Over 80 millions buyer eBay??? Where are they??? NOT ONE sale for a month now and counting.

[timemachine777]

Hey eBay...How many of the over 80 million eBay buyers are actually buyers in the USA? It's been a month and I have not sold even one antique or collectible. Over the past couple of weeks I added a bunch of great additions, but only added hundreds of more views and loads of added watchers, but no sales. I use to have a sell through rate of over 40% on avg. Now it didn't even register at all. Not even a 1% level.

One item I just listed has over 200 views and 13 watchers in a few days time in a high buying sub category. What's up with that eBay? Do you have my listings disabled? I have had to stop buying on eBay myself due to the numerous listings that I have tried to purchase, yet the BIN, checkout, etc...buttons would be either greyed out or not functioning correctly.

Could this also be the reason why over the last two months the eBay phone lines have gone from a 1 min hold time to about 1 hour. I find that odd in itself since eBay just opened a number of call centers along the east coast, Mich, and Mo, to name a few. 

I couldn't even maintain my TRSP status, because I recently dropped below the 100 items per year mark and in the past month that number has dropped too 71. Next month it will drop even more at this rate. All I can say about that is that "Where not in Kansas anymore Toto". Something really bad is going on with my accounts and many other sellers. 

I am so glad that I don't rely on eBay for my income, or I would be on the street due to the lack of any sales this year with 4 active accounts and over 1000 listings. In the past eBay has always been mad money for me, but now it isn't even producing enough for me to buy a movie ticket to the show.

Word of mouth is the best advertising they say. Will eBay...every year you give use small sellers less an less to brag about when it comes to our success at eBay. You just give us more gasoline to throw on a bad fire. Hopefully the board of directors will one day see this as a major problem and get past being complacent, and right the ship. Us bilge rats just may make your competition the new eBay in less time than you think if we all start jumping ship in droves. BTW...Your most hated competitor is now expanding in the antique and collectibles market.

This slow squeeze that your putting on us with your seller unfriendly algorithms and policies, is going to leave you with nothing left in your hands when you finally open them up. Many of us know that you don't want us selling here as we are not large sellers, that sell new product only, but that was what eBay was founded on. You forget eBay roots and it's first sale of a BROKEN laser pointer. NOT a new one. Think about that as you count the multi-million dollar paychecks that WE made for you. Because without us there is no eBay, and no PAYCHECK. 

[timemachine777]

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@emerald40 wrote:

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@timemachine777 wrote:

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@rktoyandhobby wrote:

Over in toys, people watch for these flash sales and keep stuff in their cart or on their watch list in between.  Back before flash sales were a thing, I used to do a steady $300-$500 per month every month.  Now it's more like a good month, dead month, good month, dead month sort of deal.  Although the last flash sale didn't do anything at all for me...

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That's because eBay is training buyers to expect deeper and deeper discounts. Eventually the buyers stop buying unless they're getting stuff close to free. That's not going to keep happening because sellers hit rock bottom at some point along the way. You reach an impasse. 

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The people who buy IRL are coming to ebay already programmed to expect certain things.

Look at Christmas time.  People go out on Black Friday and look, but many wait until the deep discounts.  That is why stores are having sales earlier and earlier.

Unless you have more money than brains, no one is going to overpay.  They know all stores will have a sale eventually, and many have them weekly.

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An stores that train their customers to expect deep discounts go under. They all eventually do. Right now Sears and Kmart or dying, achor stores have one foot in the grave everywhere, and I can list about 50 others that have all gone under in my life time from the same practices and the Internet wasn't even around back then. 

[timemachine777]

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@emerald40 wrote:

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@timemachine777 wrote:

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@rixstuff wrote:

Could you for just ONE WEEK try doing some of the things we recommend and just get stuff sold - whether it means different listing options (auction vs. FP), lowering prices, lotting things up, pricing not in the middle but at the bottom?  Just TRY!

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I would never do that. That's what has ruined this site. I will never engage in a race to the bottom. I'm in the business of making money, not working just to give stuff away. I'm not that generous. I'd rather spend my time deep sea fishing everyday vs working for free.

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You admit much of your stuff is long tail.  You admit that you will stick to the price you feel you should get no matter what.  And then you wonder why you are not selling anything.

You do not see the cause and effect here that your actions are dictating this, not ebay's.

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Then explain how I went from a 50% plus monthly sell through rate avg doing the same practice and then literary at the flip of a switch dropped to 1% and less. I have the the eBay graphs that prove the instant time line when it actually happened. It was not a slow transition. It happened immediately and I have posted those graphs in the past. People that have seen them, know that I'm not exaggerating. It's fact. Plus my marketing/selling methods were the same then as they are now. The site is rigged. eBay decides who gets the business, and who gets the BUSINESS.

