eBay New Policy and business direction is terrifying!!
Hello, I have been selling around $2 million a year for 20 years on eBay, I have seen a lot of different policies come and go. It feel like every 4 to 6 years eBay will be pro seller and then they become pro buyer in policies and they tighten up on the sellers. This new season is a very scary one for a few major reasons. Instead of spending money on attracting new buyers they are try to find ways to get more money from sellers.
We already have to pay for a $4000 plus a year for a store that allows you to call customer service. You would figure if you sell more than a million dollars a year you should be able to call them about any issue. But we have to pay for that privilege. Now you can not use that service for any feedback concerns. It uses to much resources. This is a major problem. With the rise of post sale extortion, buyers demanding discounts and return fraud, you need to protect your feedback. eBay is the only site that everyone checks feedback rating. It is very important. So that is how they will raise their bottom end. Not service high value seller that pay to be able to call.
Then the advertising. Not only do you have to pay the seller fees, now they have taken all the revenue from Paypal, you have to advertise to sell on a site that you are already paying 12% to 13%. which is an average another 5% at a minimum. If you go with eBay advertising suggestions it would be much more. That is fine if yuo are selling old junk from your basement but a professional seller is getting leveled. Now they want you to pay for off site advertising, so you pay to bring traffic off the internet to their site for they can charge you 18% for a sale.
The problem is they are losing market share to Facebook Market Place and instead of attracting new buyers, they are cutting services and charging sellers more and more. This is teh beginning of the end. This used to work when they were the only site to sell on but there is more and more. We are 90% selling on eBay but the writing is on the wall. They don't care. Their plan is to make 25% of your sales. Its the last stand. When is the last time you saw an eBay advertisement??? They are making cuts so the stock price goes up. You will begin to see a lot of high-level executives start parachuting out of the dumpster fire. I hope someone that cares reads this and they turn but in 20 years I never seen them change bad behavior. The company is ran by a bunch of MBAs that never sold on eBay for a living and never would or will. Hope I'm wrong. Goodluck!!
djsmanuals
·2 years agoyou make alot of money-stop whining
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoeBay right now is mired in sneakers, cards and "street wear" (the last being a hilarious joke, like Gucci Does Grunge). Hopefully they'll continue to back out of that a bit and look at other possibilities.
ryanrobyn
·2 years agoAgree that the biggest problem is NO customer service so the scammers quickly learn this and take advantage of it
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoNot really. We have a concierge service and they call us back in minutes. They help us solve any issues with so called scammers. So, I would not be broadcasting that to people on here. We caught a scammer a few weeks ago and ebay had helped us deal with some few issues in the past and currently with seller protection.
mam98031
·2 years ago@ryanrobyn
On each Ebay page there is a link to contact Customer Service at the top of the page and again at the bottom of the page.
I would suggest that you contact Ebay for Business on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for the better trained CSRs.
Here are your options for contacting Ebay Customer Service. Please be aware that for social media CS, you send them a Private Message and briefly explain what your problem or issue is. Feel free to leave your Name, address, phone number and/or your email address in this message. It is private and secure and it may help to speed up the response for you.
https://twitter.com/askebay
https://www.facebook.com/eBay/
https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/
Your options will be on the left. If you use the link below you can only get to the Automated Assistant or Chat box type AGENT in the box and hit enter. You will then get more options. Not all options are available 24/7. It will depend on staffing available. So sometimes you can request a call back and sometimes you can't. Sometimes you have the Chat option available and other times it won't me. If it is important to you to use one of those options, just try back later.
If you use a cell phone or other mobile device, you may need to turn off your Spam filter so that Ebay can call you.
