eBay

justin4236 · ‎02-13-2022

I have been using eBay for 22 years.

When trying to sell items on auction format in recent years, 50% of the buyers never pay or request to cancel.

From my understanding, there is not much a seller can do. You can’t leave negative feedback, because if you want your eBay fees back you have to cancel the order. Once canceled, all feedback is removed. Am I right about this? I feel that people like to run up the price, don’t pay, then try to sell a similar item at the same high price.

The buyers have changed, no one wants to wait 7 days on the hopes that they win and item. People want their stuff today. I think auctions should go away. Facebook marketplace format is going to take away all of eBay’s market share if they don’t do something similar.

stainlessenginecovers · ‎02-13-2022

@justin4236 How do you set it so that buyers with two strikes can’t bid? I knew that was a thing in the past but I don’t see it now.

In Seller Preferences; it's a box you check and covers all listings and is not there for individual listings.

kabilab · ‎02-13-2022

In that sellers have a choice as to how they elect to sell, auction or BIN, I disagree e-Bay should discontinue a format that some folks prefer. During my first month selling, I quickly discovered auctions were not for me. I then exercised my choice and shifted to BIN; I have never looked back.

dhbookds · ‎02-13-2022

@justin4236 wrote:
I have been using eBay for 22 years.

When trying to sell items on auction format in recent years, 50% of the buyers never pay or request to cancel.

From my understanding, there is not much a seller can do. You can’t leave negative feedback, because if you want your eBay fees back you have to cancel the order. Once canceled, all feedback is removed. Am I right about this? I feel that people like to run up the price, don’t pay, then try to sell a similar item at the same high price.

The buyers have changed, no one wants to wait 7 days on the hopes that they win and item. People want their stuff today. I think auctions should go away. Facebook marketplace format is going to take away all of eBay’s market share if they don’t do something similar.

So just don't use auctions...........seems simple enough......

Don't know why Ebay should get rid of them because they don't work for you...... If they didn't work for anyone, they would get rid of them, but obviously they do work for some.........

maxine*j · ‎02-13-2022

If the auction format is not working for you, stop using it.

Use fixed price, immediate payent required. Do not use best offer, either, to save a few more headaches.

The auction format should not be eliminated, because some sellers prefer it.

=

hawkwind5454 · ‎02-13-2022

In the earlier years of eBay, auctions were all I did, and I loved it. Rarely was I unhappy with what an item ended up selling for. I don't use them any longer, because I don't trust them. Unless one is selling something extremely difficult to find, or extremely desirable, [for me] auctions usually fall flat on their face. Starting an item out at a higher *what I need to have for this item* listing price, or putting a reserve on the listing, seem to be the kiss of death. They're just is not the auction excitement, that there was at one time, Fortunately, I would only occasionally have a NPWB. AFAIC, ebay could keep them, or lose them.

mod-designs4u · ‎02-13-2022

Click Site Preferences and then go to Selling Preferences. Scroll down and click "edit" for Blocked Buyer List which links you to Buyer Management. Scroll down and edit your Buyer Requirements. Check the "Block buyers who cause" box and select "2" cancellations of unpaid purchases with "12" months. This setting will prevent someone from bidding/buying your items who has 2 buyer strikes within 12 months. Scroll down and make sure the "Apply above settings to active and future listings" is turned on so your active and future listings are covered.

janet9988 · ‎02-13-2022

There is nothing stopping you from just using the fixed price format.

There is no need for ebay to end using auctions just because you don't personally like them.

Other sellers do like them.

Lift your left leg at midnight to start off on the right foot. Happy new Year!

coolections · ‎02-13-2022

@bashort wrote:
ebay still has auctions?

@bashort

Yes, very much so. They make millions from Ebay sellers doing auctions. Unfortunately for what you sell there is just no demand (more than one buyer) for those types of items. You will have to stick to BIN and wait for a customer.

jbachman-2012 · ‎02-13-2022

It is all a matter of preferences. If you had to get from New York to California, and had a bumpy or unpleasant previous flight experience, would you now suggest banning air travel?

Buy-it-now would seem perfect for common every-day items available anywhere, if not today, then maybe tomorrow. But for uncommon/collectable items only seen once every few years or so, I prefer auction style - if not, one would have to be on-line 24/7 to see any listings instantly as they were listed.

I receive preference category notifications from eBay once a day, and when I can get to the computer sometimes an item I would be interested in has already been sold through buy-it-now. Sometimes for less than I would have been willing to pay - (disappointment), but most times fair value. But with the auction format, I still have a chance maybe 6 hours, 12 hours, or a day or 2 after the item was listed. I may have to pay for that privilege of ownership, or ultimately find out another bidder valued that item far more than I did. But at least I had a chance at making the purchase....

(Ultimate disappointment - unexpected delay getting home/eating a meal first/carrying groceries in first/any of a hundred reasons, now take time to check Ebay possibilities ----- and then finding out an item of interest was sold 5 minutes earlier at 50% less than I would have willingly paid!!!!!)

Just another view....

iart · ‎02-13-2022

I doubt it's auctions. It's what you are selling.

We use auctions all the time and rarely have a problem.

wrong66 · ‎02-13-2022

Exactly. I sell almost exclusively through the auction format. But because of the kind of items I sell, and the category they are in, I've only had a couple non-paying bidders in the 20 years I've been doing this. It's all about what you sell.

mr_lincoln · ‎02-13-2022

@justin4236 I agree with @iart ... it probably has more ot do with the Buyers in the categories you sell in then the format you use. The format is a Seller's choice, I actually prefer Auction style for certain items. I only get occasional UPIs not the 50% that you are stating ... would you be willing to quantify that with an actual number of UPIs you have experienced in the last 3 months?

Mr. L

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor

baantiques · ‎02-13-2022

What they need to do is get their auction format out of the 90s and go to a soft close, where the auction time is extended if there are any bids in the last 2 minutes.

yuzuha · ‎02-13-2022

@justin4236 wrote:
It’s mostly electronics. Seller have no leverage against buyers who refuse to pay anymore. So what’s the point? They should make buyers put money in escrow before they bid.

Electronics are really not a category suited for auctions because they have fairly set market values. The people who would bid on an electronics auction are usually people who are looking for the lowest price possible-- they may bid on more than one of the same item and then if they win more than one of the auctions, they take the one that was the cheapest.

It's not like an auction for a rare collectible, where the bidders genuinely want that particular item and aren't going to back out if they win because they can't just go find another one somewhere else.