Ebay Sales Completely Dead **November 2024** ‌

[theglo-68]

Hi

We have been selling on ebay for over 10 years. Sales have been down since start of 2024 but its completely dead. Like we look at our stats from July to September and sales figures are less that what we are paying ebay for Promoted listings etc.

Although we have moved our inventory to Amazon and tiktok but wondered what has actually happened to our Ebay. It used to be aweseome but we now cannot even afford to list.  Listings are sat there doing nothing even with promoted listings.

November has been our difficult month so far as with Zero sales i mean come on there got to be something causing this loss. Is it new so called AI.

Please share your findings.🤔🤔

🤔🤔🤔

[johnwash1]

@bittyboy101 

"I'm a 47 year old fella, not a dear ! 😠"

🙂  I know that, it was just an ironic reference to Michael Winner's catchphrase.  https://youtu.be/rRSnlIExWpc

Used in any situation where someone is going way OTT (and I think you have to admit you have been just lately, even though you and I have often agreed in the past).

[bittyboy101]

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@johnwash1 wrote:

@bittyboy101 

"I'm a 47 year old fella, not a dear ! 😠"

🙂  I know that, it was just an ironic reference to Michael Winner's catchphrase.  https://youtu.be/rRSnlIExWpc

Used in any situation where someone is going way OTT (and I think you have to admit you have been just lately, even though you and I have often agreed in the past).

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That's just it, I am not the one going over the top, EBAY are the ones going overboard which all these sudden changes and updates.

Things were all good before for MANY YEARS so why ruin them now ?

Are they not better things to do than for eBay to start picking holes with the platform and making all sorts of inappropriate and unnecessary changes which are now having a NEGATIVE EFFECT for many people who were happy and USED to how things were working on eBay BEFORE eBay started a rampage of sudden/unexpected changes in such a short space of time ?    

[johnwash1]

Ah well, that's ebay for you.  Loads of things to fix... boring.  Let's mess up something else that's ok, much more fun to create new instead of fixing.

[1956glyn]

Around here Evri leave them under neighbours caravans or motorhomes 😁

[1956glyn]

Not sure if they still do it but one used to be able to arrange collection from yr local RM delivery office if you were not in.   We did sign a form to that effect ages ago and it worked well but we have not put it to the test lately since hubby retired.

[theelench]

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@555njp wrote:

If it’s like Vinted, as a seller you can choose which postal options you are willing to offer and the buyer just chooses from those. I know this is eBay though so it may not be so straight forward!

If so, nothing stopping you only offering RM if you wish, just that the buyer will purchase the label for you to print and send.

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Of course it won't be.

One thing I think is on the cards, something ebay has been after for years, especially since it started skimming fees from P&P.

Compulsory use of Signed-For Services.

I can't see the point of the seller being permitted to have a list of their own choice / choices  --  no extra revenue for ebay.

In my case and I'm sure in that of many other private sellers my /their list would have one choice  --  the one that they've been using for years.  In my case that would be RM 2nd Class.  A service that I know is acceptable to 99% of my buyers (on two sites) and in 10+ years buying and selling on ebay, has never lost or damaged a single item.

But, ebay doesn't like me using it, so sabotages it by telling my buyers that by using it they will get next day delivery or the day after.  They know it's a lie but do it to try to frighten me into using something quicker with the threat of LDDs.

I'm sure that will become a thing of the past if they can just veto what sellers can put on their list.  Ebay will want Next Day delivery by a Signed For service, if it costs more, so much the better  --   Ker-ching for ebay.

[theelench]

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@bittyboy101 wrote:

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@johnwash1 wrote:

@bittyboy

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That's just it, I am not the one going over the top, EBAY are the ones going overboard which all these sudden changes and updates.

Things were all good before for MANY YEARS so why ruin them now ?  

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So true, years ago most changes were confined to the twice yearly Seller Updates.  Now they come thick and fast all through the year and the more changes there are, the worse the site has become and the less sales there are.

[555njp]

Yes, I agree EBay want everyone using tracked services and yes the more expensive, the more EBay will cream off.
But, if things ain’t selling, sellers & buyer all gone they’ll be left with nowt 😄

[charmkeyrings]

That's a very valid point. Who are you going to rinse when there's no one left to rinse?

[555njp]

Too much greed WILL destroy the site and they are well on their way to oblivion (IMHO).

They might just be able to save it, but sadly I’m not convinced.

