No Sales in April/May 2025 - Ebay Bank Holiday weekend What happened?

[theglo-68]

We have over 200 ebay listings with Zero Sales all Bank Holiday Weekend.

Ebay was once our best selling platform but since start of 2025 we are going downward with sales. Our sales were exceptional last year but even though we are advertising both paid and General still sales are not hitting.

What is the result of this downward decline - Has anyone else noticed it. We are now paying over £50 to ebay everyday for Promoted listings but getting no Sales.

Please share your thoughts.

[vintagechinashop]

Same here 1500 listings and one sale in 7 days and 50 on vinted and two sales yesterday alone 

even my postie remarked on Friday when I handed him my only parcel of the week  I’m doing more trips to the in post locker at the moment with my vinted parcels.   Sad but true 

[typo_lee]

I do wonder whether eBay will actually fold. They must be losing so much revenue as it’s clear people are not buying on eBay anymore… well certainly nothing like they used to. 25 years on here and we are 50% down. There is nothing we can do about it other than sell on other platforms to make up for the loss. 

[johnnybiscuitvintage]

I'm a private seller, but had no sales since last year! 

All the changes eBay have applied to private sellers doesn't sit well with me nor a lot of other people from what I've read.

It's all way too controlling  and it's all about eBay profiting at the end of the day.  The last straw was the roll out of mandatory simple delivery in April. 

I'm running my stock down and once it's up for relisting it won't be getting re listed by me. 

What's the point.

I used to love selling on eBay getting rid of things I no longer required, saving the money up for Christmas etc, now it's just not worth the effort or headache it brings. Too many new rules which absolutely do not favour private sellers.

Plus I've stopped buying on eBay too. People talk with their feet and my feet are moving elsewhere.

[bretonbrocante]

Thank God  - I thought it was just me - eBay seem to thrive on upsetting their sellers! I can't understand what they are doing - The keep introducing new selling rules, and changing well proven  systems for the worse - If you complain they take no notice, or give a sensible response.

Why do the bite the hands that feed them?   

Keep your chin up!    Colin👺👺  

[haq-59]

Because they want more money for the same service 🙄 .

There pushing out the private sellers and as result less traffic for business sellers because they moan that people should have business accounts to sell unwanted items. 

Most people don't shop on ebay for new items, they come because they may find something interesting. Now that ebay have decided to well sh@# on the little guys it will have a knock on effect and that normally rolls down hill. 

I loved ebay because every seller was unique now all I'm seeing is amazon products which I only use when I have to.

But when I'm already shopping or browsing for unusual items I may buy an amazon like product at a convenience. Now its all just trash and low prices of cr%p

[qualitycardsandgifts]

I downgraded from a featured shop, to a basic one as my sales had plummeted.    After two days of no sales, I ended all my listings.    I have just relisted 16 items, and only 7 have had a view.   Millions of buyers on eBay, and my items aren’t visible ?    I’ll give it one more month, then I think I’m done.  

[edwardian-dreams]

If you promote you get average 25 or 30 % more views 

But 30 %of 1 view is still 1 view 😐

🤣

Sorry, not much help, many of us in same boat 

[qualitycardsandgifts]

My cost of sales is currently 54%, so promoting really isn’t an option.   My competitors are getting dozens of sales a day, so their cost of sales is much lower, so they can afford to sell cheaper.    It really is a no win situation.   

[therenewalworkshopltd]

There pushing out the private sellers and as result less traffic for business sellers because they moan that people should have business accounts to sell unwanted items. 

This is patently untrue.

The complaint that business sellers have, is that there are other business sellers using private accounts to sell on.  By doing this, they are breaking consumer law and effectively stealing from Ebay and have an unfair advantage on responsible business'

Why on earth people want to keep repeating this as a fact, when it patently isn't, I'll never understand.

In just the same way, the BPF is still a cost to the customer, they have just changed the way it's paid.

In fact, compared to how it was prior to free fees being offered, it's quite a bit cheaper overall for the customer.

The customer pays selling fees, whether it is charged within the cost of the sale, or added to it.

[typo_lee]

Do you know why your competitors are getting dozens of sales a day? Why aren’t you getting the sales ?

[therenewalworkshopltd]

I would actually be asking, why is the cost of selling so high?

At 54%, that's ridiculous.

Although it could include the cost of postage as well, but if so, begs the question, why use Ebay postage instead of a business account?

[qualitycardsandgifts]

It does include some postage, but the eBay postage costs exactly the same as my Click and Drop Royal Mail account.  