If you are a seller outside of the US or Canada, you will need to use the Chat Option.
https://www.ebay.com/help/eua?id=5275&mkevt=1&mkpid
https://www.ebay.com/help/home
pcobra93
·2 years agoI have been here for a long time also and have seen all the changes....some good, many bad. But, it is hard to blame it all on Ebay anf their management. Most of the "bad" changes are a result of the "Amazon effect They changed online shopping and IMO not all for the better. Ebay had to change to compete. The one area all online platforms are having problems with and will have to be addressed in the next few years is the fraud. Amazon created the perfect environment (and we could say Wal-Mart did too) for scammers to run rampant. Ebay along with other will need to come up with some sort of solution to minimize this risk. What I would like to see Ebay do is split the "collectibles" market out just like they did Ebay Motors. New and old items are just different and really cannot be lumped together in their rules. Do you expect a 70 year old item to look like new?....function as new? work for 50 more years as new?... We need separate rules for each.
pls-consignments
·2 years agoI would love to see that idea come to fruition! Perhaps returning to the original eBay with "vintage" collectibles, and moving all "NEW" merchandise to a sister platform under the eBay umbrella.
Now we just need to think of a name for it. 🤔 How about "NewBay"?
bashort
·2 years agoNot the first time that there have heard from "high value" sellers bemoaning the loss of the ability to get special treatment concerning feedback, I always suspected this was happening and it probably still is, they just likely raised the entry level
farmalljr
·2 years agoMuch to the dismay of many "pro" eBay supporters here, nothing is forever. No one thought Sears would tank, just like Kmart.
One can say it was because they did not change with the times, and while that may be true, it's not the whole story. While eBay is doing things that are "best" for it's bottom line, much of it is VERY short sighted. The EPA has not settled with the platform yet, and that's just one example of the poor management that this platform is facing or has faced.
There is a very long list of what is wrong, but frankly the management is not concerned with anything long term. It's not even concerned with the loss of buyer base. In the long term, there are consequences for those things. The blind sellers here, may not see it, but in time, it will come. It will not be an abrupt, dramatic ending here. It was not with any of the other big retailers that are now gone, either. It was an erosion, just like it is here.
Best plan of action for sellers, is diversify. Like was mentioned, you are a fool if THIS is your only platform. eBay does not hear you, they do NOT care. You are on your own, so you need to look out for YOU. Make decisions that are best for your business. eBay uses you for what they want from you. You need to do the same thing for any platform you sell on. This is not a friendship or a partnership, it's business. eBay is not loyal to you, you are just another grain of sand on their beach.
pls-consignments
·2 years agoI happen to be one of those who's only online platform is eBay, other than FB marketplace for items not worth shipping. The challenge for many is based on what they sell. I sell mostly vintage collectibles and average 160-180 sales per month on 1200+ listings. Unfortunately, there isn't another platform that can offer even 25% of that. That is why I've chosen to diversify offline with pop-up sales throughout the summer months. Also, I begin collecting social security in Sept which reduces part of my risks. But, not everyone is that situation.
adamcartwright
·2 years agoNice to hear you're doing so well. ðŸ˜
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoYour diversification reflects what works best for you and for what you sell. So you've really illustrated the point well. One thing I would say is that I don't expect the same sales as here on all platforms I use - it depends on what I'm selling. I sell in a very super saturated category everywhere, but I find some things sell better here, some on Poshmark, some on Etsy, etc. So it doesn't need to be all or nothing.
pls-consignments
·2 years agoYou are correct, no "one size fits all". Can you imagine a Walmart selling Rolex's? 😉
luckythewinner
·2 years agoI have seen a lot of different policies come and go. It feel like every 4 to 6 years eBay will be pro seller and then they become pro buyer in policies and they tighten up on the sellers
I can't recall very many times that eBay became more pro-seller, and when they did the changes were pretty minor.
you have to advertise to sell on a site that you are already paying 12% to 13%.
Not unless you have a lot of competition.
That is fine if yuo are selling old junk from your basement but a professional seller is getting leveled
There are a lot of professional sellers who do not sell "old junk" who are not getting leveled.
You are selling primarily refurbished cell phones, so you are in a highly competitive, low margin business and are competing with Amazon itself.
mam98031
·2 years ago@extremediscountla
Wow, you have a wonderfully successful business you have built here on Ebay. Congratulations !!!
