Is eBay actually dying? Or is it just private sellers that are suffering?

[simplybygone]

Ok I know I only sell a handful of things but I'm getting no views and few watchers. Things were much better a year or so ago. Are auctions falling out of favour?

[incredible_how]

Do you mean you are buying from private sellers who ought to be business seller?
I'm a private seller and I buy from other private sellers, because of the type of things I am looking for (but also buy them from business sellers). They are not scammers and neither am I! They are selling their stuff - or stuff they've inherited.

Unless I really can't find something elsewhere I avoid buying from private sellers who really should be business sellers - lots of new stuff - because it's not right really. 

And not just sales but views are down, because private sellers are encouraged to act like business sellers and promote their items now there are no seller fees...just buyer fees

[suelel1968]

@incredible_how

Hi, i think private seller bashing will be an Olympic sport at the next games!  I have had dodgy antics by Business sellers over the years that private sellers have never tried. But i read some stuff on the forum usually about mobile phones and cameras which make me understand the vitriol. Tarring everyone with the same brush is stupid. We are just good sellers and bad sellers subject to largely the same guidelines which ebay fail to police properly or even understand themselves. 

[bigjdeee]

I for one am leaving having been a member from its inception. As a buyer I am fed up with eBay withholding my money for items that their useless courier Evri have failed to deliver. They simply get Evri to update the status every 10 days with ‘at our depot’ or out for delivery’ and eBay then claims it gives them the right to extend the refund claim for another 10 days. This could literally go on for months. Obviously the way they train their staff to shut down conversations with ‘is there anything else I can help you with’ knowing this is just the equivalent of screw you there is nothing you can do. 
so I am shorting eBay shares and intend to spread the word about eBay’s demise. Good riddance to them.

[yorks_guy67]

Totally agree.

My account is just going through the closure process.

Regards

Sent from Outlook<> for iOS

[gjalp]

As far as I could tell, they looked to be a private seller and whilst the item was new, it appeared to be a one off/unwanted gift. Turns out it wasn’t since if it had been, the description would have been correct. I had checked their other items and it seemed the seller was having a clearout with the majority of items used…even I have the odd new in box item I purchased in a sale then changed my mind on, so have sold it. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. 

[gjalp]

I’ve experienced that and it ended with Evri changing the status from ‘at the depot’ to ‘delivered’ 3 weeks later and it hadn’t been delivered at all. I lost out on the money and the item. I asked to see the delivery photo and GPS and wasn’t given it. I got ‘its been delivered so contract has been fulfilled’.  Evri is notoriously bad in my area. You either don’t receive your delivery or you discover its been left in some random place that is someone else’s address and the chance of getting it is virtually zero.

[incredible_how]

Evri have only lost one of my eBay items I sold. The tracking and GPS showed that it hadn't been delivered. I was refunded the postage cost and the buyer their payment. I made a few phone calls about it but they did sort it in the end. Perhaps I was lucky.

[mariacwnn]

its like the last few days of blockbuster or woolworths.....rip ebay

[gjalp]

You got lucky I think. Our local pages are full of photos with ‘this is my parcel, its not my house’ posts and people asking others if anyone recognises the location. Nearly always Evri parcels.

[incredible_how]

I know that we are lucky with local Evri delivery. We are rural, so less houses to make mistakes with maybe , and the family of the people who run it locally, were the local milk delivery people, so I guess they know the area pretty well. And technically they are our next but one neighbours but that's quite a distance... A number of younger/newer delivery people, do leave the parcel on the doormat rather than the chair in porch that says please leave here! And one didn't notice he was leaving half a long box, which was empty.

[dsm330]

Ebay have teamed up with  thieving crooks Evri for delivery. Can’t rely on anything getting delivered anymore. 4 out of my 5 last purchases went missing/were stolen and ebay couldn’t care less. As long as Evri notifies as delivered - that’s evidence of delivery enough for them so no refunds. No point in me ever using ebay anymore.

