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eBay Has lost Its Way – A Message from a Longtime Seller
Summary: The discussion centers around frustrations with eBay's management and policies, particularly from a longtime seller, chapeau-noir. They criticize the company's handling of promoted listings and claim a strong connection with eBay executives, but lament being ignored by the CEO. Other participants, such as redlinear and lakefor94, share similar grievances about the platform's changes and fee structures, emphasizing the difficulty of alternative platforms due to invested time and inventory. There's a debate on whether airing complaints in such forums is effective, given that some participants question chapeau-noir's influence and credibility.
Dear eBay Leadership,
After decades as a dedicated seller on your platform, I feel compelled to speak on behalf of countless sellers who are being driven to exhaustion by the very company that depends on us to exist. It has become debilitating to operate on eBay because the platform now functions entirely against its own sellers.
Let me be clear — we are your customers, not the end users buying our items. eBay doesn’t sell anything. You provide the platform; we provide the products, the effort, the service, and the trust that brings customers to eBay in the first place. Buyers come for us, not for eBay. Yet your policies, especially around promoted listings, show a complete lack of understanding or respect for that reality.
Promoted listings have devolved into an ineffective, delusional money grab. What once was a helpful tool has turned into a system that punishes success and rewards complacency. When an item finally gains traction — something that’s already nearly impossible in today’s manipulated search environment — eBay immediately demands higher ad fees, effectively penalizing sellers for doing well.
In layman’s terms, you’re asking to be paid more to do less work. If any employee in a traditional business demanded a raise to perform their easiest task, they’d be fired on the spot. So why are eBay’s executives allowed to operate by that same broken logic?
Promoted listings were supposed to help sellers move difficult products — items that require extra effort and exposure. Instead, you’ve twisted the model into a pay-to-play system that drains sellers while doing nothing to genuinely promote our stores. It’s clear you’ve lost sight of the fundamental relationship that built this company.
Talent, integrity, and creativity used to define selling on eBay. Now, it seems the only requirement is blind obedience to whatever questionable directive comes from corporate. Sellers with experience and business acumen — the people who made eBay — are being systematically pushed out by nonsensical policies designed by people who have never run a business or understood their customers.
This has gone beyond financial frustration. It’s reached a point where eBay’s constant manipulation and disregard for its seller base are taking a real mental toll. Sellers are burned out, disheartened, and questioning why they should continue investing time and money into a platform that actively undermines them. eBay has become a bully — and the damage isn’t just financial; it’s psychological.
There needs to be a complete reset — a cleansing of the leadership culture that created this mess. eBay needs new blood, leadership with moral integrity, business intelligence, and the humility to understand that you cannot extract profit by crushing the very people who generate it.
I am open and available for a conference call to discuss these issues in detail. I know Jamie has avoided that conversation in the past, but real leaders don’t hide from the truth. If he truly believes he’s earned his paycheck, he should be willing to face the people whose livelihoods he’s affected.
Sincerely,
25-Year eBay Seller
chapeau-noir
·5 days agoOne of the mods apparently put a stake into the heart of this turkey of a thread, but lo! It has been resurrected.
gurlcat
·5 days agoYou mean the kh-tuna thread closure^? Apparently no khoros-closed ones remain closed here, now.
It's annoying but also makes me sad to see so many names we don't see anymore.
haylebearde-0
·5 days agoI just started selling on ebay a month ago. I alwayssss saw this big TOTAL number it says $182?!?!??!@
Where at bc ebay has only given me one $42.27 payout to bank and I'm waiting on $42.37 in 2 days. So where's this $182. $100 off from what they are lying about as a total. I just looked yesterday n realized, that I got paid $20 for some dresses and the7 shipping buyer pays to ebay. Then ebay takes the shipping the buyer paid to give me to buy a qr code. So I'm buying shipping basically and a $4 selling fee. So i literally split the sale w ebay right in the middle. So they are lying that the seller pays shipping meaning i don't pay it. The seller pays shipping to ebay then ebay sends me the bill to buy a label and then a 4 seller fee. Ebay NEVER said I get 50% of your sale. That's insane
bannerscave
·2 weeks agoeBay's platform has turned into the equivalent of a person who is constantly getting plastic surgery hoping to improve themselves/self image but continues to mangle themselves further and further away from the original into the mutilated mess they are now with the inability to go back.
kh-tuna
·5 months agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
terrycruze
·5 months agoI agree. I have been using eBay for over 15 years. eBay's leadership has obligations to it's shareholders and lacks creativity which lends itself to risk aversion and has lead to eBay's raised prices, data collection, and poor service. It's an outdated monolith. This is what happens when you let Harvard graduates (not that the education is the problem) with no real life experience, flexibility, or creativity run things. It's what happened to Apple and what happens to most companies when the original leadership leaves. It's like the sole leaving the body.
For instance, why in God's name does eBay need my social security number to sell a few old things. I won't give it to them, so they won't give me my money - over $1100. I now have to wait a maximum of five years, then have to petition the state government for my money, which will take some unknown length of time. By the time I get the money I needed now - which is why I sold here - it will be worth a pittance of what it is now. Thanks a million eBay. Good looking out. You really care about the people who have supported your existence.
