Ebay's total disregard for sellers...re: new 15 day limit on putting items on sale

[coniferclothingcompany]

I have been a seller for a few years, have done everything right according to Ebay, gone along with new policies (offer guaranteed delivery, free shipping, have 100% positive fb etc) and was a TPS Plus until the free shipping requirement. This morning I found out that Ebay has instituted a policy that an item that was on promotion cannot be put back on sale for 15 days. I sell clothing and this policy is going to significantly hurt my sales. Over the weekend I put a large part of my store on promotion and consequently had a significant boost in sales. I now can't put any of those items back on sale for 15 days. If I were to put some of these items back on sale next weekend and would get a similar boost in sales how is that a bad thing? I called Ebay and was told that buyers have complained about sellers marking items up and immediately putting them on sale. So instead of targeting those sellers and working with them Ebay institutes a blanket policy that affects all sellers. When I run a promotion it's generally 10-20% off. I do not mark up items before they go on sale. Increased volume of purchases as a result of a promotion is good for me and ultimately Ebay too. Also, there is no way to tell which items are eligible to be put on promotion. If I go to the promotions page and format a sale there is no indication as to which items are beyond the 15 day restriction. Finally, as a seller shouldn't I have received prior notice to this policy? I found out from another seller.

I have always been one to defend Ebay when others complain about policies as a great venue for selling but after they have made free shipping a requirement for TRS Plus and now this I am very discouraged. I would think I am the kind of seller Ebay wants to keep happy as I am making them money. It feels like Ebay is trying to get rid of sellers like me.

[coffeebean832]

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@coniferclothingcompany wrote:

“In addition, the item must have not been included in another Sale event or markdown promotion within the past 14 days.”

This refers to ANY kind of promotion. Call Ebay and ask for yourself. They may have not made it clear but that is the policy.

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I spoke with my anchor store customer service rep about it earlier today. She said the same thing I posted above. Order Discount promotions do not change the price of the item so they have no bearing on the Sale/Markdown promotion rules.

[davidstarcher]

Much repetition here but I think it needs to be repeated. I am quite disappointed in this change for a number of reasons. One eBay did not adequately notify me of this change. Yes it is listed in the Summer Update but it is at the bottom of the page completely separate from the rest of the announcements and basically a footnote which is why I never even saw it and didn't know about it until my promotions were effected and another seller told me who also had no idea this was going to happen and found out from another seller as well. It seems they went out of their way to hide this change. Secondly my main use of promotions is to discount older inventory progressively until it is all sold or the value becomes to low to justify keeping it. Having to wait half a month (yes that is what 15 days really is) between sales really puts a dent in my ability to do that. As far as people having continuous or frequent sales that is called marketing and is standard practice for many businesses; they even teach it in business school. I know because I took marketing classes while working on my MBA. Frequent promotions is good business for everyone buyers get lower prices, sellers get more sales, and eBay collects more fees. Throwing a monkey wrench into the process to make it tedious helps nobody.  I have been selling on eBay since 1997 and have seen eBay make a lot of changes which I thought were stupid but this has got to be one of the dumbest ideas yet. They really ought to reverse this decision and fire the person who came up with it.

[coniferclothingcompany]

I encourage you to try it. I have several times and it does not work. Items that have been on sale within 14 days don’t show up. I have found with new policy updates you can get conflicting information from different sources at Ebay. I wish it did work very much because that would help enormously.

[vintage_villages]

I don't understand why it has to be 14 days, is there reason for that?

If this how ebay is going to go, I will move 2700 items to esty within coming months and close 4 sub stores. I pay few hundreds of dollars on subscription fee every month and I don't feel I'm  getting  the money worth

[emerald40]

@davidstarcher wrote:

Much repetition here but I think it needs to be repeated. I am quite disappointed in this change for a number of reasons. One eBay did not adequately notify me of this change. Yes it is listed in the Summer Update but it is at the bottom of the page completely separate from the rest of the announcements and basically a footnote which is why I never even saw it and didn't know about it until my promotions were effected and another seller told me who also had no idea this was going to happen and found out from another seller as well. It seems they went out of their way to hide this change. Secondly my main use of promotions is to discount older inventory progressively until it is all sold or the value becomes to low to justify keeping it. Having to wait half a month (yes that is what 15 days really is) between sales really puts a dent in my ability to do that. As far as people having continuous or frequent sales that is called marketing and is standard practice for many businesses; they even teach it in business school. I know because I took marketing classes while working on my MBA. Frequent promotions is good business for everyone buyers get lower prices, sellers get more sales, and eBay collects more fees. Throwing a monkey wrench into the process to make it tedious helps nobody.  I have been selling on eBay since 1997 and have seen eBay make a lot of changes which I thought were stupid but this has got to be one of the dumbest ideas yet. They really ought to reverse this decision and fire the person who came up with it.

You were notified like everyone else.  It is your fault for not taking the time to read the updates or come here to this board like everyone else.

And the person who came up with it is following the law.  Your anger should be toward sellers who ruined it for everyone else.

You know marketing.  But do you know the law.  What sellers were doing is illegal.  Stores were sued over it. 

[pot0hr]

this just proves those at ebay that set policies don't use ebay at all...  whoever heard of a customer complaining about a sale even if stuff is marked up and then discounted... it shouldn't matter anymore than an auction with a reserve price, as a customer one should know what a fair price is for something, nobody is forcing them to pay because it's a sale... afterall, most brick and mortar stores have inflated prices simply to run a flash sale. it's not like this pricing strategy is anything new.  If customers are upset then they need to buy from another seller... freedom of choice, why does our society continue to regulate stuff based on stupidity of a few?

