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  • eBay Earnings: Revenue Up 18% In Q4, 21% For The Year

    eBay Earnings: Revenue Up 18% In Q4, 21% For The Year

    eBay just reported its earnings for Q4, with an 18% year-over-year increase in revenue, hitting $4 billion for the quarter.

    For the full year, eBay’s revenue increased 21% to $14.1 billion.

    CEO Joe Donahoe said, “We had a great finish to an excellent year, with fourth quarter results exceeding our expectations. eBay Marketplaces in particular had a terrific fourth quarter, with growth in the U.S. accelerating three points, outpacing ecommerce.”

    “Mobile continues to rewrite the commerce playbook, and we continue to be a mobile commerce and payments leader,” he added. “eBay mobile finished the year with $13 billion in volume – more than double the prior year – and PayPal mobile handled almost $14 billion in payment volume, more than triple the prior year. In 2013, we expect each to exceed $20 billion.”

    This week, PayPal announced some big partnerships which will see it become a payent option in thousands of major retail stores throughout the U.S.

    “Web-enabled multichannel commerce is evolving quickly, and consumer shopping behavior is changing rapidly,” said Donahoe. “Our focus is on being a global commerce leader in this new environment, connecting buyers and sellers everywhere, and being a preferred multichannel partner of choice for retailers and brands of all sizes.”

    Here’s the release in its entirety:

    SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– eBay Inc., a global commerce platform and payments leader (NASDAQ:EBAY), today reported that revenue for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2012 increased 18% to $4.0 billion, compared to the same period of 2011. The company reported fourth quarter net income on a GAAP basis of $751 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, and net income on a non-GAAP basis of $927 million, or $0.70 per diluted share. The increase in non-GAAP earnings per diluted share was driven by double digit user growth across the portfolio, strong gains in mobile adoption, and accelerating growth in the company’s Marketplaces business, reflecting a 19% increase in U.S. gross merchandise volume (GMV), excluding vehicles.

    For the full year, revenue increased 21% to $14.1 billion, compared to 2011. The company reported net income on a GAAP basis of $2.6 billion, or $1.99 per diluted share, and net income on a non-GAAP basis of $3.1 billion, or $2.36 per diluted share. eBay Inc. enabled more than $175 billion of commerce volume (ECV) in 2012, representing growth of 18%. ECV is the total commerce and payment volume across all three business units consisting of Marketplaces GMV, PayPal merchant services net total payment volume and GSI global ecommerce (GeC) merchandise sales.

    “We had a great finish to an excellent year, with fourth quarter results exceeding our expectations,” said John Donahoe, eBay Inc. President and CEO. “eBay Marketplaces in particular had a terrific fourth quarter, with growth in the U.S. accelerating three points, outpacing ecommerce.”

    “Mobile continues to rewrite the commerce playbook, and we continue to be a mobile commerce and payments leader,” Donahoe said. “eBay mobile finished the year with $13 billion in volume – more than double the prior year – and PayPal mobile handled almost $14 billion in payment volume, more than triple the prior year. In 2013, we expect each to exceed $20 billion.”

    “Web-enabled multichannel commerce is evolving quickly, and consumer shopping behavior is changing rapidly. Our focus is on being a global commerce leader in this new environment, connecting buyers and sellers everywhere, and being a preferred multichannel partner of choice for retailers and brands of all sizes.”

    The company’s PayPal business continued to expand its leadership position in global payments. PayPal’s active account growth accelerated to 15% and ended the year with approximately 123 million registered accounts. PayPal added nearly 2 million accounts a month in the fourth quarter, representing the company’s fastest active account growth rate in years. Net total payment volume (TPV) increased 24%, producing revenue growth of 24%. Key drivers included continued merchant and consumer adoption coupled with geographic expansion. PayPal’s mobile payment volume reached nearly $14 billion in 2012, up more than 250% over the prior year, as more consumers used their smartphones and tablets to pay online. In addition, PayPal continued to invest in future growth initiatives and made significant progress towards the rollout of its offline payment solutions. Twenty-three major retailers adopted PayPal’s offline payment solutions in 18,000 locations in 2012.

    The company’s Marketplaces business delivered a record $2 billion revenue in the fourth quarter, propelled by strong performance in the U.S. Revenue for the full year was driven by continued investments in the customer experience and efforts to bring the world’s inventory to global buyers. Active user growth accelerated two points to 12%, driven by mobile, site enhancements designed to streamline the shopping experience on eBay and emerging markets. Fixed price GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 21% and contributed to a 16% increase in GMV, excluding vehicles. U.S. GMV growth, excluding vehicles, accelerated three points to 19%. Mobile commerce volume in 2012 grew more than 120% to $13 billion driven primarily by increased adoption ofeBay’s mobile apps and increased engagement from product innovation. eBay’s suite of mobile apps attracted more than 4 million new customers in 2012.

    GSI revenue for the quarter increased 10% to $398 million driven primarily by a 17% increase in GeC merchandise sales. Same store sales grew 19% outpacing ecommerce. For the full year, GSI shipped a record 146 million units for its clients. GSI contributed revenue of $1.1 billion in 2012, as GSI continued to grow its relationships, investing and driving value to its clients through eBay Inc. technology solutions, including mobile app development, buy online and pick up in-store and mobile express checkout.

    Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2012 Financial Highlights (presented in millions, except per share data and percentages)
    Fourth Quarter Full Year
    2012 2011 Change 2012 2011 Change
    GAAP
    Net revenue $3,992 $3,380 $612 18% $14,072 $11,652 $2,420 21%
    Net income* $751 $1,980 $(1,229) (62%) $2,609 $3,229 $(620) (19)%
    Earnings per diluted share $0.57 $1.51 $(0.94) (62%) $1.99 $2.46 $(0.47) (19)%
    Non-GAAP
    Net income $927 $789 $138 17% $3,100 $2,667 $433 16%
    Earnings per diluted share $0.70 $0.60 $0.10 17% $2.36 $2.03 $0.33 16%
     
    Fourth Quarter Full Year
    2012 2011 Change 2012 2011 Change
    Business Units
    Payments
    Net revenue $1,541 $1,240 $301 24% $5,574 $4,412 $1,162 26%
    Net total payment volume $41,471 $33,372 $8,099 24% $144,937 $118,758 $26,179 22%
    Merchant Services $28,026 $21,959 $6,067 28% $97,277 $77,700 $19,577 25%
    On eBay $13,444 $11,413 $2,031 18% $47,660 $41,058 $6,602 16%
    Marketplaces
    Net revenue $2,050 $1,772 $278 16% $7,398 $6,642 $756 11%
    Gross merchandise volume (excl. vehicles) $19,105 $16,490 $2,615 16% $67,763 $60,332 $7,431 12%
    U.S. $7,338 $6,157 $1,181 19% $26,424 $22,866 $3,558 16%
    International $11,767 $10,333 $1,434 14% $41,339 $37,466 $3,873 10%
    GSI
    Net revenue** $398 $364 $34 10% $1,083 $590 N/A N/A
    GeC Merchandise Sales $1,595 $1,362 $233 17% $3,682 $2,046 N/A N/A

    * GAAP net income for the fourth quarter of 2011 reflects the gain on the sale of the company’s remaining investment in Skype.
    ** Full year 2011 results reflect net revenue attributable to the GSI segment for the period from June 17, 2011(the date that the acquisition was completed) through December 31, 2011.

    Other Selected Financial Results

    • Operating margin — GAAP operating margin decreased to 21.9% for the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to 22.3% for the same period last year. Non-GAAP operating margin decreased to 28.5% for the quarter, compared to 28.7% for the same period last year. The decrease in GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP operating margin was due primarily to the impact of acquisitions and business mix.
    • Taxes — The GAAP effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2012 was 14%, compared to 19% for the fourth quarter of 2011. For the fourth quarter of 2012, the non-GAAP effective tax rate was 18% compared to 20% for the fourth quarter of 2011. The decrease in the GAAP effective tax rate was due primarily to U.S. taxes on the sale of the remaining equity interest in Skype in the fourth quarter of 2011.
    • Cash flow — The company generated $1.4 billion of operating cash flow and $1.1 billion of free cash flow during the fourth quarter. For the full year the company generated $3.8 billion of operating cash flow and$2.6 billion of free cash flow.
    • Stock repurchase program — The company repurchased approximately $256 million of its common stock in the fourth quarter.
    • Cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments — The company’s cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments portfolio totaled $11.5 billion at December 31, 2012.
    • PayPal customer balances — The company now holds PayPal U.S. customer balances directly, rather than as a custodian for its customers. As a result, PayPal U.S. customer balances and the associated customer liability are now reflected on the company’s consolidated balance sheet, contributing to the $8.1 billionbalance in funds receivable and customer accounts at December 31, 2012.
    • Restructuring — The company incurred restructuring charges of $31 million during the fourth quarter of 2012 related to work force reductions designed to simplify and streamline its organization and strengthen the overall competitiveness of its existing businesses.

    Business Outlook

    • First quarter 2013 — eBay expects net revenues in the range of $3,650 – $3,750 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.48 – $0.50 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of$0.60 – $0.62.
    • Full year 2013 — eBay expects net revenues in the range of $16,000 – $16,500 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $2.23 – $2.29 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of$2.70 – $2.75.

    Quarterly Conference Call

    eBay Inc. will host a conference call to discuss fourth quarter and full year 2012 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.

    About eBay Inc.

    Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is a global commerce platform and payments leader connecting millions of buyers and sellers. 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 GSI, which facilitates ecommerce, multichannel retailing and digital marketing for global enterprises. X.commerce harnesses the developer community of Magento, an ecommerce platform, by providing technology solutions and eBay Inc. capabilities to merchants of all sizes, supporting eBay Inc.’s mission of enabling commerce. 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, visitwww.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 theSecurities and Exchange Commission, or 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 or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. 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 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 first quarter and full year 2013, and the future growth in the Payments, Marketplaces and GSI 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 European or general economic downturn or crisis and any conditions that affect ecommerce growth; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the company’s ability to profitably integrate, manage and grow businesses that have been acquired recently or may be acquired in the future; 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 systems, infrastructure and customer service capabilities, including GSI’s v.11 initiative, at reasonable cost; and 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. 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 athttp://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 release, which are based on information available to the company on the date hereof. eBay assumes no obligation to update such statements.

    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
    December 31, December 31,
    2012 2011
    (In millions)
    ASSETS
    Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 6,817 $ 4,691
    Short-term investments 2,591 1,238
    Accounts receivable, net 822 682
    Loans and interest receivable, net 2,160 1,501
    Funds receivable and customer accounts 8,094 3,968
    Other current assets 1,099 581
    Total current assets 21,583 12,661
    Long-term investments 3,044 2,453
    Property and equipment, net 2,491 1,986
    Goodwill 8,537 8,365
    Intangible assets, net 1,128 1,406
    Other assets 491 449
    Total assets $ 37,274 $ 27,320
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    Current liabilities:
    Short-term debt $ 413 $ 565
    Accounts payable 301 282
    Funds payable and amounts due to customers 8,094 3,968
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 2,058 1,511
    Deferred revenue 137 110
    Income taxes payable 63 298
    Total current liabilities 11,066 6,734
    Deferred and other tax liabilities, net 1,020 1,073
    Long-term debt 4,106 1,525
    Other liabilities 207 58
    Total liabilities 16,399 9,390
    Total stockholders’ equity 20,875 17,930
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 37,274 $ 27,320
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income
    Three Months Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    Net revenues $ 3,992 $ 3,380 $ 14,072 $ 11,652
    Cost of net revenues (1) 1,223 1,034 4,216 3,461
    Gross profit 2,769 2,346 9,856 8,191
    Operating expenses:
    Sales and marketing (1) 793 672 2,913 2,435
    Product development (1) 416 344 1,573 1,235
    General and administrative (1) 435 346 1,567 1,364
    Provision for transaction and loan losses 168 145 580 517
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets 83 85 335 267
    Total operating expenses 1,895 1,592 6,968 5,818
    Income from operations 874 754 2,888 2,373
    Interest and other income (expense), net 3 1,682 196 1,537
    Income before income taxes 877 2,436 3,084 3,910
    Provision for income taxes (126 ) (456 ) (475 ) (681 )
    Net income $ 751 $ 1,980 $ 2,609 $ 3,229
    Net income per share:
    Basic $ 0.58 $ 1.54 $ 2.02 $ 2.50
    Diluted $ 0.57 $ 1.51 $ 1.99 $ 2.46
    Weighted average shares:
    Basic 1,294 1,289 1,292 1,293
    Diluted 1,318 1,308 1,313 1,313
    (1) Includes stock-based compensation as follows:
    Cost of net revenues $ 13 $ 13 $ 55 $ 56
    Sales and marketing 36 31 135 132
    Product development 37 32 138 123
    General and administrative 41 35 160 147
    $ 127 $ 111 $ 488 $ 458
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
    Three Months Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (In millions)
    Cash flows from operating activities:
    Net income $ 751 $ 1,980 $ 2,609 $ 3,229
    Adjustments:
    Provision for transaction and loan losses 168 145 580 517
    Depreciation and amortization 319 273 1,200 940
    Stock-based compensation 127 111 488 458
    Investment gain/loss, net 9 (1,667 ) 37 (1,485 )
    Gain on divested businesses (118 )
    Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisition effects 12 141 (958 ) (385 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities 1,386 983 3,838 3,274
    Cash flows from investing activities:
    Purchases of property and equipment, net (296 ) (292 ) (1,257 ) (963 )
    Changes in principal loans receivable, net (392 ) (332 ) (727 ) (587 )
    Purchases of investments (1,658 ) (407 ) (3,128 ) (2,290 )
    Maturities and sales of investments 483 298 1,421 1,596
    Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (68 ) (143 ) (3,223 )
    Proceeds from the sale of Skype 2,269 2,269
    Proceeds from divested business, net of cash disposed 144
    Other 4 (7 ) (73 ) (109 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (1,859 ) 1,461 (3,763 ) (3,307 )
    Cash flows from financing activities:
    Proceeds from issuance of common stock 124 54 483 242
    Repurchases of common stock (256 ) (250 ) (898 ) (1,064 )
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 35 14 130 80
    Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of restricted stock awards and units (34 ) (16 ) (186 ) (147 )
    Net borrowings (repayments) under commercial paper program (450 ) (550 ) 250
    Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 2,976
    Repayment of acquired debt (199 )
    Funds receivable and customer accounts (3,288 ) (672 ) (4,127 ) (1,369 )
    Funds payable and amounts due to customers 3,288 672 4,127 1,369
    Other (4 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (131 ) (648 ) 1,951 (838 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 90 (104 ) 100 (15 )
    Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (514 ) 1,692 2,126 (886 )
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 7,331 2,999 4,691 5,577
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 6,817 $ 4,691 $ 6,817 $ 4,691
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Summary of Consolidated Net Revenues
    Net Revenues by Type
    Three Months Ended
    December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31,
    2012 2012 2012 2012 2011
    Net transaction revenues (In millions, except percentages)
    Marketplaces $ 1,672 $ 1,490 $ 1,491 $ 1,425 $ 1,443
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 12 % 5 % (1 )% 7 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 16 % 10 % 10 % 11 % 15 %
    Percent of Marketplaces revenue from international 56 % 55 % 57 % 55 % 57 %
    Payments 1,432 1,264 1,234 1,216 1,157
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 13 % 2 % 1 % 5 % 12 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 24 % 22 % 25 % 29 % 25 %
    Percent of Payments revenue from international 56 % 55 % 55 % 54 % 55 %
    GSI 333 170 164 182 295
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 97 % 3 % (10 )% (38 )% 99 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 14 % N/A N/A N/A
    Percent of GSI revenue from international 3 % 3 % 4 % 4 % 3 %
    Total net transaction revenues 3,437 2,925 2,889 2,823 2,895
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 17 % 1 % 2 % (2 )% 14 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 19 % 15 % 23 % 27 % 32 %
    Marketing services and other revenues
    Marketplaces 378 316 323 303 329
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 20 % (2 )% 7 % (8 )% 10 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 5 % 3 % 13 % 24 %
    Percent of Marketplaces revenue from international 72 % 75 % 74 % 75 % 72 %
    Payments 109 102 123 93 83
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 7 % (17 )% 32 % 12 % 12 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 32 % 37 % 50 % 87 % 84 %
    Percent of Payments revenue from international 17 % 15 % 11 % 15 % 17 %
    GSI 65 57 57 55 68
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 14 % 3 % (19 )% 26 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter (6 )% 4 % N/A N/A N/A
    Percent of GSI revenue from international
    Corporate and other 12 11 10 6 5
    Total marketing services and other revenues 564 485 513 457 485
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 16 % (5 )% 12 % (6 )% 13 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 16 % 13 % 27 % 43 % 56 %
    Elimination of inter-segment net revenue and other (1) (9 ) (6 ) (4 ) (3 ) N/A
    Total net revenues $ 3,992 $ 3,404 $ 3,398 $ 3,277 $ 3,380
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 17 % 4 % (3 )% 14 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 18 % 15 % 23 % 29 % 35 %
    (1) Represents revenue generated between our reportable segments.
    Net Revenues by Geography (1) Three Months Ended
    December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31,
    2012 2012 2012 2012 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    U.S. net revenues $ 1,949 $ 1,637 $ 1,611 $ 1,581 $ 1,665
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 19 % 2 % 2 % (5 )% 17 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 17 % 15 % 29 % 39 % 49 %
    Percent of total 49 % 48 % 47 % 48 % 49 %
    International net revenues 2,043 1,767 1,787 1,696 1,715
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 16 % (1 )% 5 % (1 )% 12 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 19 % 15 % 18 % 21 % 25 %
    Percent of total 51 % 52 % 53 % 52 % 51 %
    Total net revenues $ 3,992 $ 3,404 $ 3,398 $ 3,277 $ 3,380
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 17 % 4 % (3 )% 14 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 18 % 15 % 23 % 29 % 35 %
    (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 Payments Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31,
    2012 2012 2012 2012 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Active registered accounts (1) 122.7 117.4 113.2 109.8 106.3
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 5 % 4 % 3 % 3 % 3 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 14 % 13 % 12 % 13 %
    Net number of payments (2) 691.7 589.2 564.8 555.7 548.1
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 17 % 4 % 2 % 1 % 19 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 26 % 28 % 31 % 31 % 30 %
    Net total payment volume (3) $ 41,471 $ 35,159 $ 34,451 $ 33,857 $ 33,372
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 18 % 2 % 2 % 1 % 14 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 24 % 20 % 20 % 24 % 24 %
    Merchant Services net total payment volume as % of net total payment volume 68 % 67 % 67 % 66 % 66 %
    Transaction rates
    Take rate 3.72 % 3.89 % 3.94 % 3.87 % 3.71 %
    Transaction expense 1.03 % 1.07 % 1.07 % 1.07 % 1.04 %
    Loss rate 0.28 % 0.30 % 0.26 % 0.26 % 0.27 %
    Transaction margin (4) 64.7 % 64.8 % 66.3 % 65.6 % 64.8 %
    Loan portfolio rates
    Risk adjusted margin (5) 15.6 % 16.5 % 15.5 % 16.8 % 16.9 %
    Net charge-off rate (6) 5.3 % 4.9 % 4.6 % 4.5 % 4.4 %
    90-day delinquency rate (7) 2.7 % 2.9 % 2.5 % 2.4 % 2.4 %
    (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 and Zong, excluding PayPal’s payments gateway business, and on Bill Me Later accounts during the quarter.
    (3) Total dollar volume of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed through our Payments networks and Zong, excluding PayPal’s payment gateway business, and on Bill Me Later accounts during the period.
    (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 eBay Marketplaces Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31,
    2012 2012 2012 2012 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Active Users (1) 112.3 108.3 104.8 102.4 100.4
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 4 % 3 % 2 % 2 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 12 % 10 % 8 % 7 % 6 %
    Gross Merchandise Volume (excluding vehicles) (2) $ 19,105 $ 16,281 $ 16,171 $ 16,206 $ 16,490
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 17 % 1 % (2 )% 12 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 16 % 11 % 10 % 12 % 10 %
    Vehicles Gross Merchandise Volume (3) $ 1,727 $ 1,994 $ 2,021 $ 1,871 $ 1,864
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (13 )% (1 )% 8 % (13 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter (7 )% (7 )% (10 )% (9 )% (3 )%
    Fixed Price Trading (4) as % of total gross merchandise volume 68 % 66 % 65 % 64 % 64 %
    eBay’s classifieds websites and Shopping.com are not included in these metrics.
    (1) All users, excluding users of Half.com, StubHub, and our Korean subsidiaries (Gmarket and eBayAuction Co.), 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 eBay 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 eBay 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 eBay Marketplaces trading platforms relative to total gross merchandise volume during the quarter.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited GSI Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31,
    2012 2012 2012 2012 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    GeC Merchandise Sales (1) $ 1,595 $ 698 $ 674 $ 715 $ 1,362
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 129 % 4 % (6 )% (48 )% 127 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 17 % 16 % N/A N/A N/A
    (1) Represents the retail value of all sales transactions, inclusive of freight charges and net of allowance for returns and discounts, which flow through the GSI ecommerce services platform, 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 eBay’s future performance is difficult to predict. Such guidance is based on information available on the date of this press release, and eBay assumes no obligation to update it.

