eBay

baydistributionllc · ‎05-10-2019

If you go look at the archives you will find thread after thread of people complaining their sales have dropped off. I will have to admit that I have spent far too much time reading them and have even posted one or two.

For me it was April 2017 when it just fell off. Wasn't all that that long ago I had my first day in 5 years without a sale.

They changed some things, that's for sure. Griping about it won't help us so I thought I would share some ways that I have begun to find an increase in sales.

1. Promoted listings is not a choice. If your complaining your sales fell off and you are not using promoted listings you need to go do a blanket 1% on everything and watch it increase immediately. They found a creative way to increase the fees in a way that looks like its optional. Its not optional.

2. Stagnant Inventory. I have read that sellers have gotten eBay reps to 'reset' their listings. While I believe they may have been told this I don't believe that whatever the rep did had any meaningful effect. I have read that doing a bulk edit and not changing anything gets it going. I don't see that being very effective either. It used to be that if you posted an item you could leave it posted forever and it would eventually sell. I think the new eBay is taking a lot more data points into account like views, watchers, identical solds, and who knows what else. If it doesn't like your listing, it buries it and shows it nobody. I have not been keeping items nearly as long and I have been a lot more aggressive in revising and lowering prices. I revise at least as many items as I post everyday and double most days. Sometimes its a $1 thats the difference in sold and not sold.

3. Offers to buyers. I have sold several items with this new feature. If its not an option on your dashboard you can manually type the link to get to it. Its available to everyone.

4. Offer international shipping outside of GSP. I have had lots of sales this way and printing the label for a first class international (up to 4lbs by the way) is as easy as printing a US one. The only difference is you have to sign it. I have had a couple people do something like pay $150 in shipping to get a $75 item, and that kills me on the fees but that rarely happens and I have yet to loose money on any deal because of it.

5. Returns and cases. I seem to notice a drastic dip in sales directly after I get two returns and/or cases. Just one doesn't seem to have an effect but it seems like if I get two inside of a week, sales suck for several days after. Anyone else notice this? This has led me to a point to where I will not sell anything with a defect. People are looking at the gallery photo and the price and NOTHING ELSE. I will sell new, and fully functional used, and that's it. Sometimes really expensive items still have significant value even if they are only partially working, I will not longer sell that. If I don't feel like the ENTIRE listing can meet the expectation created by just the first photo I don't list it on ebay at all. I guess what I am saying is be more selective with your sourcing.

6. Competition. There are a lot more people selling on ebay. I sure wish I knew how many sellers were on ebay three years ago vs. today. I really have been trying to find items that nobody else is offering or have few comps. I have found myself passing on things not because the margin wasn't there but because there are 3,423 other ones already posted. In the past I would have bought anything that had a sold comp with a good margin, not anymore.

So that was my goal of this post, just to share some ways I am finding a little traction. Hope it helps.

On a side note....

For going on three or four months I noticed a big decrease in return abuse and entitled cheats. I had a period of time with 0 open returns and quite a run with only 1. This weeks I had 2 big fat cheaters. They were all cheap items that had returns anyway, and I got the items back, so not a huge deal. They only stole shipping fees.

One guy asked a silly question about a set of waders I had posted. I referred him to the portion of the listing that answered the question so he couldn't use the semantics of my answer to start a return later. He didn't like that answer so he bought the item with the intent of returning it. Brand New Item. Has UPC. Has same information as all other sellers with same item and same UPC. eBay was kind of enough to remove the defect, but having to call waste my time, kinda aggravating.

I had a somewhat rare bible. It was in pretty rough shape. I wouldn't source or list the same item again. I took good photos of all the damage and described all the damage in detail. If I remember right this bible in good used condition goes for around $40+. This one sold for $20. 30 Day returns, no good reason needed to return it. Shipping was just over $3. Then of course they choose a reason that causes me a defect and say " I love this bibles I would never allow any one do this type of harm to any book let a lone a bible". What a looney toon.

I love how these people can come to ebay and treat it like facebook and at the end of the day it doesn't cost them a dime. They are not shopping for items, they are shopping for a problem to create. eBay does offer us one thing most other platforms don't, the blocked list.

Person 1 had 0 feedback. I think they created a new account to distance what they were about to do from their real account. Person 2 had 1 feedback. Not well established members of the ebay community by any stretch. Returns for users with less than 5 feedback should require a look by an actual person at ebay before they are allowed to apply a defect. Even if it looks like it went through to the user, actual look prior to defect application seems like common sense.

So I know there are some people out there that had a big drop in sales, is there anyone out there that has kept pumping up items and found some success with any new techniques? Get any crazy returns?

