repeat buyers
Do you have any repeat buyers? I have this one guy who has bought tons of DVDs and blu-rays from me. He follows me and buys stuff all the time and there have to have been lots of repeat items in those lots. Maybe he has a bookstore or something. Of course I am grateful for the sales. It's a little unnerving though. Without him I guess my sell-through would be grim and why is he the only guy out of millions of Ebay users to want my stuff?
37 comments
postcardcountry
·2 years agoOf course it's a little unnerving - having become dependent on one person to keep your sell through rate from going grim.
Why is he the only guy out of millions? He happened to find your store, your agreeable pricing, your great customer service and he's not about to go away as long as he is treated right and needs your items. He found his comfortable place.
Others might have a different attitude, constantly searching for a cheaper price, trying different sellers to get a greater bargain. Or prefer to deal with 'large sellers' than support the not so large seller. (The same kind that always eat in a chain restaurant before they would even consider a local restaurant)
kiss-3
·2 years agoYes, I have repeat customers and am also grateful for them.
Your repeat buyer obviously likes your merchandise, your customer service, your prices and simply comes back for more of the same. He sounds loyal, which is a rarity in today's online marketplace. I guess that can be a little unnerving.
rileydone
·2 years agoI'm fortunate to have several repeat buyers, I mean like purchasing from my auctions every Sunday for this year! So appreciative that they keep coming back. I like to think that good customer service, fast shipping and quality products keep them happy and wanting more.
turtles-trading-post
·2 years agoIt depends on what you are selling. Consumer products? You are just the store. Hobby markets? You get loyal repeat customers.
When I did my research on top sellers in my category, I deduced that their success was in the number of followers their store had. Some of them were over 5000. Those are regular customers and the folks eBay emails your listings to. I have about 125 followers after 2 years and I can say that 25% of my sales are repeat customers.
Often I’ll get an order for one item. I ship it quick and the next week same person places an order for a dozen lots. It’s like they are testing and looking for reliable sellers.
For the sellers I compete with that have thousands of followers, they’re final prices on auctions are higher than items I currently have for sale. It seems they don’t comparison shop beyond their favorite sellers.
coolections
·2 years agoNo one can answer your question except for the guy that buys all your stuff. Maybe ask him ? Taking a guess you are probably right, he owns a store.
cardsforauction
·2 years agoI would never ask a buyer what they are going to do with an item. It's not my business. As long as the transaction went smoothly then it does not matter.
If you are obsessed with knowing the answer, you ask, but the result maybe unpleasant. You could anger the customer, because he will wonder why you want to know and why you are jealous if he resells for a profit, etc. etc. why poke the bull?
cstpos
·2 years ago@keziak Maybe he's happy to find a site that sells what he's looking for and offers good products and customer service. A lot of people are realizing if you buy a dvd, you can watch it whenever you want, you can lend it out, and you don't have to hope the streaming provider decides to start charging for it. He might be selling to other countries too. Just tell him thanks for being such a good customer.
inhawaii
·2 years agoI have a buyer who buys the exact same item from me every few months.
Sometimes just 1. Sometimes 2 or 3.
I wonder what he's doing with them, but I would NEVER question it.
Just thankful to have him.
cardsforauction
·2 years agoRepeat buyer sounds good to me. If costs go up, hopefully your repeat buyers won't complain and want 1950s style prices, such as 25 cent hamburgers. What I mean, for example, you increase the price of an item from $7.99 and now it's $9.99 due to increase costs. Then the repeat buyer complains they buy so much why the price is higher?? Then you have to explain that costs went up or the market prices are higher and that's why the cost went up $2. They said well you don't appreciate my business? Yes, I do but prices have gone up. The customer either accepts or does not accept. If the repeat customer does not accept, maybe considering splitting the increase cost if it's possible. At least that's what I would consider doing for my customers.
buyselljack2016
·2 years agoI had a repeat buyer. Not repeat item.
The buyer would message to request certain items to see if I had them or could get them.
Those items could be obtained from other sellers.
The buyer was apparently pleased with the prices, and service provided. Your experience may parallel that situation.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoIn the current climate for online shopping, a seller who is doing a good job is to be treasured and rewarded, hopefully with repeat purchases.