    eBay’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 eBay’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 athttp://investor.ebayinc.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Three Months Ended
    March 31, 2013
    (In millions, except per share amounts) GAAP Non-GAAP (a)
    Net Revenue $3,650 – $3,750 $3,650 – $3,750
    Diluted EPS $0.48 – $0.50 $0.60 – $0.62
    Twelve Months Ended
    December 31, 2013
    (In millions, except per share amounts) GAAP Non-GAAP (b)
    Net Revenue $16,000 – $16,500 $16,000 – $16,500
    Diluted EPS $2.23 – $2.29 $2.70 – $2.75
    (a) Estimated non-GAAP amounts above for the three months ending March 31, 2013, reflect adjustments that exclude the estimated amortization of acquired intangible assets of approximately $95-$105 million, estimated stock-based compensation expense and employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation expense of approximately $130-$140 million and the accretion of a note receivable of approximately $5 million as well as the related tax impact.
    (b) Estimated non-GAAP amounts above for the twelve months ending December 31, 2013, reflect adjustments that exclude the estimated amortization of acquired intangible assets of approximately$380-$400 million, estimated stock-based compensation expense and employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation expense of approximately $560-$600 million and the accretion of a note receivable of approximately $20 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, eBay 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 eBay’s results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. These measures should only be used to evaluate eBay’sresults 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 the company’s 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 eBay 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, eBay’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, restructuring-related charges and the income taxes associated with the foregoing. In addition to the corresponding GAAP measures, eBay’s management also uses the foregoing non-GAAP measures in reviewing the financial results of eBay.

    eBay 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. eBay 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. eBay also previously excluded its proportionate share of Skype’s stock-based compensation expense. The related employer payroll taxes is dependent on eBay’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 eBay’s operation of the business.

    Amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets, impairment of goodwill and significant gains or losses and transaction expenses from the acquisition or disposal of a business. eBay 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. eBay also previously excluded its proportionate share of Skype’samortization of acquired intangibles expense. eBay also settled a legal exposure in conjunction with the acquisition of a business and excludes this settlement payment. In addition, eBay’s results are also impacted by hedge transactions related to unique movements of cash from significant business acquisitions or dispositions. eBay excludes the impact of the accretion of a note receivable associated with the disposal of certain businesses. eBay excludes these items because management does not believe they correlate to the ongoing operating results of eBay’s business.

    Restructuring. These charges consist of expenses for employee severance and other exit and disposal costs. eBay 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, eBay also uses free cash flow. Free cash flow represents operating cash flows less net purchases of property and equipment. eBay 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 eBay’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 Year Ended
    December 31, December 31, December 31, December 31,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    GAAP operating income $ 874 $ 754 $ 2,888 $ 2,373
    Stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes 130 112 509 475
    Acquisition related transaction expenses 1 58
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within cost of net revenues 18 20 78 61
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within operating expenses 83 85 335 267
    Restructuring 31 31
    Total non-GAAP operating income adjustments 262 218 953 861
    Non-GAAP operating income $ 1,136 $ 972 $ 3,841 $ 3,234
    Non-GAAP operating margin 28.5 % 28.7 % 27.3 % 27.8 %
    Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Net Income and
    GAAP Effective Tax Rate to Non-GAAP Effective Tax Rate
    Three Months Ended Year Ended
    December 31, December 31, December 31, December 31,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    GAAP income before income taxes $ 877 $ 2,436 $ 3,084 $ 3,910
    GAAP provision for income taxes (126 ) (456 ) (475 ) (681 )
    GAAP net income $ 751 $ 1,980 $ 2,609 $ 3,229
    Non-GAAP adjustments to net income:
    Non-GAAP operating income adjustments (see table above) 262 218 953 861
    Accretion of note receivable (4 ) (4 ) (23 ) (8 )
    Acquisition related items (1 ) 2 (73 )
    Amortization of intangibles and stock-based compensation for Skype 43
    Sale of Skype and transaction related items (1,664 ) (2 ) (1,664 )
    (Gain) Loss on divested business (118 ) 256
    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments (81 ) 259 (321 ) 23
    Non-GAAP net income $ 927 $ 789 $ 3,100 $ 2,667
    Diluted net income per share:
    GAAP $ 0.57 $ 1.51 $ 1.99 $ 2.46
    Non-GAAP $ 0.70 $ 0.60 $ 2.36 $ 2.03
    Shares used in GAAP and non-GAAP diluted net income per-share calculation 1,318 1,308 1,313 1,313
    GAAP effective tax rate 14 % 19 % 15 % 17 %
    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments to net income 4 % 1 % 5 % 3 %
    Non-GAAP effective tax rate 18 % 20 % 20 % 20 %
    Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flow to Free Cash Flow
    Three Months Ended Year Ended
    December 31, December 31, December 31, December 31,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (In millions)
    Net cash provided by operating activities $ 1,386 $ 983 $ 3,838 $ 3,274
    Less: Purchases of property and equipment, net (296 ) (292 ) (1,257 ) (963 )
    Free cash flow $ 1,090 $ 691 $ 2,581 $ 2,311

     

    eBay Inc.

  • eBay Reportedly Testing New Offline Selling Options

    eBay Reportedly Testing New Offline Selling Options

    Last year, eBay began testing a same-day shipping service called eBay Now in San Francisco. Merchants in the test group were able to offer the service to customers for $5.

    eBay reportedly also has some other interesting options in pilot phase. All Things D’s Tricia Duryee spoke with several eBay execs about a handful of tests the company is running including eBay Now.

    One of the tests lets would be sellers have eBay employees come to their homes to pick up items and deliver them to “experts” who will then attempt to sell the items for a 25% cut of the selling price. Duryee’s report shows a picture of an eBay van (complete with new logo) that says “Selling Assistant” and “We pick up. Your stuff sells. You get paid.”

    The third test reportedly lets sellers drop off clothes and electronics at mall kiosks.

    eBay says it needs to “innovate at a quicker pace,” and that it “can’t get complacent” in the space, and one trend in online shopping, interestingly, is moving to more offline options.

    For example, Amazon is offering lockers in some places, where consumers can pick up their orders at nearby stores. Likewise, Google recently acquired BufferBox, a provider of similar lockers.

  • Mom Reduces 8-Year-Old to Snotty Mess by Telling Him He Accidentally Bought $50K Mustang on eBay

    Mom Reduces 8-Year-Old to Snotty Mess by Telling Him He Accidentally Bought $50K Mustang on eBay

    Kids and technology occasionally run up against each other in unpredictable or dangerous ways. Kids and technology that is linked to your bank account – now that’s danger on a whole other level.

    So what do you do when your kid almost buys an expensive car on eBay?

    Tell him he really did buy it and reduce him to tears, of course. That’ll teach him.

  • Ding Dongs And Twinkies Are Now Collector’s Items On eBay

    Ding Dongs And Twinkies Are Now Collector’s Items On eBay

    You may have read the news this morning that Hostess is shutting down after decades of making Twinkies, Ho Hos, Ding Dongs and other assorted snacks. It’s sad to lose such an iconic company and the associated jobs, but some folks on eBay are already trying to make a profit off the idea that Twinkies will be no more.

    A quick search on eBay for Twinkies will bring up numerous sellers all offering the “last box of Twinkies ever.” The asking price for a single box has been fluctuating between $10 and $100 for the past few hours.

    (image)

    Twinkies aren’t the only Hostess snack cake that eBay sellers are hoping terrified Hostess fans will buy up. Searches for Ding Dongs, Zingers, Ho Hos, and Cup Cakes bring up multiple listings.

    I would err on the side of caution when it comes to buying these products. The Twinkie may very well be dead and gone, but Hostess is selling all of its recipes in a liquidation sale. We’re probably going to see the Hostess brand and its products resurrected under a new company.