Anyone out there sell 20 items instead of 10 and wanna tells us all who say the sales fell off we are crazy because you had a 100% increase? 🙂

For everything that happens conditions exist such that nothing else could have happened.

illodger · ‎01-11-2020

In CA, they are getting what they voted for.

Just sayin'...

illodger · ‎01-11-2020

Seriously, stop voting democrat. You live in one of the most expensive states for a reason.

jojitsusensei · ‎01-11-2020

You got that right!

Voter fraud is out of control in that state.

Illegals getting driver's license are automatically registered to vote.

The whole state needs an enema, and so does New York State.

goldrushfinds · ‎01-11-2020

"You got that right!

Voter fraud is out of control in that state.

Illegals getting driver's license are automatically registered to vote.

The whole state needs an enema, and so does New York State."

Just a few facts:

1) California is worlds 5th largest economy
2) Housing prices are a reflection of supply and demand. Obviously a lot of people want to live here.
3) We have some of the strictest environmental laws and regulations and acknowledge climate change
4) We have an abundance of some of the best Universities
5) We have the ocean, mountains, wine country, thriving central valley agriculture, and coastal and sierra redwoods, along with bristlecone pine trees (oldest trees in the world)

Sure we have lots of problems and I agree we need to work on the homeless issue, housing and a number of other issues. However, it is not like other parts of the country don't have their fair share of problems. I wouldn't live anywhere else. Oh, and voter fraud is not an issue (show me facts that show otherwise, not an article from a partisan rag).

debbie6438 · ‎01-12-2020

Yes California is 5th or 6th largest economy on Earth, so shame on us!

If you blame the Democrats, blame the Republicans as well!

They are two peas in a pod, don't kid your self!

Gore Vidal said: “We are The United States of Amnesia!” -and-

“There is only one party in the United States, the

Property Party ...and it has two right wings!”

We know the Democrats are useless, but I don't see the

Republicans doing anything at all to solve our problems!

President Bill Clinton and the Republicans during the 1990's signed into law both N A F T A and G A T T

which was the first step in the decline of the American workers and their wages! And before I forget,

if the spineless, cowards on Capitol Hill really were servants of the people of The United States

of America, the gutless worms called the Democrats and Republicans would have never sold us out!

Furthermore in addition to making bad decisions that helped to devastate the American workers, the minimum wage was never been properly indexed up to balance out the economy. Example, in the early 1990's the minimum wage was about $4.25 an hour, contrast that to the current minimum wage of

about $11.00 an hour. So in 27 years the minimum wage in our country has barely doubled! What

a slap in the face to the wage earner. Even if they indexed it 50 cents or a dollar each year, the

current minimum wage would, and should be, about $26.00 an hour. Which would bring the wages up for better jobs as well.

“Mexicanization” my definition: In the post 911 economy the ultimate goal of the Capitalists and the one percent who own everything, is kill off the remaining unions, move as much, if not all, of the manufacturing jobs out of the country. Create the service economy selling i Phones for minimum wage,

while turning over rental properties to management companies and diving up the cost of rent well over what a person brings home on their paychecks. While 911 terrorized the TV watching public, the Federal Government turns a blind eye and allows millions of undocumented people from south of the border, to flood the country, take any low wage job, live five families in a house! You get the idea, and this is just what those scum sucking politicians have done! They do not work for you! You know when the problems of homelessness are so bad when KABC news reports on it! They are the Disney Company and I can't imagine “them” wanting to create waves, when a few years back, the City of Anaheim gives Disney a 30-year entertainment tax exemption along with other tax cuts!

Governor Gavin Newsom – If you want to solve the problems of homelessness how about a minimum wage increase, rent control for large units run by property management companies, mass deportation of all undocumented workers. Here's something else a Governor has at his disposal, the ability to pull the charter of any company or corporation that knowingly hires undocumented workers, and prison time for the CEO'S! When Governor Peter Wilson was running the state, Pepsi-co demanded a tax break or they told Pete Wilson they would move their corporate headquarters out of the state of California.

Of course he gave in, but what he should have done was told Pepsi-co: “Okay, and when you leave, I

am pulling the charter on all your activities, and you can take all the Taco Bell Stands with you! Get Out!” I think it called “Political Will” maybe not. Mayor Eric Garcetti We don't need to be a sanctuary city at all, we all ready are one! Which begs the question: “What are laws for anyway?”

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas – Been to the hood lately? Compton, Watts, Gardena, South Central, Inglewood skid row, Los Angeles & Santa Ana River beds, East LA? How about some of the “one ways”, in Norwalk or Pico Rivera? Yep the good times and Status-quo – Mark Ridley Yo!

