What the hell happened to eBay?

[ff1-25]

I left eBay a few years ago, but recently came back in order to do some decluttering.

My how things have changed.

Does anyone buy here anymore? I had no trouble selling here in the past. None.

Now, everything languishes...  Relist, relist, relist on and on and on.

And what the hell is up with buyers?? "There's a problem with my debit card." "My daughter did this, she didn't know what she was doing." Or they just ghost you altogether.

And all these scammers with freight aggregators for their shipping address??  "Friend, my bank will release the funds once I have shipping confermation..."

Guess what, "Friend"?  You get shipping confirmation AFTER your funds clear.  Seriously?  Why be here???

[luckythewinner]

Using Fixed Price with Immediate Payment Required will go a long way toward solving most of those issues.

[wow-e]

How Easy and profitable for seller, not e-bay, in the 1990's early 2000"s.

[annasunicorns]

The entire buying universe has changed, as someone who mainly buys. I sell a bit as a hobby. Most of my peers go to places to buy, that I will not sell on. I like selling on ebay becaue at least the rules are simple. I buy lots of places with less strict rules and I find my buyers, like yours, are inconsistent with payment. Its part of the deal with so many options to buy from, people change thier minds. But ebay by far gets the highest dollar amount for effort on my end and that keeps me here. Its not changed for the better, but neither has the internet at large.

[smenkveld]

Maybe your digital pressure gauges aren't selling is because you have them listed under

• Listed in category:

• Books
• >
• Other Books

How do you expect to have a buyer find them listed under books???  

[orangehound]

---

@smenkveld wrote:

Maybe your digital pressure gauges aren't selling is because you have them listed under

• Listed in category:

• Books
• >
• Other Books

How do you expect to have a buyer find them listed under books???  

---

I've noticed in the past that if you list a product in the wrong category (or at least if eBay considers it the wrong category), then they will exclude it from search results.

[ted_200]

Does anyone buy here anymore?

Yeah, about the same number as always.  Problem is, listing count went from 14 million to over 1 billion.   

[ted_200]

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@smenkveld wrote:

Maybe your digital pressure gauges aren't selling is because you have them listed under

• Listed in category:

• Books
• >
• Other Books

How do you expect to have a buyer find them listed under books???  

---

Listing tool probably picked it for them... it saw "media" in the title...

[ff1-25]

To those who pointed out the mis-categorized listings, thanks.

I can only assume the word "media" is what caused them to land in "books".

Moved them to Business & Industrial.

[emerald40]

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@orangehound wrote:

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@smenkveld wrote:

Maybe your digital pressure gauges aren't selling is because you have them listed under

• Listed in category:

• Books
• >
• Other Books

How do you expect to have a buyer find them listed under books???  

---

I've noticed in the past that if you list a product in the wrong category (or at least if eBay considers it the wrong category), then they will exclude it from search results.

---

This OP probably did it out of a rookie mistake, but sellers do it on purpose because they feel a certain category is more favorable.

From what I have read the book categories were seriously abused by certain mega sellers.

And same with fine jewelry categories as well where people are listing their costume jewelry.

[sodelight]

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@smenkveld wrote:

Maybe your digital pressure gauges aren't selling is because you have them listed under

• Listed in category:

• Books
• >
• Other Books

How do you expect to have a buyer find them listed under books???  

---

The last category you want to make a mistake listing an item in is Media, the FVF is 12% now. Just saying.

[ted_200]

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@sodelight wrote:

---

@smenkveld wrote:

Maybe your digital pressure gauges aren't selling is because you have them listed under

• Listed in category:

• Books
• >
• Other Books

How do you expect to have a buyer find them listed under books???  

---

The last category you want to make a mistake listing an item in is Media, the FVF is 12% now. Just saying.

---

Well, I suppose that explains the 5 million cookbooks that aren't cookbooks...

[re_act]

the ebay ship is slowly sinking, stupid policies, and forgetting about the hobby/part time sellers is what will lead to it's failures.... As a long time seller over the years, it would appear ebay is "trying" to be like Amazon, whereas it should just continue to do as it does.... but it wont....... I am on my way out of ebay, so I will take great joy when the ship sinks, and something better comes along.

[podman2006]

I just removed over 100 listings and left 11 up.  All of those were $300 and up items, many over $2,000.  eBay totally sucks now - was never great but they reached new lows.  They think "Good til Cancelled" is helpful; needless to say, they arent business owners.  When you create a lisitng for 7 or 10 days you are creating an urge to buy; good til cancelled doesnt create any urgency.  The Shipping and Offers options are ridiculous.

After 12 years we are moving on.  Built Etsy and RubyLane stores and doing well.  Use Instagram to help promote items with links to those sites.

Good luck!

[u_cant_take_it_with_u]

AFAIC, ebay is circling the drain....(But don't say anything, 'cause ebay doesn't seem to know it yet)