15-08-2025 2:59 PM
Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to get peoples thoughts on promotional % for the general campaign. What sort of fixed rate % are people using at the moment?
I've been using between 5-10% over the past few months as a business seller selling Pre-Loved clothing but have found that sales have been slow. With my profit margins being quite tight I'm struggle to go above anything over 10%.
Just wondered if anyone could share thoughts? On their promotion campaign percentages and quality of sales over past few weeks?
Thanks
15-08-2025 3:52 PM
Zero. Since eBay started charging us for any purchase, even from someone who didn't click the link, I've turned them off.
15-08-2025 4:16 PM
Have a look at this thread, it’s not in favour of promoted listings, but an interesting discussion.
GM
15-08-2025 4:26 PM
Thanks, will do
15-08-2025 4:35 PM
I turned mine off when the changes came in. My sales nosedived in July but that was down to other factors. They are recovering now without the need for promotions. I’m not prepared to give away any more of my profit. I do wonder how many people voted with their feet when the changes were announced
15-08-2025 4:54 PM
A good way to experiment is take a listing that has 10% promo, remove the promo and reduce the price by 10%. See if it sells, or still gets hits.
Or take a listing without promo, increase the price by 10% and add 10% promo. Does it get any more hits?
15-08-2025 5:46 PM
I don't blame you at all to be honest. I'm current trialling taking promotion completely off a few of my listings to see how they go. It's right what you say its your profit its eating into at the end of the day. It's hard to maintain profit margins with such high promotional fees.
15-08-2025 5:48 PM
That's a good idea to be fair.
I've had a play around this afternoon with some of my listings, I've set some to 0% promotion and lowered the prices by 5% and the others to 5% promotion, all similar items. I'm then going to give it a couple of weeks and see what kind of views I've had on each and also check to see how far down the listings pages the 0% promotion listings have fallen to if that makes sense
15-08-2025 5:57 PM
I don't blame you at all. It's not sustainable at all keep giving profits away for promotion,
I've had a little play around with my listings this afternoon and set 10 listings to no promotion with lower prices & 10 listings to 5% promotion, all similar items. Going to monitor it and see how it goes for views and sales
15-08-2025 7:48 PM
You are in a densely popular category. I understand why you consider promoting.
Do you have a presence on other platforms?
GM
15-08-2025 7:49 PM
I wouldn't worry too much about views, you can have 1 view and a sale or 100 views and no sale.
The promotion racket is just that - it would be good if everyone stopped promoting so we could be back to a level playing field, but so many things have changed with ebay and we are never going to get back what we had a few years ago - sadly.
I hope you find a good way to get sales without giving your clothes away.
15-08-2025 9:53 PM
I completely agree with you I thought the exact same thing as you earlier, that if everyone stopped promoting it would make it a level playing field, would be a lot better that way
15-08-2025 10:04 PM
Hi GM,
Yeah that’s exactly why, there’s that many listings in pre loved clothing that your listings just keep going down and down if you don’t promote.
I tried Depop earlier this year but found I was just getting silly offers all the time and also you’d accept an offer and the person wouldn’t end up buying. Was just a waste of time and hardly any sales either.
I sell on Amazon too, both 2nd hand books and stationery but that’s been difficult has well due to the new GPSR regulations that have come in.
What is it you specialise in? Are you any other platforms too?
Liam
16-08-2025 6:05 AM
I used to sell collectibles on here (other account) from Lego to vintage writing instruments and old ephemeral items.
So often one off pieces, occasionally promoted, but it’s died for me over the last year. Just the increase in fees, unfair competition from incorrectly registered sellers, add the red tape with GPSR now de minimis, (admittedly the last two aren’t eBays fault) so I’ve shut up shop.
I do have respect for clothes sellers as it’s known to be a high return rate. The work put in just for measurements and detailing items is enough to put me off.
V**ted is my home now, but clothing there is just as hard and maybe geared toward the private seller clearing out. But CS is absolutely useless.
There are many success stories about selling preloved clothing online. But as they say it’s not what you sell at, it’s the price you buy at.
There is some thought that switching promotions off will see a decline for around a month, then a rise once the campaign has shaken off. A few sellers have reported this result.
I hang around on the forums because I do live in a slight hope that something beneficial will be launched for business sellers…
GM
Wish you luck.
16-08-2025 5:21 PM
Hi GM,
Don't blame you at all. I've found the whole GPSR thing stressful, just seems like more hoops to jump through for nothing, just wish things were simple and we could just sell without these kind of issues and regulations. I've simplified it on my EBAY account by just turning off EU countries and Northern Ireland so thankfully hasn't been to bad on EBAY.
Wish you all the best too and hopefully see you back on EBAY one day.
Liam