Promoted listings is a scam!

[sir.koinz]

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!!

[ml_makers]

Just ran into the same thing and it looks like the account that purchased my $400 for $200 through a "promoted ad" is actually a fake account probably tied to eBay. I read through their reviews and they're mostly duplicate and fake. 

People with 2-3000 review points beside their name bid on my item until the last minutes and an obscure name with 20 beside it swooped in and stole my item, then left no feedback. 

Guaranteed a complete scam

[ml_makers]

Sounds like you're a promotional ad for eBay. Their selling platform sucks and they're **bleep** the people that use it

[brightlightbookseller]

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@ml_makers wrote:

Just ran into the same thing and it looks like the account that purchased my $400 for $200 through a "promoted ad" is actually a fake account probably tied to eBay. I read through their reviews and they're mostly duplicate and fake. 

People with 2-3000 review points beside their name bid on my item until the last minutes and an obscure name with 20 beside it swooped in and stole my item, then left no feedback. 

Guaranteed a complete scam

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Guaranteed you can't prove what you just wrote.

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@ml_makers wrote:

Sounds like you're a promotional ad for eBay. Their selling platform sucks and they're **bleep** the people that use it

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Not sure how you got that impression or why you're attacking another seller.

[crawfordbt2222012]

AS A SELLER I AGREE  & HAVE EXPERIENCED THE GREATER LOSS OF PROFIT & LESS WATCHERS  BECAUSE OF ""#AI  & #EBAY 's  PROMOTED LISTINGS SCAM....I WAS SELF EMPLOYED WITH LARGE RETAIL OPs for 50 years ...# 30 + % FEES TO EBAYS IS EXCESSIVE ...I WAS DOING  THIS  AS A  HOBBY  BUT IT IS TOO COSTLY ""EBAYS EXCESSIVE FEES"" BETTER TO DONATE & GET  REAL ADVANTAGE FOR THE WRITE OFF....

[signedbooksfirsteditions]

yup I tried it and got 2 views on my post, so where was the promotion? to the twilight zone

[fbusoni]

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@ml_makers wrote:

Sounds like you're a promotional ad for eBay. Their selling platform sucks and they're **bleep** the people that use it

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@ml_makers 

@ethylsgarage  is not a promotional ad for eBay.

But I understand the genesis of your comment.

Millions of people these days grew up behind computer screens and simply cannot fathom that they are responsible for the choices that they make.

These are the same folks who think that its possible to make money in their sleep, because, after all, that's what an "influencer" on YouTube said.

They are the people who feel a grandiose sense of entitlement because they are used to clicking a mouse button and getting whatever it was on the screen that they wanted.  (Growing up on participation trophies also has its dangers.)

There is an insane, old-fashioned notion out there: nothing in life is guaranteed.

And to its credit, eBay even puts that in writing in section 4 of its user agreement. 

Read it and learn.

PS: there are millions of sellers on eBay who have done well here.  eBay has tons of shortcomings.  But there is not and will never be a substitute for common sense.   Sadly, eBay cannot help sellers with that.  😆

[ethylsgarage]

I've been selling on eBay since 1997. It constantly evolves and you just have to keep up with the times. What worked during the pandemic doesn't work now. What works now wasn't even available 10 years ago.

Ethyl

[crawfordbt2222012]

YES ....AT 30% FEES EBAY  I CAN  HAVE ANOTHER STORE FRONT

[crawfordbt2222012]

FAKE???? I CAN NOT VERIFY

[kh-shakhib]

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.