  • PayPal Announces Holiday Price Match, Return Shipping

    PayPal Announces Holiday Price Match, Return Shipping

    PayPal announced today that it will be offering holiday promotions for the first time, through the end of the year. These include price matching, “bill me later,” and return shipping courtesy of PayPal.

    “Pay with PayPal and get the lowest price using our Price Matching offer,” says PayPal “shopping specialist” Claudia Lombana. “If the item you purchase is advertised for lower with any merchant within 30 days of purchase, you can receive a reimbursement for the difference. It doesn’t matter if you bought the item online, in a store or a new item from eBay’s Top-rated sellers using “Buy It Now”. And get this – even airline tickets from the same carrier that drop in price within seven days of your purchase are eligible for price match!”

    The price matching is limited to up to $1,000 and $250 per item. It also doesn’t apply to advertisements of cash-only sales, closeout sales, flea markets, fire sales, going-out-of-business sales, limited-quantity promotions, door busters, Auction sales, sales valid for less than one day, or liquidation sales. You can read the full terms here (pdf).

    “If you change your mind about a gift you purchased within 30 days and the merchant accepts returns but doesn’t cover return shipping, feel free to return it with our complimentary return shipping,” says Lombana. “We’ll send you a pre-paid shipping label within five days after you file your claim or we’ll refund the return shipping cost you already paid directly to your PayPal account.”

    There is a $100 limited on this, and $25 per item. Again, there are some restrictions, such as animals, living plants, boats, automobiles, aircrafts and other vehicle related equipment, cash, bullion, computer software, and various other things. Again, see the terms here (pdf).

  • You Can Donate to Hurricane Sandy Relief Through eBay, PayPal

    You Can Donate to Hurricane Sandy Relief Through eBay, PayPal

    As the Americans hit hardest by this week’s superstorm begin the long, arduous cleanup process – they’re going to need all the help they can get. Since most of us can’t physically help them pick up the pieces, monetary donations to charities that can do that are the preferred method of aid.

    And now you can help with the relief effort using eBay and PayPal.

    eBay has set up a dedicated Hurricane Sandy page where users can browse items that benefits Sandy-related charities. Here’s how it works, according to a blog post:

    “EBay Giving Works has launched a dedicated Hurricane Sandy site, where shoppers can buy products marked with a yellow-and-blue ribbon. The icon indicates that anywhere from 10% to 100% of that item’s final sale price, as designated by the seller, will go to one of a dozen charities or organizations working in the affected areas, such as the American Red Cross. EBay will credit seller fees in proportion to the amount the seller donates per completed transaction, with 100% of proceeds delivered to designated nonprofits.”

    On the relief page, featured items are marked with exactly how much of the price will go to charity and each item details which charity will be receiving the funds. As of right now, the American Red Cross has the most listings benefitting them, with over 10,000. Other charities like The Humane Society, WorldVision, and the Salvation Army also have thousands of listings.

    If you’re not interested in making a purchase or selling an item for charity and you simply want to make a donation, you can do so on the hub using PayPal.

    “First and foremost, our thoughts are with those that have felt the devastation caused by this storm, including our employees, our users and our partners,” says Sean Miliken, eBay Inc. Director of Nonprofits Strategy. “We are continuously inspired and humbled by the generosity of the eBay and PayPal communities. When the need is greatest, they have proven time-and-again that individual acts of kindness of many can be a powerful force for good.”

    Starting today, you can also make a donation using iTunes.

  • PayPal Cutting Jobs, Following Up On Previously Announced Reorganization Plans

    PayPal Cutting Jobs, Following Up On Previously Announced Reorganization Plans

    There have been reports about PayPal laying off part of its staff, and now the company has come out and confirmed 325 layoffs in a blog post.

    The post points to another post from June, when President David Marcus discussed consolidating PayPal’s product groups into a central global product organization led by Hill Ferguson, who was previously in charge of PayPal’s mobile division. In that post, Marcus told readers to expect to see more results of the changes over the next few months.

    Some of those changes are being felt today.

    “Unfortunately, making the right decisions on behalf of our customers meant we had to make some very tough decisions inside our company,” Macrus wrote in today’s post. “This morning we informed approximately 325 full time employees, primarily in our product and technology organizations, that their roles are being eliminated. We also are ending contracts with approximately 120 contractors globally.”

    “While PayPal is strong and performing well, making decisions that impact our employees was hard,” Marcus adds. “So this is a difficult day at PayPal. These are good people, good friends and colleagues, who have played a role in creating PayPal’s strong global leadership position today. We appreciate all the contributions that they have made. And they are being treated with fairness and dignity, consistent with our culture and values.”

    PayPal parent eBay reported its Q3 earnings earlier this month, including a 15% year-over-year increase in revenue and strong performance from PayPal, which on its own saw a 23% year-over-year revenue increase (and a 14% year-over-year increase in active registered accounts, putting the number at 117.4 million).

  • Print FedEx Labels Right From eBay

    Print FedEx Labels Right From eBay

    eBay announced that it is enabling sellers to print FedEx labels through its single label printing flow from My eBay. The company launched the program to a limited number of sellers in a pilot, but it will be fully available to all sellers in the first quarter of next year.

    “Adding FedEx to eBay Labels gives you another reputable, reliable shipping service to offer your buyers and a convenient way to ship with this in-demand carrier,” the company said.

    “We’ve been asking sellers to meet buyer expectations of free shipping and tracking,” Carl Gish, Vice President of shipping, told Bloomberg. “It’s something our sellers have been asking for for a while, given that we have USPS and UPS. FedEx, as a major player in that space, is clearly a great partner for both our buyers and sellers.”

    With the feature, eBay will let you choose from a variety of FedEx service options (Priority Overnight, Standard Overnight, 2-Day, Express Saver, Ground, or Home Delivery).

    You can also get free tracking info uploaded automatically, and eBay offers volume discount rates for up to 37%.

  • eBay Reports Q3 Earnings: Revenue Up 15% YoY

    eBay Reports Q3 Earnings: Revenue Up 15% YoY

    eBay reported its Q3 earnings on Wednesday. The financials come a week after the company launched a big redesign to its flagship site.

    The company posted revenue of $3.4 billion for the quarter, up 15% year-over-year. Net income on a GAAP basis was $597 million, while non-GAAP net income was $718 million. GAAP and non-GAAP net income were up 22% and 14%, respectively, year-over-year. eBay attributes this primarily to strong top-line growth.

    CEO John Donahoe said, “We had a great third quarter across our company, with Marketplaces and PayPal accelerating customer growth. Mobile continues to be a game changer for us, and we continue to be a clear leader in mobile commerce and payments. With our strong portfolio and global reach, we are consistently demonstrating our capabilities to help consumers shop anytime, anywhere. And we are enabling retailers of all sizes to compete in a rapidly evolving, multichannel commerce environment.”

    The company notes that PayPal delivered a strong Q3 performance, and is up to 117.4 million active registered accounts (a 14% year-over-year increase). PayPal revenue also increased 23% year-over-year.

    Here’s the release in its entirety:

    SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– eBay Inc., a global commerce platform and payments company (Nasdaq: EBAY), today reported that revenue for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012 increased 15% to $3.4 billion, compared to the same period of 2011. The company reported third quarter net income on a GAAP basis of $597 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, and non-GAAP net income of $718 million, or $0.55 per diluted share. GAAP and non-GAAP net income were up 22% and 14%, respectively, year over year due primarily to strong top-line growth. Segment margin in each of our three business segments expanded on a year-over-year basis.

    “We had a great third quarter across our company, with Marketplaces and PayPal accelerating customer growth,” said John Donahoe, eBay Inc. President and CEO. “Mobile continues to be a game changer for us, and we continue to be a clear leader in mobile commerce and payments. With our strong portfolio and global reach, we are consistently demonstrating our capabilities to help consumers shop anytime, anywhere. And we are enabling retailers of all sizes to compete in a rapidly evolving, multichannel commerce environment.”

    PayPal delivered a strong third quarter performance. It ended the quarter with 117.4 million active registered accounts, a 14% increase over the third quarter of 2011. Revenue increased 23% year over year and net total payment volume (TPV) grew 20% year over year to $35.2 billion. PayPal continues to innovate on a global scale while expanding its addressable market to offline. PayPal’s offline initiative is following a three-pronged approach: soliciting direct merchant relationships; partnering with Discover to access its 7 million retail locations in the United States; and using a direct and indirect approach to distribute its small business payment solution, PayPal Here, both domestically and internationally.

    Marketplaces delivered another strong quarter with accelerating user growth. Gross merchandise volume (GMV), excluding vehicles, increased 11% year over year to $16 billion in the third quarter of 2012. Marketplaces revenue increased 9% year over year, driven by strong growth in the United States and Asia Pacific. Active user growth continued to accelerate during the quarter, reaching 10% year over year, the fastest growth since 2007, with 800,000 new users coming from mobile. This helped boost sold items growth, which was up 19% year over year in the third quarter of 2012. U.S. GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 16% year over year, while International GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 8% year over year, in both cases driven by investment in the customer experience, growth of mobile as a channel and continued strong performance in key verticals. Downloads of eBay’s suite of mobile apps have now surpassed 100 million globally, becoming an increasing point of differentiation and engagement.

    GSI revenue increased 12% year over year to $226 million, driven primarily by a 16% year over year increase in global ecommerce (GeC) merchandise sales. Same store sales grew 19% year over year, reflecting strong ecommerce sales from retail clients. GSI is winning new clients and bringing eBay’s innovative technology solutions and services to merchants of all sizes.

