No sales for 3 days... then I fixed it.... ?

[montana_echoes]

Interesting. I always have sales, always. Usually average about 6 a day... more some days. I know thats not a lot to some folks, but when it stopped dead in its tracks.... then I had no $ for kitty food. 😞 

I read a post yesterday about a guy who had sales freeze, he was kinda a brat, kept arguing with folks that no, its not the 91% feedback... or the DSRs.... its just ebay being mean. Whatever. One really has to help themselves, you know?  My excuses were that halloween is almost here (I sell crafting, so that pertains, people hit a few weeks before the holiday, once it gets to a week before, they're done!) AND with an election coming up... but still. It shouldn't be NO sales at all! 

So I thought about my record on this account. I knew I had just over a 5% late shipping record, which was unavoidable but stiill my doing. Now I thought that ebay, if they really thought that was so terrible, would notify me that I can't ship in my "3 day' window since the % dropped and I'd have to increase that (which I didn't want to do...  if I go with 4 day shipping ebay gives buyers a "this has delayed shipping, try this other seller!"  message on all my listings... 

But maybe ebay doesn't inform you? Umm.... so last night at 2:00 am or so... I changed it to 4 day shipping window. Woola.... a buyer bought 2 items today... now I check again... and woola.... another buyer bought 2. So I think I'm back on track.

So maybe its not just if ebay sends you a "you're being bad" message... maybe the system slides you to the No-See-Zone even though ebay doesn't tell you that.

So fine... I'll leave it at 4 days.... and absolutely mail ON TIME fanatically... and wait for the % to drop under 5% late mailings... then switch it back to 3 days.

So there's benefit in listening to someone go on a tirad because of no sales.... as then you start thinking, ummm... he's dumb... but am I being dumb too? 

So I'm happy now with my 2 little packages to mail so far! 

[castlemagicmemories]

Interesting and I'm glad the sale are trickling in again!  Kitties have to eat.

[siamdao]

We changed all of our listings to 3 and 4 day handling times after exhausting ourselves to get a tiny discount with 1 day handling under eBay's Top Rated Seller Discout Program.   As we live in Thailand, some of the holidays are different to those in the states.  This, coupled with eBay's need to see a scanned tracking number in the system (how it wasn't in the system when you can't personally receive the number until after its paid for and scanned at the post office) lead to a more than 5% defect in items not scanned and late shipments.   We have had no customer complaints since the change and have had a couple customers send messages thanking us for posting it so soon (we still try to send the next day that the Post Office is open).  It's unfortunate that folks don't see the downside of same or next day shipping when they try to get top rated seller discounts (not worth the effort imo)  🙂  Glad things are picking up for you!

[femmefan1946]

This, coupled with eBay's need to see a scanned tracking number in the system

Since you are shipping from Thailand, have you ever considered listing on dotCA (the Canadian site)?

We get the Global Top Rated Seller discount without having to stress about tracking, which as you know is amazingly cheap for US sellers, but not for the rest of us.

The TRS badge would appear on all 'international' sites, but not on the US one. The discount is still 10%.

You can't list on dotCA in US dollars, you have to use our loonies, but your prices show on dotCOM Search in USD and in both currencies on dot CA.

I list on both sites so take a look at my listings to see what I mean.

Also, eBay Canada has Nanaimo Bars.

[femmefan1946]

@montana_echoes
Sorry to be fussy, but when you say "woola" do you mean 'voila'?
I know it's French, but it's one of those words that has transferred, like "double entendre".
Again. Sorry.

[z240dude]

Many people have seen dead sales return to normal just by changing the handling time on all their listings at once as some says it RESETS your listings somehow. I have tried this method when my sales tank a number of times and it did indeed  result in my getting failrly normal sales the following day.

[lovefindingtreasures2]

I'm on a 1 day shipping time and always ship same or next day and packages are hitting late in places like Alaska, Puerto Rico, etc., It put my metrics into the 3-4% shipment arriving late.

I am game to try this idea. What worries me is the eBay message that always says if you do XYZ you will get XYZ more exposure (i.e., better placement on the search engines).

Anyone else tried this?

[lovefindingtreasures2]

PS Is there a way to bulk edit all listings to change the shipping date or do I have to go in 1 listing at a time and change each one?

Also, what cut off time (mine was 2 PM, change it to Noon) is best, for us, the sellers? Thanks!

[tamaralea]

Very interesting.  Someone else has reported similar on here.  The one time I did it, my sales also increased.  I guess it is time to try it again.

[softersilk]

Beware of conspiracy theories and cause/effect actions.  Your sales happened when they did because those buyers happened to find the things then.  It would have happened even if you did not change handling times.

[goodluckselling]

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@lovefindingtreasures2 wrote:
PS Is there a way to bulk edit all listings to change the shipping date or do I have to go in 1 listing at a time and change each one?

Also, what cut off time (mine was 2 PM, change it to Noon) is best, for us, the sellers? Thanks!

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You can bulk edit your handling time which will change your ship date.

Good Luck Selling!