Why is the social security number an issue you might ask. Well, I'm glad you asked! eBay has been kind enough to put ALL of there users at risk when they collect your social security number. It's not just a good place for scammers anymore, it's now a great place for hackers and all of the villains of the internet to go shopping! eBay should advertise. The hackers can get your social, bank account, address, phone number, and a slew of other personal identifying information... All in one place! The kind of information that is used to open lines of credit or purchase expensive things. I can't wait until that happens! eBay will have been the reason many peoples assets were seized by the government, because some hacker used that data to open those lines of credit in people's names, buying house boats, and jewelry - leading to credit seizures and frozen bank accounts. Essentially you'll get to spend the rest of your life battling that in court while you rebuild a life that was stolen from you - because eBay. What a gift to the world! Thanks eBay!
Sincerely - Closing my account.
Thanks again eBay, for reminding me how companies rot from the inside.
famguys
·9 months agoSo well said. I have been an honest ebayer since 1999 and the changes are never ending and as you stated, all for the buyer. I gave up trying to figure out the payment page. Impossible to understand. My true profits have no real uniformity. The percentages seem to fluctuate constantly. What was once a fun and easy platform to sell on has become annoying. I cannot imagine the number of ebay employees that are paid to make changes that fit their college educated mindset. Those people probably have never sold anything on ebay and have no real world experience selling on any platform. I am seeking another platform as we speak. P.S. I have been a customer or yours for many years.....
kibble-net
·9 months agoFarewell fellow ebayer. 1999 is the year I joined as well. I don't have any issues figuring out the payment page, but I hope you find a platform that suits you better. Best of luck in your future endeavors.
bankress
·10 months agoYou are absolutely spot on but have now incurred the wrath of the eBay disciples who will criticize and condemn your logic. However, truth is truth and you have displayed it.
broto_64
·10 months agoThe whole promoted listings scheme always has been a pay-to-play system, it was never anything else.
There is more...
You said sellers are ebay's customers.
This is a common tactic disgruntled sellers try and push when they've had enough and they somehow believe this will make someone at ebay pay attention. Unfortunately you're not the first and they've grown tired of this rhetoric a long time ago so there won't be anyone paying any sort of attention, in fact you're likely turning away people who might have listened until they saw that sentence.
You see...
Buyers are actually ebay's customers, not sellers.
Yes, sellers pay the fees but without buyers there would be no sales hence no fees. Also the fees are only due because there are buyers purchasing products, for which they paid far more than the fees.
And more...
Iannone won't be calling you, nor will they answer your call.
Sellers are not that important, Jamie would never get anything done if they spent time talking to individual sellers... Yes, communication could be better but it all costs time (and thus money) and when we take into account the sheer mountains of nonsense that sellers want to get across, it's just not feasible.
siamjane8
·10 months agoI agree with the original poster 100%. It is ashame how ebay hascome to be a company that undermines its own customer (sellers). Instead on appreciating and utilizing the amazing wealth of knowledge and experience in the selling market from its sellers, ebay pushes irrisponsible policies through that do nothing to help the platform....such as manditory free returns in parts & accessories, Promoted Listings, etc.
The psycological effect is a real thing! Another seller was just telling me 2 days ago how he is so discouraged with ebay and he does not even want to list anymore. He recalled how you used to be able to list new and amazing products and within hours you would have views/ watchers and start selling within the week. Now you can list fresh to market highly desirable items and they go unseen for week or even months it seems. PL has destroyed the platform. Ther isnt any organic search anymore that will show relivant results.
Ebay is taking the fun and desire and spirit out of listing. Sales seem restrained and controlled, limiting a seller's ability to grow.
All too often we see clumps of sales only coming from one state for hours or days on end. Sales come in unnatural groupings from one location in the country only emphasizing the limiting nature of ebay's search algorithms. Obviously we will sell more items to larger cities and states than some small town midwest area BUT it is not possible to sell only to chicago for 3 days straight... It is so manipulated as to who sees what- sellers cannt grow because our items are not being shown around rthe world at all times.
Ebay needs to get back to the basics and just show buyers what they search for and let the sellers provide their services
quicksilverdiecast
·10 months ago100% agree...on "promoted" aspect, correct me if I am wrong but is that not what we signed up to ebay for in the first place..to promote sellers products to buyers...? why pay twice?
Ebay Motors side is a disaster for anyone who sells Chrysler Plymouth or Dodge items and is forced to apply the item to vehicles in the "Compatibility Chart" which they were told from day one it will never work or be accurate with vehicles listed that never existed (example 1967 Dodge Charger R/T) or vehicles listed with incorrect motor application (example 1967 Coronet 4 door sedan with a 426 Hemi ***you could get a 66 4dr Hemi Coronet they made 2) or a 1972 Dodge Challenger with a 360 or 440 v8 (never offered by Chrysler only a /6 318 or 340.) and if you are a seller and have listed your items with the comp chart and selected the vehicles that ARE real, well you better go back and check them again as ebay in their attempt to put a band aid on the chart has wiped out all your work...mainly the PLYMOUTH listings(example where a headgasket that is listed for a Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Barracuda uses the same gasket and you entered that information initially...well all the Plymouth ones are NOW GONE, meaning the search engines never find it and you lose sales...and so does ebay losing fees...Don't believe me go check your listings. I do not know Ford or GM well enough to comment, but I would still check...your sales depend on it.