    Third Quarter 2012 Financial Highlights (presented in millions, except per share data and percentages) (1)
    Third Quarter
    2012 2011 Change
    GAAP
    Net revenue $3,404 $2,966 $438 15%
    Net income $597 $491 $106 22%
    Earnings per diluted share $0.45 $0.37 $0.08 21%
    Non-GAAP
    Net income $718 $628 $90 14%
    Earnings per diluted share $0.55 $0.48 $0.07 14%
      Third Quarter
    2012 2011 Change
    Business Units
    Payments
    Net revenue $1,367 $1,107 $260 23%
    Net total payment volume $35,159 $29,282 $5,877 20%
    Merchant Services $23,704 $19,314 $4,390 23%
    On eBay $11,455 $9,968 $1,487 15%
    Marketplaces
    Net revenue $1,806 $1,653 $153 9%
    Gross merchandise volume (GMV), excl. vehicles $16,281 $14,666 $1,615 11%
    U.S. GMV $6,479 $5,588 $891 16%
    International GMV $9,801 $9,078 $723 8%
    GSI
    Net revenue $226 $202 $24 12%
    GeC Merchandise Sales $698 $601 $97 16%
    (1) Certain amounts may not add/subtract due to rounding and may not recalculate using the rounded dollar amounts provided.

    Other Selected Financial Results

    • Operating margin — GAAP operating margin increased to 19.6% for the third quarter of 2012, compared to 18.1% for the same period last year. Non-GAAP operating margin increased to 26.3% in the third quarter, compared to 25.3% for the same period last year.
    • Taxes — The GAAP effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2012 was 11%, compared to 20% for the third quarter of 2011. The decrease was due primarily to increased earnings in low tax jurisdictions and the favorable impact of discrete items, primarily related to stock-based compensation. For the third quarter of 2012 and 2011, the non-GAAP effective tax rate was 20% and 21%, respectively.
    • Cash flow — The company generated $1.2 billion of operating cash flow and $792 million of free cash flow during the third quarter of 2012.
    • Stock repurchase programs — The company repurchased approximately $47 million of its common stock in the third quarter of 2012.
    • Debt issuance — The company issued senior unsecured notes in an aggregate principal amount of $3 billion during the third quarter of 2012.
    • Cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments — The company’s cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments portfolio totaled $10.8 billion at September 30, 2012, up from $7.5 billion at December 31, 2011.

    Business Outlook

    • Fourth quarter 2012 — eBay expects net revenues in the range of $3,850 – $4,000 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.55 – $0.58 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.66 – $0.69.
    • Full year 2012 — eBay now expects net revenues in the range of $13,950 – $14,100 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $1.95 – $1.99 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $2.32 – $2.35.

    Quarterly Conference Call

    eBay will host a conference call to discuss third quarter 2012 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.

    About eBay Inc.

    Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is a global commerce platform and payments leader connecting millions of buyers and sellers. 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 GSI, which facilitates ecommerce, multichannel retailing and digital marketing for global enterprises. X.commerce harnesses the developer community of Magento, an ecommerce platform, by providing technology solutions and eBay Inc. capabilities to merchants of all sizes, supporting eBay Inc.’s mission of enabling commerce. 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, visitwww.ebayinc.com.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release includes the following financial measures defined as “non-GAAP financial measures” by theSecurities 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 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,” “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 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 2012, and the future growth in the Payments, Marketplaces and GSI 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 European or general economic downturn or crisis and any conditions that affect ecommerce growth; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the company’s ability to profitably integrate, manage and grow businesses that have been acquired recently or may be acquired in the future; 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 systems, infrastructure and customer service capabilities, including GSI’s v.11 initiative, at reasonable cost; and 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. 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 athttp://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 release, which are based on information available to the company on the date hereof. eBay assumes no obligation to update such statements.

    eBay Inc.

    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet

    September 30,

    2012

    December 31,

    2011

    (In millions)
    ASSETS
    Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,331 $ 4,691
    Short-term investments 1,804 1,238
    Accounts receivable, net 694 682
    Loans and interest receivable, net 1,792 1,501
    Funds receivable and customer accounts 4,807 3,968
    Other current assets 982 581
    Total current assets 17,410 12,661
    Long-term investments 2,500 2,453
    Property and equipment, net 2,393 1,986
    Goodwill 8,492 8,365
    Intangible assets, net 1,234 1,406
    Other assets 473 449
    Total assets $ 32,502 $ 27,320
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    Current liabilities:
    Short-term debt $ 12 $ 565
    Accounts payable 271 282
    Funds payable and amounts due to customers 4,807 3,968
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 1,776 1,511
    Deferred revenue 132 110
    Income taxes payable 63 298
    Total current liabilities 7,061 6,734
    Deferred and other tax liabilities, net 945 1,073
    Long-term debt 4,506 1,525
    Other liabilities 77 58
    Total liabilities 12,589 9,390
    Total stockholders’ equity 19,913 17,930
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 32,502 $ 27,320
    eBay Inc.

    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income

    Three Months EndedSeptember 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    Net revenues $ 3,404 $ 2,966 $ 10,079 $ 8,272
    Cost of net revenues (1) 1,022 920 2,992 2,426
    Gross profit 2,382 2,046 7,087 5,846
    Operating expenses:
    Sales and marketing (1) 726 623 2,120 1,763
    Product development (1) 389 319 1,157 891
    General and administrative (1) 369 336 1,131 1,018
    Provision for transaction and loan losses 148 146 413 372
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets 83 85 251 182
    Total operating expenses 1,715 1,509 5,072 4,226
    Income from operations 667 537 2,015 1,620
    Interest and other, net 5 79 74 111
    Gain (loss) on divested business 0 0 118 (256 )
    Income before income taxes 672 616 2,207 1,475
    Provision for income taxes (75 ) (125 ) (348 ) (225 )
    Net income $ 597 $ 491 $ 1,859 $ 1,250
    Net income per share:
    Basic $ 0.46 $ 0.38 $ 1.44 $ 0.97
    Diluted $ 0.45 $ 0.37 $ 1.42 $ 0.95
    Weighted average shares:
    Basic 1,292 1,290 1,291 1,291
    Diluted 1,314 1,309 1,311 1,311
    (1) Includes stock-based compensation as follows:
    Cost of net revenues $ 13 $ 14 $ 41 $ 43
    Sales and marketing 35 32 99 100
    Product development 34 26 101 91
    General and administrative 40 36 119 112
    $ 122 $ 108 $ 360 $ 346
    eBay Inc.

    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

    Three Months Ended
    September 30,
    Nine Months Ended
    September 30,
    2012 2011 2012 2011
    (In millions)
    Cash flows from operating activities:
    Net income $ 597 $ 491 $ 1,859 $ 1,250
    Adjustments:
    Provision for transaction and loan losses 148 146 413 372
    Depreciation and amortization 311 267 882 667
    (Gain) loss on divested business 0 0 (118 ) 256
    Gain on acquisition of a business 0 (56 ) 0 (73 )
    Stock-based compensation 122 108 360 346
    Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisition effects (24 ) (147 ) (943 ) (527 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities 1,154 809 2,453 2,291
    Cash flows from investing activities:
    Purchases of property and equipment, net (362 ) (283 ) (961 ) (672 )
    Changes in principal loans receivable, net (180 ) (155 ) (335 ) (254 )
    Purchases of investments (126 ) (654 ) (1,470 ) (1,884 )
    Maturities and sales of investments 309 437 938 1,298
    Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (10 ) (308 ) (143 ) (3,155 )
    Proceeds from divested business, net of cash disposed 0 0 144 0
    Other (61 ) 0 (77 ) (102 )
    Net cash used in investing activities (430 ) (963 ) (1,904 ) (4,769 )
    Cash flows from financing activities:
    Proceeds from issuance of common stock 134 31 359 188
    Repurchases of common stock (47 ) (33 ) (642 ) (814 )
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 27 7 95 65
    Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of restricted stock units and awards (20 ) (16 ) (152 ) (130 )
    Net (repayments) and borrowings under commercial paper program (550 ) 0 (550 ) 700
    Proceeds from the issuance of debt, net of issuance costs 2,976 0 2,976 0
    Repayment of acquired debt 0 (13 ) 0 (199 )
    Funds receivable and customer accounts (511 ) 67 (839 ) (696 )
    Funds payable and amounts due to customers 511 (67 ) 839 696
    Other (4 ) 0 (4 ) 0
    Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities 2,516 (24 ) 2,082 (190 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 53 (89 ) 9 90
    Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents 3,293 (267 ) 2,640 (2,578 )
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 4,038 3,266 4,691 5,577
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 7,331 $ 2,999 $ 7,331 $ 2,999
    eBay Inc.

