How`s GTC works for eBay`s bottom line (in the long run)?

[beautifulbeauty2012]

Most of us sick of this GTC slavery when you have to babysit listings, so eBay won`t relist what we don`t want to be relisted.

Ok, they grabbed those double relsting charges (the first one after 30 days instead of 31 and another one is when it actually got relisted) on July 31 and keep charging sellers as we speak (unless they had noticed and cancel 1-2 days before the time eBay displays.

If for the short run they are doing just great, I strongly believe eBay will lose in the long run. eBay`s inventory is already not so good (it looks to me pretty much like in 1999 with mostly flea market junk (well, treasures for collectors), and overload from Chinese alibabas sellers. I am seeing less and less good inventory with brand names in new condition. Many sellers have been leaving eBay to other platforms, and eBay is just a website without sellers. 

Apparently, eBay doesn`t want to lose its top sellers and suing Amazon right now for "illegally recruiting top sellers". But if eBay doesn`t listen and keeps forcing GTC and even cheating with relisting fees, the only money they can make will be from Chinese sellers (who make buyers dissatisfied because of misleading quality and other sneaky things) and by suing competitors for recruiting its sellers. 

I wish eBay work more on its algorithm to improve search listing, so buyers can actually see and buy items they are looking for instead of cutting the options and losing sales and stop this GTC dangerous game.

[greg5000]

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@beautifulbeauty2012 wrote:

Most of us sick of this GTC slavery when you have to babysit listings, so eBay won`t relist what we don`t want to be relisted.

Ok, they grabbed those double relsting charges (the first one after 30 days instead of 31 and another one is when it actually got relisted) on July 31 and keep charging sellers as we speak (unless they had noticed and cancel 1-2 days before the time eBay displays.

If for the short run they are doing just great, I strongly believe eBay will lose in the long run. eBay`s inventory is already not so good (it looks to me pretty much like in 1999 with mostly flea market junk (well, treasures for collectors), and overload from Chinese alibabas sellers. I am seeing less and less good inventory with brand names in new condition. Many sellers have been leaving eBay to other platforms, and eBay is just a website without sellers. 

Apparently, eBay doesn`t want to lose its top sellers and suing Amazon right now for "illegally recruiting top sellers". But if eBay doesn`t listen and keeps forcing GTC and even cheating with relisting fees, the only money they can make will be from Chinese sellers (who make buyers dissatisfied because of misleading quality and other sneaky things) and by suing competitors for recruiting its sellers. 

I wish eBay work more on its algorithm to improve search listing, so buyers can actually see and buy items they are looking for instead of cutting the options and losing sales and stop this GTC dangerous game.

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I agree with most of what you said.

To summarize:

• Sellers don't want forced GTC.
• eBay, stop taking Fees that aren't yours to take (and Sellers Free Listings).
• Sellers are leaving and there's less good stuff to buy here.
• Serious concerns with the Chinese sellers and their merchandise.
• Search doesn't work correctly.
• TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS BETTER ...

[starsportscards]

What they seem to be doing has to be highly illegal. I see it as a version of bait & switch. They bait you with the free listings, then when you technically don't have any control when it ends and without your permission, they relist them and get all those fees. I know they say you can end them early but technically you have no control over that because you may not be able to get to them in time, for whatever reason, then they relist them without your permission and get all those fees. At the very least it is very deceptive business practices and they need to be called out on it. Perhaps the FTC needs to hear about this.

[starsportscards]

If I get kicked off ebay for pointing out possibly illegal pricing and deceptive business practices, then so be it. After 21 years of this garbage, I am so tired of those running ebay and the games they play with the sellers. This bait & switch tactic is just another game they are playing with us. They tell me it's part of the policy update so I just have to accept it. NO I DON'T, just because it is on paper, doesn't make it right. It IS VERY DECEPTIVE business practices what they are doing.

I left after the huge store fee hike debacle and only came back when they offered free listings. Listing fees just came to where they just weren't worth it anymore with the terrible sell-through rates in many categories. There was a huge drop off in sell-through after that debacle as many sellers like myself left and took our buying power with us. I was OK with the free listing promotions till they started playing games with them and now they deceptively charge you on the relists when you technically don't have control over that. I've had about enough of feebay and their deceptive ways.

I'm contacting the FTC next week. I'm just glad a memo was put out by our Department of Justice last week and they are going to probe the Silicon Valley tech companies, including the online retailers, for seller/user abuse. It's HAPPENING! That's our President working for US!

[mam98031]

GTC has been around for years.  There are many sellers that have used it successfully for years.  But there are some sellers that it just doesn't work well for at all.  I get that and I respect that.

