09-02-2025 11:50 AM
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.
15-02-2025 7:42 AM
How exactly do you know they are fake "illegally registered " private sellers or indeed all business sellers are bona fide? Its a thread for anybody to discuss the alarming drop in sales surely.
I'm seriously beginning to wonder how you are privy to certain information, unless you are an EBay spy of course. Death wish? Careful what you say.
You know this is anything but a Community Forum.
15-02-2025 8:02 AM
Slow for us compared to previous years but we are focusing our attention on other business ventures outside of Ebay as Im not prepared to compete in an unfair playingfield were business sellers masquerading as private sellers can undercut as a result of lower selling fees.
No private seller needs more than 200 active listings at any given time IMO
15-02-2025 8:17 AM
I have been surprised by the number of privately registered business sellers have been so vocal about this. I do not in anyway agree with the changes-but how do they think business sellers are coping with the overall downturn in sales, with all the additional overheads they already had for being correctly registered.
I don't know if anyone else experiences this, but when we were trading I could experience a couple of weeks of nothing, no sales, then suddenly when the shop fees were due, I would be suddenly visible and at least the value of shop fees would be made in one day.
I had family check my listings by searching my username and half my items were not visible.
It matters not now, we have long given up whilst ebay is in its current format. Buying and selling here is far too complicated right now.
15-02-2025 8:36 AM - edited 15-02-2025 8:38 AM
It's almost like the higher ups are deliberately committing corporate sabotage. New convoluted rules every couple of months making it more difficult to list items and putting buyers off buying.
As many other people have pointed out, a lot of private sellers spend the income they get from eBay on eBay, so less private sellers means less money for businesses.
One of the things that makes eBay unique and why many people purchase items here, is that many times private sellers will list those hard to find or unique items that it is very difficult to get anywhere else.
They also often times are a lot more personable and give a much better service that the faceless businesses people purchase from on here. Once eBay starts losing them in their droves and businesses start marking up their prices because they have no competition, then eBay will have signed it's own death warrant.
15-02-2025 8:48 AM
Collectors of various items can have thousands of items they want to sell off. People can inherit items in their thousands that they want to sell as well, 200 items is nothing. Where eBay maybe could clamp down is if they know or have evidence of people who are registered as private sellers, but who are buying items from other sellers on eBay to make a profit on eBay by selling those same said items. If they are doing that often enough and over a prolonged period of time they should probably be registered as a business.
15-02-2025 8:54 AM
Yes I agree. But I don't think eBay are in the slightest bit concerned as long as thier profits remain high. Err....they are in for a shock I think.
on
15-02-2025
8:54 AM
- last edited on
15-02-2025
10:22 AM
by
kh-adrian
The cynic in me wonders if this is a last ditch cash grab.
All of their new major roll outs will short or longer term turn round and bite them on the ass.
It's inevitable.
When the blocked all those users from using the app, that was bad but the cherry on top, imo, is what happens when a seller sends a buyer and offer.
It's the most unprofessional thing I have ever seen from a major corporation in my entire collective memories.
They actually created an offer system where the buyer has to pay more than the offer to get it.
That's a platform killer.
15-02-2025 8:58 AM
Message 47 on the above thread. Page 3 on my phone.
The 0.00% discount and you pay X amount more than the offer is just pure undiluted "genius".
on
15-02-2025
9:05 AM
- last edited on
15-02-2025
10:20 AM
by
kh-adrian
What eBay have done is going to hurt alot of people , so if they're expecting chipper responses or the old stiff upper lip/grin and bear it type "English" then they may need to redefine their expectations.
on
15-02-2025
10:02 AM
- last edited on
15-02-2025
10:21 AM
by
kh-adrian
Most of the issues mentioned across the community I.e. poor sales, annoyed business and private sellers alike could be fixed by solving the real issues on the site, not skirting around the edge, missing the point and pressing a self-destruct button.
Buyers have left the platform - eBay having already messed up search now introduces a buyer tax???
Ebay need more profit for shareholders - eBay allow private sellers to sell for free??? Also encouraging struggling businesses to break the law and do same, further reducing revenue.
Small businesses struggle to compete - eBay allows businesses to illegally trade on private accounts, avoiding fees, breaking trading laws and losing them revenue!
Business complain of an unfair playing field - eBay says “promote to increase visibility” lol! Not much point if the buyers have deserted…..but this also increases business costs, increases prices, losing eBay yet more buyers. Those businesses start losing revenue and ultimately leave eBay costing eBay another revenue hit!!!
How can a company that was once so great and inclusive find so many ways to alienate its customers (buyers and sellers)? And, in such a major way as to seriously threaten its future existence?
Honestly, you couldn’t make it up.
15-02-2025 10:16 AM - edited 15-02-2025 10:17 AM
I read alot of the business threads too, mainly to see if other stuff pops up there. I found one where sellers talk about promoted selling and how eBay are advertising other identical items within their promoted listing.
So they make them pay for increased visibility and then include all the competition too.
I was gobsmacked.
As you say above. You can't make it up.
Alot of this stuff deserves to be parodied by the likes of SNL. I can totally see a Melissa McCarthy being a senior eBay exec and Kate being a "helpful" CS agent. Everyone else bewildered and trying not to laugh.
