Ebay

Online marketplace eBay will stop accepting American Express ('Amex') cards as a direct payment method from today (Saturday 17 August). You'll still be able to use your Amex on eBay by going through PayPal – but be wary of doing this with large purchases, as you may lose valuable Section 75 protection.

An eBay seller has told how she's made over £2,500 selling empty crisp bags from the Eighties on the online auction site. But vintage packaging isn't the only rubbish you can make a packet from - hard though it is to believe, buyers snap up all sorts of nick-nacks, from old toilet roll tubes to empty jam jars. 

eBay sellers will soon be paid directly into their bank rather than into PayPal accounts. It means PayPal will no longer take a slice of your earnings, but eBay's hiking fees. We explain the full details on what's happening and who the winners and losers are.

The competitions watchdog has called upon online giants Facebook and eBay to act urgently to stop fake and misleading reviews appearing on their sites, after finding evidence of a "thriving marketplace" for false online reviews.

eBay is increasing the number of free monthly listings for sellers from 20 to 1,000 – but you'll still need to pay a fee if your item sells. 

Facebook is launching its own free-to-use classified-ads platform for buying and selling goods locally, although it won't interfere with independent buying and selling groups already set up on the site.

We love a nifty MoneySaving trick, which is why every week in this email we feature loopholes and quirky tips. Once in a while we throw them together, so you've a stash of juicy savers - and now's that time. Enjoy...

For some shopping is a hobby, others a chore, for me it's a challenge. If you're going to buy, how can you get exactly what you want and pay less for doing it?

People who make extra cash by selling on eBay, renting a room out on Airbnb, or through odd jobs will benefit from two new £1,000 tax breaks from April 2017.