[flubbertwo]

Sounds like a solution for a non-existent problem. Whether it is called on sale or not, the price is what it is. And few people are gullible enough to buy the $30 item on sale and skip the $27 identical item that isn't called on sale. I usually run all inclusive sales for a month at a time. If I have to endure a 15 day wait in between, I won't be happy.

[tamralynn]

I read the summer seller update and when I read the passage about running a promotion, I thought it referred to only new listings.  I had no idea it was referring to all items within your store.  I like to run random promotions from time to time on my whole store (mostly on the weekends).  I'll do pop up sales, like ebay does, that might only be for 1 or 2 days.  Now I can't continue with that way of doing business?   I never raise my prices and then put them on sale.

I also have a section within my store for Clearance items.  I have been running % off sales for a month and then raising that amount by 5% each month.  Now I won't be able to go from 35% off to 40% off next month to help clear out some items?  I'll have to bring everything back to full price for two weeks and then run the 40% off?  Is the work around that I just reduce the price by that amount and not run it through promotions?

[albertabrightalberta]

@Anonymous

tyler@ebay

brian@ebay

This hasn't been brought up in 8 pages of posts so I'll ask the question now. 

So when did ebay change from being "just a venue" (while disclaiming a boatload of responsibility) to becoming an employer who sets the requirements for the sellers (employees) who use the site? 

As a venue, you can and should do what you need to to mitigate illegal activities, fraud, theft, etc., but to require sellers to comply with "rules" that change the way they want to do business how they want to price their items, whether or not th,ey want to take returns, etc. smacks of an employer setting a standard.

Does ebay not believe that buyers are capable of deciding whether they like a seller's listing style or TOS? 

I get that you want happy buyers but in order for you to have happy buyers, you need satisfied sellers. It's been said ad nauseum that it's the sellers who pay the fees and while there'll be no FVF is items aren't sold to buyers, it still takes both buyers AND sellers. 

Part of what made ebay different from other sites was its variety. Ebay is NOT amazon, ebay is NOT macy's, ebay is NOT a manufacturer's website -- ebay sellers shouldn't ALL have to be identical. 

JMHO. 

[albertabrightalberta]

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@emerald40 wrote: 

I am also an avid consumer.  These constant sales are not in the best interest of the seller imo.

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That's what the "back" button is for. There are enough buyers and sellers on ebay that there are plenty of both for us to choose from. If I don't like a seller, I find another and if as a seller, I don't like a buyer, I have a BBL for that. 

[couldabeenworse]

whoever heard of a customer complaining about a sale even if stuff is marked up and then discounted

Really?  I think most consumers - and the Federal Trade Commission - object to "sale" prices based on fictitious previous prices.

[couldabeenworse]

 As a venue, you can and should do what you need to to mitigate illegal activities

Here's an example the Federal Trade Commission gives in its Deceptive Pricing Guide:

(c) The following is an example of a price comparison based on a fictitious former price. John Doe is a retailer of Brand X fountain pens, which cost him $5 each. His usual markup is 50 percent over cost; that is, his regular retail price is $7.50. In order subsequently to offer an unusual ``bargain'', Doe begins offering Brand X at $10 per pen. He realizes that he will be able to sell no, or very few, pens at this inflated price. But he doesn't care, for he maintains that price for only a few days. Then he ``cuts'' the price to its usual level -- $7.50 -- and advertises: ``Terrific Bargain: X Pens, Were $10, Now Only $7.50!'' This is obviously a false claim. The advertised ``bargain'' is not genuine.

[emerald40]

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@pot0hr wrote:

this just proves those at ebay that set policies don't use ebay at all...  whoever heard of a customer complaining about a sale even if stuff is marked up and then discounted... it shouldn't matter anymore than an auction with a reserve price, as a customer one should know what a fair price is for something, nobody is forcing them to pay because it's a sale... afterall, most brick and mortar stores have inflated prices simply to run a flash sale. it's not like this pricing strategy is anything new.  If customers are upset then they need to buy from another seller... freedom of choice, why does our society continue to regulate stuff based on stupidity of a few?

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What part of raising a price only to lower it and call it a sale is ILLEGAL are you not understanding.

It is not about buyers getting upset.  It is ILLEGAL.

Yes stores have sales.  But the discount they state has to be accurate.

You cannot raise the price to some amount you would never sell it at only to reduce it by half and call is a 50% of sales.  Stores were sued over this because it is ILLEGAL.

Ever heard of truth in advertising.

[emerald40]

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@albertabrightalberta wrote:

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@emerald40 wrote: 

I am also an avid consumer.  These constant sales are not in the best interest of the seller imo.

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That's what the "back" button is for. There are enough buyers and sellers on ebay that there are plenty of both for us to choose from. If I don't like a seller, I find another and if as a seller, I don't like a buyer, I have a BBL for that. 

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I am also a seller.  And I am glad ebay is making it a more even playing field because some sellers will not pay by the rules.

Why should a false sale give someone a benefit in placement?

[ifyouloveit]

Isn't eBay pushing us to add, "Make an offer?" on a brand new listing EXACTLY the same thing? Price it higher with, "Make an offer", make the sale. Buyers are already keen to this new nonsense too. I have buyers messaging me now asking me what my best price is, as I don't have best offer listed on the listing.

eBay is doing just that with make an offer. Price manipulation. Sellers start your prices high, because they are coming down...... Buyers, this is not the real price, make an offer!