Then the issue of buyers not being able to request nor sellers being able to accurately combine shipping!...it goes on and on and more each day. I been here 30 years since before the buy out and what was once thee stellar platform, sadly is not longer...The time and effort put forth into the store has taken year and my customer service is reflected in my feedback. Thankfully I have a huge data base of loyal repeat buyers.
chapeau-noir
·10 months agoAgree about the ads - the amount eBay stuffs into each listing is ridiculous, and when they started running little ads for competing stores on TOP of each of our listings, that was kind of the last straw for me. They also promised not to feature competing ads above the fold.
My complaints to admin, as usual, did no good. I guess I'd have to have to C-suite on speed dial. I did manage to whip up some backing for the utter mess they made out of Clothing & Accessories back in 2019, but we were basically dismissed. I just have my little stores as a hobby now.
I've heard eBay Motors is kind of a mess for sellers now. I did purchase two speedometer clusters for my old Subaru here and the process was pretty straightforward from the buyer side, and we had good service from our sellers.
chapeau-noir
·10 months agoLenin talked about proletariat rule, i.e., the working class. The bourgeois was in the sense of the owners of the means of production in a position to suppress or destabilize the working class. I don't see the bourgeois being synonymous with the middle class in modern terms.
john_wade
·10 months agoGreedy eBay and post office hate lowly sellers. They are slaves on the plantation for the rich. Get rid of the middle class said Lenin.
an-57470
·10 months ago@john_wade
Myth. Lenin said no such thing.
john_wade
·10 months agoLenin said the bourgeois (middle class) needs to be rubbed between two great millstones to destroy it. Taxation and inflation . Look it up.
an-57470
·10 months ago@john_wade
Myth. He never said that.
That is a “paraphrase†by John Maynard Keynes.
Look it up.
gone.c-33
·10 months agoThe bourgeoisie was NOT the middle class. People don’t use “bougieâ€, a derivative of bourgeois, to describe common, middle class stuff.
dirk12955
·10 months agoI always thought the term "Bourgeois" described anybody
above my financial level.
Or simply put, Everybody else.
fern*wood
·10 months agoI have been here a long time too, but obviously not on your selling level. Looking at your ID, it appears you are doing really well, so I have to guess your anger and dissatisfaction must involve your profit margin. I always feel a robust profit margin would smooth out many other grievances with ebay.
I didn't understand your statement : "When an item finally gains traction — something that’s already nearly impossible in today’s manipulated search environment — eBay immediately demands higher ad fees..." How does ebay demand this? That statement makes me feel too much of your profit may be going to ebay after getting on the promotion treadmill. I've read other sellers saying something like once you get on, you can never quit or you do get hidden. I don't promote, so it is a mystery to me.
ryry-jj
·10 months agoWell, this is where I disagree, as seller we are ebay's product. The buyers are the most important component. Any seller can leave tomorrow and sales will go on as long as buyers are treated well.
eBay would much rather have fewer sellers and more buyers, than more sellers with fewer buyers. Sellers are replaceable.
As far a promotions goes, just Google any item, and all sponsored ads appear at the top of the search, eBay is no different. And if anyone thinks manufacturers are loyal to seller, they are not...just look at how many manufacturer now sell direct...in this case, Mattel, Lego, Hasbro, Mcfarlane...that all want and value buyers.
Sellers need to adjust to the needs of buyers and do it in concert with the platform, otherwise the platform will smoke you right out of existence. I don't sell a lot here, but I'd be in favor of reduced sellers, however that will never happen, the more sellers there are the more buying opportunities buyers have, and again those are the people most important.
As far as putting money in ebay's pocket, that comes from the buyer as well. If you don't sell it or I don't, someone else will as long as eBay looks out for the best interest of the buyer. Us sellers are on our own....which is probably the main point of the OP, and he is fighting for his importance. eBay is telling you they dont have the same value for you, that you place on yourself. I believe you already know that, but it is ok to try to tip the scale if you can. For me, I already know who the 800 pound gorilla is in the room, and it isn't any seller.
worldcoinauctions
·10 months agoThere is a book about what has happened here, and even worse on other platforms. It's called En**bleep**tification. Platforms start out great for all, then they get great for sellers to draw us in, then the platform gets more interested in their own bottom line so they have to F over the sellers too and it all goes to heck. Recently I made an order from Amazon and they actually switched what company was fulfilling it, screwing over the listing seller. This is how these things are all going. Don't fall in love with any platform, they will bugger you!
luckythewinner
·10 months agoLet me be clear — we are your customers, not the end users buying our items.
It is the buying activity that generates the revenue on eBay. Listings do not generate anything unless eBay is able to atttract a buyer for them. If sellers could generate their own traffic, they would be selling on a fee-free site.
Buyers come for us, not for eBay
Most buyers come for the wide variety among the 1.5 billion listings that the eBay platform offers. IMHO it is the platform that eBay built over decades that attracts them, not "you". If buyers only came for a specific seller, that seller would be selling on a fee-free site. eBay thrives when a buyer purchases from anyone, not just when purchasing from you. So if a seller leaves, buyers would likely purchase a similar item from a similar seller at a similar price and eBay would not miss a beat.
Promoted listings were supposed to help sellers move difficult products — items that require extra effort and exposure.
I don't recall eBay ever positioning promoted listings as being for "difficult products". IMHO eBay has been very upfront in saying that promoted listings are designed to buy exposure in a crowded niche. Items with little competition do not need promotion.
When an item finally gains traction — something that’s already nearly impossible in today’s manipulated search environment — eBay immediately demands higher ad fees, effectively penalizing sellers for doing well.
They don't "demand" anything. They try to upsell you, just like any other service-oriented business does. It is up to the seller to just say "no".
