No Sales in March 2025 - What happened to our once best selling platform

[theglo-68]

We have noticed a sudden decline in sales and since last week we are on Zero.

Has anyone else noticed this issue and is this related to any new changes by Ebay.

What happened to our once best selling platform.

[threadgame]

We were having regular sales all the way up to Saturday, since then absolutely dead. A few yesterday and 1 (so far) today. Seems our switch has been turned off, or it's everyone waiting for payday of course. Our other selling channels are doing OK though. 

[edwardian-dreams]

If other places are doing well for you and eBay isn’t then it’s an eBay problem 

and they have lots off hem at the moment 

hoisted by own petard methinks on three fronts I can think of to start

not having a go at eBay for the sake of it

we all want it to work otherwise we don’t get anything out of it either but they have taken the biscuit IMHO this time 

[typo_lee]

Very busy all through March however our Amazon store is very quiet. Take a look at the state of the country right now. People aren't feeling like spending I'm sure with the looming April changes. Saving for their summer holiday is probably more wise than buying ebay tat.

[madfroguk]

I think amount of people shopping in ebay is shrinking every month, all other platforms we are selling are about the same, just ebay is down.  We increased the promotion and it didn't make any significant impact apart from ebay fees going up.  I think due to recent miscalculated changes they managed to alienate buyers and quite few sellers.

[aliautos]

yes - I've had no sales since February and march 

eBay really has ruined everything 

[padanpcparts]

For once, I'm going to buck the trend here. I am on track for the best March of sales since I started selling on the platform about 12 years ago. Considering I was seriously considering winding the business down before Christmas, this year has so far been excellent, and back to pre-Covid levels. I am also going to say I have had very few issues with E-bays systems this year (oh oh, I had to say it!). Last year was the worst I have ever had so it is a refreshing change! 

[wyntersemporium]

Mines been like that since February. Took a dive. Used to sell 14 items per day now it’s either one or zero 

But it’s only eBay as looked on my other channels which I sell on and they’re on the up. 

[wyntersemporium]

EBay is down for me. But my other place is up. As sell more expensive on there than here. I only sell cheap stuff.

[wyntersemporium]

Same here hardly anything on here. No sales since Tuesday. And only one or two items. 
think eBay has had its day. 

[fatbobfan]

Glad all is good for you, genuinely

Just after your thoughts on why you seem to be bucking the trend, your a long term seller, seen it come and go so to speak. I know most come on here for a rant but there is a lot of noise about poor performance and I saw a post about Radio4 looking at unhappy sellers since Feb on a R4 show next week

Your success Type of product? Type of Buyer? Other? 

Been around a while and this is really grim, made worse by glitches and failure of the platform to show inventory correctly, I can only think its my buyers, who were often sellers whove turned their back on the platform

If you have the time would be interested

Cheers

FBF

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Seriously, why would you be that bothered if you where just selling off your own personal things?

Instead, you are selling multiples of security equipment, that has obviously been sat in your loft......

[aliautos]

I don't think I'm the one helping in ruin eBay - eBay can do that on their own 

well I was selling of my own things and I am in full time work - so I don't mind paying tax to HMRC 

its mainly faulty electronics that I sell on eBay , but after Christmas I have had no sales .

the reason for all the cameras is because my brother sells plenty on amazon.

so he advised me to list some cameras and eventually upgrade to a business account

thanks 

[therenewalworkshopltd]

No, your not getting it.

You either are, or are not a business.

You clearly are.

It has nothing to do with taxes.

You don't start on a private account if you are a business.  You start with a business account!

By doing so, you ARE helping to destroy Ebay.

You are cheating every single business seller, by not paying the correct fees.

You are also cheating Ebay, by not paying them fees.

And lastly, you are breaking the law by not following consumer law.

So yes, you are helping to destroy Ebay!

Do tell me, if you are selling electronic equipment to consumers as brand new, how are you honouring the warranties that come with them?

And if you are selling items that are faulty, why then do you not state that they are faulty in the listings and have them listed as brand new?

[aliautos]

hi mate 

thanks for the info -  I get what you mean now 

I'm a private seller who has been selling for about a 2 years and eBay have been taking there cut accordingly

and I'm nowhere near a business seller 

my faulty items are listed as faulty and no returns and no warranty 

I think you are not understanding peoples frustrations in relation to recent events 

people are not making sales as of the new changes i.e. ( no fees )

its gotten difficult for a lot of genuine private sellers - it hard for people right now in this country 

and you keep going on about business account instead of understanding peoples problems and situations 

don't know if you know but eBay was always c2c - it was basically online garage sale 

but like many selling platforms , they get infested with businesses and shop listings 

ie - there's an app called neighbourhood - its for posting community related issues  , check it now its full of business uploading their products - eventually that free app will become a paid app

please don't take my reply as cocky or arrogant 

thanks 

[padanpcparts]

Thank you. Let me see if I can give you a sensible and honest answer, it also helps me to answer that for future reference as well. 

So first of all, last year was one of the worst on record. So swings and roundabouts really. I work with my best friend and have done for some years now, and due to poor performance on this platform the last few years we had started doing other work to bring in money. (IT based, so laptop repairs, refurbished sales, Service contracts for business customers, etc). It was all a bit peace meal really. I had also been working less hours for the last 2 years. Focusing on exercise and got in to hiking in a big way, so was taking off Wed and Friday mornings to get walks in. This all meant a distraction from the main business which is selling laptop parts for repair purposes. 

