Nothing is Selling, Nothing is Working to fix it. No sales Sept 2018

[starmr25]

No Sales, Nothing is selling, Nothing is working

I have been selling here about 18 years , this is the worst 4 months I have ever seen on ebay. I understand that they are trying to stay competitive in this market. I already know about all the tweeks and photos and blah blah blah, 

I called ebay and asked them what they could do for me not only am I a seller but a buyer. Nothing Nothing Nothing.

The best I got was from a rep that said Promote your listings. I even got all the way up to an ebay superviser. Nothing

I am not sure how all this is going to pan out. I like to put my money where it makes money, Not a bottomless pit of fees. It looks as though ebay may turn in to a bottomless pit. I will give you my best advice.

1. First four words in your title make it count. Ex. Nike T Shirt Red

2. Four to six White background photos. Google likes that

3. If you got a upc fill it in. REALLY

4.Specs They are there to do the job for buyers to find your product. USE Them REALLY

5. Freeshipping. NO CHOICE

6.Accept returns, You'll have to anyway they flash the INAD and they get it anyway.

So While we are making no money we can correct our errored sites that worked for so long.

 China , they will never accept free returns as it cost 17.98 to return and item to them that they sold for 0.01 , with free shipping. They just over sell us , My point if your items are in competition with 0.01 and free shipping, Change your product you can't win. 

[watchingbands]

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@hioctane62 wrote:

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@jason_incognito wrote:

That's how business works.

The strong survive and prosper.

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You mean like Amazon is, and ebay isnt?

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bahaha. you're not wrong

[moms**art**window**]

Your response shows class,amazing how people will kick ya when your down,you sound like a real fighter to me that's tried everything,watch November it will change,been experiencing the same thing (i'm not asking for any advice or to be trolled thanks everyone it gets to a point that you can smell the coffee) hang in there.

[starmr25]

Thank you for your kindness, I hope we both do well in November, Much appreciated .

[chapeau-noir]

I've been doing this for a long time, too, and I'm finding that the entire etailing business is in flux right now.  Stuff that used to sell no longer sells, prices here are dropping fast. The only people I know doing really well in my main category have new with tag items or certain high-demand brands, and already have a following for these things. And all of this is happening at a measureable pace, i.e., it's not as gradual as it has been. I think they are changes that have been happening for a while but the effects are accelerating.

September is proving to be a strange month - I'd just do what you're doing (I don't see free shipping as helping much, at least it makes no difference to me save in highly competitive categories like electronics and sports - where I do offer FS).  Definitely check your title SEO, though - Google has had two major algorithm roll-outs and that's where one of the major shifts have occured.

[sharingtheland]

(Reply to OP; just want to wave at chap*)

I listed something today and it sold in less than 10 minutes.  It was an antique piece, something that a few collect and always look for but also something absolutely no one needs.

I listed another item right after, same age and type of piece but not nearly as unusual as the one that sold, and it's going to sit there for a while.

It seems like I've tried to sell just about everything (never a phone !!) here and, like most others, started in clothing because that's what I knew.  Every new category I've sold in, I've had to start at zero and learn all I could about the widgets.  That takes a lot of time and effort.

I haven't sold clothing in a long time, except for a few really, really good items left in my closet.   I've been working on shoes all afternoon - hate selling shoes but they are all new in box(es) and excellent brands.  They're also all from my closet and since I haven't bought any inventory in months and months, I'm down to cleaning out the last of the good stuff.   Example of that is what I sold this afternoon in 10 minutes; it was mine and not purchased for resale.

I quit selling (very very good) jewelry years ago, along with (very very good) purses.

There are sellers who come here that I envy; they've found their particular niches and do very well but even they sometimes say sales are down.  There's just a lot, a humongous lot, of competition out there.

I'm getting ready to list some crazy discontinued appliance that I've seen (not here) for anywhere from $150 to $300.  That should sell but that does not mean I'm going to start selling small kitchen appliances.  It's a fluke that it was in a lot I bought at auction and actually worth something.

