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.

[1956glyn]

I agree its way to risky nowadays to start any listings (regardless of true value) at 99p.    It makes me laugh that ebay recommend everything i list to start off at 99p and free postage 😞

I hardly list but do get the odd sale........99% of the time at my starting price which is the lowest price i am prepared to sell the item for.

[typo_lee]

Ebay have been limiting sales for ages now. We can do from £300 a day to £10 a day. Its obviously wrong.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

I'm sorry, but why on earth would Ebay limit sales?

It makes absolutely no logical sense.

If they limit sales, they limit their own income.....

[1956glyn]

I have almost given up trying to work out the sites thinking.

Limiting private sellers sales (in theory) could increase Business Sellers sales for which they get much higher fees.   Risky strategy.

[dwbeautystore]

They do it to 'spread the wealth' - they still get their fees, no matter which business is selling the item. They don't allow any one seller to monopolise the market.

I can have up to £12k worth of makeup and skincare listed and often my prices are very competitive but the most I've ever turned over in a day is just over £400. Even when I've listed a large number of items that usually  fly off the shelves.

[dwbeautystore]

I've checked multiple times now on slow days and found that they hide my items at certain times.

I have a very popular Elemis cream that I've sold well over 100 units of but this week I've got 2 that aren't shifting. When I searched the item it didn't come up on the list, even though its currently about £4 cheaper than most other sellers.

[typo_lee]

Its a bit like why does ebay let brand new sellers with zero feedback go straight to the top of search listings with their products when sellers like myself with over 45k feedback and been selling on here for over 25 years get listed way below them!? Even though our items have glowing feedback. Why does ebay let competitors list duplicate listings of exactly the same item and do nothing about it? Amazon remove duplicate listings with immediate effect when reported!! 

So why does ebay limit sales? Well, they are limiting sales for experienced sellers anyway with their ridiculous policies and not looking after loyal customers and only looking after new and unethical sellers who do not follow ebay policy but seemingly get away with for example listing duplicate listings etc etc.

They limit sales so new sellers get a piece of the pie as well. Maybe those new sellers are spending copious amounts on advertising I dont know. But something is not right. Ebay is not what it was when we started selling here 23 years ago. And all I can say is thank god for our other selling platforms who look after us and listen to us far better.

[dwbeautystore]

I'm a business seller, paying up to £1k a month in fees and they're still doing it.

[typo_lee]

Your so right. Its so everyone no matter what their feedback is and no matter if they arent following ebays listing practices gets a piece of the pie.

[dwbeautystore]

Rare Beauty, Color Wow & Elemis are 3 of my biggest sellers - they're currently allowing people with shocking feedback and multiple accounts to list hundreds of these at prices so low, there is no way they are genuine and they are also only using stock photos.

Sadly, people want a bargain and will risk their health buying these fakes just to save a few pounds. They will go to these cheap sellers rather than the ones with a good reputation so this has also affected my sales.

eBay have ignored multiple reports about these accounts, but have thrown off a £3.95 item I've sold loads of and received great feedback for.

The only thing that makes sense is that they're still making money with whatever they're doing.

[typo_lee]

Competitor of mine is running two separate ebay accounts but its same business and address. They are doing this to manipulate and gain more search results. Ive told ebay. Ebay agreed its against ebay policy but they ve nothing. Diddly squat. And I would be interested to know how HMRC view this as ebay report business seller earnings direct to HMRC.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Ok, for all the various points raised.

I still do not believe that Ebay would limit sales.

Can you imagine them doing that to the likes of Argos etc, who DO dominate the market in certain sectors.

Just so that everyone gets a piece of the pie.  That is not how marketplace's work.  He who sells best, sells most.  That's always been the way.

@dwbeautystore   How have you checked that Ebay have hidden your items?

Whilst search is far from perfect, it will show you what it thinks YOU want to find.  That doesn't mean that if I search for the same thing, that I won't find it.

@typo_lee   It's not new sellers per se that go straight to the top of search, but new listings.  They degrade over time unless they sell.  But to be fair, everyone was new once.  Why would they depress those listings in favour of you or I, just because we have been here longer?

As to Amazon removing listings quickly, have you ever actually tried that?  It's nigh on impossible battle 99% of the time with them.  Let alone getting a listing amened for an obvious error....

There are plenty of issues, but they are not about Ebay suppressing listings.  Unless of course you are below standard, where you do get hit.

Ok, to follow the argument that they are suppressing sellers in order to get more even sales from everyone.

Again, this makes no logical sense.  If that where the case, I would have experienced it at some point and I haven't.  Yes, I've had quiet days, but my items have always been available.  As a general rule of thumb, sales on Ebay equate to the same volumes elsewhere (comparatively).

But why would they put forward new sellers at the expense of older?  Why not sell both and sell more?

I am not arguing for arguments sake here, I just cannot see any logic to why they should do this at all.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

What is the issue with running more than one account under the same business?
I do that.  I'm not breaking any rules.

Do you mean that they are using two (or more) accounts to sell exactly the same things?

And I have to admit, you have stumped me with HMRC.  Why on earth would HRMC care less if they are using two or more Ebay accounts?  They wouldn't even care if they were private accounts, as that makes literally no difference to HMRC.

[typo_lee]

Yes using two accounts to sell exactly the same things! Because if they are using two accounts to sell the same thing they could quite possibly be under the radar for tax

[typo_lee]

Because experienced sellers should most certainly not get shoved down the bottom of search results just because their listing is older and has built fantastic sales history and feedback! What sense does that make?? If like you say thats 'how it works' on ebay then its quite clear why sellers are giving up on ebay. We have items that have sold literally 10000s and yet that clearly counts for nothing? It indicates the quality of an item and how happy people are with it. And yet a new seller with a new listing goes straight to the top with no feedback on that item? Obviously gone are the days where you 'went' to a reliable and quality business that provides a good service and quality item.

Regards Amazon yes I have tried reporting a seller with duplicates and they immediately got removed. And if a defect has been logged against us wrongly guess what... it gets removed immediately. Now that might not be your experience of amazon but it is ours.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

But it doesn't entirely work like that.

New sellers will get views etc, because they are new listing and not because they are new sellers.

Every new listing needs to have a chance to sell.  Otherwise, we will end up with a distorted marketplace.

But that doesn't meant that they will get preference and the older sellers lose out because of it.

As an example, I have an item on another account of which I have literally sold thousands.

It has been top of search for a long time.

However, for whatever reason the prices have dropped and I am seeing a LOT of sellers who are dropshipping in from Amazon for twice as much at a lesser price.

Yet, I'm still getting sales on it.  Admittedly not that many, but it is still at the top of search.

So if Ebay were suppressing older sellers, then why is is still there?

As to Amazon, your experience is obviously a lot better than mine.  I sold on there for many years and never had that happen.  Getting items amended is horrendous, even when you have brand registry it can still be a nightmare.  But take a look at BMVD, the sellers have been screaming about duplicates for years.  The big dropshippers come in and make thousands of new listings at a vastly inflated price.

I've still no idea how they get away with it, but they do.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Fair enough, if they are selling exactly the same things.

But honestly, it's a bit of stretch to think that they are trying to dodge tax too.

Even if they are though, as it stands, they will get caught anyway.  So not such a big deal.

[the_book_seekers]

I thought Argos pulled their presence from ebay some time ago.