eBay now removes listings that don't sell after a year or more.

[drew*smiscstuff]

I noticed a lot of my listings were gone one day and they weren't in my unsold folder. I found out under their new 2019 listing policies that eBay now uses their discretion to decide if my item is worth selling if it has been listed and not sold for over a year or more. So if my item does not sell after a year, they think it's not worth anything, and will remove it even though I am paying a store subscription to list it. That is unethical. In the past I have sold items that were listed for over a year. Maybe two. I just had to wait for the right buyer. As a seller I believe I have the

right to sell anything I want and as long as I want. That's how I make money. If I don't have any control over my store then what am I paying for? I am angry and disappointed by these new policy changes including the GTC policy. I have been selling on eBay since 2013. I have noticed for every year that goes by eBay squeezes the seller and it makes it harder for me to make money and conveniently manage my store. Selling on eBay used to be fun. I'm not so sure anymore.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for making us aware of yet another unfair policy change.  I sell vintage paper dolls and like you, it sometimes takes MORE then a year to sell an item, looking for the right buyer.  This is going to completely mess up my inventory system and cause me to lose track of the items that I've listed.  Just GREAT, MORE work, as if I don't do enough to get a single item listed.  Just shaking my head.  B (

[jmilamdeal]

I wondered if they were doing that myself. I sell vintage paper and noticed that I have lost some listings too. That is ridiculous for them to do that, some items just need the right person to come along! Why in the world would they do that? They are getting paid for those listings, aren't they?

[stuff4divas]

@drew*smiscstuff 

do u have the link for that rule? because i do get notices under some of my listing that it's been over 16 months without a sale with a suggestion to revise it, and, like you, have had items listed for years, but I never had a listing ended by ebay.

As a matter of fact, I just sold a fairly expensive item, over $1k, that was listed for 3 years. The buyer told me she watched it for over a year b4 she could finally afford it and kept praying nobody else would buy it.

If eBay is indeed doing this, it would be one of the most worrisome acts yet. Thnx

[mcdougle4248]

@stuff4divas 

This topic was discussed during the last (Mar 20th) community chat.

[stuff4divas]

@mcdougle4248 

Thank u! I'll check that out. 

[mcdougle4248]

@drew*smiscstuff 

Did this just happen...ended but not in your unsold folder?  During Community Chat it was stated that these listings should be in your unsold folder.

[stuff4divas]

@drew*smiscstuff  @mcdougle4248 

OK, here is the link, pretty old, June 2017

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/eBay-Listing-Spring-Cleaning/ba-p/27039412

Happy that I read it because it does stipulate 'minimal page views' so I now know why my listings haven't been removed since they have high page views. WHEW!

Good info, thnx again.

[estatesalequeen]

Are you talking about GTC listings that go on and on for over a year or more? Or are you talking about items that are relisted over and over for a year or more? 

I relist my items each month (will continue to do with the new GTC rule). Will this affect me?

[mcdougle4248]

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@estatesalequeen wrote:

Are you talking about GTC listings that go on and on for over a year or more? Or are you talking about items that are relisted over and over for a year or more? 

I relist my items each month (will continue to do with the new GTC rule). Will this affect me?

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As it stands right now, my understanding is if you have a GTC listing that just renews, and renews, and renews some more without any sales, when the listing gets to 12 months since its initial listing it may be removed by eBay and placed in your unsold items folder.  If you are ending listings regularly and then using sell similar or relist the listing will have a new item number and you will be fine.

@Anonymous  is this correct?

[relaxintowealth]

I think they have been doing that for awhile now, last year a gentleman with an anchor store was complaining about the same issue.

[susscharmu-0]

Could you end the item then relist it? Or make new listing from sell similar?

[mstcwrld7]

I think they are just trying anything and everything they think will help their bottom line -- now they are ending listings that sellers are paying for, that might well take more than a year to sell?

[mstcwrld7]

I just sold a nice item I have had for more than a year... It got a lot of views, over 250 in that time...and then the right person came along.
I have one very expensive item that has been listed 6 months and has had hundreds of views and something like 16 watchers...and it has a B/O option so we are not inflexible on the price.
Does ebay think something like this is not worth continuing?

[joesoucie22012]

It's a year now. They could remove it. Next year it will be six months after that, two months. Then they won't let us list it at all........