I agree, OP, with chap's suggestion of adding a line to your listings about your refurbishing qualifications.  

*Speaking of:  HI !!  The Toothpaste Empire is over.   I'm just no longer capable of handling the constant upheaval here.  You know I don't understand one word of how Selling Hub works.     The final, final, final straw was when one of the rocket scientists upgraded my computer the other day and now I can't find any old photo files.  How is everyone at your house?  

[articulatedgeared01]

Sat 9-15-18 4:46 p.m.

I am in the process of refurbishing ten plant sites throughout the US to make repurposed items from discarded items.  Raw material costs have to be near zero to make the items competitive.  Maintainging high quality is important to attract and keep customers.  The workforce is key in all of this in order to develop new ideas for products, improve quality, and remain competitive.  

Long ago, Henry Ford decided to pay his workers $5 per day.  This would allow them over time to purchase one of his automobiles.  He sold quite a few automobiles.  Henry had his negative points too, but he helped to put America on wheels.

My take on ebay is that the garages are cleaned out and the saleable items are gone (that is, purchased previously).  The baby boomers are downsizing and moving into retirement homes.  The warehouses on the East Coast of full of furniture which the baby boomers can't fit into the retirement homes.  The millenials only need t-shirts, Jpanese/Korean cars, an iphone, a place to rent, and food.  

I honestly believe that the only way that America can prosper now is do what the English did during WWII - grow vegetables in their own gardens and work to produce products.    Every home needs to become a factory.  All those tin cans and berry containers we discard need to filled with product for sale.

I would ask you, does any one know how to use a tap and die set to cut threads, run a lathe, etc.  The rust belt is full of abandoned manufacturing plants, rusting manufacturing equipment, and unemployed workers.  

Manufacturing is not easy, but it provides money, employment, and an educated public who can afford to purchase commodities.  That is why I am proceeding with my plant effort.

I have not forgotten the times when I pounded the sidewalks during cold winters and hot summers looking for dustomers.  

I  just developed some technoloy to make 0.035-inch ID x 0.090-inch OD x 0.005-inch thick washer from scrap brass.  Every part I can manufacture is one lest I have to purchase form China.

I admire the Chinese.  There is an old WWII film titled Gung HO.  It means to work together in harmony.

I also learned that the old meat packing plants in the US used to look at profits down to the hundreth of a cent level.  Multiply that by millons of cows and pigs.

Europe rebuilt their factories after the devastation of WWII.  We should do the same.  I am trying.

All the best,

ag01 

[shoptay]

Hi there! I see the majority of the responses to your post were quite negative. However, I agree with you as I am having the same issues. I only have a small store but it’s had steady growth up until a few weeks ago. All of the sudden none of my listings had any views and today is the first sale I’ve had since August. I’m really hoping it was just a glitch in the system but I think they are really pushing sellers to use the promoted listings feature. I have always used eBay as my main platform because the fees are lower but if we have to tack on a promotional fee, they are basically charging just as much as everyone is else. Thank you for posting! I hope this all gets worked out! 

[duncanvr]

Due to the slow sales you mentioned its caused me to be able to buy in less inventory due to less funds. So as a result I just reduced my eBay shop to a BASIC store to save on fees. Sales have been on the decline this entire year.  The reasons are anyones guess but I need to cut cost where ever possible. Depeding what size store you have you may want to revert to a smaller store till things pick up. If they ever recover. Batch things up where possible just to liquidate inventory and slash prices. We are up against China sellers who can sell at 0.01 with free shipping. And thousands of drop shippers who hold no inventory and supply from China. Small sellers just cannot compete anymore?

[starmr25]

Thank you, Also yes they are pushing for the promoted listings because right behind it they have the click per ad coming up, When we pay to promote and everyone will try it than there has to be another lead to out do the competition and that is going to be click per ad, which btw is already available. Every time someone clicks your ad you pay a fee to get your ad noticed. You are 100% right they will be at the same level on fees so pick the site that has the most users. Amazon. Thanks for your kindness.

