eBay

lastade* · ‎04-30-2019

I guess I will jump on this board with a shame on you ebay for not listening to the veteran sellers. Really was hoping for announcement saying due to the response of sellers we are putting the duration of listings back the way they were.

Since the anouncement about GTC I have been reading the complaints from sellers that are upset over having 7, 10 and 30 day duration fixed price options ending and the only choice for duration is GTC forced 30 day roll over. Many of the sellers that have voiced their opinion are sellers with over 10 years or more experienced with selling on Ebay. The ebay people who make decisions should have listened to what these sellers had to say. It perplexes me that Ebay does not bother to listen to the advice of the people that have sold on this platform for years.

Why don´t their opinions matter? Who did it harm to have those choices? People who want GTC durations had that choice. People who did not want to have their items roll over had that choice. Personally it worked well for me to know that I could choose which listings I wanted to roll over and choose those I wanted to end automatically in a specific time frame.

I am coping. I have always been a small seller. I know that I can end the listings prior to the listing rolling over but it is a PITA. It is just the idea that what was working great - the option of choice of duration, is no longer a choice. The people that complained made that clear that we did not want this and the powers that be at Ebay have refused to listen.

ms.rodriguez* · ‎04-30-2019

I too was hoping for that announcement. This is what I am going. As the ads end, I am saving them. As I write new ads, I am saving them. I then will list a group to end late at night. I had started listing around 9:30 PM EST... Now I am starting all of the ads after 10:15 PM EST. I am marking my calender with how many ads I have to close. I count 29 days and 30 days. In the morning , I set my ipad alarm to ring about an hour before the first one ends. I sit down , put on a tv program that is easy to follow like a baseball game or a talk show . (Something that doesn't require me to look at the tv the entire time.) And then I start ending the ads. So far , I know that I will be busy in 5 evenings in the next 2 weeks. Today , I will finish listing approximately 30 items and most will be GTC (really GOOD UNTIL I END THEM ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE.)

Pick a time that is convenient for you. If it's easier to do it in the morning , then do it. Now I mark my calender 29 and 30 days because if I know that I will be busy on day 30 (because I' m going out) , then I end them on the 29th.

Gone are the days of just listing something at a certain time because I have a hunch. At 1 point . I had nearly 500 items on ebay and only one slipped by and restarted. I was able to end all of the other ones ontime. I sell w/ 2 ebay names. To make my life easier, I don't list on the same day for both accounts. I am not going to go crazy. I am not going to let ebay take my money. Please , I don't want a store either. Everyone I know that has a store , barely get any free listings and they get charged to restart auctions at a specific time. It takes some work and planning but YOU can prevail and drive that message to ebay that you will not let ebay take your money.

tunicaslot · ‎04-30-2019

There has been a lot of complaining, myself included, but sellers have yet to see if indeed it does increase sales. The other venue I'm on has the listing viewed for 120 days - so I do think that the listing will be stale in 90-120 days and sellers should end the listings and restart them.

Many of us have moved inventory elsewhere where maybe what we sell is a better fit to combat the GTC as we use to rotate our inventory on Ebay which is not an option anymore.

If they do indeed reverse their decision - I think it will be less about what sellers think and more about $$ and listings lost from the smaller sellers - as the bigger companies most all use GTC.

callahanmagic · ‎04-30-2019

Not a fan of the enforced GTC either.

More importantly, it is the option that was removed from the seller's tools to market/manage his/her own business module on this platform which is the direct contrast to the promise of "helping sellers ... improving sales ..."

It would be more sellers’ friendly if this latest Seller's Update announced that store subscribers can List

their allotments auction-style or fixed priced listings, PLUS add Buy It Now (BIN) for free without the current enforced lock to their allotments of so many BINs + so many Auction-style.

Similar to the recent 500 promo to some fortunate merchants. That particular promo encouraged auction-style or fixed priced listings, PLUS add Buy It Now (BIN) for free.

After all, store merchants paid $$$ dues to their choice subscriptions. May also assist some merchants to navigate the enforced GTC to fixed priced listings. Currently, the starter subscription of 100 allotments can either be auction-style or BIN, however adding BIN to auction-style subjected to additional fees. Whereas, the Non-store merchants with 50 allotments are NOT subjected to additional fees.

I sincerely hope that whomever is reading/collecting feedbacks on this latest Update will seriously consider the above. Better yet, remove the GTC mandate and return the durations option to your sellers.

-

Lucas

*still rollin' with the punches*

bigbassaremygame · ‎04-30-2019

I am a small seller and use my 50 listings up pretty quick. When I get the "extra" listings and use them, that is great, but with the forced GTC, when they renew, I will likely be out of listings and get tagged for fee's that I do not want to pay. This month I lost 37 of my 50 because of auto renewals due to GTC. This is a horrible "benefit".

pink.fish.rule · ‎04-30-2019

If they would add the free BINs on auctions for stores they may find more store sellers would be using their auction allotments.

mam98031 · ‎04-30-2019

@pink.fish.rule wrote:
If they would add the free BINs on auctions for stores they may find more store sellers would be using their auction allotments.

For many sellers they can't used the auction allotments that a store level has to offer because it is only for specific categories. There are many of us that do not sell in those categories. I have no idea why Ebay has refused to expand this, but so far they have not been receptive to numerous requests by lots and lots of seller.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

blingrescue · ‎05-01-2019

@ms.rodriguez* wrote:
I too was hoping for that announcement. This is what I am going. As the ads end, I am saving them. As I write new ads, I am saving them. I then will list a group to end late at night. I had started listing around 9:30 PM EST... Now I am starting all of the ads after 10:15 PM EST. I am marking my calender with how many ads I have to close. I count 29 days and 30 days. In the morning , I set my ipad alarm to ring about an hour before the first one ends. I sit down , put on a tv program that is easy to follow like a baseball game or a talk show . (Something that doesn't require me to look at the tv the entire time.) And then I start ending the ads. So far , I know that I will be busy in 5 evenings in the next 2 weeks. Today , I will finish listing approximately 30 items and most will be GTC (really GOOD UNTIL I END THEM ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE.)

Pick a time that is convenient for you. If it's easier to do it in the morning , then do it. Now I mark my calender 29 and 30 days because if I know that I will be busy on day 30 (because I' m going out) , then I end them on the 29th.

Gone are the days of just listing something at a certain time because I have a hunch. At 1 point . I had nearly 500 items on ebay and only one slipped by and restarted. I was able to end all of the other ones ontime. I sell w/ 2 ebay names. To make my life easier, I don't list on the same day for both accounts. I am not going to go crazy. I am not going to let ebay take my money. Please , I don't want a store either. Everyone I know that has a store , barely get any free listings and they get charged to restart auctions at a specific time. It takes some work and planning but YOU can prevail and drive that message to ebay that you will not let ebay take your money.

The emperor has no clothes. It is great to have this work around with alarms and ball games but really, wasn't it nice when listing and durations were simple and did not need all this micro management?

blingrescue · ‎05-01-2019

@bigbassaremygame wrote:
I am a small seller and use my 50 listings up pretty quick. When I get the "extra" listings and use them, that is great, but with the forced GTC, when they renew, I will likely be out of listings and get tagged for fee's that I do not want to pay. This month I lost 37 of my 50 because of auto renewals due to GTC. This is a horrible "benefit".

May 1st, looking at the 40 items I have for GTC rollover, only leaves me possible 10 new listings . So all new listings are scheduled for auctions to start May 3 to avoid rollover fees. This is just too much hassle. I am selling all of my inventory in a yard sale Middle may and moving on.

blingrescue · ‎05-01-2019

@pink.fish.rule wrote:
If they would add the free BINs on auctions for stores they may find more store sellers would be using their auction allotments.

