Just fed up with changes that make it harder to sell and are time sinks! G'bye after 22 years!

[gr-stamps3]

I have had this account with eBay for 22+ years now and I am just tired of all of the no value added changes.  The latest is a 'unified selling tool' that is only good for mobile sellers of huge volumes of standard goods, and is a huge time sink for PC-using listers of unique one-off type items like stamps, in my case.  Managed payments added a week or two to getting paid, and a week or two to eBay's float of our money.  More ads when I log on - and on and on it goes with changes that make it harder or more costly to sell, harder to form communities and buyers' networks, and just in general I feel like eBay is almost preying on its sellers.  So I am ending my listings and giving it a break, maybe set up my own site or try other markets.  Maybe I cool down and come back, but right now I don't think so.  Cheers y'all!

[albertabrightalberta]

I assume you're busy right now ending your 75 listings? After you're done, good luck in your future endeavors. 

[the-hook-and-the-loop]

" just in general I feel like eBay is almost preying on its sellers" 

[luckythewinner]

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@gr-stamps3 wrote:

I have had this account with eBay for 22+ years now and I am just tired of all of the no value added changes.  The latest is a 'unified selling tool' that is only good for mobile sellers of huge volumes of standard goods, and is a huge time sink for PC-using listers of unique one-off type items like stamps, in my case.  Managed payments added a week or two to getting paid, and a week or two to eBay's float of our money.  More ads when I log on - and on and on it goes with changes that make it harder or more costly to sell, harder to form communities and buyers' networks, and just in general I feel like eBay is almost preying on its sellers.  So I am ending my listings and giving it a break, maybe set up my own site or try other markets.  Maybe I cool down and come back, but right now I don't think so.  Cheers y'all!

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Thankfully I have not run into any of those issues, but it seems you and others have 

I agree wholeheartedly that there is no reason to use eBay if you have the ability to attract enough buyers to your own site. 

[buyselljack2016]

Listing tool.............  I just generally use "sell similar", and make whatever little changes are needed. YMMV

Slight variations depending upon payment day, but............

My buyer pays on Sunday.

Payment clears on Monday.

Payout on Tuesday

In my checking account on Wednesday.

Not sure where the "Managed payments added a week or two to getting paid, and a week or two to eBay's float of our money." falls in there, but I wish you well in your future endeavors.

[12345jamesstamps]

Think twice. I was having thoughts also and changed my business model. I have decided to try to list hundreds of "buy it now" and I stopped doing auctions because my auctions only attracted international buyers. I am even doing some promoted listings which are rather high. True, having auctions means you have to wait a while for payments. Which is why I might do only a few now and then. In the meantime, its list, list and more list of buy it now stamps(mainly). The name of the game is to compete with the big sellers of stamps.

Thus one has to list a comfortable 2000 listings to get repeat buyers(goal is repeat buyers). I wouldn't give up.  It does take a lot of my time. But alas, I was only doing auctions and found it wasn't working for me and I was actually giving my stuff away at low prices. And for me it has to be free shipping for USA buyers.

The big sellers do free shipping so I have too also. Usually USA buyers only buy one lot at a time. If you follow my business plan you might think twice about quitting. Us small stamp sellers have to come up with ways to compete with these big stamp sellers...that is our competition. Its not eBay you should be upset with but the big sellers who have employees working for them to sell on this platform. 

[maxine*j]

This must be So-Long Sunday.  Departure after departure being announced today.  None of them here for less than 20 years.  And so the herd thins. 

Happy Trails, wherever they lead you.

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[ed8108]

When things worsen, time to consider  your options for a better future.

Good luck in your future endeavors.  

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Best of luck in your future endeavors, wherever they may take you.

[chapeau-noir]

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@maxine*j wrote:

This must be So-Long Sunday.  Departure after departure being announced today.  None of them here for less than 20 years.  And so the herd thins. 

Happy Trails, wherever they lead you.

-

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It appears that the old sellers are far less adaptable than the new sellers.

[maxine*j]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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@maxine*j wrote:

This must be So-Long Sunday.  Departure after departure being announced today.  None of them here for less than 20 years.  And so the herd thins. 

Happy Trails, wherever they lead you.

-

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It appears that the old sellers are far less adaptable than the new sellers.

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Evidently.  But what the heck hasn't changed, and changed a lot, in the past 20 years?  Have they been likewise unable to deal with all the other changes in this 21st Century, touching nearly every aspect of life?  And did they make their grand departure announcements as they withdrew from other institutions / organizations / businesses which changed in ways they disliked? 

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[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@chapeau-noir  I don't know, anyone who has been here for 20 plus years has probably done a LOT of adapting. I think the reason we tend to hear more about the departures of veteran sellers is because they have more of an emotional investment in the site, having been here so long. I'm sure there are new sellers who drop out without announcement because they weren't here long enough to have developed any emotional ties (favorable or unfavorable).  They just move on to the next thing. Or they stay but reduce their presence because multi channel is the norm for a lot of younger sellers....I've noticed its mostly veteran sellers who talk about going multi channel as if they discovered some selling secret. 

[az93]

You have a number of active listings, all auctions. Only ebay offers auctions. I agree about the changes, though. Terrible numerous changes few of which benefit anyone including ebay. Cumbersome to list. I have no issues buying, just selling. I know a few sellers on ebay and none of us list on our phones.

[collectfest]

Thanks for your post.

I want to comment on snide comments made by some who imply why to folks make such announcements. 

Really? Like a real job, you quit or are fired and your leaving, its a NORMAL processes to discuss it while you're out the door. It is not odd at all. Fellow employees will ask, what happened, what are you going to do ect. JUST NORMAL stuff. So, why not bring it to the boards. Its A-OK with me.

I agree with much of what you have said. I did not hear a bunch of whining, I heard the truth, for many of us at least. 

What I do not understand is folks who what to be sarcastic, discount or proclaim how all's well with them. Wells it's not with you and thank you for your insight. I hope you find a way to make things work both here on eBay as well as other outlets. 

[chapeau-noir]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

@chapeau-noir  I don't know, anyone who has been here for 20 plus years has probably done a LOT of adapting. I think the reason we tend to hear more about the departures of veteran sellers is because they have more of an emotional investment in the site, having been here so long. I'm sure there are new sellers who drop out without announcement because they weren't here long enough to have developed any emotional ties (favorable or unfavorable).  They just move on to the next thing. Or they stay but reduce their presence because multi channel is the norm for a lot of younger sellers....I've noticed its mostly veteran sellers who talk about going multi channel as if they discovered some selling secret. 

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All good points.  I'm a veteran seller who has always sold on other channels as well (in fact I had been selling elsewhere when I first started here in 2001), and maybe the exposure helps in perspective.  I just keep hearing (reading) veteran sellers complaining about how it's not like the 'good old days' as if etailing hasn't been measured in light years in the last 20-25 years and an entire sector hasn't evolved - that's mostly what I mean by lack of adaptability.  I don't agree with all changes, either, but they don't surprise me.

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques