eBay

crownsfieldcellular · ‎03-23-2019

I've been selling on eBay for over 15 years..I'm a Top Rated Plus Seller with over 3100 positive feed backs, and I have a 100% positive rating. I pay close to $1000 a month or more in selling fees, and I have a store subscription...

I really, really have to thank eBay in a big way for this latest update. I had such a good thing going on here, we were both making money, and there's just nothing like that wonderful feeling of watching all your hard work go up in smoke; and realizing that this must have been done PURPOSEFULLY by the venue that you've been paying out the nose to for years.

eBay? If you were trying to put me out of business? For some bizarre, absolutely moronic reason? I can see very clearly now that you are going to succeed in doing this in a very big way with this new change.

I sell ONE OFF high end iPhones on this site, I have no repetitive inventory, and I RELY on the URGENCY that 3 Day BIN auctions create during a certain time every week to make all my sales.

My very tried and true method of selling all of my inventory weekly (which I HAVE TO DO to stay in business and keep cash flowing), was to list everything I buy through the week on Saturday morning on a 3 Day BIN which ended on Tuesday.

This is the peak buying time with my customers, and that 3 Day TICKING CLOCK was SO POWERFUL in creating urgency with them over the weekend? That typically I would sell everything I had in that 3 day time frame..And even if a few phones did not sell in those days? I would simply lower the price a bit and run another 3 day BIN auction starting on Tuesday, and by Friday? Everything was gone and we were both making a great deal of money.

This system I devised didn't happen by ACCIDENT. It took me a great deal of experimentation to find out what WORKED, and start seeing the kind of success I have seen over the past year or so of selling these phones. This took A LOT of hard work and persistence, but I got it done and I was making great money.

This mandatory GTC listing insanity started this week, and SURE ENOUGH, just like I knew it would - It has already destroyed my sales.

I have sold exactly ONE PHONE this week, with 6 other high ticket, high demand phones lingering there getting "watchers", but of course NO BUYERS - Because the buyers no longer have ANY SENSE OF URGENCY TO BUY. This is because there is no longer a TIME LIMIT on my listings where people HAVE TO ACT before a listing ends.

GTC Not only DOES NOT WORK TO SELL MY PRODUCTS, It is going to actively DESTROY my business.

This change TOTALLY undermines the system I have developed, TOTALLY ELIMINATES any kind of Buyer URGENCY or DEMAND FOR ACTION.

This entirely KILLS MY BUSINESS ON HERE...ENTIRELY. The proof?? I have not had ONE SALE SINCE TUESDAY - NOT ONE!! And I'm selling items that used to have an over 85% sell through rate on this site..

With GTC I can no longer TURN MY INVENTORY OVER QUICKLY, TO RUN MY BUSINESS..Unless of course I just want to sell everything for no profits, but obviously THATS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR ME...

I have been selling on this site for over 15 YEARS and I KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT and what I am DOING...GTC listings are for STORE LISTINGS, and for sellers who have LONG TAIL INVENTORY....GTC DOES NOT WORK FOR SELLERS SELLING ONE OFF UNIQUE ITEMS THAT THEY HAVE TO TURN OVER QUICKLY!!! NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM!!

Everyone is complaining about the possible added fees with this change???...Let me tell you something? I would have taken a 2% FVF INCREASE OVER LOSING THE ABILITY TO SELL MY ITEMS COMPLETELY!!!

I CANNOT HAVE ITEMS SITTING THERE FOR 2 WEEKS, 3 WEEKS, 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS - THIS IS NOT THE WAY MY BUSINESS WORKS!!

And I CERTAINLY am not alone...This change has to be affecting AT LEAST 30% of sellers who GTC SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK FOR...GTC IS NOT A BLANKET LISTING THAT IS IDEAL FOR EVERYONE'S BUSINESS!!

WHERE IS THE RATIONALE AND DATA SUGGESTING THAT IT IS????