BTW I'm Mexican, my family was born here three generations.

Fun times!

debbie6438 · ‎01-12-2020

Managed Payments Update:

I get my first Japanese customer since October 2019, and here's what he wrote:

I don't understand that once you wrote EUR 10.34
and now 50$. Please don't change the price otherwise I can't buy them.
Regards

Another eBay screw up! I told him I am not part of the EU!

Any package that weighs over four pounds leaving the USA

will start at $50.00 and up! So I guess in Japan I show up

as part of the EU? (European Union)

Dumb eBay! Who's programming for these morons????

No wonder the search engine is all messed up!

So now I guess we're all joining the EU to sell to Japan?

Okay?

Debbie

debbie6438 · ‎01-12-2020

More Bad News For The Local Economy!

Second Street in Belmont Shore, Long Beach California has seen many changes, but

lately it's not good changes! For example there are twenty or more empty retail shops that have closed

their doors, and this is due to the high rent increases. The naysayers will tell you, “it's expensive but they have a lot of foot traffic” and that is supposed to justify the increases in the rent. But today when I went shopping for my bosses eBay, to find stuff to list and sell for our 30 percent selling fees, I stopped

at the Aids Assistance Thrift Store, the sign said we have moved! Finding their new location we got

the scoop from the owner who told us that after almost 20 years at the old location on 4th Street, the

landlord who owns half the block raised their rent from $3000.00 three thousand a month to $9000.00

nine thousand a month! (He is reportedly a slum landlord on top of everything else!) Then we got more information, for example Jones Bicycle Shop, which served the local community for over 100 years

rent went from $5000.00 five thousand a month to a whopping $20 thousand dollars a month! This

is one example of pure greed! Plan and simple! Hilariously the Google definition for “Gentrification”

reads: “the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste.” Of course this was written by the Silicon Valley Elite Stanford University A-Holes that run every bodies life now through the high tech world. Steve Jobs was no friend to the working class.

The very first iPod's made and sold were manufactured in the United States, as soon as the iPod took off, Apple shipped those jobs out of the country! Blame the union workers, blame the Demarcates and

Republicans place the blame at any doorstep you want, but the bottom line is, Apple and all of the other

A-Holes, Google etc that run our lives now, all suck A! Amazon spies with their stupid listing devices,

your desk top can hear everything in the room, unless you disable Google microphone. The “gig economy” as they call it, sucks, I don't care if you can make your own hours driving around for

Uber, any country without a strong manufacturing base will not succeed. When America was on the top of the world, it was because “we” invented everything and made everything! That's when life was good! In 1979 a guy from high school got a night job as a security guard in a local hospital he

got $11.00 bucks an hour! I just looked on PayScale – guess what? It's only $11.86 and hour! Give me a break! Trump is just as bad as Obama, and Obama was just as bad as Bush, and Bush was just as bad

as Clinton! Wake up and smell the politics! Homeland Security Act! H S A has 240,000 employees, Annual budget projected for 2020 is approx $52 billion! Okay let's pause and take a deep breath! Since 2002 with all the resources this department has, they can't even keep the undocumented workers out of the county! Since Bush, Obama and Now Trump, the problem is getting even worse! What are laws for anyway? What does this all have to do with eBay? It has everything to do about it! Americans wake up, turn your TV sets off, your iPod's into the trash and boycott Walmart and all the Chinese made **bleep** and demand that something be done! We need a national don't go to work day, then they “might” listen!

Until then, well you tell me? Until then.........?

Debbie

sakic92710 · ‎01-12-2020

The trend is continuing stronger into 2020. 3 sales in 8 days. 1 sale all weekend. 7 since the New Year began. Going to rely on sources W/O fees from now on. Will use eBay but, won't rely on them & they can't rely on me for large monthly fees any longer. Pretty bad when a quiet flea market does better for me in a few hours then, this site can provide for me, in over a week, with millions of members. Good luck to us all. 🙂

debbie6438 · ‎01-18-2020

So far in the month of January 2020 eBay has made more money on fees than I have on sales!

In the last seven days I sold one item for $44.98 which was canceled, a buyer from Ireland of all places who had a number four by their name, and who had not bought anything on eBay for over a year or more! I get these buyers all the time, mostly in the USA. I think they are still under the impression that you can wait 30 days to pay!? My selling fees for this month were $561.79! Not good! We called eBay because of another issue, with listing adult 8mm reels of film (old films) because our listing was removed for two reasons, the first time because we listed it in the general 8mm movie film population. They said we had to re-list it in the “everything else” category and then it was removed because we're in this horrible “Managed Payments” thing. So just for the heck of it, we looked in the 8mm film category and sure enough along with old cartoons and comedy reels were hard core X-rated reels most of the pictures the sellers used showed genitalia with explicit language that would get me kicked

off if I even repeated it here!

