eBay 2003 Annual Report Download - page 11

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initial user hesitancy when trading over the Internet, as it reduces the anonymity and uncertainty of
dealing with an unknown trading partner.
SafeHarborTM Program
In addition to the Feedback Forum, we oÅer the SafeHarbor
TM
program, which provides guidelines for
trading, provides information to resolve user disputes and responds to reports of misuses of the eBay
service. eBay's SafeHarbor staÅ investigates users' complaints of possible misuse of the eBay service and
takes appropriate action, including issuing warnings to users or suspending users from bidding on or listing
items for sale. Some of the complaints the SafeHarbor staÅ investigates include various forms of bid
manipulation, malicious posting of negative feedback and posting of illegal items for sale. The SafeHarbor
group is organized into three areas: Investigations, Fraud Prevention and Community Watch. The
Investigations team investigates reported trading infractions and misuse of the eBay service. The Fraud
Prevention team provides information to assist users with disputes over the quality of the goods sold or
potentially fraudulent transactions. When we receive an oÇcially Ñled, written claim of fraud from a user,
we will generally suspend the oÅending user from the eBay service or take other appropriate action. The
Community Watch team investigates the listing of illegal, infringing or inappropriate items on the eBay
sites and violations of certain of our policies. When we receive a valid written claim of intellectual property
infringement by the owner of the intellectual property, we remove the oÅending item. Users who
repeatedly infringe intellectual property rights are suspended. In addition, we have increased the number of
people reviewing potentially illegal items and have developed software programs that scan new listings for
keywords that may indicate illegal, infringing, or inappropriate items. Our trust and safety initiatives,
including user identity veriÑcation, insurance, integrated escrow, authentication, and other proactive anti-
fraud eÅorts are key elements of our eÅort to make eBay a safe place to trade.
My eBay
We oÅer My eBay, which permits users to receive a report of their recent eBay activity, including
bidding, selling, account balances, favorite categories and recent feedback. Users with their own web pages
also may post links from their pages to eBay and list the items they are selling on eBay. We also oÅer
About Me, which provides users the opportunity to create their own personal home page free of charge on
eBay using step-by-step instructions. The About Me home page can include personal information, items
listed for sale, eBay feedback ratings, images and links to other favorite sites.
eBay Foundation
In June 1998, we donated 1,287,000 split-adjusted shares of our common stock to the Community
Foundation Silicon Valley, a tax-exempt donor-advised public charity, and established a fund known as the
""eBay Foundation.'' Since its inception, the eBay Foundation has made millions of dollars in grants to
dozens of programs and initiatives focused on education and expanded access to technology. We also seek
user suggestions for worthwhile charities through our website, where charity auctions and other unique
promotions are held to support such causes.
The PayPal Online Payment Experience
Following a completed transaction, eBay buyers and sellers can exchange funds by the payment
method of their choice, most frequently through our PayPal global payments platform, but in some cases
using check, money order or merchant credit card accounts. PayPal enables any business or consumer with
email to send and receive online payments securely, conveniently and cost-eÅectively. PayPal's email-
driven system builds on the legacy Ñnancial infrastructure of bank accounts and credit cards to create an
online payment network available to users in 38 countries. PayPal's global payments platform also provides
those individuals and businesses conducting e-commerce transactions on sites other than eBay the same
ability to exchange funds in settlement of such transactions.
9