eBay

crownsfieldcellular · ‎04-09-2019

Well, I think it's official. I've stated before on the boards numerous times that the GTC change on all BIN listings is going to put me out of business..And unfortunately? Looking at my sales numbers, I am 99% sure I am right.

Because my one off inventory is no longer moving on a weekly basis? My business is dead, because I can no longer go out using my sales capital to buy more inventory. It's that simple.

And I'm actually AFRAID to buy more now to sell on here, because I see that nothing is selling. So how can I justify buying more and sinking more money into ebay inventory which is simply not going to move anymore?

I can't = I am going to have to close my eBay business eventually, because this business model is no longer sustainable in anyway..

Right now? I know for a fact that are literally MILLIONS of sellers like myself, that relied on the Shorter Term BIN listings to move their merchandise...And I'm not guessing this..I see post after post, after post, after post that are saying EXACTLY what I am..That this has destroyed their sales, and is going to put them out...And these are just the very, very few that come on these boards (which is almost no one comparatively)..

I know also 1 Million percent that eBay has been FLOODED with calls from sellers - has to be hundreds and thousands of calls by now (if not millions of calls) protesting this..because when I call and protest now, I can tell they have heard what I am saying ad naseum...Every rep I speak to, I know has heard and dealt with these complaints now, constantly..

Which makes sense..because when the platform you TRUST and built your business on? Does something so catastrophic, that it actually PUTS YOU OUT OF BUSINESS?? I think it goes without saying that you are going to call, and call repeatedly...

Ebay has 25 million sellers (at least they claim this)..By my estimation about 30% of those sellers or so are like me..Selling one off collectibles, phones, unique items (can be anything really), which they do not have "long tail" inventory of...

Therefore the GTC option not only is useless for us? It is a huge, horrendous detriment to us, and is going to drive us either off eBay? Or out of business completely..Whichever comes first (but it will be one or the other, no question)

So, let's say that its only 25% of us out of the 25,000,000 for arguments sake..That's 6.25 Million sellers round about.

Now, I know when I was doing well on here (which ended EXACTLY one day after the GTC change took place), I was paying about $1000 a month in fees. Thats me, that might be a very high compared to others, I dont know..

To be fair? Let's use a much, much lower number..Let's say out of that 6.25 Million? They are all paying an average of $500 a YEAR in fees, call it Final Value Fees only (again just for the sake of this example)...

Let's say eBay is "successful" at what they are doing, in putting this 25% of it's sellers out of business and driving us (and ACTUALLY FORCING us to leave the site, because we can no longer get sales on here at all) off the site..

Let's assume they are going to be successful in getting rid of us, effectively "trimming" 25% of their "sales force"...

When you multiply 6.25 Million by 500? The projected loss of revenue is approximately $3,125,000,000 per YEAR..In lost revenue to eBay...that's over 3 BILLION, with a B they stand to lose..

Now considering that ebay's revenue for all of 2018 was 10.7 Billion (according to them)?...When all of these sellers either walk, or are forced off the site, or simply go out of business on ebay and just cant sell here anymore, because they've been wiped out?

This means eBay is projected to slash over 30% of its revenue by doing what they are doing, and refusing to EVEN LISTEN to the 25% of us who are SCREAMING AT THEM TO CHANGE THIS BACK...

Now my numbers are far from definitive of course..I am willing to bet that we the 6.25 million who are being destroyed by this change?

Are probably paying a hell of alot more than $500 a year in Final Value Fees...I know personally I was lined up to pay almost $12,000 by the end of this year or more...

So...I dont know what these people are trying to accomplish here exactly? But I hope for their sakes they have a REAL GOOD PLAN IN PLACE to replace this revenue they are going to lose.

I guess maybe they have a absolutely insane influx of China sellers waiting in the wings, that they are betting are going to replace the 6.25 Million American sellers somehow that are walking, or going to simply die on this site..

It's either that? Or this is finally going to be the move that wipes eBay out for good, along with millions of others they are going to take down with them..

And if that happens? After what they just did to me and my business, and millions of other people's businesses on here? Hard working, long time, GOOD sellers? Who built their businesses up for YEARS on here?

All of the families they are going to destroy, and all the devastation they are going to cause to all of us? While pretending to blissfully not give a **bleep**? And trying to placate us with corporate "platitudes"??

I say they will then ultimately get what they deserve, and honestly at this point? It can't happen soon enough to them.

Might be time to smarten UP ebay, and start LISTENING to your SELLERS (CUSTOMERS), before it is WAYYYYY too late...