Do 30% of YOUR SELLERS have to LEAVE THE SITE eBay, or ACTUALLY GO OUT OF BUSINESS ON HERE BEFORE YOU FIGURE THIS OUT??

OR DO YOU HAVE TO DESTROY THE WEBSITE COMPLETELY BEFORE YOU UNDERSTAND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE??? I REALLY, REALLY WANT TO KNOW...

SOMEONE AT EBAY NEEDS TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION HERE TO CORRECT THIS AND GIVE US OUR SHORTER TIME BUY IT NOW OPTIONS BACK, THIS IS TOTALLY, TOTALLY INSANE AND YOU ARE PUTTING PEOPLE OUT OF BUSINESS!!!

crownsfieldcellular · ‎03-24-2019

@weschurch wrote:
I'll spell it out exactly for you. Ebay is trying to increase revenue BUT NOT FROM SALES!

Sound crazy? Not really. Let me explain.

Ebay has essentially given up trying to grow revenue from increasing SALES. What they are doing now is essentially doubling-down. They are creating a structure that plays on sellers who are getting no sales. They are basically saying "you are getting no sales because YOU are doing something wrong, and we can fix it for you "FOR A FEE". A seller pays for promotions to be placed higher in the structure, FULLY CREATED BY EBAY, Without this structure Ebay has nothing to dangle in front of sellers and would have to take responsibility for lacking sales. This is why the structure was created.

Now they increase revenue from people trying to get placed higher. Of course no more sales will actually occur but they have now made money off the sales that did happen, PLUS the money people paid to get higher in the structure. REVENUES INCREASED!

Now we go to the GTC thing.

Ebay knows it can't grow sales so they essentially are betting on your items NOT SELLING. If they do, thats fine as well but they were going to sell whether you used GTC or not. Now when they don't, and you don't cancel, CHA-CHING! - REVENUES INCREASED

Nothing in Ebays changes are going to, or were even intended to, actually obtain more sales. These were ways to bleed sellers on the allure of using an Ebay that they know they can't fix. 100% desperate money-grab

I've been considering this carefully the last few days, and I think you are right on the money. I believe now more than anything that forced GTC is way to basically also force more sellers to start using promoted listings.

It's a very, very sneaky way of raising their FVFs without actually announcing that change (and also pissing people off)...I think they thought the change to GTC really wouldn't upset to many people, because they claim that 80% of listings on the site are already GTC anyway.

I think they were very wrong about that though, and a LOT more people are up in arms about it then they thought they would be..

In reality...and I'm 99% on this: when sellers are using 3,5,7,10 day listing duration? I think eBay has figured out that they are getting "free" listing boosts when the items are ending. Especially the 3 day option, because its basically all promoted organically..You get the newly listed boost for a while, and then pretty much right after that ends you are getting a free ending soon boost. Why give sellers something for free, when you can start charging them to promote instead? I think this the biggest reason they have done this now.

Also, and I know this is true for me; I don't use promoted listings for shorter duration listings. I don't have to really. Now with this change? It totally levels the playing field for everyone and there are NO organic boosts anymore, nothing. With everything GTC there is no longer ending soonest boosting (I don't think at least), as nothing ever technically "ends". If you think how great that is for eBay it's almost astonishing.

It's a complete win - win for them. Now as a seller you can have slow or moderate sales compared to what you had before with your short durations? OR you can promote your listings to get them to sell faster (and pay higher FV Fees voluntarily)..And of course? You can always lower your prices to get faster sales. Either way? eBay wins (in their minds at least I think).

Eliminating the shorter durations to me now is just eliminating a freebie they were giving away for a long time - Organic listing boosting.

I mean they are a business too, and they have to show dividends and profits to a board and shareholders (otherwise there will be no more eBay). So I can't say I blame them for doing this in a capitalistic system that we all are making money in. It's actually pretty brilliant when you think about it (If I am in fact right).

I don't agree that with this new system that "no more sales will occur", at least in theory if more people are forced to start using promoted listings, I'm thinking that they are counting on that creating more sales - and in turn higher and more FV Fees..

