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Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

I am so ready to pack it in! I have not had a sale in a week, and I'm seeing I'm getting hardly any views...let alone watchers. I have "sold similar", changed photos, reduced prices, offering  sales on markdown mgr, using promoted listings, filled in their new format.

Nothing selling! Maybe at mid-month, when my bill is due, I'll get a couple sales-(this usually happens). I'm using GTC, although I hate it...I haven't had a sale from GTC in forever (waste of my monthly payment to ebay). 

In the meantime, any one have any ideas? I'm ready to not renew my store in Feb.

TIA...Charlene

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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

I'll try lowering my prices a little more...and changing a few to .99....but I am not a believer in starting an auction at .99. I've seen way too many very nice, expensive items sell for .99

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Message 18 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

I am in the same boat but do not have a store and will not get one for that reason. So I use my 50 free so at least it does not cost me that much if things do not sell. If Ebay does not make changes for the better this site will not exist in a few years and their earnings show that. Why on earth they are not doing anything about this is the real question???

Message 2 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

I don't have a store.  Like you,  I primarily list new and preowned clothing.  It has been my experience over the past several years that sales drop off drastically between Halloween and New Years for our type of items.  

I'm still trying to decipher the holiday season.  My belief is that people are buying for others and actually want to see the item before deciding to gift it.  Also, I don't accept returns; that has got to have a big part in it.  

Some of my buyers, maybe 10% buy for themselves, and still buy my items. 

I, too, have not sold anything in 8 days, at the time I unlisted my Halloween costumes, which were 50% of my inventory. 

Don't give up unless January (usually around the 15th) rolls around ans you still have no sales.  Good luck.

Message 3 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

Hi There - 

Ditto on the low sales for October.  I also sell clothing, shoes and accessories, so I hear you.  I don't have a store, I make the most of the 50 free listings I get each month, and I take advantage of the occasional listing promotions.  I reuse boxes, and buy tissue and shipping supplies in bulk to keep costs as low as possible.  Internet selling has changed dramatically over the last 20 years (Yes, I have been around that long), and Ebay is still trying to find its niche in this new era.  I don't do social media, so those sites just won't work for me.  The marketplace is so much bigger, but so are the options.  Watchers will only become buyers when the price is right or their need for a particular item drives them to purchase.  I do free shipping, but I do not take returns, unless there is a special circumstance.  I ship immediately, and buyers really appreciate that.  Take good, clear photographs, have good descriptions, take measurements whenever possible, etc.  Ebay Stores, Promoted Listings and Research Tools are great, but expensive.  I keep it simple and average about $1,000 per month in sales, with about 17% selling costs.  I won't be rich, but it puts a good dent in my kids' college tuition!  Best of Luck!!!

Message 4 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

Try raising your prices. I've had sales come in after doing that in the past. It might create a sense of urgency for any watchers you have, and might do the same for other buyers. Also, and I'm not sure if this is the case, but Ebay has an inherent interest in showing buyers higher priced items in the 'similar items' in other seller's listings.

 

Another thing if you are using GTC is to not let it automatically relist. Instead end the item and manually relist it GTC seems to bury old listings that dont have a lot of activity in search results. Manually relisting it refreshes search placement and puts the 'newly listed' promo on your listing

Message 5 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

I took am in the same boat -- I made a mistake by upgrading my store to an anchor store and I tried to go in and downgrade and it said I couldn't because I had signed up for a year and it says if I cancel I'll owe more than what I owe right now.  Of course, I didn't read the find print -- I upgraded to the anchor store when I had a premium store and thought it would be a great thing.  It was for the first two months than I started seeing my sales tanking and I too haven't sold anything in a week.  I've been busy fixing my store and haven't had time to list new items.  I'm at a crossroads here now Ebay did not meet expectations for third quarter and loss money Amazon was in the same boat they lost more money than ebay (they'll write all their losses off).  However, ebay just announced they expect their sales to be down anywhere from 2-4% compared to last year.  Due to loss of volume -- sellers are checking out and going elsewhere.  I might have to do the same.  I've been slowly building up Mercari and Etsy.  Does anyone expect a buyout -- with no CEO in charge things look awfully bleak.  

