Where are the customers? WHY aren't we getting any sales lately?

[debk255]

Been on ebay for 18 yrs.  top rated seller with 100% approval ratings. Over the course of that time, I've grown and added many new product lines & put thousands of dollars in new items online here this year alone. 

This year it seems is the year that ebay has died, for in spite of discounts, and sales, I am now lucky if I get 100 dollars in sales in a week!  (used to be 3-5x that much)  I have 1400+ current active listings on ebay and not a single sale in 2 days now?  WTH is going on here?   I do price searches for similar items.  Our prices are competitive, nearly always lower than others.  I share several product posts daily on facebook, instagram ect. (free advertising)  Still nothing.   Some say its the new algorithms, but how do we counter or fix that if this is the problem?  (you'd THINK ebay would be more on top of this issue)   I'm not going to be able to hang on here if things don't perk up.   😢 Open to suggestions.  

[vintagecraze50]

Radio program I listened to the other day said people are spending money on more experience related products services, such as plane tickets for vacation. This is especially prominent during the summer time months where sales on many types of items plummet as well because of this. So people are spending money but not so much on goods.

[vintagecraze50]

All I can say is hang in there for the fourth quarter where Christmas sales start to ramp up for goods. In the meantime, watch what you spend on inventory. Right now we are in the negative with thousands and thousands of dollars invested in product and not as many sales we need to keep up.

[vintagecraze50]

The high fees and the extra high fees of promotions cause an extremely difficult dilemma for sellers. Hey have to list items at higher price points. It’s a killer.

[vintagecraze50]

I forgot to add that credit card interest rates are up so more caution if buying things right now and whatever else has caused people to be in a financial wreck right now.

[grandpasattic40299]

Yes, I am in the same boat. I have noticed promoted listing feature is gone from new listings and when I go in to revise a listing I receive an error stating promoted listing is currently not working properly. 

It's probably a glitch, not sure. Does anyone have any information?

[dbfolks166mt]

The high fees and the extra high fees of promotions cause an extremely difficult dilemma for sellers. Hey have to list items at higher price points. It’s a killer.

     The base fees have not changed that much but you are 100% correct about the promoted listings death trap or prisoners dilemma. Who ever at eBay came up with the PL idea is a smart cookie and it was a way for eBay to increase their revenue without actually having to raise the base FVF's. 

     If nobody promoted the playing field would be leveled and pricing strategy would be back to where it was prior to PL but that is not in people, or businesses nature and there is always the drive to out do the other person or business which is why there has been constant creep in the PL percentages sellers are using and eBay is recommending. It's a race to the bottom for those that are using PL and there is no factual proof that PL increases actual sales. There are tons of postings about views decreasing or increasing based on the use of PL but views mean nothing without sales. 

[kingdiamond91]

Thank you ebay  7 days in a row without a sale  you must have geniuses running the show from the corporate office. They sit in their fancy office thinking of ways to screw over the sellers when the sellers are the backbone  of eBay success  kill off the sellers  and eBay doesn't exist.  We do all the hard work  and you sit back and get rich off us,  promotional fees  doesn't work still doesn't bring in any traffic  . If the problem isn't fixed soon they won't be any sellers left  we can't survive  if there's  no income coming in.

[powell-memorabilia]

11,000+ givenchy jewelry listings.  Most go unsold after a month.  

[lancersales4251]

My sales have tanked also. I am not an authority but prices are so high for the average person that I believe a person has very little money left. Grocery has at least doubled in our area. Housing has doubled. Rent that was $750 is now $1375-1475. I feel sorry for the young working person.

[liawrig.nq8rdwqa3]

Me too.  I'm getting "at risk" emails from Ebay.  Heartless.  EB doesn't acknowledge the economy has a lot to do with sales.

Anyway, here's what's happening IMO:

1) People spending money elsewhere.  Like said before - vacations, travel.  Not spending on clothing and housewares

2) Temu and like sites are pulling money from the etail sites like AMZ and EB.  Lower prices for the same products.

3) Credit cards and student loans being paid down.

4) Too many sellers, not enough buyers.

I think in order to makes sales consistently you have to have "odd" "rare" and "necessary" items.  I notice for example in the fall & winter, cold medicines sell very well.

[birchy-36]

It’s sad. There does not seem to be any normal eBay traffic. Their profit is down more than 20% this quarter. It seems like people aren’t interested in shopping here any longer 

[birchy-36]

Every time I say this I get a lot of grief but I’ve been saying it for 2 years and can’t help myself.

STOP buying inventory if you are selling clothing, jewelry or household items. Things here are not going to get a lot better and this is not just a temporary lag. Buyers are abandoning eBay and once that starts it doesn’t reverse itself. Sell what you can for whatever you can get and move on to another part time pursuit

[1pickypickylady]

Disney is being boycotted just like Bud Light

[my_boston_baked_beans]

Gas prices just went up overnight by 50 cents a gallon, and on the same day the FED's increased interest rates so on and so forth. Ebay has become a venue for the hobby seller not one for people that depend on an actual income. Even as a hobby seller, myself, sales are like a birthday *once a year* LOL!

[junkmangeorge]

Same Here ebay needs to read thier page or they gonna sink