On top of the recently added "Skype Me" buttons for buyers to use to contact sellers to ask them questions, eBay have now added blogs and a wiki to their site.
The eBay Wiki will let anyone post and edit articles on topics of interest to eBay users. The site looks a lot like a blog, including the capability for visitors to post comments about articles. But unlike a blog, anyone can alter the content of existing posts.
Visitors can browse headlines based on categories including eBay policies, seller tools, and specialty sites. Many of the articles posted on the site so far are how-to type articles that might help users learn about how eBay works. JotSpot, a Wiki technology and hosting company, powers the eBay Wiki.
The blog site functions much like any other blogging service, allowing users to post entries and photos and recieve comments from others. So far, many of the bloggers appear to be written by eBay sellers hoping to draw attention to items for sale.
eBay have also introduced new alert features in the US, which are already available in some other countries. Buyers can now opt to receive a last minute warning three minutes before the end of an auction, as well as notifiction when they are outbid.
These alerts come in the form of a phone call or text message, and it is possible to re-bid on an item by text message.
Buyers will also be able to opt to receive an outbid or time warning alert via AOL, Yahoo, or MSN instant messenger. Skype users will be able to sign up for such alerts next year. All of the other alert offerings will become available within the next couple of weeks.