I am quitting.......again.

[mysistersclosetbyanita]

I've been a seller off and on since Sept, 2000.  I've loved it and hated it.  I've tried very hard to do all the things Ebay has requested in order to be a TRS.   I give 30 day returns,  I offer free shipping on some items, etc.   But my profit margin is very small,  and I'm losing. 

I opened the store back again last Spring and I did okay through the summer and so-so through the fall,  but it's slowly slid into dismal sales and still I'm paying Ebay.   I've been thinking about quitting again lately,  and it's a hard decision for me to make,  but I think I'm there. 

The new free returns boondoggle Ebay is putting on us come June is not my cup of tea.   I've seen it all with unscrupulous people in the past and to me this will just add to that headache.   So,  with great reluctance,  again I plan to quit.   I'm just going to let the items I'm running play out and not relist anything.  I will close the store once I'm below a certain amount of items running, and I will quit. 

I am a retired grandmother and this was an outlet for me as well as a small boost to my income,  but I see the writing on the wall and the days of any profit are over.   As the old saying goes,  there's no use in beating a dead horse.  

I don't know what's happened here,  but I do know my visibility is practically zero,  and without views you sure won't see sales.   I'm fairly certain I will never try selling on Ebay again,  unless they change policies that favor no one but the buyer. 

[kathieskorner]

I suspect returns have always been higher for clothing categories, so if you are going to sell used clothing you have to factor that in. 

However,  ebay's return policies are in line with the rest of ecommerce.   They are not going to change to become more seller friendly so you either accept them as part of the cost of doing business here  or call it quits. 

And I am also a retired grandmother who uses ebay to supplement my retirement income, but I know that ebay is not going to change so if my sales are dismal it means I have to re-examine what I'm selling and perhaps change.   I've made major changes in the past six months - closed both my stores and added two accounts - one for books and magazines - the other for crafts and supplies.  Cut my costs by $50 per month, and total sales haven't suffered.    Perhaps I'll opt for a starter store later in the year on this account - perhaps not. 

[mommadukestreasurehunt]

It's not only constantly re-examining product but presentation as well. Take some time to find articles on the AI being used, how it scans and sorts and the database it builds on consumers to show them the most relevant products. I will never totally understand it but find it interesting because there is so many components to it .... clicking formulas, picture details, etc. People can just take a picture of something they are interested in and the engine attempts to find a match .... I think it jumps over the typed word query. It's pretty cool.