 My competitors are getting more sales as they can totally undercut my prices.    If I sell a card for £1.89 (their price),  I lose money due to the volumes.   

[haq-59]

if you think this is patently untrue, you are entitled to your own assumption. Also you cannot put all private sellers in the same boat, because they were paying fees if I'm correct for selling items so either way ebay still got there slice of the cake and as for the Stealing that is a abit far considering it is after all there item and ebay is merely providing a platform being the middle man.

But like they say the proof is in pudding how much pudding well I guess ebay will know in there monthly figures and if they do not look good then I'd expect a roll back of some sort but by that time it maybe to late for them to undo the full effect of there mess.

[edwardian-dreams]

Not so for low value items

people selling postcards or similar for £1 or so have had a 75% plus hike 

these sellers wouldn’t charge that to a customer 

said it before, the range of bpf  should  have been graded according to price

or not applied at all to listings under x £

it IS unfair and a bit Neanderthal 

[therenewalworkshopltd]

But why are they undercutting you?

Are they able to buy cheaper? ie buy in larger quantities.

I know a few people selling cards and gifts and though it's difficult, they are managing to do it.

Though they are based mainly on the river, rather than Ebay.

So have you considered other sites?  The more places that you can sell, the more likely you are to sell, and the more often you will do.  Even when competition is very stiff.

It is actually sometimes worth making a loss on some sales in order to position higher in search.  Once you are, you can then move the price higher.

I'm presuming that you have vastly reduced the items you have for sale currently, as you only have 16?  And I am guessing from your name, that you normally sell cards etc.

Maybe keep it below the shop level, but with enough choices to make those sales.

I think it's Fathers day next, so why not look at a range of cards to cover that in the run up to?

[qualitycardsandgifts]

Ok,   I buy a card for 26p, I sell for £1.89 (same as my competitors).   Postage 87p, card backed envelope 11p, cost of sale (54% ) £1.02.  Total loss 11p.  Yes, I have tried selling on the river,  but others have taken the Ean for the card, so I’m not allowed to sell it,  

it’s all about the volume  / cost of sales.   If I was selling dozens a day, I could reduce my prices and become competitive.  

[bazinga-games]

I have two orders to post today - these are from Friday.  Literally NO sales on Saturday or Sunday.  This is across 2 accounts with approx. 200 listings between the two.

I understand that times are hard for many people, plus, some will likely be paying off cc bills from the Easter holidays, but still...

[therenewalworkshopltd]

I think at those costs, you will find your actual loss slightly higher....

So a quick search and though I can find the odd one at that kind of price, the majority are priced higher.

Which to my mind indicates that those who are selling at those kind of prices, are likely to be losing money.  Or at the very best, even allowing for big discounts on original cost, still only just breaking even.

I've never priced to match others in the main.  I always aim for an average type price, unless I'm trying to move something really quickly.  Price at the price that your willing to sell at.  Consider not using the hard backed envelope.  You may get the odd one with an issue, but I bet that most will go through without.

As to the river, if someone has taken over your EAN, then I can only presume that you are selling your own brand.  And if that is the case, you need to get it on brand registry to stop exactly that kind of thing.

But there are literally thousands of different cards that you can sell, what about the rest?  What about the other sites?

[qualitycardsandgifts]

With greetings cards, many have a generic EAN.     The same card but to Mum, Wife, Sister, Aunt etc will all have the same EAN, and once it is used, you can’t reuse it without setting up a ‘parent’ listing which becomes very complicated.    I am trying to move away from cards and selling items with higher profit margins, but with no views they are unlikely to sell.     I have the added problem that private sellers have the same items and are able to sell for no fees.  

I started to follow a competitor a few years ago when we had similar feedback (6000).     My feedback is now 17,000 whereas theirs is over 70,000.    

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Been speaking to a couple of friends about this.

If you are moving away into other things then fair enough.

However, you may want to look at exactly how you have been doing things with the cards.

From what I can gather, the 26/28p type card is very much the bottom of the range.

You can get the hard back envelopes for half the price you were paying for them.

You need to buy something like a thousand at a time to do this, but there are plenty of wholesalers out there that give better price than what you have been paying.

They way that they tend to make the money, is by selling at a low price, but actually making the money when you sell more than one card.  Which obviously works better, if you have a listing with many different cards to choose from.

Look at the more expensive type cards.  

When I saw your £1.89, my first thought was that I've spent a lot more in the local supermarket getting cards and that's without postage!  So aim for the more premium side of things.  And not the bottom of the range.

Anyway, just thoughts.  If it helps it helps, if not then good luck with it all.  🙂