It appears US sellers Promoted Listings policy has changed to match Europe new changes

[rugerskick]

I am referring to changes on the help and contact page discussing Promoted Listings General policy page:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/ebay-advertising/promoted-listings/general-campaign-strategy

They have changed the wording to say you are now charged this fee if the promoted ad link is clicked by anyone and then purchased sometime in the next 30 days.  It is not if the buyer clicked and found the item through a promoted listings link.

I have copied over the relevant changed areas that confirm this:

"You’ll only pay a percentage of the total sale amount when the promoted item sells after a click on your ad."  (This no longer is limited to the ad clicker also being the buyer.)

"The amount you pay is determined by an ad rate, or the percentage of an item's total sale amount (including item price shipping, taxes, and any other applicable fees) that is charged when the promoted item sells within 30 days of a click on your ad."  (Again, you are charged if its clicked and someone buys it anytime afterwrds for 30 days, regardless of if they click a promoted ad link for the item or not.)

So friends, Ebay has rolled out this controversial change to Promoted Listings General items and did not tell their US sellers they did it.  They changed the wording in their help pages so its the only way you would know of this huge change to those using Promoted Listings General campaigns.  They made a huge stealth change and did not say one thing to US sellers who they know were watching the other areas of the world reacting to it in their areas.  They know some sellers would drop using Promoted Listings General if this change would be rolled out here, so they did it and didn't announce they were doing it.  And to make sure I wasn't reading it wrong, Ebay Customer Support confirmed I was understanding it correctly, that the policy has changed.

So it looks like if anyone clicks on a promoted ad link of yours, and doesnt buy it, if it sells in the next 30 days even if the buyer finds it through a non-promoted link, you will now be charged the promoted ad fee.

[gurlcat]

Good eye, but it hasn't rolled out yet.  The if/when discussion is already underway in this thread started day-before-yesterday. 

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Is-New-Promoted-Listings-Ad-Attribution-Rolling-Out-To-US-With... 

[rugerskick]

If that is correct, it appears then in light of the help pages being changed the way they have been, and are currently viewing, it will be rolling out.

Everyone knows its bad because now theres no direct proof the promoted ad link did anything to sell the item you are being charged the extra fee on.  In most cases it won't have done anything but Ebay falsely claims it does in order to take more money from you.

Other things maybe people have not thought about yet:

What if ebay runs their own bots against all your promoted general listings.  The bot clicks your promoted listing links, now any of those that sell, you get charged the promoted listing fee.

Ok, if not bots, what if ebay has people they know and pay to click the promoted listing links.

What if your competitors decide to click your promoted ad links, deliberately making sure you're going to get charged more?  They don't have to buy it.  If anyone clicks it and it sells within 30 days, you're charged the extra fee.  

[mr_lincoln]

@rugerskick 

Thanks for posting that ... I abandoned PLS at the end of 2023.  Prior to 2022 I experienced great success running one PLS 30 day campaign PER Quarter.  In early 2022 eBay fully launched PLA, changed how Views were counted and magically doubled and tripled the "Suggested" ad rates in the categories I sell in.  This meant eBay wanted a total of FVF and Ad rates in the 24.5% to 25% range per sale on a campaign.  This made sales unsustainable using PLS.

What happened after that was a slow steady decline in sales over a 2 year period.  While some have success with PLS it may not last or sales might drop until Suggested rates are met thus increasing the Fees paid to the venue.  To quantify the loss in sales we are talking over $ 34K through 2024.  This is based off the last growth year I attained in 2021. 

Sellers have to make their own decision on using features that end in more fees or lower selling prices. 

[rugerskick]

I have already adopted a strategy for myself, obviously everyone has to come up with a strategy they believe will work for their own personal situation.  It appears it will be coming sooner rather than later, however, give the help pages concerning Promoted Listings General on the US site are already changed to reflect it, and their customer service reps are confirming the changes.

If gurlcat is right and its still not yet in place, sellers, implement your policy changes on promoted listings now before they do change, if you have any changes.  Its like you know the pitcher is gonna throw, the ball isn't speeding at you yet, but his arm is coming down to release...

[gurlcat]

Yes all those "what ifs" are being discussed in that thread.  

[gurlcat]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

To quantify the loss in sales we are talking over $ 34K through 2024.  This is based off the last growth year I attained in 2021. 

