eBay is so aggressive now with their meddling!

[aruyt75]

Man, eBay is seriously ratcheting up the meddling with sellers' listings lately, what gives!?  This is the 3rd time in the past week I've gotten an email telling me they are changing MY listing to include BO, when I don't want it.  Also, I'm being plastered with a lot of "this item may not sell, you should really lower the price" blue buttons all over my listings page.  Plus, it seems half the time when an item is relisted, certain options are turned on, or listing duration is changed.  And they are actively promoting paying for increased visibility.  They must be desperate for sales or something, because this is way way too much micromanaging sellers' accounts!

[goodluckselling]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

I'm fairly sure that the op was complaining about ebay changing his listings, not about the fact that they are sending messages about it so your comment about Amazon didn't make sense to me.

I'm not sure why you find it so difficult to understand why sellers are bothered by their listings being changed.  I've never had them had it to my listings but it seems obvious to me as to why it bothers some people and it would bother me. Sellers who put best offers on their listing generally do so because they know they are willing to accept a lower price.  Since ebay doesn't know whether a seller is willing to accept a lower price,  why add the  best offer option and have a buyer think that perhaps they can get the item for less?  If the seller is totally unwilling to negotiate the price then there should not be a best offer option on their listing. It can end up annoying both sellers and buyers.   

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I would suggest you re read the OP opening post and you will see language about several different communications.

Also I have not taken a stance for or against the added BO in listings, but I have suggested a way based on written words inside the policy from eBay how to eliminate the inclusion of this feature on your listings.

Good Luck Selling!

[albany_sellers]

For as much as eBay likes to say they are just the unintersted "landlords" and how "eBay is like a building", they sure don't act like landlords. If they really did just bring buyers and sellers together like they enjoy claiming, then they would be behaving much differently.

I never had my landlord show up to my garage sale and force me to haggle with customers, and I've never had them force me to refund someone who bought an item at that garage sale a month later. My landlord does not dictate how I arrange my furniture, what meals I cook, or how often I shower.

My landlord DOES however make sure the locks on my doors and windows are functional, they make sure the building is mantained and not falling apart, and if my basic needs such as heating, plumbing and sewage are faulty, I am able to withhold rent until it is fixed.

eBay is going to end up loving their buyers so much that all the sellers that they want to buy from are going to abandon ship and leave behind the bottom of the barrel sellers that nobody wants to buy from. They need to be thinking more long term about how to ensure quality sellers remain on their platform, but instead they get so focused on how much they can do for the buyers at our expense, rather than realizing that happy sellers also mean happy buyers.

[oaklandmaryland]

absolutely correct - us old timers know this as true and many will be jumping ship shortly. After 23 years I have 3 sites with 2 stores and have added NO new inventory in over a month. Just selling off inventory and only relisting and waiting until store subscriptions run out. Time to relax and get way from the unnecessary stress. Sad as I bought most of my items to sell from Ebay so Ebay will loose a seller and a buyer. I'm sure many others think the same way. Already in my immediate family a son, a daughter and grandson have ended and only 1 daughter remains. The final straw for many will be requiring all sellers to use Ayden instead of Paypal. Who trusts Ebay to handle money when they can't even get the fees and credits straight.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

eBay doesn’t love their buyers any more than sellers. They love their money.

when you want to figure out why a business chooses their policies you need to follow the money

[adkhighker]

That's true a lot of the time, and in the instance of ebay, it's very true. But there are also businesses who look out for their employees a lot more than how ebay looks out for its sellers. With those businesses, yes, money is key, but it's not only about the money with them. With ebay it's only about the money. 

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Sellers are not EBay employees. Their first priority is to their shareholders not sellers (or buyers)

[thomas5622]

Totally agree !!! Leave my listings alone !!!

[adkhighker]

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:

Sellers are not EBay employees. Their first priority is to their shareholders not sellers (or buyers)

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I didn't say they were.

[penguins_dont_fly]

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@abfabvintage wrote:

Hi, Good. I keep reading about this "...no plans to enable this feature for business sellers." Does that mean the OP (if he is a business seller?) needs to change his registration with eBay? As a non-business seller? I also keep reading this BO can be avoided/unchecked if you list with the Advanced Tool? (or is it that other tool?). I don't use eBay tools to list so I have no clue. 

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There's no registration difference (at the moment, I expect this to change soon) on .com between "business" and "casual" like there is on .co.uk, .de  and .in (I'm not sure about the others, but those are definitely separated).

On .com, if a seller lists using a browser (computer or mobile) and uses the Advanced listing form, they are considered "business" ... and eBay does not make any "improvements" to the seller's listings.

If a seller uses the Quick form, or lists on the mobile app, they are considered "casual" and those are the listings that eBay "improves" without the seller's permission.

