Slow sales discussion for sellers. Nov 2019. Will we get our Holiday Rush??

[monstertoybox]

Well, my main problem, as I keep mentioning, is that my sales are in the dumper. They are down by 60% and it is the holiday shopping season, will we be getting our sales rush this year? It is looking more and more like this won't be happening.

Does Ebay want to keep us here, or do they not care? I'm a good seller, don't they want good quality sellers to make their site a great place to shop? How many other sellers are having slow to no sales this season? I see the board full of them. Would love to hear from other sellers about their experiences. If you’re doing well, please share your secrets. If you’re doing poorly please add your voice to this discussion. It does help when you know you aren't alone.

I’m following all their suggestions and more, constantly tweaking and updating, trying to chase down what works here. It is very difficult, when things keep changing. We’re trying to stay at Ebay because we believe this is a great place to sell. We just would love for it to work properly.

I am trying to get my sales kick started by taking some of the great suggestion that a few of the posters have given for Ebay and ended some items, waited a few days and then relisted them using sell similar. I did do the promoted listings again, which I don’t like at all, but I’m afraid that this is a necessary evil after reading what others have said. I listed a bunch of Christmas ornaments and I’ve added more free shipping to more of my listings. Maybe I'll try to list some more stuff today. So hopefully these things will help, whenever the site starts working properly again, that is. Still waiting …

It is hard to stay motivated, when you try everything and nothing seems to help.

I did start selling on another site (and actually got a sale today, yay), but of course I'm new and don't have a seller reputation like I do here on Ebay. I would much rather stick with where I have all my history and with what I am familiar with. It would be great if Ebay would please stop changing things and concentrate on fixing things instead, so we can get back to selling. We just want to love you again Ebay. No hate here, just frustration, major frustration. I would much rather be packing up boxes then writing on this board, believe me.

[nuclearomen]

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@monstertoybox wrote:

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@nuclearomen wrote:

My sales have been good lately, though it's always in up the air with ebay and sales can be up for a day or so then nothing for few days but overall my sales are up 101.1% (as of today...it was higher but past few days have been quite slow). Overall, best month I've had in long time, and I am gearing for holiday sales already (start a little early cause slow sales with ebay can happen anytime, figured may help). 

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Awesome nuclearomen! I'm so happy for you. I wish I could say my sales were great. In fact I wish I was busy enough to not be on this board. 🙂

But, I have had a few nice sales, through sending an offer. I had done this in the past and never got a sale, but maybe this time of year I have a better chance (obviously). I'm actually up 110% from last month, but that is only because last month I was 70% down, so it's all relative. Last year I was 250% up at this time of year and my sales were good all year long (especially compared to this year).

I am thankful for the sales though. I just wish it wasn't so sporadic. 

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A few big sales helped this month from the standard $10-$40 range. I'm actually up 226.9% from same period last year...but I've only been selling on ebay little over a year now which I had few months my store was closed cause I relocated to a new state and was waiting for my stuff/stock to be delivered (took forever!). There are things one can do, but it's time consuming, like updating all your listings manually... seems when I used bulk editor to update sales just stop completely for week straight so I don't do that anymore, I update manually, which takes lots of time. I also compare item prices weekly (use to be monthly but seems you have to do it more often) with competitors. I also been adding a lot of listings (due to holiday season mostly) helps to stay in tune with ebay algorithms ...but nothing is certain in the land of ebay as we all know, we have all tried everything possible I think, ultimately it's ebay deciding when and to whom the decide to show your listings for. Biggest tip I can offer is not what to do on ebay, it's rather what you can do without them, get some cards printed up (vista print etc... are cheap for 500 one sided not fancy cards) and stuff a few in every package you send, if buyer was happy they may come back or hand a card to a friend... who knows. 

Sales will pick up for you, and all, I'm sure, you just have to keep at it I think and not give up. Holiday sales are coming, be diverse!

[lostweekendshop]

Nine days without a sale is indicative of something beyond anything going on over on eBay’s end unless you’re a high-dollar, low-volume seller.

