eBay

hollywoodreseller · ‎02-28-2019

What is really going on with the reduced number in sales this 2019? 2017 and 2018 were much better, but after ebay began to charge more fees for promotion listings and other new features and after paypal separated from ebay everything seems to have been going downhill since then. it feels as if ebay is screwing over its sellers with major fees and expects to recover from this. How has 2019 treated you so far?

flux_capacitor_121 · ‎05-30-2019

2019 has been terrible for me. I suspect it is because people don’t like paying sales tax on eBay.

turquoisetulips · ‎05-30-2019

@lolalou82856 wrote:
I'd love to know what's going on this month. Yes, sales are down from the old days, have been for several years now but the last 2-1/2 years have run just about the same. I average $2100-2500 in sales of an average of 65 items every month. All of a sudden May was going along, on the 15th I was at $1100 and 33 items. In the past 10 days I have sold 4 items for a whopping $80. No feedback has been left, views are down 59%, I am a TRS, 7500 feedback, 100% and a Powerseller. I list things almost every day and have 500 + items in my store. I am at my wits end trying to figure out what is going on.

You're not alone . Many of us are experiencing very dreadful sales with no real rational reasons to explain it. Something has happened when countless previously successful sellers are suddenly reporting no sales . I think it's probably caused by a combo of contributing factors .And when mixed together too fast and too soon it's created a'' cocktail'' of confusion for buyers , especially new buyers . I think it's possible there's been too many eager but inexperienced people at the helm . Since successful sellers have already proven they know what they're doing then it shouldn't be up to anyone but e bay to figure it out ,, but they better get to it for their own good as well as ours. Tulips

new_haven_toys · ‎05-31-2019

You are the first, in this post, to say what I think it is. Sales tax is killing sales. This is an on line flea market for many. I sell old toys and nothing new. I used to buy items with another account. My other account is strictly for buying. When eBay started charging me my States sales tax for items bought from another State, well that did it for me. I will no longer buy. No doubt buyers everywhere feel the same way.

savushop · ‎05-31-2019

My sales are up every month over 2018 as well.

johnrj1226 · ‎06-01-2019

@flux_capacitor_121

Don't think paying sales tax on online sales is exclusive for just eBay. It is the states that want the extra revenue for "on-line" sellers - right now it is just a few states that do it but eventually all 50 will.

"I have the right to remain silent but I didn't have the ability." Ron White, Fritch, Texas
"Stay away from negative people, they have a problem for every solution." A. Einstein
"The Devil made me do it!" - Flip Wilson
"If the band can only play loud - they ain't no good - peps too!" J.R. Johnson

greenscampie · ‎06-03-2019

You have described my situation exactly. Keep hoping something will change.

shhhchristinassecret · ‎06-07-2019

It's easy for you to say when you treat your business as a hobby , but a lot of people like me is a livelihood and put food on the table and pay bill !!! I have almost 2400 items . Where do I go?!?!?!?

For all my fellow sellers:
I sold only one item today for $12 (without taking all the fees) !!! Yes, eBay is down in sales, but everything is.

People don't have any money but for food and other monthly expenses.

Yes, eBay is squeezing money from sellers because there are possible no buyers, there are just potential ones . I have almost no sales but this is the first time in my history with eBay that I have the most Watchers ever !!!

Don't jump every time eBay tell you how to better because you know better. We sellers, the ones doing this for a long time and like me being in retail for so long, always try to improve even with simple from trial and error and great customer service.

This is pure unhealthy economy !!! This very much reminds me , the Golf War time . I remember to be at Century City Mall in California on Christmas Eve and there was nobody shopping !!! Well... that was a recession !!!

What do you think we are going through now?

I always hope for the best and this is just a hiccup.

Good luck !!!

mag001776 · ‎06-08-2019

Probably does not help to have a lot of idiots On YouTube bragging how they made a ton of money off everyday items... thereby increasing the competition And the attitude of buyers... no other business in it’s right mind would give up this valuable information to the buyers and business secrets to the competition.

birchy-36 · ‎06-09-2019

I see so many sellers looking for answers and wondering what they are doing wrong. It's sad because they are likely doing nothing wrong. The problem is with eBay and appears systemic as sales have been in decline for more than a year. They have recently hit a new low--few sales, little traffic. For most of us, continuing to buy inventory just digs the hole deeper. I haven't bought anything new to sell for many months. Time for a new hobby

birchy-36 · ‎06-09-2019

I see so many sellers looking for answers and wondering what they are doing wrong. It's sad because they are likely doing nothing wrong. The problem is with eBay and appears systemic as sales have been in decline for more than a year. They have recently hit a new low--few sales, little traffic. For most of us, continuing to buy inventory just digs the hole deeper. I haven't bought anything new to sell for many months. Time for a new hobby

xxlostspiritxx · ‎06-09-2019

Yes this totally sucks. for me is started around 2 months ago or so.

I have a thread a little bit about it and trending bull**bleep**.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Computer-seller-Section-is-a-horrible-experience-since-the/m-p...

anishoppe · ‎06-13-2019

You sell them 5 to 6 times the amount you paid? I call bull**bleep**! If that’s the case, why would you stop?

bradleyfineartgallery · ‎06-14-2019

Agreed - I've been selling on eBay for over a decade and have made a very good living selling fine art at affordable prices to my eBay customers. I'm a Top Rated Seller, I have 100% positive feedback, I promote my items, etc etc. My sales have been down as much as 80% from last year since the beginning of 2019!! My business ebbs and flows, but I have NEVER - and I mean NEVER - had such a massive, continued slow down.

I asked eBay about it and they said I was doing everything right, but suggested I pay for more social media marketing. Well, I also have a PHYSICAL store so if I'm gonna up my direct marketing to customers, I'm not going to send them to eBay so I can lose an additional 15-25% on the sale! The whole reason they GET the commission is for exposure. So they're basically telling me they can't do what I'm paying them (a lot) to do.

I still sell some "weirder" items on eBay, but I switched some stuff to Chairish just to see the difference and my items are FLYING off the shelves at much higher prices and there are no buyers offering 1/10th the asking price wasting my time.

I've stopped trying to "figure it out" and just started looking at different sites for my fine art. We're selling tons on other sites and eBay does not seem to have any desire to regain that lost market. Oh well...

My advice: There are TONS of places to sell items online now. Find a site that works best for your product and sell it there. eBay is not the "catch-all" it used to be for the buyer or the seller.