eBay

monstertoybox · ‎11-08-2019

Well, my main problem, as I keep mentioning, is that my sales are in the dumper. They are down by 60% and it is the holiday shopping season, will we be getting our sales rush this year? It is looking more and more like this won't be happening.

Does Ebay want to keep us here, or do they not care? I'm a good seller, don't they want good quality sellers to make their site a great place to shop? How many other sellers are having slow to no sales this season? I see the board full of them. Would love to hear from other sellers about their experiences. If you’re doing well, please share your secrets. If you’re doing poorly please add your voice to this discussion. It does help when you know you aren't alone.

I’m following all their suggestions and more, constantly tweaking and updating, trying to chase down what works here. It is very difficult, when things keep changing. We’re trying to stay at Ebay because we believe this is a great place to sell. We just would love for it to work properly.

I am trying to get my sales kick started by taking some of the great suggestion that a few of the posters have given for Ebay and ended some items, waited a few days and then relisted them using sell similar. I did do the promoted listings again, which I don’t like at all, but I’m afraid that this is a necessary evil after reading what others have said. I listed a bunch of Christmas ornaments and I’ve added more free shipping to more of my listings. Maybe I'll try to list some more stuff today. So hopefully these things will help, whenever the site starts working properly again, that is. Still waiting …

It is hard to stay motivated, when you try everything and nothing seems to help.

I did start selling on another site (and actually got a sale today, yay), but of course I'm new and don't have a seller reputation like I do here on Ebay. I would much rather stick with where I have all my history and with what I am familiar with. It would be great if Ebay would please stop changing things and concentrate on fixing things instead, so we can get back to selling. We just want to love you again Ebay. No hate here, just frustration, major frustration. I would much rather be packing up boxes then writing on this board, believe me.

coolections · ‎11-21-2019

@rschissler

Sure does make things interesting. Your post is one of the best posts of this topic for sure.

nuclearomen · ‎11-21-2019

@flyingmvp wrote:
...I'll add #7 for you:
on the mention of the OP to ecommerce sites like Ebay, Amazon, Walmart - Ebay is the only site that anyone can just jump onto and sell and what ever they wish. Amazon you cannot, in order to sell on Amazon in specific category that category has to be open and accepting new sellers... which they are not all open. Some categories you can't sell in cause they are closed, some you can, some you can't simply jump on and sell if it's FBA category. and some of those are also closed to new sellers. Some you can't sell unless your invited seller, which is basically longtime sellers on that platform or large companies Amazon invites. Walmart is also not available to just jump on and sell, there is an application process to sell on Walmart, you have to accepted to sell on their platform. Again - Ebay is the only platform out of the ones mention someone can just jump on and sell from day one, no checks, no application, no references, no proof of business or re-sellers license...and they can jump off any time they feel like it or rack up a ton of negative feedback and returns and claims and abuses and just sign up with another account and do it all over again with no consequences...so no Ebay is not like other eCommerce platforms in the least. Maybe the newer small ones which I don't and never will use but not the top 3 major players (Ebay, Amazon, Walmart).
Ok so unlike Amazon, Walmart and etc' , Ebay gave you the opportunity to start selling, no special invites or exclusive applications were required, in the past it worked beautifully and your success was directly correlated with hard work, good prices, good communication and solid costumer service, solid business ethics and other factors mentioned above by Zamo-zuan, you were given the opportunity to gain the trust and reputation which led to success.
Again, no checks, no application, no references, no proof of business or re-sellers license, so what? if you sucked as a seller you failed, but if you were good, it was worth a while and very profitable.

I understand what your saying but I was already established before ebay, so not sure if your asking me or just making a point, but my success is not due to ebay but to 20 years of experience and reputation outside ebay.

Ebay is still in the top 3 platforms. Ebay has issues yes, but it won't be it's demise. People have been saying this since ebay started and look, they are still here and you and me and everyone on this board are still here selling on their platform so, kinda useless to say demise... just call it what it is, issues, that eventually will be fixed and new issues will arise. Other platforms may not have as many issues because they are new, eventually they will have these issues also, it's inevitable and in many cases inexorable! Also many of these new platforms are niche sites that cater to specific things and many of them their fees are more then ebay only difference is some offer free listing. People complain about prices but prices are placed due to fees of a platform, some of those other smaller newer sites are much higher fees then the 10-13% average ebay takes for FSF. Just like I hear people on these threads say all the time "I'm done, that's it, going to Amazon" like it's the heaven in the darkness or something but Amazon has just as many sellers with just as much if not more competition.

