-year old son, McKenzie, Clatworthy saved up enough money to buy the limited edition.

    “I’ve had to make a joke out of it because I was that angry. At least we’ve now got something to laugh about in the years to come,” Clatworthy said.

    “I always buy stuff on eBay and this had never happened before.”

    Mr Clatworthy made the purchase on November 28, paying £450 plus £8 ($13) packaging.

    Although the listing stated that it was a photo of an Xbox One Day One edition console, Clatoworthy expected he would receive an actual console, as the listing was placed in eBay’s video games and consoles category.

    “It said ‘photo’ and I was in two minds, but I looked at the description and the fact it was in the right category made me think it was genuine.”

    “I looked at the seller’s feedback and there was nothing negative. I bought it there and then because I thought it was a good deal.”

    “It’s obvious now I’ve been conned out of my money.”

    Last Monday, Clatworthy received the photo in the eBay posting; it had a little message on the back of it.

    “They’d written on the back of it ‘thank you for the purchase’. I was fuming.”

    With the help of eBay, Clatworthy ended up getting a full refund, and the seller of the picture was banned from the internet auction site.

    According to the Nottingham Post, an eBay spokesman said: “The seller has been banned from eBay. We have also contacted the customer directly to arrange the refund as promised.”

    “We don’t allow listings which mislead.”

    On November 22nd, the Xbox One was released in the UK with a special Day One edition for those who picked up the console on its first day of sale.

    Like most new video game console premieres, there have been misleading sales all over the internet where people wind up with packaging or pictures of the machine.

    (Images via YouTube)

     

  • Kim Kardashian eBay Auction For Typhoon Victims

    Kim Kardashian eBay Auction For Typhoon Victims

    It is no secret that Kim Kardashian is a multi-millionaire, so when she announced that she would be donating a portion of her earnings from her eBay auction to the victims of the Philippines typhoon, it sounded like an awesome idea. However, as the saying goes, “when it sounds too good to be true…it usually is.” Only ten percent of her earnings will be donated to the Philippine communities.

    Kardashian explained her idea on her personal website. “Hi guys, this is a very special auction because a portion of the proceeds of my eBay auction are going to International Medical Corps, which is a nonprofit organization that provides critical health services on remote islands where families are struggling to access medical care and basic resources like food, clean drinking water and vital medications,” she said.

    “The proceeds will go directly to the communities they’re serving in the Philippines and will help typhoon survivors get access to medical care and ultimately save lives,” she said. “My prayers and thoughts are with those affected by the typhoon. Check out my eBay auction here and support those who need our help in the Philippines. Xo”

    While Kardashian may have had very good intentions, it seems like it has caused more furry than good. People are disgusted that she would only donate ten percent, especially when she is selling items like Vera Wang, Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, BCBG, Rebecca Taylor, Chanel, which all sell for hundreds and thousands of dollars. Sorry Kim, but it doesn’t sound like your charity is very charitable.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Magento Becomes Part Of eBay Enterprise

    Magento Becomes Part Of eBay Enterprise

    eBay announced that it has merged Magento and eBay Enterprise into a single business unit, and will create new opportunities for Magento merchants, partners and developers.

    eBay Senior VP for Strategy and Business, Mark Lavelle, is moving over to eBay Enterprise to lead the newly formed Product Strategy organization at the company. He will report to Christopher Saridakis, president of eBay Enterprise.

    “This is a game-changer for us,” said Saridakis. “We’re going on the offensive, taking the reins of innovation and further positioning eBay Enterprise as an industry leader.”

    “By combining the extensive capabilities of our leading organizations, we are bringing the ecommerce technology, multichannel operations and marketing services capabilities of eBay Inc. together under one umbrella,” Magento says in a blog post. “Moving forward, retail and brand partners of all sizes will find an unmatched portfolio of offerings that seamlessly deliver integrated commerce solutions to drive their revenue and growth. For Magento, it’s business as usual.”

    The company isn’t offering much more in the way of details about what the future holds just yet, but says we’ll be hearing more about it in the coming months.

    Image: Magento

  • Is eBay Trying To Be Something That It’s Not?

    Is eBay Trying To Be Something That It’s Not?

    This week, eBay announced the launch of some new personalization and curation features for the eBay Marketplace, and that it is expanding its efforts in local commerce, including the extension of its eBay Now delivery service into 25 new markets by the end of the year.

    Will these offerings keep sellers around and buyers interested in shopping with the ecommerce giant once simply known as an auction site? Share your thoughts on eBay’s current direction.

    It has been about a year since eBay unveiled its Pinterest-like feed design, which it rolled out to users in February. Now, eBay is continuing in the Pinterest/Etsy-esque direction, launching five new specific features: Collections, Curators, Follow, Profiles and eBay Today.

    Collections are described as groups of products that have ben handpicked by “expert curators, buyers and sellers.” Curators are “top trendsetters across a variety of interest areas, who create beautiful collections on eBy to help you easily connect you with items you’ll love.’

    At least they didn’t say “tastemakers.”

    eBay Collections

    The Follow feature lets eBay users personalize their feeds by following collections, curators or regular eBay users, as well as specific interests. The Profile is pretty basic. It applies to both buyers and sellers, and lets you share info about yourself, the collections you’ve created, your interests, and the people you follow.

    eBay Collections

    Finally, eBay Today is a new page aimed at helping users discover “the very best collections of items” on eBay, selected by the company’s Chief Curator and Editorial Director Michael Phillips Moskowitz.

    eBay Today

    eBay has 200 curators including: Alexandra Cousteau, Andrea Linett, Ashley Avignon, Benjamin Clymer, Billy Farrell, Brian Walton, Cecilia Dean , Chris Benz, Chrissie Miller, Darcy Miller, Eddie Borgo, Graham Hill, Janie Bryant, Jauretsi, Jen Atkin, Jeremiah Brent, Jon Rose, Justin Bell, Kelly Oxford, Lucy Sykes, Pharrell Williams, Richard Rawlings, Ryan Block, Solange Knowles, Tenzin Wild, Todd Selby, Veronica Belmont, and Zem Joaquin.

    eBay tells sellers, “This new experience puts great new tools in your hands for driving sales and developing loyal, repeat customers. You can use the new collections, following, and eBay profile to transform moments of inspiration into purchases of your great inventory. We’ll also be introducing new features and an exciting new look for your eBay Store. From bigger, bolder listing images to new ways to spotlight inventory and share on social media, subscribers will soon have even more tools available to them to turn browsers into buyers. All sellers will have this option by the end of January 2014! ”

    I have to say, the discussion out there around these features from what I seen has basically consisted of tumbleweeds. One reader, however (commenting on this very article) makes an interesting point, saying, “The new Follow/Social Trending features on eBay are the silliest and most useless things to happen to date. Stop trying to make the web site something that it is not. eBay does not equal Facebook, Twitter, etc.”

    Is eBay in fact trying to be something that it’s not? Must everything consist of social/follow features? Frankly, I personally don’t have a lot of use for them on a site like eBay, but perhaps a substantial amount of people do. It will be interesting to see how the enormous eBay community engages with these features over time. Will sellers really see a significant difference?

    The local stuff, on the other hand, may just turn out to be huge for businesses and consumers alike. We’re talking rapid delivery of products, and it’s only the very early days of this roll-out.

    eBay Now was first introduced a year ago. It lets shoppers have products from local stores delivered to them in an hour or less. As mentioned, it’s expanding into 25 new markets. It goes live in Chicago on Tuesday, and then in Dallas later this year. This will be followed by unspecified international markets, including London early next year.

    eBay Now

    eBay also plans to offer eBay Now same-day delivery for local goods on eBay.com in cities that have the service. eBay will also release scheduled delivery for eBay Now so that customers can buy something and pick an appropriate time to have it delivered to them.

    In addition to that, eBay is letting shoppers order online and pick up products at local stores. This particular feature is live immediately for Toys ‘R’ Us and Best Buy, and will be for other retailers in the near future.