[coolections]

It comes down to ONE thing. People SEE YOUR STUFF. If they are not buying it THEY DON'T WANT IT. Period. It is up to you to do something about it as Ebay cannot make buyers buy your stuff. There are millions of sales each and everyday. Ebay is not going under and search is just fine.

[emerald40]

That OOAK item to add to my toy and puzzle keychain collections.

The possibility that it is out there, still makes me willing to hit the scroll button and stick with it.

In fact I just found something today - and with added ebay bucks - grabbed it.  And will do another search tonight to see if there are more.

OOAK and rare.  That is what brought buyers to ebay in the first place and imo what keeps us old timers still here today.

[emerald40]

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@timemachine777 wrote:

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@emerald40 wrote:

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@timemachine777 wrote:

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@rktoyandhobby wrote:

Over in toys, people watch for these flash sales and keep stuff in their cart or on their watch list in between.  Back before flash sales were a thing, I used to do a steady $300-$500 per month every month.  Now it's more like a good month, dead month, good month, dead month sort of deal.  Although the last flash sale didn't do anything at all for me...

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That's because eBay is training buyers to expect deeper and deeper discounts. Eventually the buyers stop buying unless they're getting stuff close to free. That's not going to keep happening because sellers hit rock bottom at some point along the way. You reach an impasse. 

---

The people who buy IRL are coming to ebay already programmed to expect certain things.

Look at Christmas time.  People go out on Black Friday and look, but many wait until the deep discounts.  That is why stores are having sales earlier and earlier.

Unless you have more money than brains, no one is going to overpay.  They know all stores will have a sale eventually, and many have them weekly.

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An stores that train their customers to expect deep discounts go under. They all eventually do. Right now Sears and Kmart or dying, achor stores have one foot in the grave everywhere, and I can list about 50 others that have all gone under in my life time from the same practices and the Internet wasn't even around back then. 

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Look at J C Penny.  They stopped discounts for a while and went with a set price.

It almost ruined them.

I can tell you from experience - when Macy's offers coupons and day passes, the store is crowded.  Otherwise, people just wait until they do.  

Customers already expect deep discounts when they shop.  That train has already left the station, and nothing is bringing it back.

[emerald40]

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@timemachine777 wrote:

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@emerald40 wrote:

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@timemachine777 wrote:

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@rixstuff wrote:

Could you for just ONE WEEK try doing some of the things we recommend and just get stuff sold - whether it means different listing options (auction vs. FP), lowering prices, lotting things up, pricing not in the middle but at the bottom?  Just TRY!

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I would never do that. That's what has ruined this site. I will never engage in a race to the bottom. I'm in the business of making money, not working just to give stuff away. I'm not that generous. I'd rather spend my time deep sea fishing everyday vs working for free.

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You admit much of your stuff is long tail.  You admit that you will stick to the price you feel you should get no matter what.  And then you wonder why you are not selling anything.

You do not see the cause and effect here that your actions are dictating this, not ebay's.

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Then explain how I went from a 50% plus monthly sell through rate avg doing the same practice and then literary at the flip of a switch dropped to 1% and less. I have the the eBay graphs that prove the instant time line when it actually happened. It was not a slow transition. It happened immediately and I have posted those graphs in the past. People that have seen them, know that I'm not exaggerating. It's fact. Plus my marketing/selling methods were the same then as they are now. The site is rigged. eBay decides who gets the business, and who gets the BUSINESS.

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You did great business, correct.  Your buyers were very satisfied, correct.  You were a problem free seller.  Why would ebay want to mess with their cash cow?

[bohemiandreams7]

I'm a very small-time seller on here. But I have never not sold ONE ITEM in a three-week period. My view counts are like 1, 2, sometimes 0 for the month of June. I've done the research, I know about offering "special promos" and things like that, this isn't my main source of income (obviously) and is more of a hobby. My items are handmade goods and I've always done well on eBay, better than Etsy which is over saturated with handmade items. But something's changed from the end of April - now. Explain to me how it's possible to have watchers on items with ZERO VIEWS. How is that possible???? Something is definitely up. Really annoying. 

[emerald40]

The zero view is a glitch that has been reported by some where their watch view goes back to 0 each day.

[ads.ink]

I'VE been saying the same thing myself in all of the world no one bought any of my almost 8,000 items in 2 days?

international sales seem to come all at once then nothing

ebay is killing our business's and i have no clue how or why or what to do about it. 

