eBay Inventory Just Drops Off the Platform Without Warning, as if the item Never Existed?

[fairdeal*lb]

We just wrapped up inventory on our lawn and garden tires. It turns out about 20% of these listings just vanished after running our inventory spreadsheets against current eBay listings.

This isn't the first time.. We've always had a surplus variance after doing eBay inventory, just not at this scale. Why do eBay listings arbitrarily drop-off without any notification?    

[bashort]

This has been a problem for a long time, I will see something in a tote when getting something else and wonder why that never sold only to find out that the reason is because it is not listed.

[fairdeal*lb]

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@bashort wrote:

This has been a problem for a long time, I will see something in a tote when getting something else and wonder why that never sold only to find out that the reason is because it is not listed.

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I estimate 20+ hours at $15hr for staff to redo the listings from scratch. I'm sure I have all the data to backup my claim.     

[chapeau-noir]

This is an old problem.  My own pet theory is that it happens usually (not always) close to about the 90 day mark when unsolds are purged from the system, but some kind of database event also drops live listings. 

To counter my theory, I've had listings drop off closer to the 60-day mark, and some even earlier.

[chapeau-noir]

This is an old problem.  My own pet theory is that it happens usually (not always) close to about the 90 day mark when unsolds are purged from the system, but some kind of database event also drops live listings. 

To counter my theory, I've had listings drop off closer to the 60-day mark, and some even earlier. 

[fairdeal*lb]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

This is an old problem.  My own pet theory is that it happens usually (not always) close to about the 90 day mark when unsolds are purged from the system, but some kind of database event also drops live listings. 

To counter my theory, I've had listings drop off closer to the 60-day mark, and some even earlier. 

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This was just a small sample spot check which will cost my company over $300, at the fault of eBay. I've decided to do a full inventory, (unscheduled) on more than 10,000 items. I can see a claim against eBay going pretty high if this trend continues. I'm just glad we kept data.      

[chapeau-noir]

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@fairdeal*lb wrote:

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

This is an old problem.  My own pet theory is that it happens usually (not always) close to about the 90 day mark when unsolds are purged from the system, but some kind of database event also drops live listings. 

To counter my theory, I've had listings drop off closer to the 60-day mark, and some even earlier. 

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This was just a small sample spot check which will cost my company over $300, at the fault of eBay. I've decided to do a full inventory, (unscheduled) on more than 10,000 items. I can see a claim against eBay going pretty high if this trend continues. I'm just glad we kept data.      

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If you can get anywhere with that, I commend you, as it has been going on for quite a while.  A bigger problem is the 'ghost' listings - items which have sold but which appear on the site again - I've done a little digging and found that these items will re-index on the site but *not* appear on our seller hub/store.  We get penalised for having to cancel, and there are only so many of those penalties we can withstand before serious damage is done to our account.  My own theory (again) is that it's the same process as what drops the listings.  I'd rather have to relist dropped inventory then get smacked with those kinds of penalties. I'd rather not have to do either!

I keep records so if eBay drops listings, I can just drop in the photos and description and relaunch.  It's the inventory taking that is annoying.  I'm just a two bit seller, but my items are all seasonal and I end up having to lag them over to the next season if they get dropped.

[fashunu4eeuh]

This is not just a random problem, it is now policy that year-old listings without a sale can get removed. eBay is supposed to send a message when they do so, however. See link below for more info.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/removed-listings?id=4656

”We'll only remove a listing for one of the following reasons:

• It violates one of our policies
• It violates a law
• The rights owner of the item requested its removal
• It's been active on the site for a year or more without any sales”

[fairdeal*lb]

I've never seen such a message from eBay? Is it something like (the following listings are slated be removed)? Do you have an example? We all get the other threatening messages about item specifics. 

Thanks for chiming in..

[fairdeal*lb]

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@fashunu4eeuh wrote:

This is not just a random problem, it is now policy that year-old listings without a sale can get removed. eBay is supposed to send a message when they do so, however. See link below for more info.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/removed-listings?id=4656

”We'll only remove a listing for one of the following reasons:

• It violates one of our policies
• It violates a law
• The rights owner of the item requested its removal
• It's been active on the site for a year or more without any sales”

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All of our listings dropped by eBay are (less than) a year old.  The other 3 reasons don't apply either. Any other thoughts?  

[dhbookds]

I would guess item specifics requirements over the last several years may have caused some.  There is some warning on the overview page.....but I've ended listings because have to check the items and then forgotten to relist them......  Beyond the fact they say they will end at a certain date if IS are not completed..... Plus if sales are canceled..... easy not to remember to relist......

Can't tell if you are using a 3rd party listing service or not.......but might pay to try one with over 2000 listings.........they can save the listings so you don't have to redo them........

[fairdeal*lb]

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@dhbookds wrote:

I would guess item specifics requirements over the last several years may have caused some.  There is some warning on the overview page.....but I've ended listings because have to check the items and then forgotten to relist them......  Beyond the fact they say they will end at a certain date if IS are not completed..... Plus if sales are canceled..... easy not to remember to relist......

Can't tell if you are using a 3rd party listing service or not.......but might pay to try one with over 2000 listings.........they can save the listings so you don't have to redo them........

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It's just Quickbooks for inventory control, no 3rd party listing services here. We work item specifics intensely as most of us do.. 

I have to say this along with many other anti-seller actions by eBay, have only confirmed that we made the right decision to exit this platform.  

I would give up every penny of the (1.5 million) to go back in time. If I only took the Blue Pill..   F-eBay  

[selsa84]

Also just finished an inventory and found that 110 items had disappeared from ebay. Some where old listings but at least half were new items listed in the last month or so.  Doesn't seem right for me to pay for a store and they just remove items as they see fit.

[chapeau-noir]

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@fashunu4eeuh wrote:

This is not just a random problem, it is now policy that year-old listings without a sale can get removed. eBay is supposed to send a message when they do so, however. See link below for more info.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/removed-listings?id=4656

”We'll only remove a listing for one of the following reasons:

• It violates one of our policies
• It violates a law
• The rights owner of the item requested its removal
• It's been active on the site for a year or more without any sales”

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Yes, that's definitely a published policy.  These lost listings are all within 30-90 days and quite random.  For instance, a fellow seller I know lost all listings in an entire subcategory - just disappeared *poof*.  Mine are here and there.  I'm a really small seller and still have several lost when I do inventory every season, and that's a 3-month cycle.

The sellers I've chatted with are all very active with their listings.

I can see eBay dumping moribund year-old listings, though - abandonment is not just for shopping carts, not all sellers are active.

[onefootflipper]

I know I sometimes lose listings when I go to end a whole bunch and then sell similar. I will end 50 of them and will only have 49 in ended. Since I literally have something like 15,000 low value unique items it wouldn't even be worth trying to inventory them and check vs ebay, it would take a solid month and probably find $50-$100 worth of stuff.