That time has possibly already come..

micsett-99 · ‎04-13-2019

@18704d wrote:
"When you multiply 6.25 Million by 500? The projected loss of revenue is approximately $3,125,000,000 per YEAR..In lost revenue to eBay...that's over 3 BILLION, with a B they stand to lose.."
-----------------

Well, if the buyers who would have bought from those 6.25 million sellers,
instead went and did the same amount of purchases from other sellers...

..wouldn't the loss to eBay be Zero?

Thanks,
Lynn

I think a HUGE thing you are forgetting in your synopsis? Is that ebay "sellers" comprise most of their "buyers" too. For example when I am selling a lot on eBay? I will buy more (and buy period) on here when I can.

That's because I am loyal to my "community" of other sellers on here, and I have also have the additional capital to do so without a problem.

When there is an "ebay recession" like we are experiencing here now?

Which frankly is becoming catastrophic for many sellers already? You can bet that the sellers being destroyed are no longer buying anything on ebay anymore. It's simple cause and effect.

And I know for a fact? That if ebay puts them out of business, basically intentionally which is what is seems like is happening? These sellers are certainly never coming back onto ebay to buy anything, ever again.

I know I sure wouldn't.

So that's a strong fleet on millions of "buyers" also? That ebay would to lose in a scenario like this, 100%.

When you abuse and devastate your seller pool on a site like this? You also inadvertently kill of a good portion of your "buyer" pool, because they are one in the same for a very big part.

Not to mention, they would lose millions and millions of unique, one off kinds of items that these sellers once offered, which is the only reason many buyers come to ebay in the first place as well.

I could probably go on and on in counter answer to your assertion, but the simple fact is the answer is NO (IMO)..

ebay would not replace this revenue so simply if it lost this many sellers, "by force" as seems to be happening..

That's just my two cents

micsett-99 · ‎04-13-2019

@kittykat.949 wrote:
You are so wrong---I commend clicktobuyusa---Obviously He/she is fighting for the survival of their business & at the same time clicktobuyusa is beating the drum trying to wake up the complacent & clueless masses to action who seem to go along with everything with their--OH WELL---IT IS WHAT IT IS---JUST ADAPT attitude. This country was built on the spirit of people like clicktobuyusa---Ever hear of the BOSTON TEA PARTY.I keep saying---this IS NOT just another ordinary irritating run of the mill change--this is a TOTAL GAME CHANGER---a direct HEAD SHOT---the kind that you DO NOT recover from because YOU DIE---GAME OVER. If you want to go along with the herd that is your rIte-----BAHHHHHH -----but PLEASE RESPECT the rest of us who believe in speaking up for ourselves & DO NOT treat us like we are just complaining, ranting pains in the butt because that is about as insulting & demeaning as it gets.

You are my hero on this post out of all the others I have read.

This is the only thing people should be saying here. Whether this effects them or not? They should be hearing and feeling the pain of others who are being wiped out.

And you have said it best my friend.

This cannot be compared to "requiring free returns", or "you can't leave negative feedback for buyers", or any other minute but gripeable change ebay has made in the past.

Those changes were complaint worthy (some of them) yes, but eventually we all (for the most part I think) realized they were for our own good, as they were for the good of the buyers. And usually did create more sales, or buyer confidence in the end. So we all went along kicking and screaming at first, but eventually things settled down.

This? This is an entirely different animal. This is "Do not go gently into that dark night" level of destruction.

This is a DIRECT headshot to MILLIONS of REAL people..Not some "abstract representation of a segment of sellers" on a corporate white board somewhere.

This spells the end of millions of businesses worldwide and people need to scream as loud of they can to keep from being ruined on here..

If people do NOT speak up here? In preservation of their own interests, as WELL as eBay's interests? This could very well be the end for ebay and millions of others they will take down with them.

Now is the time that everyone who is being effected catastrophically by this? Must make their voices heard as loud as can be.

As without this raising of collective voices? There will be no change, that's a guarantee.

ebay needs to understand without a shadow of a doubt the damage it is doing to people's businesses here, and the "head shot" they are taking. Not only to sellers? But to themselves..

Hopefully if enough of us speak out? They will take measures to rectify this.

Before it is too late for them and us.

micsett-99 · ‎04-13-2019

@jeannicho22 wrote:
I remember predictions like this when eBay raised FVF prices
I remember predictions like this when eBay raised store prices
I remember predictions like this when eBay required everyone to offer PayPal
I remember predictions like this when....