On the fee thing you mentioned? And everyone is complaining about more? I don't agree with that as much, but it is plausible. I think maybe they were hoping that would be a little "happy coincidence" that no one would really pick up on with the other agenda in mind. But I think too many people have caught that one, and I believe they will remedy that somehow to shut people up about it.

Besides I'm not even sure what they are doing with that is legal (forcing people to run auctions that auto - renew for a fee without their consent)...Also, the bigger intended fee grab (outside of what you mentioned) was that they probably hoped more people would opt for stores. But since I'm seeing a ton of people saying they have cancelled their stores now? I think this blew up in their faces..

But I believe wholeheartedly I am right about why they forced GTC on everyone. It makes a lot more sense than anything else I've come up with (including them just being total morons lol)..

My sales actually picked up this weekend, so I'm less upset now. Also I heard there might be a feature where you can send offers to WATCHERS, which I think is brilliant (if its put into practice correctly) and for me should hopefully make up for the loss of the durations. But only time will tell.

I'm hanging in there for now, I'm curious to see how this all plays out.

kensgiftshop · ‎03-25-2019

@crownsfieldcellular wrote:

I sell ONE OFF high end iPhones on this site, I have no repetitive inventory, and I RELY on the URGENCY that 3 Day BIN auctions create during a certain time every week to make all my sales.

Since you can't do the 3 day listings any more, how about putting the phones on sale a couple days.

Start the price a little higher then you want, then run a 3 day sale.

You can put in the listing that the sale price will only be good for 3 days.

Have a great day.

tech-blasters · ‎03-25-2019

Dumb. The buyers are conditioned not to buy unless they get 50% off or more by eBays own antics over the past Decade. The little guy can't compete unless he gets his product in eyeshot and the Big Corps are the ONLY ones to gain from this move besides eBay. Come X-Mas time, eBay is going to find out how dumb this move was. Collectibles are not meant for GTC unless they are common items that are harder to move, so this GTC only nonsense hurts that sector irreparably. Smaller sellers sometimes sell things because they need cash flow, things they were hoping not to sell and this GTC all but assures it will take you longer to sell items unless you have the foresight to list 30 days in advance. This entire policy will be the end of the "Small" sellers and maybe that's whateBay wants but when they realize that those sellers are half their buyers who can't buy as often any longer or they just leave altogether becuase they are fed up like I am, then eBay will realize their mistake but by then, it will be too late and the Smller eBay sellers will have moved on to Amazon or similar to sell their goods so tell me how anyone is going to benefit from this nonsense?

fabreedwar · ‎03-25-2019

My sales actually picked up this weekend, so I'm less upset now.

click2buyusa, were they newly listed items?

lv-live365 · ‎03-25-2019

I agree with you 100%. We should be able to use 3, 5, 7, 10 & 30 auction periods if that is what works best for us as sellers. I myself use 30 days so I can check sells & see if it need tweking or if views are very low I may want to pull it completely. Like you I have been on eBay for over 15 years and seen many changes, some good, MANY bad. I hope they take another look at this new policy.

crownsfieldcellular · ‎03-25-2019

@fabreedwar wrote:
My sales actually picked up this weekend, so I'm less upset now.

click2buyusa, were they newly listed items?

A few of them were items that were sitting for a few days that I lowered the price on...What I did also was end a few listings and then immediately re-list them, and that then resulted in a few instant sales too...So apparently we can still use the system in that way to get the newly listed item boost..

nothingswrong · ‎03-25-2019

Absolutely correct.......after the first couple of days, the item will sit in no-man's land for almost four more weeks, or will never be seen again, if the buyer uses "newly listed" to search. This is the worst business decision ebay has ever made.

mam98031 · ‎03-25-2019

@nothingswrong wrote:
Absolutely correct.......after the first couple of days, the item will sit in no-man's land for almost four more weeks, or will never be seen again, if the buyer uses "newly listed" to search. This is the worst business decision ebay has ever made.

