Hello my fellow eBay peoples! [I also posted the following on the eBay for Business Facebook page, I'm hoping it will be seen by somebody who can give us some real answers] I have a question regarding search placement. What does a Top Rated Plus seller who pays for a Premium Store Subscription, is part of the Global Shipping Program and on some listings the eBay for Charity Program, has hundreds of listing currently running and follows eBay “best practices” including offering one day handling, free shipping and free 30 day returns who also takes the time to write descriptive titles, set up and take 10 to 12 high quality images plus the time to add many item specifics to each and every listing have to do to place better than sellers who don’t do any of these things?
Example: I have listed roughly 30 items from a particular brand in one category, all NIB. When doing a simple search on eBay for just that brands name there are over 15,000 listings for that brand. I have that brands name as the first word in the title, it is in the item specifics and product description yet many many sellers who literally have less than 12 items listed in total, charge for shipping, don’t offer any kind of returns, don’t offer 1 day handling, don’t input any kind of item specifics, barely have a description and only use 3 to 5 poorly taken photos are placing at the top of the first page results yet my listings are nowhere to be found within the first several hundred. I even found a listing that had the wrong brand in the item specifics place within the first 300 listings for the brand.
To the credit of search and eBay best practices, my listings do start popping up at around the 375th mark out of 15,000+. BUT… when I did find one of my listings (priced at $57.88) eBay had put a “2 new & refurbished from $36.99” link under my Free Shipping and Free Returns which took me to a single auction listing with a Buy It Now option which counted as those “2 listings”, but that seller also charged $16.45 for shipping, offered no returns, had only a stock image and a picture of the styrofoam in the box (yes only 2 pictures and neither of the actual product the buyer will receive), their last bit of feedback was from 2016 and they only have 6 items for sale. How is that fair to me? Yes my listing was a whole $4.44 more at the time. I believe well worth it considering I offer fast and free shipping and free 30 day returns over a seller who does not (I did lower my price to hopefully remove that link from my listing). AND to add insult to injury they used my listings item specifics, word for word, they probably used the “Sell Similar” button!
It seems I am being punished for being a quality seller who has been dedicated to following eBay’s own “best practices”.
Overall, I simply do not understand how sellers who don’t put much time, thought or effort into their listings are placing way better than many sellers who do. Thank you for taking the time to read my frustrations and enjoy your day!