    Finally, the company announced that it has acquired Shutl, a marketplace that utilizes a network of couriers to deliver local goods on the same day. The pick-up should help eBay its expansion efforts for eBay Now.

    “The world is changing, with the lines between online and offline commerce blurring and the expectations of buyers and sellers rising rapidly,” said Devin Wenig, president of eBay Marketplaces. “With eBay’s latest steps, we are bringing together the best of what people need from a shopping experience – speed and convenience – with things people love about shopping, like discovery and inspiration.”

    “eBay is a technology company; we understand that retailers, brands and sellers of all sizes need a new set of solutions to deliver the kinds of experiences consumers expect in today’s environment,” he said. “We’re making fundamental changes to our business that put us in a position to be the right partner for merchants and the best place for people to shop – anytime, anywhere and on any device.”

    Are you an eBay seller? We’d love to hear your reaction to eBay’s announcements. If you’re not a seller, do any of the announcements make you want to reconsider? Share your thoughts in the comments.

    Image: BusinessWire

  • eBay Earnings Released, Revenue Up 14%

    eBay Earnings Released, Revenue Up 14%

    eBay just released its Q3 earnings report with a 14% year-over-year increase in revenue to $3.9 billion and net income (GAAP) of $689 million.

    PalPal on its own generated $1.6 billion, up 19% year-over-year. It also gained 5 million active registered accounts, ending the quarter with 137 million, up 17%.

    President and CEO John Donahoe said, “We delivered strong third quarter results, with mobile driving a significant portion of our new user growth and continuing to transform how consumers shop and pay around the world. Our scale and experience, the strength of our global commerce platforms, our technology assets and our mobile commerce capabilities strongly position us to be a leader in the commerce revolution under way. In the past 12 months we have enabled $200 billion of commerce volume, a 20 percent increase in a fairly lackluster macro environment. That growth demonstrates the strength of our core businesses and our power as a partner, not a competitor, to merchants, brands and retailers.”

    The company pretty much met Wall Street expectations, but stock is falling, apparently based on a not so strong outlook.

    Here’s the release in its entirety:

    SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Global commerce platform and payments leader eBay Inc. (Nasdaq:EBAY) today reported that revenue for the third quarter ended September 30, 2013, increased 14% to $3.9 billion, compared to the same period of 2012. The company reported third quarter net income on a GAAP basis of $689 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, and non-GAAP net income of $837 million, or $0.64 per diluted share. Third quarter non-GAAP earnings per diluted share increased 17% driven primarily by strong top-line growth. GAAP earnings per diluted share increased 16%, driven by revenue growth and the sale of our investments in RueLaLa and ShopRunner.

    Total company Enabled Commerce Volume (ECV) grew 21% for the quarter, to $52 billion. The growth demonstrates the power of the company’s global commerce platforms, technology assets and mobile commerce capabilities across Marketplaces, PayPal and eBay Enterprise. In the third quarter, cross-border trade, another competitive strength of the company, was $11 billion, representing 22% of the company’s total ECV. Mobile enabled commerce volume was up 75% in the quarter, with downloads since inception exceeding 200 million and the company’s suite of mobile apps attracting 3.2 million new customers.

    “We delivered strong third quarter results, with mobile driving a significant portion of our new user growth and continuing to transform how consumers shop and pay around the world,” saidJohn Donahoe, President and CEO, eBay Inc. “Our scale and experience, the strength of our global commerce platforms, our technology assets and our mobile commerce capabilities strongly position us to be a leader in the commerce revolution under way. In the past 12 months we have enabled $200 billion of commerce volume, a 20 percent increase in a fairly lackluster macro environment. That growth demonstrates the strength of our core businesses and our power as a partner, not a competitor, to merchants, brands and retailers.”

    PayPal delivered a strong third quarter performance with revenue increasing 19% to $1.6 billion. PayPal gained 5.0 million active registered accounts and ended the quarter with 137 million, a 17% increase. PayPal’s net total payment volume (TPV) grew 25% to $44 billion driven by consumer and merchant use of PayPal both on and off eBay. Merchant Services net TPV increased 30% with a sequential acceleration of payment volume. PayPal continues to invest in leading payments innovation, growing its addressable market, and driving global consumer and merchant acquisition through seamless and simple experiences. Key developments in the third quarter included the launch of a fully localized offering in Russia and PayPal’s enhanced consumer app for iOS and Android. PayPal also delivered innovation offline by helping consumers save time and money through closed loop offers where merchants can put coupons directly into consumers’ digital wallets. The enhanced PayPal consumer app gives customers in the U.S. and Australia convenient order-ahead and pay-at-table capabilities as well as the ability to check in and pay with the PayPal digital wallet at thousands of retail locations in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia.

    Marketplaces also delivered a strong third quarter performance with revenue increasing 12% to $2.0 billion. Marketplaces gained 3.9 million active users in the period and ended the quarter with 124 million, a 14% increase. Gross merchandise volume (GMV), excluding vehicles, increased 13% to $18 billion. Fixed price GMV grew 18% globally and represented 71% of total GMV. U.S. GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 15% to $7.4 billion and international GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 12% to $11 billion driven by mobile and investment in buyer experience. The selection of items available on Marketplaces grew to over 500 million listings reflecting the success of consumer selling initiatives, particularly on mobile. Free shipping was provided on more than half of U.S. transactions in the quarter and the global shipping program continued to expand. In addition, the introduction and expansion of several local initiatives enabled customers to access local merchant inventory through apps to improve choice and reduce fulfillment time.

    eBay Enterprise contributed $238 million in revenue for the third quarter, a 5% increase. Its Commerce Technologies generated $787 million in Merchandise Sales, a 13% increase, but revenue was pressured by a reduction in take rate. eBay Enterprise enabled its clients to grow same-store sales 13%, decelerating sequentially, but broadly in line with ecommerce growth rates. The company expects its broad omnichannel product portfolio, including complementary eBay Inc. assets, to be increasingly adopted by merchants seeking opportunities to grow their businesses while seamlessly meeting the needs of the connected consumer. eBay Enterprise launched four brands on its new suite of modular Commerce Technologies during the quarter.

    Third Quarter 2013 Financial Highlights (presented in millions, except per share data and percentages)
    Third Quarter
    2013 2012 Change
    eBay Inc.
    Net revenue $3,892 $3,404 $488 14%
    Enabled commerce volume (ECV) $51,507 $42,593 $8,914 21%
    GAAP
    Net income $689 $597 $92 15%
    Earnings per diluted share $0.53 $0.45 $0.07 16%
    Non-GAAP
    Net income $837 $718 $119 17%
    Earnings per diluted share $0.64 $0.55 $0.09 17%
    Third Quarter
    2013 2012 Change
    Business Units
    Payments
    Net revenue $1,620 $1,367 $253 19%
    Net total payment volume $43,837 $35,159 $8,678 25%
    Marketplaces
    Net revenue $2,027 $1,806 $221 12%
    Gross merchandise volume (GMV), excl. vehicles $18,360 $16,281 $2,079 13%
    Enterprise
    Net revenue $238 $226 $12 5%
    Merchandise Sales $787 $698 $89 13%

    Other Selected Financial Results

    • Operating margin — GAAP operating margin increased to 20.5% for the third quarter of 2013, compared to 19.6% for the same period last year. Non-GAAP operating margin increased to 26.8% in the third quarter, compared to 26.3% for the same period last year.
    • Taxes — The GAAP effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2013 was 21%, compared to 11% for the third quarter of 2012. The increase in the company’s GAAP effective tax rate was due to an increase in earnings in higher tax jurisdictions and the repayment of the Kynetic note receivable and the sale of our investments in RueLaLa and ShopRunner. For the third quarter of 2013 and 2012, the non-GAAP effective tax rate was 19% and 20%, respectively.
    • Cash flow — The company generated $1.3 billion of operating cash flow and $1.0 billion of free cash flow during the third quarter of 2013. The company’s investing activities benefited from proceeds of $485 million from the repayment of the Kynetic note receivable and the sale of our investments in RueLaLa and ShopRunner.
    • Stock repurchase program — The company repurchased approximately $146 million of its common stock in the third quarter of 2013.
    • Cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments — The company’s cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments portfolio totaled $13.0 billion at September 30, 2013, up from $11.5 billion at December 31, 2012.

