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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

I am interested in getting opinions from other sellers...........  Ebay is adding sponsored links to my listings.  At times, the sponsored links are advertising the same item that I'm selling, only at a LESSER Price!! Why would a bidder buy my item when Ebay is showing them where they can buy it at a better price???? I feel this is very detrimental to sellers.  Please let me know how you feel about this. Thank You

Message 1 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

 

 

Ummmmm, RunnerGirl.... eBay's been doin' this for a couple of years...

I found if my FB & item are better than the competition it doesn't affect my sales.

Hope this helps!

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Message 2 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

Yes... I know they have been including sponsored links forever.  However, the  sponsored links are now including the EXACT same item that I am selling and showing a lesser price.  In the past, the sponsored links didn't include identical items that I was selling.  It's like having an advertisement on my listing page saying, "why buy from this auction when you can buy it at this site for less". I don't know ........it doesn't seem like its doing me any favors as a seller

Message 3 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales


@runnergirl1964 wrote:

Yes... I know they have been including sponsored links forever.  


 

I didn't say forever.... That would be an exaggeration.

 

 

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Message 4 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

Hi, runnergirl - Like you, I would prefer that this didn't happen, but I think they are here to stay.  Sponsored links are really no different than reading a page in the newspaper with several adds by different companies for the same item.  Your price needs to be competitive with your competition!

 

On the "up side", most of these adds are found at the bottom of the page, and considering that so few potential buyers read the complete listing, I am not sure how many of them even see the adds.  In addition, you may want to change your site preferences to "opt out of cross promotions".  I have read that this will eliminate the adds, but I have never tried it.

How much better life would be, if a liar's pants really did catch fire!
Message 5 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

Do you have undeniable proof that they have hurt your sales?

 

I believe eBay buyers come to eBay because they want to purchase on eBay. I don't believe that the ads drive away as many buyers has people think they do. eBay offers excellent buyer protection, the other sites may not.

 

As a buyer (and yes, I am a buyer), I have not one time clicked on a sponsored listing (not only here, but ANYWHERE) to just go buy somewhere else. If I wanted to find those listings, I would have simply googled the item. Instead, I searched on eBay because eBay is where I want to purchase it. 

 

That's my take. I'm sure others disagree and that's okay.

Message 6 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

Geeezzz.....No.  I don't have undeniable proof that this has hurt my sales.  I feel that if I am paying for a listing and charged for a portion of my sales, the listing should not include advertisements that encourage buying my item elsewhere.  I really didn't think that was unreasonable concern.  Does Ebay post advertisements for competing auction sites??

Message 7 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

Runner, you have a 70% sell-through rate over the last 2 weeks.  What is the problem?

 

Any site or seller who pays eBay enough money can have their ads appear on various eBay pages.  It's been this way for several years.  This policy is similar to other large selling sites.  Amazon has also done the same thing for several years.  In fact, Amazon lists all other sellers with that item directly on the same page.

Message 8 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

runnergirl, I get what you're saying. I think the only thing that can help is to have a more attractive picture, because that's the main thing that shows on the other listings, don't you think?  Assuming yours show up as well on the other auction listings.... I often lcick on a more attractive photo. Just sayin'. Of course the price & return policy also come into it.  But the photo is a the best starter, IMO.

Message 9 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales


@runnergirl1964 wrote:

Geeezzz.....No.  I don't have undeniable proof that this has hurt my sales.  I feel that if I am paying for a listing and charged for a portion of my sales, the listing should not include advertisements that encourage buying my item elsewhere.  I really didn't think that was unreasonable concern.  Does Ebay post advertisements for competing auction sites??


I'm wondering...if you purchased a classified ad in the local newspaper, would you expect them to not put any other ads on that page, too?

 

eBay has been doing it for a long time. Again, I don't think it's driving buyers away as much as people think. Just my opinion. 

Message 10 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales


@pantlandia wrote:

Do you have undeniable proof that they have hurt your sales?


Common sense...

If I am looking for a widget (tool) to pull the pedal crank arm off of a bicycle (I was)...

And the one that I am looking at is $10, but there is an a similar tool for $5.39 (there was)...

