eBay hooks Skype up to IM alerting system
Benjamin Shapiro announced Wednesday eBay 
users could choose Skype as an option for Instant Messaging (IM) Alerts.
So:
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Skype's private chat gateway is now scaled up for eBay-size traffic, thousands of notifications per minute.
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eBay and Skype have agreed to match just one Skype account to each eBay account now, to multiple Skype accounts soon.
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This paves the way to interop with other IM networks.
UPDATE (later that day): Benjamin followed up with me...
Q. Does this apply to all eBay sites or just to some?
Currently alerts are launched in the US only. We will be launching internationally very soon.
Q. Who has been notified by email and will this be rolled out to everyone at once?
Skype Alerts was announced using eBay's general AB (announcement board) which is the typical procedure when we introduce new features. We do not typically send emails notifying our users of feature enhancements.
Q. If I chat back to an eBay alert, what happens?
The notification does not take place in a standard chat window. The only links available either send the users back to the associated eBay item page or close the alert.
Q. If I'm offline when you send an IM alert, what happens? Will you send it by alternate channels?
You will receive the IM when you log back in to Skype. Skype Alerts do expire in about 7 days and if you have not been online with Skype during that time you will not receive an alert. If you enabled email alerts then you would receive an email alert, or similarly if you enabled SMS alerts you would receive an SMS. But these are independent of a Skype Alert, i.e. there is no automatic back channel alert routing.
Q. What Skype privacy settings can interfere with proper eBay alerting?
None that we are aware of. Skype Alerts should come through when a user is set to invisible and/or when they have disabled messages except from those on their contact list.
Q. How popular is IM vs. other alerting channels?
Our goal is to provide users with the broadest range of means to receive time-sensitive alerts to enhance their eBay experience and adding Skype is an important piece of that equation. We have not broken out numbers comparing IM vs. other alerting channels.
Q. Why/when do eBay’ers like IM vs. email or SMS?
We have found that users like the flexibility of being able to opt in to multiple channels for alerts. We have not run a comparison study of what channels users prefer most.
Q. Will I be able to get Skype alerts for other eBay events? For example, for rate changes, community forum updates, news/announcements, etc.?
Not at this time but we are looking in to a variety of similar enhancements.
Let's walk through pairing your eBay account to Skype.
First, log in to eBay.
Go to My eBay and pick preferences.
My eBay
> Preferences
> Notification Preferences
> Notification Delivery
> Instant message (IM) alerts
> Add
"Add" Instant message (IM) alerts and you'll see your choice of providers...
Pick Skype and you're invited to "Download Now for FREE". Press "Go Forward".
You'll see a short blurb explaining the benefits of using Skype at eBay.
- Add Skype buttons to your listings
- Connect with eBay community members who use Skype
- Chat or call others directly on the Internet
Click on the "Link a Skype Name" button.
Check the box for "Link my Skype account to my eBay account".
Press the "Sign in Securely >" button.
The takes you to Skype.com.
Sign in to your Skype account.
You'll see a first confirmation message. "Your Skype account was successfully linked to your eBay account."
And then a second confirmation, and a chance to "Edit Alert Preferences".
Linking completed, you can now choose which alerts go to your Skype account.
If eBay has difficulty connecting, you might get this error message. Just try again.
The email announcement:
August 01, 2007 | 09:23AM PST/PT
Benjamin Shapiro
Hi Everyone… I'm Benjamin Shapiro, from eBay's Internet Marketing team. We've been working with our friends at Skype (which is part of the eBay family) on ways in which people can benefit from Skype products in their eBay activities.
Now you can get alerts about your eBay activities on your desktop through your Skype instant messenger. (Skype joins the list of instant messenger programs through which eBay members can choose to receive alerts – AOL Instant Messenger, MSN/Live Messenger, and Yahoo! Instant Messenger.)
If you have Skype version 3.1 or above (it's free to download), you can get:
- Watched Item reminders – Skype will remind you 15 minutes before a listing you're watching in My eBay is about to end.
- Outbid alerts – if you're outbid on a listing, you can still keep the item from getting away, because Skype will instantly let you know.
You can sign up for alerts on your Skype account, either from the Notifications Tab under the Preferences section in My eBay, or directly from an item page. Just find the text about getting alerts on the item page (it's towards the center), and click the "IM" link.
You only have to sign up for Skype Alerts once – after you sign up to receive a Skype alert for one item, you'll get them for all your Watched Items or for items you've been outbid on. I hope Skype Alerts will make using eBay more convenient for you (and more fun too!).
Sincerely,
Benjamin Shapiro
Internet Marketing
skype
Comments
There is actually one more step. On the second last screen shot you need to go into Buying Notifications and select the two items (out of many) that have IM notification options.
Posted by: Jim Courtney | August 7, 2007 04:10 AM
Almost works with eBay.co.uk but falls at the last hurdle. "We are experiencing technical difficulties with your request. Please try again later."
Posted by: Julian Bond | August 7, 2007 04:48 AM
how can i by time from skype i been turned by brizian card and a chase direct deposit card with a balance of other 10,000$. and i was able to buy other services from them that i cant use because i have notime and unable to buy
Posted by: henry a spencer | August 14, 2007 05:22 AM