"Now you can not use that service for any feedback concerns. It uses to much resources." This isn't totally accurate. You just now have the same rights as every other seller on the site. The feedback must break an Ebay policy to be removed. Before you got a certain number of negatives removed every 90 days just cuz you asked. That is the part they have done away with. So if you do get one that breaks policy, you will still be able to get it removed.
Now that you are likely going to have more negative FB stick around, I would advise you to be very careful in how you respond to them. Often times sellers will do more damage to themselves by their responses than the buyer did with the FB they posted. Staying polite, professional and factual is the best approach. Say things like Beware of buyer or somehow blame the buyer or call them names will only do you more harm when other potential buyers review your FB. Good polite responses however can help to offset the negative remarks by the buyer.
"... now they have taken all the revenue from Paypal,..." I'm unsure what this means. PayPal is a very strong, financially sound company. It was while Ebay owned it and remains so after they spun it off in June of 2015. Ebay did NOT hurt PP financially. But if you could explain this a bit more, maybe that would help us to understand better so it can be talked about.
Using promoted listings is an option sellers have had since 2015. Ebay has started enhancing the program more and pushing it more over the last couple of years. Some sellers use it and some don't. It is a decision for each of us to make as well as the percentage we are willing to pay in more fees for using the program.
For some sellers the program works very well, for others it does not. The Majority of sellers do not use the program at all. If you are paying 25% in FVFs and promotional fees to Ebay, that is your choice. If it gives you the sales you desire, it is likely a good thing.
I'm unsure of how much of an issue Facebook is as a Market Place. Especially since in a couple weeks, their selling fees will be about the same or slightly higher than we are charged here on Ebay. Their selling fee will be 10%, plus an 80 cent per transaction fee. Then on top of that your money processing fees from PayPal.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoIt’s really not about switching to another marketplace in hopes of making more profit. It’s how you work THIS marketplace to maximize your profits. Like you said, some folks use promoted some do not. Some promote at high levels and still make a good profit. When we switched to the lowest level of standard promotions we did see better sales so we are sticking with it on about 50 percent of our listings AND WE acquire product at a price where we can give another 2 percent to ebay. Ebay is still one of the top marketplaces, even with all the competition.
pls-consignments
·2 years agoI can agree with most of what the OP said. I started my first of 3 profitable ecommerce businesses on dial-up and Netscape. Much of what I experienced and learned along the way has helped me anticipate and prepare for what's ahead. Unfortunately, today's eBay is no longer guided by "big picture" or "long-term" thinking, because those who are steering the ship have not lived long enough to experience contrast. All they've ever known is a world without foresight and patience. The same can be said of the current crop of shareholders. The demand for immediate ROI is clearly manifested in the numerous policy changes, as well as the commitment to AI. Much like a young person who gets their face tattoed, eBay's "trial and error" approach is reckless and short-sighted. The chances of an economic earthquake are quite high in the next 8-12 months due to another volatile election year, not to mention growing geopolitical instability. Will online sellers be negativley affected? Absolutely!
That is why I use my own experience to make wise choices in order to minimize the shockwaves, both now and into the future. This includes knowing not only my numbers, but also my margins. Unfortunately, there is a large percentage of sellers who do not, and then are shocked to discover what they have left after paying fees and advertising before their COS.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoInternet marketplaces are too large. The supply of offers and the number of sellers exceeds demand.
The search results are such that many offers are never seen since buyers make their decision before they have read all of the offers.
All buyers no longer read feedback.
All buyers do not buy the lowest priced offer.
If you sell mass market products on Ebay, you get the same treatment as the king of mass market sites provides, and Ebay loses share of mass market product to the sales to the king because Ebay is not as customer friendly.
Facebook marketplace is in its infancy and when it matures it will probably look more like the existing marketplaces. It will also become less friendly to con men who are using it now.
