eBay

gozhven · ‎03-01-2023

I have been selling on eBay for 22 years. In the past 10 years I have made approximately 120 to 150 sales transactions per month. However, for the past several months that number has dropped to an average of 5 to 10 sales per month. I LITERALLY went 10+ years without a zero-sales day. Right now I have not sold anything for 5 days which seems to be the new norm.

My inventory is the same and sales of those products seem to be doing well across eBay. The only thing that has changed is that eBay keeps telling me to "promote" my listings....for an additional fee of course.

What a genius move by eBay. When they realized they could no longer raise fees, they added a NEW fee that "promotes" your items. The only downside is that if you don't "promote" your listings, they will be relegated to the virtual dungeon of lost listings.....somewhere on page 500 of shoppers' search results pages.

Unfortunately for eBay, the only thing that will happen is that they will lose my monthly store subscription fee. Time to put all my focus on Amazon.

Any other sellers experiencing this change in sales volume?

Any sellers out there feel ok about the "promotion" fees. And keep in mind, its a variable rate....the more you pay, the more your listings get "promoted." They're making you an offer you can't refuse.

lawnmowerpartsstore2 · ‎03-01-2023

Welcome to the new rules of on line selling. Google just started this same thing again. As for the Big A, it looks like they charge you 40.00 per month to sale things on their sight plus fees. The world is changing very fast right now. Kinda scary if you look at the whole picture 😮

b86fiero · ‎03-01-2023

Unfortunately unless you are selling in eBay's "Focus" "Vertical" categories (car parts, high cost sneakers, trading cards, Rolex watches, etc.) or offering a high percentage for eBay to Promote your listings, you're left in the dust.

Sorry, it seems eBay has become a site where few can make any appreciable amount of income.

chariot_badges · ‎03-01-2023

What a genius move by eBay. When they realized they could no longer raise fees, they added a NEW fee that "promotes" your items. The only downside is that if you don't "promote" your listings, they will be relegated to the virtual dungeon of lost listings.....somewhere on page 500 of shoppers' search results pages.

Sounds like you got it figured out.

Now, to figure out a solution.

I got an idea. Why don't you do what EVERYBODY in this inflation ridden world is doing - and raise your prices? If it cost you 10% more to sell your stuff ... increase prices by 10%.

The end user pays, not you.

Now, if they are not willing or able to pay a 10% increase, THAT is a different problem that may result in closing your store, but it is too early for a drastic action like that.

Raise prices, lets see if that works.

dirk12955 · ‎03-01-2023

I've read, As our listings age that they become less relevant in search. The OP might end

some of his older listings and restart them using sell similar and use that opportunity to

"Spiff them up" and make them look new.

The recession is real. People in some sectors are hurting. This has to cost all

sellers at any level $$$

retro_entertainment_collectibles · ‎03-01-2023

@lawnmowerpartsstore2 wrote:
Welcome to the new rules of on line selling. Google just started this same thing again. As for the Big A, it looks like they charge you 40.00 per month to sale things on their sight plus fees. The world is changing very fast right now. Kinda scary if you look at the whole picture 😮

Amastone's has had the $40 unlimited listings for a long time. As I've said on heaps of occasions I don't blame eBay for much anything as 90%+ of things are completely out of their control. That said at the same time they are missing so many opportunities to make revenues, bring buyers in by the bushel basket loads I just don't understand it!

Take video games ok? There's three BILLION people across the globe that play current video games not that I'm much a gamer but I know the market. Amastone and Walfart take big advantage of that customer base as believe it or not they shop for other things too and not just ships and energy drinks LOL. I don't even sell current stuff but that traffic is gargantuan and there's not lots of meat on the bone for new releases. Here at 13% upon total sale there's just no reason for any dealer to list new releases here. Amazon, Walmart very very very happy about that as they consign the stuff under NET terms. If eBay did 5 or even 6% they'd see places setting up shop and the traffic from it. Blue Rays, stuff like that same thing. FVF's on a whole slew of merchandise ought be tier based, a high resolution than that of flat rate IMHO.

Over the weekend I went to a local outlet place, sorta like an indoor flea market. There was a fella knew years and years back had a game store and he started up again. He told me he's selling 50:1 local via FB Marketplace vs eBay, that new releases, old collectibles on and on. Now anyone doesn't see problem with that doesn't have their eyes open. We're talking a community of basically 1 million people most of which of course are not gamers yet his little shop in a decently trafficked flea market is outperforming the third largest commerce venue on the Internet.

I've suggested "Garage Sale Days," they do that here at the Public Market and you'd not BELIEVE the amount traffic comes through the place.

coolections · ‎03-01-2023

@gozhven wrote:
The only downside is that if you don't "promote" your listings, they will be relegated to the virtual dungeon somewhere on page 500.

Without promoted listings where should you rank out of those 500 other sellers? Who gets to be on top and who is in the dungeon? The best way to prevent something like that is to pay to promote, or another option is to have one of the lower prices. Most buyers change the default to lowest price first.