Selling

[rmdigiovanni96]

What is up with selling on Ebay nowaday's?? I used to be able to sell tons of items, now hardly anyone even views my auctions. Are they blacklisting people??

[retro_entertainment_collectibles]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

@retro_entertainment_collectibles  If I'm not mistaken, you are primarily talking about "new, in season" merchandise? When the current CEO took over, he declared that the former CEO had fought Amazon and lost, and that going forward, ebay would not be pushing "new, in season" merchandise. Not that ebay would prohibit it or remove it, but that it would no longer be ebay's focus. I think that decision has probably had a very real impact on many sellers of "new, in season" merchandise. 

One ebay seller, who used to work for ebay, and who sells a new, in season product quite successfully, has acknowledged that he does better on Amazon and WalMart, and my impression is, this is one reason: those sites are geared more towards new in season merchandise, ebay is not.

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Greetings and thank you for you're reply,

For eBay to take on Amazon or Walmart is David versus Goliath(s).  Whilst the merch might be there the vendor attitude would disallow any such attempts.  We'd need something that does an onsite price compare against those venues and beat it as much as possible.

In relation to "New in season product" what the online retailers are engaging upon has basically been catalyzed by Walmart's online success.  Whilst certainly there are vendors at Walmart's online venue that are small fry entities Walmart has embraced the delisted merchandise channel.  I guess I should describe what delisted merch is.

Everything on retail store shelves in store, in warehouses and distributorship warehouses eventually delists as current merch.  Some retailers will clearance say open partial mastercases etc. and whats unsold gets sent back to the distributor.  It then becomes available to authorized resellers at a fraction of the MSRP.  This is what I did for ages in PC based merch, basically $50-$80 MSRP items that I'd buy for $2.50-$3.50 a unit by the mastercase.  Now there are various operations that when product is delisted they destroy or attempt reclaim product.

After the delisted sales wane things move to surplus, wholesale or again destruction.

For ages the authorized sellers of said merchandise have been core to open marketplaces and the former business to consumer venues such as uBid, Overstock, Onsale, Surplus Direct etc. which were ALL GIANTS in their day... I'd say Amazon is the #1 operation that put them all under along with a VERY VERY smart eBay back when.

Those seller of course went elsewhere to Amazon, to eBay etc.  and they bring home a 25-35% share of the bread.  Yes its all new product but not necessarily "In season" some of it might be many years old.  As an example of that when "The Learning Company" a producer back in the day of educational kids software and various multimedia CD/DVD Roms was purchased by Mattel Inc. suddenly I was approached by Mattel having been Learning Co. Authorized Reseller.  There were HEAPS and HEAPS and HEAPS of stuff available for me to purchase but what do I know about Toys?  Some of it recent delisted and some of it a good five year or older.  I tried some Hot Wheels, Dolls and such but well... Umm... ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE what I was doing LOL nor care learn.  Hindsight 20/20 that merch now has better value that what did I know.  Oops++.

Now retailers are looking at the web not as adjunct to brick and mortar but instead at least its equal if not more as generations embracing cellphone thumb hockey like door to door delivery and convenience.  Walmart's model of embracing the delisted and surplus unified supply chain vendors has set forth many other models.  So yea, last year or the year prior what was current merch gets blown out by online retailers at huge discounts.  The online retailers subcontract fulfillment and make a little per sale with a decent profit in volume.  But the big gain is the traffic to their online retail storefronts and the retention of the consumers.

I would make a dozen donut bet (Yeah, big spender! LOL) that if we could statistically look at the effect of the above in online retail upon traffic here and sales here we'd see a direct correlation in both.  We KNOW shoppers are still spending via economic reporting so the questions becomes WHERE.  Well according to retail associations Online Retailer traffic is up 40% over four years and spending within that 40% is up 30% and we see the wane here.  Its an estimated guess of course hence my exceptional willingness in bravery offering a complete box of donuts not to exceed $15 in expenditure!

Of course you are correct as well that those online retailers also deal in current merch.  The delisted blow out deals are sauce for the goose!  Yet at places like here at eBay there are core authorized vendors who also sell that delisted merchandise and there is no way they can compete against 50-80% off, free shipping etc when incurring a 15% or better at minimum FVF total expense.

Now could eBay go, "Well, show your an authorized reseller and we'll do a zero based or volume based FVF structure for you..."  Sure they could to help those sellers compete but the online retailers can still beat them not to mention the other 65-75% of sellers going BATSOMATIC claiming all forms of favoritism. 

I dont see how eBay can compete against the unified supply chain with current, delisted or surplus merch FOR THE FINITE consumer dollar.  If every consumer had money to burn we'd all be sitting pretty but that's not the case.

[mam98031]

@mommyscloset12 

I believe eBay is pressuring its sellers into buying into these promote listing subscriptions. 

You are putting the pressure on yourself.  Ebay isn't doing it.  I've never felt pressure to use Promoted Listings, nor have I used the tool.

They are taking more of our proceeds and in the long run they are screwing us sellers.

Again blaming Ebay for something the are NOT doing.  IF a seller CHOOSES to use the Promoted Listing tool, it is the SELLER that CHOOSES the percentage of additional fees they are willing to pay on top of the regular Ebay fees when they make a sale.

You need to learn what you have control of and what you don't.  Sellers are in COMPLETE control of using Promoted Listings or not using it.

Many Many of us sellers on eBay are retirees, disabled persons and working families trying to make ends meet. Stop screwing us eBay and practice a more ethical and moral  business. Stop with the ruthless corporate greed. You have already made your millions.

You will do much better and feel much better once you learn how Ebay actually works.  You have misunderstandings that are upsetting you and causing you unnecessary stress.  Ebay is not "screwing" you.  If you are paying high Promoted Listing fees, that is and was YOUR CHOICE.  Ebay did not pressure you or force you to do that.

Greed is a silly word to use in this context.  Ebay is a for profit corporation.  They exist to make money.  They started the business to make money.  Which is the same reason ALL sellers are here.  We all want to make money, so I guess you think we all must be greedy.

[mam98031]

@mommyscloset12 

eBay also punishes its sellers by taking away some of our views numbers. eBay can manipulate these numbers using their tracking computer programs.  this is not only unfair to the sellers but also unfair to the buyers who stopped and looked at the item.

What?  How or why would Ebay be doing this?  What did you do to be punished?  Please provide us the proof that Ebay is actually doing what you are accusing them of doing.

I am a retired nurse- worked 10 years in the Intensive Care units,  so I am not exactly stupid when it comes to trending and monitoring and using computer programs. Tracking and monitoring trending and interpreting patients lab work values and heart , blood pressure values amongst other things that are way beyond corporate eBay mentality. i consider it a great insult that eBay would treat its customers (buyers and sellers) in this fashion- blackballing, (and yes blackballing takes place in the healthcare environment also, Its not unique to the greedy business/ corporate world)  Shame on you. eBay. 

Such accusations.  What is your proof?  You are throwing out some serious allegations, what do you have to back them up?  To me you have a whole lot of misunderstandings that you are stringing together to come up with these conspiracies.  

[chapeau-noir]

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@mommyscloset12 wrote:

I am very new to selling on eBay and have only 41 items listed so i probably don't have any right to comment on this subject  but i too have felt something is going on and have felt it has to do with pressuring us sellers into buying into "promote listing" I listed my items (all women's clothing) for what I believe was a fair price. These items are mine. They are New garments never worn, and never will be worn that have been in my closet for a few years  collecting dust and taking up space. I am a retiree 69 years old and I wanted to sell them to make extra money, downsize so i can get the hell out of my house and sell it. I refuse to give these brand new clothes to goodwill. I did my homework, looked at other listings for the exact same article, took the pictures, revised the pictures, wrote my descriptions, revised and revised my listing descriptions. Dropped my prices  but not down to rock bottom  for example from $90.00 for a wool jacket  to $80.00  but certainly  not down to the $20.00 something that eBay suggests.  For 1 month I was selling a few pieces(mid sept) now nothing. I get Send Offer banners. So I Send Offers and still nothing. Subscribing ( and they are subscriptions!!) to these Promote Listing cost us sellers more money and gives more money to eBay. By the time eBay is done  with us, we sellers will be making nothing only forking out money and turning over all our money/proceeds  to eBay for OUR  goods. Yes, I get that eBay is a business, but are they big business crooks too?  A hell of a lot  of sellers on eBay are retirees, disabled people and working people trying to make ends meet. this recent behavior from eBay is nothing but a pressure tactic to get us sellers to

subscribe to Promote Listing bull crap. I am outraged!!.

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I've sold pre-owned and new clothing here for years and I know how the odds are stacked. You're trying to sell a very over-represented brand here in a super-saturated category, and only have a few listings up (BTW, even if you had only one listing up, you have a perfect right to speak up about this). The simple odds are against people finding your items, deciding that that particular style is what they want, the size is right, the colour is right, etc. etc. in the massive swamp of clothing. Furthermore, there are huge clothing sellers on here (with hundreds of thousands of listings) and we little guys are up against them, as well. Don't worry about promoted listings - optimise what you've got first. Fix the titles ("New/Never worn" isn't searched - start with brand name), work on your photos and background so they pop and the clothing is clear - keep listing and tweaking.

Also, eBay isn't here to help we old folks, etc. - it's a business. We simply have to deal with the hand we've got. I think you'll actually do fine, you just need to keep improving and keep going - you can develop a clientele who will look at your items first and regard you as a sort of 'personal buyer' - I have. Believe me, if I can make it in this game (I'm a walking fashion black hole), anyone can. 

[mommyscloset12]

Take a look beyond your obvious FYI Retired RN - eBay makes enough money from their  big ticket sellers, and the "promote your listings' , they don't need us paltry small fries clothing sellers who do not buy into their promo's .  No, they don't need us; so the $4.70 final value fee they make off us is a spit in the bucket. we are the free 250 per month listing and free renewals, we do not pay for perspective buyer views/clicks or add to watch list/click.  the buyer pays for shipping and any sales tax tacked on to their purchase. On this sale , our proceeds are ours.   eBay is using computer generated sales tactics (increasing and decreasing visibility of our listings)  to pressure us into buying their "promote your listing" hack, where we end up paying eBay for each and every click to view our listing. Taking more money away from our proceeds.  Without the promote your listing, our listings are bare minimum visibility= not much traffic. Buy  one of  the promote your listing choices (which by the way you the seller sets your dollar amount $3.00 and up to $5.00) and you get more visibility. You will pay for those viewing clicks up to your set limit $3.00 - $5,00. Then the money eBay collects from us is more than the final value fee. It is also the cost of of the promote your listing fee. 

[mam98031]

Feeling a bit entitled!!!

Why should Ebay treat you differently than other sellers?  

Again, they [Ebay] does NOT "pressure us into buying their "promote your listing" hack...".  If you don't like the amount YOU set to pay Ebay for a sale above the regular fees, change it.  You are in control of this, yet you want to make Ebay look like the bad guy.

The Promotional tool that is pay per click is AGAIN VOLUNTARY.  Someone your size would not likely benefit from that program.

Why can't you take responsibility for your own decisions?  Why are you twisting it to be Ebay's fault.

[mommyscloset12]

Thank you chapeau-noir. I very much appreciate your response and advise. I found it very helpful.

[ed8108]

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@rmdigiovanni96 wrote:  I used to be able to sell tons of items, now hardly anyone even views my auctions. 

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We need to adapt & adjust to changes that we encounter

[bonjourami]

"Feeling a bit entitled!!!

Why should Ebay treat you differently than other sellers? "

For sure!! If buyers are not purchasing your items, look inward..not at Ebay. I guess its just easier to blame something other than the run of the mill clothing items you list. There are millions of these clothing items on Ebay,the competition is fierce. Yet sellers expect their items to fly out the door,and blame Ebay when they dont.

mommyscloset12

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=womens+clothing&_sacat=0

[mommyscloset12]

mam98031 I have one question for you. How is it that a sequenced tube top has 1 View 0 watches and a few hours later Has 0 Views and 0 watches? Where did the 1 View go?

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@mommyscloset12 

You didn't say how long the listing has been up. IF it has been up more than 30 days, it is likely because the view dropped off, as the view count in your Active Listings Seller Hub list defaults to a 30 day count. You can look up other count durations by clicking on the view count number and then selecting from the pop up. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@mommyscloset12 Sorry, should have added, if it is a new listing, ebay has said that occasionally a "bot" view sneaks through the filter, and if that happens, ebay removes it after it has been discovered.

[rugerskick]

Its the result of dealing with Ebay:  its a history of often being told incorrect information when asking them for help.  And also not being told information that would be useful/helpful/explain things, because Ebay doesn't want to tell you.

[mam98031]

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@mommyscloset12 wrote:

mam98031 I have one question for you. How is it that a sequenced tube top has 1 View 0 watches and a few hours later Has 0 Views and 0 watches? Where did the 1 View go?

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Ebay has often had issues from time to time with their view counts.  

I look at the numbers from time to time, but I don't hold a lot of stock in them.  You can have 100 views and no sales.  I like sales.  There has been many times over the years that I've had a sale with zero views on that listing.

[mommyscloset12]

my-cottage-books-and-antiques. Thank you for your replies. I did find them both  very helpful.  You managed to get beyond the emotional frustration and cut to the chase- talk in scientific and tech terms. Something Useful. I really appreciated it. You mentioned 'bots'.  I do check the details of my security scans and have seen "bots" mentioned as well as Trojan horses, malware, ad ware and worms.   I think my next step is to try contacting the eBay security with this problem. If there is a glitch in their security they need to fix it because it is probably effecting others as well. This is not the first time I have noticed this. It has happened on items I have had listed for a few weeks as well as the relist I specifically cited. The view numbers on the others seem to drop off/decrease/disappear as the week goes on. Again, thanks a million, much appreciated.