Just fill in the blank.

I know there are a lot of sellers out there that are super upset about the new requirement, but most will adapt. For those that will not or can not adapt, some other requirement would have forced them off the site eventually. eBay is notorious for creating square pegs that they expect all sellers to fit in, the fact is most will.

This is me PERSONALLY.... I've been using GTC for years and don't really know what the big deal is. I guess I will still have to educate myself to the issues that affect others.

I LOVE GTC, your mileage may vary.

My argument here to what you are saying? Is that none of the "changes" mentioned above that people complained about?

Actually had enough impact to put people out of business. They were changes, yes. They may have been hard to swallow for some, yes.

But ultimately in the end? They resulted in more "sales" and were for the best in most cases I believe.

As far as the fee changes and those getting higher? That's just par for the course with any business, fees rise, everyone grumbles..

But if everyone is making money? It's just business as usual. Any seller would take a small fee hike if they are making bank on a platform.

This change? Is killing the sales and livelihoods of millions of sellers almost completely, in one shot.

And when as a seller on a platform, you are no longer making money? And can't get sales anymore? All bets are effectively OFF..

Every other "change"? Good or bad? Can be tolerated with a grain of salt, IF sellers are still making money and still getting sales.

When you grind people's sales to a hault? And your "changes" begin putting people completely out of business, and they can no longer make MONEY on your platform??

There's really nothing left to say. This change TRUMPS all other "changes", and all other "tweeks"..

You can't in anyway compare a minor fee hike, or anything else you mentioned? To a policy that puts hundreds and thousands, if not millions of people out of business in one stroke...

You're no longer talking Apples to Apples here..This is an Apples to Mars Soil comparison at this point..

I remember predictions like this when eBay raised FVF prices

this was inevitable, its called inflation..

I remember predictions like this when eBay raised store prices

Again, we all experience higher prices all the time..Have you been to the supermarket lately?

I remember predictions like this when eBay required everyone to offer PayPal

Probably was the best decision ebay ever made to inspire buyer confidence. Made ebay what it is today without a question.

I remember predictions like this when....

What? What else?

This is me PERSONALLY.... I've been using GTC for years and don't really know what the big deal is. I guess I will still have to educate myself to the issues that affect others.

Yeah, maybe that's a good idea..Educating yourself to what others are going through..Good thought

I LOVE GTC, your mileage may vary.

Ok, but what about the millions of OTHER people who this change is destroying? What about them??

What if I told you tomorrow that ebay was taking AWAY GTC from you, and you could no longer use it to run your business and be successful?? Do you think you'd be **bleep** off a bit??

THAT'S what the big DEAL is to everyone else and the people who this is killing...

If you LOVE GTC so much? That's great, and more power to you. But for those of us IT DOES NOT work for? And who DONT LOVE IT? We would like OUR options back.

Us having OUR OTHER OPTIONS? Would not effect you in any way shape or form...Because YOU and all of us have always had the OPTION of using GTC? If that WORKED FOR US.

The rest of US?? No longer HAVE ANY OTHER OPTION that was working for us before...And whether you can comprehend this or not? Other people and sellers? Out of the 25 million on eBay? Don't have the same Business model as YOU...

Keep in mind also ? That none of us who need our options back? Are advocating that YOU lose yours. We just need the freedom to use the options we HAD BEFORE to generate sales.

We would openly and wholeheartly advocate for YOU to keep your option of GTC all day long. Wanna know why? Because it WORKS FOR YOU and helps you make money. Good for you in that case.

Why should we all be abused? Because GTC works for YOU so well? But doesn't work for us?

Why should YOU keep your option? While ours are stripped away senselessly?

You may need to put some real serious thought into your reply here, and how self centered , thoughtless, and outrageous it is? to those who are being killed here. And YES, you need to educate yourself about this problem, 1000%..

Just a thought for you Sir...

myangelandmyprincess · ‎04-13-2019

@micsett-99 wrote:
@jeannicho22 wrote:
I remember predictions like this when eBay raised FVF prices
I remember predictions like this when eBay raised store prices
I remember predictions like this when eBay required everyone to offer PayPal
I remember predictions like this when....

Just fill in the blank.

I know there are a lot of sellers out there that are super upset about the new requirement, but most will adapt. For those that will not or can not adapt, some other requirement would have forced them off the site eventually. eBay is notorious for creating square pegs that they expect all sellers to fit in, the fact is most will.