    Business Outlook

    • Fourth quarter 2013 — the company expects net revenues in the range of $4,500 – $4,600 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.67 – $0.69 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.79 – $0.81. The company’s fourth quarter outlook assumes that the pending acquisition of Braintree will close late in the fourth quarter of 2013.

    Quarterly Conference Call

    eBay Inc. will host a conference call to discuss third quarter 2013 results at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time today. A live webcast of the conference call, together with a slide presentation that includes supplemental financial information and reconciliations of certain non-GAAP measures to their nearest comparable GAAP measures, can be accessed through the company’s Investor Relations website at http://investor.ebayinc.com. In addition, an archive of the webcast will be accessible for 90 days through the same link.

    Use of Investor Relations Website for Regulation FD Purposes

    eBay Inc. also announced that it intends to use its Investor Relations website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Such disclosures will be included on the eBay Inc. Investor Relations website at investor.ebayinc.com. Accordingly, investors should monitorhttp://investor.ebayinc.com, in addition to following press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts.

    About eBay Inc.

    eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) is a global commerce and payments leader, providing a robust platform where merchants of all sizes can compete and win. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. connects millions of buyers and sellers and enabled $175 billion of commerce volume in 2012. We do so through eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, which allows users to buy and sell in nearly every country on earth; through PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily and quickly send and receive digital payments; and through eBay Enterprise, which enables omnichannel commerce, multichannel retailing and digital marketing for global enterprises in the U.S. and internationally. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, and eBay classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

    Presentation

    All growth rates represent year over year comparisons, except as otherwise noted. All amounts in tables are presented in U.S. dollars, rounded to the nearest millions, except as otherwise noted. As a result, certain amounts may not sum or recalculate using the rounded dollar amounts provided.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release includes the following financial measures defined as “non-GAAP financial measures” by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP effective tax rate and free cash flow. These measures may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The presentation of this financial information, which is not prepared under any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles, is not intended to be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest comparable GAAP measures, see “Business Outlook,” “Non-GAAP Measures of Financial Performance,” “Reconciliation of GAAP Operating Margin to Non-GAAP Operating Margin,” “Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Net Income and Reconciliation of GAAP Effective Tax Rate to Non-GAAP Effective Tax Rate” and “Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flow to Free Cash Flow” included in this press release.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, the future performance of eBay Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries that are based on the company’s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding expected financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2013, and the future growth in the Payments, Marketplaces and Enterprise businesses, mobile payments and mobile commerce. The company’s actual results could differ materially from those predicted or implied and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: changes in political, business and economic conditions, including any continuing U.S. government shutdown or default, any European or general economic downturn or crisis and any conditions that affect ecommerce growth; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the company’s need to successfully react to the increasing importance of mobile payments and mobile commerce and the increasing social aspect of commerce; the company’s ability to deal with the increasingly competitive ecommerce environment, including competition for its sellers from other trading sites and other means of selling, and competition for its buyers from other merchants, online and offline; the company’s need to manage an increasingly large enterprise with a broad range of businesses of varying degrees of maturity and in many different geographies; the effect of management changes and business initiatives; the company’s need and ability to manage other regulatory, tax and litigation risks as its services are offered in more jurisdictions and applicable laws become more restrictive; any changes the company may make to its product offerings; the competitive, regulatory, credit card association-related and other risks specific to PayPal and Bill Me Later, especially as PayPal continues to expand geographically and introduce new products and as new laws and regulations related to financial services companies come into effect; the company’s ability to timely upgrade and develop its technology systems, infrastructure and customer service capabilities, including our Enterprise Commerce Technologies, at reasonable cost; the company’s ability to maintain site stability and performance on all of its sites while adding new products and features in a timely fashion; and the company’s ability to profitably integrate, manage and grow businesses that have been acquired or may be acquired in the future. The forward-looking statements in this release do not include the potential impact of any acquisitions or divestitures that may be announced and/or completed after the date hereof.

    More information about factors that could affect the company’s operating results is included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by visiting the company’s Investor Relations website at http://investor.ebayinc.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this press release, which are based on information available to the company on the date hereof. The company assumes no obligation to update such statements.

