What is wrong about March 2019 seller update changing fixed price listings to good until canceled?

[ikey121]

When are the duration choices for fixed price listings coming back?  Please let Ebay know that you want a choice to choose "good until canceled", not be forced into it.   It sounds good... until you figure out that you're going to be charged insertion fees on all your listings over the free 50 per month if you don't have a store.   So, if we received additional promotional listings during any given month, when the 30 day, good until canceled, fixed price listings auto renew, we will be charged insertion fees for all the listings that have rolled over that exceed the 50 free or don't happen to hit a promotion at the exact time they roll over!  That's a lot of money.  Money, I personally can't afford.  Stores are also impacted by this.

I have been selling on ebay since 2002.  I figured out that fixed price listings work better for me than auctions.  I refuse to start an auction with a lower price than I am willing to take for an item.  I start an auction with the price I would be happy to accept!  Add to that,  the 30% more that Ebay requires for buy it now, and you make your item very unappealing!   I would rather donate my items before I sell them for less money than they're worth, or worth to me in time and effort and final value fees.  Selling with Ebay has to be worth the time to research, list, package, and mail.  It takes a lot of time to even get one package out the door, which I am very happy to do, considering I sold it for what I was asking for it. I do not have a store, nor do I sell multiple items in single listings.  I sell items that are my only, or only lot of 1 per listing.  The good until canceled does not benefit me, and I am positive I am not alone.  I don't sell multiples,. The "out of stock" part of the "talk it up part" of this change, does nothing for sellers that are just trying to sell their own previously owned items to help with the family income.  We're not big time, we can't afford this change.  Please sellers let Ebay know that you're not happy about this.  Maybe, just maybe, they'll listen!  We had the choice before to choose good until canceled.  Please bring back that CHOICE. 

A lot of people won't play the auction game, and I don't blame them.   Personally, if I want to buy something, I usually want to buy it when I hit the button to purchase it.

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[ikey121]

When are the duration choices for fixed price listings coming back?  Please let Ebay know that you want a choice to choose "good until canceled", not be forced into it.   It sounds good... until you figure out that you're going to be charged insertion fees on all your listings over the free 50 per month if you don't have a store.   So, if we received additional promotional listings during any given month, when the 30 day, good until canceled, fixed price listings auto renew, we will be charged insertion fees for all the listings that have rolled over that exceed the 50 free or don't happen to hit a promotion at the exact time they roll over!  That's a lot of money.  Money, I personally can't afford.  Stores are also impacted by this.

I have been selling on ebay since 2002.  I figured out that fixed price listings work better for me than auctions.  I refuse to start an auction with a lower price than I am willing to take for an item.  I start an auction with the price I would be happy to accept!  Add to that,  the 30% more that Ebay requires for buy it now, and you make your item very unappealing!   I would rather donate my items before I sell them for less money than they're worth, or worth to me in time and effort and final value fees.  Selling with Ebay has to be worth the time to research, list, package, and mail.  It takes a lot of time to even get one package out the door, which I am very happy to do, considering I sold it for what I was asking for it. I do not have a store, nor do I sell multiple items in single listings.  I sell items that are my only, or only lot of 1 per listing.  The good until canceled does not benefit me, and I am positive I am not alone.  I don't sell multiples,. The "out of stock" part of the "talk it up part" of this change, does nothing for sellers that are just trying to sell their own previously owned items to help with the family income.  We're not big time, we can't afford this change.  Please sellers let Ebay know that you're not happy about this.  Maybe, just maybe, they'll listen!  We had the choice before to choose good until canceled.  Please bring back that CHOICE. 

A lot of people won't play the auction game, and I don't blame them.   Personally, if I want to buy something, I usually want to buy it when I hit the button to purchase it.

[dollybeauty]

@ikey121 

"

When are the duration choices for fixed price listings coming back? Please let Ebay know that you want a choice to choose "good until canceled", not be forced into it. It sounds good... until you figure out that you're going to be charged insertion fees on all your listings over the free 50 per month if you don't have a store. So, if we received additional promotional listings during any given month, when the 30 day, good until canceled, fixed price listings auto renew, we will be charged insertion fees for all the listings that have rolled over that exceed the 50 free or don't happen to hit a promotion at the exact time they roll over! That's a lot of money. Money, I personally can't afford. Stores are also impacted by this."

1) With all due respect, you are wrong about this. It was never eBay's intent to double charge in any month for insertion fees.

2) Any item listed or renewed today, can not be double listed until 2022. - See this tool - http://isdntek.com/listingtools/billingcyles.htm

3) This could and should help your google search results...More sales.

Learn what is going on before you get all het up about this - https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Applying-Out-of-Stock-on-GTC-listings-some-info-for-beginners/...

[pacer_place]

I have an eBay store, and I am upset with the eBay policy change that won't allow me to decide the duration of each fixed price listing. I currently have 251 fixed price active listings. If none of these sell, all of my "FREE" fixed price listings will be used when these current listings roll over.  That mean I'll be paying for any additional fixed price listings. Prior to this change I could manage my fixed price listings based on number of free listings available along with eBay free listing promotions. Now I'll have to keep my fixed price listings low to prevent getting a large bill from eBay each month. That is not right. eBay needs to re-consider this policy change. I should not be billed for re-listing items that I don't approve. To me, the change was prompted by a money grab by eBay. They realize that they can offer sellers large "Free Fixed Price Listings" promotions, and then charge the sellers in future months as the listing automatically roll over. THAT IS NOT RIGHT. Someone needs to re-think this policy change, or I need to re-think doing business with eBay.

