Re: Discontinuance of Turbo Lister
Dear Mr. Wenig,
As a longtime seller on eBay, I am writing to express some concerns I have involving eBay’s intention as of June 2017 to discontinue its use and support of Turbo Lister and to completely migrate all eBay selling to its Seller Hub feature. I sell vintage collectibles on EBay, almost exclusively vintage/antique postcards (User Name: Qualitypaper).
My successful business model requires that I have available a large inventory of listings which I can periodically upload in an effort to connect with very specialized buyers interested in these limited-in-number, if not unique collectibles.
Over my four years of operation with EBay:
1. I have listed and relisted over 79,001 items.
2. Of approximately 12,676 unique postcards listed, I have made approximately 4,100 sales.
3. I currently maintain an inventory on Turbo Lister of the balance of approximately 8,946 listings, which I periodically relist in varying formats and prices.
4. I have grossed over $31,874.01 in sales, $37,776.09 if one adds shipping and handling charges.
These listings took a long time for me to create in Turbo Lister and their continued availability is important to me and my business model.
EBay’s planned migration to Seller Hub with its elimination of Turbo Lister’s functionality as of June 2017 undermines my work and continued operations:
1. The 8,946 listing inventory which I have amassed would be lost inasmuch my current inventory in Turbo Lister would have to be re-inputted into the listing format of the Seller Hub, utilizing a premium option of some sort in Seller Hub.
2. EBay’s currently stated intention of providing sellers who use Turbo Lister an Excel spreadsheet with the data contained in their Turbo Lister listings does not obviate this problem; uploading from the spreadsheet into EBay will not be afforded.
3. This will undermine my ability to take advantage and maximize the listings permitted me by my Basic EBay Store, which I recently bought into at EBay’s urging.
4. This will also undermine any ability for me to move up to the next level of EBay store, a Premium EBay store, inasmuch as I need ready access to my 8,946 listing inventory to meet my permitted enhanced listing opportunities as would be provided with an EBay Premium Store.
5. It is my understanding that to be able to maintain an inventory in Seller’s Hub, I will be required to purchase some sort of premium option for a charge of $15.99 a month, whereas I currently and for the last four years have paid nothing for the maintenance of a listing inventory in Turbo Lister. These added costs further erode the cost effectiveness of my current business model with which I am well pleased.
6. Also, Turbo Lister currently provides me the opportunity to extract from its format data which I can migrate to a Microsoft ACCESS database which I have created for my business. I am unsure whether Seller’s Hub will make available in a usable format data with which I can similarly utilize in my ACCESS database.
My relationship with eBay has been very positive to date. I generally have found it responsive and considerate of my needs. As a consequence, I recently convinced a friend who was very hesitant to try on-line selling to use eBay based upon representations as to my success. She is now committed, and if she has not already, she will exceed my sale numbers since the items of Mexican folk art that she sells are more costly than the aggregate of the collectible postcards I sell.
EBay should take my needs into account here if I am to be able to continue to do the work at my current level and with the satisfaction I currently enjoy. EBay should also recognize that my intended ability to expand my levels of operation should not and need not be impeded by aspects of EBay’s unveiling of its new Seller Hug feature. For me to be able to continue, and prospectively expand my listings, I need EBay’s new Seller Hub system to accomplish the following:
1. Maintain my current inventory listings from Turbo Lister which permits a continued use of these listings on EBay without the need to recreate the listing.
2. An economic model for any new costs associated with Seller Hub which affords me an ability to create new listings in inventory so as not to obviate the benefits provided by the EBay store I now use and the expanded one I intend to use in future.
Let me close by saying that I write to you because I think that the issues raised in this letter are more than just operational issues; they involve questions of policy and EBay reputation. I appreciate your taking the time.
Very truly yours,
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