mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
This really has a lot to do with external searches like Google, Bing, Yahoo etc. Whatever is the shopper's choice. Shorter duration listings would often get returned in the search potential customer were running. When they would click on the link they would find too many times that the line was dead due to the listing ending. Shorter duration listings create more dead links in external searches.
I do understand how GTC can be very problematic for some sellers. Especially for those that like to rotate their stock. Unfortunately no matter how upset some sellers get, Ebay isn't likely to change this policy. In fact they have said they won't. And that they knew they would lose some sellers over it. But the benefits they felt outweighed the losses.
Do you have a Premium store? What specifically are reasons you don't want to use GTC? Maybe with an understanding of what you don't like about them can come some suggestions that may help you to better be able to use them to your advantage. I've been using them for many years. I rarely ran 30 day listings.
Know that GTC has been used for years by a great many sellers.
@marviolet wrote:Thank you for your response. I get it, it works for you. I have read many of the posts and a lot of sellers are disappointed and is walking away. My statement is based on my experience. I have been doing eBay for a while and noticed since the forced GTC my sales are not the same. Yes, I know the line about other factors. Again, I believe it would have been better to allow sellers to choose, however, eBay has decided that would no longer be an option. An option would not be in eBay's best interest and they are sticking to it. I am sure there are many changes to come. I feel a bit concerned when a seller says they have been on eBay for over 13 years and now feel it is time to move to another platform. Cheerleaders will say this happens all the time and eBay is still on the top shelf. One competitor of which we are all very aware is getting there, and as more and more people buy online that particular competitor will be reaching for the top shelf. They do have a lot of ads. What is your projection for the coming months?
Every time there is a big change to the site, some sellers leave. It always happens. I personally hate to see it, but I understand that sometimes a certain change can impact some sellers much harder than others and the site is just no longer a viable option for them.
I do however caution you in making this decision so close to the ramp up to the holiday season. Summer is notoriously slow sales for many sellers and that has nothing to do with the GTC change. You may find if you can hold out, see how the holiday season does for you and then make your decision one way or the other.
There will always be changes. That you can absolutely depend on. But internet sales and the buyers that use the internet to shop have vastly changed over the years. If Ebay had stayed the same as it was in the 90's, it probably would not exist at all today. So much has changed and if Ebay didn't change with the times, it would have been left in the dust of other sites. Just think how important mobile sales are now. How many buyer shop with their mobile devices and pay with their mobile devices. That alone is a huge change and one that wasn't around in the 90's.
I'm not sure which other competitor you are talking about. But if it is Amazon, they only have GTC too. And you are limited as to what you can list there.
I've actually had a better summer than I normally do. Typically for me summers are very slow and I don't start picking up again until mid to late September. It is hard to say if this holiday season will be a winner or a loser. Last year was really slow, so I'm hoping this season will treat us much better.
I wish you well in whatever you decide to do.
@marviolet wrote:Appreciate your response. It worked quite easily when one listed for 30 days and then relisted items whenever. There was no need to keep monitoring listings. Now, we have to monitor the items, go in and end the listing, then relist. That is not really choosing. So time-consuming. It worked beautifully before. Not seeing the advantage of GTC.
I'm not sure if you are using the word "relist" just to mean that you post the listing again or that is what you actually do. When we go to repost a listing that has ended or because we have more stock, there are two options. Relist or Sell Similar. It does make a difference in which one you choose. If you don't know the differences between the two actions, just ask.