I'd quit but would also be homeless without my ebay income, 

ebay just plain s** .

Notice how now on the active listings page our names are not even by our listings, just top rated seller?

we are losing our individual identities, toeing ebay's line and making less then working at macdonalds so ebay's stock holders can get rich.

I hope ebay in the end reaps what it has sown.   

[ads.ink]

i can tell you one thing i look up art gallery ads in collectibles one seller has page after page of their items showing with gaps for items for 2 other sellers, one is not top rated, no free shipping, less then 100% feedback yet their listings are seen before mine  page after page im 100%  feedback, free expedited shipping  etc etc, call ebay they have no answer, how is a buyer supposed to wade through 1,000 listings all by the same seller before they even see mine?

it is bu** i pay the same in fees as this seller we all deserve equal exposure. 

[ads.ink]

one thing i have noticed is that instead of letting gtc roll over monthly ,i have to go in every 2 months and end every listing i have then relist, that gives me about 400.00 increase in sales of items that have been listed forever for about a week or so.

[luvs-shelley]

Maybe you are already aware of the fact that many listings are not mobile friendly. If not, try this:-
Enter one of your items by clicking on "revise your item".
Scroll down to item description and click on "mobile-friendly checker" above the box on the right side. If needed click on "Fix me" then save.
Scroll down to update listing and click.
I have no idea if there is a way to do all of your listings at once. For me it has been a tedious one at a time exercise.

[rixstuff]

Sears and Kmart arent tanking because their prices are low, they are tanking because their merchandise is ugly badly made cheap junk that nobody wants to buy.  They dont even sell the stuff that made them great anymore (Craftsman is now made in China and it doesnt last).  Walmart is doing fine, Target is doing great.

[timemachine777]

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@emerald40 wrote:

That OOAK item to add to my toy and puzzle keychain collections.

The possibility that it is out there, still makes me willing to hit the scroll button and stick with it.

In fact I just found something today - and with added ebay bucks - grabbed it.  And will do another search tonight to see if there are more.

OOAK and rare.  That is what brought buyers to ebay in the first place and imo what keeps us old timers still here today.

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eBay doesn't always show you what is actually listed in regards of your search query. For years they stated that in the UA under Listing Conditions, and now they doubled down by adding it to the UA

The old timers are leaving eBay, from what I hear from the ones that I know. Many of them stopped using eBay a few years back. I actually don't even know anywhere near the number of people that I use too, that still use eBay to buy or sell. 

[timemachine777]

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@emerald40 wrote:

---

@timemachine777 wrote:

---

@emerald40 wrote:

---

@timemachine777 wrote:

---

@rktoyandhobby wrote:

Over in toys, people watch for these flash sales and keep stuff in their cart or on their watch list in between.  Back before flash sales were a thing, I used to do a steady $300-$500 per month every month.  Now it's more like a good month, dead month, good month, dead month sort of deal.  Although the last flash sale didn't do anything at all for me...

---

That's because eBay is training buyers to expect deeper and deeper discounts. Eventually the buyers stop buying unless they're getting stuff close to free. That's not going to keep happening because sellers hit rock bottom at some point along the way. You reach an impasse. 

---

The people who buy IRL are coming to ebay already programmed to expect certain things.

Look at Christmas time.  People go out on Black Friday and look, but many wait until the deep discounts.  That is why stores are having sales earlier and earlier.

Unless you have more money than brains, no one is going to overpay.  They know all stores will have a sale eventually, and many have them weekly.

---

An stores that train their customers to expect deep discounts go under. They all eventually do. Right now Sears and Kmart or dying, achor stores have one foot in the grave everywhere, and I can list about 50 others that have all gone under in my life time from the same practices and the Internet wasn't even around back then. 

---

Look at J C Penny.  They stopped discounts for a while and went with a set price.

It almost ruined them.

I can tell you from experience - when Macy's offers coupons and day passes, the store is crowded.  Otherwise, people just wait until they do.  

Customers already expect deep discounts when they shop.  That train has already left the station, and nothing is bringing it back.

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That's because they trained the buyers to expect constant discounts. Of course the buyers bailed, you can't untrain them. Just like Pavlov and Classical conditioning and Skinner and Operant conditioning. Once the subjects were trained it was near impossible to untrain them.

Subway learned this with the 5.00 foot long sub everyday plus the buy one get on free coupons. All the independent owners were losing profits left and right so they complained to the company in a joint letter. Subway listened but it was too late. Damage was done and thousands of subways went under.