eBay

monstertoybox · ‎10-04-2019

We have been on Ebay for over 9 years, and of course like everyone else is mentioning it was great in the beginning - it was fun and exciting. I loved talking about my store and how well it was doing. Fast forward to now and it is nothing but frustrating and depressing. I never mention my store anymore because it is just way too embarrassing.

It has been going downhill here for a few years, but this year is the absolute worst it has ever been. I’m making less in 90 days what I used to make in 1 month just last year.

There is no way anyone on here can convince me that Ebay doesn’t control every aspect of my store and my ability to make sales. The patterns of sales leads me to believe I am only “on” at certain times and in certain states. Just as one example, which is statistically impossible - Thurs 1 sale at 3:54am (west coast) nothing for the rest of the day, next day Fri 1 sale at 3:55am (west coast) nothing for the rest of the day. And as others mentioned one good day, I can be assured a few dead days will follow. Clumped sales from one state or one time zone. Days of absolutely nothing - no sales, no feedback, no messages. Complain to Ebay about slow sales and miraculously they will suddenly come back to life for a few days, only to always return to miserable sales.

The most frustrating part is it seems no one gives a **bleep**. My store is completely failing and no one at Ebay could care less. I have worked really hard on my store, put in many, many hours to try to make it great. I take very good care of my customers. Ended old underperforming listings – revised titles, lowered prices, take all my own pictures, added all my item specifics, did promoted listings (which I don’t do anymore because it doesn’t work), marked down all my items, free shipping on a lot of the items … I could go on. Basically, I have jumped through every hoop they sent my way.

BUT STILL NO SALES! What am I paying for?

It’s coming into the Christmas buying season, we could always at least depend on this time of year to do well, but I’m so afraid that this year is going to be a total bust and then we’re done. I can't see paying for the monthly store fee if it continues to get worse and worse.

vintagecraze50 · ‎10-19-2019

Yep, it’s approaching. It happens like this whenever there is this big boom in real estate with the prices sky high and young people getting in to debt’s over their heads . It happened like this before when the real estate market took a huge crash. Stupid history always repeats itself.

vintagecraze50 · ‎10-19-2019

Yep, Amazon is soaring. Ebay cannot keep up with them. Never will. Walmart cannot keep up with them either.

vintagecraze50 · ‎10-19-2019

They make the unemployment numbers look good and the economy look good because average people work several jobs to make it. The credit card companies are still steering young people into borrowing more money, the real estate prices are so high and the rents so high that people are living together or going back to live with their parents.

vintagecraze50 · ‎10-19-2019

They are not completing with PP, they need the revenue to make their stocks look good.

hurryagain · ‎10-19-2019

@monstertoybox wrote:
@sfg_sports wrote:
Sorry to hear about the struggles. I did a quick look at your store and did a spot check on a few items and it looks like your pricing is really high.

Here are the items I looked at:
Kylo Ren Starkiller Base Star Wars Black Series Force Awakens K-Mart Exclusive
The Force Awakens Exclusive 6 Action Figure Set Finn Chewbacca Poe Kylo Trooper
Rey's Speeder 4GB USB Flash Drive Disney Store Star Wars Force Awakens
If you do a search against those, you will see that there are many sellers with lower prices than you. For hard goods, pricing is the key to quick sales, or you will be waiting awhile hoping others will sell out. Maybe run a 20% off sale on your store this weekend and see if it jumpstarts some sales. Hope this helps some.
Ugh. Not sure if I've addressed this enough. Please do not "spot check" my store for prices. The problem is not about price. I have 600 items, I’m sure some of my items are higher, but not all, on many I'm actually lower. I sell collectibles, so I’m allowed to be a little higher, it’s about quality. And before you respond please see (these provide my explanation about price.):

Page 4 Message 79
Page 7 Message 127
Page 12 Message 229, 237
Page 14 Message 266

It isn’t about price. You can see in the first two posts mentioned above people pay higher prices all the time.

The main issue we (me and the hundreds of other sellers that have posted on here) are found in messages 229 and 237. I’m not going to write it all again. So after reading those, hopefully you will be in agreement that there is definitely something else going on with sales on Ebay, it’s called sales manipulation. We’re only on when Ebay says we can be on, and it’s impossible to sell anything that way.

@monstertoybox...

You forgot the most important post of all of these...mine!

Message #214

"Are you saying that @monstertoybox dolls are expensive?($200.00)? I have seen dolls go for 2K -5K around here and they are not antique dolls either...limited edition ones. These doll collectors do not lose sleep over a $200.00 doll.

Oh wait...let me show you something...

Screenshot_2019-10-14 doll eBay.png

There ya go!

How's about dropping the price of a car on a dolly??? There are some serious collectors around here.

Well, at least the two most expensive ones had free shipping...

I WIN!

monstertoybox · ‎10-19-2019

@hurryagain wrote:

You forgot the most important post of all of these...mine!
Message #214

"Are you saying that @monstertoybox dolls are expensive?($200.00)? I have seen dolls go for 2K -5K around here and they are not antique dolls either...limited edition ones. These doll collectors do not lose sleep over a $200.00 doll.

Oh wait...let me show you something...

There ya go!

How's about dropping the price of a car on a dolly??? There are some serious collectors around here.

