In an effort to stem some of its recent losses and attract new business, Internet staple eBay has made some changes of late.

The online auction giant announced Monday, Aug. 10, that it planned to team up with GM dealers in California to sell new cars on the site.

It is a shift for eBay, which predominantly deals in used vehicles.

In a lesser move, but one also indicative of the changing marketplace, eBay announced late last month that it will allow smaller sellers to have some of the perks that were previously reserved for the bigger users.

Sellers who provide the highest level of customer service will reportedly earn a new “top-rated seller” status, receive a 20 percent discount on fees and be elevated in search results.

Also, products they offer will be more likely to show up in searches that buyers make on the site.

The company said in a press release that it expects to extend this revised service, which is scheduled to start in October, to about 150,000 sellers.

In July, eBay announced that net income fell to $327 million, or 25 cents a share, compared with $460 million, or 35 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter.

These losses also reflect the tougher competition faced by eBay, as the Internet continues to expand and take aim at the consumer.

Some other auction sites that are giving eBay a run for their money include the Sam’s Club auction site (www.samsclub.com/auctions), which reportedly specializes in electronics; the Goodwill site (www.shopgoodwill.com), which has many collectibles; and the Ubid site (www.ubid.com), which has a wealth of refurbished electronics.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7325 or jikelley@DaytonDaily News.com. CNBC, The Wall Street Journal and The Star-Tribune contributed to this report.