eBay

evry1nositswindy · ‎06-24-2019

I know we have all been talking about GTC and how it affects our accounts. The reasoning from eBay was that it kept the item # the same so it would be 'current' on google searches. If I look at my traffic report, VERY few impressions/sales come from outside of eBay itself. Here is a picture of it. Does anyone show that their views from outside of eBay are statistically significant (5%)?

evry1nositswindy • seller since 2013
Volunteer Community Mentor

greg5000 · ‎06-26-2019

@zamo-zuan wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@tunicaslot

BTW, IMHO if he had posted something like this but in support of Ebay. Meaning saying something like Ebay had less issues than the average large website. You and others would be all over it saying how wrong that statement is and maybe even asking for more information. But it if is a statement that is in against Ebay, you don't ask for more info as it supports how you are currently seeing Ebay. I'm not saying you are wrong about anything in particular, right now there are many sellers that are very angry at Ebay for a variety of reasons. I'm just giving my observations.
I have personally came to these forums many times when eBay has done something right to give them credit. Likewise, when they do something that is wrong, I give them credit for that as well. And most of all, when I see people being misled on here, I try to set the record straight, because much of what is said here is false information in defense of eBay.

Many of the forum users here were supporting eBay in the past. I recognize many of the same names that weren't yet convinced a year ago. But now they have seen the same issues I was bringing up then. This is why they're against eBay. Because as time passes, more and more people are seeing it with their own eyes.

Honestly, your statement is the opposite of the truth. Reality is, if you find a problem with eBay, you have much more of a burden to prove yourself on these forums.

I'm not sure where you're seeing more of a burden of proof against eBay. Just look at any post of people complaining about WELL KNOWN ISSUES on this forum. You still see naysayers as the first responders. The same names that pop up in every topic.

I've given direct evidence of problems and STILL run in to posts telling me it's not true.. The same people who asked for evidence, suddenly get quiet, and then go to another post saying "nobody has ever provided evidence".

It's selective ignoring. Coincidence? Especially at this point when the issues have grown beyond a level that eBay can hide them? The same exact names that have been defending eBay the whole time and claiming to be sellers themselves... somehow didn't run in to any of these issues?

If you're lucky enough to have not run in to these issues, I'm honestly glad for you. But as a store who has a very large bulk of sales and has personal experience with almost every issue people bring up on this forum, it's extremely discouraging to try to get them addressed. Because you run in to a constant gauntlet of doubters spreading lies.

I'm sorry to say but it's the opposite of what you describe.

Furthermore, everyone has seen eBay's tech issues at this point. All you had to do is check the sellers hub sales graph in the last few days.

Beyond that, it's impossible to dispute the fact that the tech team is outsourced with no supervision by the US staff. Same with the catalog team. There's no excuse for that, it's poor management, poor quality control.

And this is coming from someone who is a lead of our software design team that makes our own web based software that handles stock management, eCommerce orders, warehouse management, packing, shipping, etc. I'm familiar with the entire software design process.

We don't only have all the evidence I show here on the forums. We have years of logs in our software that show the differences.

This is also how I've done eBay's job many times and reported the issues to them.

EBay has those logs too. So why, I ask, haven't they actually done anything about the issues?

That's the reason people are upset.

One more thing I would just like to say... you can tell who's a real seller here or not on eBay. It's very easy. They're the ones that have their lives at stake. That's why they're upset. You have to look in to the eyes of good workers and tell them they don't have a job anymore, when eBay straight up tells you they don't have a department to handle the type of issue you're having.

The people who are upset here? They have every right to be because they have peoples lives in their hands, and have to watch peoples lives decline due to no fault of their own, because eBay isn't running things professionally enough to even handle the issues that are happening.

Extremely well said!

greg5000 · ‎06-26-2019

@mam98031 wrote:
@penny_match_kid wrote:
Not being able to end a listing unless you're physically present is 100% Ebay's fault. I won't even call it fault. It's intentional and designed solely to take money from its patrons. I will tell you something. When a business is at the point where it has to trick, mistreat,or otherwise intentionally make things difficult for its patrons, in order to generate revenue, that business is going to soon fail. It's really not something any rational person can or would try to defend. The writing is on the wall for Ebay as we know it.
It is by design. I know it is more than difficult for many sellers and for some next to impossible to learn to work with. I really do respect that and understand how frustrating it must be.

It isn't a "trick" of any kind. Ebay feels they had sound business reasons for making this change. Because many of us may not agree with their reasons does not change the fact that they have them. I simply means we don't agree. Ebay is knows that there will be some sellers that just won't or can't make the cross over to GTC. But they feel the change is the best for the site overall. So here we are.

I know it's not Halloween yet but; It may not be a Trick, but it's not a Treat.

It's definitely not wanted or appreciated by many Sellers (and Buyers, as it also negatively impacts search results).

pburn · ‎06-26-2019

@abfabvintage wrote:
@pburn

Then they need to get rid of the Kudoing process. No one truly cares about it. Only some.

I don't really have an opinion on that one way or another--I agree with you that most people don't care about them.

The point of my post, though, was to be wary of people with no skin in the game (i.e., people who aren't sellers) posting on every GTC thread just to fan the flames of eBay discontent--which I'm not saying is necessarily misplaced--when they have absolutely no first-hand knowledge of any of the issues sellers have to contend with. People who post on every critical thread when, in reality, they've never sold here--not an auction, not a fixed price listing, not a short-duration listing, not a GTC listing, nothing--and even say they've stopped buying here. They never actually have suggestions or solutions for any OPs' problems on things like how to use the Resolution Center, or how to upload tracking, or how long to wait to file an INR--nothing that truly helps another member. They just continue to hang around the discussion boards for who knows what reason--maybe for the "helpfuls?" It makes their motives questionable, IMO.