Even businesses willing to play the “now you see me, now you don’t” game with their listings and promos will likely struggle to make a sustainable profit so will either give up or sell elsewhere.

[charmkeyrings]

Exaxctly, I'm still here and as long as my basic shop pays for itself I'll remain.  I couldn't help notice that "my business" is completely out of my hands though. Ebay will show my items where they like, when they like and if they like.  That's not the kind of set up I want to waste time on 

[brookmusic]

The way i see it for small business sellers like myself, you can't compete with the big sellers who sell 1000's of items for very little margin new goods and secondhand goods, (though some get a lot of negative feedbacks and dont care) who can afford to promote every item, you can't compete with the so called private sellers with large accounts, in minutes i can find some with 10-32k transactions, that to me is not private its a business, and they pay no fees now so can cut there prices, as many have said ebay used to work well , i say some sort of flat fee for all make it a level playing field, bring back the old days when i first started 20 years ago it was fun mainly auctions , watch them run have a few that shock you, those days have gone

[bravergrace]

For me, it's impossible to compete with the "private" sellers.

I reported one yesterday, but eBay's AI decided that they aren't breaking any rules.

They have several hundred listings, each one for a brand new single item of men's clothing, and each item description includes something like:  

- We stock this item in 12 sizes and 12 colours.  Large quantities available.  Send me an e-mail for a quote. 

- We also have  men's formal shirts and other clothing available.  Please  message us for details.

-  Other cufflinks and wedding clothing and matching accessories are available  from our hire shop.  Please email me for details.

Now, honestly, how can an honest seller compete against a business that doesn't pay fees, doesn't accept returns, doesn't even bother to list most of their stuff - and eBay even tells their customers, on every listing, that "Consumer rights do not apply to this purchase"?

eBay is essentially providing a totally free advertising service for this hire-or-buy outfitters, and depriving its customers of their rights by telling them they don't have any rights.

[game_raid]

We also can't compete with the business sellers on private accounts who are undercutting us by 10-15% since October our sales have tanked, we are 38% down compared to last December. We have done more on one platform in 2 weeks than we have on eBay in 2 1/2 months, I believe the fee free selling has played a huge part in this.

It's all well in good theory that a private buyer would spend their proceeds from a sale back on eBay but a business seller won't, it really hasn't been thought through, there should have been a massive cull of businesses on a private account before it was rolled out, all it needed to see the turnover over on such accounts and send an email that they need to convert or get suspended.

The problems don't end, there are many businesses that are opening private accounts now, I guess if you can't beat them join them which you can't blame them.

We will start to draw down our listings to below 70 and end the shop sub, we will only keep these so we have a presence here but we won't push it forward and create new listings and try to grow like we have been doing once we can't get a restock the listing will end, we really can't see the point unless something drastic changes to level things up which I really can't see.

[555njp]

Perhaps we need to ask these questions at todays chat again? Although I think all we’ll get is the standard “we can’t discuss individual accounts on chat, we’ll take it off line and get back to you” then you never hear anything again.

[brookmusic]

I Will add to my coments, i had a small private account also which ebay have told me i have to make it a business account, this account had 1400 transactions in 10 years and i just used it to sell family items etc, which were not conected to my business account, the only way ebay found this account was because i had a business account and its easy for them to look into it, if i was trying to hide my sales the accounts would be the other way round, 44000 on my private and 1400 on my business,  but its not, its just easy for them to find it, though i can find private accounts in minutes with 33000 transaction and ebay do nothing to them, if i was ebay i would want the fees from an account with 33000 transaction not the one with 1400 , when i already pay them a fortune to me in fees

[darth_baggins]

Just got an email from eBay reviewing my sales for the last year. This about sums it up - my busiest day was April 4th 2024 with 36 items sold.

Just a random day in April, not during the so-called 'peak' trading season. It shows har far eBay has gone downhill.

And it's not just the economy. My Etsy shop is going from strength to strength.

[british-ceramics-and-paintings]

There is little point, you will just be wasting your own time.

[555njp]

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@british-ceramics-and-paintings wrote:

There is little point, you will just be wasting your own time.

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Yes, sadly from my own experience I think you are right 👍

[brookmusic]

Yes agree, for these people its just a job, not a business its easy to read from a script .

If ebay could see it, there back bone should be small business sellers, as were the ones who work hard, give good customer service etc, then i think the customers would come back , i allways try to buy of a small business, not large ones with many negatives as they just dont offer the back up service, or i wont buy have large private sellers !!!! As again no returns / no customer service