Promoted Listings Changes - You Must Be Joking, eBay

[superchallenge]

Email from eBay this morning. 

If I read it correctly, from 24th June, if you use promoted listings and ANYBODY clicks on the ad one time...if the item then sells to ANYBODY ELSE within the next 30 days, you get charged as if the first guy bought it.

That means that if Bob in Scotland clicks an ad and doesn't buy, but Steve from Wales rolls in 29 days later and finds the item in search and buys it without clicking on a promoted listings ad, you get charged because Bob clicked it almost a month ago.

It's all well and good saying "You'll still only pay when your items sell" eBay, but that isn't the point. We pay for promoted listings in order to help find A BUYER, not a browser. If somebody comes in and buys an item organically, then the ad hasn't done its job and we're not paying for it.

We'll be removing all of our promoted listings campaigns later today, as this starts in 32 days, which is extremely underhanded. The reason being that there's a 30-day attribution window, so if Steve clicks on one of our ads this Sunday, on June 24th when Bob buys the item without clicking an advert, we'll get charged.

[simplyessential_uk]

No thats already in the T&Cs I think its 30 days after that the ad still applies - Theyv got you regardless -  I stopped ads about 8mths ago - I was sick of getting very little in return - Sales took a dive but then after a month picked back up and I get about the same now - I think the "dip" in sasles is probably orchestrated so the seller panics and ops back in - Im done with any promos now - maybe thats why theyve done this, more sellers opting out perhaps

[simplyessential_uk]

We stopped all PLs over 18 months ago. Sales initially dipped but recovered after about 4 weeks which, as I was told by a techie expert, was likely to eBay’s algorithm linking my account with promos and hiding my listings when I wasn’t promoting.  Snap! - The cynic in my felt this was deliberate to scare me to opt back in, never did and about 4wks later all went back to PL levels - I do not use PL and Im often on page 1 - After 3mths close the listing and start again if no sales - kicks back in again.

I would rather send out offers of 5%-10% to an interested person than pay that on a PL.  

I know I can look at an item (usually my competitors) and then get an offer from them (not put it in my basket but just looked at the listing) so they are more likely to buy than someone scrolling past and might click and buy

[lupo-store]

We were early adopters and were getting a ROAS of 7 until 2023, then 6 until Q4 2023 changes, then 5 until this time last year, then 4.  

All this time we were optimising the life out of our campaigns and listings.  We have now stopped PL General.  It's not made anything worse.  We will see how this affects PL Priority.  Hopefully everyone will scale back.

[art2own]

In the current terms it is 30 days of a click for an ad fee to be applied after a click "even if the item is no longer participating in general ads at the time of the sale."

But the new terms exclude the above clause and substitute, "The item must be promoted at the time of click and the time of sale". This implies under the new terms there should be no ad fee for any clicks if the sale is after the promotion has ended, even if it is within 30 days. Why would they remove the first clause and add the new term of both requirements needing to be met at the same time if it is not what they intend? They also removed the Halo attribution from the new terms, which if true is a gain for sellers rather than a loss.

https://pages.ebay.com/sell/pl/attribution.html

Currently, for items listed on all eBay sites (except ebay.de):

Direct attribution: eBay will report a Direct sale from a general campaign when a buyer purchases the same item that was featured in the ad they originally clicked on in the most recent 30 days.

The ad fee is charged when a buyer purchases the item from a general ad that they clicked on in the most recent 30 days, even if the item is no longer participating in general ads at the time of the sale. The ad fee is based on the ad rate in effect at the time of the click.

Halo attribution: eBay will report a Halo sale from a general campaign when an item promoted with a general strategy, different from the item originally featured in the general ad the buyer clicked on, is purchased within 30 days of the original click.

The ad fee is charged when a buyer purchases an item promoted with a general strategy other than the general ad item they clicked on in the most recent 30 days, as long as the sold item is in an active general campaign of the same seller at the time of sale. The ad fee is based on the ad rate for the item sold at the time of sale.

Starting June 24th, 2025, for items listed on ebay.co.uk, ebay.com.au, ebay.fr, ebay.it, and ebay.es:

eBay will report an Attributed sale from a general campaign when a buyer purchases the same item that was featured in the ad that was clicked on by any buyer in the most recent 30 days.

The ad fee is charged when a buyer purchases the promoted item from a general ad that any buyer clicked on in the most recent 30 days. The item must be promoted at the time of click and the time of sale. The ad fee is based on the ad rate in effect at the time of the sale.

[valueaddedresource]

@art2own  yes, the new attribution model gets rid of Halo and Direct, which at first glance may seem like a gain for sellers, not a loss.

The loss comes when you look at what they are replacing it with and what the actual implications of the new model are.

I can just about guarantee if you asked most German sellers who have been under the new model since February that they'd rather go back to Halo and Direct, given that under the new model, their rate of sales attributed to ads/charged ad fees skyrocketed to 80-90% basically overnight.