This is me PERSONALLY.... I've been using GTC for years and don't really know what the big deal is. I guess I will still have to educate myself to the issues that affect others.

I LOVE GTC, your mileage may vary.
My argument here to what you are saying? Is that none of the "changes" mentioned above that people complained about?

Actually had enough impact to put people out of business. They were changes, yes. They may have been hard to swallow for some, yes.

But ultimately in the end? They resulted in more "sales" and were for the best in most cases I believe.

As far as the fee changes and those getting higher? That's just par for the course with any business, fees rise, everyone grumbles..

But if everyone is making money? It's just business as usual. Any seller would take a small fee hike if they are making bank on a platform.

This change? Is killing the sales and livelihoods of millions of sellers almost completely, in one shot.

And when as a seller on a platform, you are no longer making money? And can't get sales anymore? All bets are effectively OFF..

Every other "change"? Good or bad? Can be tolerated with a grain of salt, IF sellers are still making money and still getting sales.

When you grind people's sales to a hault? And your "changes" begin putting people completely out of business, and they can no longer make MONEY on your platform??

There's really nothing left to say. This change TRUMPS all other "changes", and all other "tweeks"..

You can't in anyway compare a minor fee hike, or anything else you mentioned? To a policy that puts hundreds and thousands, if not millions of people out of business in one stroke...

You're no longer talking Apples to Apples here..This is an Apples to Mars Soil comparison at this point..

I remember predictions like this when eBay raised FVF prices
this was inevitable, its called inflation..

I remember predictions like this when eBay raised store prices
Again, we all experience higher prices all the time..Have you been to the supermarket lately?

I remember predictions like this when eBay required everyone to offer PayPal
Probably was the best decision ebay ever made to inspire buyer confidence. Made ebay what it is today without a question.

I remember predictions like this when....
What? What else?

This is me PERSONALLY.... I've been using GTC for years and don't really know what the big deal is. I guess I will still have to educate myself to the issues that affect others.
Yeah, maybe that's a good idea..Educating yourself to what others are going through..Good thought

I LOVE GTC, your mileage may vary.
Ok, but what about the millions of OTHER people who this change is destroying? What about them??

What if I told you tomorrow that ebay was taking AWAY GTC from you, and you could no longer use it to run your business and be successful?? Do you think you'd be **bleep** off a bit??

THAT'S what the big DEAL is to everyone else and the people who this is killing...

If you LOVE GTC so much? That's great, and more power to you. But for those of us IT DOES NOT work for? And who DONT LOVE IT? We would like OUR options back.

Us having OUR OTHER OPTIONS? Would not effect you in any way shape or form...Because YOU and all of us have always had the OPTION of using GTC? If that WORKED FOR US.

The rest of US?? No longer HAVE ANY OTHER OPTION that was working for us before...And whether you can comprehend this or not? Other people and sellers? Out of the 25 million on eBay? Don't have the same Business model as YOU...

Keep in mind also ? That none of us who need our options back? Are advocating that YOU lose yours. We just need the freedom to use the options we HAD BEFORE to generate sales.

We would openly and wholeheartly advocate for YOU to keep your option of GTC all day long. Wanna know why? Because it WORKS FOR YOU and helps you make money. Good for you in that case.

Why should we all be abused? Because GTC works for YOU so well? But doesn't work for us?

Why should YOU keep your option? While ours are stripped away senselessly?

You may need to put some real serious thought into your reply here, and how self centered , thoughtless, and outrageous it is? to those who are being killed here. And YES, you need to educate yourself about this problem, 1000%..

Just a thought for you Sir...

I agree with eBay that it can increase sells. Because buyers keep the items on the watch list when it relists. And some of those previous big changes most definitely predicted the ruin of business. Getting defects was one of those big changes, fees on shipping, eBays “it’s not yours until you pay” which isn’t basically immediate payment required on buy it now. The predictions were the same not that it was just unfair but that it would affect the ability to survive as a business. Did we lose some I’m sure we did was there a mass exodus of horrible proportions no. We adapted and learned how to work with the changes. Many of us have had our choices taken away over the years with these changes it’s no different. You want to take away my gtc option that’s ok. I’ll learn to adapt with the option they give.

“Birth certificates show that you were born. Death certificates show that you died. Photographs show that you have lived.” -Unknown

fern*wood · ‎04-13-2019

@heihachi_73 wrote:
The fall of the mighty eBay Inc. will be bigger than 9/11, that's for sure.

