eBay

greg213213 · ‎08-23-2019

I think this ship is going down. I read the boards every day and see so many sellers saying the same thing about lack of sales, glitches, etc. Then I see some who say sales are great. Are these sellers(?) actually sellers or eBay employees?

I am a 16 year veteran selling here and have never experienced the lack of sales like what is happening currently to all sellers. My sales have dropped 79.9% compared to last year August with sales of $721.21 and so far this year sales in August have been a measly $13.00 or down 75.9% for the last 31 days.

eBay has done something and they are not letting us know. I keep getting messages from them saying use promoted listings or lower your prices. When eBay lowers their fees, I might consider lowering them. Last week I called CS and the person I talked to stated "you need to be more diversified, lower your prices, use free shipping, try best offer and use promoted listings". I am diversified with all of the various types of items that I have for sale. I have done everything that this person said would help in the past and present. I asked her why my views and watchers are not changing, as it is the same amount every day. She couldn't answer that.

Well, I called again 2 days ago and asked the CS Rep if my store is even working and showing my items. The answer was the same "OLD" canned answer that everything is working. I asked her for an explanation then as to why only $13 in sales this month compared to $721 in the same month last year. ANSWER: I don't know, it might be a slower year than last year. What does this mean? Does it mean this ship is sinking? Sure seems to me that it is.

I asked her why the Data for Jul 24 – Aug 15 at 8:40am PDT. Percentage change relative to prior period does not change all the dates, only the date for July. She says that it is no longer in "real time". Why isn't it in real time? What are they hiding from us sellers?

A few years ago I had annual sales exceeding $100,000.00 and every year since JD and DW sales have been dropping like a sinking ship. My sales for the past 12 months are currently $9,909.41 or a 90% decline over these few years. Are they trying to get rid of us small sellers? Seems to be. The only good thing is they are no going to makes fees on me or others with lack of sales. My current fee is less than $60 and I have never seen and have never had an invoice for fees this low in all of my years here.

I told both CS Reps that if things don't improve by the end of September, I am shutting down my store when my store expires. The comments were identical. "You have been with us for so long and we hate to see you leave". If you hate to see me leave then fix this disaster of a platform.

Rant over and good luck to all.

This ship is SINKING

luckythewinner · ‎08-23-2019

I read the boards every day and see so many sellers saying the same thing about lack of sales, glitches, etc.

I have no doubt many sellers are experiencing a drop in sales and glitches. But I would not necessarily assume that what a few thousand sellers are saying applies to the millions of sellers out there. Generally speaking, the seller who are doing fine have little reason to post here.

Then I see some who say sales are great. Are these sellers(?) actually sellers or eBay employees?

I am an actual seller and I have not seen a decline in sales. I would not necessarily assume that just because a seller isn't experiencing what you are that he must be lying.

My constant refrain on this board is that any buyer can steal any item from any seller at any time by filing a fraudulent SNAD dispute. If I were an eBay emplyee, I doubt I would be saying that.

Last week I called CS and the person I talked to stated "you need to be more diversified, lower your prices, use free shipping, try best offer and use promoted listings".

I doubt that anyone who has taken a job answering phones at eBay has any idea how a seller can improve sales. If he was an expert on selling, he would be selling on eBay instead of answering phones at eBay. He is simply repeating the talking points the customer service department told him to repeat.

I told both CS Reps that if things don't improve by the end of September, I am shutting down my store when my store expires.

I doubt the people answering the phones care whether you leave. And frankly, neither does eBay. The growth in listings has far outstripped the growth in sales volume, and IMHO that eBay thinks that if you leave, your buyers will simply buy a similar item from a similar seller at a similar price.

The comments were identical. "You have been with us for so long and we hate to see you leave".

So it's almost as if they were simply repeating the talking points the customer service department told them to repeat? 🙂

Does it mean this ship is sinking?

The gross merchandise volume on eBay has only dropped by about 5% compared to last year. So while your ship

may be sinking, there is plenty of stuff being sold on eBay. All I need to do is search sold items to see that.

hioctane62 · ‎08-23-2019

@luckythewinner wrote:

I doubt the people answering the phones care whether you leave. And frankly, neither does eBay. The growth in listings has far outstripped the growth in sales volume

Growth in listings? We'll see if the third quarter GMV numbers support that statement. I believe the opposite will be proven.

zamo-zuan · ‎08-23-2019

@hioctane62 wrote:
@luckythewinner wrote:

I doubt the people answering the phones care whether you leave. And frankly, neither does eBay. The growth in listings has far outstripped the growth in sales volume
Growth in listings? We'll see if the third quarter GMV numbers support that statement. I believe the opposite will be proven.

A couple months back I received reports that I've posted screenshots of on here that indicated the Motors > Parts & Accessories GMV had dropped over 25% in 30 days. As of the 15th of this month the report said the Parts & Accessories GMV dropped another 3.9% over 30 days.

Furthermore, is growth in listings is one of the problems, why is eBay's main goal to bring in "more buyers" and increase "more listings" then?