I agree. We pay more for stores and get less. It has always perplexed me that I pay for a store and get fewer free listing features. I have a store, but have down to starter store. I sell on 2 non store sites now because I can schedule start time and list in auctions in more categories with no additional charge for BIN.

k9cobwebs · ‎05-01-2019

I totally agree, the worse decision ever to change Buy it Now to unlimited. I did some of my best selling with 10 day BIN. Ebay is less and less for the veteran/ little guy sellers, sad.

frenchblueshutters · ‎05-01-2019

@frenchblueshutters wrote:
I don't think Ebay Really gives a Hoot about Anchor Store Sellers of Antiques and Collectibles. GTC DOES NOT WORK for these Catagories. As Many Complaints as there Have been on Here you Would think That would be a PRIORITY. I Don't Have Plastic Garbage and Junk Clothes from China in Many Choices. I Have One of any item and Will Never Get More. Ebay Is Catering to The mass Market Crowd when Sellers Like Me Built Ebay to Be Unique.. Cater to them They can Use GTC. Works Great For Them, But Cater to Sellers Like me Who NEED shorter Durations. You Can Do Both.. Let CERTAIN Catagories Have Shorter Durations. Especially Store Owners. It is My Business and I perfected it over Years on Here. My Sole Income. It isn't even Fun to Say I sell on Ebay anymore. I no Longer Get up to see What Questions or Offers I might Have. There Aren't any. I Have almost 900 items With Watchers. 1400 without, They put it on there and Forget about it Until It Comes Close to Being relisted. But they know it will be relisted. They Can Watch For Months. NOT a Way to Run a Retail Business. We Will See if the Seller Protections are Real, So Far Customer Service knows it doesn't work yet. I Have Tried Sales, Tried Reducing Prices on Things in Peoples Carts for a Few Days. NOTHING works. Shorter Durations WORK. They Don't Know If I will Relist it or Not, There is a Sense Of Urgency. When I Shop I Look For ending soonest and Newly Listed. When they roll Over on GTC They are NOT NEWLY LISTED. Sending Offers to Watchers, What a Joke. They are Watchers Not really Buyers. I Have My Most Expensive Item on Promoted Listings for Months and it is Reasonably Priced for What it is. Lets See Ebay Sell it and I Might Pay for More Promoted Listings. They Say Promoted Listings are Easier on an Item you have sold Before. NONE of My Items are SELL SIMILAR. Antiques Cannot Ship FREE and Be Insured. I List a Few Free Ship Items Smaller things I Can. GTC Has Ruined alot of Sellers. You Would Think Ebay would Care. I am Open to see If the New Seller Protections Work. GIVE Certain Catagory SELLERS BACK SHORTER DURATIONS Make all Sellers Happy.

ifyouloveit · ‎05-01-2019

^^^^THIS^^^^^

Exactly. Death nail to the antique and one of sellers. I think that's their plan, get us all off the platform, make way for more mass produced China exports. Those are the sellers lining eBay's coffers right now, not USA 😞

tunicaslot · ‎05-01-2019

I'll disagree because they know that sellers are also buyers and if they get mad and leave or they feel they are forced off a venue - how many are going to come back here and buy on Ebay? They've been too confident with their marketplace position. You work hard to get to the top - but you work harder to stay there - and they haven't been working harder - the littler sites are and have caught up for many sellers.

mam98031 · ‎05-01-2019

@tunicaslot wrote:
I'll disagree because they know that sellers are also buyers and if they get mad and leave or they feel they are forced off a venue - how many are going to come back here and buy on Ebay? They've been too confident with their marketplace position. You work hard to get to the top - but you work harder to stay there - and they haven't been working harder - the littler sites are and have caught up for many sellers.

This is a very valid point. However it is also important to realize that there is over 25 million active sellers worldwide and 170 million active buyers worldwide. So there are far more buyer only active accounts. Certainly some of them would be seller's buying accounts, but still the buyers outnumber sellers and that is a very good thing. We need even more.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999