Private Sellers and eBay promo coupon codes...

[joe_fonebone]

Just done a bunch of listings as a Private Seller and on checking them I noticed that they all have a 5% discount coupon code (BALFEB5).

It's highly likely I'm going to make myself look like a complete horses' asre here but am I right in thinking that eBay automatically placing discount coupons on Private Seller's listings is a new thing or has it always been the case? 

I was under the impression that when promotions like this were run they were only ever placed on Business Seller's listings.

[lucy_farmer · Accepted solution]

'on Private Seller's listings is a new thing or has it always been the case? '

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I think it's a new thing.

And the code 'BALFEB'... that *might* refer to 'balance'. (Balance being what a private seller has in their account after selling stuff) being used within Feb?

So , if I'm right about 'bal', these codes should only be available for sellers to use.

  Ebay would like to encourage private sellers to spend their balance on ebay, as we discovered a few weeks ago (in the contents of a speech by the CEO  of ebay) that  " private sellers who also buy are among the most valuable customers of ebay ".

This is an interesting comment, seeing as the recent and soon-to-happen changes, have made lots of private sellers go green around the gills and think seriously about leaving.

I think ebay are trying to entice private sellers to stay ?

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If I'm wrong about 'BAL' , ignore this whole post   😁.

[sid.123]

i believe its ebays way to keep money inhouse... using money from your available balance means less you can withdraw. the coupons are only for available balance payments only. you cant use paypal or card etc.

it seems to me they want to be like paypal and keep a pot of money in house, proberly earning interest, they can simply move it on your behalf from customer to customer. Anything you withdraw from the system is money lost by them.

[tpogodin]

I suggested in another thread they should just waive the BPF if you're paying using your balance, I guess 5% is a start although it's only one redemption and then that's it for this month presumably. 

[joe_fonebone]

Yeah, I actually rang eBay myself as I was a bit taken aback by the appearance of the offer and I just wanted a few points clarifying. I was told that I'd get the full amount of the sale and that eBay swallows the discount.  If it is an attempt at getting Sellers to stay I'd say that it's a pretty good move but perhaps too little too late.

The problem with eBay lately though is all the tweaks - first there was the free clothing listing, then there were genuinely free listings that then became faux free listings with the introduction of a Buyer's / Seller's Fee and now this.  It all seems as if the way the site operates is being made up as they go along, it smacks of desperation which is never a good look and doesn't inspire confidence in a platform that people are trying to sell on.

[plant-gang]

I had the same issue, this is already getting worse, I don't get any sales unless the listing has been promoted. And now on top of that the Buyer Protection Fee, the sale price is gone high. The buyers think its the seller who has increased the prices. eBay is being difficult on private sellers as it seems likely they want broadly only business sellers in their platform!!!!!