Zero Sales for 3 Months Despite 500+ Listings – What Could Be Wrong?
Hello everyone,
I’ve been an eBay seller since 2024 and currently have 500+ active listings in my store. Unfortunately, my store performance has been extremely poor compared to other sellers in my local market.
To make matters worse, I haven’t received a single order in the past 3 months. Even before that, sales were very low (around 1–2 orders per month). This situation is pushing us into serious financial difficulty, and I’m worried there may be something fundamentally wrong with my store.
Here’s what I’ve already done:
Properly categorized all listings
Used relevant and researched keywords
Priced items competitively
Uploaded high-quality photos
Maintained good listing details and descriptions
Despite all this, my store metrics show:
Very low impressions
Low click-through rate
Low conversion rate
I’ve contacted eBay customer support multiple times, but I haven’t received any clear explanation or actionable guidance.
I’d really appreciate help from experienced sellers or moderators. Thank you in advance.
EDIT: Yes, we operate in niche market however we are not the only store from India selling into this category. There are thousands of stores who sells similar items from India and hundreds of stores in my local are. (naming few here: Aeliya, jayTech, atlas shipcare, FK Marine etc..)
tobaccocardyahoo
·8 months agoMost of your items would be purchased by salaried buyers for businesses who are spending someone else's money.
The potential complications associated with tariffs and the delivery time from India are more likely to deter them from buying than any potential cost savings they might find.
The potential issues associated an item which arrives dead on arrival after a long wait should deter anyone who would ignore the other issues.
You need to target your own market or nearby countries.
simba6
·8 months agoBuyers looking for items like your selling would not be looking in a venue like this. You will need to advertise your eBay merchandise. Do you have any trade or industrial magazines you can run ads in?
onlinecentral
·8 months agoMicrologix 1400 Controller is the first item displayed
6,800 Active listings
347 Sold in the past 90 days
59 Months supply
a) The supply is much greater than the demand. I do not buy items to resell if I need 5 years to get paid.
b) You wrote that you sell to Industrial, Marine, and Navigation equipments. A guy with a factory or a boat doesn't want to wait for a long transit time. That factory needs to produce or that boat needs to be sailing. As little down time as possible. They will buy locally the same or next day. Regionally, the next or second day. You need to list different items in other categories.
marine-store786
OP8 months agoEDIT: Yes, we operate in niche market however we are not the only store from India selling into this category. There are thousands of stores who sells similar items from India and hundreds of stores in my local. (naming few here: Aeliya, jayTech, atlas shipcare, FK Marine etc..)
hotwheelsbum
·8 months agoOn top of all these other responses given, here's one you need to consider.
How outdated is this Technology getting? Technology is constantly updating, improving, and the systems that require these parts could becoming obsolete. As others pointed out, there are thousands of parts like your parts listed, and selling, but how much are those other Sellers actually Selling? One Seller Selling 10 similar parts you have may mean nothing if that Sellers also has 3000 items listed. That just says that Seller is just getting by while you're out there struggling.
I bring this up because there's an online Auction in the DFW area that liquidates this same stuff from a Huge Technology Warehouse. That place probably 10-20-30 Million items in inventory. Every few months they have an Auction liquidating outdated inventory. Auction could have 1000 lots. Lots with 30-50-100 parts per lot. Usually they're X (times) the Money. Lot has 40 parts, you bid X 40. I've seen stuff like this, SIMILAR stuff you have listed, go for .06 Cents per item. $2.40 for the entire lot of 40.
When I was hot and heavy on ebay years ago, I considered getting into this to flip on ebay, but decided against it. Over time I realized if THAT Warehouse wasn't selling it for Retail, why would I think I could get Retail? (Ebay Prices) I'd just end up with a huge pile of scrap metal. Maybe that's what happening here. Time has finally turned your items into a huge pile of outdated Technology that's nothing but scrap metal on today's market.
__________________________________
EDITED TO ADD:
Take your listing for the OKI ODA-1180-1 (Marine Telephone)
Item #286212573780
$97.90
I don't understand majority of items you have for sale, have zero experience with it, but I do get what this phone is.
What ship built in the last 30 years minimum is still using this phone? I bet there's 50 year old ships out that have updated their systems long ago. This Technology, this phone system, is basically obsolete. But yet you're still trying to get $100 for a phone that's probably been sitting on a shelf for 17 years because the ship it came out of updated their phone systems 18 years ago.
Lot of 4 SELEC PIC101A-VI-230
Item #286213029788
$97.90
Is this an old LED Display from the 80's? Do all 4 even work correctly? Still display good?
That's what you're possibly up against. Outdated Obsolete Technology that just isn't selling anymore.
dhbookds
·8 months agoI would echo message # 13 as the way to go to try to solve the problem...........check your competition items that ARE selling...and assuming your prices are in competition.....correct your titles to near match theirs.
I would also point out that the items I checked were labeled "used", but nothing said in item descriptions that the item actually worked......or was tested....... While you may "assume" people know that.......they don't until you say it.
Many problems selling to the US.........tariff warnings, etc.......about which you can do nothing...... but again, I would study what the competition is doing, if, as you say, they are selling and you aren't.
marine-store786
OP8 months ago@luckythewinner i searched it, and found 20+ results with the exact same name. Those stores are operating in here in my local only. (they are having very good number of sold items too). Attaching screenshot for your reference.
Generally, we take titles and descriptions from our competitors who are top rated on eBay.