Ebay is paying to advertise specific areas of the site which it sees the greatest chance of growth in. Those ads are targeted, so you might not see them.
The MBA are running all of the largest Internet sites, not surprising that little Ebay would decide to hire some.
The solution on all marketplaces has been promotion/advertising. Ebay was later than some marketplaces to implement it.
anjofak
·2 years agoDid some searching on Google to see if a rare item we have up was showing it was , an old out of stock link to item not available from last year, as it is still sitting up for grabs..
chapeau-noir
·2 years ago@extremediscountla Just saw this " We are 90% selling on eBay but the writing is on the wall. "
With the amount of product you report that you are selling, you needed to diversify a LONG time ago. People who build large businesses on one platform, particularly someone else's platform, are building castles on sand. I'm a little surprised that regular sellers are still doing this.
I'll say that most platforms have problems, but it's better diversify.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoThe problem is very deep. It has more to do with the explosion of internet shopping especially fueled by the pandemic and continuing to grow. This puts a lot of competition in eBay’s face and it is a challenge to find and keep buyers nowadays. If I were running ebay at this point in time I would find ways to make buyers loyal to the site. One way they have tried this is with enthusiast buyers for the rarer, higher end merchandise. Next should be a broader buyer loyalty for the entire site. How they could do this, not sure, but it seems appropriate. Now, sellers can and do create their own buyer loyalties by having sales markdowns, sending coupons, engaging the buyers on their own. I would suggest that to everyone here.
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoYes - what also was fueled in the pandemic was an explosion of sellers. Something like a 25% increase (read in the trade press) - now not all of them will stick, but I bet a good percentage of them did. I know those who might consign their items to me just sell them themselves. This makes for a very crowded seller space - I'd be courting buyers, too.
12345jamesstamps
·2 years ago"company is ran by a bunch of MBAs that never sold on eBay"....so true.
Most of them were born with an iPhone in their hand...and I bet not one does not know how to address an envelope using a pen and where the stamp goes on an envelope.
oldwestgold
·2 years agoPersonally and professionally, I would prefer to have the skills to operate my iPhone and iPad over being able to address an envelope and stick a stamp on it. I am 67(today - Happy BDay to me!) and worked for the USPS for over 33 years, mostly as a Postmaster and IT Mgr. I'm lucky to mail 1-2 envelopes per month anymore. The same with handwriting a check. Of course, that's just me. Have a good day!
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoNo disrespect...but my grandparents love a card in the mail every so often...especially when they don't live in the same state. A text or email wouldn't be the same... and the trouble it takes to tell my grandmother hang up the iPhone...we are done talking...and she still doesn't know how.
oldwestgold
·2 years agoThat's unfortunate, and I am speaking as a 67-year-old male, ie. an old guy. Overall, knowing how to use a smartphone or iPad is a million times more productive than taking the time to handwrite a letter, then an envelope, look for and put a stamp on it, and finally mail it hoping it will make its destination. That was my point. Ignoring automation or technology is not a win-win situation in most cases no matter what your age. Could you imagine if your grandparents knew how to Facetime on their smartphone or iPad? They would surely enjoy that more than a store-bought card. I know my grandkids love it as I do. Stamps and letters are almost done for, in my professional opinion, and I still have a stake in the USPS. That's a fact, as I carried mail when needed before retiring and saw that happening seven years ago. Any stamp collector will attest to that also. I ran a coin and stamp show for decades. I still attend them regularly and see the same. Hallmark Cards will tell you the same. I am just stating facts as anything else is just an opinion. Again, I have worked decades on both sides of the subject as a carrier, clerk, Postmaster, and IT Mgr. I am happy that a card still works for your Grandmother.
adamcartwright
·2 years agoI'm a lot younger than your Grandmother, I'm sure, and I still love receiving cards, too.