    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
      September 30, 2013 December 31, 2012
    (In millions)
    ASSETS
    Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 5,280 $ 6,817
    Short-term investments 4,991 2,591
    Accounts receivable, net 772 822
    Loans and interest receivable, net 2,434 2,160
    Funds receivable and customer accounts 9,073 8,094
    Other current assets 926 914
    Total current assets 23,476 21,398
    Long-term investments 4,138 3,044
    Property and equipment, net 2,763 2,491
    Goodwill 8,566 8,537
    Intangible assets, net 863 1,128
    Other assets 261 476
    Total assets $ 40,067 $ 37,074
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    Current liabilities:
    Short-term debt $ 408 $ 413
    Accounts payable 288 301
    Funds payable and amounts due to customers 9,073 8,094
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 2,008 1,916
    Deferred revenue 164 137
    Income taxes payable 87 63
    Total current liabilities 12,028 10,924
    Deferred and other tax liabilities, net 914 972
    Long-term debt 4,123 4,106
    Other liabilities 235 207
    Total liabilities 17,300 16,209
    Total stockholders’ equity 22,767 20,865
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 40,067 $ 37,074
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income
    Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
    2013 2012 2013 2012
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    Net revenues $ 3,892 $ 3,404 $ 11,517 $ 10,079
    Cost of net revenues (1) 1,224 1,022 3,587 2,992
    Gross profit 2,668 2,382 7,930 7,087
    Operating expenses:
    Sales and marketing (1) 755 726 2,223 2,120
    Product development (1) 433 389 1,318 1,157
    General and administrative (1) 415 369 1,242 1,131
    Provision for transaction and loan losses 185 148 553 413
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets 81 83 245 251
    Total operating expenses 1,869 1,715 5,581 5,072
    Income from operations 799 667 2,349 2,015
    Interest and other, net 74 5 89 74
    Gain on divested business 118
    Income before income taxes 873 672 2,438 2,207
    Provision for income taxes (184 ) (75 ) (432 ) (348 )
    Net income $ 689 $ 597 $ 2,006 $ 1,859
    Net income per share:
    Basic $ 0.53 $ 0.46 $ 1.55 $ 1.44
    Diluted $ 0.53 $ 0.45 $ 1.53 $ 1.42
    Weighted average shares:
    Basic 1,295 1,292 1,296 1,291
    Diluted 1,310 1,314 1,314 1,311
    (1) Includes stock-based compensation as follows:
    Cost of net revenues $ 9 $ 13 $ 45 $ 41
    Sales and marketing 38 35 112 99
    Product development 42 34 120 101
    General and administrative 51 40 135 119
    $ 140 $ 122 $ 412 $ 360
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
    Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
    2013 2012 2013 2012
    (In millions)
    Cash flows from operating activities:
    Net income $ 689 $ 597 $ 2,006 $ 1,859
    Adjustments:
    Provision for transaction and loan losses 185 148 553 413
    Depreciation and amortization 357 311 1,033 882
    Gain on sale of RueLaLa and ShopRunner (75 ) (75 )
    Gain on divested business (118 )
    Stock-based compensation 140 122 412 360
    Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisition effects 38 (24 ) (647 ) (943 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities 1,334 1,154 3,282 2,453
    Cash flows from investing activities:
    Purchases of property and equipment (317 ) (362 ) (969 ) (961 )
    Changes in principal loans receivable, net (212 ) (180 ) (395 ) (335 )
    Purchases of investments (3,702 ) (126 ) (5,726 ) (1,470 )
    Maturities and sales of investments 912 309 2,710 938
    Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (70 ) (10 ) (85 ) (143 )
    Repayment of Kynetic note receivable and sale of RueLaLa and ShopRunner 485 485
    Proceeds from divested business, net of cash disposed 144
    Other (61 ) (14 ) (77 )
    Net cash used in investing activities (2,904 ) (430 ) (3,994 ) (1,904 )
    Cash flows from financing activities:
    Proceeds from issuance of common stock 57 134 301 359
    Repurchases of common stock (146 ) (47 ) (1,088 ) (642 )
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 19 27 180 95
    Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of restricted stock units and awards (21 ) (20 ) (247 ) (152 )
    Net (repayments) and borrowings under commercial paper program (550 ) (550 )
    Proceeds from the issuance of debt, net of issuance costs 2,976 2,976
    Funds receivable and customer accounts, net (61 ) (511 ) (979 ) (839 )
    Funds payable and amounts due to customers, net 61 511 979 839
    Other (4 ) (4 )
    Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (91 ) 2,516 (854 ) 2,082
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 86 53 29 9
    Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (1,575 ) 3,293 (1,537 ) 2,640
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 6,855 4,038 6,817 4,691
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 5,280 $ 7,331 $ 5,280 $ 7,331
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Summary of Consolidated Net Revenues
    Net Revenues by Type
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    Net transaction revenues (In millions, except percentages)
    Marketplaces $ 1,668 $ 1,637 $ 1,608 $ 1,672 $ 1,490
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 2 % (4 )% 12 % %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 12 % 10 % 13 % 16 % 10 %
    Percent of Marketplaces revenue from international 54 % 55 % 55 % 56 % 55 %
    Payments 1,493 1,475 1,435 1,432 1,264
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 1 % 3 % % 13 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 18 % 20 % 18 % 24 % 22 %
    Percent of Payments revenue from international 56 % 56 % 55 % 56 % 55 %
    Enterprise 185 194 186 333 170
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (5 )% 4 % (44 )% 97 % 3 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 9 % 18 % 2 % 13 % 14 %
    Percent of Enterprise revenue from international 4 % 5 % 5 % 3 % 3 %
    Total net transaction revenues 3,346 3,306 3,229 3,437 2,925
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 1 % 2 % (6 )% 17 % 1 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 14 % 14 % 19 % 15 %
    Marketing services and other revenues
    Marketplaces 359 364 349 378 316
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (1 )% 4 % (8 )% 20 % (2 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 13 % 15 % 15 % 5 %
    Percent of Marketplaces revenue from international 75 % 75 % 75 % 72 % 75 %
    Payments 127 149 113 109 102
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (15 )% 32 % 4 % 7 % (17 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 25 % 21 % 22 % 32 % 37 %
    Percent of Payments revenue from international 3 % 3 % 4 % 5 % 6 %
    Enterprise 53 52 50 65 57
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 4 % (23 )% 14 % %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter (7 )% (9 )% (9 )% (6 )% 4 %
    Percent of Enterprise revenue from international % % % % %
    Corporate and other 14 14 12 12 11
    Total marketing services and other revenues 553 579 524 564 485
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (4 )% 10 % (7 )% 16 % (5 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 13 % 15 % 16 % 13 %
    Elimination of inter-segment net revenue and other (1) (7 ) (8 ) (5 ) $ (9 ) $ (6 )
    Total net revenues $ 3,892 $ 3,877 $ 3,748 $ 3,992 $ 3,404
    Current quarter vs prior quarter % 3 % (6 )% 17 % %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 14 % 14 % 18 % 15 %
    (1) Represents revenue generated between our reportable segments.
    Net Revenues by Geography (1) Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    U.S. net revenues $ 1,873 $ 1,870 $ 1,789 $ 1,949 $ 1,637
    Current quarter vs prior quarter % 5 % (8 )% 19 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 16 % 13 % 17 % 15 %
    Percent of total 48 % 48 % 48 % 49 % 48 %
    International net revenues 2,019 2,007 1,959 2,043 1,767
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 1 % 2 % (4 )% 16 % (1 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 12 % 16 % 19 % 15 %
    Percent of total 52 % 52 % 52 % 51 % 52 %
    Total net revenues $ 3,892 $ 3,877 $ 3,748 $ 3,992 $ 3,404
    Current quarter vs prior quarter % 3 % (6 )% 17 % %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 14 % 14 % 18 % 15 %
    (1) Revenues are attributed to U.S. and international geographies primarily based upon the country in which the seller, payment recipient, customer, website that displays advertising, or other service provider, as the case may be, is located.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited eBay Inc. Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    ECV (1) $ 51,507 $ 50,597 $ 48,795 $ 50,186 $ 42,593
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 4 % (3 %) 18 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 21 % 21 % 19 % N/A N/A
    (1) Represents the total commerce and payment volume across all three business units consisting of Marketplaces GMV, PayPal Merchant Services TPV and Merchandise Sales not earned on eBay or paid for via PayPal or Bill Me Later during the period. Excludes volume transacted through the Magento platform. PayPal Merchant Services TPV is the total dollar volume of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed through our Payments networks, Bill Me Later accounts and Zong during the period, excluding PayPal’s payment gateway business and payments for transactions on our Marketplaces and Enterprise platforms.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Payments Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Active registered accounts (1) 137.4 132.4 127.7 122.7 117.4
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 4 % 4 % 4 % 5 % 4 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 17 % 17 % 16 % 15 % 14 %
    Net number of payments (2) 729.4 700.6 681.6 691.7 589.2
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 4 % 3 % (1 )% 17 % 4 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 24 % 24 % 23 % 26 % 28 %
    Net total payment volume (3) $ 43,837 $ 42,813 $ 41,040 $ 41,471 $ 35,159
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 4 % (1 )% 18 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 25 % 24 % 21 % 24 % 20 %
    On eBay net total payment volume as % of net total payment volume 30 % 30 % 32 % 32 % 33 %
    Merchant Services net total payment volume as % of net total payment volume 70 % 70 % 68 % 68 % 67 %
    Transaction rates
    Take rate 3.70 % 3.79 % 3.77 % 3.72 % 3.89 %
    Transaction expense 1.05 % 1.04 % 1.05 % 1.03 % 1.07 %
    Loss rate 0.30 % 0.31 % 0.29 % 0.28 % 0.30 %
    Transaction margin (4) 63.4 % 64.4 % 64.4 % 64.7 % 64.8 %
    Loan portfolio rates
    Risk adjusted margin (5) 16.1 % 16.2 % 15.8 % 15.6 % 16.5 %
    Net charge-off rate (6) 5.5 % 5.6 % 5.3 % 5.3 % 4.9 %
    90-day delinquency rate (7) 3.2 % 2.7 % 2.7 % 2.7 % 2.9 %
    (1) All registered accounts that successfully sent or received at least one payment or payment reversal through the PayPal system or Bill Me Later accounts that are currently able to transact and that received a statement within the last 12 months.
    (2) Number of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed through our Payments networks, Bill Me Later accounts and Zong during the quarter, excluding PayPal’s payments gateway business.
    (3) Total dollar volume of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed through our Payments networks, Bill Me Later accounts and Zong during the quarter, excluding PayPal’s payment gateway business.
    (4) Transaction margin calculation has been adjusted to include total revenues (including revenue from credit) less transaction expense (including credit cost of funds) less transaction loss (including credit loan losses), divided by global take rate (based on global total revenues divided by total TPV).
    (5) The risk adjusted margin represents the annualized ratio of Bill Me Later revenue, excluding contra-revenue incentives to customers or merchants, less cost of funds, and less net credit and fraud losses relative to average loans receivable for the quarter.
    (6) Net charge-off rate represents the annualized ratio of Bill Me Later net credit losses relative to average loans receivable for the quarter.
    (7) 90-day delinquency rate is the ratio of Bill Me Later end of period account balances that have missed three or more consecutive payments relative to total ending loan receivables.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Marketplaces Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Active Users (1) 123.6 119.7 116.2 112.3 108.3
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 3 % 3 % 3 % 4 % 3 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 14 % 13 % 12 % 10 %
    Gross Merchandise Volume (excluding vehicles) (2) $ 18,360 $ 18,292 $ 18,326 $ 19,105 $ 16,281
    Current quarter vs prior quarter % % (4 )% 17 % 1 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 13 % 13 % 16 % 11 %
    U.S. GMV as % of total GMV 40 % 40 % 40 % 38 % 40 %
    International GMV as % of total GMV 60 % 60 % 60 % 62 % 60 %
    Vehicles Gross Merchandise Volume (3) $ 1,765 $ 1,805 $ 1,686 $ 1,727 $ 1,994
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (2 )% 7 % (2 )% (13 )% (1 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter (11 )% (11 )% (10 )% (7 )% (7 )%
    Fixed Price Trading (4) as % of total gross merchandise volume 71 % 69 % 68 % 68 % 66 %
    eBay’s classifieds websites, brands4friends and Shopping.com are not included in these metrics.
    (1) All users, excluding users of Half.com, StubHub, and our Korean subsidiary, who bid on, bought, listed or sold an item within the previous 12-month period. Users may register more than once, and as a result, may have more than one account.
    (2) Total value of all successfully closed items between users on Marketplaces trading platforms during the quarter, regardless of whether the buyer and seller actually consummated the transaction, excluding vehicles gross merchandise volume.
    (3) Total value of all successfully closed vehicle transactions between users on Marketplaces trading platforms during the quarter, regardless of whether the buyer and seller actually consummated the transaction.
    (4) Primarily, total gross merchandise volume related to eBay’s “Buy It Now” feature on Marketplaces trading platforms relative to total gross merchandise volume during the quarter.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Enterprise Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Merchandise Sales (1) $ 787 $ 815 $ 807 $ 1,595 $ 698
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (3 %) 1 % (49 %) 129 % 4 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 21 % 13 % 17 % 16 %
    (1) Represents the retail value of all sales transactions, inclusive of freight charges and net of allowance for returns and discounts, which flow through our Enterprise Commerce Technologies, whether we record the full amount of such transaction as a product sale or a percentage of such transaction as a service fee.