A second look at one’s inventory and how it is actually selling for others on eBay is probably in order. Glitches do not help but if there’s an actual recent track record of a certain item selling somewhat regularly on eBay, odds are better the right buyer is on the way. 

[monstertoybox]

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@myoasisjewels wrote:

i am in the same boat as kathieskorner. i only had one sale in november, on the first. nothing since... i am still up month to day, because i had a flurry of sales in late october, but i am down year to date...

this is getting ridiculous.

called ebay yesterday, they did the famous "store reset" aka re-indexing, which they assured me should help. but nothing. not even the usual sale after you call ebay and complain.

listed a few items yesterday, it took until 24 hours later until i got a few views on them.

i have been selling on ebay since 2000 (since 2002 on this account) and have never experienced anything like this.

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I'm so sorry, it is ridiculous that you've only had one sale in November. It definitely seems like something is broken. 

The last few times I contacted them about my sales I didn't get the "complimentary sale" either. Which is why I gave up and came to the board. I wanted to see if at least others were doing as poorly as I was, and that was going to help me in some way. It does help to know you aren't alone, but it sure as heck doesn't pay the bills.

I really hope your sales get back on track. We are all hoping for Ebay to get back on track.

[sakic92710]

Wow!  $40 sale!  Guess eBay thinks that makes up for everything?  lol   Enjoy your weekend.

[art_primo]

the bums rush is more like it...

[blacktopautoparts]

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@myoasisjewels wrote:

i am in the same boat as kathieskorner. i only had one sale in november, on the first. nothing since... i am still up month to day, because i had a flurry of sales in late october, but i am down year to date...

this is getting ridiculous.

called ebay yesterday, they did the famous "store reset" aka re-indexing, which they assured me should help. but nothing. not even the usual sale after you call ebay and complain.

listed a few items yesterday, it took until 24 hours later until i got a few views on them.

i have been selling on ebay since 2000 (since 2002 on this account) and have never experienced anything like this.

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Something is going on for sure, today has been abysmal for me. I called eBay earlier and the guy told me that many larger sellers did call them in today to say that there is a lack of sales today. I wonder what could be going on. This is not a good way to start the busy holiday season with sales falling off of a cliff.

[vintagecraze50]

I truly understand. I have been with Ebay partnering with them for well over 10 years. This has been a fantastic place to sell. Especially for smaller sellers in the past. I have been very fortunate with great buyers and mostly very good results. It is sad to hear that sellers who have been dedicated to this site are having some issues. This is a great platform. So many wonderful good priced items here. Some that would be hard to find and especially at the prices people offer here. I have bought a gazzilion wonderful things on here and always can find the obscure, old, unbelievable best prices on very nice brand name things on here. Some used, but absolutely beautiful. I am praying this place continues to succeed in all ways—ESPECIALLY FOR smaller sellers. Things usually pick up wonderfully on Black Friday and beyond. Praying for you and everybody here. 

[vintagecraze50]

That payment method problem would be a BIG turn off for a buyer and I can see the abandon purchase happening for sure. I too wonder how often that is happening with the new Managed Payments huge invitation to get on board and glitchy glitchy ya ya here. 

[turquoisetulips]

I doubt your sales will pick up much for the Holidays. People really don't think of Ebay that much when shopping for new Christmas presents.  Collections to OP  ------ unquote -----------------

I don't know how anyone could possibly know that for sure  . Is this an  opinion ?  because it  certainly doesn't match my own experiences as a buyer or  a seller . I'd say 99 % of the items I sell are brand new  and my sales have always at least doubled during the Christmas season  every year .  As a buyer,,  I've already purchased 8 Christmas gifts for this year  and   all  were on e bay and all are brand new . I was even able to find some unique items  that would take forever to  locate  in department stores .  I  don't have the time to invest to do all that so finding it here was a big time saver ,, and yes one was a toy  I purchased for my friends two year old grand daughter . However   I don't dispute that sales are way down for a lot of sellers  but I seriously doubt it's for the reasons that you've suggested .  Tulips 

[coolections]

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@monstertoybox wrote:

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@hillbillymedia wrote:

This is the type of stuff that`s running buyers off.....I have been trying to pay for this for over an hour. Every time I hit the pay button I get this error message.

