eBay

ducks2k · ‎03-03-2019

Doesn't anyone at eBay think about these policies before forcing them on everyone?

I list fixed price 7 days because I am not around every day of the month, and a few years back, eBay got all fixated on fast turnaround times on shipping. 100% feedback rating in the thousands was not good enough to be a top rated seller, I had to ship fast too.

7 day fixed price is tolerable for a week when I will be home. I match it with 7 day auctions and do eBay 1 week a month. If I have to drop fixed price listings, eBay just loses that many sales per month. I guess they don't care what actually sells - all that is important is the listing fee. Well, they will lose that too, from me.

Ebay is the best auction sales platform around, but they seem to be actively trying to fix that. If I want Amazon, I will shop Amazon. Ebay is not Amazon, and they should stop trying to be.

Over the last 15 years, eBay has gone from being a fun place to buy and sell, to being a (not so) cheap knock-off of a convenience store. I can't recall any significant improvements in the seller side of eBay in the last decade. Each change seems to be for eBay's benefit.

Howard

juststuffisell · ‎03-03-2019

Hi Horward,

I hear ya and know you are not alone in these feelings about policy changes by eBay over the last few years. Like everyone, if they don't take a step back, you'll have to adapt to the new policies. That is all any of us can do beyond not listings, which is the only guaranteed way to not sell anything.

I would recommend taking some deep breaths, a step back, and read the community board for ideas on how to adapt to the new changes.

Cheers

tealt · ‎03-03-2019

@juststuffisell wrote:
Hi Horward,

I hear ya and know you are not alone in these feelings about policy changes by eBay over the last few years. Like everyone, if they don't take a step back, you'll have to adapt to the new policies. That is all any of us can do beyond not listings, which is the only guaranteed way to not sell anything.

I would recommend taking some deep breaths, a step back, and read the community board for ideas on how to adapt to the new changes.

Cheers

I myself would amend that highlighted thought to read..."which is the only guaranteed way to not sell anything on eBay."

On the community boards, one of the ideas I've seen for adapting to this change is to move all or part of one's business off eBay. For many types of items, there are other options available.

ducks2k · ‎03-03-2019

I could better accept each change, if eBay was doing this to make a better experience for either buyers or sellers or both. This one appears to TOTALLY designed to increase eBay revenue without any additional work on their part. If it was intended as a benefit for sellers, it would include and opt-in or opt-out policy. I can't see how it provides any benefit at all to buyers.

One of the key reasons I do not list GTC or maintain a "store" is that when an item appears to be permanently available, there is no incentive for a buyer to purchase right now - they assume they can always come back to it later. I do not want to be a "storefront", providing a nice predictable revenue stream to eBay. Selling is not just about making an item available to purchase.

18704d · ‎03-03-2019

" If it was intended as a benefit for sellers, "

----------

Why can't a policy be viewed as helping everyone?

Helping buyers and sellers and eBay themselves?

GTC is supposed to help Google searches,

help buyers by ensuring the item Google pointed them to here, is still currently listed. Not disappointing the buyer.

That helps the seller make a sale, not miss that sale .... and eBay get the fvf.

Lynn

Lynn

You love me for everything you hate me for

.

ducks2k · ‎03-03-2019

That logic makes sense for Amazon, but not for eBay. I can't imagine shopping eBay with Google. Ebay always used to be a place to go and browse, not search for a specific make and model.

Again - eBay used to be a place where sellers would decide what they wanted to sell, and how they wanted to describe and offer things. Buyers could read the descriptions, look at the pictures and decide if they wanted to buy. Ebay's job was to keep the marketplace convenient, safe and fair.

weschurch · ‎03-03-2019

Exactly!

Now its a bunch of one-size fits all garbage that I use other sites for. Not Ebay.

Its not a wonder Ebay is so full of generic chinese junk. Ebay itself does everything to be a a knockoff Amazon.

18704d · ‎03-03-2019

"That logic makes sense for Amazon, but not for eBay. I can't imagine shopping eBay with Google. "

--------

More people use Google than eBay.

There are 5.8 billion total daily Google searches on average or 71,780 Google searches per second.

Trust me, you want your eBay listings visible on Google.

Thanks,

Lynn

Lynn

You love me for everything you hate me for

.

southern*sweet*tea · ‎03-03-2019

@ducks2k wrote:
That logic makes sense for Amazon, but not for eBay. I can't imagine shopping eBay with Google. Ebay always used to be a place to go and browse, not search for a specific make and model.

I sell old, hard to find booklets that only certain people look for, and most of them search on Google. There are times when the book or booklet I have is the only one on the internet, and if my Ebay listing is expired, it does me (and Ebay) no good.

The more I think about GTC, the more I like it. Sure, it'll take a little adjustment, but I think it will be worth the effort when it comes to more sales.

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.

We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell

vivabe · ‎03-03-2019

@18704d wrote:
" If it was intended as a benefit for sellers, "
----------

Why can't a policy be viewed as helping everyone?
Helping buyers and sellers and eBay themselves?

GTC is supposed to help Google searches,
help buyers by ensuring the item Google pointed them to here, is still currently listed. Not disappointing the buyer.

That helps the seller make a sale, not miss that sale .... and eBay get the fvf.

Lynn

GTCt is not helping everyone. It is not helping many sellers who list in the COLLECTIBLE categories because they will not show in Google searches. I personally do not care if my items do not show on Google.

Sellers must have the option not to use GTC.

WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT FOR EBAY TO UNDERSTAND?

The only reason I see is that eBay is not making any efforts to listen to small sellers because they don't bring enough revenues.

I have been a small eBay seller for almost 20 years. I understand changes. I like changes when they are beneficial to all. I do agree that GTC will be beneficial to a large number of sellers BUT I disagree it will be beneficial to all sellers.

So, lets have options: GTC or 30-DAY FIXED PRICE/BIN and everyone will benefit from selling on eBay!

net-gnat · ‎03-03-2019

Seems like, after promoting fixed price listings constantly, eBay has decided that it would be good to go back to the beginning.....auctions only and no duration more than 10 days. Using auctions eliminates "make an offer" and "promoted listings". Interesting. There may be a lot of sellers so tied to eBay that they will use "good till cancelled". Maybe the original eBay AUCTION site will return.

ducks2k · ‎03-03-2019

Fine - the new GTC policy MIGHT make sense for some, maybe even many eBay items..... Why FORCE it on those who do not want it? I do not want an eternally re-listing, re-listing-fee set of items. It does not fit my selling strategy at all. If eBay was adding that option, I'd say, great, let those who wish to use it. I want a 7-day fixed price listing option. I even used 3-day listings when I was short of time.

ohnojoey · ‎03-03-2019

I am a fan of 7 or 10 day fixed price as well.

Too bad ebay is eliminating that.

It doesn't need to be eliminated.

How is it helpful to a seller to take away simple listing choices that are helpful and harmless options?

yuzuha · ‎03-03-2019

@southern*sweet*tea wrote:
@ducks2k wrote:
That logic makes sense for Amazon, but not for eBay. I can't imagine shopping eBay with Google. Ebay always used to be a place to go and browse, not search for a specific make and model.

I sell old, hard to find booklets that only certain people look for, and most of them search on Google. There are times when the book or booklet I have is the only one on the internet, and if my Ebay listing is expired, it does me (and Ebay) no good.

The more I think about GTC, the more I like it. Sure, it'll take a little adjustment, but I think it will be worth the effort when it comes to more sales.

Same here. I mostly sell things that are not widely available for sale online (or are sold out/no longer available online), so having them found easily in a Google search will be extremely useful to me and will likely lead to more sales.