Message 6 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

Sounds like you're doing it the right way.

Message 7 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

depending how many items you have for sale, a store is not a bad idea. I have the basic store. I believe that is what they call it. 250 free auction, 250 fixed, 6 eBay Motor listings per month. You would need to work the numbers to see if it's a fit for you.

 

I did learn that you need to end your GTC and not let it rollover. If you let it rollover, it will not show as a new listing. It will still show deep in the listings as someone stated in this thread.

 

I do add "best offer" on most of my items, but I will not send offers. I think that shows watchers that your desperate. Let them make an offer if they are really interested!

 

These next 45 days will probably be a deciding point for many sellers. I do believe eBay is trying to fix what the previous CEO jacked up, but it would be nice to give us sellers some free listings until fixed. What does it really cost to give free listings? We sell more, eBay makes more! This is crunch time for year end sales / profits!

Message 8 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

HI THE VIEWS THE NOT WORKING SENCE 10/23/19 YOU HAVE TO CALL EBAY -EBAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM LAS YEAR IS A TECHNICAL PROBLEM SINCE THE 23rd AND EVERY TIME I CALL I DON/T GET ANY SATISFACTION THAT IT WILL BE FIXED UNTIL THE 31rd THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE AND SAID TO GIVE IT A COUPLE OF DAYS TO BE RESOLVED
Message 9 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

Anonymous
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As of Nov 1st View counter is still not working, Or I am just not getting any views.. I have not had a sale in over 31 days...Not normal,

Message 10 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

I've been selling about 9 yrs...I started before we moved, just trying to downsize. Then we moved and I continued selling for fun and some extra money. I've seen changes, and rolled w/ them. I always took good pictures, described truthfully and thoroughly, took great measurements...enjoyed 100% f/b and some wonderful, positive eBay messages from some buyers. But what is happening is awful...I spend so much time on old listings...re-wording, adding phrases, changing pictures...jumping through new hoops that eBay has been imposing on us. |I'm a positive person...hoping things get better
Message 11 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

Well stated in a concise fashion!  You just described what most of us have been doing to try to tweak our listings, make our presentation better, ANYTHING, that may stimulate sales.  We do a lot of Social Media Marketing too...on our own, not with a service.  It IS so time consuming...which would not be a bad thing if it resulted in an increase in sales.  I, too, am a positive person....but the positive truth is the eBay is a dismal selling venue at this time.  Usually in life, things have to become a mess, before they get orderly (like cleaning out a closet).  So....hopefully the mess will get organized, eBay will straighten out the selling venue, and Sales will begin to happen again, soon!   

Message 12 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

I am in the same boat.  I have been selling on eBay for 10 years now and have a store.  It has been a great supplement to our family income.  Unfortunately, the last two years have seen a steady decline and it just keeps getting worse.  I am seriously considering just selling out my inventory and being done with it unless some changes are made soon.  It saddens me because I have always enjoyed selling on eBay.  I 

Message 13 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

I totally hear you! I have so much great stuff to be sold that is just sitting here because sales are so bad. I do not want to give this stuff away as much of it is too good for that so I just keep hoping that either things get better here or another site similar to the original Ebay pops up. Many of these companies have become too greedy and are pushing the sellers into free shipping etc. or no visibility. This form of blackmail will get them nowhere and if you look at the earnings report you can see evidence of this. The sellers are their bread and butter and they need to realize this!

Message 14 of 29
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Re: Hardly any views, fewer watches, no sales. Help!

I'm the same way. I just got an email from eBay advertising a Fossil doctors bag for way over $100...so I did a search for mine (one I'm selling for $42). There it is...way at the bottom of the listings! Now, WHAT is eBay doing? Our listings are not being seen!! Grrr...
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