I will buy the cheaper item. (I did)

 

If OP is selling woman's pants for $X...

and there is an ad for the same pants for $5 less...

What would you think would happen?

 

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New Toy: 1996 Adamas 1881 ;  photo d3c27a4e-2de6-48e4-8a38-73242748826d_zpsbb3k8gvk.jpg
Message 11 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

Pantlandia wrote...

I'm wondering...if you purchased a classified ad in the local newspaper, would you expect them to not put any other ads on that page, too?

 


So... If I bought a billboard, I would not expect other ads the be put on that billboard.

We're not talking about the search page... where many similar items are listed.

We are talking about competitors ads within the body of YOUR listing.

 

OP's point is... evilBay is placing competing ads on the OP's real estate.

OP created a listing on eBay... formatted that listing to appear as OP desired.

Then evilBay placed ads within that listing, in the middle and at the bottom of the listing.

There are ads between the item photo and the item description.

I complained about this Years Ago!

 

And Yes, I know that this has been going-on for a long time.

It was Wrong when they first started doing it around 2008.

And it is Wrong Now!

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New Toy: 1996 Adamas 1881 ;  photo d3c27a4e-2de6-48e4-8a38-73242748826d_zpsbb3k8gvk.jpg
Message 12 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

Thank You!! You explained the situation much better than I could.  I have no problem with ebay making money from sponsored links....,I just don't want the advertisements on my listings.  If I am spending time and money to create a listing, shouldn't it be my choice whether to have a sponsored link appearing on that listing?  Also,  I'm still wondering.....does Ebay advertise and support auctions for other sites? 

Message 13 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales


@runnergirl1964 wrote:

Also,  I'm still wondering.....does Ebay advertise and support auctions for other sites? 


I am not sure... I have Firefox and Adblock Plus running.

But if I click over to the IE browser I can see blocked ads in the right-hand column.

Plus sponsored links for Sam Ash and Zzound at the bottom of the page.

(I am looking at guitar listings)

So evilBay is getting money from ads, as well as from you.

Plus it is advertising your competitors in your listing.

 

But I doubt that evilBay is advertising for Bonanza or uBid on their pages.

They would not have ads for their competitors up there,

Just ads for Your competitiors.

 

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New Toy: 1996 Adamas 1881 ;  photo d3c27a4e-2de6-48e4-8a38-73242748826d_zpsbb3k8gvk.jpg
Message 14 of 38
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sponsored links appearing on my listings hurt my sales

OK, I have just newly signed up on eBay.

 

I did have an account years ago and I loved selling on eBay then. The new changes are still comming as a surprise to me.

 

I just posted this suggestion on another thread here the other day:

 

 

I personally don't like third party advertising and it has always been stated that eBay would never have that from what I understand but if it were a choice between having a little banner ad showing up in my eBay auction or store or being nickled and dimed to death by an unreasonable and confusing fee structure, I think I would choose the banner ads just to make things simpler. At least to get started. Then I could "upgrade" at some future date when my online business is up and rolling.

 

Free, with advertising, is at least easy to understand. New people could get started quickly and learn the ropes as they go along  without all the worries over fees that they are not sure they will be able to afford if their stuff doesn't sell. If they get ripped off by a deadbeat buyer who doesn't pay or whatever at least they didn't waste their time AND their money on additional fees they couldn't afford in the first place. And eBay would still make money on the advertising.

 

 

So, am I to understand that eBay is ALREADY doing this; putting third party advertisements on peoples auctions, BUT KEEPING ALL THE ADVERTISING REVENUE FOR THEMSELVES!!!!

 

The seller doesn't even get any kind of break or discount by allowing advertising ???

 

Doesn't even have a choice about it ???

 

Not even any kind of say-so about the kind of ads that appear ?

 

See around 23:30 of this interview:

 

John Donahoe interview on YouTube

 

In 1999 it was said by  Meg Whitman, that eBay would never allow this kind of third party advertising, which, as I recall, was always the policy in the old days.

 

In the interview Donahoe implies that with the new changes, sellers will have a choice. Apparently that part about having a choice never materialized.

 

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