That theory doesn't add up. They bought in companies like Teespree to increase listings by the millions. You can even check the eBay branded tape that Wenig recently encouraged people to use. It's advertising that "you can sell on eBay too". Their goal is to increase buyers.

If the problem was growth of listings being too much, eBay has made the fatal mistake of making this problem even worse.

4everctr · ‎08-23-2019

I am selling more locally than on Ebay even though I have many more listings on Ebay. Shipping prices are out of control.

greg213213 · ‎08-23-2019

I have searched sold listings also for items that I sell. eBay says I sold an item on August 12th, but I did not sell anything that day. I have also clicked on another sellers sold listing and when it opens up it shows that it was sold a month ago.

I can not put faith or trust in any of eBay's false information any more.

hioctane62 · ‎08-23-2019

@greg213213 wrote:
I have searched sold listings also for items that I sell. eBay says I sold an item on August 12th, but I did not sell anything that day. I have also clicked on another sellers sold listing and when it opens up it shows that it was sold a month ago.

I can not put faith or trust in any of eBay's false information any more.

Agreed. NOTHING eBay says or shows you can be trusted anymore. And they think I'm going to let them control my money? Guess I don't have to worry about that since I'm no longer making any money here.

greg213213 · ‎08-23-2019

The day I am forced into their Managed Payments is the day I shut down. I will not let them handle my money or give them access to a bank account.

ed8108 · ‎08-23-2019

@zamo-zuan wrote:
@hioctane62 wrote:
@luckythewinner wrote:

I doubt the people answering the phones care whether you leave. And frankly, neither does eBay. The growth in listings has far outstripped the growth in sales volume
Growth in listings? We'll see if the third quarter GMV numbers support that statement. I believe the opposite will be proven.

Furthermore, is growth in listings is one of the problems, why is eBay's main goal to bring in "more buyers" and increase "more listings" then?

I have seen a tremendous growth in listings of items that are way overpriced, they do not sell & yet continue to be unsold for months & sometimes years.

Examples

It is highly unlikely that you will sell your item at $150, when others are currently available on ebay BIN at $25

Item reduced from $500 to $100, not worth more than $50, see sold prices

Sure ebay needs to aggressively recruit more new buyers.

There are so manny item listings with noncompetitive prices that clutter ebay, & likely have become a disencentive , discouraging buyers from searching ebay, to the detriment of sellers offering items at realistic prices.

Good luck selling

dubiousgain · ‎08-23-2019

@greg213213 wrote:

eBay has done something and they are not letting us know. I keep getting messages from them saying use promoted listings or lower your prices. When eBay lowers their fees, I might consider lowering them.

In other words, seller's are to cut their [net] profits down to the point, it's no longer worth fussing with it all. And I agree... Ebay HAS done (or is NOT doing) "something". W-Mart parking lots are STILL packed full...Flea markets/swap meets STILL break attendance records....And people are STILL people... Who purchase/need items.

cashvaluerecovery2011 · ‎08-23-2019

Remember promoted lustings just adds another listing to the clutter too. And they are pounding the heck out of that add on.

fuzzface50 · ‎08-23-2019

EBay revenue for the quarter ending June 30, 2019 was $2.687B, a 1.78% increase year-over-year.
EBay revenue for the twelve months ending June 30, 2019 was $10.856B, a 4.13% increase year-over-year.
EBay annual revenue for 2018 was $10.746B, a 8.25% increase from 2017.
EBay annual revenue for 2017 was $9.927B, a 6.76% increase from 2016.
EBay annual revenue for 2016 was $9.298B, a 8.22% increase from 2015.

Doesn't sound like the ship is sinking to me. Maybe a few passengers (sellers) but the vessel is doing fine.

If this means it is sinking, I hope my ship sinks soon so I can see numbers like that.

cashvaluerecovery2011 · ‎08-23-2019

My local pick up business is going nuts. Ive made a deal with a small business to drop off my previous days lical purchases and let this small business be the pick up place. She takes payment for me and hands off the items. The cost of this service? Not a cent. She gets new customers daily. She treats them as her own. In 6 months ive done $40 k in sales. No fees. No shipping. No returns. The business owner says she sees my custoners in her store all the time now shopping her store.

Ebay is SO missing the boat trying to get every drop from every rock instead of keeping all its rocks and adding more.

kataggr-44 · ‎08-23-2019

No sales tax at flea markets, swap meets, and yard sales. No shipping costs. Many prices are actually cheaper at Walmart and no shipping costs and no confusion about what items don't have a sales tax nor am I being charged the higher sales tax of another state. Yes I do know about putting the last 4 digits of my zip code in but the tax was definitely higher than what my state charges so there are still glitches. It may be more convenient to shop here but for many of us convenience doesn't match saving money.

valuestore · ‎08-23-2019

I think any change to search or sort order of listings can cause an abrupt change in sales, up or down. There were just 2 big ones released...GTC and promoted.