I find that comparison rather despicable...that's for sure.

mam98031 · ‎04-13-2019

I think a HUGE thing you are forgetting in your synopsis? Is that ebay "sellers" comprise most of their "buyers" too.

That can't possibly be true. There are approximately 25 million active sellers worldwide and 170 million active buyers. So there is far more buyers than sellers. Besides if there weren't not many sellers would survive on Ebay.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

mam98031 · ‎04-13-2019

@heihachi_73 wrote:
They'll lose a lot more than 7 million sellers once the 8 free automatic relistings on auctions suddenly becomes no longer free. Apparently eBay Australia (the guinea pig for major site changes - we had the GTC change in February) is thinking of dropping the free part of the automatic relistings while charging insertion fees (or using up a free listing) just like listing a new item. I think they noticed that everyone just went to 10-day auctions with 8 relists to get around the GTC limits so they are putting an end to that too by making sure no-one can list anything for more than thirty days.

If that fails and people simply end the items early to get around the insertion fees, be on the lookout if and when those 50 free listings suddenly vanish! The fall of the mighty eBay Inc. will be bigger than 9/11, that's for sure. Unlike 9/11 however, there will be no losses since everyone will have already abandoned the site; no-one will care if eBay shuts down or becomes GoogleBay or whatever.

There are 6.7 million active Ebay sellers in the USA. Therefore it is highly unlikely that every single seller is going to stop selling because of this. In fact it is highly likely that the most of those sellers have already been using the GTC listing format.

The relists that you can agree to on Auctions are NOT FREE unless at the time they relist you still have some of your free allotment available to be used. So if some sellers are using this thinking they are getting around the renewal fees associated with GTC, they are mistaken.

I do get it that this change is devastating for some sellers. I too don't think this is a good thing to force all sellers into. Some will be able to find a way to adapt and some won't. But I don't think Ebay is going to change this decision. It does seem to be the direction similar sites are or have taken as well.

The GTC Change for the US site was announced on Feb 26th and started on March 18th.

I'm sure you are aware that people actually died in the Twin Towers falling and countless people were injured in one way shape or form. YOu think that the implementation of some listing restrictions has ANY comparison to the tragedy that day brought to so many people and to our Nation? WOW!!

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

myjunqueyourtreasure · ‎04-13-2019

Actually SOME auto relists ARE free, if they're done on the app for one and I believe some sites like Australia also have them.

Reality is the leading cause of stress.

jgoebert2012 · ‎04-13-2019

EVERY DAY I HAVE TO END 30-40 ITEMS A DAY EARLY TO AVOID GTC...AND "THE LAST DAY" WAS GENERALLY A GOOD DAY FOR SALES.

IT'S A PAIN IN THE POSTERIOR !

JERRY

hioctane62 · ‎04-13-2019

GTC = Grabbin' That Cash

mam98031 · ‎04-13-2019

@myjunqueyourtreasure wrote:
Actually SOME auto relists ARE free, if they're done on the app for one and I believe some sites like Australia also have them.

My bad. I don't try to keep up with other Ebay sites. Keeping up with Ebay USA is often more than I can handle. LOL

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

shfquickship73 · ‎04-15-2019

Years ago, when ebay stopped focusing on sellers, the feedback, shipping, etc., then I think a lot of people get frustrated and ebay doesn't care. That is the problem. However, my programmer friend is working with me on building my ecommerce site better and maybe people will come to me and I can help certain people sell items. There was an article on bing where ebay will let you relist in a certain capacity, however, they want to charge fees.

shfquickship73 · ‎04-15-2019

Greedy cash bandits

ies-foodservicesupply · ‎04-26-2019

It started long before GTC. This will be my last year on EBAY. Fortunately my local business supports my store front now. EBAY left the small to mid seller year's ago. It started 4+ years ago when they made combined shipping basically obsolete. They wanted to force all sellers to do "free shipping" or "flat rate". Pushing for the big boy's to take over and wanted to be AMAZON. That didn't work for them. It dropped my sales by over 50% overnight. Literally overnight. I was selling 10-15 combined packages daily. Now I sell two or three per week. Then they changed the way you could list. Then they changed the return policy. Buyer's can now do anything they want with no recourse. We still maintain 100% feedback rating but at what cost. We have always taken care of our buyers. Now the GTC. Everything they are doing is to move away from small dealers and individuals. Advertising for their websites on my auctions. Giving away business to get add money. It will end with the big Dealers leaving after all the little ones are gone. EBAY will have to find a way, too much money invested but they, like every business, is out to put the small guy under. Just used us to get started. LOL