The young lady that we spoke with told us, it's because these sellers have not been detected by their system! Our listing, I told her had no X-rated images or explicit language in the description, and we were still removed? She said that they don't have enough staff to go through all of the listings, so unless somebody complains the other listings will not be removed? Then she asked if I wanted to point out these listings that violate eBay policy for adult films, and we told her, “No, we're not squealers, and I have never – ever turned in another seller!” We told her that eBay obviously uses some kind of

“carnivore software” because in the past when ever we listed an item, and if there was a word that eBay's system does not allow, the listing was flagged. She claimed no such program exists!

I pointed out to her a few examples: For one, years ago we listed a record by Spike Jones, and the title was “Mary Sturgeon Was a Virgin” They kicked the listing off for offensive language! Then we listed a record by Freddie Schnickelfritz Fisher, “Taps For The Japanese” of course the didn't use the word “Japanese” it was shortened as a slur. That was removed! Still another time we listed a record called “The Ballard of N Jim! Got kicked off because you can't use the “N” word, but when we looked, sure enough there was tons of old sheet music in which the seller used the “N”word on the headline and in the listing! And lastly, we listed an LP record of WW-II speeches, the title was “Marches, Songs and Speeches, N --- I Germany” it's a vinyl from the 1960's. Same thing, you can't list any N ---I propaganda, and when we searched eBay, we found tons of old metals, hats, stamps, brochures, and even other copies of this LP! We do not support any form of racism – but this is a denial of history, is it not? We told the young lady that we are being singled out, perhaps for being outspoken and calling them when we have issues! (And we have a lot of issues with eBay!) Again she said that was not true!

They eBay will tell you whatever that have to – just to shut you up! If we don't have any sales for the rest of this month, then after 15 plus years I may have to pull out! That would suck because it's our

only income source while we look for jobs! And the job market sucks! I have been holding out

as long as I can, and I don't know what else to do?

Debbie

refurbtechno · ‎01-18-2020

As I read your post I almost felt like I was in church. I found myself nodding and saying things out loud like “I know that’s right”, and laughing a good belly laugh a few times even though I’m alone today. No kids. No hubby. Whoo hoo! So I’m reading eBay blogs 🙄 What an exciting life I have. Anyway.

To the author of the post. You are absolutely not alone. And you actually confirmed a few things that I had my suspicions about but thought “nah, that’s crazy!” “EBay would never bury your listing so it can’t be seen because it didn’t like something about the listing or you as a seller” right? 😳

I’ve said it many times. EBay and Mother Nature have two things in common: when you think you can predict them 100% you can’t. And they are both hateful witches sometimes. Very vendictive.

Ive never met another EBay seller that didn’t agree with that. We love the platform. We make our living here so we are passionate people. And sometimes EBay cares and sometimes it don’t. It’s like being on the naughty list.

I understand why the buyers is always right on ECommerce sales. Because it’s virtual shopping it has to be virtually risk free as well. But it does open the door to the crazies out there that will twist the liberal return policy into trying to scam a living off of it.

Anyone ever have someone return an empty box? Oh yes. An empty box. Nothing you can do as a seller. It’s your word against there’s even if you video opening the box. Or take pictures. Doesn’t matter. They get to keep the item and get their money back. Not a bad deal. This criminality just goes right thru me. These folks that are making a career out of scamming ECommerce sellers. Shame on you. And I’ll add one more name to the list with commonalities I spoke about above. - Karma. Oh yeah she’s hateful. And she can jerk your chain in a heartbeat.

My rule of thumb for dealing with defects and returns is just be genuine. Truthful. Don’t try to bluff your way thru this. Buyers smell the lies on your breath. And it makes them mad. And they can’t wait to write a hateful review. And usually do because it’s so accessible. Just be honest. And offer a sincere apology. Offer to make it right either as a refund or replacement and follow thru. And be timely. If you don’t manage this process very closely it will gut your business.

Too many defects, unresolved cases, etc etc can and will make your seller rating go down. And believe me, the world looks a whole lot different from where a seller with a substandard rating is. Your fees go up (like a lot !) your sales will tank. You’ll feel like you couldn’t give your stuff away. And there is nothing that will help you. No even promoted listings. Until you either meet standard or are above standard you may as well hang it up. I think that eBays way of firing you Japanese style. Just makes you miserable enough to quit.