Sellers with experience and business acumen
IMHO sellers with experience and business acumen pick products that have little competition and do not need to be promoted.
Sellers are burned out, disheartened, and questioning why they should continue investing time and money
And yet eBay shows moderate growth pretty much every quarter, and the listing volume grows every quarter.
burningrubbertoycompany
OP10 months agoWeird all this contradiction from someone with no products to sell and very little feedback. Explain to me why you would waste your time with your propaganda and have nothing to offer for the people you believe are ebay customers. Ya nice try but again fail because you dont sell anything so why should anyone listen to you. I sell over 20,000 items a years with multiple stores. Sorry either sell on here or keep your anti seller propaganda to yourself
fern*wood
·10 months agoThey use a posting ID rather than their selling ID. It's pretty common on the boards to protect a selling ID from angry posters that sometimes don't like what is said.
lakefor94
·10 months agoWas surprised the OP did not realize many members used posting IDs. Perhaps a bit naive for someone with a 25 year old account.
monroe67
·10 months ago"Weird all this contradiction from someone with no products to sell and very little feedback. Explain to me why you would waste your time with your propaganda and have nothing to offer for the people you believe are ebay customers."
<Y-A-W-N> That is such an old "retort" on these eBay forums that it is wrinkled and moldy.
FACT: People are allowed to have more than one eBay User ID.
Let me save you the time to look at "View listings" for my posting and buying ID: monroe67.
Monroe67 has nothing listed for sale. Her "alter ego" -- her second eBay ID -- does all the selling.
(Well, these days it's mostly just listing and not so many sales. But that's a different story for a different thread.)
OH, BTW, that litigation with the Steiners? Ancient history, though eBay's Deferred Prosecution Agreement with the US District Court in Massachusetts is still in effect.
What, precisely, exactly, is your problem with eBay? How did eBay hurt you?
herway
·10 months agoIt’s also much easier to be less than kind when you post anonymously. Prove me wrong.
valueaddedresource
·10 months ago@monroe67 I'm sure eBay and the ex-execs wish it was ancient history, but sadly for them, the Steiners' civil lawsuit is still ongoing and is set for a trial date next year with potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in damages on the table - so no, it is very much not ancient history.
chapeau-noir
·10 months agoIt's worthy to note, though, that most (all?) of the actors in that squalid little drama are gone (in jail, fired or whatever), including "Executive One", which was Wenig.
valueaddedresource
·10 months ago@chapeau-noir yes, the ones who were named either criminally or civilly are all no longer at eBay.
But personally, I still find it concerning that several of the Board members from that time who made (imo) very questionable decisions about sabbaticals, severances and other things are still active on the Board today.
I also don't love that eBay kept SVP Global Ops Wendy Jones around for a year after the scandal went down, when the ringleader Head of Security reported directly to her leading up to and during the time the crimes were committed.
Additionally, while not named or accused of direct involvement, Chief Legal Officer Marie Oh Huber was kept on well into Jamie's tenure as CEO (only leaving last year) despite actively engaging in the email chain that ended with Wymer's infamous "whatever it takes" email.
And then VP of Litigation, IP Assets, and Site Trust, Aaron Johnson, was promoted and is still today eBay's Chief Ethics Officer, despite being the main recipient of that email and apparently doing nothing to report what should have been giant compliance and ethics red flags and not following up to make sure that "whatever" would be kept within legal and acceptable professional boundaries.
Again, just my opinion, but putting that guy in that role doesn't exactly give me warm and fuzzy feelings about eBay having learned their lessons or actually being committed to operating more "ethically" in the aftermath of the scandal.
I don't think eBay would engage in the same kind of criminal conduct today for many reasons, but I also have some personal experiences/insights that for obvious reasons I can't share here that make me skeptical that the underlying corporate rot which enabled it to happen has been completely removed from the company.
chapeau-noir
·10 months agoI do recall several being kept on although the actual actors were fired/imprisoned, etc. I was just saying that as an active, ongoing way of dealing with dissent, those particular people are gone, particularly the CEO.
What bothers me the most is that the 2nd in command (Wymer) got hired on as the head of a local branch of the Boys and Girls Club (who knew of his activities (?!) and posted on Xitter his silly phrase 'whatever.it.takes' in relation to it.
luckythewinner
·10 months agoWeird all this contradiction from someone with no products to sell and very little feedback. Explain to me why you would waste your time with your propaganda and have nothing to offer for the people you believe are ebay customers.
I have six selling accounts, and have sold thousands and thousands of items here since 2000. This is my buying account.
Ya nice try but again fail because you dont sell anything so why should anyone listen to you
Perhaps you are not familiar with the concept that an eBay user can have multiple accounts, and this is permitted under eBay policy. So ... nice try but fail. 🤣
"Ad nominem attack" definition:
"An ad hominem attack is a logical fallacy where you respond to an argument by attacking the character or personal traits of the person making it, rather than addressing the substance of the argument itself. The phrase "ad hominem" is Latin for "to the person," and the goal is to discredit the opponent to make their argument seem irrelevant, without actually engaging with its merits."
broto_64
·10 months agoFor someone with as much clout and experience as you claim, you ought to know quite a few of us use what is called a posting ID. In fact some of us have a buying, a selling, and a posting ID (yes, three actual accounts) that we use so as not to cross things up but also... Some of us have been exposed to bad actors in the past simply for venting our views here, that is always really annoying, when someone gets offended because of what someone said and so they go to that ID's items for sale and decide to play a little MBG and feedback type of game with them.