Good prices doesn't matter on ebay, even though traditionally price was always a factor with selling but not anymore, it's all boiled down now to who sees and doesn't see your listings.

The great truth is there isn't one
And it only gets worse since that conclusion...
...There is something about the rigid posture of a proper, authentic blind
As if extended arms reached to pass his blindness onto others.

zamo-zuan · ‎11-21-2019

@coolections wrote:
@zamo-zuan
So from you last post what you would like Ebay to do is keep you always on top of best match and never allow anyone else to take that spot. You do realize if they did that all other sellers would just leave. Instead a just a few complainers of low sales, the board would be swamped with thousands of complaints of low sales. Remember your complaint only involves best match. Anyone can see EVERYTHING you have listed ANYTIME they do a search, just not on the front page of best match.

Where did you come up with that idea?

I already explained what I believe would be best. And that would be for eBay to value quality control. There's absolutely no reason a seller who leaves more than 1/3 of their customers with a bad experience should be promoted on top of search. It would be better for BUYERS on eBay if they did this. It would be better for eBay as a marketplace if they did this. It would be better for SELLERS if they could sustain a full sized business off the income from eBay.

Who would it be worse for, exactly? You say "everyone" would leave eBay. But it would only be the poor quality sellers who would be losing out.

Besides, as mentioned, the top seller market share is almost 50% of what it used to be. That means the most successful businesses on eBay are doing an average of ~50% worse.

If we're concerned about sellers leaving eBay, shouldn't we be concerned that the most successful sellers on eBay are the ones leaving because they can no longer sustain a full sized business?

The boards are already swamped with complaints of no sales, and have been all year.

And you keep misrepresenting what I say. It does NOT only mean best match. We've been in threads where I shared screenshots with you showing that even when sorted by price, sellers don't appear in search consistently. Nor are the search results consistent.

You keep claiming everyone can see "everything" and that's simply not true. You can't speak for everyone else's experiences. And you know it from the topics you've replied to in the past, you've seen the evidence, but choose to argue against reality and spread misinformation.

There's a reason I regularly tell sellers to test these things for themselves. Likewise, there's a reason why your search experiences somehow have an experience that differs from everyone else on eBay.

zamo-zuan · ‎11-21-2019

@nuclearomen wrote:
...I'll add #7 for you:
on the mention of the OP to ecommerce sites like Ebay, Amazon, Walmart - Ebay is the only site that anyone can just jump onto and sell and what ever they wish. Amazon you cannot, in order to sell on Amazon in specific category that category has to be open and accepting new sellers... which they are not all open. Some categories you can't sell in cause they are closed, some you can, some you can't simply jump on and sell if it's FBA category. and some of those are also closed to new sellers. Some you can't sell unless your invited seller, which is basically longtime sellers on that platform or large companies Amazon invites. Walmart is also not available to just jump on and sell, there is an application process to sell on Walmart, you have to accepted to sell on their platform. Again - Ebay is the only platform out of the ones mention someone can just jump on and sell from day one, no checks, no application, no references, no proof of business or re-sellers license...and they can jump off any time they feel like it or rack up a ton of negative feedback and returns and claims and abuses and just sign up with another account and do it all over again with no consequences...so no Ebay is not like other eCommerce platforms in the least. Maybe the newer small ones which I don't and never will use but not the top 3 major players (Ebay, Amazon, Walmart).

This is exactly why quality control should be important on eBay. If sellers aren't verified, their quality is in question.

Buyers should be protected from sellers who give them bad experiences.

Rather than actually have policies that prevent buyers from encountering sellers like this, they have created an environment where those low quality sellers can thrive, and make more profit margin than those who take care of their customers.

Their solution to bad experiences? Just allow the buyer to get a refund. But this is ignorant of the fact that just a single bad experience might drive the buyer to leave eBay from having to deal with it in the first place.

