Sales Downfall in March 2024

[theglo-68]

I wonder if anyone else noticed a sudden downfall in sales.

Sales are non existent in March however January and February were reasonabley good months.

Please share your thoughts!

[jolly-chef]

A lot of this "sudden loss of sales" is due to eBay pulling it's ads near the end of the quarter.

The marketing budget run out, the ads have been  pausrd on Facebook, tiktok etc.

This causes the sitewide sales collapse. Happens regularly 

[insidethe93]

Interesting!

eBay would do better to heed these discussion boards regarding glitches (many long-standing) rather than continue to pay loads of money on advertising a website with known faults.

With a bad website you gain new customers in the short-term and only some would stay long-term in despite of it. Meanwhile, frustrated existing customers leave in droves. Disgruntled customers tell their family, friends and colleagues, reducing the numbers of those who'd come to eBay.

I myself have drastically cut back on buying from eBay, due to the long-standing search glitch (which I posted about a while ago) - trying to search within an individual seller's shop.

[the_book_seekers]

That could explain my lack of external views since the 15th

[the_hoff]

Yes, March has been terrible.  February was very good for me.  I almost exclusively run my shop from the Android app and there seems to have been a lot of updates in March.  I have noticed though there are almost daily glitches with searches resulting in errors etc.  If this is the search experience buyers are having no wonder sales have been poor and views have dropped off a cliff!  I also think the economy does have a part to play with people reigning in their spending.  I did however think that after a very good February things had turned a corner, but March has blown that hope out of the water!

[typo_lee]

This last week it's picked up a lot for us and also on the 'other' big platform. So hopefully spring is around the corner and sales pick up for everyone 

[btr.style]

Sales haven't been too bad overall, a few guaranteed best sellers were pulled out and sold as expected. 

It's been one of those bad ends to the month with returns though. The worst for some time..... 

- not checking measurements and opening a return when it arrives as it doesn't fit. 

- not checking measurements and using our measurements against us claiming they were wrong and so it doesn't match the description/photos to get a free return. 

The latter absolutely pees me off because we don't have to provide measurements full stop (there's no eBay policy forcing us to) but it's probably the only thing someone can latch onto for a "free" return. They can't exactly say the colour or materials were wrong but they can stretch, pull in a garment so when they take a photo for the return it measures bigger/smaller than it really is (some will just fold up the measuring tape a bit but it's so blatant. It then comes back and our own measurements were spot on. 

eBay never compensate return postage when these buyers are reported. Hey ho, it just means cutbacks on postage (48hr instead of 24), an increase in some prices and a few unfortunate buyers will get their order sent in a space raiders crisp box that was picked up for free at the local shop. (I'm joking about the crisp box, but I might consider it in future, saving the planet and all that) 

[sheba-knows-best]

---

@btr.style wrote:

Sales haven't been too bad overall, a few guaranteed best sellers were pulled out and sold as expected. 

It's been one of those bad ends to the month with returns though. The worst for some time..... 

-

---

I agree. Returns are becoming an ever increasing nightmare. But I think if someone wants to claim SNAD they will find something. (I once had someone draw a line in pencil on a heel.). So I understand you are just venting, but the fact you give measurements has to reduce returns in my opinion.

I think attitudes are changing. I just had someone buy three items. All sizes 10-12 with measurements saying which was roomy etc. She opened two return cases: one  as 'too big!'  , one as 'too small'. Left feedback on the third saying "I love this one". My point is, she didn't think I'd mind at all. Despite the fact she cost me @£10. And the one she kept only cost £60. 

I'm tagging everything now. Also saying in the photos and description that I'm tagging.  As I think cost of living is making people think about 'borrowing'. 

I also think that as I have pushed my item price higher (most are over £100 now, used to be far fewer) more people will return as understandably they cant just write off £100. 

My returns rate is now at 13.68%. I'd love it if other fashion sellers (preloved and new) would share their rates....

mething 

[therenewalworkshopltd]

My own return rate, is at 4.5%.  Though even at that rate, I find it quite frustrating that so many of them, are simply due to people not reading the actual sizes on the description.  That or think they are thinner than they actually are!  🙂

Just had a quick look at your listings and I see that your putting everything in a line in the description.

Perhaps it would be worth splitting things out, so that people can more easily read the sizes etc.

My descriptions are really quite basic.

But they do seem to work, in the main anyway.

You will however always get the ones that just look at the picture etc and don't even think to actually read the descriptions and so on.

I can't tell you the number of times people email to ask stupid questions, that are answered on the description already.  Then the ones who extra measurements that are not on the listing.

I mean why ask for an ankle measurement, when an item has a straight leg?

[sheba-knows-best]

---

@therenewalworkshopltd wrote:

My own return rate, is at 4.5%.  

Just had a quick look at your listings and I see that your putting everything in a line in the description.

Perhaps it would be worth splitting things out, so that people can more easily read the sizes etc.

---

Thanks for your reply.

Maybe I could try bullets. Although my gut instinct is surely 5 lines of text isnt hard to read... and I write it like that so it appears in 'tem condition' as well as 'seller's description'- because so many people seem unable to find seller's description on the app.

