Has the search results now changed in favour of big sellers only?

[oceanartsnorthdevon]

Since around 10/2/25, sales have dropped and everything has gone quiet which I put down to the introduction of the new buyers fee, even though this should not affect businesses, I just assumed buyers are being put off buying anything from any seller for fear of being charged more.

Despite trying the obviously strategies, changing promotion percentages, end relist, new listings, bulk editing etc, nothing seems to make any difference and it has gone eerily quiet.  When relisting items as sell similar or adding a new item, occasional I do a search that day to make sure I can find my items using the  umbrella words of "antique print", which as you can imagine brings up thousands of listings but covers all what I sell, usually I see my new added items on the first couple of pages as new listings mixed with various other sellers which assures me my items can be seen even though they  probably don't stay there on first few pages for long.  This week, over several days I have used this method to check listings once I have added new items and they are now not appearing on the first few pages of the search results which they normally do as a new listing until gradually pushed down over the course of time by other listings? I am sure they are visible somewhere but just not on those important first few pages as a new listing.  Instead I have noticed from the first page of results on to around the first 5 pages (which is as far as I look) all the listings shown have mostly been the same seller with just a few odd items from one other big seller and no one else's?  Over the course of several days I have seen this pattern but daily it changes who the seller is, but always the same, a big seller with high quantity of items in their shop appearing solidly on the first few pages.  Today's big sellers listings goes up to at least page 12, which was as far a I got, with a scattering of just one other big sellers listings, no other sellers listings seem to appear?

It would explain lack of visibility and interest and why everything has died overnight if big shops get all their listings appearing in bulk at start of a general search covering several pages where no other sellers items are shown?  Has anyone else noticed this?  Maybe it is something new that is being trialed?  Maybe it is just the key search words I am using? As a test try adding a new listing which should show as a "new listing" on first few pages, then search for it using common key words from your titles which you know will bring up thousands of others and see if listing appears of first couple of pages, or are you seeing the same sellers items dominating the first few pages?

[therenewalworkshopltd]

No matter what you do, the bigger the seller, the more likely they are to have listings in the first few pages.

That's just logic.

So if your comparing yourself, selling 1200 items, to another seller, selling 12000 items, then it makes sense, that their listings are more likely to show does it not?  Particularly so if they are relisting/adding new items all of the time.

But January/February are usually pretty quiet anyway.  Along with the fact that people are cutting back at the moment.  Generally speaking, they are buying things that they need, rather than what they want.

It really isn't just Ebay that is finding it difficult, but sales are down in most places.

Lot's of people are struggling for sales.

[oceanartsnorthdevon]

Yes things have been pretty poor of recent regarding sales and of course statistically it stands to reason that a big seller is likely to have their huge proportion of listings appear on the first few pages above small businesses and private sellers with fewer listings, it was just an observation as I quite frequently check any new listings  I have added and without a doubt they always appear on the first few pages, granted probably for not that long as they get pushed down by other sellers listings ending or new items added, but nonetheless I usually see them appear however brief, of recent they haven't?  It just seemed unusual that over the course of several days upon checking, they were not there and instead of seeing the usual mix of other sellers listings, the first few pages have been dominated by one big seller with a scattering of listings from another big seller.  Each day the listings appeared in block over several of the first few pages (I only got as far as page 12 today), each day was a different big seller, like they were rotating big sellers listings only for highest visibility? Even with their high volume listings, the odds of just even one other listing appearing amongst them all from another seller who does not have thousands of listings in a shop, would be odds on to appear? Just a thought, could be a coincidence or the bigger sellers visibility pushed to the forefront, their listings in bulk and changed daily to a new large seller for rotation as I can't understand why I am not seeing any other sellers?

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Bear in mind, that the search you are doing is extremely generic and wide encompassing.

So because of that, you are going to have a lot of items included, which in turn means that there will be a lot more new listings appearing.  Those in turn will be at the top of search results, along with advertised listings.

But there is a massive amount of churn.

So it all will depend on what those sellers are doing.  If it's been a few days where they haven't listed anything, then their results will be a lot lower.

Don't forget, that there are literally millions of sellers on Ebay and they are all fighting for visibility.  It's virtually guaranteed that some are not going to appear on the first couple of pages.

A lot however is going to depend on when you are doing that search, and what other sellers are doing at the same time, or just before....

Frankly however, I would imagine that most people looking for an "Antique Print", will qualify that with something, depending on what exactly they are looking for. 

I have however just done that search and without mentioning any specific sellers, there is one currently taking up most of the first page, with LOT's of brand new listings.    There is at least one of yours there as well.  But I can see 2/3 big sellers in the first page or so, without digging too deeply.  4 pages down and every single listing there is either sponsored, or brand new.  Which I think gives you the reasons why your seeing what your seeing.

