mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
@dtexley3 wrote:
Da grumpy old man is in da houz.
Every once in a while I see the "check for http" banner ad on the orders page. Clicking on the check now button takes you to Listings - Active - Http Content page. Could a direct link to this page be added to the side menu? Seems kinda dumb to have a tool available, but only if you notice the ad on the Overview page and not when you are on any of the listings sub-page.
Hi @dtexley3: Good suggestion - we will pass it along! Sarah
I have my first return for buyer’s remorse within the new return system. I received the email from Ebay regarding it on November 9th. The email was really lacking in details which IMHO sellers have the need to know. I could not see the reason why the buyer wanted to return the item, even when I clicked on the “View return details”.
Instead the screen asked me to verify my return address [as I have a couple in my set up] and I needed to assign an RMA [which I have in my return preferences]. Once I did that, it came to a screen that gave me the details of the Request for return. I could then see what the buyer wrote as an explanation. It also told me what the Estimated refund amount would be if returned.
The Estimated Refund amount was less the original shipping. So I ask is Ebay going to allow sellers to keep the original shipping charge on Buyer Remorse returns. Or was this merely and oversight or omission on Ebay’s part?
Also if Ebay is going to allow sellers to keep the original shipping charge, how will Ebay apply this when you have Free Shipping on the item purchased and returned?
Another thing is that Ebay does not provide the seller with the tracking number on the return label. Why?
The Request for return does NOT show up on or in the Resolution Center at all. Not when the buyer filed one and not after I confirmed it. The only way to view what the status of this is to go through the link provided in the original email, so don’t lose or delete that email. This seems problematic to me. And it is only through the original email link that you can see if the buyer has shipped the item. At the top it has a graphic that shows 4 steps.
- Return Started
- Item Shipped
- Item Delivered
- Refund Sent
On mine only number 1 has a green check mark, so I assume the buyer has not yet shipped the item back. The screen also tells me that the buyer a few more days to actually mail the thing, which is fine, they should be allowed a little time to actually mail the item. I get that.
I just don’t understand the limited information provided by Ebay or why it is selectively doled out to us. This is our customer and our financial transaction. We have every right to complete details regarding the process from start to finish, yet Ebay is selectively giving us info. Why does Ebay feel this is appropriate?
@dtexley3 wrote:
As reported in the thread, https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Gallery-Plus-Fee-no-Longer-an-Option/td-p/27746745/jump-to/fir... a user is being charged a Gallery Plus listing fee, but the checkbox to unselect Gallery plus is not visible. Apparently when listing in a category that charges a Gallery Plus fee it's not possible to turn off the fee if using the short listing form. The short listing form should not hide checkboxes for listing upgrades that have fees attached in a category.
Changing to the advanced form does solve the issue, but inexperienced users will end up paying fees they did not fully understand they would incur when they were not given the option to decline.
Thanks for this thread @dtexley3 - if somone is selling similar and changing categories from one where Gallery Plus isn't charged to one that is they'll see it pull over as well. In that case the best course of action is to list from scratch. I know that in the simplified form the advanced options aren't there, and we'll make a suggestion for an enhancement in the future.
@jenarbr wrote:
Not sure how this works, just discovered it 15 minutes ago! Am not replying to the previous question but have a question/concern of my own. I've been selling on eBay for over 10 years and never have my sales been so far down. What has changed? The percentage calculator thing in the new Seller Hub shows my sales are up 108% but that's because they plunged to -300% in Sept. With 168 million "buyers" why are my listings just sitting there?
@jenarbr: Welcome to the Community! We're so glad you discovered us!
I recently saw a post from Griff - one of eBay's most tenured employees - that I think was a really good response to this question of slower sales. If you're cool with it - I'd like to cut and paste it, below:
"Every seller experiences lowered sales now and then. It is an unavoidable part of doing business: nothing stays the same! You may have been selling well for a while and suddenly, sales decrease. There are some common reasons for a decrease in sales volume. Luckily, all are actionable.
Before we delve into the possible causes and remedies, you should check the recent performance of your listings. You can do so in Seller Hub.
Hover on the My eBay link on the top of most any eBay web page
Select “Selling”
Click the Performance tab on the Seller Hub overview page
Scroll down to the box labeled “Traffic.”
The box will display a summary of the following metrics for the previous 30 days.
Listing impressions: the number of times your item appeared in a list of returned search
results.
