eBay

monstertoybox · ‎10-04-2019

We have been on Ebay for over 9 years, and of course like everyone else is mentioning it was great in the beginning - it was fun and exciting. I loved talking about my store and how well it was doing. Fast forward to now and it is nothing but frustrating and depressing. I never mention my store anymore because it is just way too embarrassing.

It has been going downhill here for a few years, but this year is the absolute worst it has ever been. I’m making less in 90 days what I used to make in 1 month just last year.

There is no way anyone on here can convince me that Ebay doesn’t control every aspect of my store and my ability to make sales. The patterns of sales leads me to believe I am only “on” at certain times and in certain states. Just as one example, which is statistically impossible - Thurs 1 sale at 3:54am (west coast) nothing for the rest of the day, next day Fri 1 sale at 3:55am (west coast) nothing for the rest of the day. And as others mentioned one good day, I can be assured a few dead days will follow. Clumped sales from one state or one time zone. Days of absolutely nothing - no sales, no feedback, no messages. Complain to Ebay about slow sales and miraculously they will suddenly come back to life for a few days, only to always return to miserable sales.

The most frustrating part is it seems no one gives a **bleep**. My store is completely failing and no one at Ebay could care less. I have worked really hard on my store, put in many, many hours to try to make it great. I take very good care of my customers. Ended old underperforming listings – revised titles, lowered prices, take all my own pictures, added all my item specifics, did promoted listings (which I don’t do anymore because it doesn’t work), marked down all my items, free shipping on a lot of the items … I could go on. Basically, I have jumped through every hoop they sent my way.

BUT STILL NO SALES! What am I paying for?

It’s coming into the Christmas buying season, we could always at least depend on this time of year to do well, but I’m so afraid that this year is going to be a total bust and then we’re done. I can't see paying for the monthly store fee if it continues to get worse and worse.

uncseniorsportsfan · ‎10-12-2019

FYI - Most people making less than 6 figures did get a tax cut unless they got hit by the SALT deduction cap. Most did not see their tax cut because it was included in their paycheck as the withholding tables were changed - same reason some didn't get a tax refund.

As a senior my pension will remain the same for as long as I live, and what little social security increases I have received have been offset by Medicare increases. I make next to nothing in interest on my rainy day fund. The extra income I received from selling on eBay has been cut in half in 2019. And yes I got a tax cut in 2018.

At the same time my kids and grandkids have all receive pay increases on a regular basis - only one works more than one job and only because he wants extra income to travel. They all paid less in federal income tax in 2018.

I live in a lower middle class community - about 1/3 blue collar workers, 1/3 local government employees, and 1/3 retirees. I haven't talked to anyone that thinks today's economy is bad, and from the number of times I see UPS, Fedex, and even Amazon prime trucks in the neighborhood and all the cardboard boxes in the trash - ecommerce in general must not be suffering.

One should never believe what politicians ( and too often the media as well) claim no matter which side of the political aisle they are on...

north40sales · ‎10-12-2019

I think a lot of the low sales has to do with sellers that have not yet signed up for managed payments. I sell highly specialized collectible items and have had excellent sales on ebay.....up until 2 months ago. Its like the buyers just evaporated. eBay is forcing me to join managed payments by 10/22/19 or I lose my ability to list new items.

It's ALL about the money. eBay's relationship with PayPal is souring and they conjured up this managed payments system to compete with PayPal and get the fee revenue.

mcdougle4248 · ‎10-12-2019

@north40sales

At first I thought the nose dive in my sales, which began in September, might have something to do with Managed Payments. I was invited early in September, then the "action required" notice came around the 10th and I signed up on the 11th.

I have spent quite a bit of time over the past few weeks doing research and have not been able to come up with any data that supports entering into Managed Payments had anything to do with my sales nose diving. The data I have collected is showing a redistribution of sales amongst the sellers in my niche beginning in September and continuing into October.

monstertoybox · ‎10-12-2019

I'm back from having a nice day with my kids away from the drama. Well I guess the cheerleaders (on other posts) were called in because it was getting too hot here, because I see that everyone of them has showed up. Once again telling all us sellers that it is our fault for not keeping up with the new Ebay.

I love how they keep saying the same things, no matter how many sales patterns and sales numbers, not one of them acknowledges that yes those things seem strange to them, they always default automatically that it is all these problems are due to us being bad sellers. So basically no matter what we mention it is never Ebay’s problem, even though we all seem to be having the same kind of issues.

Should we all just fail and slip away without saying anything? Well I have worked way too hard on here to just get brushed under the rug without saying how wrong this all is. If something is controlling our sales, than no matter what we do it isn’t going to make a difference, we’re just beating our heads against the wall.

The only thing I can really hope for now is for someone important to read all these postings and maybe something will change before Ebay looses even more good sellers.

