Sales have been non existing since ad change

[spiro_scorpious]

Hello. I never post on here, but any time i try to talk to actual "customer service"...well, you know how that goes.

I've been selling on ebay for 20 years. And most of this year has been pretty decent, but for the last month or so I've noticed a HUGE drop in sales and views that just happened to coincide with the ad fee and percentage changes.

We can no longer choose the % of those ads for a listing. Now there's a set minimum amount. I have cranked them up so high just to get bare minimum views and have only had 3 sales in 2 months! The ad % is so high that eBay took so much from those sales that I barely made anything at all.

Ebay is forcing me to run ads at a super high percentage and suppressing my sales intentionally if I don't. 

Is anyone else experiencing this? After 20 years on ebay I'm really ready to give up and move to another platform. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques · Accepted solution]

@spiro_scorpious 

"Is anyone else experiencing this? "

I'm not happy about the change to how the PLS fee is calculated, nor am I happy about the minimum increasing from 1% to 2%.  However, I can't really say that I've seen a pronounced change in my sales that I would attribute to those changes, and I can't say that I believe ebay is suppressing my sales because I'm not using a high PLS (my current PLS is 2.4%)

I'm not saying this stuff isn't happening to you, just answering your question about my experience.

"After 20 years on ebay I'm really ready to give up and move to another platform. "

That is certainly one option you have, and in today's ecommerce world, a seller has more good choices than ever. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!

[bethsattic3031]

At least I had more than a "few" sales on a regular basis, but now I'm lucky to make a very tiny sale, every few weeks. I did manage to sell 3 items in the last few weeks, but very small sales. I still can't figure out if people are just not buying, or I'm paying a monthly store fee and promoting my items for nothing in return. I've never experienced anything this in probably my entire existence on Ebay. Trying to hold out until October when my subscription ends. If I'm promoting my items, there should be more views and offers at least. Words can't describe how upset I've been with this nonsense. 

[spiro_scorpious]

Same issue here.  You would think paying for promotion would increase views but I've had stuff listed for over 30 days and barely any views. One listing even had 0 views! For items I sold regularly. Yet when I do get a sale (few and far between), of course it's from being a promoted listing so they're taking a cut.

[inhawaii]

I experimented with promoted listings when it first came out.

I found I don't need it and stopped using it. 

I'm getting along just fine without it. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@bethsattic3031 wrote:

At least I had more than a "few" sales on a regular basis, but now I'm lucky to make a very tiny sale, every few weeks. I did manage to sell 3 items in the last few weeks, but very small sales. I still can't figure out if people are just not buying, or I'm paying a monthly store fee and promoting my items for nothing in return. I've never experienced anything this in probably my entire existence on Ebay. Trying to hold out until October when my subscription ends. If I'm promoting my items, there should be more views and offers at least. Words can't describe how upset I've been with this nonsense. 

---

Between the change with promoted rate minimums, search and how watchers do or don't work it's easy to understand why sellers who used to sell consistently are extremely frustrated. 

• With promoted you are competed against the mega sellers who can afford to promote their items at higher rates
• eBay search worked 1000 times better in the past before all the IS updates and category/sub-category modifications & removals
• Watchers being on full display in the past would trigger sales(for some sellers). Now watchers have become random lookyloos or competition sellers researching. Even sending offers when you get that update has become close to a lost cause. Recently had an item mysteriously reach 8 watchers. (Last time I had an item reach 8 watchers before selling was 2012/13.  Nothing in the way of a notification suggesting I send offers.

-Lotz

I used to have sales at least every day or 2. Now its beginning or end of month. 

[spiro_scorpious]

I was running the minimum % and after no views and sales for weeks I had to keep raising it more and more. 

[paraquip]

This is not a promoted listing issue......it is a search results, organic and paid impressions thing.

This is a result of new code that was not properly developed and pushed live.

You could have a 50% advertised rate and it sill would not impact your sales.

HK

[katzrul15]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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@bethsattic3031 wrote:

At least I had more than a "few" sales on a regular basis, but now I'm lucky to make a very tiny sale, every few weeks. I did manage to sell 3 items in the last few weeks, but very small sales. I still can't figure out if people are just not buying, or I'm paying a monthly store fee and promoting my items for nothing in return. I've never experienced anything this in probably my entire existence on Ebay. Trying to hold out until October when my subscription ends. If I'm promoting my items, there should be more views and offers at least. Words can't describe how upset I've been with this nonsense. 

---

Between the change with promoted rate minimums, search and how watchers do or don't work it's easy to understand why sellers who used to sell consistently are extremely frustrated. 

• With promoted you are competed against the mega sellers who can afford to promote their items at higher rates
• eBay search worked 1000 times better in the past before all the IS updates and category/sub-category modifications & removals
• Watchers being on full display in the past would trigger sales(for some sellers). Now watchers have become random lookyloos or competition sellers researching. Even sending offers when you get that update has become close to a lost cause. Recently had an item mysteriously reach 8 watchers. (Last time I had an item reach 8 watchers before selling was 2012/13.  Nothing in the way of a notification suggesting I send offers.

-Lotz

I used to have sales at least every day or 2. Now its beginning or end of month. 

---

With the PL Advanced launch - we are at 10-12% on PL standard with minimal sales/results.  Really stressdul/sad.

[gamersbaystore]

Sorry, but this is slow season, and the slowdown in sales has nothing to do with promoted listings.

Traffic on ebay always slows during the summer. Usually traffic picks up between mid August and early September.

I have 1,540 listings, the majority are promoted with ad rates higher than the ones ebay suggests, and I'm getting very little traffic and going for days at a time with no sales myself.

The economy is a factor as well. People are tightening their belts, but things should still pick up as we move into the fall.

[coolections]

I see two problems that I know of that could be why your sales are not as high as you would like. Your cases are being drop shipped and you mention you may or may not have them available. The second thing I noticed is you say your items are new and show a picture of a new item. In your description you say the item the buyer receives may have wear. I assume those items are also being drop shipped. Buyers do not like taking chances. They prefer to know the item is available and want to see the actual item's condition.

[spiro_scorpious]

I deal with mostly trading cards and card accessories. This isn't "slowdown" season. With the national sports card convention (which is the biggest card event of the year) and San Diego comic con (again, biggest comic/toy convention of the year) this is actually PEAK season for me. Yet I bombed vs previous years. And vs previous months.

[spiro_scorpious]

The items are listed new (because they are in fact new) and may have signs of SHELF WEAR. Because they're toys/figures/statues/etc that come in boxes and some of those can get dinged up a bit. And the ones that gave any box flaws are SHOWN IN THE PHOTOS. They're not drop shipped at all. They're literally here in my living room, but continue assuming.

[coolections]

No assuming just going by what your listings state. I was giving you good advice since you came here saying you have problems.  I suggest taking pictures of those in your living room and maybe wait until those cases are sitting in your living room before putting the up for sale and saying they may not be available.

[spiro_scorpious]

Not assuming but said "I'd assume". 

I'd suggest keeping any selling advice to yourself considering you have no seller feedback at all. I'd also suggest you stop making assumptions and accusations.