    Unaudited Summary of Consolidated Net Revenues

    Net Revenues by Type (1)
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2012 2012 2012 2011 2011
    Net transaction revenues (In millions, except percentages)
    Marketplaces $ 1,490 $ 1,491 $ 1,425 $ 1,443 $ 1,354
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 0 % 5 % (1 )% 7 % 0 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 10 % 10 % 11 % 15 % 14 %
    Percent of Marketplaces revenue from international 55 % 57 % 55 % 57 % 56 %
    Payments 1,264 1,234 1,216 1,157 1,032
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 1 % 5 % 12 % 4 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 22 % 25 % 29 % 25 % 29 %
    Percent of Payments revenue from international 55 % 55 % 54 % 55 % 53 %
    GSI 170 164 182 295 148
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 3 % (10 )% (38 )% 99 % N/A
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % N/A N/A N/A N/A
    Percent of GSI revenue from international 3 % 4 % 4 % 3 % 3 %
    Total net transaction revenues 2,925 2,889 2,823 2,895 2,535
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 1 % 2 % (2 )% 14 % 8 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 23 % 27 % 32 % 28 %
    Marketing services and other revenues
    Marketplaces 316 323 303 329 299
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (2 )% 7 % (8 )% 10 % (4 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 5 % 3 % 13 % 24 % 32 %
    Percent of Marketplaces revenue from international 75 % 74 % 75 % 72 % 74 %
    Payments 102 123 93 83 74
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (17 )% 32 % 12 % 12 % (9 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 37 % 50 % 87 % 84 % 84 %
    Percent of Payments revenue from international 15 % 11 % 15 % 17 % 9 %
    GSI 57 57 55 68 54
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 0 % 3 % (19 )% 26 % N/A
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 4 % N/A N/A N/A N/A
    Percent of GSI revenue from international 0 % 0 % 0 % 0 % 0 %
    Corporate and other 11 10 6 5 3
    Total marketing services and other revenues 485 513 457 485 431
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (5 )% 12 % (6 )% 13 % 7 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 27 % 43 % 56 % 62 %
    Elimination of inter-segment net revenue and other (2) (6 ) (4 ) (3 ) N/A N/A
    Total net revenues $ 3,404 $ 3,398 $ 3,277 $ 3,380 $ 2,966
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 0 % 4 % (3 )% 14 % 7 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 23 % 29 % 35 % 32 %
    (1) Certain amounts may not add/subtract due to rounding and may not recalculate using the rounded dollar amounts provided.
    (2) 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,
    2012 2012 2012 2011 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    U.S. net revenues $ 1,637 $ 1,611 $ 1,581 $ 1,665 $ 1,428
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 2 % (5 )% 17 % 14 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 29 % 39 % 49 % 35 %
    Percent of total 48 % 47 % 48 % 49 % 48 %
    International net revenues 1,767 1,787 1,696 1,715 1,538
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (1 )% 5 % (1 )% 12 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 18 % 21 % 25 % 29 %
    Percent of total 52 % 53 % 52 % 51 % 52 %
    Total net revenues $ 3,404 $ 3,398 $ 3,277 $ 3,380 $ 2,966
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 0 % 4 % (3 )% 14 % 7 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 23 % 29 % 35 % 32 %
    (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 Payments Supplemental Operating Data

    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2012 2012 2012 2011 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Active registered accounts (1) 117.4 113.2 109.8 106.3 103.0
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 4 % 3 % 3 % 3 % 3 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 13 % 12 % 13 % 14 %
    Net number of payments (2) 589.2 564.8 555.7 548.1 459.2
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 4 % 2 % 1 % 19 % 6 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 28 % 31 % 31 % 30 % 29 %
    Net total payment volume (3) $35,159 $34,451 $33,857 $33,372 $29,282
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 2 % 1 % 14 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 20 % 20 % 24 % 24 % 31 %
    Merchant Services net total payment volume as % of net total payment volume 67 % 67 % 66 % 66 % 66 %
    Transaction rates
    Take rate 3.89 % 3.94 % 3.87 % 3.71 % 3.78 %
    Transaction expense 1.07 % 1.07 % 1.07 % 1.04 % 1.14 %
    Loss rate 0.30 % 0.26 % 0.26 % 0.27 % 0.31 %
    Transaction margin (4) 64.8 % 66.3 % 65.6 % 64.8 % 61.5 %
    Loan portfolio rates
    Risk adjusted margin (5) 16.5 % 15.5 % 16.8 % 16.9 % 18.0 %
    Net charge-off rate (6) 4.9 % 4.6 % 4.5 % 4.4 % 4.3 %
    90-day delinquency rate (7) 2.9 % 2.5 % 2.4 % 2.4 % 2.6 %
    (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 and Zong, excluding PayPal’s payments gateway business, and on Bill Me Later accounts during the quarter.
    (3) 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.
    (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 eBay Marketplaces Supplemental Operating Data

    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2012 2012 2012 2011 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Active Users (1) 108.3 104.8 102.4 100.4 98.7
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 3 % 2 % 2 % 2 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 10 % 8 % 7 % 6 % 6 %
    Gross Merchandise Volume (excluding vehicles) (2) $16,281 $16,171 $16,206 $16,490 $14,666
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 1 % 0 % (2 )% 12 % 0 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 11 % 10 % 12 % 10 % 16 %
    Vehicles Gross Merchandise Volume (3) $1,994 $2,021 $1,871 $1,864 $2,149
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (1 )% 8 % 0 % (13 )% (4 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter (7 )% (10 )% (9 )% (3 )% 0 %
    Fixed Price Trading (4) as % of total gross merchandise volume 66 % 65 % 64 % 64 % 63 %
    eBay’s classifieds websites and Shopping.com are not included in these metrics.
    (1) All users, excluding users of Half.com, StubHub, and our Korean subsidiaries (Gmarket and eBayAuction Co.), 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 eBay 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 eBay 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 eBay Marketplaces trading platforms relative to total gross merchandise volume during the quarter.
     

    eBay Inc.

    Unaudited GSI Supplemental Operating Data

    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2012 2012 2012 2011 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    GeC Merchandise Sales (1) $698 $674 $715 $1,362 $601
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 4 % (6 %) (48 %) 127 % N/A
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 16 % N/A N/A N/A N/A
    (1) Represents the retail value of all sales transactions, inclusive of freight charges and net of allowance for returns and discounts, which flow through the GSI ecommerce services platform, 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 eBay’s future performance is difficult to predict. Such guidance is based on information available on the date of this press release, and eBay assumes no obligation to update it.

    eBay’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 eBay’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 athttp://investor.ebayinc.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Three Months Ending
    December 31, 2012
    (In millions, except per share amounts) GAAP Non-GAAP (a)
    Net Revenue $3,850 – $4,000 $3,850 – $4,000
    Diluted EPS $0.55 – $0.58 $0.66 – $0.69
    Twelve Months Ending
    December 31, 2012
    (In millions, except per share amounts) GAAP Non-GAAP (b)
    Net Revenue $13,950 – $14,100 $13,950 – $14,100
    Diluted EPS $1.95 – $1.99 $2.32 – $2.35
    (a) Estimated non-GAAP amounts above for the three months ending December 31, 2012, reflect adjustments that exclude the estimated amortization of acquired intangible assets of approximately$95-$105 million, estimated stock-based compensation expense and employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation expense of approximately $115-$135 million, and the accretion of a note receivable of approximately $5 million as well as the related tax impact.
    (b) Estimated non-GAAP amounts above for the 12 months ending December 31, 2012, reflect adjustments that exclude the estimated amortization of acquired intangible assets of approximately $400-$420 million, estimated stock-based compensation expense and employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation expense of approximately $485-$515 million, the gain on a divestiture of approximately$118 million, and the accretion of a note receivable of approximately $20-$25 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 (GAAP), eBay 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 eBay’s results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. These measures should only be used to evaluate eBay’sresults 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 the company’s 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 eBay 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, eBay’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, restructuring-related charges and the income taxes associated with the foregoing. In addition to the corresponding GAAP measures, eBay’s management also uses the foregoing non-GAAP measures in reviewing the financial results of eBay.

    eBay 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. This expense consists of expenses for stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchases. eBay excludes stock-based compensation expenses from its non-GAAP measures primarily because they are non-cash expenses that management does not believe are reflective of ongoing operating results. eBay also excludes its proportionate share of Skype’s stock-based compensation expense.

    Employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation. This amount is dependent on eBay’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 eBay’s operation of the business.

    Amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets, impairment of goodwill and significant gains or losses and transaction expenses from the acquisition or disposal of a business. eBay 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. eBay also excludes its proportionate share of Skype’samortization of acquired intangibles expense. eBay also settled a legal exposure in conjunction with the acquisition of a business and excludes this settlement payment. In addition, eBay’s results are also impacted by hedge transactions related to unique movements of cash from significant business acquisitions or dispositions. eBay excludes the impact of the accretion of a note receivable associated with the disposal of certain businesses. eBay excludes these items because management does not believe they correlate to the ongoing operating results of eBay’s business.

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

    Income taxes associated with certain non-GAAP entries. 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, eBay also uses free cash flow. Free cash flow represents operating cash flows less net purchases of property and equipment. eBay 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 eBay’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,
    2012 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    GAAP operating income $ 667 $ 537
    Stock-based compensation expense 122 108
    Employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation 3 2
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within cost of net revenues 20 20
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within operating expenses 83 84
    Non-GAAP operating income $ 895 $ 751
    Non-GAAP operating margin 26.3 % 25.3 %
    Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Net Income
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, September 30,
    2012 2011
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    GAAP net income $ 597 $ 491
    Stock-based compensation expense 122 108
    Employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation 3 2
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within cost of net revenues 20 20
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within operating expenses 83 84
    Amortization of intangibles and stock-based compensation forSkype 0 24
    Sale of Skype transaction related items (2 ) 0
    Accretion of note receivable (4 ) (4 )
    Gain from the acquisition of a business 0 (56 )
    Income taxes associated with certain non-GAAP entries (101 ) (41 )
    Non-GAAP net income $ 718 $ 628
    Diluted net income per share:
    GAAP $ 0.45 $ 0.37
    Non-GAAP $ 0.55 $ 0.48
    Shares used in GAAP and non-GAAP diluted net income per-share calculation 1,314 1,309
    Reconciliation of GAAP Effective Tax Rate to Non-GAAP Effective Tax Rate
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, September 30,
    2012 2011
    (In millions, except percentages)
    GAAP provision for income taxes (a) $ 75 $ 125
    Income taxes associated with certain non-GAAP entries 101 41
    Non-GAAP provision for income taxes (b) $ 176 $ 166
    GAAP income before income taxes (c) $ 672 $ 616
    Stock-based compensation expense 122 108
    Employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation 3 2
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within cost of net revenues 20 20
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within operating expenses 83 84
    Amortization of intangibles and stock-based compensation for Skype 0 24
    Sale of Skype transaction related items (2 ) 0
    Accretion of note receivable (4 ) (4 )
    Gain from the acquisition of a business 0 (56 )
    Non-GAAP income before income taxes (d) $ 894 $ 794
    GAAP effective tax rate (a/c) 11 % 20 %
    Non-GAAP effective tax rate (b/d) 20 % 21 %
    Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flow to Free Cash Flow
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, September 30,
    2012 2011
    (In millions)
    Net cash provided by operating activities $ 1,154 $ 809
    Less: Purchases of property and equipment, net (362 ) (283 )
    Free cash flow $ 792 $ 526

     

    eBay Inc.