Well, at least the two most expensive ones had free shipping...

I WIN!

Yes that is definitely a winner! Look at those crazy prices! I am in the wrong business!

monstertoybox · ‎10-19-2019

Not sure what happened to my response, but I definitely said you WIN! Look at those crazy doll prices! I'm in the wrong business for sure!

hurryagain · ‎10-19-2019

@monstertoybox wrote:
Not sure what happened to my response, but I definitely said you WIN! Look at those crazy doll prices! I'm in the wrong business for sure!

@monstertoybox

Right?

I cannot imagine that someone would drop 20K on a doll!

The only way that I would do such a thing is if it were made out of solid gold and encrusted with diamonds or something...

shonnaspretties · ‎10-19-2019

Sales are still trickling in for me but EXTREMELY slow. I agree with others and think the search is broken. I did read a post I found interesting but no idea now which board it was on, I cant find it again now of course. It said something about how Ebay had grown so large that different parts of it are held on different servers and there's a lag when they come together maybe? Also something about different city/states on different servers.... I wish I could find it. Maybe part of that it our issue, we aren't getting exposed to all the servers for sales? I sound like an idiot....

monstertoybox · ‎10-19-2019

@shonnaspretties wrote:
Sales are still trickling in for me but EXTREMELY slow. I agree with others and think the search is broken. I did read a post I found interesting but no idea now which board it was on, I cant find it again now of course. It said something about how Ebay had grown so large that different parts of it are held on different servers and there's a lag when they come together maybe? Also something about different city/states on different servers.... I wish I could find it. Maybe part of that it our issue, we aren't getting exposed to all the servers for sales? I sound like an idiot....

You definitely don't sound like an idiot. I think I've read that posting also. There's been plenty said about the server issue and that just may be the problem or at least part of the problem. I have had a few sales also, but they are pathetic. I know it's just that I'm under their control. So I, and a bunch more sellers are feeling the same way you are. Something is definitely broken, with all their genius ideas to control us, we're all going out of business and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it.

uncseniorsportsfan · ‎10-19-2019

I don't know why sellers keep comparing eBay to Amazon. Only eBay's management seems to think that they are competing in the same lane. Sites like etsy have succeeded because they steer clear of competing with Amazon, but have cut into eBay's market instead. In fact, Amazon has recently tried to compete with etsy in the handcrafted market with limited success.

Other than books, Amazon does not sell used and vintage items. Third party sellers are limited by Amazon. Amazon competes directly with many of its third party sellers - in fact they often steal business from those doing well.

hurryagain · ‎10-19-2019

@shonnaspretties

I understand what you are saying and if that is the case, it does make sense. The Cassini search engine has been complained about as well. We did not have such a mess before Cassini, it tends to muddy up the search results with A LOT of irrelevant listings so you have to filter those results yourself wasting time and aggravating would be buyers.

I have looked at other LARGE online sites and their searches do not have this problem. They are much cleaner and to the point - just like how eBay's search engine used to be...

...sigh...

maot-7 · ‎10-19-2019

@monstertoybox wrote:
@turquoisetulips wrote:
@darkeyedman wrote:
My sales are down as well. Bad economy or bad ebay, I have no idea why. One thing I noticed myself doing is lowering prices tooo much thinking it would help. It didn't and I sold a few things too cheap. I am going to keep my prices where they need to be and just be patient. 2 years ago I was selling 8 items a day. Now it is 8 items a week on a good week. Ebay has driven away buyers in droves with their frustrating search, displaying high dollar promoted items first even when lowest price plus shipping is selected. displaying promoted items that do not match the search criteria when 'best match' is selected. I hope they will see the light. I will try to be patient. Now they are going to force us all into managed payments, and will probably figure out how to turn off buyers with that as well.
I am running out of patience as I type this. arghhhh.
I think sellers trying to beat the lowest price out there aren't always using the best method to attract buyers . Buyers are also looking for quality and items that will last . When a price is too low it can send out some red flags that something could be wrong that isn't clearly seen or described in the listing. The lowest price doesn't always mean getting the best deal in the minds of the buyers . IMO Tulips
I totally agree with this. Ebay is always sending "lower your price" emails, I delete them without opening because it's worthless. I used to chase the lowest price, until buyers bought after my sale had ended. Price is not the main issue, I believe visibility is at the top! We need our items on 24/7 in all states.

As a buyer (I do sell also) I couldn't disagree with you more, every item in my watch list stays there cuz the price is absurd. In a few months I'll likely make them an offer for much less, sometimes I get it, sometimes not, but buyers do have a budget to live on as well, I think sometimes many of you sellers forget this.

sfg_sports · ‎10-19-2019

Ya, that's weird that they are only at that one time. Have you called them and asked them to give your listings a refresh? Mine were stuck in a weird funk for like 5 days (no offers and only sales were from watchers that I sent offers from). After that, my store seemed to be back on the grid.

vanbergen8614 · ‎10-19-2019

I just down graded my store starter today. Been selling on ebay since 2006 and have doing ok for me but my sales are so stagnant now. I understand 99% of my items are long tail and need that one buyer but just zero traffic here on ebay. I sell so much more on local market places with zero fees. ebay use to be fun but no more. Good luck to all!