eBay

haneshaw · ‎09-18-2017

It's been ages since I've posted on this board. I don't expect any sympathy or even a response to this post, but I'm putting it out there anyway.

Over the past year I've noticed a steady increase in the amount of buyers who want refunds for perfectly fine products delivered in the time frame required. I produce my own items, so I know exactly what goes out when. I've made the items exactly the same way for 6 years. I also sell on two other venues successfully. The only place I have problems is ebay.

At first it was only once or twice a year someone would scam me. Then it was a few times in six months. Now it's a almost every month. When I contact customer service, their response is to side with the buyers. Some would say it's the cost of doing business online, but I don't have this problem on my other venues that sell the same volume.

I feel as if ebay no longer fits with my business plans. I've reduced my inventory by 50%. Ebay used to be my primary source of online sales. Now it's only a third. I foresee it becoming less relavent as my other online shops grow.

The main thing I'd like sellers to take away from this post is there's life after ebay. Don't feel stuck if you have problem bidders/buyers. Explore other venues, start your own website, or even sell on facebook. It's easier now than ever before, and people are finding success out there.

End of post. Good luck all.

luckythewinner · ‎09-18-2017

When you say "buyers who want refunds", are you talking about true "returns" or are you talking about buyers who claim "significantly not as described"? Because you initially mentioned "returns" but later referred to being "scammed" and eBay siding with buyers. Do you offer a return policy?

That aside ...

If I found two sites outside eBay that contributed equally to my sales (i.e. 2/3 of my online sales) with no returns and no fraud, I'd have left here long ago and concentrated my efforts on growing my sales on those venues.

gracieallen01 · ‎09-18-2017

@luckythewinner wrote:

When you say "buyers who want refunds", are you talking about true "returns" or are you talking about buyers who claim "significantly not as described"? Because you initially mentioned "returns" but later referred to being "scammed" and eBay siding with buyers. Do you offer a return policy?

That aside ...

If I found two sites outside eBay that contributed equally to my sales (i.e. 2/3 of my online sales) with no returns and no fraud, I'd have left here long ago and concentrated my efforts on growing my sales on those venues.

A simple response to your thought is that so many have said, for so long, that ebay is the only place that people look - the only place that has 'eyes'.

Multiple venues may not work for everybody, however, for some, perhaps it can.

Not saying 'NO' doesn't mean 'YES'.

The foolishness of one's actions or words is determined by the number of witnesses.

Perhaps if Brains were described as an APP, many people would use them more often.

Respect, like money, is only of 'worth' when it is earned - with all due respect, it can not be ordained, legislated or coerced. Anonymous

retrose1 · ‎09-18-2017

@gracieallen01 wrote:
@luckythewinner wrote:

When you say "buyers who want refunds", are you talking about true "returns" or are you talking about buyers who claim "significantly not as described"? Because you initially mentioned "returns" but later referred to being "scammed" and eBay siding with buyers. Do you offer a return policy?

That aside ...

If I found two sites outside eBay that contributed equally to my sales (i.e. 2/3 of my online sales) with no returns and no fraud, I'd have left here long ago and concentrated my efforts on growing my sales on those venues.

A simple response to your thought is that so many have said, for so long, that ebay is the only place that people look - the only place that has 'eyes'.

Multiple venues may not work for everybody, however, for some, perhaps it can.

I can not disagree with that statement more.

I have found 3 other venues that give me more sales than ebay when back in the day ebay was my primary and I never dreamed of selling anywhere else.

The reason that people do not have success in other places is because they treat those new places like they operate like ebay. They don't, they don't have the same buyers, they don't have the same rules, and they don't have the same criteria, yet so many sellers will go, dump their listings there and wait for the sales to come rolling in. Those sellers will invest hours every day on ebay, and not bother on other sites and then complain that the 'eyes' are not there - well you worked to get 'eyes' on ebay, you have to work to get them there.

I get plenty of views on other sites because I worked to learn who shops there, what they are looking for and how the system can work for me. For the past 4 years, my sales there are consistantly 3 times those ebay delivers. And with fewer problems and less fees.

Right now, with ebay the way it is, I treat ebay as extra money, I do not list anything valuable, I do not take great pics and I have never do anything to jazz up my listings, the benefit is that I rarely have ebay telling me that I have to remove active content or personal information, or other listing tweaking to get views, when a change in programming 6 months later means that all that work is for naught.

(*Bleep*)

luckythewinner · ‎09-18-2017

@gracieallen01 wrote:
A simple response to your thought is that so many have said, for so long, that ebay is the only place that people look - the only place that has 'eyes'.

Multiple venues may not work for everybody, however, for some, perhaps it can.

Agreed. But the OP stated that he had found two other sites where he is already doing twice the business that he is doing on eBay - so while it may not work for everybody it clearly is working for the OP.