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I can't dispute that eBay's promotion obsession might explain some portion of that loss you observed.  But it's also impossible to say how much growth you wouldn't have seen before the drop-off if it weren't for Covid.  -2021 was just about everybody's best year, LOL.  

[hw9557]

I try to not over react in general, but this is just wrong. 

I have been wondering if eBay was already messing with promoted listings and charging us.  There is no way to track this and there should be a direct line from A to B.

This new policy is like the wild wild west.

I will once again adapt, but there will become a time when there is no adjusting. 

Clearly the way to make money is buy low, which is always the goal. 

[rugerskick]

Here the real root of the ebay problem.  It's been one they have had for years.

Because of who is running this place, they have only had one major strategy to increase revenue.  And that is, to find new and questionably "creative" ways to take more from sellers without really having to do anything to get it.  They have no strategies to increase buyers, which would be like the captain obvious solution.

But we have a number of walmart people in c-suite here, and the way they treated walmart vendors, is how they are and have treated ebay sellers.  Thats where they will get their revenue increases from.  And its the only things they actively are doing.

And it is behind this move, this very questionable move, they are going to implement.  You don't modify the help and contact pages on the US web site on a major selling policy that takes money from sellers if they use it, if you're not going to do it.

Whatever discussion they are having with sellers is just letting people have their say, and then they will implement it.  Its all just placating the sellers.  Then they go ahead and do what they have already decided to do.

[mr_lincoln]

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@gurlcat wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

To quantify the loss in sales we are talking over $ 34K through 2024.  This is based off the last growth year I attained in 2021. 

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I can't dispute that eBay's promotion obsession might explain some portion of that loss you observed.  But it's also impossible to say how much growth you wouldn't have seen before the drop-off if it weren't for Covid.  -2021 was just about everybody's best year, LOL.  

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@gurlcat 

Much of what I experienced I was able to prove through testing through 2022  to the end of 2023.  Sell through rate crumbled because BIN listings were being buried in search in between failing quarterly PLS campaigns.  I keep good records, every month since starting to see in late 2015 I have total sales and total item sales dollars.  Trends are easy to spot.  To maintain cashflow inventory was moved to other venues so the drop was only realized on eBay.  While I prefer to sell on eBay. the operative word is Sell ...  I never hesitated to move inventory elsewhere to continue growth potential.  

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Selling on eBay and am working on trying to get back on a growth curve.  Had there been like one year where sales dropped but then started to increase again I wouldn't be posting about this ... but it was three straight years.  The process that had worked to grow the business over 7 years stopped and reversed in too short of a time period to be a simple drop in sales, a normal sales cycle, etc...  

I accept what happened, the venue has its goals to increase its income via Advertising and Fees since it does not manufacture anything or sell anything tangible ... 

[gurlcat]

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@rugerskick wrote:

Whatever discussion they are having with sellers is just letting people have their say, and then they will implement it.  Its all just placating the sellers.  Then they go ahead and do what they have already decided to do.

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By "they" do you mean eBay?  😆 When was the last time you saw them discuss things with sellers here?  At best they allow a few 'blues' to relay information to us, but not for every answer we seek.  Regarding a change to promotions, here's eBay's "discussion" on the matter.  No placating going on over there.  

[jasoheat_0]

ebay must have taken your link down and it only shows , sorry we cant find **bleep** , so when is this suppose to start ? 

[valueaddedresource]

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@jasoheat_0 wrote:

ebay must have taken your link down and it only shows , sorry we cant find **bleep** , so when is this suppose to start ? 

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@jasoheat_0  they didn't take it down, it looks like @rugerskick 's link was just missing the last part of the URL.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/ebay-advertising/promoted-listings/general-campaign-strategy?id=41... 

And you can see more about what has changed on the help and policy pages for Promoted Listings General ad attribution:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Is-New-Promoted-Listings-Ad-Attribution-Rolling-Out-To-US-With... 

[jasoheat_0]

so if i understand this correctly , if someone clicks on one of my PL Ads i will be charged an ad fee if someone else purchases this item , even if it was organic ? is that correct 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@jasoheat_0  The fee will NOT attach if the purchased item is not in a Promoted Listing General Ad campaign at time of purchase. It WILL attach if the purchased item IS in such a campaign at time of purchase, and that will be true whether the actual purchaser clicks on the listing as a sponsored listing OR as an organic listing.