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!

[postpack]

Same here, start of the year was reasonable, however last couple of months is like we fell of the cliff despite increasing all promotions (the fees we pay now are almost 35% !!!).  Trouble is that there is so many things wrong with ebay (false EDD's, never ending bugs/glitches, broken search, very high selling fees, to many changes on top of the changes), so it's no suprise that sellers and buyers are leaving...

[treemas]

It would appear to be because of the promoted listings. Some people like stores are paying to promote their listings leaving those who sell odds and ends who don't promote with their items much further down the line so not looked at as much. It's a shame really because all sales are a profit to both ebay and seller.

[radetek]

Hmm. very nice

[ictioo]

My sales are terrible and my impressions are down 50%. I only do this in my spare time so it's not that big of a deal but I'm wondering if it's worth carrying on. Too much effort for not a lot of gain

[gthomas43]

As an update to my original posts it's now 6 weeks into this downturn in sales

I went from 40 + in a month both Jan / Feb / early March and now done 9 in 5 weeks with zero international sales

There was the marketing update for 19th March ( which made no sense )

Free sales for clothes

No fees for sales month across multiple sellers

Something has changed the algorithm which has just killed the sales

Tried everything to kick it back in but nothing working.

Actually worried that it’s finally tipped over and I won’t ever get back my sales

I don’t want to buy any more stock to list new in case they also go unsold and pouring good money after bad

Is it still the same for many?

Currently trying to “relist / sell similar “ to get movement… any movement

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Seriously, you are a business, selling as a private seller!

Maybe you should actually change your account to reflect this fact, instead of breaking the Law!

[coxandbudgebooks]

This echoes almost exactly what's happening to me - much like many others here, I've ticked over on ebay for the last 20 years or so and at times it's done very well, at other times not so well, but there's usually been a baseline of sales. 

Where people are saying it's the economy and buyers have a lot less spare money, I think there's a lot of truth in that.

eBay are pushing the promotion + or whatever they call it hard on my landing pages but I think they have to convince people that it could be worth it rather than just showing some photo of a pair of hipsters in a NY warehouse flat selling buttons with inane grins. 

Does the board think permanent free listing for private sellers will be rolled out across all categories? I'm sure I read somewhere it was heading that way (I think it's the case in Germany now). If it ended the fortnightly dump of stuff, that might help. I wish they'd police their business / private seller status better - the number of books I see at proper auctions that turn up here from a private seller (one private seller even seems to have a shop counter and till in his/her front room).

Also, I'm guessing this sending round of offers is affecting sales - I get watchers (a lot less than a few weeks ago) and are they just waiting for sellers to send round an offer? 

Ah well, I'm sure it'll get a lot worse yet. 

[radetek]

What if I recently opened a business seller account, should I list a lot of products at once? I’m just afraid that my account may be blocked because of this, but if I post few products, that’s also not good, so what should I do?

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Not really on topic but....

When you open an account, whether business or private, you will be limited to how many and the value of listings, that you can actually put on Ebay.

As long you work within that number, it should make no difference at all.

There is no reason that you will get blocked, unless you have a lot of complatints, don't comply and so on.

[woolyhippo-ltd]

First time ever posting in over 10 yrs of trading and I have to say we have had the same thing since min March as others. Started to notice glitches in sale in Feb but put it down to holidays then it picked up then crashed mid March. 

We had this in 2019 when ebay changed from the old system to the new hub, We fell off a cliff at the end of March 2019. It started in the states 10 days before we got in it Europe. 

I have all the usual things on promotions etc, I even started advanced proms in deperation. 

I started reading here and discovered others in the same boat. 

Ebay has been reported as down almost daily on one internet site. We currently have people reporting issues with the app. 

Something has happened and we are as usual just told nothing. We cant carry this on anymore its just too tiring watching everything you build up be destroyed. 

It feels like I have bought a house by the coast and am watching it 10 meters from the cliff edge.

[radetek]

I just often hear that ebay blocks accounts for no reason, even for them it’s just enough that activity has increased sharply

[the_book_seekers]

Normally the advice to anyone with a new seller account is to start with small sales to build up a history of completed sales with ebay. Starting up selling expensive mobile phones from cold will comes with risks . 

[fatherfinney]

My sales have crashed by over 41% in April after a good March. I have never had so many no sale days. Traffic down by over 20%.

I have even extended returns to 60 days and increased marketing budget. After 5 years its suddenly slowed. 

Baffling

[typo_lee]

Our worst quarter in all the 21 years selling on here

[exponential_developments]

One minute you say your quiet, the next you're rushed off your feet........?

[woolyhippo-ltd]

We have crashed the same amount give or take. We are setting a worst day of takings each week. When you talk to them they just say "nothing wrong here"

[typo_lee]

That's the issue it's so sporadic. Good day, bad day. It's so inconsistent 

[woolyhippo-ltd]

Yes very much so. Its a good normal day and 2 or 3 bad but very bad days and the difference between them is big. 

The people commenting here who have yrs of experience and know the patterns of it are quite right. 

But it is the nothing is wrong attitude and virtual silence from the powers that be that is worst. 

[bittyboy101]

---

@theglo-68 wrote:

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!

---

eBay's corrupt smartware sale blocking software was down whilst they updated it... now it's back with full vengeance GHOSTING ALL OUR ITEMS AND BLOCKING ALL SALES FOR NON BUSINESS PRIVATE SELLERS WHILE PROMOTING ALL THAT USA AND CHINESE JUNK ! 😞

[fortesmentum]

I have finally taken the plunge and pulled my 700 listings from the Ebay account that I have been running since 2004 - moving it all to Ebid.  Selling abroad is almost pointless now, unless you charge close to £15 for insured mail (the fees Ebay takes, including taxes etc are astronomical), which has meant almost nobody buying from the US or Europe.  Buyers from the UK have just dried up, just a few making offers that would leave me giving the things I sell away.  So, after almost 2 months with not a view, not a watcher, nor a sell:  Ebay account no longer selling.  I will put all my efforts into Ebid which is so much quicker to list on, friendlier, free to list with just 2% selling fees.  Spread the word!