There's something about taking the time to pick out just the right card, then taking the time and money to mail it that just hits different. I have a friend who's going through an illness. She's not always up to talking or texting but has told me she really appreciates my cards. Doesn't have to be expensive. Dollar Tree has great ones.
mam98031
·2 years agoYou'd love what my daughter does. She makes all of her cards. Each one is extra special in my book and I love getting them too.
kh-cathy
·2 years agoHi everyone,
This discussion has gotten a bit heated. Please remember that, while it is fine to disagree with others, discussion should always remain friendly and respectful as required by the Community Guidelines.
Thank you for your cooperation.
extremediscountla
OP2 years agoErased. Why reply if you didn't read the post?? Maybe my problems are not the same as yours experience. Doesn't make my less important to me.
oldwestgold
·2 years agoMeh, I wouldn't get in a bunch over it. You have to have thick skin to post here as it seems lately 50% of those who reply personally attack the OP instead of the content of the post. Snide remarks seem to be the thing on any community board. They do it to me, even though I am not trolling regularly as a choice few do here. I think sometimes those who reply the most are just trying to rack up their number of posts and replies for merit badges. Or possibly a narcissistic thing or nothing better to do with their time. I only stop by 1-2 times a week and that's enough for me. You had the right to rant just like many others have and will, including myself. I hear you on the fees, but in the end, you just have to keep trudging on or exit left. I wish you the best! PEACE! PS: Watch out for the spelling and grammar police here also.
dbfolks166mt
·2 years agoI agree the environment has changed but that is the nature of business. You innovate or you die. As a publically traded company eBay's main goal is to maximize their value to their shareholders. I may not agree with how they go about that but it is their site. However, that does not prevent me as a seller for looking at my options also, i.e. innovating. EBay used to account for about 90% of my sales but I began to diversify across multiple platforms and venues quite some time ago and eBay now constitutes a little less than 20% of my sales.
Some of the divesture was forced by eBay with their ever expanding list of restricted and prohibited items and the VERO program. Most of the other sites I sell on have no restrictions. In addition what appears to be increased scamming activity and lack of eBay's efforts to stem the tide. They may be doing something but it is information they do not publically disclose probably out of fear from not only the sellers but the shareholders.
I doubt if the changes will be the end of eBay but it will continue to evolve and change. Many companies have made fatal errors that resulted in their demise: K-Mart, Sears, GM, IBM............ Only time will tell how eBay will fare but I have contingencies in place if they do go down or the platform becomes non-profitable.
Those sellers who are glued to this platform are doing so at their own peril. More than one post on this forum has been from a seller who was suspended and/or permanently banned from the site.
robbie31415
·2 years agoFor The OP facebook marketplace local isnt really a competitor to eBay.
Their shipping division portion is doubling the fee and their promotion system is either PPC or % and the % starts at 15% on top of 10% new fee.
So when you started talking about Facebook my eyes rolled.
Also facebook is big on shadow banning. Shadow banned because i accidently synced an infrared thermometer that lasted about a month.
inhawaii
·2 years agoI didn't read your entire rant.
I only read the part about how you made $2M a year for 20 years or $40M on ebay.
Whatever it is you're unhappy about, you are more than welcome to find a better platform.
Unavailable member
·2 years agoLet’s keep things civil - insulting others just seems silly.
robbie31415
·2 years agoNot really sure I saw the Insult in there.
People need to stop trying to tip toe and just bluntly say the truth.
@inhawaiidid just that.
I'm sorry if his opinion bothers you so much.
inhawaii
·2 years agoMy apologies.
I didn't mean to insult.
Just found it odd that someone who sold $40M here was complaining about the platform.
They have every right to do so.
Complain away.....
oldwestgold
·2 years agoGood song. No, great song. 😎
Unavailable member
·2 years agoSorry - replied to the wrong guy. Yours I found to be fine - the response was a bit mean spirited 🙂
anjofak
·2 years agoThe fees that must come out to...ouch
willowsbow
·2 years agoIt's all relative though, right? Are fees tax deductible (i.e. a business expense) for store owners? Not really asking you, just wondering.
mam98031
·2 years ago@willowsbow
Yes that is true. However if you aren't pricing your items to take into consideration all your costs, then it eats into your profits. If you aren't being profitable, that is certainly a problem. No one likes working for free.
