Slow Sales in January 2020

[unclepauliscoins]

Just wondering how other sellers are doing. Our sales are very slow. With some unpaid auction items and really low offers. We sell mainly coins but we have some other accounts where we sell clothes and books and household items just a variety of things we do not need any longer. We just had an offer this morning for an item what is listed for 5.00 Dollars. We do not have any "Best Offer" Listings but from time to time we get someone what sends a message if we would take X amount for an item. This potential buyer offered 5.00 with free shipping. I tried to ship without tracking what opens us up to to much hassle  and getting dinged by ebay for shipping without tracking and I do realize other sellers offer free shipping but we are not able to do that . For us as sellers it is just not worth it, if I would add the shipping to the item and make it 8.99 free shipping they still would offer far less. We have the basic store so we pay for having the store the final fee the pay pal fee so for that item I would have maybe made less then a dollar if I would have taken his offer. We do realize they don't care from a selling point just for an item they want and get it at the best price. But for some low ball offers I much rather throw it away or donate the item. Just wondering how other sellers feel about it.

[mod14now]

wonder if this has to do with millennials and their shopping habits . we're in a new generation and i suspect that is one aspect of the demise as well as the tax law now and amazon competition

[mod14now]

yup the added tax killed ebay among other reasons .

[mod14now]

its no wonder people are signing kobe name and pushing them on ebay to make a quick buck coz sales on ebay have plummeted for all sellers.

[mod14now]

also notice qvc has to offer more sales and easy pay offers. everybody is competing with amazon . barneys,victoria secret ,and more is out of business, where are the millenials shopping ? amazon

[jersuniquebooks]

These boards (this one and a dozen others) are all full of folks complaining about the same thing: poor eBay sales. It's not new (years long) and these complaints posted long before sales taxes were initiated. It seems eBay's algorithm affected seller's in stages. My book sales dropped by 70% April 1, 2018 and never recovered causing me to close two stores. All boards suggest other reasons - poor economy (really?), taxes, promoted listings, shift in buying, Amazon, etc. The one common is eBay. Management is killing the used item market. For years we seller's were fully supported then the rug was pulled from beneath us - a bait and switch.

While I wish the old eBay (and management) would come back, wishing will not work. Taking away from eBay was the only thing that worked. 

[giizmouk]

I suspect it's to do with the Coronavirus pandemic - buyers fearful of handling stuff brought to the house. Also buyers on reduced/zero incomes cutting back, spending more on panic buying. Sellers avoiding going to the Post Office for the same reason.  I don't run a business so all I'm doing is producing items to stockpile for better times to come, but I don't expect an upturn until 2021. Grim times.

[savvywholesales]

My sales have died in the last 12 days since being forced into managed payments. Ebay denies anything at all but how do my sales decline by 75%????

[stephp4007]

Ive been on managed payments for over a year...but...these last 12 days have been a JOKE in sales for me too. Im a seasoned seller, have had multiple stores for 12 years so I know the pattern of highs and lows....but t his is crazy and I cant figure out what is going on. this is my full time job and I feel like I am financially drowning right now. so no advice for you...just mutual  venting 😞