That said you never know for sure who posts here, they could be a seller with more sales under their belt than you, or they could in fact just be someone commenting on something they know nothing about but generally I find the posters here quite knowledgeable, mistakes and all, we're only human.
dhbookds
·10 months agoI often wonder why people verbally attack people they want to convince of something....... Calling names, belittling someone rarely gets you anywhere.....
vevintage
·10 months agoPersonally, I think Promoted Listings should be illegal - they present an obvious conflict of interest, foremost because they disincentivize maintaining and improving the search function. It should not be necessary to buy ads from the platform we've already agreed to pay commission & fees to in order for our listings to be seen by willing buyers. I sometimes wonder whether how fishy it would look to offer this service to sellers was discussed before this was implemented.
tobaccocardyahoo
·10 months agoI don't need loyalty from Ebay any more than I did when I had a landlord for my business premises.
Just as if I was selling in a shopping mall, I need to follow Ebay's rules in the same way I have to follow the mall owner's rules.
In spite of that I need to manage my business as well as customer relations.
So long as enough buyers can find my listing when they look for them, I can decide what is going to sell eventually.
My loyalty to Ebay exists so long as there is not a better venue for me to sell in. I left Ebay in 2008 and did not return until Amazon destroyed the Collectibles categories by applying the same bots to them as it did to brand new in-production products. I cannot prove proof of authorized wholesale purchase for a branded product or advertising piece that is 100 years old.
If Etsy vintage had decent traffic and a search that worked I would use it, but it never has and never will. Sp here I sit selling on EBay.
chapeau-noir
·10 months agoEtsy actually used to have a great vintage business, despite the awful search, but it got pretty quickly destroyed by Silverman who treated Etsy like a baby eBay and has 0 vision. It's really a shame. Still great sellers on there, but one has to pick through the tons of POD chit and Chinese commodities masquerading as 'vintage'.
onlinecentral
·10 months agoMessage 18 shows the number of Active Listings for some oversaturated categories.
635,187 in Fashion Jewelry > Rings
Let's compare your category.
580,000 in Toys & Hobbies > Diecast & Toy Vehicles
580,000 search results is 9,600 pages at 60 per page.
Your 5,783 Active Listings occupy 96 pages at 60 per page within the 9,600 total pages.
The 580,000 has 24,000+ Sold results in the past 90 days which is 8,000 sold/month. Sold results only show the most recent sale, not the multiple sales Buy-It-Now listings actually have within the 90 day period. So, the true number is greater than the 24,000 shown.
Divide the 8,000 by the 580,000 and you get 1.38% sold per month.
There is a 72 month or 6 year supply of inventory.
I would encourage you to list other items in different categories. You can let go of your resentment towards eBay and their Promoted Listings.
The gold standard of research is the double blind study. You give half the test subjects the medicine and the other half get a placebo. Then you compare the two groups. Neither eBay nor any seller has done that with Promoted Listings to my knowledge. Opened two stores with identical products and feedback scores. One promoted and one not promoted.
Here are the net proceeds from a $100.00 sale.
$100.00 - $13.25 = $86.75 An unpromoted store paying the regular FVFs
$100.00 - $33.25 = $66.75 A store promoting at 20% percent.
$128.00 - $41.25 = $86.75 This store raised their price to still get the $86.75 dollars.
redlinear
·10 months ago@stainlessenginecovers
Did it again.
Can Am X3 Brake Line
Filter to Used
Sort Lowest to Highest
Finally found mine.... Top Rated seller. Item is promoted at suggested rates PLUS 2% (That's probably at least 18%)
And where did I find my Can Am X3 Brake Line?
It's down under Results Matching Fewer Words.
(Title: 2017 Can Am X3 XRS R Turbo REAR BRAKE LINE HOSE 72" Suspension)
Well, that's one....I think I have four listed. Not even going to try to find those.
eBay doesn't think I need to sell them right now I guess.
So, I'll just wait my turn, when they decide to show mine and hide somebody else's
kandf_vintage_finds
·10 months agoSorry for your frustrations.
Let me know if I can get dialed in on the conference call.
Side Note: Are those scathing replies to your 12 negatives really necessary?
burningrubbertoycompany
OP10 months agoThank you I have recently talked to Alex the head of promoted listings but Jamie the Fearful leader is and as always a no show. Too busy swimming in his over $20 million dollar yearly pay to address the people who got him that's paycheck
theteamsetguy
·9 months ago@burningrubbertoycompany ,
Just curios and what did Alex have to say?
lakefor94
·10 months ago@burningrubbertoycompany wrote: "Let me be clear — we are your customers, not the end users buying our items. eBay doesn’t sell anything"
The buyers are the absolute most important part of the eBay equation. Sellers are a nickel for 3 dozen.
I promote everything at 2% for better placement in the default best match search. I have competition on most every item. Though I don't have many listed in over-saturated categories. Glad to give eBay the extra 2%.
Consistently over the last 2 years, about 50% of my sales are promoted listings.
As a fulltime Internet seller, works for me. I don't find fees as exorbitant. Amazon charges me 15%. No problem there either.
lakefor94
·10 months agoFWIW, I just had 8 sales in a row without a PL fee. I am pretty sure that is a record for me.
ADDENDUM: The streak ended at 8 this afternoon.......
