Ebay's total disregard for sellers...re: new 15 day limit on putting items on sale

[coniferclothingcompany]

I have been a seller for a few years, have done everything right according to Ebay, gone along with new policies (offer guaranteed delivery, free shipping, have 100% positive fb etc) and was a TPS Plus until the free shipping requirement. This morning I found out that Ebay has instituted a policy that an item that was on promotion cannot be put back on sale for 15 days. I sell clothing and this policy is going to significantly hurt my sales. Over the weekend I put a large part of my store on promotion and consequently had a significant boost in sales. I now can't put any of those items back on sale for 15 days. If I were to put some of these items back on sale next weekend and would get a similar boost in sales how is that a bad thing? I called Ebay and was told that buyers have complained about sellers marking items up and immediately putting them on sale. So instead of targeting those sellers and working with them Ebay institutes a blanket policy that affects all sellers. When I run a promotion it's generally 10-20% off. I do not mark up items before they go on sale. Increased volume of purchases as a result of a promotion is good for me and ultimately Ebay too. Also, there is no way to tell which items are eligible to be put on promotion. If I go to the promotions page and format a sale there is no indication as to which items are beyond the 15 day restriction. Finally, as a seller shouldn't I have received prior notice to this policy? I found out from another seller.

I have always been one to defend Ebay when others complain about policies as a great venue for selling but after they have made free shipping a requirement for TRS Plus and now this I am very discouraged. I would think I am the kind of seller Ebay wants to keep happy as I am making them money. It feels like Ebay is trying to get rid of sellers like me.

[emerald40]

---

@coniferclothingcompany wrote:

@emerald40

I always do

---

Then if your price is fair, a sale every 14 days should work.

If you are selling bathing suits, stores do a sale after July 4th.  And then another one mid August.

[commemorate1776]

I was just curious why you would do a sell similar to relist and not just simply relist the item? does it bump it up higher in the searches?

[tunicaslot]

em - running a sale gets you a boost in visibility. You can have the lowest prices out there - but often aren't seen because everyone running sales is placed before you - even tho their prices are higher.

[emerald40]

---

@tunicaslot wrote:

em - running a sale gets you a boost in visibility. You can have the lowest prices out there - but often aren't seen because everyone running sales is placed before you - even tho their prices are higher.

---

Yes, but now everyone will no longer be able to run them constantly.

So a good fair price will get you good placement.

Those with ridiculously high prices will have to live with them for 2 weeks.

[hioctane62]

---

@emerald40 wrote:

---

@tunicaslot wrote:

em - running a sale gets you a boost in visibility. You can have the lowest prices out there - but often aren't seen because everyone running sales is placed before you - even tho their prices are higher.

---

Yes, but now everyone will no longer be able to run them constantly.

So a good fair price will get you good placement.

Those with ridiculously high prices will have to live with them for 2 weeks.

---

No, they won't. There will just be endless marking up and marking down. Revise, revise, revise.

[luluathleta]

Absolutely rediculous!   I will never do that.  What a joke.

[hioctane62]

I won't either, but there are tons of sellers who will.

[66ronscollectorsspot66]

Very true. I feel the same. Due to all these changes, we are not going to renew our contract at the end of June. We are closing the store after 13 years.

[njrtsr]

It's the NewYearsValentinesEasterMother'sDayMemorialDay4thofJulyBackToSchoolLaborDayColumbusDayHalloweenThanksgivingChristmas sale!

[emerald40]

---

@hioctane62 wrote:

---

@emerald40 wrote:

---

@tunicaslot wrote:

em - running a sale gets you a boost in visibility. You can have the lowest prices out there - but often aren't seen because everyone running sales is placed before you - even tho their prices are higher.

---

Yes, but now everyone will no longer be able to run them constantly.

So a good fair price will get you good placement.

Those with ridiculously high prices will have to live with them for 2 weeks.

---

No, they won't. There will just be endless marking up and marking down. Revise, revise, revise.

__________________________________

 Not sure about anyone else, but I avoid sellers who do this.

---

[luluathleta]

Hi Tyler!  I am another reseller.   The problem with this very poorly executed policy is that we have NO IDEA when something will be eligible under this new policy.    I have always listed my items $20 to $40 dollars under retail prices and utilized the sales and promotions regularly to discount even more.   In the past 5 days, since I have been unable to run promotions, my sales have dropped by 50%.   I stand to lose upwards of 2k to 3k per week.    The small, honest seller like me is being DRAMATICALLY and NEGATIVELY affected by this policy.   It is beyond unfair and is a clear indicator that even though ebay says "we built our business from sellers like you," it is very obvious that ebay doesn't care about the small seller.   If you did, you would NEVER have implimented a policy that would so dramatically affect our livelyhood.   I don't know why any of us bother complaining by phone or here because you guys just simply don't care.   There is a bigger reason why you did this and that at the end of the day will always win over what is right.    I am happy to share my sales if anyone would like to see how this is hurting honest sellers like me..... Any takers????  Didn't think so.

[luluathleta]

Agreed Conifer!

[luluathleta]

You are right Conifer.  There is NO WAY to set up that sort of sale.    There is no way to set up a targeted sale at all.    Multiple factors make each listing unique and you could start a sale with 100 items and 1 item will ACTUALLY go on sale.   There is nothing that tells us when we go into markdown feature which listings are eligible......   It is the WORST roll out I have ever seen and costing me thousands of dollars.  I am a hard working, honest seller too and I am so disillusioned by this.....

[luluathleta]

Emerald you know not what you speak of.    Impossible to list all swim at same time.   You need to read the policy.

[fashiontreasuresfashion]

Why have a promotion/sales Page to begin with if everyone should list at a fair price. My items are listed below retail and i then have sales over the weekend.

Have spent most of my day/afternoon adjusting prices to my sale prices and then will spend another whole day adjusting them back to regular prices. This will take away from my listing time and therefor will make ebay less money.

Not sure where this whole thing is going 😞