eBay may consider selling off its internet phone service if it fails to find ways in which Skype can support it business, the Financial Times reports.

The online auction house bought Skype for $3.1 billion in 2005, believing it would make communication easier between buyers and sellers.

However, eBay has yet to prove the system can help its other aspects of businesses outside of the auction world.

John Donahoe, chief executive of eBay, told the FT: "If the synergies are strong, we'll keep it in our portfolio. If not, we'll reassess it.

A limited-edition Lenovo 3000 V200 notebook PC signed by Kerri Walsh & Misty May-Treanor of the U.S. Beach Volleyball team sold on eBay for $2,758.88. Like the “Cloud of Promise” on which the design is based, the notebook cover features striking swirls of silver against a pure red base color.

eBay has set up its own affiliate network to generate traffic to its sites, taking its marketing program in-house.

eBay have taken the responsibility away from ValueClick's Commission Junction platform and will rely on its own newly created eBay partner network, which will serve more than 100,000 individual affiliates globally.

Will Martin-Gill, eBay's marketing program senior manager, said: "The more you can see your customers and how they're reacting [to banner and search ads], the better you can target them and work with them."

Many retailers are abandoning eBay as the site increases its fees, a report has warned.

From February 18th, the online auction site will introduce a new fee schedule for sellers and increase some administrative charges, the e-Commerce Times reported.

As result, a number of sellers are planning to boycott the site for a week at the end of the month.