I am only running 1,250 items, all promoted at 2%.
Every item had a specific part number the buyers may have used to search on eBay or more than likely were using google. You don't have to promote unless your items are buried with thousands of other sellers peddling the same products or have no traction in google search.
eBay is the least stressful endeavor I have ever worked in the last 50 years. Granted, eBay can be labor intensive when in full blown listing mode and that is just part of it.
Nothing much stays the same over the years, especially online selling.
stainlessenginecovers
·10 months agoNo, they have not.
I cut up your rant/letter for simple ease of what your issue is, to attempt to explain what the entire 'promotion' is all about (and no, I am NOT an employee of ebay)
The reason for the system has NOTHING to do with 'moving difficult items'.
It has to do with moving items that you, the seller, have MANY competitors selling the same thing.
How do you get on the 1st page of a 'return for keyword that a shopper inputs' 3000 items?
How do YOU get to the top of the 1st page??
Promotions.
That's what they are for.
If you don't have any competitors- it's more than 'not smart' to use them.
If you have many competitors, use Promos or just 'hope'.
Here's just a couple of 'categories' that NEED to use them:
idealgems1
·10 months agoHere's the problem:
12345jamesstamps
·10 months agoI have to agree somewhat with your promoting response... in my opinion where some sellers promote 'trash' very highly to make it harder for small time sellers to get their 'good' items noticed unless they promote highly.
In my category...so much trash is promoted that's not even worth a penny...LOL
And then the very big sellers have the money to promote everything and very highly.
I just wish sellers in my category would stop promoting trashy items at 20+% just to get notice and flood these items in my category.
And I think feedbacks should mean something but they don't to sellers who have 100+ negative feedbacks in a month.
A low seller rating means nothing here...if it ever did.
But this is how the game works...we either play along or drop out.
A seller has to come up with ways to get buyers to purchase from them.
powell-collectibles
·10 months agono doubt you have legitimate gripes. well, at least understandable frustrations. But I always absolutely disagree with the seller notion that they are the ones that drive eBay profitability. if buyers are really coming to eBay for you, not just for whichever seller comes along, you would not need to use promoted listings.
and, hey – I’m no fan of promoted listings. I think it is long-term bad for buyers, therefore long-term bad for eBay and for sellers. That’s just my take, and horse is out of the barn on this one. eBay can’t go back.
dhbookds
·10 months agoI don't see people vilifying anyone ..........people have different points of view. Ebay gets honest criticism everyday on this board...........
raskolnikov2009
·10 months agoMy God, … is this what most of you do - make excuses for eBay…
What are you, employees masquerading as members solely for the purpose of vilifying anyone who speaks out?
Why excuse eBay? They are big boys who should be able to digest honest criticism without your validating them…
jonathanbrightlight
·10 months agoNot a single person who has responded to this thread works for eBay. I would be fairly confident no eBay employee will comment on this thread. No one has been vilified, no one is excusing eBay, but there's also people who disagree with the problems the original poster claims are happening, and offered their own point of view. I personally don't use promoted listings, and I know for a fact they are not required to not only make sales but grow a business, because the company I work for has been greatly increasing our sales on eBay since we stopped using promoted listings over a year ago. What about disagreeing with a poster's rant makes us sound like employees?
I don't imagine very many companies, especially larger ones, would waste money paying people to just comment on posts that are negative about them.
redlinear
·10 months agoBut let a post get a couple weeks old and they'll sure shut it down... LOL
jonathanbrightlight
·10 months agoPosts don't get shut down for being a couple weeks old. 6 months is about the earliest I've seen the moderators (who do not work for eBay) close a thread due to age. Sometimes threads are closed for other reasons, but not because they're critical of eBay. It's so easy to verify that I wonder why anyone thinks that happens.
redlinear
·10 months agoSarcasm
burningrubbertoycompany
OP10 months agoI'm sorry you think eBay wouldn't stoop low to squash my factual letter. You clearly have never read the court case https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/final-defendant-ebay-cyberstalking-case-sentenced. This is the most disgusting vile things eBay employees did to a wonderful couple reporting on eBay and the employees didn't like eBay calling them out. SO to assume they don't act like trolls on here and provide disinformation is very laughable. This place isn't run by GOD it is extremely immoral. I'm trying to right the ship and get something of value back for the sellers. But if misinformation and frankly people defending a company that doesn't care about your overall is the way you are going to act then nothing moves in the right direction. When promoted listings "lets" you give them 100% of everything the buyer paid you lets just say eBay doesn't care about your well being. So defending that kind of actions puts all sellers at risk and definitely looks like your providing nonfactual data and trying to confuse the sellers. This is not appreciated
tobaccocardyahoo
·10 months agoPromoted listings exist and have always existed because some products are in over supply and sellers are willing to pay for any advantage they can obtain. It has been a significant revenue stream for internet marketplaces, and a contributor to the relative stability of listing/store and final value fees.
The hard to find items are often what drives some buyers to Ebay, and these items are usually in far less supply than other items. It is easy to be in the top 20 search results when an item is uncommon if there is someone looking to buy it. Promotion in such a case are a waste of money. Do sellers actually think about whether it will help them before they promote - only those who think about how they spend their money do.
colfaxstation
·10 months agoI would disagree with your statement that top 20 searches for rarer items work now. The eBay algorithms simple dump anything that contains a portion of the search request on the list, burying the sought after item. Proof is that a search on the Sold area returns relevant items, without the promoted junk.
redlinear
·10 months agoIt's bad.