The funny thing is we all love EBay, we just want our sales back and it seems like all we’re doing is defending our seller reputations instead of addressing the facts...

monstertoybox · ‎10-12-2019

Is someone listening?? Maybe they actually looked into my account and found out something was really wrong? But I just got a very large sale! That makes me very happy. You have no idea. We'll see if it continues or if it was a fluke.

mcdougle4248 · ‎10-12-2019

@monstertoybox

Congratulations! I hope it is a start of a new trend for you.

trustedbasset · ‎10-12-2019

eBay is killing eBay.

Dear God, please help me to be
the person my dog thinks I am.

mr_lincoln · ‎10-12-2019

@monstertoybox Sign of the times ...

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor

giorgoslontras1980 · ‎10-12-2019

I am currently on 0 sales for the past 1 1/2 month. That never happened before since i opened my store... I totally agree that there is manipulation from eBay on store visibility. I am a small time seller of art and i took pride on what i sell and service i provide. I mention "took" because i am not proud of the time i spend write now achieving nothing. I recently became a top rated seller after a year of struggle being spot on on my service. eBay is not my primary source of income and i do it on my spare time so i lose precious time at the moment. I sent many messages to support and of course the answer is the same, "nothing is wrong on your store". Well, today was my last message to them waiting for a response. I bet that i will see immediate sales within the next few days if not hours and after the store will die again. Last month was the first month that i did not even make the fees...End of November i close it and going back to my monthly free listings and that's it. Making my own website and whatever happens. Good job eBay, losing top rated sellers, even if they are small businesses.

3eyedfishcatcher · ‎10-12-2019

I looked up several of your items and there where other sellers with lower prices. So that could be why your sales are down. Your use of stock images gives me the impression you are a drop shipper. If you are you have to remember there will be others listing items from your suppliers. Each of them will be competing for sales and over time your pricing may go from the lowest price to the highest price. You should do some price checking on your items and if you can not beat the lowest price then either match it or drop the item.

nilis13 · ‎10-13-2019

Nice to hear!! One sale for me yesterday and one very very low ball offer...glad for your large sale - still very very slow for me and many others here - trying to stay positive but getting harder and harder to do so..good luck to us all..

flatwarepicker · ‎10-13-2019

I have had the same thing happen with buyers and EBay says it's a faulty Chrome App. My sales have tanked to 10% (IF I AM LUCKY) since the automatic relist. Of course it is not EBay's fault, they are being lied to by employees with their cushiony paycheck. Do not these guys realize that killed new sellers with this relist platform. Now I can not review what is being relisted unless I drop everything. The majority of us present sellers probably started the same way. You would list items until you got enough items to relist from your unsold items every 30 days. Then after you got more than 60 (?) items you consider a store. I am in a field that will always have demand for replacements or expansions. I have been losing money since the new listing requirements, of course IT'S NOT EBAYS FAULT. Enjoy your job employees, a year from now you will be out in the street.

myoasisjewels · ‎10-13-2019

@monstertoybox

good for you. please keep us posted as to how sales are progressing for you from here on out....

are they picking up overall?

or are you being blacked out after this big sale, until your sales comparison to last month / year is back in the red?

i have had a large sale one week ago, and i am still in the green compared to same time last year, so i have not had another sale since....

monstertoybox · ‎10-13-2019

@3eyedfishcatcher wrote:
I looked up several of your items and there where other sellers with lower prices. So that could be why your sales are down. Your use of stock images gives me the impression you are a drop shipper. If you are you have to remember there will be others listing items from your suppliers. Each of them will be competing for sales and over time your pricing may go from the lowest price to the highest price. You should do some price checking on your items and if you can not beat the lowest price then either match it or drop the item.

Haha! Stock images! Thank you and that makes me laugh. That is WHY it takes me so long to do my listings, because I take my own images of my own items and take the back ground out myself. You are saying my images are too good. That is hilarious!!! It takes me hours and hours to do those.

I am not a drop shipper! Everything is in a room in my home.

You looked up several of my items?? I'm sure you did. HAHA! I will say, I'm not the lowest on everything, but on a lot, I am. And besides price does not matter on Ebay. If a buyer wants it, they're looking for quality and Ebay says it's your time to sell, you will sell your item. Like I've said many times before I see my same items selling for more all the time.

So everything you said is untrue!

monstertoybox · ‎10-13-2019

@myoasisjewels wrote:
@monstertoybox
good for you. please keep us posted as to how sales are progressing for you from here on out....
are they picking up overall?
or are you being blacked out after this big sale, until your sales comparison to last month / year is back in the red?

i have had a large sale one week ago, and i am still in the green compared to same time last year, so i have not had another sale since....

This sale will put my in the "green" for weeks because for months I've been in the red. My sales have been going down, down, down.

I will definitely let you know if it continues. I have a feeling I will be closed for days after this one. Unless there was actually something wrong with my store and they miraculously fixed whatever it was. We'll have to wait and see.