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Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

As of April 2018, Ebay.com has decided to change its search algorithm to favor non-dropshippers over dropshippers. This can be found on google by search and seeing that a called company called SalesFreaks actually tried to sue Ebay for these changes. Ebay lawyers confirmed, the search algorithm was created to discriminate against dropshippers..

Here is the question, what methods does Ebay.com use to determine if someone is a dropshipper? Have measures can we take as dropshippers to murky Ebays detect of us? An obvious one that comes to mind are locations of image urls. Any thoughts?

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

I don't get it. People act like ebay works for them. They provide you with a selling platform, not the other way around.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

Don't know what method they use, but US seller , tracking number from china.. short investigation

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

Why do ebay hate dropshippers that much?

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

Because people shop ebay ... not Amazon, home depot, aliexpress etc etc so they want their customers to buy from the seller that they are buying from, not from the sellers source.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

I think it has more to do with the negative experience associated with dropshipping. Many dropshippers aren't transparent about delivery times etc. so a buyer in the UK buying from a seller in the UK, doesn't expect the item to take 30 to 35 days to deliver. So it opens up a lot of INR cases.

Then you have item pictures not matching the actual item received, again opening up a lot of cases.

I think it only works well when you have a reliable supplier, and your up front with customers about shipping times.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

They compare item location on your listing to where the product is being delivered from. Once bot finds enough discrepancies between item location and shipped from they flag your account.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

I was doing really well with one of my drop shipping accounts for about a month and suddenly all sales came to a complete stop. So they are definitely able to flag accounts. And I am sure this happens to all accounts they find “risky”.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

So it seems it is no so much who are you using as a dropshipper, rather ebay is looking where you have the item location and where the item is shipped from (using tracking information I presume?)

Anyone knows how this applies to a Ebay listing location of "multiple warehouses USA?" Are we in the clear if this is our shipping location and we ship from various places in the USA?

Where exactly were you dropshipping from?

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

I think it is definitely a combination of item location and whether your product ships from is matching however they are also scanning your API tools. I connected a repricer / monitor tool they will also flag your account as being a drop shipper. I was told by merchant support that another way they will catch you is of a buyer opens return and you provide return label that does not correspond with your item location.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

Yes, I have read this as well. One article I read was a buyer who hooked up with SalesFreaks and all of a sudden their sales began to tank. Do you have a reference or citation to Ebay monitoring your API tools?

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

The location theory is clueless speculation.

I have accounts that appear to originate from all over the country and none of them get bagged for dropshipping.

None of us would be able to operate stealth if this were true.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

I personally used SF for a long time now and other tools such as autoDS , pricematik, hydra lister + sku grid. And to clarify salefreaks did not sue eBay.com, they sue eBay Israel which is just a small branch. I don’t have to have citation, it is obvious to anyone who has been drop shipping for a while that it is one way for eBay to flag your account. It’s a no brainer.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

There is always someone who hasn’t been been flagged yet but the fact that I among other sellers were flagged, combined with eBay Israel admitting to lower listings of accounts that are drop shipping is more than just a speculation at this point. Merchant suport told me that in fact they do not flag accounts but listings based on item location. So whether they are also clueless or lying I can’t be sure.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

Does anyone know is this dropshipping discrimination applies to Ebay USA sellers or is it only Israeli sellers?

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

I recently restricted my account for the same reasons. eBay is very detailed about the tests they will accept. I provided screenshots of the "My Orders" section of my Alibaba account. I did not receive any physical or electronic invoices for the things I bought on Alibaba. However, I thought that the letter about the conformation received from them was connected to the photos in the section of my order, clearly showing the items I was selling. eBay would not agree with this, and after long discussions I decided to refuse.

However i did some mistakes over there but ebay dropshipping is much more easy about that i have read an article which was very much effective for me.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

I wouldn't be surprised if eBay banned dropshipping in the near future. It's already "semi banned"

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

I hope they will do so. Dropshippers drive legit and real businesses out of business while making very silly profits. Better get a regular job than destroy an entire micro-economy for no benefit except for a Chinese store somewhere.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

Please elaborate

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

I think it's more so "out of country" locations. And the miserably slow shipping that accompanies those account types.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

Of course. Let's suppose I have spent time researching a product on Alibaba and finally came up with a plan on how to bring it to the market (Amazon or eBay). Now I go buy the product and spend money on importing, storing, shipping...etc. A Chinese vendor somewhere in China has the product on Aliexpress.com, someone in the US for example sets up a dropshipping business and starts selling that same product making a very tiny profit on each sale.

Because Chinese vendors have the stupid philosophy of "sell a million item to make a million dollar", that dropshipping model was brought into existence.


The end result of all of this is the following:

1. That guy in the US made a laughable profit.
   
2. I was driven out of the market because I can't offer the ridiculously low prices that Chinese vendor is offering.
   
3. The Chinese vendor wins the game.

All of that comes with a risk for eBay btw (This is basically why the disfavored dropshippers and not because they care about anybody). Shipping times are usually outrageous, products are not as described...etc


On the long run, it is far better for eBay to have good local small-medium sized businesses that are capable of providing good customer service, quick shipping and quality products that having ****ty items with ****ty quality, but low prices.

Now you might say, but hey, is not that how the market is supposed to play out? The answer is a plain NO! The Chinese don't want anyone but their own people selling on Aliexpress.com for example. At the same time, they get involved in import tax evasion schemes and they bring havoc to local businesses in the US and the EU.

Re: Ebay.com DropShipping Search Algorithm 2018
 

Chinaman make item. Chinaman sell item. Screw you stupid American.