  • eBay Launches Pinterest-Like Site Redesign to Accompany That New Logo

    eBay Launches Pinterest-Like Site Redesign to Accompany That New Logo

    According to eBay, the online marketplace logged over 4 million new users in the first half over 2012. We also know that eBay’s mobile apps just hit the 100 million download milestone. And as of today, eBay has over 350 million individual listings. eBay wants you to know that they are growing, and in an attempt to make the site feel fresh and hopefully give it greater functionality, the company has just announced a significant redesign.

    “Today we begin to introduce a series of significant new features and enhancements for our customers. We’re delivering a cleaner, contemporary look and feel; a more intuitive, convenient way to browse, decide and buy – both globally and locally; and a new personal way to curate your own shopping experience and discover items perfect for you,” says eBay President Devin Wenig.

    And with that, the new eBay is born – and everything now centers on a Pinterest-like feed of featured, personalized, and self-curated products.

    Here’s the eBay Feed:

    eBay says that the feed will show users “a collection of items selected for you, based on your shopping history or your own personal interests.” When a logged-in user first accesses the feed, they are given the opportunity to “follow” certain types of product lines as well as connect their feed to their Facebook interests.

    Clicking on any item from the feed pulls up a lightbox featuring pertinent product information like price, similar items, additional photos, and other details. Users can click to view the item page or share the product via social network and email from the pop-up box.

    Search is also changing, including larger images.

    And yes, the new logo is now live.

    Today is the kickoff to a period of redesigning, according to the company. U.S. user will notice changes first, followed by everyone else around the world.

    “Over the next few weeks and months, we’ll introduce site-wide enhancements that are designed to deliver a cleaner, more contemporary and consistent experience, starting in the U.S. and then extending to eBay sites worldwide. eBay will simplify its site design to offer more streamlined navigation along with larger images and key product information, enabling customers to find what they want more quickly and easily.

    And, because today’s consumers want a more personalized shopping experience, we’ll provide a curated collection of items tailored to our customers’ unique interests right on the eBay homepage. We’ll also enable our customers to connect their eBay and PayPal accounts to accelerate checkout. These are just some of the innovative new features we’ll be rolling out in the coming months,” says eBay.

    eBay is definitely trying to promote their marketplace as a place to discover new things. Instead of just going to eBay to look for a specific item, this new feed will suggest products based on user preferences. And yes, is does look really Pinterest-ey. But at least with eBay, clicking on any product that catches your eyes simply takes you to a product page on site.

    If you want to go ahead and opt-in to the new eBay feed, you can do so here if you’re in the U.S.

  • Wii U Pre-Orders Up For $1K on eBay

    Wii U Pre-Orders Up For $1K on eBay

    Either due to its popularity or due to manufacturing delays (probably a combination of both) pre-orders for the Wii U sold out in a manner of days and are now nearly impossible to find. Nearly, but not impossible.

    Anyone still needing to find a Wii U for the holidays can find one, but it will cost them. Intrepid entrepreneurs are now trying to hock their pre-orders via eBay and are charging ridiculous amounts to do so. Sellers are charging as much as $1,000 for the black 32 GB deluxe version of the Wii U. The original price for the deluxe version of the Wii U, which comes with a larger hard drive, the NintendoLand videogame, and a charging cradle for the GamePad, is $350.

    Of course, no one seems to be jumping at the systems being sold for $1,000. The current highest price for a Wii U pre-order that is actively being bid on at this time seems to be $500, as seen above. Ars Technica points out that a Wii U pre-order did sell back on September 27th for $749, the highest so far.

    These amounts could easily creep higher, though, as Christmas approaches and parents begin to get desperate to please their young gamers. So, perhaps those sellers price gouging for $1,000 actually know what they are doing, and believe that if they hold their ground until the Wii U’s November 18th release date they will find themselves with an extra $1K for their foresight.

  • Einstein Letter on God to Be Auctioned on Ebay

    Einstein Letter on God to Be Auctioned on Ebay

    On January 3, 1954, Albert Einstein mailed a letter from Princeton, New Jersey to Eric B. Gutkind in Germany. The letter was Einstein’s response to Gutkind’s book, Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt, which Gutkind had mailed to him. The letter contains a look at Einstein’s views on religion and the concept of god, as well as his short rebuttal of Gutkind’s book. This was just over one year before Einstein passed away.

    The letter is now scheduled to be up for auction on eBay from October 8th through the 18th. The opening bid for the letter will $3 million.

    The artifact is so highly priced because it contains some of the only candid, straightforward words Einstein laid down regarding his views on religion and god. Though Jewish, he regarded religions as “childish superstitions,” according to his letter. From the text of the letter:

    The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weakness, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still purely primitive, legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this.

    The letter goes on to address Einsteins’s Jewish heritage, and touches on his views of the Jewish people as “chosen” by God:

    For me the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people. As far as my experience goes, they are also no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything ‘chosen’ about them.

    The auction is being managed by the Auction Cause auction management agency. The company stated in its auction preview that the letter has been stored at a “professional academic institution” in a temperature, humidity, and light-controlled environment. It also said that the authenticity of the letter has been thoroughly established. Those who wish to bid on the letter can pre-qualify to bid at the Auction Cause website.

  • Setify Is A New eBay Tool For Collectors

    Setify Is A New eBay Tool For Collectors

    eBay has launched a new tool called Setify to help collectors track and share collections of things.

    Here’s what it does:

    Setify

    Setify

    Setify

    “Ever since it was founded, eBay has delivered useful resources for collectors, and Collectibles remains one of the most popular buying and selling categories on eBay,” says eBay’s Sebastian Rupley in a blog post.

    “Setify is a lightweight tool that allows collectors to track the items that they own, share their collections and build wish lists and shop for collectibles on eBay,” he adds.

    The tool supports comic books and coin collections right now, but it will expand to support more things.

    The product is currently in beta, and is available via invitation only. You can request an invite here. There will be iOS and Android apps later this year.

  • eBay Hits 100m App Downloads, 100m Mobile Listings

    eBay Hits 100m App Downloads, 100m Mobile Listings

    eBay is focusing on mobile, and they have some numbers that prove they’re moving in the right direction.

    According to a blog post, eBay’s suite of mobile apps have broken the 100 million download barrier – including 25 million downloads in the last six months alone.

    And apparently, people are using the mobile apps at a high rate as well. Along with this milestone, eBay is also reporting 100 million listings via mobile.

    EBay launched their first app in 2008, and the first “selling app” in 2010. Across all mobile apps, the top categories for listings are fashion, tech, vehicles, motor parts, and home & garden. A whopping $275 is spent every second on eBay mobile and 1.9 million listings are being added per week, compared with only 1.1 million in December of 2011.

    “We are taking a mobile first approach to the business, drawing on four years of leading mobile commerce and continually making our experience more personalized and relevant to the customer,” said Steve Yankovich, vice president, eBay Mobile. “People want to shop how they want, when they want and we succeed by making it easy for them to connect to the products and services they care about. At the same time, by making listing products intuitive and quick on mobile, we are empowering sellers to effectively compete in today’s rapidly changing world.”

    eBay says that they expect to transact $10 billion in mobile in 2012, which would double last year’s figures.

  • eBay For Android Gets Significant Update [Updated]

    eBay For Android Gets Significant Update [Updated]

    Update: eBay has reportedly recalled this version fo the app, following numerous complaints of connectivity issues.

    eBay revealed its new logo today, but the company has also launched an update to its Android app. Here’s the new features, as listed on Google Play:

    • Find cars, trucks, motorcycles as well as compatible parts and accessories with the mobile-optimized eBay Motors experience (US only, more countries coming soon)
    • Improved My eBay list access
    • Simplified navigation throughout the app
    • View bidding history on an item
    • Add up to 12 photos when listing an item with the app
    • Users in Italy and Spain can now list items with the app
    • Payment support for Malaysia and Singapore

    The design aspects of the updated app are getting some praise. One blogger writes, “I do a lot of buying and sell off of eBay pretty frequently, and as of late, I have been using my mobile devices to do both buying and selling. It was a very nice application when it came to performance and easy access. It was a very easy application to use, but the application looked like it was designed by someone still living in the past. It really wasn’t a modern application. It was annoying on the eyes and was often pretty frustrating to use. I would love to see the application reach for a different design. Thankfully, that day is here.”

    eBay on Android

    eBay Android app

    eBay Android app

    The reviews of the update on Google Play are mixed. There are a number complaints about the app not working since the update, but generally, those who haven’t had any trouble seem happy with it.

    The app has an average rating of 4.5.

  • eBay Is Changing Its Logo To This

    eBay Is Changing Its Logo To This

    eBay announced that it is changing its logo. The old one is still in place on the site, but the company says it’s making the new one available next month.

    They did, however, provide a preview of what it will look like, and here it is:

    New eBay Logo

    Here’s what it looks like in some different settings:

    New eBay Logo

    New eBay Logo

    eBay logo

    eBay logo

    eBay President Deven Wenig had this to say about the logo:

    Our refreshed logo is rooted in our proud history and reflects a dynamic future. It’s eBay today: a global online marketplace that offers a cleaner, more contemporary and consistent experience, with innovation that makes buying and selling easier and more enjoyable. We retained core elements of our logo, including our iconic color palette. Our vibrant eBay colors and touching letters represent our connected and diverse eBay community – more than 100 million active users and 25 million sellers globally and growing.

