The Death of Auctions?

[ett1954]

Has anyone seen this gem to come soon in the summer update to affect auctions (my bold italics):

Reducing unpaid items

Placing a bid

Additionally, buyers on select auctions will be required to set up a preferred payment method and postal address before they can place a bid. After winning an auction, they’ll have one hour to adjust their order or payment details, otherwise we’ll automatically process their order using their preferred payment method. No action is required from the seller.

These changes will help to improve the auction process on eBay by providing buyers with the ability to decide how they want to pay, whilst also ensuring that sellers receive payment for their sales. The goal is to foster a more efficient and dependable experience for the entire eBay community.

From FAQs:

No changes are needed with how you set up your listings. You should expect to see fewer unpaid items on items sold through auctions as we test and launch changes.

You can still combine multiple purchases from the same buyer in a single shipment, but please be aware that a buyer may be automatically charged for postage costs for each individual item when payments are processed.

As a buyer, you may be prompted to provide a payment method and select a postal address prior to placing a bid on an auction. You'll have the ability to edit these details before the auction ends. If you win the auction, you'll be given a one hour period to make any changes. If no changes are made, we’ll automatically charge your default payment method. 

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There is no opt out mentioned for this 'feature'; without one it will be the end of auctions on eBay for me.  A few things immediately spring to mind.  I don't have problems with non-payers but I do have regular, long-standing buyers of 8 years or more who bid on items spanning across 10 days or even longer.  Combining multiple wins into one order is a necessity; especially with lower value items.

Many of my buyers are international and on a completely different time zone - what they win can determine how and where they want it sent (forwarding agents, etc.)  How do they respond in an hour if an auction is finishing at 3 am for them, or if they are at work, travelling, etc.

I had thought eBay had learnt their lesson from the debacle of immediate payments on Buy it Now listings.  My acceptance level from offers sent is now virtually nil.  What I do foresee is an increase in 'remorse' returns for business sellers running auctions in some sectors.  Sure we will see a lot less non-payers ..... this will be in conjunction with a lot less sales.

One final question for eBay - where is this supposed feedback you received stating sellers want this ........ nobody has asked me.  Has anyone on these boards been asked?  Please publish this data along with the agency you commissioned to carry out the research.

[ett1954]

"BEWARE !! ebay keep changing the selection to opt you in, ...."

Very true; you have to constantly check these boxes haven't reverted to the default on both the auction and Buy it Now settings.

It has also been well documented on the boards that members find the GSP setting is set back to on after having switched it off.  Any feature which has an option or choice to make should have the default set to 'off' in my opinion; especially in the case of GSP as in some categories it can have legal consequences for the seller.

[wjkm3570]

Ebay are a law unto themselves. I have had purchases canceled by ebay with no requests from me and no explanation.  There should be regulation by law and scrutiny by a regulatory body with fines. As you say I will be a lot less likely to buy multiple smaller priced items on ebay if I have to pay multiple fees for postage. I agree this will hit ebays sales. Oh well it was good while it lasted. 

[clairew143]

I've just had this on an auction item I have sold, so looks like it is now being implemented.    I hadn't even realised this was going to happen until the item was sold and I got a message on it saying Autopay on 4 Aug 2024. Payment will process automatically on 4 Aug 2024 at 9:16pm BST. I was confused so came to fhis community to see if I could find out about it all. 

I would hope people bidding and selling on Ebay realise this is happening but I doubt it until it happens to them, as it has with me.  

I think you won't get unpaid items but sellers will see an increase in requests to return items.   Buyers won't have a choice in paying.  But if they get the item and didn't really intend paying for it, they will just request to return it.  You can say no returns on the auction listing.  But if they request to return and you say no, do you really want to run the risk of them leaving negative feedback?  Would Ebay remove it under those conditions, I doubt it. 

[a45heaven]

Somebody noted that if you go to your buyer requirements (https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements) there is a checkbox stating "Require buyers to provide a payment method before they place a bid ".

Above is the link you need to keep checking regularly, as ebay keep opting sellers in.

Out of interest, did the funds go straight into your bank? or is it just ebay that gets the speeded up payment.

[clairew143]

Thanks for the link.  Useful to know you can change it.   The email from Ebay still says it can take up to 2 days for funds to clear.  But it was automatically paid last night and funds have cleared by this morning. 

[a45heaven]

You will need to keep checking that you have not been opted in , other sellers have reported this being in-acted upon them.

But it was automatically paid last night and funds have cleared by this morning. 

Oh OK so still not instant like ebay demand ( and they get from the buyers), and indeed just how we used to get it from Paypal. Progress ?

[anne.craig]

I was just showing my husband where/how to set these options and when I went into mine, they'd all been changed!  No wonder I've sold so little recently, I'm so annoyed.  What gives them the right to change my selling policies when it's not to something they've made compulsory?

[a45heaven]

Exactly - once the powers that be in ebay think they have a good idea, and the users of the platform think otherwise, then how would they get those members to opt in apart from covertly. Sad place these days.

So if you stay, im sorry youll have to keep checking 😞

Somebody noted that if you go to your buyer requirements (https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements) there is a checkbox stating "Require buyers to provide a payment method before they place a bid ".

[theelench]

Ebay is a very sad place these days with all the under-handed coercion that ebay has built into the site.  I wonder if this will become another of those "recurring glitches" that should be checked for before listing anything.