[ikey121]

I went to the links you put in your reply and checked the chart for repeat cycles?  Are you suggesting that Ebay's promotions run neck and neck with the 30 days expiration and auto relist until 2022?   No complete explanation is given with that chart.   Even, if that is so, there is no reason for Ebay to take away the option to choose GTC.  Each seller, regardless of having a store, or not, knows what works best for them.  Having the ability to choose that option is what works best for us.  If you left the options open, sellers that know GTC works best for them, will and would have already picked that option.  The links you provided, provide no proof that listings will not be charged insertion fees when the listing cycles.  Quite the contrary, as you list something that is fixed price as of yesterday, it says they will be charged.   You do already know, that a lot of sellers might not catch these charges, that they might not call to get their refunds, if the cycles do not line up exactly right. 

NOW, When listing fixed price, Ebay says, "To help you sell your item, fixed price listings can only be listed with a Good 'Til Cancelled duration. Listings renew automatically every 30 days, based on the listing terms at that time, until all quantities sell or the listing ends. Each time a listing renews and when an item sells, you’ll be charged applicable fees.".

That last sentence states you will be charged applicable fees, if those renewals don't line up with the promotions, there will be charges. 

This change does NOT help us sell our items, it makes us not want to list them.  Not good for the sellers and I would think... not good for Ebay.

The other links you provided do not explain why the options were removed.   The mostly, "out of stock" subject link you provided, does not have anything to do with why Ebay took the choice away from sellers for fixed price.  

[divwido]

Do you understand that eBay isn't a Lemonade stand?  It is world wide and they make their decisions based on that world, not one person.

There is a ton to read about it, you might look it up and see why they chose to do that.

Also, Good until Canceled CAN BE CANCELED quite easily.

[ikey121]

Lemonade stand? No, I don't think of Ebay as a Lemonade stand. 

[funfashion2005]

As of today- Good till canceled cannot be changed to any other option! It says: "To help you sell your item, fixed price listings can only be listed with a Good 'Til Cancelled duration. The listing duration has been set to Good 'Til Cancelled."
Clearly- this is NOT to help sellers... This is to generate insertion fees for ebay. It is very sneaky and unfair. There are more competitive selling apps these days that do not charge any insertion fees. This better be changed by ebay or the will lose sales.

[funfashion2005]

I agree 100%. They absolutely did that to gain tons of money, especially for people with lots of listing who didn't pay attention! It is wrong and unethical

[kwindustriesco]

I agree, I'm unhappy with the Good Until Canceled option.   I'd prefer not to be forced into an auto relist.

[tf5003]

Ebay bases this decision for themselves NOT the sellers.There is no advantage having good till cancel listings for the seller.Sure you can cancel the good till cancel listings but you have have to do it before it automatically relists which does NOT benefit the seller and takes more of the sellers time.Keep in mind when a listing constantly relists it becomes a stale listing and does not sell as quickly as just leaving it off your listings for 30 days and then relisting

[thebughunter]

Ebay just keeps screwing the seller, day by day. To be forced into a Good Til Cancelled  Buy It Now format is disgusting business. Those of us who have stores have no choice now, but that wasn't in our "contract" when we signed up for a store. Ebay has now breached that contract. I did not sign up to be dictated to regarding my choices of selling format and length of time.  

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@thebughunter wrote:

Ebay just keeps screwing the seller, day by day. To be forced into a Good Til Cancelled  Buy It Now format is disgusting business. Those of us who have stores have no choice now, but that wasn't in our "contract" when we signed up for a store. Ebay has now breached that contract. I did not sign up to be dictated to regarding my choices of selling format and length of time.  

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They didn't breach their contract. It's in the user agreement that by using the service, you agree to any changes.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-agreement?id=4259#18.%20General

"We may amend this User Agreement at any time by posting the amended terms on www.eBay.com. Our right to amend the User Agreement includes the right to modify, add to, or remove terms in the User Agreement. We will provide you 30 days' notice by posting the amended terms. Additionally, we will notify you through the eBay Message Center and/or by email. Your continued access or use of our Services constitutes your acceptance of the amended terms. We may also ask you to acknowledge your acceptance of the User Agreement through an electronic click-through. This User Agreement may not otherwise be amended except through mutual agreement by you and an eBay representative who intends to amend this User Agreement and is duly authorized to agree to such an amendment."

[wroundemup]

It's a weasel move from a company that has been going out of it's way to screw over their sellers since Whitman left years ago. Despite the **bleep**, focus group-approved terms all their marketing/sales execs spew on these forums the only motivation behind this change was for them to extort more $ out of their sellers as they desperately continue to seek out new revenue streams while they bleed sellers & listings b/c of their idiotic policies. Only way to force these geniuses to rethink their buyer first & corporate greed mindset is for a mass seller exodus. Otherwise you're either going to have to waste time every month cancelling listings before they expire or pay the weasels listing fees you otherwise wouldn't be.

[atikovi]

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@ikey121 wrote:

Lemonade stand? No, I don't think of Ebay as a Lemonade stand. 

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Banana stand? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04SLXwjJvqg

[dollybeauty]

First, I do not agree with all of eBay's changes. But they do not consult me. So I either make the choice to continue selling, on eBay, or not.

Second, yes, you will have to take a more active part in your listing management. There are ways to do this that are not too difficult. For SellerHub users, there is a line item in the Listings pane for 'ending today'. For those not on the SellerHub, there is a column on the active listings page for 'Time left'. Each of these options can show you which items to 'End', if you do not wish them to renew.