    The eBay logo is known the world over, so changing it was not a decision made lightly. The time felt right. We’re incredibly proud of how eBay started and quickly grew into the world’s largest online marketplace. Auction-style listings, used goods, vintage items and quirky, one-of-a-kind finds are still a big part of what makes buying and selling on eBay special. We hope that’s always true. But we’ve evolved a lot in the past few years, and eBay is much more than auction-style listings today.

    Here’s a sampling of comments on eBay’s Facebook page:

    “Thumbs down…it looks like the Sears font.”

    “The old one is epic, why change :\”

    “Looks like Google bought you and changed your logo to be more like theirs.”

    “This is awesome! It shows that eBay is changing and ever growing. I’m sorry for everyone who has left ebay… It’s an amazing place and always changing. It sad people don’t know how to change to keep up with the current times.”

    “I love it!”

    “Really? Looks fake.”

    “It looks heartless. Like it was made in an office by some professional you paid.”

    “The old logo had a capitol “Y” at the end. The colors blend. The whole logo is off line. The old logo reflects the personality of eBay’s customers and the fact that eBay has personality. The new logo is so bland and vanilla. No personality at all. I guess that’s the way eBay wants to be perceived.”

    What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

  • iPhone 5 Is Coming, Ebay Prepares Themselves

    iPhone 5 Is Coming, Ebay Prepares Themselves

    For Apple fans, today marks a big moment for the brand: an announcement about the newest version of the iPhone, for starters. While rumors have been flying for months now about a sleek update to the device, Apple has given few hints as to what it will actually debut, and just as importantly, when. That will all change shortly, as the company is set to let their fans in on the latest products and when they can buy them.

    Though some product images have been leaked, no one is sure just yet what to expect of the phone. However, eBay and eBayUK are expecting a huge surge in Apple products listed on their sites, and are adjusting their policies in preparation. The U.S. site had this to say:

    Listing the latest Apple products as pre-sales
    Sellers in full compliance with eBay’s Presale policy will be allowed to list the latest apple products on eBay, 30 days prior to the launch date. Also:
    Apple-authorized resellers may list up to 25 items per week.
    eBay Top Rated sellers may list up to 4 items per week.
    Sellers meeting our minimum performance standards may list 1 item per week.
    Only sellers registered in the United States or Canada on eBay.com, eBay Motors, or eBay Canada, will be able to participate in this event.

    Listing the latest Apple products after the launch
    Once the latest Apple products are made available to the public, most sellers will be allowed to list them with some limitations:
    Apple-authorized resellers may list an unlimited number of items per week.
    eBay Top Rated sellers may list up to 8 items per week.
    Sellers meeting our minimum performance standards may list 4 items per week.
    Sellers who’ve confirmed their personal information may list 1 item per week.
    Only sellers registered in the United States or Canada on eBay.com, eBay Motors, or eBay Canada will be able to participate in this event.

    Also, sellers who don’t meet the minimum performance standards won’t be allowed to sell Apple products at all. eBay says these precautions are to help sellers and buyers get the most out of their deals, and, presumably, to keep chaos at a minimum.

  • eBay Acquires Social Shopping Site Svvply.com

    eBay Acquires Social Shopping Site Svvply.com

    eBay announced that it has acquired online shopping site Svpply.com for an undisclosed sum.

    The site is described as a “curated collection of the world’s best products and stores.” It’s a community-driven site listing 1.1 million products in its shop. It claims to bring in a little over 3,000 new products a day from all across the web.

    “With Svpply.com, eBay gains access to technology talent to further improve the shopping and selling experience for its customers. Svpply.com assets – including a talented team of six designers and developers – are well-suited to help eBay advance more personalized experiences and merchandising options on eBay.com,” says eBay’s Cicely Wedgeworth in a blog post.

    “Based in New York (see the office, above), the Svpply.com employees will work on merchandising, non-search discovery and browsing,” adds Wedgeworth. “Building off the recent acquisition of Hunch, eBay is establishing a sustainable presence in New York City, with a state-of-the-art technology development center. New York employees will work on highly visible technology projects across eBay, including data analysis, personalization and other specialty areas.”

    Svpply says on its about page that it represents over 70,000 stores and brands, and is actively working towards giving them access to its inventory and audience. It’s unclear if the site will remain operational as a standalone product.

  • College Football Rankings: eBay’s StubHub Aims To Gauge “True Popularity”

    College Football Rankings: eBay’s StubHub Aims To Gauge “True Popularity”

    eBay-owned ticket marketplace, StubHub, has launched a new weekly scorecard aimed at gauging the “true popularity” of college football teams among fans, based on its own internal data.

    StubHub’s system uses the AP Top 25 as a starting point, then uses the weekly pageviews for the teams, and ranks them by which are the most popular. Each Tuesday, StubHub releases the rankings. At the end of the year, they’ll unveil which were the most popular of the season.

    Here’s what StubHub’s top 25 looks like right now:

    College Football Rankings

    The rankings can always be found via StubHubTop25.com.

    Currently, the AP’s Top 25 are as follows:

    1. USC
    2. Alabama
    3. LSU
    4. Oklahoma
    5. Oregon
    6. Georgia
    7. Florida State
    8. Michigan
    9. South Carolina
    10. Arkansas
    11. West Virginia
    12. Wisconsin
    13. Michigan State
    14. Clemson
    15. Texas
    16. Virginia Tech
    17. Nebraska
    18. Ohio State
    19. Oklahoma State
    20. TCU
    21. Stanford
    22. Kansas State
    23. Florida
    24. Boise State
    25. Louisville

    Two of those teams have already lost a game – Michigan and Boise State, the former having lost to Alabama, and the latter to Michigan State.

  • eBay Launches New Daily Deals Blog

    eBay Launches New Daily Deals Blog

    eBay is looking to promote items from their top sellers with the introduction of a new Daily Deals Blog. And if you love getting products on the cheap, it’s definitely one to add to your feeds.

    From the new Daily Deals blog:

    Every day, we will feature several items from top sellers discounted up to 90% off! From must-have home electronics to popular fitness gear to the hottest fashions and beyond, we’ll highlight the latest and greatest products with the deepest discounts from eBay’s Daily Deals. To ensure you don’t miss out on a great deal, keep coming back throughout the day, every day, to see flash sales, spotlight deals, and more.

    As of now, eBay offers three deals categories apart from the main “featured” category. Those include electronics, fashion, and home & garden.

    Although eBay is pushing that shoppers check out the blog multiple times throughout the day, there is a place to sign up for email alerts. So as long as you don’t mind receiving another email or two (or three or four or five maybe?) touting a daily deal, you can keep up to speed on what’s hot on the site.

    According to eBay, the blog will also do more than just notify shoppers of deals. It will also give tips for smart eBay shopping and a heads up on any new products about to hit the online marketplace.

    ebay daily deals blog

  • Wizards Are No Longer Welcome On eBay

    Wizards Are No Longer Welcome On eBay

    You can buy just about anything on eBay. If you want it, somebody will surely have it. There are certain things, however, that you can’t sell. The auction site has put a stop to things like organ sales after people were found to be selling livers and kidneys on the site. The site is now cracking down on a new category of item – the intangibles.

    So what is an intangible in eBay’s eyes? Anything to do with magic really. Here’s the full list straight from eBay’s category updates page:

    The following items are also being added to the prohibited items list: advice; spells; curses; hexing; conjuring; magic; prayers; blessing services; magic potions; healing sessions; work from home businesses & information; wholesale lists, and drop shop lists.

    I never thought that people selling magic spells was much of a problem until I went digging. It turns out that there is a thriving collection of magic for sale on eBay. It covers everything from white magic for protection to really specific stuff like “Black Arabian Magic Break Up Spell.” There’s even a hilarious listing for “Powerful Spell of Vampire Transformation.”

    Here’s one spell in particular that caught my eye because I couldn’t stop laughing. The listing is for “Ultimate Black Magic Spells from Experience Magus.” I can’t really do the item description justice, so here it is:

    Hail and welcome seeker of the Black Flame!

    Make no mistake! If you are reading this then, fate has truly brought you to me!

    I am no ordinary Practioner of the Black Arts. I have been trained in many forms of Extreme Dark Magic, Divination, Occultism, and Forbidden Ritual. It is because of this training and dedication to my Art that, I am able to create and cast spells for any occasion!

    Do not fall prey to the “dazzling” auction pages that require you to purchase extra spells for 3, 5, or 9X strength for more of your hard earned money! The Power of True Black Magic does not require such Nonsense! Your donation goes towards my time, energy, and ingredients to creating your personal casting.

    Funny enough, the spell will only cost you $6.66. This Magus would have you know that spells never “manifest themselves immediately.” If you buy the spell, you’re going to have to wait 60 to 90 days for the spell to take effect. He also must let you know, in accordance with the law, that his spells are “entertainment purposes only” as science has not proven his “metaphysical and paranormal services.”

    It’s pretty obvious why eBay would ban the sale of such items. Despite how much you wish it was so, magic isn’t real. The kind of magic on sale here is doubly not real because there’s no guarantee that it will work and they don’t refund purchases for spells that don’t work. It’s a massive liability for eBay since they’re the one that foot the bill on refunds.

    It should be noted that these listings will be taken down on August 30. You still have a few more days to buy some spells to help with everything from your love life to cursing your greatest enemies. After that, I guess we’ll just have to go back to living life without magic. What a shame.

    [h/t: Wired UK]