It's kind of like hanging around posting on a Yankees message board long after you've converted to being a Mets fan.

zamo-zuan · ‎06-26-2019

@mam98031 wrote:
It is your opinion and that of others that Ebay is harming the site with this move. Ebay doesn't share that view. I honestly don't know who is wrong. I've used GTC for years. It works fine for me. But I can understand and respect how it doesn't work for others. I'm not at all sold this was the right move by Ebay but the fact is they did do it and it is something we all have to deal with. We each have to decide for ourselves what is best for us moving forward.

It's not my opinion, it can be backed up by statistics. GMV dropping over 25% in 30 days speaks volumes in itself. Loss of sales speaks volumes, which is information they can't even hide from their own reports.

The point here is we have to differentiate eBay "the company" from eBay "the marketplace". If we do that, it's extremely clear that the marketplace was harmed by these moves.

We can come to that same conclusion for change after change they did over the last year and a half. EBay has became LESS COMPETITIVE vs Amazon since these changes. That's not "my opinion", it's a fact backed up by statistics.

This isn't a discussion about "semantics". It never was. What I said in my post you initially responded to was clear and on a single subject. You wanted to make it appear to be more of a blanket statement and it wash't. That isn't semantics.

If I were to make it appear as a blanket statement, I would not have made the 2nd message in response that targeted specifically what you said.

The semantics part is simply "what you want to call it". Because we can 100% for sure guarantee that these things are "not good for eBay as a marketplace". EBay as a *company*, the argument can be made. But not the marketplace.

"At the end of the day, they're willing to put their heads down and take the hit as they stick to their changes." Because they think that it will pay off. IDK if it will. Only time will tell. But in the meantime I am more than happy to assist any member that would like a little help in trying to figure out how to survive this change on Ebay.

"But I don't think any of us should make the mistake of believing they think the changes are "best for the site"." I'm not sure how valid this is since they have said it, so what is not to believe. Just because you don't agree with it, I don't agree with it and many others don't agree with it, doesn't mean that it isn't what Ebay believes is the best move for the site moving forward. They may be wrong or we may be wrong. Only time will tell.

Getting upset over change is a normal human response. Sometimes it is because of the type of change it is and sometimes it is just because it is a change. Each change has its own set of circumstances and facts.

I wish Ebay's move to No Fault [my name, not theirs] returns last fall would have garnered such passion and concern as this topic has.

I'm actually surprised the GTC topic has gained as much attention as it did. I felt the attention should have been on eBay since the beginning of 2018. But if this is what it takes to finally have exposure to the problems eBay has, so be it.

Final thing I want to say, this isn't about "blanket statements", and it's not about "being right". This is about the reality of what's going on and protecting the lives of co workers we have here. Downward trends at the top of all the categories I've monitored is not good news for anyone. EBay's decline is not good for any of us. EBay becoming less competitive vs Amazon and competitors is not good for anyone. EBay management spreading false information to the media from bogus "seller surveys" is not good for anyone. And the statistics I've shared from eBay's own reports that show major declines are not opinions, they're solid proof of an issue that's putting all of us here who are sellers at risk.

zamo-zuan · ‎06-26-2019

@pburn wrote:
@zamo-zuan wrote:
One more thing I would just like to say... you can tell who's a real seller here or not on eBay. It's very easy. They're the ones that have their lives at stake. That's why they're upset.

The people who are upset here? They have every right to be because they have peoples lives in their hands . . .
I think you'll find not everyone bashing eBay in this thread is a seller.

I'm not a seller, either, and I go out of my way to not comment on issues faced by sellers, such as GTC or search engine issues or shipping concerns, et al, because I have no first-hand knowledge of them. That, however, does not stop others from exposing the chip on their shoulder because eBay offended them in some way or another--refused to refund a transaction, or removed their inappropriate feedback, or whatever. They seek out every thread that's critical of eBay and post incendiary statements sure to inflame the discussion--no personal experiences, no first-hand knowledge, just vague references to how bad eBay is. Those people are here just to stir the pot.

Just make sure to be discriminating when doling out helpfuls or posting support of other members. Try to discern the difference between sellers who are experiencing actual issues from those who have never sold a thing on eBay and are here only to foment unrest.

By all means, I'm not focused towards you in those comments you quote. I don't believe you have any ill motives at all. Or anyone actively in this discussion in the last few posts I've made, actually.

I was specifically meaning those comments for people who comment on seller interactions and have constantly shot down and downplayed legitimate issues sellers have had for over a year now, trying to convince them they're crazy.

If you spend enough time here, you recognize the names, and they "act" like sellers while they downplay the issues.

Which is why I say, you can tell who is and who isn't. At the very least, a seller would be able to empathize with the issues as they know how it feels to be in those shoes. If someone is on here for over a year and hasn't once shown empathy towards other sellers problems, and tried to make them look bad for being upset, they aren't here with good motives, nor are they even sellers.

The reason it's upsetting, isn't because they are posting here when they aren't sellers. It's because they are misleading people with legitimate issues in to believing they're alone. EBay already does enough of a job at making them feel alone which is why they're led here. And we're supposed to be a community helping each other here, and tbh, this place is more frustrating to try to get help than even on the phone with eBay most the time. It's not right that legit issues get shot down, and people get attacked for bringing legit issues to light.

I hope that makes sense.