[abfabvintage]

Thanks Peng. If I had not scrolled down right now to the last post (yours) I was going to again ask Good my question. This is actually the first time I have had it explained that way. Advanced Tool=Business=no ebay insertions. Quick Tool=Casual=ebay insertions.  Just wondering if any new or even seasoned sellers knows this...I don't have to worry. I don't use those tools and would have no clue whether eBay considers me business or casual. Thank you very much for getting back to me. More than helpful as usual!

[abfabvintage]

I always forget lolol: so that may mean I am business on eBay since I don't get those mandated insertions. Fine with me. Whatever works. 

[readabouthorses]

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@penguins_dont_fly wrote:

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@abfabvintage wrote:

Hi, Good. I keep reading about this "...no plans to enable this feature for business sellers." Does that mean the OP (if he is a business seller?) needs to change his registration with eBay? As a non-business seller? I also keep reading this BO can be avoided/unchecked if you list with the Advanced Tool? (or is it that other tool?). I don't use eBay tools to list so I have no clue. 

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There's no registration difference (at the moment, I expect this to change soon) on .com between "business" and "casual" like there is on .co.uk, .de  and .in (I'm not sure about the others, but those are definitely separated).

On .com, if a seller lists using a browser (computer or mobile) and uses the Advanced listing form, they are considered "business" ... and eBay does not make any "improvements" to the seller's listings.

If a seller uses the Quick form, or lists on the mobile app, they are considered "casual" and those are the listings that eBay "improves" without the seller's permission.

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When I look in my account it says my Account Type is Individual. I don't list using the Advanced form or the Quick Form ... I still use Turbo Lister. I guess I am an outlaw! LOL

[goodluckselling]

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@abfabvintage wrote:

Thanks Peng. If I had not scrolled down right now to the last post (yours) I was going to again ask Good my question. This is actually the first time I have had it explained that way. Advanced Tool=Business=no ebay insertions. Quick Tool=Casual=ebay insertions.  Just wondering if any new or even seasoned sellers knows this...I don't have to worry. I don't use those tools and would have no clue whether eBay considers me business or casual. Thank you very much for getting back to me. More than helpful as usual!

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eBay business accounts are actually associated with a business name.  You can check to see if your seller user name is a business account or an individual account.  Do not change to business account unless you want to remain a business account.  It almost impossible to get out once you are in

Make sure to be signed into eBay from your seller account when you try this.  Here is a link   -   https://my.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MyEbay&CurrentPage=MyeBayPersonalInfo&FClassic=true&ssPageName=...

Also here is an informative article about whether you should become a business account or not.  Click Here

Good Luck Selling!

[twnpopcards]

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@aruyt75 wrote:

Man, eBay is seriously ratcheting up the meddling with sellers' listings lately, what gives!?  This is the 3rd time in the past week I've gotten an email telling me they are changing MY listing to include BO, when I don't want it.  Also, I'm being plastered with a lot of "this item may not sell, you should really lower the price" blue buttons all over my listings page.  Plus, it seems half the time when an item is relisted, certain options are turned on, or listing duration is changed.  And they are actively promoting paying for increased visibility.  They must be desperate for sales or something, because this is way way too much micromanaging sellers' accounts!

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It is called desperation.  Ebay is desperate for sales no matter what the price as they need the FVF in their attempt to show some kind of growth while the other sites are blowing them away on growth.  They do not care if the Seller loses money or makes nothing so this type of interference and constant reminders of the fact your item must be overpriced if it has not sold in a couple of days will only get worse.  Ebay does not attract the buyers like they used to and has not shown that they will anytime soon so this is how they deal with reduced traffic while still trying to show growth.

All I can say is when its possible go back in and eliminate the BO option and just ignore the pressure to lower your prices if you know what the item is worth.  I  constantly get the emails telling me that there are many people with items on their watch list and to lower my price 5% and Ebay will send them a message letting them know and when I look at which items they are,  they are already at rock bottom pricing.  

[aruyt75]

I have set the price I'm willing to sell something.  If eBay's algorithm doesn't agree, that's fine, but they shouldn't (IMO) turn on BO if I don't want it.  Yes, it's their platform, but it's my item.  It's true that I don't have to accept a penny less on any item, even with BO turned on, but why even bother?  It just annoys sellers, becuase they may get more unwanted offers, and it could annoy buyers who keep getting shut down on offers.  Maybe a new buyer thinks eBay is all about negotiating, and making offers, and constantly getting rejected may turn off buyers.  

The latest thing I'm now getting is listing duration changing to Good Til Canceled.  And there's no way to revise it.  I have to end listings, then relist in order to change the duration.  So not only is this all a big waste of time, but now I have to use another one of my monthly listings (I'm a very small seller who only uses the monthly freebies) to fix the problem created by eBay.  

So please...just leave my listings alone, I'm not even a blip on the radar.  I don't need a nanny wiping my...nose.