Well, this is a new eBay selling tip urban myth for me.
Just when you think you've heard all the eBay selling tip urban myths, I stumble upon a new one. I came across this on social media from a seller trying to generate more sales:
"So I’m trying the theory of buying something on eBay to generate more sales."
Hmm... shopping on eBay is definitely a good thing—it’s great for supporting fellow sellers and even sourcing inventory. But shopping to "boost" your own listings in search results?
Nope. That’s not how it works. Better to spend time researching sold prices, keywords and improving your images.
Have you seen this urban myth ebay selling 'tip' posted recently as well? I’m wondering if it’s 'making the rounds.
Posting ID. On eBay since 2002 with over 15000 feedback.
23 comments
chapeau-noir
·1 year agoOne real favourite of mine were youtube 'influencers' claiming to know what "Cassini liked" when the search engine was first (sort of) rolled out.
First off, search engines don't 'like' things - they're search engines.
Secondly, when these videos came out, eBay hadn't even been able to implement Cassini - they had it combined with their old Voyager search as a sort of frankensearch, and the CTO was fired over the implementation mess. It was quite a while before Cassini was finally implemented. When the search was being written, the coders didn't even know what H-Base was. 🙄
But here they were on their little youtube channels ("I'm a star!!") with some of the most barmy myths about how SEO *must* work, and trying to make it sound like rocket surgery.
fm2000
·1 year agoSocial media is rife with all kinds of bonkers eBay conspiracies, this is one of the more tame ones. Some claim things like turning international shipping on and off, or turning time away on and off will magically make sales happen. Or ending and selling similar works because it puts your item on a "newer, faster" server. Along with all kinds of much less zany but often repeated and unproven things. Since eBay does not disclose the specifics of how their system works, it is at best educated guessing, and probably just stuff pulled out of thin air.
When eBay rolled out the AI description creation option, there were popular social media "influencers" claiming buyers preferred listings with the AI descriptions and would always buy items with them over items with human written (and accurate...) descriptions, some even claiming buyers would pay a premium for items with an AI description. People need to take what most "influencers" say with a heavy grain of salt.
chapeau-noir
·1 year agoOMG, its been years since I've heard that old chestnut! That went around in the mid-oughts, if I recall (even earlier)?
They say clothing fashions come around about every 15 years, and I guess urban myths do, too.
There aren't 4D chess moves going on behind the scenes in eBay's search - checkers, maybe.
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoI've heard that before and it only generates more sales from the seller you're buying form, not yours.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·1 year agoNot meaning to be rude, but my take on this:
As a practical matter I'm not going to buy stuff on ebay in order to increase my visibility.
If I find something I want at a reasonable price , I'll buy it. If that benefits my visibility, well, that's a great bonus. If it does nothing for my visibility, well, OK too.
44012
·1 year agoI have never heard of his myth.
Does anyone really know what the algorithm factors in?
Could a seller be boosted in placement because they also buy on ebay?
(I always envision in my head the "all mighty" algorithm as the Wizard of Oz btw.)
lovefindingtreasures2
·1 year agoI watched a video on tips to increase eBay sales and buying something was suggested. Same person also said if you put something expensive in your shopping cart and leave it there, eBay will funnel more sales your way so you can afford to buy it.
I don't believe either is true but people are suggesting these ideas.
Maybe a bunch of you could try it and report back on your metrics 🙂
inhawaii
·1 year agoI heard that if you buy delicious Dole Plantation pineapple candy, it "could" increase your sales.
soh.maryl
·1 year agoWonder if he's thinking of shopping in his own listings and leaving excellent FB?
Yes, I am aware that can't work.
inhawaii
·1 year ago... it's amazing what some sellers believe.
soh.maryl
·1 year agoI've been here quite awhile as have you and am no longer even faintly amazed.
There are sellers who believe they can just state "No Returns" and that keeps buyers from being able to open NAD cases.
There are sellers who see every NAD claim as a blatant lie and a scam to get money and that all they have to do is say, "But it was exactly as described" and they'll be off the hook.
And probably other examples that I've not even thought of.
fbusoni
·1 year ago@love2beselling
You seem quite sure of yourself.
