eBay

sir.koinz · ‎05-09-2024

I pay extra for promoted listings so my items will have more exposure, here's my experience. I list my item and wait 48 hrs and I have a few views. No interest after 72 hrs so I go on a neutral computer and search for my item, exactly. I search to page 30 and see none of my identical items (3). I allow another couple days to go by and I'm starting to get a little warm in the cheeks because I'm seeing the exact same thing for sale that had not been promoted being shown on almost every single page! Items that are shown multiple times each page!! That aren't even promoted!! So I finally click on an item and scroll to the bottom of the listing and start going through the the ads at the bottom that you only see if you happen to scroll to the bottom way past any relevant information to the ad you clicked on (why would anyone do that? ) Lo and behold after a couple dozen items there's 1 of my 3 items!

So, when you pay extra to have your listing shown in more places you're actually paying to have your item taken out of the regular search results and having it placed in an obscure area where you'll be lucky to get a view in the 30 days it's listed PLUS GUESS WHAT?? No matter what, if your item happens to sell then you will have to pay the extra fee because it was purchased after being seen in the "promoted" area!! But since your item can ONLY be seen in the "promoted" area you will ALWAYS have to pay the extra fee!!!

if anyone else has had the same experience please let me know. If anyone is going to in any way try to justify or make some kind of excuse for this happening, save your energy because this IS happening and it has been for quite awhile by the looks of all the posts. Someone is going to say, "where else can you sell to millions of people around the world for this small amount of money?" My answer would be, anywhere because I'm only selling when ebay allows me to and i don't like to be cheated or manipulated or lied to or flat out robbed by anyone! If I purchase something then I expect that purchase to be exactly what is described just like any buyer. What I have been paying for is not even close to what my purchase was described as. And I'll guarantee it hasn't been for any other sellers either. So either you don't care or you're afraid if you say anything about it you will lose your ability to make money and that would be life changing and detrimental to a lot of people including me because it is my only source of income just like a lot of other sellers. But if you're not selling then what's the point? Or if you have strings attached to your arms what's the point? There has to be a better way to do this! There at sellers with the same listing multiple times per page why not give those spots to sellers who paid for extra exposure? Give them what they paid for! If it's a software problem take all of the billions unjustly collected from sellers and FIX IT!!

sir.koinz · ‎05-13-2024

I agree 100%! Good analysis and thank you, I am actually learning alot of things I didn't know!

sir.koinz · ‎05-13-2024

I'm happy that you've had such a great experience but everyone doesn't always have the same exact experience. What I wrote about was my personal experience whether or not anyone believes or cares is their prerogative. Again, I am happy that you have had positive experiences with this certain feature, that gives me hope that those of us who have not, someday will. Thank you for the positive outlook!

sir.koinz · ‎05-13-2024

I'm afraid, based on my personal experience, I am going to have to agree with you on that. One other piece of evidence that makes me agree is the sheer number of sellers that are saying the same EXACT thing! Are we all dillusional? Doubtful, and I haven't even seen LSD in several years so it can't be a flashback, i think....

sir.koinz · ‎05-13-2024

Oh yes and I do keep track of all that. I know based on the date of my account i appear to be a newbie (i get it ALOT) which doesn't bother me at all, on the contrary I always learn something I didn't know beforehand which is better than gold as far as I'm concerned. I have actually been selling on here since ebays first jump out of dos, on and off with years off in between. I actually had a pretty large following but I ended up going on active duty for a few years and (for some reason) hmm.. hmm.. ebay... my account seemed to have disappeared along with my car, dog and girlfriend while i was overseas. So, when i was settled in well enough i decided to start selling again, hence the brand new name and account! Anyway to get back on topic, I realize a lot of the issue with limited exposure is due to the amount of sellers trying to sell the same thing. I am in the largest category on ebay, i think it still is, and that plays a large part in when my listings will be visible. I'm not only on here to complain and "rant" like one lucky seller suggested, I'm on here to learn about the new things that have occurred in the time I was "off grid". And that goal just keeps being met over and over again and I am most appreciative to everyone that has pitched in on it, thank you tremendously!

sir.koinz · ‎05-13-2024

That was the first thing i noticed too! It's left open ended and that can be a scary thing. It's what kept me from doing it for months but then i finally jumped in head first and here we are...

sir.koinz · ‎05-13-2024

Yeah, I'd say wholeheartedly **bleep** right! But I've noticed there are sellers that it has benefited and to be honest, at the beginning it helped my sales too, but then it turned into my ex-wife and kept taking but never giving. And it feels good to know there's others it has happened to, we could start our own support group.... wait, are we talking about the same thing?

sir.koinz · ‎05-13-2024

I looked at some of your items for sale and I was very intrigued that you have a few items that are similar to items I've had in my collection for several years and I am very excited about a particular item that I've never been able to find any reliable information pertaining to dating. I attempted to message you concerning the item but it seems you blocked me. Since this is the very first time we have ever even heard of one another i assume it is because you assumed I would be upset? About your reply? That's the only thing i can think of and i will, again, assume it is because, in your experience, other people have had hurt feelings due to your outspoken, honest replies. You are not conversing with one of that type I assure you I only appreciate candor and honesty in all things. Your reply wasn't fluff, it wasn't rude and it wasn't condescending, therefore I respected it just as I respected all the others. I am truly sorry you have had to deal with those who ask questions but want to supply the answer as well, that is always tiresome. If I have another opportunity in the future to ask you about the listing I saw then I will talk to you then, thanks.

