eBay

anglbear123 · ‎04-23-2019

Many thousands of small sellers are being killed by the new changes on Ebay. My sales too, have dwindled and are basically non-existent recently. Here is my situation:

My prior sellers account(the money I owe Ebay for Final Value Fees, Store Subscription, etc.), usually runs around $200-$300 per month. This month - seller account is $12. A twenty fold decrease in money I owe Ebay at the end of the month!

My buying on Ebay during any month averages around $300-$400. This month, with no sales and no extra money, my purchase on Ebay are $0.

At the end of this month, I have a feeling that there are going to be some frantic meetings at Ebay to figure out why their profits are down also. I can only hope that things change...

Anybody else have figures like these to share?

weschurch · ‎04-23-2019

@barbz40 wrote:
My story is the same as yours. No promotions for 2 1/2 years, and suddenly 500 free listings. There's a method to that madness, and it's not to help you, me, or anyone other than Ebay. If you take the time to list that many, Ebay is counting on you to keep them up there, therefore they will generate the fees associated with that next month... they are hoping you don't notice, or forget to delete them at the end of the one month term so they generate those fees. I have been selling since 1999 and have NEVER been offered 500 free listings... ever. It's never about us... always about themselves.

500 Free listings huh? Wow, this is transparent or anything. Let me recap

1. Ebay institutes a MANDATED GTC policy in which items renew every 30 days for a fee. This is said to help sellers "sell more"

2. Ebay starts passing out 500 free listings to sellers

Ebay is so kind, I mean really.

I'm sure they are not hoping that people take those 500 free listings and list a bunch of junk because "Hey, it free".

Then, on day 29 when your mom is in the hospital with cancer or your dog just got ran over you get that nice fat bill because you "freely" listed that can of tuna, your old gymbag, five rubber chickens, etc. But hey its business right? Its predatory and gross.

Hey Ebay, why is everything a trick? Why does it have to end with that "Gotcha" moment and for the love of god Why can't you put all your evil intentioned trickeration energy into actually generating real legit sales? Is it you are to inept or just to sleazy?

castlemagicmemories · ‎04-23-2019

@mdrca wrote:
Ebay is now sending out warnings to sellers that their status is at risk. As if there is something that sellers can do about eBay's recent maipulations.

Please explain what you mean by their status is at risk. Thank you.

slippinjimmy · ‎04-23-2019

I would be thrilled to receive 500 freebies, if I don't want them to renew I'll just end them myself before that happens.

If my mother was in the hospital with cancer and needed my assistance I don't think I would be running any eBay listings.

eBay hasn't "started" handing out free listings, they actually started doing this on a regular basis in 2012. You might know that if you were actually a current eBay seller.

castlemagicmemories · ‎04-23-2019

@castlemagicmemories wrote:
@mdrca wrote:
Ebay is now sending out warnings to sellers that their status is at risk. As if there is something that sellers can do about eBay's recent maipulations.
Please explain what you mean by their status is at risk. Thank you.

Are you referring to TRS, and possibly losing it because you don't have enough sales to qualify? It just seems strange to see status at risk.

pauls-parts · ‎04-23-2019

@disneyshopper wrote:
I'm a low volume seller, selling in a niche market.

Sales have been slow for the past couple of years.

However, so far this year my sales have been as follows:
January - 6 items
February - 7 item
March - 10 items
April - 11 items for 23 days

I guess things are picking up!

Good for you. Really glad to hear someone is doing good. Keep on keeping on.

kittykat.949 · ‎04-23-2019

My total Ebay fees from December 2018 through March 2019 were $808.91-------I closed my mid-level store a couple of days after GTC went into effect---I am now only using the monthly 50 free listings that are given to all sellers plus any free listing promotions----My latest Ebay invoice for April 2019 is a CREDIT for $10.28----------I have not bought anything on Ebay in fact I did not even look or think about looking because I do not have any money for any frivolous pleasures---GTC is obviously working

popeye3165 · ‎04-24-2019

@anglbear123 wrote:
Many thousands of small sellers are being killed by the new changes on Ebay. My sales too, have dwindled and are basically non-existent recently. Here is my situation:
My prior sellers account(the money I owe Ebay for Final Value Fees, Store Subscription, etc.), usually runs around $200-$300 per month. This month - seller account is $12. A twenty fold decrease in money I owe Ebay at the end of the month!
My buying on Ebay during any month averages around $300-$400. This month, with no sales and no extra money, my purchase on Ebay are $0.

I am in the same boat as you and MANY other small "unique" eBay sellers. I shut my shop subscription down, stopped buying here and have sold few items this month. I wonder how this will effect their 1st quarter numbers. Perhaps eBay as smart as they are already had it all figured out, GTC will generate enough money to pay for the loss of all those small sellers.

Good luck to ALL the small sellers out there!

laurabeardsley · ‎04-24-2019

Well, I am only listing as auctions so they will not renew so there are truly no fees involved.

art8095 · ‎04-24-2019

Me too - for what that's worth. I tried to tell myself that maybe it wouldn't impact my sales as much as I was worried it would. I've been ramping up my tiny Ebay business for the past year - and sells have been steady and increasing. Till now.
Now that GTC has really impacted my listing "technique" - over the past 3 to 4 weeks - sales have slumped - a lot. Yup - that means I've stopped buying on Ebay too.
So now I'm Looking for another platform for antiques - - any ideas out there?
Maybe it's time to try to ramp up Etsy - they haven't done well for me - but maybe I need to try their promoted seller options?
Suggestions welcome!
It WAS working so well on Ebay - - this is just so frustrating. 😞

designerfashionsforlessboutique · ‎04-24-2019

Lucky you. I have not seen a green line for almost a Year. My sales have been steadily declining, currently down 60%. I went from sales of $10,000 to $12,000 monthly to about $3,000 to $4,000. Calls to eBay provide no solutions. Searching for my items even word for word provides no results, instead I get listing from overseas sellers listed at twice the price my items are listed for. The reason, these sellers overprice the items so they can give eBay a higher promoted listing fee and eBay falls for it. Buyers don't have time to sort through the overpriced items so they go purchase somewhere else. eBay was my Business but if I want to survive I will have to close my store and do something else.

tikabazzar · ‎04-25-2019

I agree , that a thought, maybe no store is the way to go and just try to sell the 50 free insertion items that Ebay gives.

@sweetpieces4you wrote:
I know you are a small seller compared to many others but you have a store !! Your Choice. And if your sales are not enough to pay for that store and make you personal income then I personally would no longer have it !! I saw that you currently have 79 items listed. Not many at all. I don't have a store and don't know what your monthly allotment of free listings are ??? I am right now ( LOL ) the smallest seller on ebay !! My Choice !! But without a store I get 50 free listings per month and no store fee . You have to know and decide for yourself if a store is right for you given the amount of sales !! Do the math it's not hard to figure out !! And that decision is for everyone that has a store and either needs to downsize the store they currently have or decide not to have a store at all !! January,February and March it would have benefited me to have a store given the amount of fees I paid !! But I backed off as to not pay ebay that amount again !! I sell at my own pace and with a store I would have to list at least enough to pay for it every month. I like to be in control of at least something here and with no store I am !! Good Luck