A lot of times I’ve been able to get this taken care of thru the concierge program. And as soon as the **bleep** reviews and incorrect information is removed. BAM! You’re back among the living again.

I highly encourage anyone that is a seller on eBay. Join the small business coalition eBay has available. It’s wonderful and so are the people. And if you have The chance to go to DC with eBay in the spring to help lobby regarding policy that affects all of us ie: tariffs, sales tax, and the USPS reform by all means GO! I went last year. Most invaluable/ enjoyable business three days I’ve ever had. And eBay has a first class team that puts the whole summit together.

So for all it’s flaws I have to close my post with I do believe in my heart EBay is trying. And they do care. I met some of the executives, shook their hands. And they all looked me straight in the eyes and thanked me for being a seller. And told me they appreciate me. And they heard anything and everything I have to say. All of them taking notes. So I felt heard at least. Sometimes that’s all we want. Just listen to me vent. I’ll feel better, deal with it and move on. Lol.
Thank you, whomever you are, for writing the original post and starting this dialogue. Last thing. Yes our sales our down in comparison to Dec 2019. But in comparison to Jan 2019. Our sales are up. Like a lot. But we have experienced a slow down from what we were doing last Fall.

debbie6438 · ‎01-18-2020

Thanks for your response, which is so ambiguous I'm not sure who's side you are on?

BTW I'm happy that your sales are up! Here's the thing, corporate America and the Global

Capitalists have ruined our once beautiful country! Since the 1940's onward they have

convinced us that everybody from the Communists to the Terrorists are out to get us!

The real enemy comes from within! There is no man or woman, CEO'S, Sports Stars,

Movie Stars, Singing Stars, YouTube Stars, Doctors, Lawyers, Brain Surgeons, that

deserve the outrageous salaries that “they” take home, year after year, when ever penny

they have came from the working middle class. (Period) Incentive pay is one thing, but

in 2020 it's out of control! The middle class is barely hanging on! The wages in the United

states have been stagnant since the early 1980's! I'm sure that some of the CEO'S are nice

guys (mostly men by the way) but Hitler used to kiss babies and shake hands all the time!

So in closing to your response, the only way I would shake the hands of any CEO'S

in America right now, is if I had a poison dart in my palm! And don't you dare call me

a “Liberal” nor a “conservative” that's nonsense, it's what the old Soviet Union doctrine

of “agitprop” (agitation and propaganda) which is exactly what our media throws at

us on a daily bases! The other doctrine that the media seems to have adopted from

the Soviet Union is “divide the people” then “create the illusion of popular support”

At this sad state in our country, every one of those lying, ossifying, chitin sucking

politicians needs to be impeached – that goes for every single one of them!!!!!

Wake Up Americans we are loosing our once finest country on earth!

Signed

Debbie “Abraham – Martin & John” Martinez!

fortheloveofthegame · ‎01-21-2020

We went from 40K to over 200K in sales from 2015 to 2019 on Ebay. I have noticed some of same things in this post. First off, Promoted Listings make a HUGE difference not only can you make the sale you can get more money to cover the cost on alot of items. Its pay to win and its kind of entirely **bleep** in my opinion but it what it is. If you dont offer shipping and free 30 day returns double good luck to you selling anything! If your stuff is not seen it will not sell period. Also taking actual photos of items has helped us out alot! This generic photo stuff one or two pictures does not seem to help. Spend the extra 3 minutes take some decent pics! You do not have to have it "staged" in a white box with a 4K digotal camera. Just throw it on the floor and take some pics with your phone all you need to do! Buyers want details and Ebay does to so fill out the item specifics (it also is a free way to better placement), take time to write a 2 minute description, all that stuff helps. What you sell is a big deal. Know your markets they are constantly changing as are prices. Past perfirmance does not guarantee future results always remember that!

Where we struggle is buyer fraud on returns (we sell electronics), even with free returns buyers just mark stuff as defective or say its broken just because they can. Then Ebay dings our metrics and its such **bleep** as if losing the money is not bad enough then our metrics get hit! The zero to five feedback is a TON OF FRAUD especially if these accounts are made within the last week or two! So i reached out to Ebay we are allowed to cancel any and all transactions we deem suspicious. We use the there was a problem with buyers address option. NOBODY IS LOOKING OUT FOR YOU NOT EBAY, NOT PAYAPL, CLEARLY NOT THE SCAMMERS! You have to look out for you! We have canceled well over 100 orders and it has not been an issue at all. Ebay has told us it will not be. Yes we are top rated, power sellers, with 100 percent feedback rating. Hopefully this helps somenody out there!

equid0x · ‎01-21-2020

@debbie6438 wrote: