ANYONE ELSE NOTICE A DIP IN THEIR SALES SINCE EBAY STARTED THE "PROMOTED" LISTINGS FOR A FEE?

[treasuregirll]

SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT....FOR A FEE, 3% TO 6% YOUR LISTING WILL BE PROMOTED AT THE TOP OF PAGES AND HERE'S THE CATCH.  YOU ALSO GET A SECOND LISTING WITHOUT THE PROMOTED FEE.  SO IF YOUR LISTING SELLS, NO FEE.  IF THE PROMOTED LISTING SELLS, YOU GET CHARGED THE FEE.  

SO YOU HAVE 2 LISTINGS EXACTLY THE SAME, ONE AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.  SO NOW YOU HAVE MANY, MANY MORE LISTINGS TO SCAN THROUGH BEFORE SEEING YOUR NORMAL LISTING.  I'M EXPERIENCING A REAL DIP IN MY SALES BECAUSE OF THIS.  SO EBAY IS ESSENTIALLY HURTING THE SMALLER SELLERS IN THEIR QUEST FOR MORE PROFITS.....

ANYONE ELSE NOTICE THE SLOW-DOWN IN SALES?  PLEASE CALL AND MAKE COMPLAINTS, AS I AM GOING TO DO ALSO.

[newmonter]

It is not just "Promoted" listings that are killing us, but also the "Best Match" debachle. Let's say you want to find "antique sterling bangle bracelets" in the past what you would see was a list starting with "newly listed" items. Made sense and you could change the filter to start with "ending soonist" if you desired. Now we've got this "Best Match" **bleep**.  In a large amount of listings (such as the example I've cited) you might find  your brand new listing after searching thru pages of listings. I'd bet that these are some of the reasons that our "views" and sales are crashing. Oh and by the way many of the so called antiques are brand new. How many buyers realize they are looking at "Best Match" and need to change the filters every time? I'd bet new or infrequent buyers don't and even many seasoned buyers as well. Who decides what buyers are looking for anyway? This is killing us small sellers and huting business overall. Seems that eveyone is crabbing. While eBay looks for "creative" ways to take in money that has nothing to do with our actual sales!  Are there any competent eBay programmers that actually know how to sell? Does eBay have a death wish? What the hell is going on here? 

And while I'm venting why should we be competing with large companies? eBay should break into two parts one for the little guy and another for the "Best Buys" of the world.  The little guys are mad as hell but what shouls we do? I too will make a call.  We all should. The powers that be probably don't even read this.

[usmediamass]

Please on Seller Hub go to Performance, to Impressions and search your impressions for October 2017. What happened between 10/1/2017 and 10/11/2017. This is just some evidence of when eBay's algorithm not working correctly kills business for everyone. My traffic was down 79% on 10/10/2017. What drop did you have?
Also that same month my impressions dropped 28% in the months between 8/2017 and 9/2017 and they have not been back up. It is the same month that they split the United States out of the Global sales total on the dash board.

[dirk12955]

I don'y know that promoted listings are hurting.

But this I do know, They ain't helping. At least if I don't sell a promoted listing it didn't
cost me anything except minute or two.

[plumbingspecials]

That's just one reason for the drop in sales. Most of us noticed a huge drop when ebay changed the design of the search engine in June of this year. Buyers had to get familiar with the new way, and as we all know, people do not like change. I believe many casual buyers became discouraged with the new search engine and just did not have enough interest or need to continue to stumble through it. Luckily, there are those few buyers who were not scared off by it. Anyway, it seems like we're getting more views now, and sales are starting to rebound, but I'm still nowhere near where I was this time last year in sales.
Calling and complaining about Promoted Listings will be a waste of your time. eBay does not listen to sellers. They cater to buyers. And promoted listings is another money-maker for ebay. It's just not going to change.

[plumbingspecials]

@ newmonter
"Are there any competent eBay programmers that actually know how to sell? Does eBay have a death wish? "

Programmers do not make decisions in how ebay policies and practices are determined, they are paid to program. It's the Board that makes these goofy, unprofitable decisions, and whether they realize it or not, it IS a death wish. I have a suspicion that ebay is trying to crash so they can reform the site completely.

[rocks-in-my-pockets]

Calling gets you nowhere. Taking the time to type out a letter and send it to the head of the company the old fashioned way "snail mail". If you are really serious, send it "certified" so someone has to sign for it and they cannot say they never received your letter. If enough sellers do this, someone may take notice. It costs too much to sell on Ebay. And, as I have seen others post, they have us jumping through so many hoops it is ridiculous. I don't understand why buyers even get feedback. Sellers have NO choice but to leave positive. There is no way to expose bad buyers.

[calistas_closet33]

I noticed a dip after posting about how the google search engine to ebay products sucks, was shopping last night, taken to a bunch if items I did not want and needed to scroll 2/3 down the page to find product I originally clicked on in search results from google..now I have no sales..this is the first day I have not had one sale since I started selling..coincidence? Only the paranoid survive. Idk..though, I think since search engine results are manipulated already, it is very easy to do.  

[richards*rock*collection]

everything is fluff, just offer 1 item at a time with no returns, if it sells great, you and ebay will make some money, no other promo's are necessary and if they want to make any money they will see that your item is seen by everyone.

[michael4finearts]

Sales are way below what they use to be and are decling even more.  EBAY would make a lot more money if they go back to how it was.  My inventory is made up of many old coins and trade tokens.  I already have a low mark up and could not possibly pay EBAY more for promoted listings.  I am not trying to live off what I sell, so I must determine if I am wasting my time trying to sell on EBAY. 

[usmediamass]

10/07/2018 So this is a first for me ever in eBay. What happened to my 15% annual growth for the first five years on eBay. I have 211 auctions ending today. All priced on the mid to low end of like items that have sold on eBay and ten 99 cent auctions to boot. Not one bid on any of them. Two Hundred eleven auctions ending today and not one bid! $20 in listing fees and not one sale. EBay keeps charging more and more and more and offer less and less and less. Sad part is eBay does not even know what is going on even if they keep telling everyone their sales are up 8% this year.
If anyone can help eBay employees understand that it is their jobs and future on the line also it would be a big help.

[wh1123]

Yes, me also--and it does seem like it is hurting the smaller businesses!!  Also, I like to be able to put my items on sale when I want to--instead of waiting for 2 weeks

[scottgfs]

My sales are down about 25% to 35% since the promoted listings started.  Looks like I will have plenty of time to start selling on Amazon, and also have time to work on that new website!

[dirk12955]

Serious question.

When we talk about promoted listings hurting us, Are the sellers using promoted listings benefiting?
Are they making sales?

Are my sales going to my competition because they are using promoted listings?

Honestly, I've used promoted listings on a very small basis. Is that hurting my sales?

[cs497kcpope]

I would like to know the answer also!!