Whats the most insane greedy "suggested ad rate" you have seen in Promoted listings?

[dr.automobiliac]

With the continued failures of the worse CEO eBay has Ever Had Jaime.  The downfall of this brand and the lack of care for 90% of the categories with no marketing we are expected to pay outrageous ad rates to sell anything.  In our category the average rate of anything customers click on is 16.8  with now even greedier 18.2 popping up every once in awhile.   There is absolutely no concern by management of these numbers not ever close to something a multibillion dollar brand should ever as for. Its a deplorable situation set up for failure. 

What's the worse you see in your category and what do you sell? 

[selsa84]

Saw 24% a few times. I've tested pls over a few years and higher pls rate doesn't mean more sales. It means less money in the end. 

[adamcartwright]

The highest I've seen is over 12%.

I've actually tested that for a week or so on some of my more hard to sell items and got NO VIEWS.

[dolcetreasures]

21%, 19.8% in clothing shoes and accessories. Absolutely mind-numbing. 

[chapeau-noir]

I've seen 12.1 as highest so far in my own experience. Having diddled around with percentages, I don't find that a higher percentage does much. Shifting inventory and keeping current does more, I think.

ETA: Clothing, accessories, books, computer peripherals and sports gear - though I've pretty much sold out of the peripherals and sports gear.

[mcdougle4248]

I saw 17.5% suggested on one of my listings yesterday and I think that is the highest I have seen. Suggested rates today are 5.0 %-16.3%. Most of my listings are in Collectibles>Holiday&Seasonal>Ornaments.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

---

@dr.automobiliac wrote:

With the continued failures of the worse CEO eBay has Ever Had Jaime.  The downfall of this brand and the lack of care for 90% of the categories with no marketing we are expected to pay outrageous ad rates to sell anything.  In our category the average rate of anything customers click on is 16.8  with now even greedier 18.2 popping up every once in awhile.   There is absolutely no concern by management of these numbers not ever close to something a multibillion dollar brand should ever as for. Its a deplorable situation set up for failure. 

What's the worse you see in your category and what do you sell? 

---

I guess having too many sellers for the search results to display all of the offers within the attention span of a buyer is a management failure by your standards.

The chief alternative I see to promotion is to limit the number of sellers allowed to list certain popular items. I suspect that most of the sellers who are complaining about the cost of promotion would end up on the outside looking in.

At least Ebay makes more money on each sale when sellers promote.

All sellers are not equal. Some sellers are more desirable with or without promotion. I suppose Jaime could task some elves to decide who is more desirable. I suspect 100% of the sellers who have a complaint about what they came up with. Take away promotion and Ebay will make less and a few sellers will make more. Many sellers will make nothing.

[the_backyard_bear]

I was "suggested" 20.8%.  There are 32 listings for that item.  3 of them are mine.  (Search Mexican Dwarf Crayfish for specifics)

When I was able to promote it for 8%, my listing picture drew in over 20 new customers to the eBay platform in two months.   

[dirk12955]

Couple observations on this irritating subject.

I've seen % as high as 20%  in stamps

Whether I promote 3.0%   or 15%  it does not seem to make any difference in sales.

Making new listings the other day,    Same type of items,  Using sell similar, saving to draft and then making the next listing from the last draft,   each listings getting 

a different picture and 1 or 2 minor changes in the title,    The Promo%  kept bouncing around.

Listing #1  12%     #2  13.8%    #3   9.7%    #  4   11.2%

I don't know what % to use and neither does ebay.  

Same types of items,    Extremely minor differences in each listing,   and the promo%  kept changing.   

[12345jamesstamps]

I promoted 2% of all my Thailand Stamps...and they sold quite well. Just need a few buyers who turn into repeat buyers. But one needs at least 100+ in the category and they all need to be promoted. 

I tried doing 15-20% but that didn't work at all for me.

So now I will stick to one country at a time being promoted.

[isaiah53-57]

---

@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

---

---

"I guess having too many sellers for the search results to display all of the offers within the attention span of a buyer is a management failure by your standards."

Me: It sure is - When likely 50% or more of the results are not even what you searched for, but what's being promoted? YES it sure is a failure in my book - It actually defeats the purpose of catering to the buyers attention spans, and frustrates them to no end - If they got rid of that garbage, there would be more room for MORE RELEVANT Items from hard working sellers being thwarted at every turn here...

"The chief alternative I see to promotion is to limit the number of sellers allowed to list certain popular items. I suspect that most of the sellers who are complaining about the cost of promotion would end up on the outside looking in."

Me: Maybe they should - But it will surely come back to bite them when the disenfranchised choose to no longer buy here as well. The chief alternative to promotions would be to scrap em and go back to whatever semblance of a level playing field they had before these ads and be happy with their near 15% rate take and GROW the company rather cannibalize it...

"At least Ebay makes more money on each sale when sellers promote."

Me: Okaaayyyy??? Again, as I previously stated - GROW the company and quit cannibalizing it and they dont have to make more money per sale - Just make more sales - they can quit breaking the sellers backs! THAT is the only true success that can come of this for both the company and the sellers...

"All sellers are not equal. Some sellers are more desirable with or without promotion. I suppose Jaime could task some elves to decide who is more desirable. I suspect 100% of the sellers who have a complaint about what they came up with. Take away promotion and Ebay will make less and a few sellers will make more. Many sellers will make nothing."

Me: Thats sales 101 - Only the strong survive - But my guess is its the desperate people that are pumping up their Promotion Rates - Being targeted for it - And stronger more versatile company's/sellers use them with discretion with some likely not using them at all - Why would they want to get rid of their target audience? - After all, in my humble opinion, this program feeds on desperation and paranoia - I see it as an affront disguised as an advertising program that perverts the benefits of healthy competition - driving prices up, not moderating them - And driving sellers and buyers alike insane with higher fees and F#^%@& up search results...

[the_backyard_bear]

**** 8888888

[chevymontecarlo88]

You make a very persuasive argument. Kudos

[cardxcraft]

Highest suggested pl was 48.6% for postcard cover carried on the 1930 Graf Zeppelin flight to Recife, Brazil from Friedrichshafen.  I actually posted here in the forum at the time.

I sold it last month at 0% promoted listing fee, because I no longer use pl.

[ed8108]

---

@dr.automobiliac wrote:

With the continued failures of the worse CEO eBay has Ever Had Jaime.  The downfall of this brand and the lack of care for 90% of the categories with no marketing we are expected to pay outrageous ad rates to sell anything.  

---

Sellers appear viewed as compliant, & desperate.

---