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Massive decline in sales -73%

Sales down 73% vs last 30 days (and prior 30 days not impressive either). I did not think this was even possible. Impressions are UP, I have already increased promoted ad rate % with no results.

 

Have asked ebay about this twice now, no real help to be had. They did say many sellers are experiencing poor sales.. but 73% is absurd.

 

I have a near perfect account and anchor store + 17 years on ebay. There is no reason to target my account but it feels that way given how poor things have become.

 

Is anyone else experiencing this magnitude of decline?? (I sell computers, I am aware of the poor market for PC's, this is beyond that and beyond earlier this year). I've tried more aggressive pricing, new listings, more advertising, nothing changes. It feels targeted. I also have had perhaps 2 interested customers message me in several weeks, that is VERY odd as well.

 

I thought last year was the worst possible scenario with the macro economy and geopolitics. I understand the economy is very poor now, but this is vs 30 days, however 90 days are also down, up to midsummer sales were outpacing last year moderately well, so this is entirely weird.

 

Sure it will get better into the holidays, but in the meantime this is very bad, this is the WORST month I have EVER had in 17 years of selling. That makes no sense.

 

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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

I don’t think indiscriminately raising PL %’s will give you the results you wants. High %  PL’s are a double edged sword, you will get more views(at a higher cost) but this will quickly be thwarted if the views don’t translate to actual sales.

Message 91 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

You forgot climate change. Everything is now tied to climate change.  Did your dog do #2 on your neighbor's lawn? Climate change.  Did your hair color only last a few weeks?  Climate change. Does your car smell like cigarette smoke? Climate change. And finally, did your grandson mess his pants while waiting in line to see Santa?  Yes...once again, climate change. Oh, the horror of it all.

Message 92 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't ebay itself admit a few years ago that it was recalculating page views due to bots and other problems? Who's to say that the problem of misleading views/impressions isn't happening again?

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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

Anonymous
Not applicable

I'm sorry that it's not working out for you my guess 🥲

 

I hope it gets better for you 🥰

Message 94 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

IT’S HORRIBLE. The price of chicken went up because of the drought and grain prices went through the roof that feed the chickens. One example of how climate change can change everything eventually.

Message 95 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

Here's a quick solution. Ask eBay to refresh your store. I asked and within a week, sales started to increase. Not a much as before Jul 23, but I saw steady growth. After a month, sales increased after the request.

Message 96 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

I am also experiencing horrible sales and I'm working 2 to 3x harder than before. Something is wrong with items getting watchers. There is barley any watchers now and something is wrong with the search engine. I've typed very basic item titles in and not got the results but instead see "showing fewer words" and in that section will see the exact title i searched for. No mistake in spelling. The search is just screwed up imo. I have seen many YouTube eBay sellers talking about this so more people are aware of it, its not just made up. I'm sure there is people that are not experiencing this that have massive stores. Another thing i think might be happening is, the way eBay has changed promoted listings is allowing larger stores to just out promote everyone so no ones able to compete. Its really dumb of eBay to chase away its sellers to other competitors to help their own competitors markets. I have been loyal to ebay and 99% of my listings are on ebay strictly, this is the first time ive considered going to other markets. You get no reward for being loyal to ebay. 

Message 97 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

Also for anyone looking at my store, I have 2 stores. And list up to 50 items per day. Sometimes more on one store than the other sometime equal.

Message 98 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

I sell across other platforms, and they are all down. My daughter sells on postmark and her sales went from a thriving sustainable business to nothing the same time our ebay sales really started to scrape the bottom.  I have only one platform that's doing okay right now and it's one I just started working with. 

I survived selling online for over 25 years with ebay and now I find myself looking for a job. I'm about to lose my house, we've already lost our savings, everything we worked for is just... gone. 

 

I sold through 2008 I did not think I would see another 2008 again but this is even worse. 

Message 99 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

I have been selling thousands of collectibles of all kinds since 1998.  There's no question it's harder to sell lately.  But I think that has a lot to do with this category being crammed with a huge mass of morons and greedheads who list their garbage at ridiculous prices, crowd out  knowledgeable sellers, and discourage smart buyers from searching.  I used to also buy a lot on eBay and often ended up with some great finds.  These days the good stuff is almost impossible to find.  When auctions were the primary go-to, before eBay became a buy-it-now Amazon clone,  I recall how sellers like me could list starting prices at $1.99 and trust the market.  I made good money that way.  I wouldn't dare do that now.  Not any more.  In other words, for collectibles eBay has become a humongous landfill, and certainly its site has become a lot less user-friendly.  After 25 years, I've given up on it.

Message 100 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

In terms of collectibles, however, I should point to certain other factors that damage eBay sales in that category.  First of all, young people don't "collect" anymore--that's for old farts like me.  Secondly, since I started in 1998, the encase-it-in-plastic-and-grade-it insanity has corrupted and distorted the market.  Thirdly, eBay succeeded in driving out of business all the brick-and-mortar sources for collectibles to sell.  And finally, take a look at the Hake auctions.  That's where middle-class middle-aged men with more money than brains spend tons on those encased items that remind them of their adolescence.   Once upon a time, collecting was fun.  The 21st century combination of capitalism and technology has destroyed that.

Message 101 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

Perhaps Ebay placing other peoples listing pics on ads are causing some of the drop.    I clicked up one of my new items yesterday to see what it looked like and there were 5 competitors pictures before my ad info... and 105 pictures after!   None was the same item... but a huge variety of related.  My October sales were awful.

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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

............................

 

 

Message 103 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%


@jnsvintageradioandtubes wrote:

Here's a quick solution. Ask eBay to refresh your store. I asked and within a week, sales started to increase. Not a much as before Jul 23, but I saw steady growth. After a month, sales increased after the request.


Great advice.

Why didn't I think of that?

I'm going to ask ebay to refresh my store also.

Papa Was A Rolling Stone - The Temptations
Message 104 of 192
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Re: Massive decline in sales -73%

Not everyone's sales are down.

Some sellers sales are up.

Why not figure out what those sellers are doing and follow suit?

Papa Was A Rolling Stone - The Temptations
Message 105 of 192
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