I just ran a search on a Corvette Convertible back glass.
Only 8 results. Three of which were convertible.
Sorted Low$ to High$
The cheapest one was last on the list.
stainlessenginecovers
·10 months agoInteresting; I got 105 results after sorting Low$toHigh$.
1st 20ish Items were not 'back glass' but different parts for the back glass of a convertible etc.
Best Match was best:
116 results: first 20something were actually back glass and 1st 5 were 'sponsored'
redlinear
·10 months agoC5 Corvette Convertible back glass (was my exact search).
I now show 9 instead of 8 (which is good).
And they are now sorting in order. Which they were not. Maybe/Maybe Not seems to the be norm for searches any more.
Of course, there's a Coupe HATCH and a Z06 Hardtop Clip included in those 9 "convertible back glasses".
The list was better now...got rid of items and now showing more conv back glasses.
Changes by the minute I guess....
Ran another search for "300ZX Window Track" while ago also.
I have three listings......left tracks, right tracks, track ends / stops.
Only see the ends / stops listing. It's the cheapest.
The other two listings nowhere to be found UNLESS ya really really really know how to search.
So much for "promoting at eBays "suggested" rates. That's a high % to be hidden away in the dungeon
broto_64
·10 months agoI do agree that searching for lowest-highest is no longer an effective search tool, in fact I often find the cheapest is not even on the list but rather hidden somewhere inside another's listing in ways of promoted items. Is that crazy?
To be fair I can't be entirely certain, given no actual part number, whether the $250 one I found is in fact the one you need, but there are cheaper convertible rear glass for corvettes around, certainly the search isn't but so helpful, you literally have to go digging for it and keep looking for a needle in the haystack but at least the results aren't like 1,600+ of them.
Again a part number tends to yield really incredible results, at the very least a year of manufacture but the part number has been my go-to for some years now.
redlinear
·10 months ago@burningrubbertoycompany
I agree, even though you've only scratched the surface of the this mess.
For those of us that have been here awhile and are trying to sell more than "lunch money" each day, Know that this isn't what we agreed to when we began.
And there are many that'll tell us that we've agreed to every user agreement change/update and that we can quit anytime.
But it's not that easy when you have many thousands of listings that took years of time and $$$$$$ to create.
eBay has many of us right where they want us. Trapped
herway
·10 months ago27 year seller here. 68 years old.
I asked AI for solutions for my tanked ebay sales, it always comes down to this: if you don't like it, go sell on another platform.
woah, really???
STUCK is an excellent word for the situation that many long term, small businesses are currently facing on ebay.
r_lresale
·10 months agoI haven't sold as long as most here (6 years in January), I have never promoted. I think about it sometimes but I just can't pull the trigger. 2025 has been our best year to date hands down *knock on wood*
pls-consignments
·10 months agoPersonally, I am in agreement with nearly all that you said. No need for technical critique from me, since I realize that you're just expressing your frustration on a public forum. I too have been with the platform even longer, and have seen and experienced the same things you have.
Quite frankly, the only reason I'm still here is that I have retirement in front of me, along with the knowledge and experience I would need to make ends meet incase SS would ever disappear.
When PL began, I wrote several posts warning other sellers of the eventual pitfalls of eBay as this was a major change in direction in corporate policy that would now cannibalize it's own sellers in order to compete and protect market share. No doubt eBay was fully aware that long-time sellers would see it as it was, a desperate move to generate revenue in order to maintain shareholder confidence.
However, opening the doors to the world of new, inexperienced sellers who had no contrast, would be worth the risk of loosing long-timers. Those are business decisions that all publically-owned corporations have to make. There is no room for ethical integrity or loyalty to any of its sellers. Therefore, lower your expectations, adapt and savor your 25-years of experience as the "good ole days". 😊
roccotacodad54
·10 months ago" No doubt eBay was fully aware that long-time sellers would see it as it was, a desperate move to generate revenue in order to maintain shareholder confidence. "
"Those are business decisions that all publically-owned corporations have to make. There is no room for ethical integrity or loyalty to any of its sellers."
That's the crux of the biscuit right there........................................
snoopwiz
·10 months agoThat's the crux of the biscuit right there........................................
That would be the apostrophe.
fullers_uk
·10 months agoExactly, There is no room for ethical integrity or loyalty to any of its sellers, we are consumable and a replacement will be along in a few minutes.
What I find is the patronising first comment you get when you are lucky enough to do on line chat with ebay.
Hello thank you for being on ebay 23 years, like that means anyting, they have no care for our loyalty at all, the intro is an insult.
burningrubbertoycompany
OP10 months agoI now tell them im not loyal why would anyone be with the treatment we get as sellers
fullers_uk
·10 months agoI had this today:
Congratulations on becoming an eBay Top-rated Seller
Congratulations, you’ve qualified for eBay Top-rated Seller status by consistently meeting Global seller performance standards. You’ll now get a prominent eBay Top-rated Seller badge on your profile page.
To ensure that you’re maintaining the standards for an eBay Top-rated Seller, check your seller standards dashboard regularly.
Again, congratulations and thanks for your hard work as one of the best sellers on eBay.
Did it raise a smile from me: NO
What does it even mean: NOTHING
chapeau-noir
·10 months ago"I am open and available for a conference call to discuss these issues in detail. "
This isn't something that eBay really does - we're just vendors on a managed marketplace and everyone has opinions.
And yes, they could be in better contact with sellers and buyers - that's something that has gradually slipped out of sight.
burningrubbertoycompany
OP10 months agoSee that's where you are wrong . I bring a lot of revenue into eBay and do consulting in the Toy industry. I have talked to every eBay executive I have ever needed to. Only 1 has avoided me and its The CEO Jamie. He avoids any non puff piece and definitely anyone who brings the receipt's. I have a longer history on eBay then anyone who works there. When you hide from the people that put food on your table its time to step down. He clearly either believes he is too important to talk to me or too afraid. Both make him look weak and that's not how a leader should ever look.
kibble-net
·10 months agoThis is where you may be wrong.
Buyers come to ebay because that is the brand that is being advertised to them during their television broadcast. Buyers come to ebay for the buyer protection. Buyers come to ebay because it is a name they trust.
Bottom line is that if you feel your fees are growing too quickly and insufficient value is being provided, you will be better served by either starting your own website or moving to another platform.
Ebay isn't for everyone. Every time a fee is raised, a policy changed, or the UI altered in any way, there's always going to be members shed. I hope you are able to find a platform that allows you to grow your business at a cost you deem reasonable.
shallow_karl
·9 months agoI used to pay 10% for sales. Now it's close to 20%. It's like apartment rents in big cities.
christworks
·10 months agoDoes it feel good to get all of that out?
Nobody is made to promote anything. There are many sellers who don't promote a single item and have what most would consider excellent sales. I promote at 5%. That's $500 for $10,000 in sales. I think that is a good trade-off. Probably not even half my sales come from PL.
bonanza125
·10 months agoEbay leadership isn't here. This is a community of buyers and sellers who answer questions and give advice. Nothing will change as far as the stuff you brought up. When you used promote listings you agreed to terms.
burningrubbertoycompany
OP10 months agoYou are 100% wrong. Do you really believe these message boards are for sellers and buyers. Yikes these boards are overseen by executive assistants to monitor what we all are saying. When things get out of hand and when people like myself stand up for the unjust they reach out and talk things over and try to fix it. I have been contacted many times by very important people in the company. Never have a defeatist attitude. You can make a difference only weak people who doubt themselves cant move the needle. Have more faith in yourself you can make a change down bow down step up!
glorybells
·10 months agoSorry to destroy your illusions, but NO ONE from ebay oversees or reads anything posted here. These boards aren’t even run by eBay. They’re run by a third party company, and the moderators work for that company.
chapeau-noir
·10 months agoOh? Then why are you wasting time posting your letter on here if you have this clout? As much as many of us may agree, none of these are issues most of us haven't heard a thousand times before.
ETA: Holy DAYUM - the replies to your negs! Sorry, but no cred here.
glorybells
·10 months ago@chapeau-noir , Wow! You are right about those responses!
broto_64
·10 months agoMade me wonder if he's one of the Golds from that Eight Mile pawn shop in Detroit.
American Jewelry and Loan, Hardcore Pawn that is.
burningrubbertoycompany
OP10 months agoCorrect, based on how "supportive" I see people are on here it is a waste of time. You wonder why the world is all jacked up its because the masses are more worried about ripping people apart then supporting the greater good. This is why eBay walks all over its sellers. Instead of seeing how I am fighting to fix this broken company you would rather say I've heard this before or rip on my responses to the trashy people who leave negatives. I just don't let people walk on me and if that offends you then it is what it is. My parents were teachers but they also fought for what's right at all times and I will follow in their foot steps. If you prefer to have eBay take advantage of you and not see how damaging they are to the sellers then be blind just don't take the rest of the sellers down with you. I move a lot of volume and I know my value so when I see eBay doing people dirty I stand up
chapeau-noir
·10 months agoYou're fighting to fix this broken company? Where? Complaining on here isn't going to do it. As I say, if you have all this clout, then talk to the decision makers. Nothing you've said is remotely unknown to most of we other sellers, that's not the problem, there's not a lot of disagreement there, but this.is.a.chat.board. If you have access, use access.
burningrubbertoycompany
OP10 months agoYour right and you should spend more time trying to list things people actually want to buy in 2025 instead of trying to bring down the guy trying to make it better because frankly it isnt a good look. Just like the clothes you sell. Your best day you sell 2 items. You have too much time on your hands . I wont ever post on here again its a waste of time your correct. Just like responding to you just a waste of time but we all know thats something you have alot of since you really dont sell . You are why the world is all jacked up defending people who would screw you over without a blink of an eye. You are a good little soldier and I hope PAPA eBay rewards you for being subservient
gone.c-33
·10 months agoWhat’s worse? Making the best of how a platform works or sticking with a platform that doesn’t work to your needs?
You have free will here (and apparently eBay’s entire c-suite on speed dial), do what works for you.
monroe67
·10 months ago"You are a good little soldier and I hope PAPA eBay rewards you for being subservient."
Sometimes our new best buddies just walk right in and introduce themselves.
chapeau-noir
·10 months agoAhhh! I was waiting for this! Can't argue my point so starts slagging my stuff and doing personal insults. Seventh grade debate fail. You're right - this is a waste of time.
an-57470
·10 months agoMain Character Syndrome.
wri-8727
·10 months ago@burningrubbertoycompany wrote:
Dear eBay Leadership,
...you cannot extract profit by crushing the very people who generate it...
Nothing cheaper then people):