Huge news: eBay drops Kijiji.com; renamed 'eBay Classifieds'

Just days after flying bloggers from around America to California for an indoctrination session on the glory of online classifieds site Kijiji.com, eBay has killed Kijiji.com and renamed it eBay classifieds.

The name change has been speculated for months, but this morning eBay pulled the trigger and unleashed the entire rebranding to the interwebs.

Before I give you more details, I'll mention that I've now purchased www.yousuckatebay.com for future use. Unsure what I'll be doing with it, but I could see it being used for the former-Kijiji.com or amusing listings from the main eBay site. Comments are welcome.

First, video of an interview with Martin Herbst, GM of eBay Classifieds about the change, then the full text of today's news release on the launch.

eBay Makes Selling Mobile With New iPhone^© Apps

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Selling anything, anywhere is now mobile with eBay’s launch of two iPhone^© selling apps, one for the eBay.com global marketplace and one for eBay’s new classifieds site, eBayClassifieds.com. With the new eBay Selling and eBay Classifieds mobile apps, consumers can easily photograph and list an item in 60 seconds or less. And consumers can now list for free in eBay’s auction format, reaching 90 million active eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) users around the world, or in eBay Classifieds, to reach buyers in their local communities. Plus, in addition to selling, buying has never been easier with eBay’s leading mobile shopping app and mobile platform and the new eBay Classifieds mobile app.

“eBay Classifieds sets a new standard in the U.S. classifieds market, offering a trusted local community selling format for items that don’t make sense to sell on the eBay marketplace, or when selling locally is preferable.”

On April 3, eBay will take mobile commerce a step further, with a new version of the eBay app for iPad.
“We offer more choice in ecommerce formats for sellers and buyers than any other online shopping destination,” said Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay Marketplaces. “The eBay Selling app makes it easy for sellers to bring even greater value and selection to eBay and offer more great deals for buyers. Whether selling or shopping, we’ve put the world’s largest online marketplace in the palm of your hand, and we’ve introduced a great new option for consumers who prefer to sell and buy in a trusted, family friendly local classifieds format.”
eBay is the world’s leading mobile commerce innovator. With more than 8 million people using their iPhones to shop eBay, the company expects to generate $1.5 billion in merchandise volume through its mobile platform in 2010. That’s approximately two-and-a-half times the more than $600 million eBay generated in mobile commerce merchandise volume in 2009. The eBay mobile apps are available in more than 190 countries and eight languages. And, with the new mobile apps adding more easy ways to sell on eBay.com and eBayClassifieds.com, buyers have more options than ever to access incredible value and selection online and find the best deals in their neighborhood, across the country and around the world.
With the new eBay Selling app, which is free to download, eBay sellers can:

• Point, shoot and click to list an item from their iPhones in 60 seconds or less
• Research sales trends and price ranges on eBay and list similar items for sale
• Easily and clearly view the status of items for sale
• Share listings with Facebook and Twitter social networks
• Quickly link to other eBay and PayPal iPhone apps

The new eBay Classifieds application for the iPhone, also free to download, creates an unmatched shopping experience for classifieds sellers and buyers. The eBay Classifieds mobile app provides:

• Free ad postings in less than a minute with up to eight photos, either from the iPhone’s photo library or its camera
• Fast and simple search by keyword, location, price range and other attributes
• Single-page ad view with reply, watch, and share features – all while on the go

With the recent release of PayPal Mobile for iPhone, paying for classifieds transactions is easier and safer than ever. A buyer can quickly email money or “bump” iPhones with a seller to transfer funds between PayPal accounts.
Classifieds – free, friendly and local
eBay is the global leader in online classifieds with the No. 1 classifieds format in key European markets, as well as Australia, South Africa and Canada. Today in the U.S., eBay relaunched its Kijiji classifieds site as eBayClassifieds.com, with major enhancements that create industry-leading standards in trust and safety, customer service and user experience.
eBay Classifieds does not accept personals or other adult-related content, which research shows is a concern for consumers, particularly parents, when using online classifieds sites. Other features include:

• A redesigned Web site with a fresh, clean look that is safer and easy to use for local selling
• Strong filtering technology that significantly reduces spam and fraud, and builds trust among users
• Best-in-class customer support to increase responsiveness to buyers and sellers seeking personal assistance

“We’re introducing a more visual, easy-to-navigate and family friendly classifieds experience that our research tells us consumers in the U.S. want,” Norrington said. “eBay Classifieds sets a new standard in the U.S. classifieds market, offering a trusted local community selling format for items that don’t make sense to sell on the eBay marketplace, or when selling locally is preferable.”
To view a demo of the eBay Selling app for iPhone, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HKmN8oXJFM.
To view a demo of the eBay Classifieds app for iPhone, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtm-3_31JCc.