Updates to eBay’s Promoted Listings programme

[vinylscot]

I'd love to see how eBay can justify this changed to "promoted listings". (In an email received a few minutes ago.)

In future, if anyone ever clicks on a promoted listing, the promoted fee will be charged, even if the actual buyer did not find it through "promoted listings". I'll certainly be ending all my promotions. Almost every listing gets clicks at some time - this is crazy.

As a user of eBay Advertising, we want to make you aware of an update to general strategy campaigns on ebay.co.uk, ebay.fr, ebay.it, ebay.es and ebay.com.au. Starting from 24 June, items promoted with a general strategy will use the following attribution definition when reporting sales and charging ad fees:

An attributed sale will be when any buyer purchases the promoted item within 30 days of any click on the ad, regardless of whether the buyer themselves clicked on the ad. The item must be promoted at the time of click and the time of sale. The seller will be charged the ad rate at the time of sale.

[the-nutwood-collection]

You're right, but there can come a time when the gravy train hits the buffers.

For a number of years, I showed my sheep at a major agricultural show that could have taught eBay a thing or two about financial greed.  All the machinery companies were there - not because they secured massive sales from the show, but because all the other machinery companies were there.

One year, the show's financial greed became too much, and a couple of the major companies dropped out.  That broke the spell.  Other companies dropped out in subsequent years.

Sometimes, it only takes a few dissenters to make everyone sit up and take notice - and follow their lead.

[pokeboxuk]

Exactly, what you are describing is very similar to the theory of a 'trust thermocline'. Once a user is inside your (in this case eBay's) ecosystem, almost nothing you can do to them will make them leave. Except for when you reach that tipping point, and then they'll all leave at once.

And the real kicker is that you can't just undo the latest change and expect them to come back. The amount they put up with before they chose to leave is roughly equal to the amount of changes you'd need to rollback to entice them back again.

eBay seems to be finding this out currently with buyers, and in it's blind panic has decided that the 'solution' is to launch this scam (and yes this new ad policy is a complete scam that the ASA will probably have something to say about). They don't seem to have realised that getting buyers back is difficult, but getting sellers who cross the 'trust thermocline' back will be virtually impossible. I shut my shop the other day and am selling off my last listings. Once they're gone, I'm not going to ever go to the effort of building everything back up here even if they undid every single change they've made. The risk is too high and there are plenty of other selling platforms that add value rather than trying to extract more of a seller's own value for themselves.

Well that turned into a rant, didn't it.

[technthread]

I couldn’t believe that email the other day either but having let it sink in, I have to applaud them for being so brazen. 

Ok so I don’t have a lot up for sale but I did a test a few days ago. I never promoted at more than 2% but I had a DVD that was unsold on here for a long time promoted at 2%. I dropped the price from £25 to as low as around £7, took it down, did sell similar, tried to sell it on other platforms and had no joy. A few days ago I listed it with 10% promoted listing fee and have just sold it on offer for £20. It is only 1 item but my days of reducing price continually are over, it doesn’t work for me I just end up selling items elsewhere and cursing eBay. I have caved in to be honest, next week I plan to list a lot and actually make some money on here, if eBay need 25% in fees to give me sales then for me, so be it I’m afraid.

[bluemakala]

I'd not heard of a 'trust thermocline' before but what @pokeboxuk is saying makes absolute sense, especially this: The amount they put up with before they chose to leave is roughly equal to the amount of changes you'd need to rollback to entice them back again.

I've had this eBay account for almost 21 years! And another account with an eBay shop for less time. So over the years, I've seen loads of changes. Some have been good, others have not been at all beneficial to me as a Seller - but I've rolled with them and stuck it out. 

This latest announcement about Promoted Listings, together with the issues I'm having on my other account with the Estimated Delivery Date glitches, and the serious decline in sales and what seems like the flight of Buyers makes me feel that I have at last reached my personal 'tipping point.'

I think the charity shops will benefit. 

[gjalp]

Similar feeling here. I too have been here for over 20 years and this latest announcement is a knife in the ribs, followed through with a twist to make sure it stays. Ebay has finally worn me down and Im actually very resilient usually. 

[thetimetower]

I didn't want to admit sales are hitting the bricks but they are. Thing is I dont think its so much that buyers are leaving. I mean I'm not. Nothings changed for me as a buyer. Its more likely that ebay is now changing the layouts to ensure if you want to have any buyer looking at your item, u be paying them a hefty premium. PPC to appear at the top of results to me is gonna backfire hard. Only people who will take that option will be huge companies that can afford to sell stock at a massive discount. Tbh, most of those sellers will just stick to amazon. Now ebay fees are almost 5 times amazons.

[janor_1302]

I have been removing listings and taking them to the charity shop where I volunteer. I had a silk scarf listed for ages and despite being promoted, it didn’t sell. I listed it on the charity online shop on Friday afternoon (same photos, same price) and it sold immediately! So I really don’t think promoted listings get much promotion on eBay! I will be removing more items this week. Sadly there is no joy left selling on this platform 

[thetimetower]

Yeh I kinda have given up for now. I'm quite confident theyre going to realise this new PPC gouging is gonna cause a huge fallout. Just have to give it time. People who can afford to sell using PPC, i applaud them. Ebay were already taking about 60% of my profits so may as well not bother with this on top.

[p.c.for44]

Are sellers not able to turn on & off promoted listings whenever they like?

I once had a clever idea of turning it on for a few days to attract watchers then revised the listings to turn it off again.

It still didn't attract any buyers though. Every time I used promoted listings it was useless even if I kept it on or set it to a high percentage. Not one listing ever sold with promoted listings.

[jonatjonatjonat]

You can do that.

as it stands if someone clicked an ad then you turned off an ac, you’d still be charged if that buyer ordered that item within 30 days

from end of June you wouldn’t be charged if the ads were off at the time of purchase.

so you could I suppose increase your product price and advertise. If someone buys, you’ve increased the price e so no problem. Then remove the ad, but discount to the price you actually want and hope the watchers buy with no advertising.

eBay are of course banking on no-one turning off advertising, because the above becomes unmanageable at a certain point.

[messier44000]

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@jonatjonatjonat wrote:

"so you could I suppose increase your product price and advertise. If someone buys, you’ve increased the price e so no problem. Then remove the ad, but discount to the price you actually want and hope the watchers buy with no advertising."

Although now I put all my efforts into the website, public open days and you-tube sales, in my 

cats on here there are some sellers listing products at £50 - £100+ above RRP with high PLs. They sell because eBay pushes them, and many buyers do not know about a world outside eBay and will buy.

But unlike the scenario above, many sellers keep the price high once sold.

Could do this myself, but have to ask myself about the ethics and if as a seller I am giving 

the buyer value for money. Or should I just say if you can`t beat them join them and hope the 

buyer does not visit the website afterwards to find it cheaper - much cheaper.

Wonder if eBay themselves realise pushing PLs is pushing many prices higher and 

giving the buyer less value, with cheaper no PL products like for like unseen. Guess not when it gives them more ££s 

[thetimetower]

Thats not true tho. It was always 30 days for me. Was annoying.

[jonatjonatjonat]

What isn't true?

[kath3735_wxmjn]

I tried it with one item (only around £40, high price for my stuff!).  It was  a new suit, never worn (my sister bought several outfits in the build up to her childs wedding).   I ended up with less views than before and to compound it i got more when i took it off!   never again.  Although as i have delisted all my items due to SD that will not be a choice i need to consider.