Once everyone has to post GTCs, this will have to change. We all can't be at the bottom. If all FP listings are GTC, some will rise to the top, they have to. So somehow the metrics on the search returns will have to accommodate the influx of GTC listings and the lack of 30 day FP.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

Anonymous · ‎03-25-2019

I am not sure what happened, I haven't even used the GTC yet( not sure I am going too) I have about 250 listing up set on 30 day buy now's.. and my view count is almost nothing, I have not had a sale in over 8 days and counting.. I was getting sales and then they just stopped around the 18th, Flat lined .. I do have about 50 listing i need to relist But I do not want to do auctions or GTC, so they are just sitting.....

northfloridasportscards · ‎03-25-2019

Being a fixed 30 day seller this is the only way I can see managing this disaster. I set all my active items to "time ending soonest". One day before they are set to expire I will just end them before they expire on their own and incur a fee. I don't want to have to do this but it is the only way to control things without incurring additional charges.

REGARDS

mam98031 · ‎03-25-2019

@Anonymous wrote:
I am not sure what happened, I haven't even used the GTC yet( not sure I am going too) I have about 250 listing up set on 30 day buy now's.. and my view count is almost nothing, I have not had a sale in over 8 days and counting.. I was getting sales and then they just stopped around the 18th, Flat lined .. I do have about 50 listing i need to relist But I do not want to do auctions or GTC, so they are just sitting.....

Having all the FP listings is new for all of us. Only time will tell how this all will play out. I hit flat lines from time to throughout the year. So it is hard to say what the one you are experiencing is actually due to. We can all guess, but none of us knows for sure.

It may or may not be related to everyone going GTC. Way too soon to tell.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

dinpavent0 · ‎03-25-2019

That is what my husband and I are going to do. He has much more listed than me so he has already been doing that. He uploads new listings everyday that I do for him, he just ends the ones that are going to end that day and replace them with a new set. He is rotating stuff too, stuff that has been relisted he will list. Right now he does on average 25 a day and always does it at same time every morning while having his coffee before work. He is up pretty early and I do all mine at night...lol. We both have stores and doing it this way doesn't incur new unwanted listing fees.

dinpavent0 · ‎03-25-2019

I get it, just the way I originally read it. I do understand why you are upset for sure. Do you think the actual auction style might work better than GTC if you just start auction at the price you would have put on a fixed price listing / auction ?

crownsfieldcellular · ‎03-27-2019

@kensgiftshop wrote:
@crownsfieldcellular wrote:

I sell ONE OFF high end iPhones on this site, I have no repetitive inventory, and I RELY on the URGENCY that 3 Day BIN auctions create during a certain time every week to make all my sales.

Since you can't do the 3 day listings any more, how about putting the phones on sale a couple days.
Start the price a little higher then you want, then run a 3 day sale.
You can put in the listing that the sale price will only be good for 3 days.

Thank you. Ironically that's what I just remembered I could do today lol...It may prove to be a viable alternative since there will be that urgency of a ticking clock. It just wont be most likely as urgent as the whole listing ending. But a sale ending can be pretty powerful psychologically to buyers. Thank you very, very much for your input!

crownsfieldcellular · ‎03-27-2019

@mam98031 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I am not sure what happened, I haven't even used the GTC yet( not sure I am going too) I have about 250 listing up set on 30 day buy now's.. and my view count is almost nothing, I have not had a sale in over 8 days and counting.. I was getting sales and then they just stopped around the 18th, Flat lined .. I do have about 50 listing i need to relist But I do not want to do auctions or GTC, so they are just sitting.....
Having all the FP listings is new for all of us. Only time will tell how this all will play out. I hit flat lines from time to throughout the year. So it is hard to say what the one you are experiencing is actually due to. We can all guess, but none of us knows for sure.

It may or may not be related to everyone going GTC. Way too soon to tell.

Agreed completely. I jumped the gun on this post out of anger and frustration. The sky is probably not completely falling, but we'll see. It is way to early to make any judgements here.