[oceanartsnorthdevon]

I have just done another search with the same search words and found 3 of my new listings now appearing, these are the latter new listings, I have already listed approx 10  plus or so before those so don't know where they appeared.  All items are promoted at the variable ad rate and these listings are new listings.  I do the generic search as it is a key word in all listings and use it as a quick check on new listings to make sure they can be seen,  I always use to find them no problem first page after listing, but not so easy now.

[bravergrace]

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@oceanartsnorthdevon wrote:

 I do the generic search as it is a key word in all listings and use it as a quick check on new listings to make sure they can be seen,  I always use to find them no problem first page after listing, but not so easy now.

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I do checks on new listings the same way as you do.  Over the last week, my new listings have been taking a lot longer to appear than usual.  Sometimes 10 or 15 minutes before they appear in search results.   

I can think of a couple of possible reasons for this:

- The change in item condition on the clothing category means that millions of extra listings have had to be revised - first by eBay automatically, then by the sellers manually.  This must have clogged up the servers.

- It's the shortest month of the year, so sellers doing end-of-month revisions, relists etc will be doing more per day than in a normal month.  This must clog up the servers too.

[oceanartsnorthdevon]

Thank you.  I have now seen some of my new listings slowly filtering through so you have some valid points which would explain,  not all of them seem to showing though - yet. 

[bzmotman]

When I did a search by category a few minutes ago 3.6 million items came up but yours were on the first line.

I did the search & was logged into ebay.co.uk - you may find the screenshot interesting when you look at p&p where you seem to be charging £16 p&p to the UK. When I click through free delivery shows.

I have had the lack of visibility problem & when trying to find out why stumbled on my listings showing my US postage rate when doing a category search on the UK site. I don't know if this a new "glitch" or whether its been happening long term & I have never noticed it before. I removed the specified US postage rate & then it showed my European rate. For some listings I removed all specified postage rates other than the UK & then UK showed.

My views, watchers & auction bids have increased since doing this- coincidence? It seems to me that Ebay are showing the highest postage charge loaded whether it is applicable to the viewers region or not.

Are others getting the same search results or is it just me?

[bravergrace]

I'm getting proper postage rates shown when I do that search, even when I log out of eBay.

I'm working on a desktop computer, and get the same results on Firefox, Chrome and Edge.

[wyntersemporium]

Sales have dropped on here. I think it’s eBay themselves too much fiddling in the background.

keep being asked to promote offsite etc 

I don’t make enough money for that now.

Strangely my other places I’m on I’ve had sales but not eBay. 

[inpoughkeepsie]

It appears that some business sellers are moaning about sales dropping off the cliff. I have said previously that if you drive away private sellers, you will also lose these as potential buyers. 

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Business-Seller-Board/SELLING/m-p/7787386#M329023

[oceanartsnorthdevon]

Thank you for the screenshot, no I have not seen that before where it shows the international charges but on the UK site, which makes it look like the postal fee to the UK when nearly all my items are free p&p which is quite concerning and would most certainly put UK buyers off.  My new listings seem to be very slowly filtering through, not sure they all showing, as @bravergrace points out in reply this could be down to a couple of things currently going on.

[oceanartsnorthdevon]

dave@ebay is this a new glitch on the site that @bzmotman has pointed out regarding overseas postage showing on the UK site to give the impression the postal charges are to the  UK (see reply in conversation and copy of screenshot)

@bzmotman wrote:

I did the search & was logged into ebay.co.uk - you may find the screenshot interesting when you look at p&p where you seem to be charging £16 p&p to the UK. When I click through free delivery shows.

I have had the lack of visibility problem & when trying to find out why stumbled on my listings showing my US postage rate when doing a category search on the UK site. I don't know if this a new "glitch" or whether its been happening long term & I have never noticed it before. I removed the specified US postage rate & then it showed my European rate. For some listings I removed all specified postage rates other than the UK & then UK showed.

My views, watchers & auction bids have increased since doing this- coincidence? It seems to me that Ebay are showing the highest postage charge loaded whether it is applicable to the viewers region or not.

Are others getting the same search results or is it just me?

Screenshot 2025-02-26 at 23-13-56 Art Prints for Sale - eBay.jpg

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[wyntersemporium]

Never seen it worse like this though. Ever. I have took my store down yet on holiday they also charge for being on that too. 

All I can think of the web masters of eBay have been messing around behind the scenes and touched something they shouldn’t have and that’s why some business sellers are in free fall. 
I’ve hardly had any sales since January.  

[strangestash]

My biggest issue so far is that more expensive, private items are getting bumped above business sellers at the lowest price when you sort by lowest price to high. eBay support are refusing to log this as a 'bug' but have hinted it may be an 'oversight'. I would please encourage any business sellers to phone support and report it as a 'feature request' they want changing so eBay take notice. Full discussion below:
https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Business-Seller-Board/Private-listings-are-getting-listing-sort-orde...