So sellers need to know what their costs are in order to properly price their items as well as know if the market will bear the price they need to charge.
anjofak
·2 years agoI would have to ask quick books or H&R about that..I still wonder if it's a cost or a loss most weeks..
anjofak
·2 years agoCosts: buying merchandise, moving merchandise, sorting /inspections, storage merchandise, listing merchandise, packaging merchandise shipping and hoping that all went right.
Loss: not worth any of that or damaged before or during.
Lots of damaged workings..
mam98031
·2 years agoA cost or a loss are two different things. Costs are deductible.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoAll the ebay fees come out as a tax deduction as a cost of business on a schedule C form. Now, the key is you price the items with the profit margin on each individual item or group of items BEFORE YOU LIST IT. You know up front what your actual profit will be except always add an estimate of what you will be paying for taxes on your profits as well. We have other costs like packaging shipping , INTERNET service provider fees, gas car expenses etc.
wheredidiputthatremote
·2 years agoThat's all Hawaii does
thecomicminer
·2 years agoI read that he pays eBay a quarter of a million dollars every year to sell his items and now they want $550,000 to throttle his visibility more than ever before. Don't ignore this garbage platform extorting all of us down the drain so they can show their shareholders increased profits while doing nothing to attract new buyers. Their new business strategies are affecting those of us who sell six figures here, as well.
kensgiftshop
·2 years agoIt's affecting all sellers big and small.
robbie31415
·2 years agoSo make your own platform or find another one that doesn't do all the bad things you claim.
All businesses are designed to make money. Ebay is a business, not your buddy.
If eBay was an outlier to other marketplaces fee structures I'd say something, but the truth is they aren't and the fees are pretty standard across all the major marketplaces.
Walmart I pay straight 15% for anything over $10. That also doesn't include the money spent on their advertising costs.
Everyone hates fees, but they are a fact of life.
movieman630
·2 years agoI've surrendered to the fact that I'm going to have to pay more fees. I don't like the PL sceme and think that asking for another 12-15% to promote is tacky but it's how you generate traffic now because they made it that way.
A straight search based on buyer entered criteria should be good enough, and fair. No games, no PL's, no hiding peoples listings to throttle them, no "spreading around the sales" for the sake of it... True competition. The best reaching the top of the list... That's not how it works unfortunately, funny how nothing works that way anymore.
So I've surrendered. I pay to play. I try to be competitive where I can but we all have to face the fact that profit margins are thinning. It's sad really.
farmalljr
·2 years agoMaybe you get all of your inventory for FREE, but most people are not. 40 million in sales does not mean 40 million in PROFIT.
inhawaii
·2 years agoI don't get my inventory for free.
My profit margin is about 100%.
After all fees and expenses I try to double my money.
Let's say my profit margin was only 10%, $40M is sales would only make me a measly $4M in profit.
farmalljr
·2 years agoLOL. 200K a year in profits to move 2 mil in products perhaps may not be worth the effort. Most people selling here really don't have much if any real business experince. Regardless of what you pay for inventory, you merely putz around selling. Most sellers here putz around selling. There is a difference between "side money" and making your business your sole source of income. Not truly many sellers here who's income ONLY comes from selling here. Most sellers work a job or are retired. Your desire to grow and actually sell are quite different when this is play money or "extra" money.
It's not like I can't sense the envy in your posts about the OP's sales history. If you actually wanted to work that hard and build a business like that, you could.
inhawaii
·2 years agoI do envy (and admire) ther OPs sales history.
You are right, ebay is a side job for me, but it's not really "play" money.
Without my ebay income, I would not be able to afford the finer things in life such as food and gas. 😉
jupiter_collectibles
·2 years agoHonestly can you ever please give some advice and stop bashing sellers? We get it you are pro eBay. They could never do any wrong.... It's getting old and tiresome.