New Promotional Ads Killing ME

[mister-bear13]

I use to use the old promotional tool, if my item sold due to a sponsored ad higher in the search I would pay a percentage, usually 5-10%. Great, sold a game for $20  paid Ebay $1-2. plus their listing fees!!!! Now this new system if pay by impressions and clicks. I said ok, Ill bite, set up 3 promotions for $5 a day max. Long story short after a few days with NO sales, not happened in years, I made 3 sales for about $17 and my ad fees are $23.....WOW.

I am now giving my inventory away (used retro video games). My items are no where to be found either, surprised I even sold 3, maybe because of my promotion ads...LOL

**bleep** is happening here??? My PT  business went from making about 100 sales a month and $1000 profit to on target for 25 sales a month and a loss of $300!!!! LOL

Any one help????

[mister-bear13]

So you are saying I can  still use the old prmotional tools? I don't see that anymore??

[mister-bear13]

Oh my Goodness, I just figured it out. Thanks for rubbing my brain in the right direction. I needed to do SIMPLE promotions and set a rate! GOT IT!!!! Thanks all

[nilis13]

Since this new promo started my sales have fallen off a cliff!!!! Something is seriously wrong here..And I list new items daily - no improvements whatsoever - algorithms issue (my opinion) 

[valueaddedresource]

---

@gjs_16 wrote:

---

@eunster1313 wrote:

@chapeau-noir 

Also keep in mind that it's fairly common for people to look at someones else's listing when they post or reply on the community boards. Anyone promoting listing using the Advance version without a posting ID is going to be giving eBay money for using the forums.

---

I had most certainly not even thought of that, I am sure there are other caveats as well.

---

For what it's worth, I don't think this is going to be a huge issue.

I'd hazard a guess the most common way people on the boards look at other member's listings is by simply clicking through from the "view listings" link under your user name here or going to a specific listing if a member provides the link/listing ID.  If that is the case, that click isn't going to cost that seller anything even if they do have that listing enrolled in PLA. 

At this time, according to eBay, PLA ads only appear in the top slot in search - that's it.

The only way a member in the community would cost another member a fee for a click is if they did a general eBay search and clicked on the sponsored top search result - and that's assuming that top search result is the PLA version of that specific member's listing.

Sure, it's possible that could happen, but if it does I would say it's far more likely to be a user here doing it intentionally for malicious reasons than the result of someone legitimately trying to help another member or simply curious to browse through other members' stores.

If it *is* intentional/malicious, that's something eBay is going to have to deal with under their stated policies and procedures regarding "invalid clicks".

[dbfolks166mt]

     I have always considered PL to be a scam by eBay to simply increase their revenues. When I am looking for an item on eBay which is seldom these days my primary focus is best value regardless of what PL puts in front of me. I also look across the other selling platforms and generally that is where I find the best value. 

     If everyone was using PL what would the advantage be in that? My guess is about the same as if nobody was using PL. 

[valueaddedresource]

---

@valueaddedresource wrote:

---

@gjs_16 wrote:

---

@eunster1313 wrote:

@chapeau-noir 

Also keep in mind that it's fairly common for people to look at someones else's listing when they post or reply on the community boards. Anyone promoting listing using the Advance version without a posting ID is going to be giving eBay money for using the forums.

---

I had most certainly not even thought of that, I am sure there are other caveats as well.

---

For what it's worth, I don't think this is going to be a huge issue.

I'd hazard a guess the most common way people on the boards look at other member's listings is by simply clicking through from the "view listings" link under your user name here or going to a specific listing if a member provides the link/listing ID.  If that is the case, that click isn't going to cost that seller anything even if they do have that listing enrolled in PLA. 

At this time, according to eBay, PLA ads only appear in the top slot in search - that's it.

The only way a member in the community would cost another member a fee for a click is if they did a general eBay search and clicked on the sponsored top search result - and that's assuming that top search result is the PLA version of that specific member's listing.

Sure, it's possible that could happen, but if it does I would say it's far more likely to be a user here doing it intentionally for malicious reasons than the result of someone legitimately trying to help another member or simply curious to browse through other members' stores.

If it *is* intentional/malicious, that's something eBay is going to have to deal with under their stated policies and procedures regarding "invalid clicks".

---

To go along with this, I think it's also important to note that at least in its current form, PLA does not apply to any off site links of any kind.

If you post a link to your social media pages or have a particularly popular video game title that gets posted on a forum or blog or passed around a Facebook group, clicks on that link are not going to cost you anything even if you have that item enrolled in PLA.  If you have that item enrolled in PL Standard, you will pay the PLS fee only if one of those outside clicks results in a sale within 30 days.

Could eBay go that route in the future? Absolutely and I'll be one of the first in line to criticize them for it when/if that happens.  But that's not the way it works now and it's important to understand that when weighing out the possible risk/reward of using PLA.

[valueaddedresource]

---

@valueaddedresource wrote:

If you post a link to your social media pages or have a particularly popular video game title that gets posted on a forum or blog or passed around a Facebook group, clicks on that link are not going to cost you anything even if you have that item enrolled in PLA.  If you have that item enrolled in PL Standard, you will pay the PLS fee only if one of those outside clicks results in a sale within 30 days.

---

Sorry, ran out of time to edit, but for PLS that should have said you *may* pay PLS fee if an external link click leads to a PLS ad and then a sale within 30 days, depending on the situation.

If you have external PLS turned on, your PLS ads may be shown on Google and other search engines - that would then directly lead to the PLS listing that would result in a fee if a sale is made within 30 days.

For other external links (on your personal social media channels, other people sharing your listing across forums/groups etc.), even that would not be enough to trigger a PLS fee.  It specifically has to be a click on the promoted version of the listing, not just any click on any external link.

[newlifeforoldstuff2]

**bleep** is happening here???

eBay is making more money off sellers who use their promotion gimmicks. 

[mister-bear13]

Yes, sales are pitiful! So who are getting the sales now???

[mister-bear13]

Thanks, I just figured it out and found the standard promotions, I thought it was done away with....my bad! 

[mister-bear13]

Thankyou, I missed something somewhere and figured out how to get back to the old standard promotional tool! 

[antiques4less]

I understand why you feel this way.  I've went from selling $5k mo down to $2.8k since the program launched.  The other promotion tools are not getting the items to the top.  eBay has made it clear greed is more important than good service, working you account daily and building a business.  Now putting that effort to developing my own site.

[bimm_corp]

@wastingtime101 

>Ditch the Advanced ads and go back to Standard.

That may work for a while, until eBay finds out how much money the APL makes them. Even though eBay has promised to retain the SPL, long-time sellers know how little eBay can be trusted to keep their word. For years all we have gotten is lies and more lies. What makes you think it's going to be different with PL? They will dump SPL in a heartbeat if APL starts making big money for eBay.

[katzrul15]

PLS is not working like it used to.  Our impressions and views are way down since PLA beta launched. 

😞

[hioctane62]

---

@valueaddedresource wrote:

---

---

For what it's worth, I don't think this is going to be a huge issue.

I'd hazard a guess the most common way people on the boards look at other member's listings is by simply clicking through from the "view listings" link under your user name here

There is no longer a link to view posters' items here in the forums