conservitvs · ‎05-14-2024

@sir.koinz wrote:
I looked at some of your items for sale and I was very intrigued that you have a few items that are similar to items I've had in my collection for several years and I am very excited about a particular item that I've never been able to find any reliable information pertaining to dating. I attempted to message you concerning the item but it seems you blocked me. Since this is the very first time we have ever even heard of one another i assume it is because you assumed I would be upset? About your reply? That's the only thing i can think of and i will, again, assume it is because, in your experience, other people have had hurt feelings due to your outspoken, honest replies. You are not conversing with one of that type I assure you I only appreciate candor and honesty in all things. Your reply wasn't fluff, it wasn't rude and it wasn't condescending, therefore I respected it just as I respected all the others. I am truly sorry you have had to deal with those who ask questions but want to supply the answer as well, that is always tiresome. If I have another opportunity in the future to ask you about the listing I saw then I will talk to you then, thanks.

@sir.koinz

You are not on my BBL. I checked.

I’ve never blocked anyone from the forum.

I only block for nonpayment, or if a transaction partner is unpleasant in some way (but the person has to be very, very unpleasant).

I’m happy to answer any questions you have on any of the listed artifacts, conservation methodologies, etc.

CONSERVITVS • Volunteer Community Mentor
eBay member since: 1996

chevymontecarlo88 · ‎05-14-2024

@sir.koinz wrote:
I know right? Haha and it's a great feeling when i sell a penny i got back in change from McDonald's for $100! Happens pretty frequently actually and I don't know what it is about McDs but they always hook me up! So do liquor stores but that's kind of sad because alcoholics will use theirs and anyone else's coin and currency collection to buy booze, I actually have a deal with the workers in a couple liquor stores so they set any strange looking currency aside for me every day. Thanks for the input it is most appreciated!

I guess you could say.. "Just Lovin It" 😂

- Roasting id

jrod1313 · ‎05-30-2024

What I've noticed when searching for my items, is that they always appear in the search results as sponsored, regardless of whether it is a vague cursory search (where sponsored might make sense to boost your position) or if you search the exact item title. So even if my results come up during organic search, since I selected the option for promotion it seems like ebay is going to display my item as sponsored in all instances and cash in despite it being found organically.

maxxilano · ‎07-26-2024

Promoted listings, in my case, always show up on the first pages, do they worth it? No! You pay a lot for the clicks, which doesn't guarantee sales at all and drain your purse fast. We tried them for a long time, changed keywords etc., but honestly, creating a good SEO optimized listing shows better results overall.

beachislandtreasures · ‎08-01-2024

I've actually looked at the bottom feed listings and accidentally clicked on an item or two while looking at another listing through my mobile app, then it shows up on my viewed items, so I have to delete it or I get a marked down offer for that item because the buyer thinks I'm interested. I've taken PL off the table and got sales one week, then not the next. I have all my items on PL, and very few are showing up external or I don't get a view for over 30 days or even months, so I start ending and sell similar. This also counts as an insertion.

reelworks · ‎08-01-2024

Promoted items is just another gimmick for eBay to get more money out of you.

The real problem is no buyers and low hit counts overall.

I feel that much like myself, if a buyer comes to eBay looking for something, they will likely search for it, so keywords are likely more important than any promotion.

For example, if I'm looking for a starter for my tractor, I'll type in the brand, maybe the part number and click on lowest to highest and start down the list. The best deal wins. Quite often though the first 300 listings are crap from China that'll take a month to get here. So then I click US listings only, then I get a bunch of Chinese items listed by Chinese sellers who have entered a US city to avoid just what I was trying to avoid. I then have to sort through the rest of the list to find a seller here who has decent feedback to buy from.

Nothing a seller can do will eliminate all the other crap ads, nothing they can do will make their ad pop up on top of all the cheaper, Chinese items unless they sell their first rate American made product at Chinese prices.

Its called the system is broken and they don't want to fix it because they make money this way because I suppose they sell a thousand cheap Chinese knockoffs vs one orginal American made item for a few dollars more.

Its getting to the point where this is no better than Amazon with all their knock offs and Chinese sellers pushing counterfeits, cheap copies and dollar store items.

callipy*1 · ‎08-08-2024

make sense --- I couldn't see much of an explanation as to how it works............

redlinear · ‎08-08-2024

@reelworks wrote:
Promoted items is just another gimmick for eBay to get more money out of you.

The real problem is no buyers and low hit counts overall.

I feel that much like myself, if a buyer comes to eBay looking for something, they will likely search for it, so keywords are likely more important than any promotion.
For example, if I'm looking for a starter for my tractor, I'll type in the brand, maybe the part number and click on lowest to highest and start down the list. The best deal wins. Quite often though the first 300 listings are crap from China that'll take a month to get here. So then I click US listings only, then I get a bunch of Chinese items listed by Chinese sellers who have entered a US city to avoid just what I was trying to avoid. I then have to sort through the rest of the list to find a seller here who has decent feedback to buy from.
Nothing a seller can do will eliminate all the other crap ads, nothing they can do will make their ad pop up on top of all the cheaper, Chinese items unless they sell their first rate American made product at Chinese prices.
Its called the system is broken and they don't want to fix it because they make money this way because I suppose they sell a thousand cheap Chinese knockoffs vs one orginal American made item for a few dollars more.
Its getting to the point where this is no better than Amazon with all their knock offs and Chinese sellers pushing counterfeits, cheap copies and dollar store items.

Exactly