This is also hurtful to sellers, as those who take care of their customers are receiving harm to their profit margins, rather than being appreciated for being a great example of how eBay should treat their customers.

Let's be real. When having discussions with people who are not eBay sellers, what's the worst part of their impression of eBay? They have horror stories about their experiences with poor buyers. Everyone who I know who made eBay purchases in the last few years came to me with those horror stories. Receiving shoes that are SNAD from China and smell like chemicals so much they couldn't take them inside. Receiving jackets that were a completely different shape and design from pictures. Purchasing auto parts that ended up being shipped from overseas rather than the zip code on file.

And all of those sellers begged not to do a return because it would expose that they don't even have a US address to return to. And were cases closed without seller resolution.

Yet those sellers appear on top of search still.

monstertoybox · ‎11-21-2019

@zamo-zuan wrote:
@coolections wrote:
@zamo-zuan
So from you last post what you would like Ebay to do is keep you always on top of best match and never allow anyone else to take that spot. You do realize if they did that all other sellers would just leave. Instead a just a few complainers of low sales, the board would be swamped with thousands of complaints of low sales. Remember your complaint only involves best match. Anyone can see EVERYTHING you have listed ANYTIME they do a search, just not on the front page of best match.
Where did you come up with that idea?

I already explained what I believe would be best. And that would be for eBay to value quality control. There's absolutely no reason a seller who leaves more than 1/3 of their customers with a bad experience should be promoted on top of search. It would be better for BUYERS on eBay if they did this. It would be better for eBay as a marketplace if they did this. It would be better for SELLERS if they could sustain a full sized business off the income from eBay.

Who would it be worse for, exactly? You say "everyone" would leave eBay. But it would only be the poor quality sellers who would be losing out.

Besides, as mentioned, the top seller market share is almost 50% of what it used to be. That means the most successful businesses on eBay are doing an average of ~50% worse.

If we're concerned about sellers leaving eBay, shouldn't we be concerned that the most successful sellers on eBay are the ones leaving because they can no longer sustain a full sized business?

The boards are already swamped with complaints of no sales, and have been all year.

And you keep misrepresenting what I say. It does NOT only mean best match. We've been in threads where I shared screenshots with you showing that even when sorted by price, sellers don't appear in search consistently. Nor are the search results consistent.

You keep claiming everyone can see "everything" and that's simply not true. You can't speak for everyone else's experiences. And you know it from the topics you've replied to in the past, you've seen the evidence, but choose to argue against reality and spread misinformation.

There's a reason I regularly tell sellers to test these things for themselves. Likewise, there's a reason why your search experiences somehow have an experience that differs from everyone else on eBay.

Your posts are always the best Zamo! Quality is one of the most important things that Ebay should concentrate on. It is not about being at the top of best match, as you stated, it is about being seen at all.

coolections · ‎11-21-2019

@monstertoybox

@zamo-zuan

You both keep asking for evidence about Ebay hiding your items. I've asked many times, but so far no one has stepped up to the plate. Please when you do a search and cannot find your item come here.

gwzcomps · ‎11-21-2019

@coolections wrote:
@monstertoybox
@zamo-zuan
You both keep asking for evidence about Ebay hiding your items. I've asked many times, but so far no one has stepped up to the plate. Please when you do a search and cannot find your item come here.

Here is some proof you are looking for. This is one of the ways eBay is actively suppressing listings in the search results. I should have 2 listings that show up for $12.99 and $19.99 on that screenshot. I already know what is going on in this search, but it is still a perfect example of how eBay actively suppresses listings in their search results. Lowest price first gets hit the hardest in this form of suppression which is a huge problem with price driven products.

monstertoybox · ‎11-22-2019

Gotta love the endless glitches. Trying to give "thumbs up" to someone and this is what I get (in a bright red box with white writing). This has happened more than once:

Sorry, unable to complete the action you requested.

Authentication failed. Authentication Ticket Mismatched, failed authentication.

Then when I tried to add the above as a inserted picture from a screen shot, it wouldn't let upload them. It kept giving me this weird pop up window (no picture upload button). It just says source, image description, dimensions and a check box that says constrain proportions? I'd put the picture of that screen shot in here if I could, but ...