1tuna
·2 years agoyou can see in my example that 14% of my buyer are repeats but what is more important is that they purchased 880 items out of 1769
1 out of every 7 buyers has purchased half of
my listings
keziak
OP2 years agoThat's awesome.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoYou must have some super DVDs and BluRays. It is hard to find anyone who cares about let alone buys DVDs or BluRays.
I have some great repeat buyers on Ebay. Some do sell here and I am careful to position myself in a way which clearly makes my offers seem a cut below theirs. But I have others who are collectors and buy some outrageous stuff,
I have buyers who have bought from me on multiple websites including my own now defunct website. And one who I made a house call on to allow him to shop at home. The total was worth the trip, and he served me lunch.
keziak
OP2 years agoYou are right about DVDs and blu-rays on ebay. I try to be careful in lotting them up. I had most lots of kung fu DVDs go down in flames but pro wrestling did OK. But that was because my guy bought them. Without him I think my sales would take a big hit. I guess this falls under the category of "thank goodness at least one person on planet Earth is interested".
soh.maryl
·2 years agoAnd you are doing everything you can to keep this great buyer.
maxine*j
·2 years agoWhat an odd question. Of course, I had repeat buyers when I was an active seller. I worked to make every buyer a repeat buyer, and to keep all the ones I did make.
What would have "unnerved" me would have been to not have repeat buyers, as that would convince me I was doing something very wrong.
And, yes, some repeat buyers were sellers who had their own customers for what they bought from me. Good for them and good for me. I never regretted "leaving a bit for the next guy."
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1tuna
·2 years agorepeat buyer are the name of the game
you can track them with reports
last year I had 25% repeat buyers who purchased 50% of my items
its the same customers all the time who make multiple purchases a couple times a month
life is good
@keziak
keziak
OP2 years agoDo you have the repeaters that buy the same type of items or do they seem to regularly shop your store for what looks good?
I ask because I list a lot of "Osprey" military books and they sell pretty well but I don't have anyone who seems to buy from me just to get Osprey books. It's all different people.
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoRepeat buyers is my business platform.
Yes, I have had buyers who resell my items on eBay. Kind of funny but as least my items are sold. Buyers will buy my items and increase the price of what I sold them for.
lakefor94
·2 years agoDont forget to put that buyer on the Christmas card list if they are not already on it.
evry1nositswindy
·2 years agoSometimes. I recently had a customer who bought a group of books message me about other books by the same author. She gave me her list, I listed them (had them all!), and she purchased them. That doesn't happen often but it was great!
gloryglorygifts
·2 years agoYes. About 10% of my sales are repeat customers, but I love all my customers.
hartungcards
·2 years agoEver hear the one about not biting the hand that feeds you?
soh.maryl
·2 years agoMost sellers would be more than delighted to have a buyer such as the one you describe.
And you had better hope your great buyer doesn't read your remark here.
keziak
OP2 years ago"I am grateful for the sales". I don't know what he would find offensive about this post. I asked if others have repeat buyers like him.
hartungcards
·2 years agoI think mary may have been referring to your describing your best customer as "unnerving."
keziak
OP2 years ago"It's a little unnerving though." yes I think a person wouldn't like to be referred to as "it"! "It" in this case referres to the scenario in which so many sales go to him and not to others of the millions using ebay.
hartungcards
·2 years agoYou don't need a million buyers, you just need one.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoAnd doesn't everyone need, and long for, a buyer like the one that the OP describes?
toomuchstuffagain35
·2 years agoSo what's the definition of a "repeat buyer"?
A buyer who returns to buy from you again and again, or a buyer who returns to buy the SAME items again and again?
soh.maryl
·2 years agoWouldn't they both fit that definition? And why would it matter?
soh.maryl
·2 years agoObviously not your intention but describing your experience with this great buyer as "a little unnerving" might not have been your best move.
keziak
OP2 years agoOK thanks for your input which I requested.
coolections
·2 years ago@soh.maryl You misread or misunderstood. The OP never said anything bad about the buyer.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoThe remark I quoted from the OP was "it's a little unnerving though".
maxine*j
·2 years agoWell, I'd say that, "It's a little unnerving" and "why is he the only guy out of millions of Ebay users to want my stuff?" are phrases that would not sit too well with me as a buyer, and I am in no way an overly-sensitive person. Both phrases imply that there is something disturbing, unnatural, about the buyer's behavior. Infelicitous.
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