eBay

bashort · ‎11-20-2022

So I decided to do some calculations on doing a promoted listing.

I looked at a unpromoted item that sells for $100, has a buyer paid actual shipping cost of $20.00 and a 7% sales tax, that sale nets $84.26 total fees 15.74%

If I were to promote the item at the ebay suggested promotion rate of 10%, that sale would net $58.52 or 30% less.

If I were to raise the price of the item to net the same amount I would need to raise the price from $100 to

$139.00 or 39% more. total ebay fees 27.21%

So in my example promoting the $100 item at 10% or not promoting and lowering the price from $100 to $70 would net the same amount.

I would think that the 30% markdown would be much more effective than the promotion.

It is possible that I have made a mistake in the math but that is what I come up with. Someone please correct me if I am wrong

dbfolks166mt · ‎11-20-2022

@dbfolks166mt Or, it's possible you are leaving money on the table, because you might be able to sell on those other platforms at the same price you use here. I don't know what you sell, but some items are very price sensitive, and some aren't. However, if you want to pass the savings on to your buyers, nothing wrong with that.

It's possible but I know what I want my ROI to be so I am fine if there is money left on the table. I sell a variety of things, trying to downsize to the point where I can quit selling all together I am finding better things to do with my time and been at this quite awhile and some of the fun has gone out of it.

flyingmvp · ‎11-20-2022

@nuclearomen wrote:
it's not price, it's visibility that is the issue, promote, get seen, don't promote, don't get seen - it's really coming down to that. I can tell you from full experience of using PLs since they started. When they started didn't much matter, sales, visibility would be either way, tides have turned, now anything not promoted sits for longtime and gets near no views, vs promoted they get at least views. I don't however use suggested rates, they are just inflations for ebays ego, if they suggest 10% - 4-5% election is fine.

This post is the "answer"/ solution. 👍

Low/est price/fast shipping/good product < expensive overpriced item due to use of Ebay PL/PLA.

Many sellers before reported the same outcome, pay more to PL, or your cheap/fairly priced item will not be seen/sold.

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎11-20-2022

@dbfolks166mt Agree. And that's one reason I often take offers (or even make offers) for less than I would have in the past....as long as the ROI is OK. It's still fun for me, but I have so much stuff I want to make some room....But other sellers are in different situations.

dbfolks166mt · ‎11-20-2022

@nuclearomen wrote:
it's not price, it's visibility that is the issue, promote, get seen, don't promote, don't get seen - it's really coming down to that. I can tell you from full experience of using PLs since they started. When they started didn't much matter, sales, visibility would be either way, tides have turned, now anything not promoted sits for longtime and gets near no views, vs promoted they get at least views. I don't however use suggested rates, they are just inflations for ebays ego, if they suggest 10% - 4-5% election is fine.

This post is the "answer"/ solution.

Low/est price/fast shipping/good product < expensive overpriced item due to use of Ebay PL/PLA.

Many sellers before reported the same outcome, pay more to PL, or your cheap/fairly priced item will not be seen/sold.

I have never use PL and never will and I still manage to make a few sales on eBay but I really don't care because a lot of the items are selling on other forums/venues without any problem.

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎11-20-2022

@dbfolks166mt Different sellers approach things differently. The quote above says "expensive overpriced item due to use of Ebay PL/PLA."

Not for me. I don't raise my prices to accommodate PLS, I keep my prices the same. I also don't increase my prices to run a sale, or to send an offer. Most of my stuff has strong margins, and I can still do OK without increasing my prices. And I know I'm not alone in this.

nuclearomen · ‎11-20-2022

@toomuchstuffagain35 wrote:
The $500 PLA credit they offered that was denied when you tried to activate it? LOL

what? no, I don't use PLAs, i said, that is the promotion they offered prior to the current of $30.

The great truth is there isn't one
And it only gets worse since that conclusion...
...There is something about the rigid posture of a proper, authentic blind
As if extended arms reached to pass his blindness onto others.

my-cottage-books-and-antiques · ‎11-20-2022

@nuclearomen I think @toomuchstuffagain35 is referring to the fact that when some people tried to activate the $500 offer, the activation was denied.....if I recall, it apparently had been sent to at least some people who weren't supposed to get it, so it was quite a screw up.

nuclearomen · ‎11-20-2022

@flyingmvp wrote:
@nuclearomen wrote:
it's not price, it's visibility that is the issue, promote, get seen, don't promote, don't get seen - it's really coming down to that. I can tell you from full experience of using PLs since they started. When they started didn't much matter, sales, visibility would be either way, tides have turned, now anything not promoted sits for longtime and gets near no views, vs promoted they get at least views. I don't however use suggested rates, they are just inflations for ebays ego, if they suggest 10% - 4-5% election is fine.
This post is the "answer"/ solution. 👍

Low/est price/fast shipping/good product < expensive overpriced item due to use of Ebay PL/PLA.

Many sellers before reported the same outcome, pay more to PL, or your cheap/fairly priced item will not be seen/sold.

it's not just cheap/fairly priced...noticed sometime ago the current trend can be that or even the higher priced stuff...depends on category.item.how many search results return- really it's all a big mystery - that's a question for those in charge of algorithm and search results.... and you'll never get an answer anyways lol.

The great truth is there isn't one
And it only gets worse since that conclusion...
...There is something about the rigid posture of a proper, authentic blind
As if extended arms reached to pass his blindness onto others.

nuclearomen · ‎11-20-2022

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:
@nuclearomen I think @toomuchstuffagain35 is referring to the fact that when some people tried to activate the $500 offer, the activation was denied.....if I recall, it apparently had been sent to at least some people who weren't supposed to get it, so it was quite a screw up.

oh i see, yeah maybe, idk, I never tried to accept it, but wouldn't surprise me with so many things messed up on site, why not.

The great truth is there isn't one
And it only gets worse since that conclusion...
...There is something about the rigid posture of a proper, authentic blind
As if extended arms reached to pass his blindness onto others.

farmalljr · ‎11-20-2022

@bashort wrote:
@stainlessenginecovers wrote:
Promote at 2% (minimum) and ignore the 'suggestion'. This allows you to be on other peoples listings as well as your own listings for like type items.

Then, put things on sale.
So I did the same example at 2% add rate, the net drops from $84.26 to $79.11 or 6.2% less.
dropping the item from $100 to $94 nets out the same as a 2% promotion.

So the question is which is more effective lowering the price or promoting?

It appears to me that at least in this example every 1% in promoting is equal to a 3% price reduction in net results.

Your math is bad. You are asking the WRONG question.

First, realize something, is eBay here as a charity to you, or are they a business looking for profits? They are here for profits of coarse.

Now ask yourself, which way would EBAY benefit more? If you are selling common things, you are one of many sellers, selling the SAME thing. eBay will guide sales (aka drive traffic) where they can make the MOST money. Sellers here forget, EBAY is paying for the traffic. The views are EBAY's. So they are going to do what is in THIER best interest. Not the seller's, and not the buyer's.

automotiveparts4less · ‎04-02-2024

These eBay suggested ad rates are outrageous and I don’t know who in their right mind would stoop so low as to apply them to their listings. I don’t doubt for a second that these numbers are fabricated by Ebay To collect even more money from sellers.

solidguitar1961 · ‎04-02-2024

ETA deleted ....

kutuzov · ‎06-03-2024

Thank you! Like it!.. kut

kh-vince · ‎06-03-2024

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.