I'll post this on the technical board also, not that they are doing anything with glitches anymore.

coolections · ‎11-22-2019

@gwzcomps

Now we are getting somewhere. Even though you cannot see your listings, they are still there. Ebay TOLD YOU right below your search (you have so much competition with your items), that they removed some of the listings and are only showing you the MOST relevant listings. If a buyer wants to see ALL the listings they will have to click the link Ebay provided. Unfortunately for those in oversaturated categories with hundreds of results that is how Ebay does it. Buyers who do not mind spending hours search each and every listing they have the option do to so. Not every category had only most relevant choices but your happens to be one of the most oversaturated.

coolections · ‎11-22-2019

@monstertoybox

Those is glitches are in this discussion board and nothing to do with Ebay hiding your items or selling. Also if you the hit refresh screen it will work fine. Most of those glitches is because you took too long typing your winded reply and it times out.

pink.fish.rule · ‎11-22-2019

@monstertoybox wrote:
Gotta love the endless glitches. Trying to give "thumbs up" to someone and this is what I get (in a bright red box with white writing). This has happened more than once:

Sorry, unable to complete the action you requested.

Authentication failed. Authentication Ticket Mismatched, failed authentication.

Then when I tried to add the above as a inserted picture from a screen shot, it wouldn't let upload them. It kept giving me this weird pop up window (no picture upload button). It just says source, image description, dimensions and a check box that says constrain proportions? I'd put the picture of that screen shot in here if I could, but ...

I'll post this on the technical board also, not that they are doing anything with glitches anymore.

That's not ebay per se though. That one's on the folks who run the discussion boards.

coolections · ‎11-22-2019

@gwzcomps wrote:

I wanted to return to give you a little more help. A buyer searching for an item would not just type Juniper EX2200. What they would do is type:

Juniper EX2200 power supply

Juniper EX2200 fan motor

Juniper EX2200 cable

You left out the item you are selling when you did your screen shot. You have to be more specific and that is why you got only relevant results. Try again and return with the (actual part) you are searching and provide a screenshot of the results.

monstertoybox · ‎11-22-2019

@coolections wrote:
@gwzcomps
Now we are getting somewhere. Even though you cannot see your listings, they are still there. Ebay TOLD YOU right below your search (you have so much competition with your items), that they removed some of the listings and are only showing you the MOST relevant listings. If a buyer wants to see ALL the listings they will have to click the link Ebay provided. Unfortunately for those in oversaturated categories with hundreds of results that is how Ebay does it. Buyers who do not mind spending hours search each and every listing they have the option do to so. Not every category had only most relevant choices but your happens to be one of the most oversaturated.

I didn’t realize that when you were asking for us to give you something we couldn’t find, you were actually trying to help us prove that Ebay does actually hide our listings (for whatever reason), but thank you for helping prove what we’ve all been saying all along. We’re not seen 24/7/365 as we’ve been saying. And thank you for explaining why we are hidden. Maybe it would help with our sales, if Ebay didn't decide who was allowed to be seen and when?

monstertoybox · ‎11-22-2019

@coolections wrote:
@monstertoybox
Those is glitches are in this discussion board and nothing to do with Ebay hiding your items or selling. Also if you the hit refresh screen it will work fine. Most of those glitches is because you took too long typing your winded reply and it times out.

Long winded? My responses are usually a few sentences long? That glitch I mentioned happens withing the first 10 seconds. Yes, sometimes it takes a few times reloading, but I was just mentioning it because it's just one more glitch to add to the list.

coolections · ‎11-22-2019

@monstertoybox

You read it wrong. Go back a re-read what was written. To this date there has not been one bit of proof anything was hidden. Even the other poster's screenshot shows that they did a simple ONE WORD search. No where can you expect to find anything on the net being that vague. Ebay was even kind enough to show him/her that if they want to see everything to (CLICK HERE) for those who have hours to waste searching every word on the Ebay search engine.

Come back with an item you cannot find and I will find it for you and PROVE once in for all that Ebay is not hiding anything you have listed. Not just a search that says TOY like the other poster attempted to do. You have to be specific like a buyer would be when searching for an item.