Sales are dead, but its not just GTC that's an issue, its bad algorithms!

[gamersbaystore]

While many are angered over the latest changes regarding GTC, and many others are speculating as to why their sales are dead, I suspect there's other issues than GTC that are just as bad, if not far worse. Those issues are related to bad algorithms that ebay put into place with the intent to undercut its sellers and force them to drop their prices, or risk having no sales.

What I'm referring to is ebay's habit of advertising identical products from other sellers right inside your own listings. While I've seen ebay do this in patches since as far back as 2015, as of right now, no matter what listing a buyer clicks of mine, ebay then starts promoting the exact same identical product from other sellers. The end result is a never ending price war.

Just in the last 2 weeks I've seen the prices of the games I sell fall off a cliff as other sellers try to compete for sales of the same items.

ebay has turned its platform into a dollar store.

At this point I'm not looking for alternatives, I already found one, and I'm in the process of transitioning to an alternate platform now.

But myself, like many others, are also stuck with the dilemma that we're locked into a year long contract with ebay for our stores. Even if I leave, ebay is still going to want their $60 a month. Whether to stay or leave entirely is something I'm still debating. But either way, I'm definitely focusing on an alternative platform to operate my core business; albeit, one that's far cheaper with far less costs of doing business, and one that doesn't advertise the same identical products I sell from competitors.

Your thoughts on this?

[shamrock_trades]

*Claps*

My thoughts exactly, I 100% agree with all of this. This guy needs a medal. Period.

[gamersbaystore]

Yep, ebay encourages buyers to return everything they buy. I think the bigger issue with all of this is ebay execs horrible decision making.

[gamersbaystore]

The grass is greener on other sites if you own and operate them. I recently came back to ebay to sell because it already has an audience, and they made the process of selling simple. But now that's all out the window as soon as someone clicks on my listings and the first thing they see is someone elses identical listings. Sellers now have no choice but to race to the bottom with their prices and make no profits at all, or sell nothing at all.

Either way, I'm launching my own e-commerce site, no red tape, I control my business and platform, not ebay.

[cs497kcpope]

Sad that It's the new norm now! I have been a seller for many years and returns was not something promoted. 😞   Yes if there is a problem with the item I agree but just buyers remorse no! Especially if it cost the seller return shipping fee's. Small sellers will be rooted out!

[rixstuff]

The charged some other seller the same amount to promote THEIR stores and probably promote YOUR store on someone else's listings.  How many sales do all we lose to large commercial stores who buy ad space on a closet cleaner's auction listing for secondhand stuff?  Worse what about all the Chinese sellers offering counterfeit whatever we are selling for 99 cent and free shipping?

Sometimes you have to just trust buyers not to be completely stupid and list things the best you can.  Even if there was no competition from outside, there are so many more sellers on Ebay these days - and selling online in general - folks downsizing, retiring, laid off, going minimalist (hello? Marie Kondo?), estate sales, storage bins, etc. 

The buyers have changed too.  They don't buy as many collectibles, they DONT pay huge money for that "rare" item (that 50 other sellers also have), they focus more on necessities, they want the hard to find and unique not the same old from the mall, and they want bargains.

Even the best item with the highest rated seller for the most rockbottom price wont sell if nobody wants it.  You can list it but you cant make folks buy it.  I never got why sellers call CS when they get no sales.  What at the reps supposed to do? Did they hope the Ebay staff can make the widget they were selling the new hot item?

And don't even get me started on the conspiracy fans who see fraud and bullying behind every sale not made.

[hioctane62]

There is only one good thing I can think of about these ads. If the buyer is searching only for the lowest price, they are very likely a buyer I don't want to deal with.

[rixstuff]

If I google, say a Dyson vacuum cleaner, google will show me that same vacuum from 100 different sellers.  Google cant really tell though what is most important to me.  Maybe it is the price, maybe quick shipping, maybe a good warranty, maybe taking Paypal as payment.  My point is that there is always going to be competition.  AND THAT is the primary reason Ebay is going to GTC - it is the norm on nearly every other sales site.  They are changing to keep up. Even here on Ebay, when I search for jeans, I get results for THOUSANDS of pairs of jeans. IS THAT UNFAIR?  Not to me the buyer it isn't.

Years back my aunt sold something and was told by another seller that he was "the one and only authorized reseller of secondhand [that brand] on Ebay" and that she must remove all her listings or be sued and banned from Ebay. THAT is a seller who seriously cant handle competition.  He was full of spit so she ignored him and is still here 17 years later.

[gamersbaystore]

That's just it, I have no problem with ebay promoting similar items on my listings. Its the promotion of identical items and ebay throwing my listings under the bus I cannot understand. If I log out of ebay and search for something in my store and click on any given listing, the first thing I see isn't my item at all, its ebay promoting the same identical item from someone else. My store and all my listings then become irrelevant, and listing anything becomes a pointless pursuit.

When buyers scroll down to read the description of my listings, they see those identical items first, no description, and then a price war ensues.

Yet, we pay for this space (our stores) to promote our items, yet our own listings don't promote what we're selling at all anymore.

Scenario, I list a game for sale. Another seller then views their own listing and sees my game is cheaper, they lower their price. Then its a domino effect, and the next thing you know a $25 game is now $3.95 and free shipping, no profits, sellers lose money, ebay is losing money, the buyer is the only one who wins.

This scenario is never going to play out in ebay's or their sellers favor.

ebay is clearly trying to artificially deflate the prices on their platform, that's for sure.

While ebay is at it, they might as well just remove all the listings in my own store and place someone elses for sale in it, that's pretty much what they're doing.

[hioctane62]

Yep, they'll show the ads INSTEAD of your description, with a little tab to click on to see your description. VERY dirty, and there is no way anybody here can defend that.

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@jason_incognito wrote:

---

@cs497kcpope wrote:

You are right about the returns part! I know of no company that promotes returns like eBay does!! What idiot company does that? I have had 4 sales in the last 8 days and one of them is being returned immediately after they received the item! On the same day they received it. Now you tell me that they did not already plan on returning it? Sales are so hard to come by these days with eBay's new algorithms! We do not need that large RETURN button reminding every buyer just as soon as you find a cheaper item (PLEASE RETURN THIS ITEM)!!! Ok I got that off of my chest!

---

I just got an order from Disney. 

Included inside was a return label and the instructions on how to return the item.

---

With all due respect, I see what you are saying, but I think most sellers here aren't Disney.

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@gamersbaystore wrote:

Yep, ebay encourages buyers to return everything they buy. I think the bigger issue with all of this is ebay execs horrible decision making.

---

I respectfully disagree.  A buyer who is satisfied with their item isn't going to want to return it, even when they see the return this item button.  They aren't that easily led.  

[gamersbaystore]

I'll disagree with what you're saying as well. Consider this, a buyer purchases a game, plays it for 3 weeks, then returns it for a full refund. If you can't see how this system would be abused, I don't know what else to say. free returns = a free rental service for buyers, those are the facts, no denying this.

[abfabvintage]

Another thing happening that frosts me. When you click on a seller's item that Sold (they put it at the left top with a block to the right to look at original sold listing.. but before you click on it, right below it is another seller's item still active, no problem (many times it doesn't even match the Sold item). BUT when I look at my Items Viewed? it only shows the other seller's active item which I did not click on. Just stupid. I am constantly deleting out Items Viewed because I didn't view them. So that active item seller gets a view when I didn't even click on it? Hope making sense here.

[this*old*attic]

And another site, which is well know for DIY and long tails, has a dreadful search and you have to run around heart-omg everyone’s stuff to build visibility.... not to mention their listing platform is clumsy and app even worse!

[this*old*attic]

Stitch Fix does the same thing