    eBay Inc.
    Business Outlook
    (In Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

    The guidance figures provided below and elsewhere in this press release are forward-looking statements, reflect a number of estimates, assumptions and other uncertainties, and are approximate in nature because the company’s future performance is difficult to predict. Such guidance is based on information available on the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update it.

    The company’s future performance involves risks and uncertainties, and the company’s actual results could differ materially from the information below and elsewhere in this press release. Some of the factors that could affect the company’s operating results are set forth under the caption “Forward-Looking Statements” above in this press release. More information about factors that could affect the company’s operating results is included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in its most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by visiting the company’s investor relations website at http://investor.ebayinc.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Three Months Ending (a)
    December 31, 2013
    (In millions, except per share amounts) GAAP Non-GAAP (b)
    Net Revenue $4,500 – $4,600 $4,500 – $4,600
    Diluted EPS $0.67 – $0.69 $0.79 – $0.81
    (a) For the three months ending December 31, 2013, the company’s outlook assumes that the pending acquisition of Braintree will close late in the fourth quarter of 2013.
    (b) Estimated non-GAAP amounts above for the three months ending December 31, 2013, reflect adjustments that exclude the estimated amortization of acquired intangible assets of approximately $95-$105 million and estimated stock-based compensation expense and employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation expense of approximately $145-$155 million as well as the related tax impact.

    eBay Inc.
    Non-GAAP Measures of Financial Performance

    To supplement the company’s condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, the company uses non-GAAP measures of certain components of financial performance. These non-GAAP measures include non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP effective tax rate, and free cash flow.

    These non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. In addition, these non-GAAP measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. Non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with the company’s results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. These measures should only be used to evaluate the company’s results of operations in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures.

    Reconciliation to the nearest GAAP measure of all non-GAAP measures included in this press release can be found in the tables included in this press release.

    These non-GAAP measures are provided to enhance investors’ overall understanding of the company’s current financial performance and its prospects for the future. Specifically, the company believes the non-GAAP measures provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain expenses, gains and losses or net purchases of property and equipment, as the case may be, that may not be indicative of its core operating results and business outlook. In addition, because the company has historically reported certain non-GAAP results to investors, the company believes that the inclusion of non-GAAP measures provides consistency in the company’s financial reporting.

    For its internal budgeting process, and as discussed further below, the company’s management uses financial measures that do not include stock-based compensation expense, employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation, amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets, impairment of goodwill, significant gains or losses from the disposal/acquisition of a business, certain gains and losses on investments, restructuring-related charges and the income taxes associated with the foregoing. In addition to the corresponding GAAP measures, the company’s management also uses the foregoing non-GAAP measures in reviewing the financial results of the company.

    The company excludes the following items from non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, non-GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP effective tax rate:

    Stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes. This expense consists of expenses for stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchases. The company excludes stock-based compensation expense from its non-GAAP measures primarily because they are non-cash expenses that management does not believe are reflective of ongoing operating results. The related employer payroll taxes is dependent on the company’s stock price and the timing and size of exercises by employees of their stock options and the vesting of their restricted stock, over which management has limited to no control, and as such management does not believe it correlates to the company’s operation of the business.

    Amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets, impairment of goodwill, significant gains or losses and transaction expenses from the acquisition or disposal of a business and certain gains or losses on investments. The company incurs amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets and goodwill in connection with acquisitions and may incur significant gains or losses from the acquisition or disposal of a business and therefore excludes these amounts from its non-GAAP measures. The company also excludes certain gains and losses on investments. In addition, the company’s results are also impacted by hedge transactions related to unique movements of cash from significant business acquisitions or dispositions. The company excludes the impact of the accretion of a note receivable associated with the disposal of certain businesses. The company excludes these items because management does not believe they correlate to the ongoing operating results of the company’s business.

    Restructuring. These charges consist of expenses for employee severance and other exit and disposal costs. The company excludes significant restructuring charges primarily because management does not believe they are reflective of ongoing operating results.

    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments. This amount is used to present stock-based compensation and the other amounts described above on an after-tax basis consistent with the presentation of non-GAAP net income.

    In addition to the non-GAAP measures discussed above, the company also uses free cash flow. Free cash flow represents operating cash flows less purchases of property and equipment. The company considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business after the purchases of property, buildings, and equipment, which can then be used to, among other things, invest in the company’s business, make strategic acquisitions, and repurchase stock. A limitation of the utility of free cash flow as a measure of financial performance is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in the company’s cash balance for the period.

    eBay Inc.
    Reconciliation of GAAP Operating Margin to Non-GAAP Operating Margin
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, September 30,
    2013 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    GAAP operating income $ 799 $ 667
    Stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes 141 125
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within cost of net revenues 19 20
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within operating expenses 81 83
    Total non-GAAP operating income adjustments 241 228
    Non-GAAP operating income $ 1,040 $ 895
    Non-GAAP operating margin 26.8 % 26.3 %
    Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Net Income and
    GAAP Effective Tax Rate to Non-GAAP Effective Tax Rate
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, September 30,
    2013 2012
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    GAAP income before income taxes $ 873 $ 672
    GAAP provision for income taxes (184 ) (75 )
    GAAP net income $ 689 $ 597
    Non-GAAP adjustments to net income:
    Non-GAAP operating income adjustments (see table above) 241 228
    Accretion of note receivable (5 ) (4 )
    Acquisition related items (2 )
    Amortization of intangibles of investments 2
    Gain on sale of RueLaLa and ShopRunner (75 )
    Gain on divested business
    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments (15 ) (101 )
    Non-GAAP net income $ 837 $ 718
    Diluted net income per share:
    GAAP $ 0.53 $ 0.45
    Non-GAAP $ 0.64 $ 0.55
    Shares used in GAAP and non-GAAP diluted net income per-share calculation 1,310 1,314
    GAAP effective tax rate 21 % 11 %
    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments to net income (2 )% 9 %
    Non-GAAP effective tax rate 19 % 20 %
    Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flow to Free Cash Flow
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, September 30,
    2013 2012
    (In millions)
    Net cash provided by operating activities $1,334 $1,154
    Less: Purchases of property and equipment (317 ) (362 )
    Free cash flow $1,017 $792

     

    eBay Inc.

