At What Rate Are Dissatisfied Sellers Leaving Ebay for other Sites?

[gideon13]

This is not a figure that ebay would release publicly, of course, but one has to wonder what percentage of dissatisfied sellers are leaving ebay and placing their items on other sites and how quickly this is occuring? Has the MASS EXODUS begun yet or is it still just a small trickle? Anyone here in the know with reasonable estimates, please weigh in...

[allisonc78]

BLAH BLAH BLAH...let him post where he wants to. I am a very dissatified seller as well so if you're happy with ebay then keep THAT to yourself!!

[andersonjd01]

Whine #998

[snowco1]

After selloing 30k on Ebay I get slapped because I won't use their shipping service, bye, going to Amazon.

[redseal63]

Does eBay actually have competition?? I recall one site called "Boocoo.com", but I think they failed. Meanwhile, eBay has become the barometer for placing the value on virtually every collectible under the sun. Present any given article to a potential buyer and the first question out of their mouth is "well, what does it go for on eBay?". Of course, the answer will be an amount much less than what the item would have sold for in 1993 in a magazine ad or even a garage sale! Without intention, eBay has DEVALUED everything out there. The buyers are mostly tightwads that are looking for "bargains" and will not pay anywhere NEAR "book value" for ANYTHING!! Going back to the original question, does eBay actually have competition from "other sites"? We, as sellers, must learn of what our options are and where else to go in order to sell anything. THEN, we must hope that the general public knows about these unheard-of sites for which to buy.

[redseal63]

As a seller (and buyer) on eBay for 9 years now, I must say that your case is the worst I've ever heard about! I have not checked out what you sell exactly, but do you offer insurance to your buyers? If the items are arriving to your buyers broken or not arriving at all, why should you have to issue refunds? It makes no sense because you are out the item just as much as they are out their money! At present, I am experiencing a case where someone in the UK purchased a couple of items from me back in late July. This person left me Positive Feedback on the 5th of August. About ten days ago, this person opened a case stating that they never received their package! After doing some investigating and calling eBay, I received a message from Pay Pal stating that a buyer has 45 days for which to dispute a transaction. My buyer, who keeps demanding a refund, tells me that he left the Positive feedback "by error". How do I know this? After such a lengthly time and given the circumstances, (nearly 3 months since the transaction!)  I am refusing to issue a refund to this person. They did not request insurance, and that alone should cover me as a buyer because if it doesn't, then why should I be responsible for issuing a full refund? I am out my item AND the funds!! So, I feel that you should not be responsible to issue all of these refunds because there was no insurance. If what you are selling is very fragile, you may want to change your packaging methods, strengthening the protection to avoid further breakage. The way you're going now, it is not worth your time to sell on eBay; it's COSTING you!    

[absportscards2013]

There are also dozens of auction houses where sellers are selling  their items and the auction house business is growing. 

[ladieshighfashions]

I do not think ebay could seriously answer that question.  Ebay will remain the largesta nd the best for some time to come and for every seller they lose they gain many more. 

[ipickubuy]

I agree with Bruceox.  Ebay's not going anywhere and this is the online auction site that still attracts as many sellers as it loses - if not a lot more.  Always has.  Why?  Imo, longevity.  Ebay is well known around the world, other sites are not so fortunate.  And other sites will never catch up to Ebay while Ebay is still a viable online auction site.  Maybe that's why some  posters come here and try to cut Ebay down and advise others to go elsewhere?  

My 2 cents worth:  Others have tried to take down Ebay by coming to these boards and spouting off all the negativity they can think of.  Did it work for them?  Obviously not.   Ebay's still here.  These nay-sayers would be better off spending their time building their own businesses on whatever other auction site they are using instead of wasting their breath being negative against Ebay on Ebay's website.  Just sayin'.   Live and learn.

[dz-speedy]

when I was happy, I never tried to replay to those who are not happy. why are you so determained to make sure we know you are happy as a respond to one who is not happy? can we all speculate? also, "I heard" many registered for every one leaving?! that sounds convincing. I take every single word you have as a fact!  

[dz-speedy]

easier said than done. I have invested well over 400k in my business. it is not easy to backup from there after 12 years but I am gradually liquidating my business. I am also depanding on other sites in addition to looking into my own site. in business you have two options, maximize profit or minimize lose.

[deepoceanexplorer]

DZ,

Go with you own site!!!

It is easy to fall pray to the allure of having millions of "potential customers", however, that is far from reality.

While platforms such as Ebay can be a good starting point, it should never be the only outlet. 

The reality is that a private website that logs in XXX transactions a month and has XXXX visitors a month

has a real tangible value and can be sold. An ebay ID that would have the same or even higher numbers of transactions/visitors

has little value comparitively speaking. On your own website you have 100% control. On any other selling platform you relinquish most of that control. You can really cater to your customers, create a true "fan" base, and establish a culture. Not so with public selling platforms. Or at least not to that extent.  Use Ebay these platforms for marketing purpose and as part of your "brand" awareness, but not as a primary gateway..

Anyway, I'm sure it's nothing new to you, but I wish you the best.

[airsheep]

I think there is a much higher proportion of sellers getting the axe from ebay for perceived problems, whether actual or imaginary.  Meanwhile, there are sellers amd entire countries that seem to specialize in gaming the system for primo placement in listings and forgiveness when buyers complain about shoddy practices.

ebay: experienced in moving the goalposts.

[marie-me]

And what is wrong with an honest question, inviting open comment and opinion?

[greatgiftsandprices]

No, I don't believe it. I'd have to see those figures in black and white.  I have been with ebay since almost it's inception, and and I do everything to accomodate my buyers.  But ebay's recent policies have tainted the buyer pool with people who find they can "work the system" to their advantage.  I have had at least 5-6 buyers claim item not as described and actually wrote to me through ebay's messages that they wanted  partial refund, or they would return the item.  I use a certificated watch horologist who uses a loupe so he doe not miss any flaws.  I also have a retired electrical engineer check the charges on my timepieces, and they use a loupe to also inspect the timepiece.  When I pack the item, I wear glasses and use a magnifying glass to give the timepiece another once over.  How in the world can we be sending out timepieces that are not as described! It's insanity. A buyer decides they can buy more cheaply from someone else so they claim item not as described so they can get a refund and ebay downgrades our status. Ebay tells me that they can't know what condition the item was in when it arrived to the buyer's address.  But yet, they can know with certainty that is is not as described, simply because a buyer makes this false claim.

I believe ebay is losing money and I say this because myself alone, sold 1500 on one site this past month, and another 1,000 on another site this month. I am doing ebay shipping labels, Et_ _ shipping labels and ecra_ _r, weekly along with ebay's.  I am seeing steady growth on those other sites and I am not hassled by the other sites or by the buyers on those sites.  They don't haggle, they just click and buy.  Ebay now has scads of bargain basement hunters who are always trying to get you to come down in price. I will be glad when my sales increase enough on the other sites so I can leave ebay permanently.  It is my goal. And, I am also opening up a web site too. Plus, another business locally because I have to get out of ebay's clutches. 

[greatgiftsandprices]

Yes, they do have plenty of competition.  I sell on Etsy an ecrater and have had a few thousands of sales in the past two months.  I am enjoying stead growth on those sites. I am not hassled by the site owners or by the buyers like I am on ebay.  And, I know scads of folks doing the same thing I am doing now.  There is also the Alibaba site coming on line to compete with ebay, called main. They invited me to be a seller on their site.  It is by invitation only.  And, there is also a site that interfaces with facebook but you can only list items up to 40.00 called sailr. So, yes ebay has plenty of competition and it is getting even more competitive.