Like the "Allow buyers to make (insulting) offers" box that re-ticks itself periodically. (I can at least ignore those)

Like the GSP box that re-enrolls me into International Shipping whenever ebay decides to tick it for me, yet again.

Like paying Promotional Fees for "extra" visibility when it's increasingly clear that until I pay-up I will get zero visibility and zero sales.

Possibly there are other examples that I don't get but others do?

[1956glyn]

I agree with yr 1st paragraph.

What i am finding lately is.....more and more annoying "buyers" who bombard me with "questions" telling me how much to sell my item to them for (usually really low amounts) even after i have said no sorry that item is already listed at a very fair price.     Said items usually end up selling to someone else at my starting price.

[theelench]

I haven't had any of those types of "questions" for a long time which makes me suspect that they learnt that I wouldn't be persuaded to reduce my already reasonable prices.

I also suspect that most / all the questions came from the same few Watchers I get on all my listings when I didn't send them offers, as ebay constantly tells me I should.

I wouldn't even be too sure that "Said items usually end up selling to someone else at my starting price".   Having had their sob-stories / reasons why I've over-priced the item and 'you'll wait a long time to get such a high price', all ignored.  It's probably the same dealer buying the item, knowing all along that it is was a fair price, but trying to increase their margins

IMO ebay's encouragement of offers to-ing and fro-ing combined with searching by IS that has totally confused and put-off so many buyers has left ebay as a buyers market.  With few non-business buyers to give the dealers any competition it has wrecked the collectables market and pressured many private sellers into selling their items for next to nothing.

The other site I sell on does have MAO as an option, but I don't use it, as my prices are reasonable.  I get perhaps one or two unsolicited offers a year (mostly sensible, like 'If I buy 2 items will you do a deal?').  I've never sold anything on an auction, all my sales have been BIN and the buyers happy to pay the full asking price.   It's only on ebay that it's become a constant struggle to get anything like a decent price.

[vintique*violet]

As a buyer, you may be prompted to provide a payment method and select a postal address prior to placing a bid on an auction. You'll have the ability to edit these details before the auction ends. If you win the auction, you'll be given a one hour period to make any changes. If no changes are made, we’ll automatically charge your default payment method.  

Thank you for this, however I am confused - in all my years on ebay I have never had a non payer until within the last two months and I have had 6, with one waiting until the 4th day to pay... the rest simply ignore. I have spoken to ebay about this and advised to block after the 4 days and that ebay automatically cancel the transaction anyhow.  It is frustrating and as a private seller, 5 unpaids are a lot as I do not sell that amount in a week! So with the new system or without, " buyers" are still not paying...so how is that working? Today I have opted out of the " opt in"  ( prior payment method) to see if it changes anything? I suspect lots of sales are not completed as buyers are not willing to do this. I personally no  longer make offers as it prompts the " prior payment" and states this will be used for all future payments... this does not work for me as I use different forms of payment depending on value etc.  

[a45heaven]

much the same here - as a buyer i avoid any seller who sends me offers. Also the same for any who have been opted in ( or have themselves opted into) to the provide a prior payment farce.

Who on earth would trust ebay with their payment methods?

As a seller, losing the inability (4 days only to pay) to combine shipping for my buyers is losing sales on marginal items.

The slippery slope is getting much steeper of late , maybe a closure should not be frowned upon in the long term.

Alternative sales venues should be investigated, they couldnt be worse ?

Oh sorry  for spelling errors but we are into the third week of no spell check on these threads, glad we got the Photo Feedback sorted - anyone had one yet?

[vintique*violet]

I just do not understand the zero visibility - I will never pay to promote so if the views are less then Ebay will have to do without making any money, although since private sellers are not subject to fees now - perhaps that is the plan - to make ebay a huge market place for " thriving" businesses only and China of course. 

The little sellers are not good enough ? Albeit that is where their platform success evolved from...

[ett1954]

@vintique*violet   I have done the same.  When you send an offer include something along the lines below in the message section of send an offer:

"Thanks for your interest.  Here's a chance to get this item at a lower price.

Note: I do not have immediate payment activated, thus allowing you to choose your payment method, change destination address or use click & collect."

It helps.

[vintique*violet]

Thank you so much. 

[bzmotman]

Use very similar but I also include "& request a combined invoice if applicable"

[bzmotman]

"As a seller, losing the inability (4 days only to pay) to combine shipping for my buyers is losing sales on marginal items."

Have you checked Postage preferences - Allow combined payments & postage - combined payments. You have a number of options as to how long you allow buyers to combine purchases - mine is set to 30 days as most of my sales are to regular buyers.

[ett1954]

That's another good addition however the limit on the number of characters you can use restricts the features you can add.

[theelench]

No,  not quite, although the headline is "It's FREE to sell" there are exceptions.  Sell overseas, you pay, use any optional add-ons with a price tag, you pay and I'm pretty sure if you decide to Sponsor your listing, you pay.

Although Sponsoring is supposed to buy you extra visibility and move you to the top of the search results it is effectively condemning anyone who doesn't to being below those that do.  In a Collectables category that is quite niche that might not be too bad.  Although last year and the year before I managed to only sell 13 items in 12 months, this year ebay is really trying to push me into sponsoring by only letting me sell 4 items.

Sick of the whole charade, I now have no live listings.