  • Ugly Painting of Old Lady Bewilders British Couple

    Ugly Painting of Old Lady Bewilders British Couple

    Winchester, England couple Sue and Keith Webb recently received an unexpected package containing an oil painting of an ugly woman. The perplexed couple aren’t very fond of the piece – Keith said, “it’s a painting of such a horrid old crone, my wife won’t have it in the house.”

    The painting arrived in a package with no return address or accompanying note – just a portrait of some old, mean-looking lady in a white headscarf, who looks a bit Gollum-esque.

    The Webbs can’t figure out who might have sent the art. All of their friends denied it, and no relatives passed away recently, so it wasn’t left in a will. “Just curious, very curious to know why and who sent it and what we’ve got to do with it. What we’re supposed to do with it”, said Sue.

    The Royal Mail said had no information on the package, and courier service Parcelforce could only say that it was sent from a WHSmith post office. Keith said, “I tried very hard to find out if there was a delivery instruction, a delivery note inside. There wasn’t, there was nothing. There’s just my name on the, on the packaging…There’s no painter’s initials there at all. There’s nothing there, no title.”

    Fine art auctioneers Andrew Smith & Son appraised the painting at being worth roughly $300-$500. Fine art expert Andrew Smith couldn’t identify the artist, but thinks the painting was made in the early 19th century.

    The Webbs don’t plan to keep the painting, and still have no clue who sent it. Keith said, “I’d really rather like to find if anybody owns it and I want to get rid of it just as soon as possible.” Sue added, “Get rid of it, yes, get rid of it. That’s what I’d like to do.”

    Perhaps DNA testing can be incorporated in solving the identity of the woman in the painting, which could lead to the identity of the person who sent it. The same tactic was recently used on the Mona Lisa. Or, the Webbs could just eBay it, as the work now has a bit of obscure irony-worth.

    Image via BBC News.

  • eBay Buys Digital Marketplace Bureau of Trade

    eBay Buys Digital Marketplace Bureau of Trade

    eBay announced on Friday that it has acquired digital marketplace Bureau of Trade. Founder Michael Phillips Moskowitz will join the eBay Marketplaces team.

    Terms of the deal were not disclosed. eBay says on its blog:

    This year, eBay enhanced its homepage and unveiled a more personal way to shop the site. To continue this focus on tailored shopping experiences, Moskowitz will be helping eBay’s 120 million active users (as of June 30, 2013) discover items that match their individual tastes and preferences.“

    As an influential tastemaker, Michael is perfectly poised to further eBay’s mission of connecting shoppers to the things they need and love,” says Richelle Parham, Chief Marketing Officer for eBay North America, who adds that eBay will benefit from Moskowitz’s perspective of “exceptional goods with a story” in house.

    This comes after news earlier in the week that eBay is acquiring payments platform Braintree, which will be a separate product under PayPal.

    Image: eBay

  • The Heisenberg Mask Bryan Cranston Wore at Comic-Con Is Now on eBay

    The Heisenberg Mask Bryan Cranston Wore at Comic-Con Is Now on eBay

    I’m sure you recall this year’s Comic-Con, where Bryan Cranston did that awesome thing where he put on a lifelike, rubber Heisenberg (Walter White) mask and walked around the floor for a couple of hours. Everybody thought it was just some dude in a really awesome Heisenberg mask, but it was actually Bryan Cranston. How freaking cool was that?

    He finally peeled off the mask and showed the entirely of Comic-Con that nobody can really be Heisenberg other than Bryan Cranston, and you were all fools to think that it would be anyone other than Bryan Cranston under that mask.

    Well, now you can be the one who knocks – you can be the danger. All you have to do is sell your house, car, and a few other personal items before checking out eBay.

    The mask’s creator, Landon Meier, has put it up for sale. Current bid? $31,000 (with over 100 bids!).

    “The Walter White mask is made of ultra-durable, long lasting Dragon Skin© platinum silicone. Landon’s unique pigmenting methods, combined with the translucency of the silicone, makes for a very convincing flesh. All hair is hand punched. This particular mask has been signed by Landon Meier and Bryan Cranston!” he says.

    Is this a really, really cool piece? You’re goddamn right. But most of us don’t have over $30,000 lying around to spend on a mask. Halloween is coming up, however, and you would have the coolest costume at the party by like a factor of a million.

    Image via Landon Meier, eBay

  • eBay Buys Payments Platform Braintree For $800 Million

    eBay Buys Payments Platform Braintree For $800 Million

    eBay announced that it is acquiring payments platform Braintree for about $800 million in cash.

    Braintree powers payments on OpenTable, Airbnb, TaskRabbit and Uber, and will continue to operate as a separate service under PayPal.

    “Braintree is a perfect fit with PayPal,” said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe. “Bill Ready and his team add complementary talent and technology that we believe will help accelerate PayPal’s global leadership in mobile payments. Together, we expect that PayPal and Braintree also will accelerate our leadership in supporting developers who are creating innovative solutions for next generation commerce startups.”

    “PayPal was built on helping entrepreneurs grow great businesses online. I’m thrilled to welcome the Braintree team,” said PayPal President David Marcus. “With this deal I believe that we will accelerate our capabilities for developers, entrepreneurs, merchants and companies that are building the future.”

    “The alignment with PayPal means Braintree can continue to push the boundaries of innovation while expanding into new markets with increased speed and confidence,” said Braintree CEO Bill Ready. “Our current customers and developer community can expect the same level of support and partnership they’ve always enjoyed, coupled with more resources.”

    The companies expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter of this year.

    Braintree was already in the news earlier this week, as Facebook partnered with the company (as well as PayPal and Stripe) on autofill billing info in mobile apps.

    Image: Marcus and Ready (BusinessWire)

  • eBay Launches New Enterprise Commerce Offerings

    eBay Launches New Enterprise Commerce Offerings

    eBay has introduced a new suite of commerce technologies, which is made up of two modules called Exchange Platform and Interfaces & Tools.

    “Retailers and brands understand the importance of having industry-leading capabilities across their entire value chain to support a new retail environment where consumers demand consistent, seamless and personalized experiences anywhere, at any time,” said eBay Enterprise President Chris Saridakis. “We’ve been singularly focused on being a strategic growth partner to our clients, and our new suite of modular commerce technologies will give our clients a competitive edge in this rapidly changing retail landscape.”

    Exchange Platform includes tools for distributed order management, omnichannel inventory management, payment processing, fraud management and advanced reporting. It’s integrated with eBay Enterprise’s marketing solutions and omnichannel operations, and with Magento, Marketplaces and PayPal.

    “The Interfaces & Tools module empowers retailers and brands to build, manage and optimize engaging consumer storefront experiences across all retail interfaces spanning devices, locations, users, geographies and brands,” eBay explains. “The key enabler is the integrated business user toolset that puts a powerful set of capabilities in the hands of marketers, merchandisers and managers, greatly reducing the traditional dependencies on web developers.”

    Interfaces and Tools

    This is all discussed in more detail here.

  • PayPal Could Be On To Something Huge With Beacon

    PayPal Could Be On To Something Huge With Beacon

    It’s hard to tell what’s going to work in the payments space. There have been a lot of interesting ideas over the years, but they haven’t always translated into the revolutionary game-changers that they could.

