In an apparent bid to attract new sellers, troubled e-commerce giant eBay Inc. (EBAY) said Tuesday it will waive some listing fees for people who want to auction goods on the company's marketplaces platform.

San Jose, Calif.-based eBay, which is struggling to compete with Web retailers such as Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), said sellers would be able to list five products for auction every 30 days without having to pay up-front listing fees.

But the move could prove ineffective because the new pricing structure may actually cost sellers more in commission fees than under the previous pricing structure, depending on the auction starting price and final selling price.

EBay has in the past year come under intense criticism from small sellers who have grown disenchanted with fee changes that made it easier and cheaper for bigger merchants to list products in large quantities.

Critics have argued those changes, part of the company's ongoing turnaround strategy, have transformed eBay from a quirky online auction market into a high-volume fixed-price retail site.

The company said it hoped Tuesday's changes would attract new sellers to try the site without upfront costs.

"By eliminating the upfront costs of selling on eBay, we hope this new structure will encourage all sellers - new, occasional or experienced - to use the offering as a cost-effective way to sell on our site and earn a little extra cash," said Lorrie Norrington, president of eBay's marketplaces unit.

The company typically charges listing fees, known as "insertion fees," of 10 cents to $4 for items put up for auction on eBay, whether or not those goods are sold. Those fees, which depend on the value of any particular item, will still apply when a seller exceeds more than five listings within the 30-day period. The company will also continue to use a tiered system to calculate commission fees on all items sold.

Items that aren't subject to listing fees, however, will be subject to a flat 8.75% commission, up to $20, meaning that, in some cases, sellers could end up paying higher fees than they would have under the tiered system.

EBay is in the midst of a multi-year effort to turn around its ailing marketplaces business, which last year generated more than half of the company's $8.5 billon in annual revenue. Ebay also operates online payments unit PayPal and Internet telephony division Skype.

The company's marketplaces business has suffered as online shoppers gravitate to rivals such as Amazon, which offers fixed-priced items and free shipping. Ebay recently told investors it will focus on the "secondary market," which includes out-of-season and overstock goods, as one-of-a-kind used and antique items.

On Tuesday, eBay shares fell 1% to $17.23.

-By Scott Morrison, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-765-6118; scott.morrison@dowjones.com