Especially sellers that like to rotate their stock.  This is a real issue for them.  To say it is an problem is just a real understatement.

With that said it is highly unlikely that Ebay will go back on this decision.  Ebay knows they have and will lose seller over this policy change.  It isn't that they don't care, it is that they see it as the direction they want to take their company.  

Ebay's membership has continued to grow over the years.  Both for buyers and sellers.  Many times not as much as we'd like, but it does continue to grow.

Some interesting stats.

https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/03/ebay-statistics-march-2018.html

https://www.statista.com/statistics/242235/number-of-ebays-total-active-users/

[this*old*attic]

So EBay should offer shorter durations because you aren’t organized or might get hit by a bus? You may not like GTC, but IT IS in your control.

[this*old*attic]

There was no drop off. Sales and listings have both increased. No one even blinked.

[femmefan1946]

I've happily used GTC for years since it is much less work than constantly monitoring my Unsold List for listings that have closed.

There has been so much fuss about the month end glitch that I suddenly realized that a lot of sellers mustlist all their items at the beginning of the month.

So my new listings will be avoiding those date in future, so my listings show up in Newly Listed and are not lost in a sea of "first of the month" listings.

My GTC listings are all over the place for starting, because I want something fresh(ish) showing up every day.

I do suspect, here under my tinfoil hat, that eBay is trying to get rid of those sellers who won't pay listing fees, not even $7.95 a month for a Starter Store of up to 100 listings,  because with the switch to dividend paying stocks, they will be distributing profits in future.

This means a very different type of stockholder than the "Buy lowSell high" gambler they have been dealing with up to now.

That single change is going to be very very "disruptive" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urglg3WimHA

[beautifulbeauty2012]

You are delusional if you think you are in control with GTC. With the double dip GTC charges, which are still going on, sellers definitely not in control. Get real or updated.

[mam98031]

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@beautifulbeauty2012 wrote:

You are delusional if you think you are in control with GTC. With the double dip GTC charges, which are still going on, sellers definitely not in control. Get real or updated.

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Why is it that your opinion of GTC overrides the opinions of others?  Why is it that someone has to be "delusional" if GTC works for them?  Respect goes both ways.  While I respect that you don't like GTC and do not want it to be your primary method of listing items, there are a whole lot of sellers that have used it as their primary way of listing for many years and it has worked fine for them.

That does not diminish the issues you have had.  They are real and they are important.

Ebay doesn't "double dip GTC charges"!!!  Ebay did have a problem when implementing the policy change of how GTCs will renew.  The policy change to have the GTC listings renew once per calendar month instead of every 30 days was by request of MANY sellers all over the threads in the weeks after the GTC change of March 18th.  Ebay agreed, they could change the renewal process that would be easier for these sellers to make the transition to GTC.  So we had the policy change of July 1st.

Unfortunately it didn't get implemented without issue.  There was an issue and it has since been resolved.  In all my years of using GTC it is the first time I've ever known of such a problem happening.  It is good to know they found the issue and fixed it so it would not happen again.

Now Ebay is left with identifying and helping the affected sellers.  It was NOT all sellers.  It was some sellers.  I have no idea how many sellers and I'm not sure Ebay even knows yet.  But it wasn't site wide for sure as none of my accounts were affected and I've checked with a few other sellers that I know and they haven't been affected.  So that is good news.  

So call Ebay if you wish to get your credits.  Let them know you were affected.  Or don't call Ebay if you are against doing that for whatever your reasons may be.  That is completely up to you.  There is no right or wrong answer.  You just need to do what is right for you.

[beautifulbeauty2012]

There is no "both" ways. There is only ONE way - GTC. It used to be optional, but now it is MANDATED.

[divwido]

While I hear the complaints, one thing is obvious.

THIS IS HOW EVERY OTHER SITE LISTS AND SELLS.  I prefer to take advantage of it.

[divwido]

Wonderful article. Thank you.

[mam98031]

@beautifulbeauty2012 wrote:

There is no "both" ways. There is only ONE way - GTC. It used to be optional, but now it is MANDATED.

Ebay has two types of listings now.  Auctions or GTC.  Auctions have multiple durations you can choose from.  GTC is as it's name suggests.

[starsportscards]

So EBay should offer shorter durations because you aren’t organized or might get hit by a bus? You may not like GTC, but IT IS in your control.

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Technically it is not in our control, especially for whatever reason we cannot get to them before the renew, they get renewed whether we want it or not and get charged the deceptive fees. Control is when you have COMPLETE control over the listings and WE DO NOT!