PS: the irony is the second item in search itself is our store's! still people are not clicking:(
luckythewinner
·8 months agoGenerally, we take titles and descriptions from our competitors who are top rated on eBay.
And that is clearly not working for you.
You can't control what eBay buyers do or what your competition on eBay does. But you can control what you do, and one thing you can do is to make your listings more attractive and cast a wider net to appear in more search results.
I showed you some common sense examples of how you might be able cast a wider net than your competition does and be better than they are instead of just copying them.
Feel free to ignore the advice you came here and asked for. It won't affect me in the least.
bonanza125
·8 months ago@marine-store786
"So even if US demand is currently affected, I’m struggling to understand why there are no orders from other countries either."
There will never really be a clear cut reason why you are not selling items and others are. We can only make suggestions which is pretty on point. You are relatively new and as a new seller buyers do tend to lean towards purchasing items from sellers who are more established rather than newbies. The only way newbies get a bunch of competitive sales is due to price. As in a price where is 25% below others. That will encourage buyers to purchase from you.
"If anyone has experience selling internationally from India and can shed light on."
Keep in mind this is a US site. So majority of the regulars here are Americans.
kibble-net
·8 months agoWant to make more sales? Here's all you need to do:
1.) Find better products
2.) Sell them at lower prices
3.) Move from India to the USA
Not so easy. But that's the truth.
nh_sales_lv
·8 months agoWe have a Company in America called Grainger. This is the Biggest American Company in the United States for Automation and Controls. I shop at Grainger every week and buy things I don't even need just to Support the US Economy. Even little Children in America know about Grainger. They fly the US Flag on their stores.
Unfortunately for you Grainger is a Giant among men and you are a miniscule Dot in India. I would highly recommend finding something else to sell. You really have no Idea how big this Giant is.
I'm just trying to be helpful but this is your reality. You've chosen the Biggest Giant to compete with and nothing you have is new/usable/readily available.
luckythewinner
·8 months agoUsed relevant and researched keywords
This is a subjective statement and I would beg to differ.
Your listing for 'MUSASINO L3Y Control Panel Spare Part' does not actually say what an L3Y is. (I had no idea, but I googled and AI told me that A MUSASINO L3Y is a Three-Phase Solid State Relay (SSR) used in industrial and marine automation for controlling power to equipment. )
So ....
But you know what?
When I search for any of those, I do match your competition whose listing title is
'MUSASINO L3Y Three Phase Solid State Relay for Automation Systems'
marine-store786
OP8 months ago@inhawaii @bonanza125 @lb23cavaliersmvp @johnrj1226 @pickapaper @hobby1965 @ccomic
Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply — I truly appreciate the insights shared so far.
A few members mentioned that US tariffs or sanctions on India could be a reason. I understand that this may affect US buyers, however:
Our competitors are selling the same set of items and are performing well
We are not targeting only US customers — our listings are available worldwide
So even if US demand is currently affected, I’m struggling to understand why there are no orders from other countries either.
If anyone has experience selling internationally from India and can shed light on.
I’d be grateful for further feedback or constructive criticism.
meme6253
·8 months agoYou are in a very niche market,Finding the right buyers can be very difficult, Maybe try adding some different types of product.
lb23cavaliersmvp
·8 months agoAssuming that the pricing is competitive you are likely dealing with 3 issues demand, scant feedback (including 1 review that is less than flattering), and your location. Personally I'd require a really steep discount to buy from an overseas seller given logistics and fees.
pickapaper
·8 months ago@marine-store786
The people who need the items you are selling will most likely buy them here in the U.S.
Because you are in India, there will be tariffs to pay on top of your price and time to wait for the item to arrive. I see you accept returns but frankly, IMO, returning items to another country can be a hassle and time consuming.
hobby1965
·8 months agoPhotos, Description & Pricing all look correct my only conclusion it must not have a product of need. Its all about demand in these online platforms & traffic's.
bonanza125
·8 months agoComes down to price and demand. Have you checked to see if any similar items have actually sold? If there is low demand for the item then your item will not sell. Keep in mind as someone else said tariffs will also be an issue. This is a US site. We recommend not dealing internationally due to time of delivery and tariff cost. It will cost less for a person located in the US to get whatever item you are trying to sell locally or within the US rather than paying extra buying from you who is located in India.
ccomic
·8 months agoLooks likes the stuff you sell needs a skilled buyer to make any use if it. Guessing because I know nothing about it, but its probably a combination of new technology replacing the old in your market, and less people doing their own hands on installations.
slippinjimmy
·8 months agoOne thing for sure, the current 50% tariff on good from India isn't going to help you. Even without the tariff US buyers are going to be very hesitant to order from India unless they are desperate and your item is the only option available anywhere.
johnrj1226
·8 months agoGuess the tariff thing gets even for what other countries have to pay for common US goods. As a couple of examples my Swedish cousins & significant others that first visited the US in 1995 . The went shopping in the US and bought arm fulls of Levi 501s - the paid ~$5.00/pair in Sweden the would have to p ~50.00 USD.. each person (6 total) bought 1 wireless hand sets from Radio Shack for ~$50 each - they would pay $600 USD each in Sweden - they sold some to there Swedish friends to pay for their trip to the US.
As a side note - each household can have one still in Sweden for their own consumption as imported liqour is very expensive too.
inhawaii
·8 months agoApparently no one wants to buy what you are selling at the price you are asking.
ed8108
·8 months agoThat does sum it up perfective
marine-store786
OP8 months agoEDIT: We are dealing in Business and Industrial - Industrial, Marine, and Navigation equipments.