    PayPal’s new product – Beacon – is one of those interesting ideas, and it could work.

    The company, obviously already accustomed to revolutionizing how people pay for things, makes a pretty compelling case for a hands-free shopping experience.

    Beacon itself is a small device that stores can plug into their power outlets, and it enables shoppers with the PayPal app to pay for their orders without having to wait in line, or in some cases even touching their phones.

    PayPal Beacon

    The device makes use of BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) technology to avoid poor connections and battery drain. The PayPal-enabled phone and device will simply recognize one another when the customer is in the store.

    “Now, instead of finishing a meal at a restaurant by waiting for the server to run your credit card, and then finally return it for your signature, you can simply pay using your PayPal app and leave when you’re ready,” says PayPal President David Marcus. “And, instead of waiting in a line to pick up and pay for your takeout order, you can order ahead through our new app to skip the line altogether.”

    “Consumers will have full control of stores they will want to check in to, those they will want to get prompted to confirm payment for, and stores they will want to enable a complete hands-free experience for,” he explains. “In the latter case, simply walking in a store will trigger a vibration or sound to confirm a successful check in (this happens in milliseconds), your photo will then appear on the screen of the Point-of-Sale system so you can be greeted by name. Paying only requires a verbal confirmation, and you’re done. No wallet. No card. Nothing to do. Not even touching your phone.”

    Any store using a PoS system that is compatible with PayPal can plug in the device and enable this kind of shopping experience. Right now, those compatible include: Booker, Erply, Leaf, Leapset, Micros, NCR, PayPal Here, Revel, ShopKeep, TouchBistro and Vend. According to PayPal, there will be “many more” soon.

    The name Beacon in the tech world has a history of privacy-invading connotation. You may recall Facebook’s Beacon ad technology, which was killed after a privacy-related uproar. PayPal insists its Beacon won’t track users’ locations like other technologies. Users can decline to check in or ignore the prompt that asks them to do so when they enter a store, and no info is transmitted to PayPal or the merchant.

    PayPal is giving developers access to the PayPal mobile in-store API, so they can create self-checkout experiences and other concepts. PayPal is taking idea submissions from developers here. The company will chose 100 developers to get early access to the API and a developer version of the Beacon device before it’s rolled out.

    The company expects to pilot Beacon-enabled shopping experiences in Q4 and roll it out broadly early next year.

  • eBay Launches “Activate Now” Feature To Help Vendors Save

    eBay Launches “Activate Now” Feature To Help Vendors Save

    The popular auction site of eBay is one of the world’s best-known auction sites where millions of people each day visit the site to browse and/or bid on various books, music, collectibles, antiques, and electronics. eBay is great for the person browsing the website, as well as for vendors who can electronically sell their products.

    With their website obtaining so much popularity, it is always best for the eBay company to introduce new features to the website to help keep vendors and browsers coming back to the website. With this in mind, yesterday (September 3rd, 2012), the popular auction website announced the new feature of “Activate Now.” A brief summary of this feature is provided below from eBay’s announcement page.

    “To grant you the ability to control which of your listings have promotions applied to them—and to help us create better and more personalized promotions based on what, when, and how you sell—you’ll begin seeing an ‘Activate now’ button in select promotional emails.”

    This feature was also announced on eBay’s @ebaybusiness Twitter account:

    The “Activate Now” feature communicates to the vendor if activation is required prior to the activation of your account. A promotion can be activated at any time within the period designated by the website. After this has been executed, promotional rates to your products will commence; however, they will not be applied to any products before the selling period.

    According to eBay’s “Special Offer” page, the reasons why this feature was added is explained in the points below.

    • Various vendors have communicated to eBay that they would like the ability of control when their listings have promotions applied to them.
    • eBay will use the information obtained from the “Activate Now” process (what, when, and how) to enhance personalized promotions on their website.

    For frequently asked questions about eBay’s new “Activate Now” feature, please visit the eBay Special Offer page regarding this new feature.

    What do you think about the new “Activate Now” feature for eBay’s vendors? Please leave your response below in this post’s comments section.

    [Image source: eBay Developer’s Program]

  • You Will Soon Be Able To Buy A Firefox OS Smartphone Through eBay

    You Will Soon Be Able To Buy A Firefox OS Smartphone Through eBay

    Have the Firefox OS launches across Europe and South America left you wanting your own alternative mobile OS? Unfortunately for you, Mozilla has yet to announce a solid release date for its new mobile OS in North America, and best estimates put the launch at next year. Worry not, however, as one of Mozilla’s hardware partners is willing to hook you up.

    ZTE announced today that it will start selling an unlocked ZTE Open through eBay for $79.99. The device is one of the first to run Firefox OS, and has recently heralded the arrival of Mozilla’s mobile OS in Spain, Venezuela and Colombia.

    “It is great honor to launch the ZTE Open Firefox OS phone worldwide through eBay,” said Dai Wenhong, VP of ZTE Corporation. “ZTE is devoted to providing more options for customers globally and enabling them to live better lives via advanced technology. The ZTE Open offers customers a smartphone experience at an incredible price point, making it ideal for cost conscious consumers or those looking to upgrade to a smartphone for the first time.”

    The move isn’t just a win for consumers that wan’t an alternative mobile OS, but for developers who until now have only been able to buy the developer version of Firefox OS devices from Geeksphone. With this, developers will be able to test out their Firefox OS-capable HTML5 apps on consumer hardware.

    “Mozilla is dedicated to moving the Web forward as a platform for innovation and building products that people love,” said Dr. Li Gong, Mozilla Senior VP of Mobile Devices. “We are pleased that now we will put the full power of the Web in even more people’s hands. With a great potential user base, we know that even more developers around the world will create their apps with new APIs to stimulate an inspiring new wave of innovation.”

    So, what are you going to get spec wise from the ZTE Open? Well, the $79.99 price tag should already tell you a lot, but here goes: the Open features a 3.5 320×480 display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 single core CPU, 256 MB of RAM, 512 MB of built-in storage, a 3.2MP camera and a 1200 mAh battery. In short, you’re getting what you pay for.

    The ZTE Open isn’t available on eBay just yet, but it will be available to U.S. and UK consumers when it does go live. The device will be unlocked so interested consumers will be able to activate it on any carrier.

    [h/t: Gigaom]

  • Scammer Sells Online iPhone-Shopper Two ‘Apples’

    Scammer Sells Online iPhone-Shopper Two ‘Apples’

    Someone basically pulled the ol’ “Oh, so you want a new Apple for Christmas” dad trick on an unsuspecting online shopper in Brisbane, Australia last week.

    According to police, a 21-year-old woman was shocked to find that the two new Apple iPhones that she bought from a woman she met on an online classifieds site were actually just apples in boxes.

    Apparently, the woman put an ad on Gumtree looking for two new iPhones. When a seller contacted her, the two women met at a local McDonald’s. The buyer paid around $1,500 AUD (a little over $1,300 U.S.) and received what appeared to be two iPhones in their original boxes.

    But when she got home, she discovered that the Apples she had bought were actually just apples.

    “Don’t stay away because most people are doing the right thing, but be smart about what you buy,” said constable Jess Hopkin. “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. It’s really just common sense.”

    These kinds of scams happen all the time, and it’s not just on “shady” websites. Gumtree, the online classifieds site at the heart of this case, surely wouldn’t fall into that category. Not only is Gumtree owned by eBay, but it’s a biggest local classifieds site in both the U.K. and Australia. Gumtree services over 60 cities in 6 countries.

    The point is, you gotta watch out for this stuff. Next time you meet someone at a McDonald’s and hand over $1,300 bucks for two small boxes – you might want to check inside the boxes before you walk away. Just a suggestion.

    [Cult of Mac via Herald Sun]

  • Man Fulfills Odd eBay Request for Pics of Wife’s Feet

    Man Fulfills Odd eBay Request for Pics of Wife’s Feet

    Today, the internet has one truly disappointed foot fetishist.

