Very Slow Sales November 2019

[rapidresol]

We have been selling on Ebay for 15+ years now, but since March sales have struggled.  Ebay seemed to make changes to the search engine meaning items we had sold hundreds of units of were no longer selling.  They became almost invisible. 

Today we only had 8 sales on EBay.  A few years ago we were averaging 50 a day.  

I would be interested to hear how other sellers are doing at the moment?  I am extremely worried about the way things seem to be going!

[pink.fish.rule]

The poster said they're in Israel so those 3 are most likely not viable options.

[jeweloftheheart]

I agree that it is not just eBay, it is slow every where online.

While trying to understand this downfall and speculating, I think it is the glitches on eBay, the algorithm, item specifics, and the big one is Google's search engine and Googles's relationship with eBay, Amazon, Etsy, etc.

When I shop at the big retailers online, it is frustrating, the sponsored more expensive items show up from other seller's instead of what is best price.

Walmart is really bad. If you don't pay attention to "sold and shipped by" when making a purchase from Walmart.com and you purchase from a sponsored seller, you can't return it to Walmart, only the sponsored seller.  I always go to the left column, scroll down and click on sold by Walmart. Then sometimes I can find what I need but many times, it is is out of stock, or you can only by in store, or you have to purchase in bulk. 

Talk about ads online too!

Miss the simple days here on eBay and online stores for sure!

[cashmere99]

I’m done for good after Xmas, my sales have tanked. Much like Sears this year, eBay is dunzo

[greaterdeals1975]

The bottom line here is that we sellers are NOT supposed to be the ones playing Scooby Doo here on some mystery hunt for the right *&^(ing formula to propel sales! It's ridiculous. This whole thing is simple...list, EBAY PUTS IN THE WORK WE PAY THEM TO PUT IN...exposing our product lines to the masses...WITHOUT OUR HAVING TO TRY TO SOLVE THE PUZZLE THAT IS THE CURRENT SYSTEM. Guess what? THEY do THAT...we all cash in. Right now, they have a COMPLETELY unsustainable business model...charging and overcharging, then overcharging AGAIN with little or no positive results for the recipient of the charges who will, in time; realize the ineffectiveness of the system and walk away. 

Now, there will always be newbies and corporate titans that will either temporarily enter the mix or be unaffected by the warped system that feeds the pigs first at the trough here at Ebay but...newbies walk away in time...word of mouth builds and newbies are lessened in numbers. All that is then left are corporate titans who were here before us and will be here long after us.

What gets me is the overwhelming feeling that this CAN'T BE LEGAL! I mean, how in the world can a company allege to provide a service (propelling sales through exposing our goods to the online marketplace) then randomly fail to do so...unless one pays more (sounds mafia-style to me)? That failure should EASILY entitle us a return of some money now and then or, in time; some very wise individual will find a means to create a class-action lawsuit that enables a huge cash in for everyone impacted. Me? I'm not about all that but would be happy if SOMETHING got them to merely roll the clock back to what worked and stick with it. Sure, times change but the fact is some things are eternal...people don't like to be ripped off...be they buyers or sellers, small-time or grand-spectrum conglomerates and Ebay seriously has the appearances of being a rip-off from top to bottom via endless "improvements" to their site.

I'm thinking, and sometimes that leads to stupid thoughts admittedly...but it seems as if the once wide open spaces of this site...a truly awesome locale that fully demonstrated the free marketplace has gone slowly more fascistic (new rules, strange orders, inexplicable logic, oppression of the low-level online working class)...and something tells me that is by design. God forbid we let nature take its course and allow even the little guys and gals in the marketplace shine. Anyway, whatever, never mind...Happy holidays!

[vickyaa]

I hear you and feel the same darn way. This is getting ridiculous now. How are we to survive at this rate? Sales are at a dead halt... I see a seller who  robs them blind on eBay her prices are outrageous and more than others  selling the same thing and she is selling like no tomorrow. I'm sorry I think they push bigger accounts. I look up items someone who has it for 30.00 more  sells it and the ones much cheaper no one is even looking? Look at your eBay sellers page some items aren't even looked at.. .Nah somethings not right here.