I`ve already bought two items today problem free and as far as I can tell there`s nothing wrong with my PP acct. I can`t even get checkout to pop up.....just keep getting this error. Grrr

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Nice! I wonder how many times that is happening on here and I wonder how many customers stick around to figure it out? That would make me move along to another site, since there are so many options now. 

Get it together Ebay! 

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@monstertoybox 

I've been buying and paying for items for a very long time and have never had that problem. Paid for a few items just in the last coupe days. Not an Ebay problem at all.  It sounds like a seller problem not setting up their listings correctly.  Don't believe the hype.

[monstertoybox]

@coolections 

It’s really hard to believe it’s not Ebay, when I’ve seen those little red and white messages  on a lot of the things I’ve been updating lately. Somethings are working for some and not for others. It would be nice if everything just worked for everyone.

[coolections]

@turquoisetulips 

You've got it a little wrong. For some sellers it will be a "great" Christmas season. For those who have items that are not in much demand, are not items seasonal for Christmas buyers, and items priced higher then competition are the ones who will not get an upswing as they expect. This is the time of year that instead of blaming Ebay, some of those sellers need to evaluate their listings make changes.

[monstertoybox]

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@coolections wrote:

@turquoisetulips 

You've got it a little wrong. For some sellers it will be a "great" Christmas season. For those who have items that are not in much demand, are not items seasonal for Christmas buyers, and items priced higher then competition are the ones who will not get an upswing as they expect. This is the time of year that instead of blaming Ebay, some of those sellers need to evaluate their listings make changes.

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It’s ok, everyone’s entitled to their opinion. If that opinion is directed at me, well, I can choose not to believe it, because, after all I know my items better then they do. In the past years, Christmas has been our season (we sell Disney toys and collectibles). Disney toys are classics and never go out of style for each new generation. Most of my items are lower than my competition and if there are some that are higher, there’s a reason it’s called quality.

Some posters refuse to say it’s eBay’s fault even though so many other sellers are having problems too, which is fine, that is an opinion too. After all, there’s no proof slow sales are not caused by something wrong with Ebay. Just look at the technical board and then tell me it’s not Ebay.

[nuclearomen]

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@monstertoybox wrote:

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@coolections wrote:

@turquoisetulips 

You've got it a little wrong. For some sellers it will be a "great" Christmas season. For those who have items that are not in much demand, are not items seasonal for Christmas buyers, and items priced higher then competition are the ones who will not get an upswing as they expect. This is the time of year that instead of blaming Ebay, some of those sellers need to evaluate their listings make changes.

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It’s ok, everyone’s entitled to their opinion. If that opinion is directed at me, well, I can choose not to believe it, because, after all I know my items better then they do. In the past years, Christmas has been our season (we sell Disney toys and collectibles). Disney toys are classics and never go out of style for each new generation. Most of my items are lower than my competition and if there are some that are higher, there’s a reason it’s called quality.

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I deal in collectibles, figures/dioramas - took a lot down since the new DIM shipping rates but I can add as a collector stuff Disney is desirable and at all time high right now. Last year I obtained Nightmare Before Christmas Jack and Sally large porcelain collectible statues from Disney store back east, limited edition that sold in the store for $175 a piece, I sold them as a set for $650 to a N.B.C collector...as example anyways, Disney stuff can go for a lot of $$. Aside from classic Disney, remember they now own tons of other brands like Star Wars which is another huge fan base in itself.    

[myoasisjewels]

i guess for those who sell here only part time, to make a few extra dollars, in order to pay a bill or two, things the way they are at the moment are fine.

but for a lot of us, this is a full time gig, we are not just trying to pay the phone bill or car insurance. we are trying to supplement an income (and at the moment this is not possible, and we are working for below min. wage).

i totally agree, selling quality items should matter. i would not want to sell lesser quality for cheaper, but then have to deal with the constant and rightful NAD's....

isnt that what a lot of buyers complain about, the amount of cheap junk that is being sold on ebay?