Declining Used Auto Part Sales

[fast_n_cheap]

Anybody else seen heavy declines in used auto part sales?

Sept 1 last year we had a 50% drop like turning a valve half off (impressions, clicks, and sales)

Complied with EBay, removed restocking fee, added 60 day returns, 3 day delivery, etc sales return somewhat until mid April this year and started to see another steady decline

Today could be the first day in FIVE years with not one single sale (few more hours left)

Top Rated Plus Seller w/ Three Thousand Listings

[baantiques]

---

@fast_n_cheap wrote:

Anybody else seen heavy declines in used auto part sales?

Sept 1 last year we had a 50% drop like turning a valve half off (impressions, clicks, and sales)

Complied with EBay, removed restocking fee, added 60 day returns, 3 day delivery, etc sales return somewhat until mid April this year and started to see another steady decline

Today could be the first day in FIVE years with not one single sale (few more hours left)

Top Rated Plus Seller w/ Three Thousand Listings

---

I sell mostly NOS Ford parts.  So far this month, I've sold about what I used to sell in 4 days.  I'm down over 40% from last month, and 0ver 60% from last May.

I was going gangbusters until last June.  Then I noticed that new listings had no effect on my sales.  It used to be I could count on a nice boost in sales for a few days after listing 10-20 new items.  5 or so per day would maintain it.  First week of June, that stopped.

Sales were OK until the 2nd week of August.  The first week was probably my best week ever, then it's like they shut off a faucet.  It's been a struggle ever since, with page views and sales continuously dropping month after month.  

As it stands now, I consider Ebay a dead fish.  I'm doing what I need to do to ship stuff out, listing a few things here and there, and letting sales be whatever they turn out to be.  IT's not worth obsessing over, as you'll spend two weeks of 8 hour days trying to figure out WTH Ebay just changed and then another week fixing your listings only to have them change something else and send you into another tail spin.

Ebay is having a hard time getting people to come to the site to buy, I think, and their egalitarian spread the sales around mentality means we all suffer sales slowdowns. 

[d-k_treasures]

#1 - Search is lousy, and they probably group your items into that stupid product page where the title doesn't reflect the listing.

#2 - Probably showing all new chinese knock-off parts first and cheaper.

#3 - Search is pathetic. A search for a Ford F150 alternator will probably bring up "sterling" 99 cent earrings from china or india.

[hondadreams]

I do motorcycle stuff, tho not much anymore, in years past was a powerseller and moved a LOT of parts on eBay, but that was mainly 10 years ago. The market is getting smaller and eBay is flooded with **bleep** from China, less people are here looking for stuff and what most people are not willing to admit the economy is not all that great, and I think by Q3 we wil be back in recession.

Right now I am blowing out leftover stuff then I am done. FVF on shipping and forcing returns, seizing funds from my PP acct....nah, thanks anyways eBay, I will always remeber the good ol' days.

[dougsue123b]

Your prices seem good, your descriptions are A1

I think its the flood of storm damaged cars that are being sold off to wrecking yards.

You have more competition 

[hawkwind5454]

I'm a small seller...But there was a time, I enjoyed brisk sales...Those days are long gone.  No sales since 4/25.  Either ebay is cloaking my listings, or the car restoration field is entering it's death throws.  This is something that can not be [solely] blamed on ebay's inapt Cassini search engine or cheap buyers.

[blacktopautoparts]

I understand, it's been quite crazy selling automotive parts here the last year. I've been a seller here on ebay for the last 14 years (auto parts the last 4 yrs). If I can make some suggestions to your listings which should hopefully help a bit. It sucks having to keep changing listings, I just had to do that and I have about 3,200 listings.

One listing as an example, "12 13 14 15 16 Impala Blower Motor VIN W 4th"

Change it to "2012-2016 Chevy Impala Blower Motor Vin W 4th"

Another suggestion, start taking pictures on a white surface w/ white background. You can look at some of mine for an example. It helps with Google Shopping since our items are not only listed here on ebay, but also reach out to Google Shopping too.

Also your categories could use some tuning, I have mine listed by part type which consolidates the amount of categories that you are using. I see yours are listed by vehicle, but someone may want to look at all of the Blower Motors or hub caps you carry for multiple vehicles, etc.

[fast_n_cheap]

I appreciate the feedback, I will modify a large portion of our titles to see if that helps, does the search engine pickup the in-between years? i.e. 2014 if 2012-2016 is listed? Will use white background on next car.

[carpartguru]

We have same problem now, sales dropped fast, impressions dropped . Very strange ...

[toni9529]

A friend was lookig for parts for a Ford Mustang, a parts search turned up a record album by Tennessee Ernie Ford, a letter written by Pres Gerald Ford plus a book on wild mustang horses.

[blacktopautoparts]

I went back to look at my listings from the past that were marked with "00 01 02 03" vs. "2000 2001 2002 2003" vs. 2000-2003" and mine that were listed as double digits we're not selling as well. I am not sure if something has changed in the algo in the last few months, but I have changed everything over to show the full years. To answer your question, yes, I do have items that sell with the dash in-between the years.

The white background is the key for Google since all of our items, even though listed on ebay, still get indexed out in Google. Google prefers a white background. It is probably best to take at least 5-6+ pictures of the item.

Also consider updating your categories as a last resort if you can.

Also, how often do you list items here on ebay?

[fast_n_cheap]

To the people that sell used auto parts, how's your Jan/Feb going? Typically the winter is our busiest quarter; despite listing approx 500 new items in the last few weeks sales is in the gutter. About 35% down from last year and 25% down from Dec.

We are trying to get our sales up, moving are new items over to amazon, seems to sell ok over there.