Wow! We are walking in the same pair of old shoes and keep doing the same thing over and over again. I've even thought the same thing about eBay sending out reps to get to know you, find out what you sell, and what your personal strategies are in selling. I've been selling for 12 years and my sales have not gone up either on an annual basis, but my new strategy is to start selling something else along with what I currently sell in my niche.
I also feel like I'm working my tail off 24/7 and getting nowhere and when it comes to what the gal inquired about -- I've learned if I don't promote, generally everything at 10%, then my listings won't show up either, but boy all of the new sellers will keep those slots. Twelve years ago when I was a new seller, I had to constantly fight to be seen. I can't even count the number of times, sometimes in tears, that I've called a representative and practically begged them to show my listings.
No seller should have to fight to have their items show up in those top pages like I have, and I'm sure there are others such as yourself. I've got the pictures, I've got the item descriptions and the specifics, the body of my listing covers everything and is an enjoyable read. I've been complemented repeatedly about the quality of my listings by my buyers. However, eBay still doesn't help and I too can't help but feel that the placement of listings is controlled ulttiimately by a human who is evidently not swayed by their intelligence, probably not knowing anything about the category itself.
However, I have learned that if I don't have auctions running every week, that eBay seems to limit the number of fixed priced items being seen and will specificaly back off somewhat on promoting my items. At the same time, they are somewhat tricky regarding how they manage to get more out of that item you sold at auction. I've found they will go ahead and click on that item to be promoted as well, because I have specifically not wanted my "auction" items promoted and low and behold it will suddenly appear on my listings.
None of what I've suggested can be proven specifically and overall is speculation, but my annual sales barely moving after 12 years is very factual. I think that eBay does not consider the buyers when it comes to whoever they promote on those first pages, I think that all they think about is the potential money they might get. It makes no sense to me than to blast buyers with a bunch of new sellers who could and often do mess up an order in some way because they don't have any experience.
I'm sorry, probably what I've written is just a jumble of nonsense, but I'll probably continue to pay eBay through the nose and call them crying for another 12 years regardless of my own common sense which is to pack up and go sell on a completelly different platform.
Jeanne GravesStehman
Scrapsmusic