I suspect it is to do with price - style - and photos. My items are higher priced than yours (so people cant write off), not always easy to wear (hoodies kind of just fit) and vintagey-aspirational (a Mansfield Jade coat looks ace but just doesnt look the same when Mavis from the corner shop tries it on). 

If this sounds defensive - I don't mean it to - I am interested to see if I have one of the highest returns rates on here, because I've certainly had enough of it.  And I am interested in ideas as to how to reduce it. eBay has suggested that I DONT tag. Apparently that puts it into people's heads even whilst they 'try on' that they can return. But frankly, I was sick of suspecting my items were worn and returned...

[sheba-knows-best]

... I should add that a lovely friend of mine works in the third sector with women struggling with everything... bills, abuse, you name it, they have it. They buy preloved to wear and return...

I'm not sure how to limit returns. Like I say, I'd like to know other people's rates...

[red357rose]

Hi

Its everybody noticed again Ebay sales down. 😞 Now its saturday the last 3 days my brutto just £50 per day but I have lot of view yesterday almost 900 view nobody ask nothing not any offer. 😞 Look like Glitch again 😞 and all my promotion on active but not really see its works 😞

[typo_lee]

No we are really busy with sales

[makesscents1973]

Agree, my sales have been terrible during March.  January and February I was doing quite well.  I don't know what's happened but this seems to have been going on for about 3 weeks.

[quilligree1]

Agree competely, sales in January and February were actually better than expected but mid-March my sales have taken a complete dive.

I do actively review my items anyway - where they are sitting in a search, check the titles/price/photos, end and/or relist if it's been there a while with no views etc etc.

But I did have some other thoughts: In January I changed from private to business seller and eBay has suggested that to increase my sales I should become eBay rated plus (which I can't do as I can't guarantee next day delivery as this is a second job). I also wondered if I was being 'punished' for not using AI descriptions. The principal is ok, but I won't use them as they're just too 'over-the-top', often present misleading/inaccurate information - if not checked, and it often doesn't tell the buyer what they need to know (small rant over, apologies). Now, however, I'm not convinced any of these are a reason for the decline. 

Last year I also had a sudden two/three week slump in sales at one point which then picked up very well, so for the time being I'm sticking with it, trying not to panic and just making the usual adjustments.

It is concerning that so many sellers are having the same issues - at the same time. It does feel like eBay are fiddling/pulling funding/adjusting the algorithm etc though I'm not blind to the fact that buyers may be struggling and many of my items are those 'additional extras'.

Hope everyone's sales improve again soon.

[the_book_seekers]

It's been a disppointing month because it started out well and came to an almost total halt after the 15th.  The few items I have sold since then have been watched auctions. 

The only technical things I've noted have been a nose dive in external views currently down 55%. Also whatever ebay is doing with listings durations with many items from March ending a day earlier. ebay fixed those that had been listed on the 1st and were slotted to renew on the 31st thereby having the potential for an extra fee, but not the rest. Anything that was ended/sell similar from March is losing a days visibility at the moment with ebay showing no signs of fixing the rest of the problem.  Also ebay's inability to get shop numbers to match those in my seller hub which has been going on for weeks.

[bravergrace]

---

@sheba-knows-best wrote:

---

Maybe I could try bullets. Although my gut instinct is surely 5 lines of text isnt hard to read... and I write it like that so it appears in 'tem condition' as well as 'seller's description'- because so many people seem unable to find seller's description on the app.

If this sounds defensive - I don't mean it to - I am interested to see if I have one of the highest returns rates on here, because I've certainly had enough of it.  And I am interested in ideas as to how to reduce it. eBay has suggested that I DONT tag. Apparently that puts it into people's heads even whilst they 'try on' that they can return. But frankly, I was sick of suspecting my items were worn and returned...

---

Firstly, yes, I get queries every few days along the lines of "why haven't you given any measurements".   eBay hide the description on the app, and bury them with  advertisements for sponsored listings on the desktop view.

As for returns rate, on my vintage clothing, my current return rate is under 2% (excluding one outlier where an over-enthusiastic buyer bought a dozen items and regretted it before they'd even arrived).   Sizing is the main problem - measuring necks and heads and waistcoat fronts is awkward - and most people prefer a suitable exchange where possible.  These don't show up in eBay figures.

I hardly ever get returns that have been worn by the buyer - can't remember the last one.

But in my pursuit of tranquillity, I take care not to sell anything that might appeal to the wrong sort of customer.   

I don't tag things - I think it's insulting to the buyer - but I include my returns policy with every item, specifying "welcome to return it (unused") if I feel this might be an issue.

If my returns rate was as high as yours, I'd be a nervous wreck.  My temperament isn't suited to returns.

[yorkshire*flower]

Well its definitely an Ebay issue as I sell on other platforms and sales are fine.  Theres been a few quiet weeks but Ebay is like the wild west with tumbleweeds across the plains but Id just put my efforts elsewhere now - no point flogging a dead horse anymore.

[typo_lee]

We are dead again after a fairly good week last week

[hazegiftproducts]

Mine have been reasonable until last couple of days. They have died a death on

all platforms.

[hazegiftproducts]

Thia sort of this does not help "Hi I can’t seem to get past the first part of ordering. After putting in the word for the ribbon, it won’t go to next stage??"

I sell customised ribbons.