15-02-2025 10:36 AM - edited 15-02-2025 10:38 AM
@probi9246 wrote:One of the things that makes eBay unique and why many people purchase items here, is that many times private sellers will list those hard to find or unique items that it is very difficult to get anywhere else.
They also often times are a lot more personable and give a much better service that the faceless businesses people purchase from on here. Once eBay starts losing them in their droves and businesses start marking up their prices because they have no competition, then eBay will have signed it's own death warrant.
As a private seller I gave up and let my last ebay listing end at the end of November. After listing about 50 one-off items last year I sold 4.
Ebay cannot make it any clearer that unless I Sponsor my items I'm more or less invisible and won't be allowed to sell much. Now they've introduced more delays and restrictions.
You mention private sellers list "unique and hard to find items". In May or June one of my 50 was a very hard to find (anywhere on the inter-net except on reference sites) 1930's "Brandenburg" bowl made by a very collectable German maker and in excellent condition. Not sure what price to ask I listed it at a very reasonable £15 on a 7 day auction.
The usual troupe of re-sellers started their usual Watching and Waiting for me to get desperate enough to send them an offer. Very few other views, no bids. In itself that shows how manipulated the search is. If it was visible there are hundreds of Walther collectors who would have viewed it just to see the photos of something they are unlikely to see again for years, if ever.
Then I tried BIN, same price, it sometimes works, some buyers don't like auctions because of the all too common shill bidding, but will buy BIN. Again no interest although the Watchers managed to find it and continued Waiting. After a month or two it sold.
It was then that I thought "What is the point" I'm virtually invisible if I don't sponsor. I'm obviously on the Saved Seller lists of a flock of vultures who circle but never buy at full price but will wait for months in the hope of re-stocking on the cheap.
Business sellers want a level playing field? So do private sellers.
Not one where the site hangs them out to dry and makes sure they get no buyers except at fire sale prices, or pay 20 - 30% in fees (at that time).
I don't get this on ebid. I list, I sell, I get paid, instantly. No vultures, No sponsoring, no haggling. Buyers find my items, pay full price, don't even think about messaging if their item gets to them in less than a week and often leave me me +FB for my efforts.
Give me a good reason for me to start selling on ebay again?
15-02-2025 12:15 PM
Ebay has destroyed itself, but not interested in what we mere mortals have to say as we are all stupid.
After starting a buyer fee and the other pointless changes in the last 3 - 4 month deserve all they get....i've no sympathy.
15-02-2025 12:19 PM
I don't think they think we're stupid. I think they think we're obeisant, like sheep and that we will just follow the shepherd.
15-02-2025 12:23 PM
"I don't think they think we're stupid. I think they think we're obeisant, like sheep"
I don't know anyone who thinks sheep are anything but stupid.
15-02-2025 12:24 PM
Anyway i've logged on for all of ten minutes, that's it until Monday, better things to do than wait for the one sale of £2.99 vacuum belts.
Have a good weekend.
15-02-2025 2:14 PM
I also have a business account and have messed about with PLs in the past but it’s pointless.
My FiL runs a full time business on here, no shop, never sponsored anything and does fine.
I started to promote a few bits a couple of years ago but it just cost me more money (same level of sales). About 18 months ago I stopped all PLs (FiLs suggestion) and frankly it made no difference whatsoever until last Aug/Sept when sales fell off a cliff!
It was so bad I delisted everything on my business account and just let a few household bits stay on this account. Sales were dire so probably foolishly I promoted one item at 13% (eBay’s recommendation). This was just when eBay gave private sellers free to sell.
Views were minimal, kept dropping price and sending offers but it struggled to sell until eventually it went in January!
I have since relisted stuff on my business account, nothing sponsored and sales/views are very slow. I’m 100% pos f/b TRS with 15+ years on here. My items when searched by others are high up the listings, ahead of a lot of promoted items, competitively priced and nearly all on first page, but they still ain’t selling!
When searching as a buyer, the sheer number of sponsored listings dumped on item I’m trying to buy is ridiculous. Page after page after page……!
I spoke to a tech guy who reckons eBay’s algorithm now knows if you have sponsored before so ‘adjusts’ your visibility if you start reining it in or stop all together which certainly sounds plausible.
Everything this site does smacks of greed and desperation to keep shareholders happy.
The individual accounts that make up the marketplace do not matter a jot to eBay and that is clear from some of the replies members get when raising issues/questions via weekly chat.
I’d like to think a huge surge of disgruntled buyers/sellers would force positive changes but sadly, whilst many on the boards fully agree, the few hundred of us that ever comment are a nano fraction of members, so nothing will change.
15-02-2025 2:16 PM
Have a good weekend too, I’m going to watch the footy now 👍
16-02-2025 4:51 PM
So, I got up at 5am this morning all bright and breezy. I got all my orders made and packed from Friday and Saturday so it wouldn't be an all dayer Sunday. Today, absolutely nothing. What, in the wide, wide world of sports, is going on with this place? Answers on a postcard please.
16-02-2025 5:26 PM
They certainly don't need hundreds more free listings than a business seller with a paid for subscription!