    Redditor Ferenginar’s wife decided to sell a pair of shoes on eBay, only to be hounded by one potential buyer’s odd requests for photos of her wearing said shoes.

    “Would you be able to take a few pictures wearing the shoes (both shoes)…different angles. Send picture to me in message,” asked our curious eBay user. Though the woman ignored the request, it didn’t stop our foot-seeker from trying. They sent the same message, multiple times over the course of the auction period. And they even sent the message days after the auction had ended.

    Not wanting to leave the photo hunter unsatisfied, Ferenginar decided to hook them up with the next best thing – photos of his feet inside his wife’s shoes.

    “Sorry about the delay,” he wrote. “My wife went out of town after making this listing and you seem like you REALLY want a picture of some feet – so this is the best I can do.”

    (image)

    I doubt that’s what the eBay user had in mind.

    “I will update if the individual responds, but I’ve never posted a comment on a porn video, so I’m not optimistic he’ll get back with me,” says Ferenginar.

    So far, no response.

    Of course, the user could have simply wanted to see the woman’s feet inside the shoes…to see how they looked while actually being worn. Maybe? This is the internet, however, so I’m inclined to subscribe to the foot fetishist theory. When it comes to anonymous eBay requests, I think I’ll just suspect the weirder of any likely explanations until proven otherwise.

  • eBay Launches eBay Now For The Desktop

    eBay Launches eBay Now For The Desktop

    eBay announced today that its local shopping service eBay Now, previously only available in mobile app form, is now launching on the desktop.

    The service lets customers look at products from stores, place an order online, and then have the items delivered to a specified location. eBay says this usually happens within the hour.

    Until now, eBay Now has only been available in San Francisco, New York and San Jose, but it’s expanding into the Bay Area Peninsula, Brooklyn and Queens today, and Chicago and Dallas later this summer. If the service proves to be successful, there’s no reason not to assume they won’t continue to expand into more regions.

    “We are using our mobile leadership to lead in multi-screen,” says Dane Glasgow, VP, Local and Mobile at eBay. “We want to make every screen shoppable, and eBay Now is the latest example of how we’re bringing that to life.”

    According to Glasgow, over half of eBay Now’s orders are made between 9AM and 5PM. In other words, the work day. The company cites research from Forrester indicating that 90% of all shopping is still done in physical stores. Maybe eBay can still change that yet.

    Among the stores taking part in eBay Now are: Target, Best Buy, Auto Zone, Office Depot, Macy’s, Toys ‘R’ Us/Babies ‘R’ Us, Walgreens, GNC, Guitar Center, Urban Outfitters, Radioshack and Home Depot.

  • Schindler’s List (the Actual Thing) Is Now for Sale on eBay

    Schindler’s List (the Actual Thing) Is Now for Sale on eBay

    If you’re a history buff with a few million dollars sitting around, you can buy one of the most famous lists in history – on eBay.

    Schindler’s List, or the List of Schindlerjuden, is now up for auction on the site. No, not the Academy Award-winning film, but the actual list – one of only 4 remaining copies. The bidding starts at $3 million.

    Its sellers, Gary Zimet and Eric Gazin, hope that the final price could hit as high as $5 million.

    “We decided to sell the list on eBay because it has over 100 million worldwide members, and this is a global story,” said Gazin. “There are billionaires using the site, wealthy celebrities. We like the platform.”

    This copy of the list, which is responsible for saving over a thousand Jews during the Holocaust, comes from the family of Itzhak Stern – Oskar Schindler’s accountant and friend.

    “This exceedingly rare original Schindler’s List is the only one ever on the market. It emanates from the family of Itzhak Stern, Schindler’s accountant and right hand man (played by Ben Kingsley in the Academy Award-winning film). There are 3 others known which are in institutional hands. It is 14 pages in length and lists 801 male names, dated April 18, 1945. It is guaranteed authentic,” says the listing.

    Oskar Schindler is credited with saving the lives of at least 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them at his factories, which made enamelware and ammunitions. At first, his connections helped him protect his workers from internment in Nazi concentration camps. But after a while, he could only maintain their safety through bribes. By the end of the war, Schindler had spent most of his money on bribes to protect the Schindlerjuden.

    In 1944, with the help of a Jewish ghetto police officer, his secretary Mietek Pemper, and Stern, Schindler compiled the famous list, which contained 1,200 names of workers he would transport with him to a new factory. The list would ultimately save them from near-certain death.

  • eBay Has A Strong Second Quarter, Pulls In $3.9 Billion In Revenue

    eBay Has A Strong Second Quarter, Pulls In $3.9 Billion In Revenue

    eBay has been doing pretty well for itself over the last few years. It’s latest financial results report doesn’t disappoint as the online auction house has reported another quarter of increased revenue.

    On Wednesday, eBay reported revenue for the second quarter increased by 14 percent to $3.9 billion. It’s net income during the last quarter was $640 million, or $0.49 per share. It also reported that total company Enabled Commerce Volume grew 21 percent last quarter to $51 billion. Its mobile commerce presence is also continuing to grow with eBay saying that downloads of its mobile apps have exceeded 179 million since their introduction in 2008.

    “We had a strong second quarter, with $51 billion of enabled commerce volume across Marketplaces, PayPal and eBay Enterprise driving double-digit revenue and earnings growth,” said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe. “Macroeconomic headwinds in Europe and Korea will continue to be a challenge in the second half of the year. But our core businesses are strong and we continue to attract millions of new customers each quarter through mobile innovation. We remain confident in our ability to meet our goals and drive global commerce innovation and leadership.”

    PayPal is continuing to do well with eBay reporting that its revenue has increased by 20 percent to $1.6 billion. The financial service also gained 4.7 million more subscribers during the quarter for a total of 132 million subscribers.

    eBay Marketplace reportedly had a strong quarter as well with revenue of $2 billion, or an increase of 10 percent. It also gained 3.5 million subscribers during the quarter for a total of 120 million subscribers.

    eBay Enterprise, formerly GSI Commerce, also saw continued growth with $246 million in revenue, or an 11 percent increase. It also boasts that its enterprise clients have seen a 19 percent same stores sales growth.

    Even with the strong showing, eBay share price has declined by almost 4 points. It’s currently trading at $53.41.

    If you prefer your financial information in a more visual format, eBay has condensed its earnings report into a convenient infographic:

    eBay Has A Strong Second Quarter

  • eBay Gives $1000 to Dad Whose Toddler Accidentally Bought a Car, Wins Today’s PR Trophy

    eBay Gives $1000 to Dad Whose Toddler Accidentally Bought a Car, Wins Today’s PR Trophy

    We all know it’s dangerous to give your toddler your smartphone. Beyond the chance that they may just hurl it against a wall or something, you have to assume that all of that random button pushing is going to result in something unwanted.

    Like an old car, maybe? That’s exactly what happened to Paul Stoute. His 14-month-old daughter, Sorella, accidentally purchased a 1962 Austin Healey Sprite with his eBay app. Total cost: $202.50.

    According to KOIN-TV, the Portland, Oregon family is planning on keeping the car. It’s in pretty rough shape ($202.50, so of course) and will take a lot of work to get road-ready. Mr. Stoute says that maybe he’ll fix it up and give it to Sorella for her 16th birthday.

    Cool dad, right?

    “She decided to open the eBay app, and started clicking around and one thing led to another and we own a car,” said Stoute.“I’ve done a lot of body work in the past, like bondo and stuff like that. But this is another realm altogether.”

    Well, it looks like he’s getting a little bit of help – from eBay themselves. The company has pledged to give the family $1000 in gift cards, along with a restoration guide and a toy car for Sorella.

    “We sell more than 11,000 vehicles each week around the world via eBay mobile, but some of those purchases have more unique stories behind them than others,” says eBay. “We plan to stay in touch with Paul and lend our expertise whenever possible.”