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.

[pegr-834437]

---

@cobwebcottage wrote:

A lot of them claim that they submit returns to HMRC so they believe that it's ok to trade on private accounts. And of course, Ebay are forwarding their income to them if they go over the threshold.

It's Ebay ( who should take a pro active approach and tidy up their platform) and Trading Standards which need to take action.

I don't think there should be an option to sell new items if you are a private seller. If they are your own unwanted possessions, at best, they are new other. Or have a shop!

There is no hope though when a poster in the weekly chat this week (PS) was complaining that they had to cancel all of their pre sale items and no one batted an eyelid!

---

This is one of the major things that annoy me, having a shop should be just for business accounts, ask 100 people and they will say a shop is a business not a private seller getting rid of unwanted items. Nobody within eBay can also explain why they think a private seller needs 3600 free listings a year or release the data that shows giving private sellers free to sell actually brings a positive to business sellers. Its all trust me its true whilst everything else they say that we can find evidence is proven not to be true.

[technthread]

Have you thought about live selling? eg Whatnot or eBay Live..

[dwhairandbeautystore]

Excuse my ignorance but what is live selling?🤔 I've never heard of it but eBay sent me something about eBay live. I just ignore it all recently as I've just been so fed up with it all.

[dwhairandbeautystore]

I just googled it. I don't think I'd be any good at that! 😄 

I have 2 young children who wouldn't give me quiet to do video selling!! Thank you for trying to help though, I do appreciate it.

[technthread]

I just mean selling live on camera with bidders joining your ‘show’. I think there are sellers on Whatnot who sell your type of products that way, it’s worth a look if only to see what kind of prices they manage to get. I think you’ll get less money per item but you can move a lot more stock quickly before it expires. In theory you could do a few hundred auctions on a live show.

[technthread]

Ha ok no worries. I don’t fancy it either tbh but it’s interesting to see how some sellers make that business model work for them by selling big volumes. 

[dwhairandbeautystore]

I think you have to be a certain kind of person to be confident enough doing that - an 'influencer' type probably!

I'm just going to go the lazy route and bundle up what I can and reduce the rest til it's gone.

I've had a bit of luck selling off a few bits on Vinted too but coming up against probs with Evri there and I sell too many pieces still to stand in a post office queue and scan QR codes to use RM with Vinted.

The joys of being an online seller!! 😁

[the_book_seekers]

Nobody within eBay can also explain why they think a private seller needs 3600 free listings a year or release the data that shows giving private sellers free to sell actually brings a positive to business sellers. 

ebay has had a habit of introducing some new thing on the premise that it will be something good for business sellers when it's nothing of the sort and they surely know it will be the case. Instead it usually ends up costing us money in some way.  I see that phrase now and my heart sinks. 

[pegr-834437]

Fully agree that and in a view to making the site fairer for all or something along those lines. I called it out at the open event to Eve and was met with a blank face, i honestly dont think many people at eBay look at the micro details of the crazy ideas they come up with. Also offered to go to HQ and have open and honest conversations with them as this is the only way they will be told, the feedback on these boards are not going to the right people as was proven at the open event when they never had a clue about the many issues businesses face.

[the_book_seekers]

Feedback has always been selective. If it isn't what they want to hear then it isn't listened to. 

[bojangled]

@the_book_seekers 

If a private seller opens a shop they get 400 listings a month, so that’s 4,800, for £19.99.

Jo

[1956glyn]

Good Luck to any private seller that has the patience to list 400 items.....my patience runs out after about 6 lol 

[pegr-834437]

Thats the thing though, its businesses who take advantage of eBay doing very little about it who will have the thousands. Theres no reason why somebody even if they are private should be allowed 4800 or even 1000 free listings, they should be paying at that point.

[vincents_ebey]

Yes my friend has found this happening for the first time in 5 years, she has sold zero in over a week. She is now moving platforms and starting her own website …

[1956glyn]

As i have always said any genuine private seller could easily manage with say 50 to 100 listings per month.

Some may say but i have a huge collection.......my answer to that is well list it over a few months then or put it in a specialist auction.

IF the limits were low enough to make it unviable for those who are really businesses (pretending to be private sellers) not being able to survive on them then this would solve the issue.

[the_book_seekers]

Simple Delivery and BPF hasn’t stemmed the number of businesses trading on private accounts. They have made it a little more awkward, but there are still significant advantages to operating on a private account. If ebay won’t tackle these sellers directly, and God knows some of them are blatantly obvious, then the balance has to be tipped in favour of having a business account. The problem is how can eBay do this without upsetting genuine private sellers any further. 

[jlovie]

On to my 5th day without a sale - I can't remember ever having that long a blank period.

[typo_lee]

It’s not just you. We are 50% down on same period last year. I think people have deserted eBay but also worth noting is our Amazon sales have died as well which I suppose would indicate people just aren’t spending. Maybe they are spending on half term holidays instead? I know a lot who have gone abroad this week as let’s face it the UK is rubbish and expensive hahaha

[theelench]

Has ebay ever done anything to stop the automatic increase in private seller's selling allowances?

I put this forward as one way to reduce the number of businesses using private accounts, probably a few years ago.  Ebay could easily see what the 'average' number of listings private sellers have, allow automatic increases to that level but make further increases subject to application.  With the increase only being granted for those with large collections, inherited possessions etc.

With A.I that shouldn't be too difficult, even if ebay had to employee a few people to handle appeals for those with 'special circumstances'.

With the number of upset genuine private sellers who have left / are leaving, plus those those leaving over providing photo I.D or NINOs, the businesses on private accounts must be getting easier to spot.

There are still plenty to be found.  I was looking for some padded mailers recently.  The first two results were both businesses registered as private.  One  selling as ***** - ********* Supplies.

[jlovie]

Maybe eBay were listening and switched me back on, just had a sale.