eBay

mycustomer1 · ‎10-24-2023

It seems like add rates have gone from around 10% to 15-17%. I have 20/20 vision so I'm not seeing things. So, on top of 13.25% I pay when a listing sells, if I go with recommended at rate, it's another 15-17%? Folks, tell me. What is the story? Eventually, it will be 50% of your sales, plus shipping & tax, to play in this game! No, your not obligated to pay these add rates. It's a sad state of affairs for many sellers. Sure, Google charges to post listings. Yes, I can go through the list of 5 similar sites getting their listing ahead of Ebay without those add fees. Tell me the whole story!!!

mr_lincoln · ‎10-26-2023

@vintagecraze50 , @dbfolks166mt

The graphs prove out what many of us have been circling around ... Home Office wants more Fees per transaction. Nothing is off the table to get that either. Be that hiding / burying vast quantities of listings in an effort have Sellers panic to try something is certainly one way to achieve that. I have been checking Views off and on for a while ... 30% to 35% of my listings constantly have 0 Views in the last 30 days ... taking it out to 1 & 2 Views the total for 0, 1, 2 Views is between 50% - 57% ... yep, if a third of a Seller's listing are never seen and half of their listing are virtually never seen sales are stifled unless the Seller does something ... in a nut shell that is what I am seeing.

In any event, none of us can change what they are doing ...

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor

farmalljr · ‎10-26-2023

@mam98031 wrote:
@vintagecraze50 wrote:
Simple explanation without graph. Making money with less sales.
Means sellers are selling more high priced items. Which the last few years Ebay has been working hard to promote.

Uh... Did you actually read the graphs? How long has it been since you read a graph?

The last three quarters of GMV has decreased. Meaning LESS inventory has sold. Less dollars are spent buying stuff on eBay. Yet in those three quarters, eBay made about the same amount of money. This means they are INCREASING their take on the sales, not that sales are more, or more higher priced items have sold.

Your reading/take on the graph is wrong.

dbfolks166mt · ‎10-26-2023

@vintagecraze50 wrote:
Simple explanation without graph. Making money with less sales.

Means sellers are selling more high priced items. Which the last few years Ebay has been working hard to promote.

Actually it's quite the opposite and at some point the sale of higher priced items actually reduces eBay's revenue. It doesn't matter if you sell 1 item at $1,000 or 10 items at $100 the GMV is still the same as are revenues in the most simplistic mode. In the extreme taking two scenario's both of which result in the same GMV contribution but different revenue streams. For simplicity will assume free shipping and no sales taxes and no PL.

1. Sale of 1 - $10,000 watch FVF's, which are on a sliding scale.

15% on the first $1,000 = $150

6.5% on the next $6,500 = $422.50

3% on the last $2,500 = $75

Total FVF's = $647.70

2. Sale of 10 - $1,000 watches.

FVF's per watch = $150

Total FVF's for sale of 10 watches = $1,500.00

vintagecraze50 · ‎10-27-2023

RIGHT, there are way less customers on the site. That is the Only reason I can see why my items do not sell like they used to as well as the fact that we have had to hike the prices somewhat due to inflation but our prices are extremely competitive and much lower than our competitors. So my conclusion is economy, not as many people on this site.

vintagecraze50 · ‎10-27-2023

Also, correct in that if there are less customers the focus is on selling higher priced items with ad fees to increase revenue to compensate.

vintagecraze50 · ‎10-27-2023

My listings are NOT HIDDEN. They are plastered all over the place on here with my promotions which are only 2 percent. They are showing on here well.

farmalljr · ‎10-27-2023

@vintagecraze50 wrote:
My listings are NOT HIDDEN. They are plastered all over the place on here with my promotions which are only 2 percent. They are showing on here well.

I have no idea what you sell here, you must have another ID. If you are selling rare items (few listings), then you likely would not even need to promote. But, as most sellers know, it's pay to play. Your feeling that they are being shown, does not mean they actually are. You know your items are shown by your sales numbers, compared to actual solds of like items.

If you have an item competitively priced and others are selling but not yours, you are not getting real views. It's not rocket science.

But if you are selling common items that are priced competitively, and you are only promoting 2%, there is something amiss. Common things will never get views without exaggerated promotion levels.

Even youtubers who sell here, are telling people you HAVE to pay up for promotions if you aren't selling rare/hot items. All platforms are cashing in on promotions and searches are heavily influenced by those numbers. Like it or not, that's just how it works right now. If you aren't willing to pay up, the next seller is.

I got out of the game because of it. I have to pay for my inventory and giving eBay or any other platform all the profit is a poor business decision. Walmart might be able to get along with a 1% profit margin because they are selling billions. The average eBayer can't feasibly do that. We can't work for free.

On another note, a local antique store I was checking into, also had the eBay work for free, attitude. Part of the terms for having a booth space (that you paid rent for) was also a requirement that you work for them one day a month for free. A day that they schedule you like you are an employee. On your work day, you get to lug furniture out for customers (and any other grunt work they want you to do) as well as help them clean the place. Yeah, I departed that silly situation, like I did with eBay's promotions and "updates". I had no problem taking care of MY booth, but why should I do it for the 200 other booths? The store, like eBay, felt they are entitled to your labor and money. They felt entitled to tell you how you will do for them, but were not really offering anything in return. Like say, if I don't sell enough to pay the booth rent, they will pay me for my day of labor.

vintagecraze50 · ‎10-28-2023

Not common items. Not at all saturated. At least 40 percent less than retail ALL OVER THE WEB for that product. My items are all over the place on Google search.

vintagecraze50 · ‎10-28-2023

Google picks up my stuff because it is what they want in a clear white background exceptionally produced picture. For all practical purposes this stuff should be selling like hotcakes. It is jewelry. People are not buying it much probably in general right now. They have to eat.