GTC workaround tips here!

[krys888]

I noticed that a lot of sellers (including me) are still frustrated with GTC and that ebay has made it clear its not going away. So, I thought it might be helpful if we shared tips & tricks on how we’re dealing with / working around GTC. This post / thread is meant for tips & tricks, not complaints so much, so that it can serve as a potentially valuable resource for us. I’ll start!

I have my listings sorted by date. I now keep at least two auctions going. When one ends, I put up another. Any listings showing between the two auctions, I just end and either relist or change or save for later or whatever. I always make sure I have an auction item at the top (ending soonest). That way, I can at a glance see which ones are about to reach their 30 days.

I realize that’s a bit elementary, so I’d love to hear what others are doing to deal with it. Thank you!

[willialloy_8]

ebay is the new Titanic.  Good luck trying to figuring it out, because ebay can't figure it out for themselves.

[nobody*s_perfect]

It's not clear what you are trying to "work around". What issues do your strategies address?

[mr_lincoln]

@krys888   You may want to consider posting this thread on the Discussion Tab - Selling board ... the flow is sequential and chronological compared to the Q & A format here ... on  this format if I reply to your main post it starts a new branch as does everybody else's ... the sequential flow on the other board allows more posts to be viewed more quickly ...

[krys888]

Ah. I think I’m beginning to understand. LOL. Oops. Thank you.

[goldxxxsilver]

Before ..GTC... Sellers had Some Control Over Their Stores... but Since Ebay includes many Like Items to your Store Page... so we have lost All of our individual Items to Others Sellers... and have Invited Like Items to be Shown at our Store...Not Fair but that is Ebay ..Seems Like Auctions as you have Work the Best....Good Luck to All

[krys888]

That the listings automatically renew. That doesn’t work for me; I like to end them at the end of the listing period, make adjustments or hold off for a while, or whatever, before relisting. Not only should I have clarified that, but I realize I shouldn’t have posted this at all. Sigh. LOL.

[ten_o_nine]

I couldn't run an ebay business without GTC. I would hate to spend all that time and effort watching ending items than growing my business.

[mschacha]

I start every morning logging into each of my accounts and ending auctions that have 24 hours left. Some I may relist right away with a few changes and some I save for later. I'm retired so I have more time than some people. I really wish the auctions would just end and I could get to them as needed. Ebay has made more work for many of us. I have always felt that GTC is a money grab for relisting fees.

[krys888]

Oops again. I should’ve said “forced” or “mandatory” GTC. I understand there are sellers who like GTC; and that it used to be an option. I was referring to those of us who do NOT like it. Again, sorry.

[chapeau-noir]

The 'workaround' I can see is for the seller to pay attention to their listings and end the ones they want to end, and let the others renew.  There's even a line item on the seller hub saying which listings are "ending today." The difference I see between 30-day and GTC is the seller needing to take control of their listings at the 30-day point. I can't answer to the shorter duration listings as I found they didn't sell any better than 30-day, anyway (but that's my category) but the workaround to that is auctions with BIN which would restore the shorter durations with a fixed price option.  It does take some time to check this every day, but I think most of us are checking our listings, anyway.

ETA: I think it's a good idea to have a positive action thread like this, BTW, because even if GTC doesn't bother me, it's proven to be an obstacle to a lot of other people, depending on categories where they sell, etc.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Do you use up all of your fixed price insertions every month? If not, you might want to wait until after a listing rolls over before you end it.  Then you won't lose out on the little boost that you might get when potential buyers sort their search results by "Ending soonest" or look at their watch list that's sorted by ending soonest.  This board regularly sees threads about "Why do buyers wait until the last minute to buy a fixed price listing?"

[chapeau-noir]

---

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

Do you use up all of your fixed price insertions every month? If not, you might want to wait until after a listing rolls over before you end it.  Then you won't lose out on the little boost that you might get when potential buyers sort their search results by "Ending soonest" or look at their watch list that's sorted by ending soonest.  This board regularly sees threads about "Why do buyers wait until the last minute to buy a fixed price listing?"

---

That's an good idea - you get the little boost at 'newly listed' and 'ending soonest' anyway.  I run out of freebie listings every month, but when I went to 30-day no longer used so many listings that I needed a premium store, so I'm only a little basic store now with maybe 300 things going and pay for about 40-50 listings (still cheaper than paying for premium) if I feel like it - sometimes I don't have that much stuff running.   I end every 90 days, so that's three relists under GTC and done.  After that I let them lay for a while, rejig, put them away for the season and the like.  I sell mostly clothing and sell seasonally.

One thing about listing in 60-90-120 day durations (for example) is sorting the listings on those durations.  My SKU includes a date so I glance at the date in my 'ending today' listings.

[mam98031]

---

@mschacha wrote:
I start every morning logging into each of my accounts and ending auctions that have 24 hours left. Some I may relist right away with a few changes and some I save for later. I'm retired so I have more time than some people. I really wish the auctions would just end and I could get to them as needed. Ebay has made more work for many of us. I have always felt that GTC is a money grab for relisting fees.

---

Why would you end auctions with 24 hours left?  When auctions were good to me, the majority of the bids came in during the last 24 hours.

It makes no sense that GTC is a "money grab" when the vast majority of the sellers that complain passionately about GTC on the threads always list within their monthly free listing allotment.  That just can't be a "money grab" because money has to be involved and it isn't for most of the sellers that complain on the threads about it.

@mschacha 

[chapeau-noir]

---

@mam98031 wrote:

---

@mschacha wrote:
I start every morning logging into each of my accounts and ending auctions that have 24 hours left. Some I may relist right away with a few changes and some I save for later. I'm retired so I have more time than some people. I really wish the auctions would just end and I could get to them as needed. Ebay has made more work for many of us. I have always felt that GTC is a money grab for relisting fees.

---

Why would you end auctions with 24 hours left?  When auctions were good to me, the majority of the bids came in during the last 24 hours.

It makes no sense that GTC is a "money grab" when the vast majority of the sellers that complain passionately about GTC on the threads always list within their monthly free listing allotment.  That just can't be a "money grab" because money has to be involved and it isn't for most of the sellers that complain on the threads about it.

@mschacha 

---

I think they may mean fixed price listings - sometimes people still call them 'auctions' or just misspeak.

The whole money grab thing - I just...can't...