[luckythewinner]

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@starmr25 wrote:

My point if your items are in competition with 0.01 and free shipping, Change your product you can't win. 

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For me, it is not just China - I try not to compete with anyone. 

[ky-thrill]

Not to be mean, but many of your items seem way overpriced, which may turn away browsers.  While some items are competively priced, many are not.

Example a 3-pack of boy's underwear for $12.99 with Free shipping.  A 3-pack of the same is $5.94 at wal-mart.  A 5-pack is $9.84 and a 7 pack is $10.88.  Why do you think someone is going to pay you $12.99 for a 3-pack?

Or you have a Spidey fork and spoon set, and again $12.99 with Free Shipping.  Character fork and spoon set at Wal-Mart is $2.84.  Now they may not have Spidey, but they have Mickey, TMNT, Paw Patrol, etc.  Do you think a die hard Spidey collector is going to come along and pay $13 for a kids fork and spoon?  A parent sure isn't!

Probably more than half of the items I see that you have for sale are MUCH cheaper to get at any Wal-Mart, Target, Kohls, Meijers, etc.  Why do you think people would buy this stuff from you at those prices?

And when you have a store that is filled with this kind of overpriced merchandise, no regualr customer is going to browse through it.  They will look at a page of overprice stuff and bounce.  The overpriced items hide any well priced items you might have a chance of selling.

You either offer merchandise that few have, but some people want.  Or you offer the best price on merchandise everyone has.  Do these and you will have success.  But if you offer something everyone has, and prices that are multiple times higher, you will go out of business eventually.

[duncanvr]

I wonder if hes drop shipping from Walmart.

[moondogblues]

"I honestly believe that the only way that America can prosper now is do what the English did during WWII - grow vegetables in their own gardens and work to produce products. Every home needs to become a factory. All those tin cans and berry containers we discard need to filled with product for sale."

As a quasi-survivalist and prepper, that makes a lot of sense. Not sure we can 'prosper' by growing our own veggies but it's a great idea. I've made tin cans into candle holders...and the BIG ones become plant pots...berry containers are great drawer dividers. Or pick your own, I'm in OR and this year we didn't even get to them all. The rains came too soon.

[timzbiz]

In the same boat. Down 25% from last month and 58% from same month last year. Looks like ebay is going down.

[watchingbands]

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@ky-thrill wrote:

Not to be mean, but many of your items seem way overpriced, which may turn away browsers.  While some items are competively priced, many are not.

Example a 3-pack of boy's underwear for $12.99 with Free shipping.  A 3-pack of the same is $5.94 at wal-mart.  A 5-pack is $9.84 and a 7 pack is $10.88.  Why do you think someone is going to pay you $12.99 for a 3-pack?

Or you have a Spidey fork and spoon set, and again $12.99 with Free Shipping.  Character fork and spoon set at Wal-Mart is $2.84.  Now they may not have Spidey, but they have Mickey, TMNT, Paw Patrol, etc.  Do you think a die hard Spidey collector is going to come along and pay $13 for a kids fork and spoon?  A parent sure isn't!

Probably more than half of the items I see that you have for sale are MUCH cheaper to get at any Wal-Mart, Target, Kohls, Meijers, etc.  Why do you think people would buy this stuff from you at those prices?

And when you have a store that is filled with this kind of overpriced merchandise, no regualr customer is going to browse through it.  They will look at a page of overprice stuff and bounce.  The overpriced items hide any well priced items you might have a chance of selling.

You either offer merchandise that few have, but some people want.  Or you offer the best price on merchandise everyone has.  Do these and you will have success.  But if you offer something everyone has, and prices that are multiple times higher, you will go out of business eventually.

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you can say overpriced, but people do buy. Lots of people make money buying from those stores you mentioned, and putting them on ebay. People don't always bother to shop around. Why else do people drop ship from amazon? People don't bother looking on amazon when buying on ebay, and the seller makes a sale.