Private sellers getting little interest from buyers?

[welshjester]

What's going on with eBay? I have excess stuff - luckily most of it I've gotten rid of over the past couple of years, I still have a bit more to go, mix of used & new items.

I've noticed though that some of my things get 0/low views and then when I check recently sold listings of the same or similar things that I'm trying to sell some people are paying at least £5+ more for the same item (like https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226875321642) from business sellers, and I even added an extra item to go with this example.

Anyone know what's going on? Poor visibility for private sellers or something? Last few months has been garbage for trying to sell almost anything, even if lowering the price to silly levels.

[plpmr]

Now there's a buyer protection fee numerous buyers check out sellers and its surprising just how many business sellers are trading as private sellers.

Meaning the buyer is paying the fees the seller should be paying.

[wyntersemporium]

Or they’ve jumped ship to another platform 

[jonatjonatjonat]

That particular figure is currently selling for £12.60 on Amazon (though granted it doesn't come with the plush sonic) but in general - as above - the buyer protection fee and simple delivery has aggravated the user base.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Have you not considered the fact, that we are almost in a recession?
We have had two months straight now where it's been negative.  Another one and we officially are.

Everywhere is finding it tough going and people are not spending on things that are not essentials.

It seem like every other day another retailer is closing it's doors for the last time....

[edwardian-dreams]

It’s not just private sellers,  many business sellers are posting about low sales 

Personally I am averaging about one sale every 2/3 weeks 

[moonlight-rhapsody]

I've just taken another batch of items to an auction house.  I can see the results of their previous auctions and the cost of living doesn't seem to have affected auction buyers in the real world.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Yet, it's affected every site that I sell on.  Not just Ebay.

Just comparing to a single thing, is not really the point is it?

[jckl1957]

The bidders are still out there and I have found it completely depends what you are selling.

Currently I have a branded Miracle brooch for sale - a few years ago, that would have been snapped up.  It has had 3 views.

At the weekend, I listed a gold pendant. In 4 days, it has had 40 views and 9 watchers.

However, year on year, my personal selling on Ebay has declined.

If you look on the business seller part of the forum, it's the same story there.  And business sellers have premises to rent and staff to pay.

Maybe as food prices and energy bills increase, seemingly month on month, people are just buying less 'stuff'.

[leea.000]

I am seeing the same thing too, low views. I recently took down a couple of listings with 0 views after 3 months of being listed. Coupled with BPF and being forced into simple-delivery; I feel buyers have moved elsewhere - something I need to do too. 

[susapric-68]

Not just eBay, all sites are seeing a downturn in traffic. Amazon reported traffic down for the first day of prime day compared to previous years. Without going political but no one knows how much money they will have to spend so are cutting back. Best to make sure you have more than 1 site with your items on to try and get customers

[theelench]

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@edwardian-dreams wrote:

It’s not just private sellers,  many business sellers are posting about low sales 

Personally I am averaging about one sale every 2/3 weeks 

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How does that compare with what you were selling this time last year ?

Last year, on the other site I sell on I'd sold over 20 items (vintage glass) between Jan. and April.  I sold 1 in May and only 5 more up to the end of December.  This year only 5 items in total so far.

Just my opinion as a pensioner but in March / April last year I had Notice of Coding on my two  (small) private works pensions.

Due to increases in the State Pension I'd reached the point where I started getting (after tax) less in my bank than I did the year before, despite index linking increases.

I also do a (2 hour a day) part-time job where from having a Tax Code from what was left of my Tax Allowance, I went onto BR code.  So again my (minimum wage) pay rise was all but wiped out.

I'm probably not the only one that is seeing less going to their bank each month due to the insidious effect of frozen Tax Thresholds, although in total I am just less better off.

Just like the BPF on ebay, which was previously a seller  fee, which now looks like a new fee on buyers.  For many monthly income seeming to go down must be worrying although they are actually only getting smaller increases.  But I think there is still a perception that they are having a pay cut so cutting back on spending even more than they would normally.

[sweetcharity.2013]

Along with BPF, SD & the cost of living, I would add that eBay recently updated their site so many mobile phone users have more limited access & the latest innovation of having to be 'authorised' to buy by getting a code sent to your phone. All these little things keep adding to what has now become a PITA to buy here. Personally I've moved to buying more, although buying less generally, to sellers own sites & the river, so I browse here less & less missing stuff that before would be an impulse buy - usually from a private seller.

[jckl1957]

I really don't think those Ebay factors are to blame. 

Year on year my sales have dropped.

Two years ago, I sold about 300 items.

Last year, before BPF, nearly 200.

This year - will be lucky to sell 150.

The impact of the BPF is small - £5 on a £100 is a lot lower than inflation and with SD buyers pay less postage for my items than I would charge.

My two adult children both have a good amount of disposable income but they don't buy the sort of things private sellers have for sale on Ebay.

[sweetcharity.2013]

I really don't think those Ebay factors are to blame. 

Well strangely all those little tweaks have had a big impact on my spending here resulting in my purchases being more wide spread & less impulsion buys - which would have been from private sellers usually.

Oh yes, postage. Now that's another thing that puts me off buying, so I look for free shipping when I spend over X amount also on other sites.

[waybackwhen88]

 I believe it’s down to a few factors: 

• Simple delivery is working for everyone  

• Buyer protection fees 

• Cost of living

• The eBay app is extremely buggy — mine crashes every time I open it

• I’m definitely missing 'saved search notifications' so I missing the opportunity to buy an item 

• The app still has a bug where trying to edit text descriptions scrambles everything so this makes listing  from the phone a pain 

Since around 2003, I’ve mainly just sold off old doubles from my record collection and used the funds for other records or music-related stuff.

I’m not saying I won’t ever buy on the platform but I’ve always used it this way. 

A sale fuels a purchase 

I can’t be the only one with this strategy.

Personally, I can’t be bothered with eBay in current state 

[therenewalworkshopltd]

You do of course realise, that there is no such thing as free shipping?

That cost is always part of the equation, even if the listing says free.
It's charged in the price instead!

[sweetcharity.2013]

You do of course realise, that there is no such thing as free shipping?

I'm not stupid, I've tended not to buy  multiple items here from the same seller that include shipping as I know it's not free.

I'm referring to the free shipping on some retail sites buy one item at £X + shipping  Or buy more, spend £X & get no shipping added. The cost of the items don't change but I'm not charged shipping on top. Most times I bulk order to save extra shipping costs. 

[therenewalworkshopltd]

And that is exactly the same thing.  It would simply be a multi buy discount on Ebay instead!
There is also nothing stopping you from asking a seller to combine postage and make it cheaper too.

So whatever price your buying at, just because they don't add postage on to it, does not mean that it is cheaper in the first place!

[48484]

As far as I am concerned , ebay has made a huge mistake with bpf and compulsory simple delivery. It will drive away both buyers and sellers.  Why oh why didn't they just keep to 10 percent all in , sellers commission -- that worked fine for years . There was no need to change that. The rot started when they saw fit to charge sellers a commission on the p&p and its gone downhill ever since with more and more ridiculous ideas. I think also that ebay has had its peak years already , the novelty has worn off now and to make more controls and stupid restrictions on both buyer and seller is shooting themselbss in the foot.    In about 3 months time they'll do a u turn realising they've made a mistake but I fear many people have just had enough of all their daft decisions.  Too late now ebay !    If you want my business as a private seller ,  harge me 10 percent  but allow md to control  the p&p.  If  you don't , then its good bye ebay hellio auction house for me too.