More Free Listings PLEASE - We are BORED and want to LIST MORE!

[zzlos]

Good Morning Ebay,

As horrible of a time this is for the world right now, being stuck at home has done 2 things... we are shopping like heck on the Internet (mostly on Ebay of course!) AND in my house, we are taking the opportunity to do some Spring Cleaning! Going through packed closets full of things we don't need anymore... because what else are you going to do while you are stuck at home? Reruns get old, gaming gets old... why not do something productive, cleanout your house and list on Ebay while we are stuck at home?

The only thing is that I ran out of free listings... You had offered a promotion a couple weeks ago, while we were still working and we had no time to list because we were rushing to the grocery stores trying to find toilet paper and Hand Sanitizer, but now the country is pretty much stuck at home doing... nothing... 

Please help us bored, locked down people who but want to be productive, but are stuck at home cleaning out closets and rooms full of things we don't need. 

Please Consider providing some additional Free Listings to the Community... 

Sincerely, one of your long time members. 

[kathieskorner]

If you are bored, you can always create some listings and save them as drafts until you get a free listings promo or until the next month's 50 free listings rolls around.  Then you have some fresh listings ready to go. 

 I rarely allow listings to roll over as GTC and use at least half of my 50 free listings for fresh listings each month.  Any promos I get are mostly used for relists since there is only a 4-5 day promo window.  

[santhern-36]

Forgive me, but clothing and the other junk you sell isn't what people currently want or need to buy. Giving you and other sellers of similar items would be a waste of server space and money.

[mrdutch1001]

30 days to list 50 items and items can be alternated so that one does not have to use up all the listings on "the continual Re-Listing that eats up the profit. Not every item is sold the 1st time. I've re-listed items for months"

Free listing promos are for the benefit of eBay, where eBay would like to see more listings in some categories that may be lacking in listings.

Sellers have options, they do not have to "put all their eggs in one basket" and solely rely on only one selling venue. Many successful sellers offer their wares on multiple sites.

[upgradedendmills]

Most of your listings are priced high enough to support a 35 cent listing fee. Those that aren't would probably make good donations to someone in need and donating would generate about the same profit margin. Any time spent listing something that won't generate a reasonable profit is a waste of time and a free listing fee. Doing the same thing over and over will not help you. Nothing rude about this, it is reality. 

[jda03121]

50 free listings go pretty fast and eBay puts way too many restrictions on new accounts.

[doubledz-a2z]

---

server space 

 The next crisis 

[jda03121]

Maybe what you sell works on other venues but I have tried several and they have not proven worth the time or energy.

[jda03121]

For most the high standard deduction has made it so most people can no longer donate and get a deduction so the idea of getting anything from donations (other than personal satisfaction) no longer is viable.

[kathieskorner]

One thing I learned during the recession is that it is difficult to predict what eBay buyers will purchase during tough times so I try not to judge what others list here.   

This coronavirus pandemic is different from any other time in my 20 year eBay experience.   While I am selling few collectibles this month - my bookstore and craft supply accounts are doing OK.    I did sell  one collectible that was for a gift.  

My eBay worry is about being able to mail any items sold.  To abide by recommendations to stay at home I have limited my trips out to Tuesday and Friday mornings and only go to the post office and grocery store.   There may come a time when I have to look online for something I need.  

[mrdutch1001]

eBay provides the platform; it is up to the seller to work that platform the best that they can with the available tools/features and within the rules/policies of said platform.

Successful online selling is about the product, its uniqueness,price points, supply & demand, target market,etc and if those factors aren't there, it can be a difficult go no matter what the selling venue.

[jda03121]

Periodically I have benefited from "hot" items and have done well on them but for average sellers (who are the heart of eBay) those items are few and far between. They survive through persistence. Some items sell in the first month and some take 10. I have yet to remove items from my inventory because sooner or later, they sell. That is how we survive. Free listing days make that possible and 50 per month is no where near enough to get a good selection out there each month.

[upgradedendmills]

A mid level store might help you do better than waiting for promos or freebies. Consider it as an investment in yourself and not a cost.

[jda03121]

Tried that. Fees ate up most of the profit and in slow months (like now) I just fed eBay.

[mrdutch1001]

Perhaps consideration for a starter or basic store would serve your needs better than the 50/mo free for non-store sellers and/or expecting/waiting on free listing promos.

Sellers who expect handouts/freebies from eBay tend to rely on those rather than taking the initiative to push themselves to be more creative/ mix things up and/or do more on their own.

We can all suggest away till the cows come home, but in the end, it is still up to the seller to rein in those customers by using all ways possible...

[kathieskorner]

A store works for some - especially if you are selling multiple quantity or niche items, but it is definitely a cost - not an investment.   I closed both my basic stores at the end of 2016 because I coudn't justify the cost.   Selling an average of 22 items per month with a basic store meant that I was paying $1.00 in listing fee for every item sold.  When your average sale price is $12  that is an additional 8% less profit.

In 2017 and 2018 - I made as many sales without my stores as I had with them and for a higher profit margin.   It wasn't until March 2019 that sales began to decline.