16.3 % Suggested Promotional Rate in My Category

[seymourssi]

LoL.  A shameless new low for eBay.  16.3% suggested on top of the 12% they already charge.  That's 16.3% of the item charge, shipping and sales tax, for those of you that are not hip to the actual charge.  Works out to be like 40% of the item. 

Will be moving my items back to 2% just for the insult, thanks for the memories eBay.  And moving my items elsewhere....

[nuclearomen]

---

@wilsonharborsales wrote:

That isn’t eBay, that is desperation for sales by your competitors.  It is s race to thr bottom to get sales in certain categories, especially clothing.

---

it is ebay when they are the ones pushing those suggested rates, competitors wouldn't be electing those rates if ebay wasn't suggesting them and they would be electing those rates if ebay didn't cut their visibility on lower rates. But let's face it, I seriously doubt there are high amount of sellers electing those rate, 20%, 30% whatever, at that point just give your stuff away and quite selling. There are people electing 10%-15% seen it, but I haven't heard anyone actually electing higher and I wouldn't even elect those rates.  

[nuclearomen]

---

@mr_lincoln wrote:

---

@nuclearomen wrote:

---

@seymourssi wrote:

LoL.  A shameless new low for eBay.  16.3% suggested on top of the 12% they already charge.  That's 16.3% of the item charge, shipping and sales tax, for those of you that are not hip to the actual charge.  Works out to be like 40% of the item. 

Will be moving my items back to 2% just for the insult, thanks for the memories eBay.  And moving my items elsewhere....

---

👀seriously insane! They have been raising the suggested since they changed the way PLs are charged, but 16.3% - wow! Did they raise all your suggested rates for the new PLS update to include PLD suggested rates or is this a brand new item/listing and different then your other suggested rates? 

@mr_lincoln see this one? crazy!

---

@nuclearomen , @seymourssi 

Thanks for the tag ... as many of us know the terminology is critical here, "suggested" is NOT based on fact.  It's like fishing, they bait the hook and see what bites.  When PLS was new they termed them "trending rates" which implied they were based on historical data ... 

PLS Campaigns prior to 2022 were great ... during 2022 when they were making changes, adding PLA (pay to play) revising how Views were counted, etc. PLS took a nose dive, none of mine that year performed like they did prior to 2022. 

I have been testing PLS with THEIR "suggested" rates and ones I prefer to use plus testing some much lower ones ... the results are staggering ... the bottom line is if one does not use the "suggested" rates or higher their sales will not be good, period.  For myself, I don't appreciate the pointed manipulation ... 

---

back when they used the term "trending" for the rates I questioned them about those rates on various community chats and community threads. I pointed out then that there was no sales history for much of my items to have determined those rates "trending" or other wise. Ebay answer to that was they didn't take previous item sales history alone to factor those rates - but then if no sales history of very few terrapeak or other wise then technically they have no other source to gather a "trending" rate. They changed the terminology because they began to be highly questioned on where they are getting the rates from and to show how those rates are being gathered. Thus they changed it to "Suggested" for the reason you mention, "Suggested" only implies what ebay feels they should get, with or without any justifications for it.

There was decrease in views and sales from the start, but it became much more noticeable the longer we went on this PL ride till now, well, don't need to tell anyone, all already know, just look at the volume of sales now to even just 1 year ago, it's dirt. 

[marnotom!]

I do find it interesting how the tone of some of these posts makes it sound as though sellers believe that these suggestions are coming from sentient human beings rather than computer algorithms.

[asset_liquidators]

That is ebays suggested rate. My suggested rate is 0%. I like my suggested rate better so that is what I go with.

[nuclearomen]

---

@marnotom! wrote:

I do find it interesting how the tone of some of these posts makes it sound as though sellers believe that these suggestions are coming from sentient human beings rather than computer algorithms.

---

yeah, which work of a set of programed rules, who do you think programmed the algos? 

[cardxcraft]

To be fair, it was humans that wrote the algorithm.  Now as far as being sentinent, I don't know.  Maybe humans with shark mentality.

[mr_lincoln]

---

@marnotom! wrote:

I do find it interesting how the tone of some of these posts makes it sound as though sellers believe that these suggestions are coming from sentient human beings rather than computer algorithms.

---

@marnotom!  A.I. isn't running the company ... yet.  So the algorithms are still programmed by humans who apply the parameters for them to function ... 

[rugerskick]

I understand.

Their only real but unstated strategies for increased profits is takimg more and more from sellers.  Sad, but true.

[rugerskick]

They decided to pit seller against seller in the pay for play, is what they did.  Its just a Thunderdome type strategy.

[rugerskick]

It is an ebay thing.  Ebay encourages and profits off the practice.

[slippinjimmy]

---

@rugerskick wrote:

They decided to pit seller against seller in the pay for play, is what they did.  Its just a Thunderdome type strategy.

---

You mean like out there in the real world of business?

[dqdistribution]

I figures when they put out all those messages and try to advertise dynamic PLs the suggest would jump.

Made sure all mine went to fixed right away.

[double2trouble]

Considering the average net profit for online retail is 10%, paying 40% to sell something is a plan to go bankrupt. 

[marnotom!]

---

@mr_lincoln wrote:

@marnotom!  A.I. isn't running the company ... yet.  So the algorithms are still programmed by humans who apply the parameters for them to function ... 

---

A.I. has to be programmed too, though, @mr_lincoln.  And look what happened to the crew of the Discovery One at the virtual hands of HAL.  🤪

I’m just suggesting that given how the code that runs this site is often problematic, something may be going on with these PL algorithms as well.

[nuclearomen]

just to add, in case anyone hasn't noticed or paid any attention, suggested rates on your listing took hikes directly after the release of this seller update by 1-4% on your seller hub.