They bang us out for everything including shipping insanity,

[greenbraindesign]

I just spoke with ebay due to rethinking of just ending all my listings for a few months or more due to low sells like never before. Ebay told me they are not having any complaints of slow sells or have any issues with sellers being upset of sales drops.. I then explained to him that when you do a search on google for an item, ebay does not come up in most of the searches, Amazon and various stores do, if it is a more rare item and not a lot of them available then ebays listings may come up.  He told me that is not true. Ok.. I am only a network administrator and deal with stuff like this all the time.  

[greaterdeals1975]

Hahahahaha...Yeah...NOBODY is having issues...Everything is just plain rosey...It's only YOU...Oh...AAAAND the gazillions of people in the threads here...Oh...and some of my people I get resale goods from and around...Talk about the EXACT reason why everything sucks lately...denial, failure to listen to those of us in the know, etc.

[uncseniorsportsfan]

Well, now that November has ended I have tallied my stats for the month - down 46% from November 2018 even though this was my best month for total number of sales over four accounts.since February 2019.    This account which normally accounts for half of my November sales accounted for 18% this year.    Will probably finally lose my TRS status.    

[pink.fish.rule]

Sorry to hear that. I ended a little down $ wise for almost the same # of transactions. You'd think with more listings up you'd sell more but oh well at least it's close to staying the same and not too much down.

[aliceinabundanceland]

Nobody's complaining?!!😆😆😆😆

[aliceinabundanceland]

I had one of best sales days EVER today on fb marketplace. This is nuts!

[mam98031]

---

@uncseniorsportsfan wrote:

Well, now that November has ended I have tallied my stats for the month - down 46% from November 2018 even though this was my best month for total number of sales over four accounts.since February 2019.    This account which normally accounts for half of my November sales accounted for 18% this year.    Will probably finally lose my TRS status.    

---

@uncseniorsportsfan 

You can look at your Seller Dashboard and tell if you are getting close to losing your TRS in the next eval which is on Dec. 20th.  It's a good idea to review your Dashboard at a minimum of once a week.

[uncseniorsportsfan]

I check it every month - if December 2019 is no better than November 2019 - I'll probably be below the sales threshhold.  December 2018 was my best month out of the last 12 by far.   

[mljcarman]

It has been horrid on Ebay ever since April.  My sales were good last fall and through March and all of a sudden in April they just died and have not come back all year.   November is usually one of my best months of the year due to the items I sell that people buy for winter and gifts.  My sales in November were down 59% from last year.  I sold 3 items last week,  I usually sell at least 3 items a day most times.  Usually on Sunday night I have a stack of packages to go to the mail box on Monday morning and I have 3 sitting here from the entire weekend.  

I can not believe that no one has complained to Ebay about slow sales etc.   They need to do something to help the sellers.  I know that with the high fees and ridiculous postage prices and now the adding sales tax has increased the cost to the buyers.  I have cut back on buying now that everything I buy costs an extra 7% with the added taxes. 

I have tried adding all the specifics that ebay wants on the listings but doesn't seem to make much difference. I have lowered my prices but some that sell for much higher prices have more sales than I do, which I never understand except they must be getting more exposure. 

I have been on here for 19 years and this next year will be my last year unless there is a big turnaround. I am ready to retire anyways and doing all the listing etc and making nothing much is not worth my time and as someone mentioned earlier,  I can clean out my spare bedroom and have a neat house for a change.  

[vintagestately]

You nailed it.  I’ve seen it coming for a while.  I used to sell.  I loved rummaging through junk sales and flea markets, find a treasure for $1 sell it on eBay for $25.  Now it’s $1 on eBay and $25 at the flea market!  Tides have changed, and with Millennials being the largest percent of buyers it will only get worse for vintage and collectible sellers.    They can’t relate to those items, don’t like clutter and things collecting dust, they don’t want the junk. New and shiny, latest gadget and their eyes will bug out.