My business partner and I had a good chat regards this and decided to reassign our areas of work. Me focusing purely on the parts and him chasing work in the other areas. This meant some sacrifices in time and money for a short while, but allowed a focus on core areas. Within a few weeks it was obvious this was the way forward. 3 months later we are both happier and earning more than last year.

I have been focusing on the core business that I started in 2014. This meant that instead of splitting our stock allocation between the 2 of us, I had all of it. I have been taking less time off, working full Fridays. And well...once you start earning more, and work is going better your more motivated so this lead to me working harder basically. 

It also leaves us both less at risk of a downturn in one area. i.e. if E-bay is bad, I can help out in his areas and vice versa. We have taken on a few business service contracts, and this looks like an area of expansion for us locally. 

There is also the cyclical nature of IT equipment/laptops. A lot of those laptops bought during Covid are now coming to the age bracket of the stock we usually acquire from our suppliers and customers are needing parts (and there were loads bought during Covid).

So short answer:

Re-Focus back to main business product. 

Redistribution of allocated tasks between myself and business partner.

Cyclical nature of my industry

More positive approach and hard work! I am working more hours. (I work full time hours at E-bay)

I would also say the platform has been quite stable so far this year. There have been some aggressive voucher offers from the platform and Concierge/Customer Services has been very good as well. Less time spent on issues and less frustration with problems = more cheerful me that makes them more money basically. 

Hope that helps. 

[1graham12010]

Hi Padanpcparts,

Have to admit I agree with your downturn,last year was abismal,the only plus being I din't earn enough to be of any interest to HMRC. Infact I didn't even break my personal allowance !!

Recent months have been okay,however on the 26th March,after two days of single item sales (4000 listings,150followers & 670 watching) I did a 20% off 26th and currently haven't had a single sale in two days.

Normally when I do a 20% off coupon there is a mad rush and my printer has smoke coming out of it.

I have phoned twice,Isn't it lovelly being thanked for your 14 years,3 months,two days and 35 minutes 'Loyalty' every time you phone up.The first person hadn't a clue what I was talking about and the transfer to another person masquerading as bob or jill,didn't help. I phoned again couple of hours back and was assured it was simply down to the algorythm.Oh well that's just fine then,it's the good old 'algorythm' has resurrected it's ugly ugly head again and so we should all be happy with this explanation and a quick pat on the back and sales will be back to normal soon when it's my turn on the merrygoround !!

Peace and goodwill to all fellow ebayers !

[theshoecupboard]

I closed my shop last October but my wife is still running hers until she can clear her stock.

She has been selling for over 20 years and in that time had only one or two days with no sales, now she has had two consecutive days with nothing!

Since Feb this year sales have dropped off a ledge, but the site has been steadily going down hill since they brought in promoted listings. The recent attempt to attract Vinted sellers with free listings didn't help business sellers and since the beginning of Feb the 'buyer proctection fee' has now hit the buyers!

We only needed Ebay to last another six months to clear her stock but I doubt it will even last that long!

I did phone Customer services to ask whether the ebay search was working properly (I know it doesn't from what I use it for) and apparently it is and when I mentioned the downturn since the buyer protection fee introduction I was told that ebay had to bring that in to meet Government and industry standards!  - so nothing to do with getting extra fees then! 

It is a shame that a once good site has been so mismanaged by people with no understanding or feeling for what it was - they are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs!

[therenewalworkshopltd]

so nothing to do with getting extra fees then! 

It's not getting extra fees at all.

It is replacing the fees that where charged previously.

They have just done things in a different way and it is still a fair bit cheaper, than how it was before "Free fees".

I don't particularly like the way they have done things, but once the hoo haa settles down, I really don't think that it will be such a big deal.

It is basically they way that a lot of the other sites charge now.  There is nowhere, where it is actually free.

There are always fees, though they may not be obvious.

As to Ebay not lasting another 6 months, what planet are you on?  🙂

[theshoecupboard]

For someone with such a low level of feedback and less than a few years being on ebay your comments are what I would expect particularly when I have read the number of posts you make generally on the other threads on the discussion boards. 

I have been an accountant for over forty years and I have learn't in that time that nothing is free.

The issue with ebay is that when it started you listed your item for a fee and paid a fee when it was sold - it was simply and everyone understood it'

Then came business accounts and shops.

Then we had promoted listings - you already pay to have your listings seen, now pay more for the privilege!

Then when they start losing buyers and sellers lets attract people back by giving free listing and no fees - but only to private sellers, lets not worry about the business sellers.

But hey look that hasn't worked as we expected so lets now bring in a buyer protection fee (yes we know buyers already had it and this had been in our advertising campaigns for years). The fact that buyers don't seem to be aware that it only applies to private sellers is only a small issue. By calling it a buyers protection fee means sellers still think they are not paying the fee, but when people see the extra costs they don't bid as high so the seller gets less - so who is actually paying the fee?

So ebay over the last few years have managed to alienate buyers, private sellers and business sellers all in search of additional fees because the actual number of transactions going through the platform is dropping.

Finally if you believe any company no matter how large or small is incapable of failing then I suggest you look back over history - I know what planet I am on its you that needs to come down off planet ebay!