eBay

partsman330 · ‎04-01-2019

I saw an incredible drop in sales in March. I cannot figure out what has happened. The change was so drastic it is almost catastrophic. I see a lot of talk about GTC and I even thought my listings were being hidden somehow but I did some searches on a different user ID and there they were right as they should be in search results.

Its not like people's appliances suddenly stopped breaking... also, the quality of the buyers I DID get last month was awful... it was a lot of scammers trying to pull fast ones (buyers choosing Local Pickup to get free shipping/buyers returning their old/installed parts/buyers from other countries buying under a Domestic address then saying they need it shipping out of country to avoid paying international shipping/etc)

Very confusing how such a drop off happened so suddenly. I understand there are ups and downs and have been selling on this platform for nearly 20 years but I have never seen anything so drastic and sudden as what has been happening the last 4 or so weeks. It is very concerning. I sell products that are one a "need" basis and make sure when listed my items are the lowest price that exists online... anywhere. The "need" is there 100% so I am confused as to what is happening. Items that I would sell 5-10 weekly for months just suddenly died... as did everything else.

What are your sales like for March? Up? Down? Non existent?

djmovers99 · ‎04-01-2019

@weschurch wrote:
@djmovers99 wrote:
Try lowering the price by $1 to increase your chance of selling!!!
Heck just try giving them away. Thats Ebays philosophy.

At some point people need to see the writing on the wall. You aren't getting sales because Ebays traffic is nowhere near what it used to be - end of story

There was a time when I tried to buy everything first on eBay. Not anymore. Not until I see a complete management change at the top. I was not given a chance to vote on the policy changes that negatively affect me; therefore I vote with my feet. It's a matter of principle even if I have to pay more elsewhere...

grasshopperx · ‎04-01-2019

I remember laughing when I heard the words Disruptive Innovation. Does anyone else remember that one? Seems to be working.. the sites in a tail spin.

binderzz · ‎04-01-2019

...

hioctane62 · ‎04-01-2019

@grasshopperx wrote:
I remember laughing when I heard the words Disruptive Innovation. Does anyone else remember that one? Seems to be working.. the sites in a tail spin.

Yep, I remember Donahoe spouting that one, shortly before he declared that sellers were "noise" for wanting any input. One of my favorites was "In order to prepare for the future, we have to let go of a very successful past". I may not have quoted that one 100% correct, but that's what he said, lol.

turquoisetulips · ‎04-01-2019

@partsman330 wrote:
I saw an incredible drop in sales in March. I cannot figure out what has happened. The change was so drastic it is almost catastrophic. I see a lot of talk about GTC and I even thought my listings were being hidden somehow but I did some searches on a different user ID and there they were right as they should be in search results.

Its not like people's appliances suddenly stopped breaking... also, the quality of the buyers I DID get last month was awful... it was a lot of scammers trying to pull fast ones (buyers choosing Local Pickup to get free shipping/buyers returning their old/installed parts/buyers from other countries buying under a Domestic address then saying they need it shipping out of country to avoid paying international shipping/etc)

Very confusing how such a drop off happened so suddenly. I understand there are ups and downs and have been selling on this platform for nearly 20 years but I have never seen anything so drastic and sudden as what has been happening the last 4 or so weeks. It is very concerning. I sell products that are one a "need" basis and make sure when listed my items are the lowest price that exists online... anywhere. The "need" is there 100% so I am confused as to what is happening. Items that I would sell 5-10 weekly for months just suddenly died... as did everything else.

What are your sales like for March? Up? Down? Non existent?

Sales were way down at the first through the middle of March until I was ready to quit [ as always] . However this last weekend I had 4 sales on Thursday and then 12 more followed through Saturday . I hadn't seen that many sales in such a short time since last Christmas . I don't know why these slumps occur , I only know they do . Just be as patient as you can . People NEED the stuff you sell ,, not so much with what I sell . So there's hope . Tulips

inhawaii · ‎04-02-2019

My March sales were down exactly 50%.

Long Train Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers

this*old*attic · ‎04-02-2019

No sales because good sellers are leaving, and they’re the buyers?

I just don’t agree with this; it gets held up as a standard repeatedly.

A site that relied on all the users running around buying from each other was never how EBay functioned nor would it ever be a viable operation were that the case.

Anonymous · ‎04-02-2019

No sales because good sellers are leaving, and they’re the buyers.. Yes I am a seller who buys a lot and if I leave so does my buying . So when a lot of Sellers leave My sales drop even more every time Ebay has changes.
Yes when Sellers who are also buyers leave so do more sales!

grasshopperx · ‎04-02-2019

Exactly. When I sell, I buy on here. My spending has come to a halt. Then too, just think how many buyers bought from those mass producers overseas, and never even get their items? Happens ALL the time. Sometimes I will buy cheap craft supplies... from there. But I never spend more then 2 bucks. I can afford to lose that. half the time it never comes.

valuestore · ‎04-02-2019

I just had the best month in over 2 years, now to what shaping up to be the worst month in 2 years....must be the weather jk.

kittykat.949 · ‎04-02-2019

Sales were diagnosed with an incurable deadly form of Cancer known as the dreaded GTC---it is known to kill your business in the shortest time of any cancer---SALES REST IN PEACE

noodlevette · ‎04-02-2019

Yes, sellers are also buyers. My original selling intent was to downsize, however I do still buy things. I think it is a matter of convenience, I'm here anyway checking my listings and hopefully sales, if there is something I need I might as well check ebay. Ebay is easier for me to browse than Amazon, I like to see the actual item not some stock image. More sellers here do seem to still take real photos.

There is a learning curve on other platforms too, and that same convenience factor may be in play if a seller is spending time there trying to master an alternate site.

partsman330 · ‎04-02-2019

@noodlevette wrote:
Yes, sellers are also buyers. My original selling intent was to downsize, however I do still buy things. I think it is a matter of convenience, I'm here anyway checking my listings and hopefully sales, if there is something I need I might as well check ebay. Ebay is easier for me to browse than Amazon, I like to see the actual item not some stock image. More sellers here do seem to still take real photos.
There is a learning curve on other platforms too, and that same convenience factor may be in play if a seller is spending time there trying to master an alternate site.

I really like the ability to see what I'm actually buying as you do. I never use stock photos, I feel it sets up high/false expectations, esp when I'm selling older stock that's often in a beat-up box. Ebay seems to be pushing more and more to use stock photos (ala Amazon) which I feel is a mistake. The move here has been to take away all identity and control on the seller's end (again, ala Amazon) to be a platform of nameless sellers. Again, this is a mistake IMO. It seems as though as a platform they are pushing to BE Amazon but its not as easy (and impossible in some cases) to sell certain things on Amazon. It seems some sellers are fighting a losing battle to hang on to the Ebay they once knew where their product was a viable commodity as a result. I am starting to feel that my products may fit this bill. It has been harder and harder to sell them and stay profitable even when my sales were better.

hioctane62 · ‎04-02-2019

Ebay not only wants us to be nameless sellers, they are so arrogant that they view us as dropship locations for THEIR merchandise. Hence ebay being the merchant of record and totally controlling the payment from one end to the other. What they are not counting on is us sellers showing them who owns these businesses and this merchandise by removing it all from their site.