Click-through Rate: the percentage of listing page views (next metric) for the number of Listing Impressions.
Listing Page Views: The number listings that a buyer actual clicked on in search and viewed.
Sales Conversion rate: the number of sales divided by the number of page views.
For a deeper dive into your traffic metrics, click the little right facing arrow on the same line as “Traffic” on the top of the box.
These metrics will show you that your listings are being found in search and that some buyers are clicking on them and some of those buyers are actually purchasing those items.
This information is important in order to better understand which of the following reasons are responsible for your decreased sales volume: Here they are!
Price. The most common reason for a decline in sales is due to item prices that are higher than other similar items. All other things being equal, a buyer will naturally tend to select the lowest priced item in a list of returned results. If a seller is not checking the prices of live and recently sold items to determine the current market value (and demand), she will quickly find her item prices undercut by competing sellers. The solution: Make it habit to check your item prices against recently sold and live listings on a regular basis, say, at least once a month but ideally once a week.- Listing quality. This includes description, title, item specifics, return policy and photos.
Are your descriptions easy to read? (No long blocks of text, no centered text). The best descriptions contain all the details needed for an informed purchase listed in a way that is easy for a buyer to scan and understand. Details should be broken down into easy-to-read lists. Details expressed in paragraphs are more likely to be missed by a buyer.
Avoid wording that telegraphs negativity (“You must not,” “I will not ship…”, “do not,” “…will report you to eBay…” etc.). We know from our own buyer research that negative wording will turn a buyer off and lead her to purchase an identical item from another, less off-putting, seller.
Never mention feedback. No matter how you word it, a plea for feedback tends to be viewed by a prospective buyer as an indication that you are more concerned with your feedback than you are with his experience with you.
Do your titles consist of keywords and only keywords, separated by spaces? Are you using the right keywords? Research of similar or identical recently sold listings can show you the best keywords for your item.
Are you using all provided default item specifics? A missing specific for say, color or size or brand could result an interested buyer missing your item in search!
A seller in most categories on eBay cannot compete without providing their buyers with a reasonable, customer-focused return policy. If you state that you do not take returns, you are sending buyers to your competition.
Are your photos as close to professional-quality as possible? Listings with the best photos tend to sell faster than those with less-than-ideal photos. Many sellers feel deficient in this area. Not to worry. Most of us are not professional photographers and we are all constantly learning how to make our photos better. Take one or more of the many tutorials that are available on line. For simple starting tip, the best default set up for a good product photo is your item, lit with copious diffused light against a solid white background.
- Supply and demand and seasonal and random fluctuations in markets for discretionary (non-commodity) merchandise. Unless you are the sole seller of a product line that is extremely desirable over a long period of time, your sales will fluctuate up and down over time. This is true on and off eBay. The key is to learning as much as you can about your particular market or niche and planning for future fluctuations, either by offering occasional markdown sales; or utilizing the Manage Promotions feature to create sales incentives with discounts and bundles; or even offering regular liquidation of old merchandise at deep discounts.
Also, keep in mind that different categories of items have different demand rates. Mid and low value collectibles tend to have less market demand than say, the latest shoe or electronic item. Research of current and recently sold listings can provide the perspective you need to understand the current demand or lack thereof, of your item.
- Always be listing! I confess I am not certain why this one works but my experience along with the experiences of other sellers shows that it does. If a seller is always adding new inventory to their existing items, they stand a much better chance of selling more than they would otherwise and not always just their newly listed items! I try to list at least 20 new items a week (in Men’s Shoes and Shirts) and find that if I skip a week, my sales drop. Every time I list a group of new items, I sell some of the newly listed and many older “long tail” items that had been sitting for months without a buyer.
- Liquidate. Merchandise in your Store that has been sitting for more than a few months with no interest is a capital liability. The money that is sitting in those items that are not selling is money that is not working for you. Don’t feel alone. Every business – big and small - faces this reality of the marketplace. The key is knowing when and how to liquidate this stale merchandise so you can retrieve at least a percentage of your working capital spent on purchasing said merchandise so you can recycle it into newer merchandise to offer your buyers.
Although every seller’s situation is different and to an extent, unique, I have discovered over the last 21 years that if a seller whose sales are down addresses one or more of the above five areas, they do tend to see their sales increase. I hope you will consider adopting them."
@jenarbr: I hope you find the above helpful. Thanks! Sarah
