No Free Listings Promotions since Declining eBay 'offer' to open eBay Store

[kelsey503]

I have had an eBay account for over ten years, and average about 150 active listings during a month. I have frequently received promotions for 50, 100, 200, even 1000 Free Listings. But since I declined an 'invitation' to open an eBay Store for $19.95 a month in January, I have not received any. I manage a couple of other eBay account for family and friends, and they have all received two or three Free Listings Promotions since January! 

The only conclusion I can make is that, now that I have increased my Unsold Listings due to these frequent and generous promotions, eBay is now forcing me to open a Store to ensure they get future monthly revenues of $19.95. My 50 Free Listings per month is not going to cover all my current Unsold Listings. I guess they will then want me to pay the .30 cents each so as not to lose all my hard work creating them all.

Does eBay not realize that this is not a Win/Win situation? Can they see that 10% of a sale is better than .30 cents per listing? I will not open a Store, will not pay the .30 cents, and now list only my max of 50 Listings per month. If I don't sell items - I don't make money, eBay doesn't make money (neither does cohort PayPal) and everyone loses. Their Marketing people need to take a Business course!

[iriemilly]

ditto.

[dr.drew]

I have the same kinda problem except i have not gotten any selling promotions of any kind in over 13 months. ive called ebay tons of times and get the same response that it is all random... so you mean to tell me in over 13 months im not selected once.... then they go on to say that there are no buttons to hit to give me a promotion, i hear this every time also... ive been with them for almost 20 years and they say that all the time... Has technology not improved in 20 years.... this is why their company cant make more money.... 

[buffnixx]

Yes they really want people to open new store so they can slice of the $19.95 per month fee from the get go. I manage three accounts, mine, my wife's, and my daughters.  Only my account has an ebay store for which I am glad to pay $19.95 per month, now increasing to $21.95 per month on May 1.  The other two accounts do not have stores and we have been getting some nice deals with offers to use extra listings above and beyound the 50 per month that we all get.  My bottom line is no matter what I will not pay ebay a listing fee.  Never, ever never ever!!

[cs43ls]

I have not received any offers for additional free listjngs since I changed from the premium store to the basic store . I would have kept the premium store if I had made money, but my business is down 70% from a couple of years ago , and I made barely enough to pay my fees including the store rent. When ebay increases my visibility on this site, I am willing to look at stepping up to premium again,  but right now I am thinking about just taking the "new basic store " comming shortly.  Sofar they have only offered to lower my final value fee last month for " in demand items ". I sell clothing and this did not qualify.

[tkea49]

I am thinking about changing from premium to basic store subscription. My sales are down and the $59.95 a month eats up much of my profit. I would love to get some free listing promotions but haven't received any since I started my store. I presently have 1,200 listings and it will be hard to move from 1,000 Buy It Now listings to 250 but the monthly fee will be considerably less. My yearly subscription is finished on July 1, 2018 so I have just a few days to make the decision to downgrade my store subscription. Any advice from someone who moved from Premium to Basic Store?

[tkea49]

I meant to say my store subscription expires on June 1.  I will probably change my subscription on May 31.

[laurabeardsley]

Well, I too do not have a store and have not received a listing promotion in 17 months. I also called and got the random excuse which after 17 months is getting old. I believe it is very unfair to not include everyone in these offers by taking turns. I really think someone in the company will be forced to re evaluate their methods at some point or at least I am hoping for that.

[lindyslucky]

I fear to reply, just knowing the ebay gods are watching the discussion boards and we will be punished by burning wrath falling on us.(or no new promos).

We have turned down all "invitations" to open a store. (Give us more money) Sales are not great. They have (or had) a calculator to help decide, and we were always borderline. Ebay is too unreliable in many aspects. 

Policies change constantly. None seem to have helped increase profits. We list more, make less. Can't see where listing a lot more would help. The time involved is too much for the return. That's time.... Not counting the price of goods, shipping & all. 

Have heard all the rah rah, change what you sell. (Really? I have piles of things that are moving slowly, why would we risk more time & money?  We tried that once, still selling the items after 2 years) 

So... We have recieved numerous promos for free listings this year. It works...we get enthused, list more, work hard. We figure we need at least 120 things up to get steady sales. We got 2 promos in May. Of course, some have been auction, or with make an offer. Strangely with the make an offer free listing, have put 30/40 new things up, two things have sold for full price. (Nothing else) I had auto decline on, modest price reductions, in order to take advantage of offer.

Our theory has been, once we get those 140 listings created (we have had about a 15% monthly sell through rate), ebay will count on us not wanting to lose them, and we will open a store. (No thank you) 

Either way, none of us know what's behind the gift of Free listings. They obviously use it as a test. Information gathering. We are not privy to the results. In a real B &M store, the info on results of what you are doing is yours, along with all your other efforts. 

We we know when we started we got 100 listings free each month ( 1/2 auction). It was enough to keep us in the game. If we don't continue to get free ones, we can open another account. Or not. That too, could be too much work for little return.

Our modest expectations for an ebay income have not happened. 

If we get free listings we will try to use them. If not, taking a step back. Not buying any more. Buying on ebay sure was fun. Selling was ok at first. Not fun now. Just the uncertainty of the hoping for free listings is nerve wracking. We too are waiting for another.

[disneylvr22]

I actually have a store and have not received any free listing promotions in the last couple months. I used to get 3 or 4 promotional offers a month and now nothing. I haven’t done anything different or changed anything from what I have done for the last couple years I’ve been selling on here so I’m not sure what the deal is. But I just figured I’d say something so you knew it was also happening to people who do have stores

[alacar-8]

Maybe its different in Canada, my store never receives promotional offers

[krys888]

Wow. This is a two year old thread. 

[brian@ebay]

Hi everyone,

Due to the length of time that has passed since this thread began, we have locked it from future replies. If this is still an issue that warrants discussion, don't hesitate to begin a new thread here.

Thanks.