Drop in sales for Top Rated Seller Upset over Manipulation of search engines

[tinomms123]

I have been a Top Rated Seller with eBay for 22.5 years. I have never had my items not show up in searches unless there was a known problem. There is no problem now!! Or for the past 3-4 months but yet, I will go for 2 or more days without one sale or one question on anything listed. An example this weekend. I have had ZERO sales since Thursday. NOT EVEN A QUESTION!!! That is unheard of and makes me angry as eBay is robbing me of my income for some unknown reason. It needs to stop!!! I have over 3100 active listings and November is ALWAYS one of the biggest sale months of the year. This year I will be lucky to make even $4000 compared to $8000 in other years. This has been a trend for the past at least 4 months where there is not one single thing for 2-3 days and it feels like I do not have a store at all! I have a friend who is also having this same issue. Our items are very similar, we are both Top Rated, we have both been eBay sellers for many years and we compare our sales daily to see what is going on. We are taking turns being left out of the loop and it needs to stop! eBay what in the world are you doing to your people who keep you in business? Without sellers who are honest and trustworthy you also would not have buyers to buy anything if the listings can't be found!!! 

[arka-stickers]

Exactly, I have the same problem... something is wrong. I am here over 16 years, usually on Top rated status and I never had days without any order...

Now usually... Please put rules back to normal.

[tinomms123]

Thanks for responding. I know this is site wide and it is so unfair of eBay to do this to those who make them the big bucks. Something rotten is going on and needs to be stopped. IMMEDIATELY!! Something else they do is relist sold items or just simply don't relist them at all when the time ends. When confronted with that the answer is it is our fault for doing something wrong and they take no blame and make no effort to try and find out the fix. The other day I was checking listings and found 7 of them that were SOLD long ago but they were listed again as new listings. And there were 33 that were not even listed anywhere that should have been!! Rather than adding new stuff to the site constantly that make no difference on what sells but only to how much they control - they should be working on the problems that exist and fix them first or stop doing whatever they are doing if deliberate. 

[oldedale]

We have also seen a huge decrease in sales since eBay's recent changes to Item Specific searches and removal of most specialized categories. Sales down -70% compared to last quarter. Sales down over -50% compared to any last 5 years, same time frame. 16 years as Top Rated Seller. No changes to inventory or business plan. Only change is eBay searches. Sub-standard new sellers can now buy best placement. 

[mr_lincoln]

@tinomms123   I have experienced previously Sold items getting ghost relisted and selling ... it hasn't happened recently but has in the past.

I think there is a statement in the UA that a Seller's items may not be visible all the time ...

I think the recent changes eBay made to Item specifics AND Categories has not just confounded the search engines but also frustrated Buyers who ... after so much frustration, will shop elsewhere.  I read more negative posts here from Buyers when the Categories were reshuffled then any other time that I remember.  That's a good thing, Sellers complaining is one thing but when Buyers complain THAT is something Home Office pays attention to ...

[serpentine21]

I'm in the same boat. I have about 370 items listed currently. November is always my busy season, but I am doing worse now than my slow season, which is summer time. Today is day six with absolutely no sales at all. I don't think I have ever went six days in a row without a sale in all of my 18 years on this platform. It is very worrying to me. I am a stay at home mom and Ebay and Etsy is my only income. Last week I only sold three items. No one is asking questions, and no one is watching my items. What is going on?!

[tinomms123]

Thanks for sharing this. I hope someone with clout in eBay reads it and ACTS upon it. The item specifics are a laugh. 90% of what they ask does not even apply to the listing you are working on. It is time consuming, confusing to the buyer and so unneeded. I am getting very fed up that is for certain. I spend more time jumping hoops to try and get more sales than I do in actual listing of what I have. And yes, my sales are way down also. Sept - November sales soar but not this year. 

[orod4610]

They only want fees and and more fees- now you have to advertise and pay fees to sell using ads - give me a break-!  THEY ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF SELLING- THEY ARE IN THE FEE BILLING SERVICE INDUSTRY AND EBAY IS # 1 AT THAT !"

[oldedale]

The 50% sales reduction after every change or update to eBays system/search. It is no longer profitable to sell antiques and collectibles on eBay. The elimination of categories, pay per click (sub-standard sellers can now purchase best placement), VERY POOR customer service, biased policies that penalize honest sellers.