DROP IN SALES SINCE NEW BUYER PROTECTION 4TH FEB 2025

[lo.maggi]

Has anyone else noticed lack of sales since the buyer protection update 4th february 2025. I used to sell quite a lot and virtually sold nothing since 4th Feb. Can anyone else relate to this and what can we do?

[specialk1937]

Really?
Who said anything about a fight? You should learn to disagree without being
disagreeable!!

[hayes1645]

Children STOP IT!!!

[kath3735_wxmjn]

not quite sure what you mean as i think no one can ever say that i have no opinion or am not prepared to give them!  (By the way not sure the real 'devils advocate' on here would be happy thinking i was trying to take his place...)   I just try to be fair, i do not like the new system (yet to hear from anyone that does) but after a long lifetime i also know that any new system that comes in is going to upset some.  I personally will not be selling if or when they make SD mandatory.  Cutting off my nose etc but i will not be told how/when/where to post my parcels.   In all fairness it may be a good system as a some people seem to think it is but it will not suit me. 

[specialk1937]

In general. I am all for change, but if a thing isn't broke don't fix it!

[thevinylrevolution]

You’re obviously lucky compared to a lot of us whose sales have definitely declined quite a lot over this last six weeks. It does come and go, always has, but for me it’s definitely got quite a lot worse since February 4th.
It doesn’t seem to matter what you sell either!
Sent from my iPhone

[andha-21]

I've decided to dip my toes back in the water. Basically have to as I bought some models that I now need to compensate for.

But I've been watching my main areas of interest the entire time and certain areas have taken major hits, auctions crashing out far lower than they used to.

I got an OOP Forgeworld model last week for £66. The last well painted one sold just over a month ago for £125 and that was it's normal price bracket. 

Other Forgeworld items I watch have completely crashed too and these are the models that normally only go up in price. Most are out of print and can be very rare.

The normal model market finally seems to be stabilising a bit though.

So it's definitely created issues and it's probably going to hurt alot of sellers before things get better. It looks like they've created a buyers market and that is just absolute stupidity when you don't control the sellers or their items.

[*devils.advocate*]

Nobody is allowed to play me!!

And I'm not blind, ta muchly!!

[rosslee21]

yes, there is a significant drop in sales since the new rules took effect and I am not surprised Sellers are looking elsewhere for another selling platform.   Such a shame but Ebay will feel the hit and it is down to them.

[mle_supplies]

Does anyone know if eBay UK has commented on this subject. Or do they lie and pretend sales haven't dropped 

[specialk1937]

Agreed! This will end up being a self inflicted wound on ebay's part

[embicycle]

Surely a subtle U turn will occur 

[smartsgaming]

Wishful thinking. I think its way more likely they will reintroduce listing fees to make up for the money theyre losing. Or knowing ebay they will introduce a sellers protection fee as well. I do find it quite funny that ebay calls these fake fees "protection", because thats the exact trick the mafia uses to rob people of their money. Yes ebay. It is a protection racket. At least theyre honest!

The only remaining question for me is where do we all migrate too? Its all well and good complaining about ebay, but vinted just seems like an ebay version 2. We need a better alternative and it baffles me we dont have one. Theres surely somebody out there right now looking at ebays skyfalling sales and licking their lips. 

[wintersdawn1]

Once ebay are done shafting their own platform due to their incessant greed, maybe they'll be taken over and someone else will run it better.

[specialk1937]

I did think of a car boot as an alternative, but with that most people
expect something for nothing!

[carinya.designs]

Completely dead here too, normally sell around 30-40 a day... lucky to sell 2 or 3 in the last week or so

[smartsgaming]

Not a bad shout, I went last weekend (just buying) and there are loads of stalls now that are clearly just businesses, and their prices were on par with a shop (more expensive than ebay for the most part), and they were still getting plenty of custom which did surprise me because I wouldnt have paid his prices. But the average person will pay more to have the item right here right now and observe it before buying. I might give it a go, ill be able to bring prices down a bit as well because not paying ebays share. Definitely worth looking into! 

[podlingsmum2007]

Only one item sold since the buyer fee began. Not getting many views at all. The same listings in the 'send an offer' list and they either don't have any watchers or they are sellers of similar item. As a buyer, I admit I'm not even watching anything. I have no saved searches, no saved sellers. Clothes are what I generally buy but I'm more likely to try the high street for sales than pay ebay a fee and inflated postage costs. When ebay made clothes fee to sell I thought it was a good move for the second hand market. Especially as clothing manufacturing is the biggest global cause of environmental destruction. I have many favourite clothing items sourced from eBay up until January.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

That is so true, i do car boots all summer and it is certainly not for profit!     For most stuff if it is not under a pound then people do not want to know.   At least for the basics, did quite well last year on some old farm stuff like the metal milk churn etc but even then it was a struggle!  (mind you i buy all my jigsaws off there at better prices than the charity shops!   Its an addiction now, i still have 50+ from last year and i am pretty sure that from next sunday i will be adding to them)  At least on here you do not have people keep nagging you to take 20p for a £1 item.....

[kath3735_wxmjn]

Ours starts next week depending on the weather of course!  When i am buying i tend to avoid the 'business' type stalls, usually cheap tat for expensive prices(for a car boot).  Its much more fun looking through real car booters stuff, amazing what stuff you can find.  Never came away empty handed yet, mind you for some reason i never haggle, just pay what they are asking if its what i want.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

I have sold 18 which is much more than usual.  Views are about the same (not many) and i have watchers but i have found that the majority of watchers very rarely ever actually buy.   One item when i put it on a few weeks ago had something 40/50 views and 9 watchers, still on!   Now in December i had no sale until the 28th!    As a buyer i never watch anything, just either bid on it or forget it.