Is there any way to save a copy of my out of stock listing for more than 90 days?

[inhawaii]

I currently use the out of stock feature on all of my listings. 

I've learned (by experience) that if an item goes to 0 stock ebay will keep the listing alive for 30 days or 3 billing cycles.  After that it gets deleted. Then  i would have to create a whole new listing should i start selling that item again. 

I currently have a item at 0 stock but it might be more than 90 days before i can get more.  It's kind of a complex variations listing that took me a while to create. Is there any way i can keep that listing alive more than 90 days?

[mam98031 · Accepted solution]

The OOS inventory function will keep your zero quantity listings active for 3 cycles of a GTC.

If you want them active longer than that.  I'm not sure how you would do that.  You might need to play with that a bit.  Maybe add a quantity of 1 to a listing and update it.  Then come back and change it to zero and see if that started the cycle over again.  IDK, I'm just throwing stuff out there.

[bigdeals.etc]

I didn't know about the 3 cycle thing. But going by what you're saying, yea I was thinking the same thing to just revise that listing back in stock for like a day. Make sure to raise the price too so no one will buy it. Then lower it back down again and see what happens. I would try it on the day before it's supposed to delete itself.

It stinks that we don't know another answer. For any future listings that you think you might do this to, you can create entire listing profiles with 3rd party managers (variations and all). So if that live listing happens to delete itself, you can just list it again from the profile at any time.

[inhawaii]

Good idea.  I'll do that.

Of course with my luck, i'll sell one as soon i show them back in stock.   😃

[inhawaii]

Thanks fellas!

[bigdeals.etc]

Or you know what else you could do? I just though of this.

You mention that eBay will remove the listing after 3 cycles right? So just before they do that, just end the listing. It should still show up in your ended listings for 90 days right (as all listings should after you've ended it)? Then before those 90 days are up, go to your ended listings and just relist it as zero quantity.

Overall you've kept your listing "in grasp" for 3 cycles + 90 days and you just sacrificed one insertion fee. Lather, rinse, repeat for as long as you need to do this. You'll lose your sales history tho since it will technically be a new listing.

[buyselljack2016]

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@bigdeals.etc wrote:

Or you know what else you could do? I just though of this.

You mention that eBay will remove the listing after 3 cycles right? So just before they do that, just end the listing. It should still show up in your ended listings for 90 days right (as all listings should after you've ended it)? Then before those 90 days are up, go to your ended listings and just relist it as zero quantity.

Overall you've kept your listing "in grasp" for 3 cycles + 90 days and you just sacrificed one insertion fee. Lather, rinse, repeat for as long as you need to do this. You'll lose your sales history tho since it will technically be a new listing.

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Not sure if I would trust that to happen, especially with a complicated (variations) listing.

When I end a listing that all the stock has been sold from, I do not believe that it shows in ended. ( I could be wrong). Listings that have had no sales do show up in "ended".

What I do with an OOS listing that I am out of, and will not restock within the next GTC relist period is to create a "sell similar" draft, and keep it renewed on a regular basis, so that it does not disappear.

EDIT: also something that goes along with that 3 cycle OOS (90 day) eBay removal is a listing fee credit. Ending may nullify that credit.

[wastingtime101]

If you want to keep the listing alive you up the quantity to 1 for one of the variations then you change it back to 0 right away. If you're truly concerned someone will buy it in the 30 seconds it takes to update the quantity then up the price to something crazy before adjusting the quantity back and forth.

If you want to keep the listing but don't need it active then change the quantity to 1 and end the listing. It will move to your Unsold listings page because it was ended with inventory still available.

[inhawaii]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

If you want to keep the listing alive you up the quantity to 1 for one of the variations then you change it back to 0 right away. If you're truly concerned someone will buy it in the 30 seconds it takes to update the quantity then up the price to something crazy before adjusting the quantity back and forth.

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This is what i'l do.  I just HOPE this will "reset the clock" so to speak,  for another 90 days. 

I would not want to use the END option because i would like to keep the sales stats on the listing. 

Thanks for your help.