February Sales Dead 2025 - Ebay Sales Completely Dead

[theglo-68]

Any thoughts as why would suddenly ebay sales would do ZERO since start of February.

We have been closely monitoring our sales and since start of January 2025 sales are down. But they have now completely died as soon as February started.

[jokers_toybox]

You're not wrong about April, some firms have already started the redundancy process 

[clayfaceiii]

That's exactly what I'm doing. I'm a private seller who mainly re invested in buys on site.  I'm now going to buy from other business off site.

[typo_lee]

Just checked our past 7 days sales and they are down a massive 50% so would someone at ebay like to explain why such a drop? This isnt normal fluctuation by any means. Something is wrong and yet the traffic says its the same? Seems like payment issues or people arent able to pay almost?

[typo_lee]

I know they have. A large restaurant on the coast where I live has made many staff redundant already. Mind you I'm not sure if there will be much of a tourist season this year after April either! Plus the welsh want to introduce tourist taxes. What a joke this government is!!

[555njp]

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@typo_lee wrote:

Just checked our past 7 days sales and they are down a massive 50% so would someone at ebay like to explain why such a drop? This isnt normal fluctuation by any means. Something is wrong and yet the traffic says its the same? Seems like payment issues or people arent able to pay almost?

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I asked in the weekly chat why sales were so bad but was told there was nothing particularly impacting sales at the moment! Also that eBay's main income is fees from sellers, so if there was anything negatively impacting sales, eBay would jump in straight away to get it resolved as this matter would be considered priority for them…!

So, either eBay aren’t seeing the same thing or they really don’t care. Probably the latter and that’s because they are making up the shortfalls through promoted listings and off site advertising?
Very short-sighted as IMO it’s completely unsustainable.

[andha-21]

Did they happen to say anything about app blocked users?

Just wondering if they've let slip any kind of figure yet. I have the feeling what we've been seeing in threads here is just the tip of the iceberg.

[knit-in-styles]

For the first time ever I have had zero sales all weekend. First Monday ever I did not need to go and drop my mail off. Very sad really.

[555njp]

No but it’s a very good point. I don’t really use the app but have it on my phone just for the ‘rare’ notification of a sale.
No longer works as my 5 year old iphone is too old 😂

[pmcomponents]

Our sales continue to drop we're down about 50% from last year.  Partly that is due to dwindling stock (obsolete components).  That said, I know at least one of my regulars used what he had made from selling his stuff to buy from me -which is a massive shame.

Personally, I buy bits and pieces from private sellers and resent paying eBay even more fees to do so.  They've already got their fingers in the shipping etc.

[threadgame]

People need to remember that there's been one payday since Christmas, so people are skint. January and February are notoriously poor months for retail in general, highstreet or online, and has been for many years. March is usually the sign of better times, we just have to ride it out in the meantime and stop blaming everything and anything. 

[typo_lee]

I think it’s because the post above says he’s down 50% from same period last year. Although I do agree with you people are skint and come April there will be 1000s of job losses thanks to the NI increases etc and our inept government and a war our PM seemingly wants to drag us into 

[threadgame]

Yeah, I accidentally hit reply, rather than 'reply to topic' 🤦

I sell on 3 other major platforms for clothing, and it's down on all 3 as well, combined they would outsell eBay on most days, but at the moment (Mid December-Present) they are all doing less.

[roymatthewblack]

Sales are bad, but the new payment system is even worse.

Ebay have nearly £300 of MY money from sales going back well over a week.

No idea when I will get it.

[cobwebcottage]

Easy answer.

Register as a business seller as all the items you are selling are brand new.

[metropolis_uk]

If you are importing goods from outside the EU into the EU or NI you need to compy with the relevant CE directives because you are placing the items on the market for sale, that might he LVD, might be RoHS Directive, might be EMC directive. CE is mostly now accepted in UK for most categories of lroducts on eBay, but if you aant to go down UKCA route (no idea why) yes the General Product Safety Regulations might apply, or the eqiuvalent UK regulations of RED, Machinery,  LVD, EMC and RoHS may apply it really depends on what your product is, wether you are just importer or rebranding (you become the manufacturer) - If you are not zure, find a Conformance Consultant, and get them to check and advise you (which ive partly done here as im a Conformance consultant 😉 )

[edwardian-dreams]

Had four sales in recent days yipeeeeeeeeeee

thats after a month of listing my stuff and hardly any views

reckon it’s what you list if people are after it and at right price 

So yeah picked up marginally after dreadful start to the year

made 90 quid this month including postage lol 

[metropolis_uk]

Just to add -  it's certainly not to be taken liightly, requires you to carry out assessments AND maintain a technical file for the product for 10 years as of the last day the item is for sale in the EU and UK. One thing to remember is apart from a CE / UKCA DoC, none of the rest of the documents that support a DoC has to physically exist until an authorised party requests them, and in the UK the only people that can ask for them beyond the DoC piece of paper is Trading standards. And the only time they will ask is when something has gone wrong. So it is a matter of self declaration, risk aversion and risk assessment of your product in the first instance and decide from there. Prepared is better for safety and good business practice. Or do nothing and hope fir the best... It literally boils down to that as no one will check on you unless something goes wrong.

[ghostbay-killah-420]

If you haven't been paid yet, do what i do go on time away until u get paid. 

[margr2116]

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I can only agree as February has been a disaster as I have had only had 4 sales on 3 platforms.

As a private seller, Items have been donated to me to sell for various charities and have been averaging around 25 sales a month with a combined total of between £75.00 and £100

Certain Items are my own family items and in the past instead of withdrawing the money I have used it to buy other things from EBAY sellers.

Unfortunately as most of the items that I sell are around a few pounds, I dispatch them by the cheapest option (RM) but now EBAY have now added Buyer Protection so no wonder no one is buying them

However those items that I sold which came from family members I used the cash to purchase items from other EBAY sellers but now what cash I do sell is held for 14 days I cannot even help other people out by buying other stuff-   I think that they have shot themselves in the foot this time  

[cobwebcottage]

@margr2116 

So very true. It is such a shame that they have alienated small private sellers like yourself with this ridiculous buyer fee. They should have left it alone with a small seller fee for private sellers and concentrated on targeting the business sellers who have been selling for free on private accounts. They have spoilt it for everyone.