Do you have any evidence that in fact there is no correlation whatsoever between (a) purchasing with your selling account on eBay and (b) an increase in listing visibility / sales for that same selling account?
When I sold on Amazon years ago, I made thousands of corrections to the Amazon music catalog (back in those days it was easy to do, once you received permission and were trusted). My metrics were perfect, and I filled in all the relevant fields when creating a listing... I was a total goody two-shoes as a seller.
I also bought -- a lot -- with the same Amazon account.
I mention this because as a seller, I used to get the buy box on a regular basis -- even though I was an infinitesimally small time vendor on the platform. (Talking here of at most one sale a day.)
About 5 years ago I dated a woman who was an Amazon exec, and I asked her about the buy box, as I was always mystified that it was so readily available to me.
She told me that Amazon's supercomputers monitored the sum total of an Amazon account holder's activities.
She told me quite unambiguously that there existed a synergistic relationship (managed obviously by algorithms and bots) between one's selling and buying accounts, and that that (aside from my seller metrics) was one important reason why I was featured so often in the buy box.
Does eBay have a similar system in place?
I don't know, but I assume they do for the simple reason that the capability exists.
I would note that a somewhat elliptical reference to special treatment of a sort (in terms of what they call "policy enforcement") is made here in the eBay user agreement. (Copied and pasted below; note the reference to "the user's performance history." )
 Again, not "proof," but certainly food for thought.
pikabo-icu
·1 year ago@fbusoni Interesting.. Thanks for sharing..
It's possible if you're buying here, they bump your items for sale, thinking you'll spend the proceeds here.. Keeps the money from both sides flowing into eBay. No? Just a thought.
fbusoni
·1 year ago@pikabo-icu
I could see how that might be a motivating factor, yes.
I am convinced that sellers are rewarded here (with enhanced listing visibility) for comporting themselves in accordance with eBay’s recommendations… about which I’ve written at length previously.
Why this would be a surprise to anyone is puzzling to me.
powell-collectibles
·1 year agoWell, I would think that there is a correlation. More sales equals more money, more money equals more ability to buy things. More ability to buy things equals more buying on eBay. At the end of the day, I don’t think that there is causation – certainly not anything strong. Sellers have to have what buyers want, at a price that is attractive. And a good reputation – and repeat buyers – is a big help.
fbusoni
·1 year agoI’m referring specifically to seller rewards in the form of enhanced listing visibility… those do not guarantee sales.
The Amazon buy box is the equivalent of a promoted listing on steroids.
powell-collectibles
·1 year agoI understood what you wrote.
dhbookds
·1 year agolol, if enough people did it........certainly overall sales could increase......but would be happenstance if it were your own sales..........
meme6253
·1 year agoI doubt very much if this tactic would actually boost sales.
soh.maryl
·1 year agoCertainly hope it was a new kid on the block who posted that. Doubt if any of us can figure out a way that making purchases can generate more sales. Unless I, as a seller, buy about 30 cheapo items and get positive FB on a lot of them. A potential buyer sees that I have quite a bit of positive FB (as a buyer) and decides I am a superior and trustworthy seller.
hartungcards
·1 year agoYou could buy 30 cheapo dolls, or just 2 expensive dolls. Those appear to be your only choices now, unless you're looking for 250 cheapo pencils or 5 expensive pencils.
eburtonlab
·1 year agoBut shopping to "boost" your own listings in search results?
I highly doubt making a purchase has any effect on search placement at all. The only sort order that might possibly be affected would be Best Match, and I say that only because eBay does not provide an explanation of how that sort order works or which things are factored in. Numerous other factors are more likely to dominate compared to a recent purchase. All the other sort orders are self-explanatory and have zero to do with recent purchases.
The effects of a purchase, if any, are likely very indirect ones. For instance, a new or infrequent seller with no feedback in the last year would not display a feedback percentage in search results. Getting a single positive for a purchase would cause the 100% feedback percentage to appear, which might tip the balance for a marginal purchaser.
albertabrightalberta
·1 year agoI'm guessing that the reason a buyer who's also a seller would do that hopes that their seller will look at the buyer's history, see items for sale and hope that the seller will become their own buyer. But what are the chances that the buyer has listings that the seller "needs."