[art2own]

I know the new system will be worse for most sellers. Like everyone here I am just trying to clarify the words of the new terms as I interpret them. I was responding to another poster who replied to my pervious comments of how a seller could manipulate their use of general campaigns to try and avoid the ad fees (if the new terms are to be believed as they are currently written).

[jlovie]

It's going to get very complicated if users regularly change promotion percentages.

Which rate will they be charged at?

The rate when the first ad was clicked?

The rate when the sale was made? The rate from the first clicked, or the sold item?

The highest the rate has been in the last 30 days?

Given that they removed the method to check for halo sales, are we going to get any data on how the fees have been attributed?

Will we have any comeback if it goes spectacularly wrong and we start getting huge fees charged with no way of checking them?

[tabletop-hobbies]

This is my concern, that by making the entire process of administering fees so complicated, no one will really be able to fathom what they should actually be paying.  So it's up to eBay to self audit and make sure it's acting with integrity.  I'm not aware that anyone external to eBay audits this kind of thing so it's really a win win for eBay making the system impenetrable.  Excuse my cynicism!!

I simply lack the confidence in eBay to reliably self administer this in an honest and competent way, given other recent events and the desperate scramble to milk business sellers.  The added 'charges for nothing' will be taken off PL and will be put into external sales channels.  I'm here to grow my business not the pocket books of shareholders!!

[iceblue_uk]

It's already almost impossible to know what margin we will make on our sales because that margin largely depends on how ebay's algorithm lists your organic vs promoted listings, i.e. it decides your overall margin on all those sales.

We have all seen the organic to promoted sales ratio go down over the years, so I have no doubt that ebay can tweak that algorithm at any time to increase or decrease their ad revenue, ergo our profit margin. I have always abhorred this setup because our margins should be decided by us, based on costs which should not be unpredictable and variable according to ebay's needs at the time.

Whether this new plan matches ad clicks to sales 1 for 1, or if it's 1 click then all sales attract ad fee for 30 days after, is largely a moot point because I am quite sure that most general campaigns attract more clicks than sales, so every sale will be attributed to a click either way.

General promo is no longer an option, not without increasing prices even more than has been necessary recently due to the increased fees and postage costs. They recommend 20% for many listings now which means to promote it will cost 20% + normal sales fee on every order.

Neither is PPC, due to the ridiculously high recommended bid prices. Ebay seem to think we can afford 60p per click when selling a £2.95 item, even with a 50% conversion rate (not likely) that's a £1.20 ad fee per sale plus the 44p sale fee plus £1.41 postage, resulting in a loss of well over £1.

[555njp]

My biggest concern with all this is that the algorithm will likely now completely hide all organic non-promoted items from search entirely.

So no promos = no visibility.

If that happens then the baseline selling cost on this platform will be 25-30% which I could not afford as the margins, which have slowly been whittled away over the years thanks to ever rising costs (postage), make it non-viable.

Our products have a price ceiling online. I cannot keep increasing prices as the customer will simply go elsewhere, especially now that some wholesalers have taken to selling via retail auctions in single lots which anyone can purchase!

Fairly sure I’m not the only small business in this position?

Perhaps eBay only wants the biggest businesses on the platform going forward? Well that won’t work as no one will be buying!!

[oceanartsnorthdevon]

On the subject of promoted listings, this is the response from customer services copied from email after checking with them my account is ok after drop in sales and all items promoted.  As you can see advice is not to promote? and reduce price instead which is kind of odd as not a lot sells when it is promoted, if I take off promotion it will flatline as no one will find my listings.  Why would they be giving this advice when they have just introduced this charge in June if anyone clicks on a promoted listing they are guaranteed their percentage if promoted and  item sells, surely this goes against the grain? See below

"I will also share some work around to improve your sales:

First suggestion

Firstly,  what I am suggestion is instead of creating the promotion campaign and paying extra ad fees you can give that much of discount on item price which will attract more buyers. So my suggestion is to drop that feature temporarily and instead of paying the fees to use you reduce the price so that it gets better visibility. For example, if the item price is £20.00 and you have set an ad a rate of 5% so instead of paying £1.00 to us in form of ad fees, mention the item price as £19.00. It'll be a cheaper item and buyer will be more attracted towards it."

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Well I'm pretty sure that those in support aren't on commission.

So that advice actually isn't that bad.

However, if your item is selling, then just to take it off promotion should not make it stop selling.

You might initially lose a few sales whilst things balance out, but if you already have the throughput, then it should continue to sell.  Particularly so if you drop the price by whatever your promoting it at.

From what I can see of your listings, they are all individual and multi listings.

Therefore promoting is not really a great idea.  You need to renew your listings regularly.