[apton95]

Yes you are spot on. I sell very little over a year but for the last 5 months I get very little views and even less bidders.

ebay is a busted flush

[coyotetower]

Tbh with temu local offering no commission for sellers etc and the sheer greed of ebay, most sellers are jumping ship. I've registered for flat rate VAT so obv now need to sell goods as cheaply as possible. I've realised that it just isnt possible on ebay anymore. If you're not handing over half your "profits" for their ridiculous priority promotions, u can forget getting sales in any competitive field. Ebay are gonna finally start realising they can't bully the market about anymore. They finally have competition.

[rhps0101]

Well, as someone who has just sold two things only to have both buyers fraudulently claim they are not as described just so they can get a full refund, whilst leaving me out of pocket, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if things are declining. I, for one, will never sell anything on there again now. I’m a pensioner and cannot afford to be out of pocket because some scaly has changed their mind so decided to use INAD just to get their money back. EBay’s policy is so weighted towards buyers, it’s completely unfair to sellers now. 

[kath3735_wxmjn]

I stopped selling back when SD came in but still come on here looking for items i want to buy.  Yesterday i was looking for a particular type of jacket and i put the specifics in, result was several pages of NEW items from businesses, apparently private sellers with pre owned items did not have one on offer, which i found odd.   Tried a few times using different words and suddenly - hey presto private sellers were included.   The wording should not have affected the types of offerings but obviously e bay were pushing the business sellers and keeping out the private ones from showing.  Happened a couple of weeks ago as well  on a pair of boots i was looking for.   In the end V got my business and that is also not the easiest site to find what you are looking for but at the moment better than here.

[inpoughkeepsie]

It is usually quicker and better to use google when searching for specific things as google tends to show what is actually available on ebay.

[gengarama]

On desktop if you go to the bottom of the filters on the left hand side of the search results and click "more filters" and then "seller"

You can choose to only see items from private sellers

[crash_salvage_repair]

probably due to most private sellers being scammers, ive been ripped last month £400+ frm privates luckily paid through ebay so got my moneyback even the buyer protection fees,  but delay and held money whilst had to wait for the seller make it right period, now only buy from a private  if desperate for the item or just wait for a business seller  or look elsewhere first, buyin off private is last resort for me 

and most of these are privates runnin a business and dodgin the fees then trying to rip you, one women was selling fakes , then when questioned it begged to give the item for free if dont leave her a neg, just reported her to ebay and told her to bin the fake, she defo knew what was doing came across someone who has bought frm designer shops so can spot a fake, she had 0000s of feedbacks as a private seller more like business doing sideline undeclared income and sellin fakes to uneducated people, had another guy selling caps he was printin off his own labels and claimin they were genuine then sent one of his fake caps by mistake without a label as i clocked him, again a private seller (scammer)  he refunded straight away as didnt want to send the "genuine" item total scammer 

no drop in business sales frm my own business  a/c's its none stop especially from international buyers, even had a international customer from Argentina see the parts being sold by a private who wanted him to transfer the money direct then he would post, sure, told him dont bother he rob u for sure, as his a fraud running a business as a private account no end of them on ebay BUT what goes around comes around so they say, so u can see its the risk and the sheer amount of private seller scammers thats no doubt causin a drop in sales

any1 want to challenge this , have facts to backup my statements which can be provided with no issues at all!!!!

[crash_salvage_repair]

nothing can touch ebay, from my business they have a truly global foot print nothing comes close u have buyers spending 0000s on parts sat 0000s of miles away as they have total confidence in the ebay brand, temu is just a scam sellin knock off rubbish no safety whatsoever, its all fake safety certificates, bought a 12v car hot drinks warmer, it blew several fuses in my car as no cut off to stop overheating,  the wire was so hot u could fry bacon off it, its just total rubbish and like they say if you buy cheap u usually buy again 

[incredible_how]

It is shocking how some items just don't come up on a search in eBay and when finding them via different means eg google, the words do match my original search.  Not very good for sellers
I find vinted even worse for searching, probably for different reasons, I think they have less tick boxes for item description/details, and things I need to to cost a lot more on vinted (very practical UV protection clothing), but others have bought amazing bargains of designer and similar clothes.

I buy a lot of vintage/second hand stuff from private and business sellers. If I'm looking for something new I will only buy from a private seller who clearly is not running a business.