Everything But The Ordinary - Next Steps to Combat GTC & Other Changes

[davewearsredsox]

I must admit that I have been vocal as of recent with the recent changes not to mention past changes on this platform. If the bill of goods received were accurate and to improve sales, then I would be on board with the changes but I foresee them as less option, more potential fee's, and less results for the same dollar spent.

To date, I have made the following changes 1) I cancelled my Annual subscription and I am running month to month with my active listings at an additional $50.00 per month. 2) I am posting less and I am preparing to utilize other social media sites for more traffic and sales 3) I opted to convert my active listing on another market to protect my business for additional future changes & 4) Opened a credit card processing account for other sales avenues.

My history as a seller - I once utilized only Y----O about 18 years ago and did so exclusively. I enjoyed the price structure and it was profitable. I only used ebay for the 50 free listings. Around 2001 Yahoo ceased its online market place and I closed shop. In 2013 I started selling aggressively on Ebay and enjoyed wonderful results and I built the business into an Anchor store and now have 9400 listings, Top Rated, and great service matrix. Pre 2001 I was a brick and Mortar store with 3 locations within a 20 mile radius.

Like many (not all) of you, I am very disappointed with the recent changes rolled out with the Spring update and to include GTC. Since March 9th (approx 9 days before GTC started) I have seen my sales and traffic decline. I began using additional tools such as volume pricing and promoted listing yet sales and views continued to decline on a pace of -22.4% over last year and with 2000 more active listings and 32K in additional inventory.

The one thing I have learned over the last 3 months contributing and learning from this page is that you control your own destiny. We can all scream, stomp our feet, and place blame on other warranted and unwarranted. The facts remain the facts - That if you do nothing you may see less results from your hard work - or you may see greater results but that is not what I see being reported by other yet I guess it is possible.

While my instincts are to place blame the fact remains it will not change anything. We all need to dig in an use that fighting spirit that has brought us here. We all need more tools and if your tool belt only has a wrench, you are not ready to combat the current and future change.

So, I hope this comes across as not ranting but rather motivation to others who are experiencing similar trends and distastes for the recent changes. Something brought us to this platform and I am sure for many different reasons. Considering revisiting why you began selling on Ebay and what you had hoped to achieve. Revisiting why in my opinion will help you decide what next stage you decide to take. Doing nothing but complaining is not the answer unless it is able to motivate change.

I wish you all luck and I feel your pain - It is time to take an aspirin and get on back to work.

[dhbookds]

Certainly have to agree with you...........  what is, is..........  learning how to deal with it will take experimentation over a period of time for some.  There are many paths available.  Not easy, but over the long run, things may actually turn out better, at least for those that can see/try alternatives.  

[jason_incognito]

The big thing that I don't understand about the people fighting this is that it has changed even if they don't like it.

You can lobby and fight to try to get eBay to change (good luck with that) but in the end, if you want sales you need to adapt to the new way of doing things.

[davewearsredsox]

Jason -

But that is not the only option. Another option is to utilize different resources. One does not know until they try.

[jason_incognito]

sing different resources would be adapting.

[evodoor]

I am a very small seller, with a Basic store subscription. I left my job of thirty years to develop what two years ago was a thriving eBay business. Since then, sales have gone up and down, mostly down. This latest GTC change is anything but motivating. I agree that we need to adapt with changes beyond our control, but GTC has just slowed me down. I used to sell at least one or two items daily, and that gave me validation that I was on the right track. Now I am getting one sale every 3-4 days. I keep telling myself to just keep listing every day, so that after a couple months, I will have listings ending every day, and still get that "ending soonest" boost. But frankly, without those little eBay "cha-chings", I just don't enjoy it.