[555njp]

Well I don’t promote at all. I will add though that my categories are busy but not flooded so if you operate in a flooded category like clothing, chances are the only way to be seen is to promote.
Generally my sales are ok but I do typically get 1 week in 4 where they stop when eBay decides they’ll hide my stuff, but that happened when I was promoting too.

The advice given will of course work if the potential buyer already knows exactly what they want and having done an initial search are then savvy enough to filter by lowest price incl p&p. That way, promoted or not, lowest price 9 times out of 10 wins the sale.

BUT - search as we know is heavily manipulated and eBay can (and do) hide items from lowest price searches so even doing that as a buyer may only be reshuffling ‘promoted’ items?

I get the feeling this is the way eBay are headed - promote or be hidden.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Clothing may be a busy category, but I still don't promote and sell ok in it!  🙂

I'm not sure about the promote or be hidden.  But I can see a time when they introduce a feed like Vintxxd etc.

Ebay really need to back off on the promotions as it is just getting completely out of hand now.

They very much need to go back to their roots, though without the associated problems.  

Or in other words, Ebay needs to be Ebay and not any other marketplace.

It's just got more and more complicated and expensive to sell on here over the years and they can't keep doing that.  As people will just walk away and go elsewhere.

[555njp]

@therenewalworkshopltd That’s good to hear 👍

Pretty sure it would have been easier and better for revenue if eBay had just increased FVFs across the board by 1% and scrapped all promotions?

They should (IMO) go back to placing the best performing sellers at the top, I.e. TRS, highest tier shop, highest feedback ratings etc. to inspire sellers to perform well but that’s all gone out of the window!

And yes, people are already walking away. Sellers who can no longer compete and buyers because prices are too high (or they can no longer even find what they want).

Once they leave they rarely return.

[oceanartsnorthdevon]

Yes I agree, advice given is good and I have tried in the past reducing and removing promotions but it just completely dies as there is no visibility.  Was more surprised to be given the advice considering the hard sell on promoting and now their guaranteed income on anything that sells that is promoted from June.

[wezmoto]

ebay gain from Chinese sellers masquerading as private sellers with 300% mark up on the items that never actually sell anything and bid the promoted listing costs up. People who do sell anything have to try and compete with the 20% PL fees to even be seen.

It's a win - win for ebay.

The ONLY way this will stop is with a coordinated refusal to get involved.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

I very much doubt that there are very many sellers out there, Chinese or not, who have a 300% markup, advertise and don't sell anything!

That is not exactly a very clever business model......

The only ones who do that kind of thing, either have money to burn, or are just plain old fashioned idiots!

[therenewalworkshopltd]

I get what you mean.  Support is not exactly known for decent advice!  🙂
Or anything that is not "The company view!"

However, do try dropping the promotions.  I get that it does disappear initially, but given a week or two, you should find it back again.  And watch your organic views, rather than promoted.  They should stay very similar and quite frankly, are far more important.

Other than that, rotate your listings at least once every 90 days and if it something that you can do daily, as well as new listings, then you will constantly have items at the top of search.

[valueaddedresource]

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@oceanartsnorthdevon wrote:

On the subject of promoted listings, this is the response from customer services copied from email after checking with them my account is ok after drop in sales and all items promoted.  As you can see advice is not to promote? and reduce price instead which is kind of odd as not a lot sells when it is promoted, if I take off promotion it will flatline as no one will find my listings.  Why would they be giving this advice when they have just introduced this charge in June if anyone clicks on a promoted listing they are guaranteed their percentage if promoted and  item sells, surely this goes against the grain? See below

"I will also share some work around to improve your sales:

First suggestion

Firstly,  what I am suggestion is instead of creating the promotion campaign and paying extra ad fees you can give that much of discount on item price which will attract more buyers. So my suggestion is to drop that feature temporarily and instead of paying the fees to use you reduce the price so that it gets better visibility. For example, if the item price is £20.00 and you have set an ad a rate of 5% so instead of paying £1.00 to us in form of ad fees, mention the item price as £19.00. It'll be a cheaper item and buyer will be more attracted towards it."

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@oceanartsnorthdevon  what the support rep didn't mention is that while the current attribution model is still in effect, if you end an ad campaign now, you still have a 30 day window in which previous clicks will count against you.

So let's say you take their advice, end the ad campaign and lower your price on that £20.00 item to £19.00 That's likely going to trigger a notice to be sent to people who have viewed the item previously telling them you've dropped the price and encouraging them to buy now.

If one of those people had previously viewed that item by clicking through on the promoted ad in the last 30 days, then comes back to buy it after you've ended the campaign and dropped the price - you'll still pay that 5% ad fee on the £19.00 (plus shipping and tax), eating even further into any profit you might have.

So, for that strategy to work, you would not only need to end the campaign, you would need to end that item and create a whole new listing for it with a new item number that had never been enrolled in an ad campaign to avoid being charged the fee.