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Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

Hi!

Quick rundown... I started DS items on eBay summer 2017. I had some small success in the beginning earned a few hundred dollars and then eBay cracked down and put a ban on the hunting stuff I was selling and my sales have been a trickle ever since. I try to list a few items a month to see how they do but I have next to no luck. In the past 31 days I've had 6 sales.I spend about two hours a day trying to research new items to list and prune the ones I have I try to keep around 10-20 items up. I am just wondering am I doing something wrong? I am sourcing items for Aliexpress and DH gate, Is DS dead and Im wasting my time? I am trying to grow it organically and not using a listing software and Im not too keen on sniping by DS genie. Im just kind of lost at this point and felt like I got super into DS and was headed in the right direction and then had the rug pulled right out from me.

Any tips, ideas or tricks to help me find a new direction for my eBay DS store.

Should I snipe List more, List more items, or should I just walk away? just kind of lost with my next step.

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

DS is a valid business model and is very much alive. It's gaining popularity and momentum every day; and it's easy to see why. You don't risk your own cash and can have almost unlimited inventory to sell.

I'd suggest switching the category and listing more stuff. Successful DSers have tens of thousands of listings; and even if 1-2% sell, that'd be still huge $ for them.

Also make sure that you're taking advantage of cash back and coupons if you're going to do this seriously.

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

I confirm, DS is still working very well, you just need to find a good selling category with less competition.

I don't see how you're not using a listing software, how are keeping track of price changes?

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

Welcome to the forum - all the best as you master stealth :thumb:

Avoid double posting for the future please OP:

http://www.aspkin.com/forums/dropshi...questions.html

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

DS still works however they came hard on drop shippers since April 21st. Many including myself saw decrease by as much as 50-70% in traffic and therefore sales. They flag accounts based on your item location, API, and other attributes. While DS is allowed on eBay, they lower your ranking for all of your products once your account is flagged as a drop shipping account.

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

I never heard anything like that!
On which country you’ selling?

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

Hi OP, contrary to what the others have said I also feel that DS and selling on eBay is dead / almost dead! I have been in the e-Commerce industry for 10+ years this is what I think. E-Commerce is going fast downhill, is pretty horrible, and it really is not as good as it used to be.

Why do I say this?

1. There are WAY too many sellers. Thousands of sellers coming from China, Thailand, etc. with lower living costs so they are willing to sell anything just for a <$1 profit.

2. Because of the above, eBay nowadays is WAY too over-saturated and over-competitive compared to 5-10 years before. Anything you have thought about selling, someone else is already doing it at a fraction of the price. You can throw away any new ideas, and even if it IS profitable, the profits would be so low that it would be even create a realistic salary.

3. All of the saturation and competitive will weed out and create barriers of entry for any potential new sellers. The profit will be so low that it is not even worth it to sell there anymore.

4. Customers on eBay are basically 'junk yard' customers, they just want everything CHEAP. It's a waste of time even if you mention your product is 'high quality' because everything else is already doing that.

5. It's true, you could create and manage 1000+ listings in hopes that a some of them would sell for a profit. But think about it, it is even worth the time and money? Let's say you manage 1000 items full-time and your profit is only $2000 per month, which is highly possible considering all of the competition, then what's the point? The time costs will not even be worth it. You can earn more than that by working at any entry-level office job in US/Europe/much of Asia..

As a result, companies now have to sell more items then before, at a lower profit margin per item, just so that they can make the same amount of profit as previous years. this is not an ideal trend. This is happening on a wide scale and not just with e-eCommerce businesses. (Look at the P/L of Fast Retailing Co./Uniqlo, for example, im sure many have heard of them). Their revenues are increasing yet their net profits are the same, which means that their profit margin is DECREASING. ( This is BAD).

For the above reasons, I would advise everyone to jump ship and start looking for other work/business opportunities.

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

hahahahha sounds like your trying to persuade all your competition to leave ebey and get a "real" job :rolleyes: :faint: :laugh: :pound: :smash:

yes ecommerce has definitely changed over the years... competition is PLENTIFUL and cutthroat... everyone wants to do it IF they can... its much HARDER to do sell online these days as a full time job, no doubt... you really gotta be on your Ps n Qs and ALWAYS ADAPTING to the current marketplace variables...

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

I have to admit eCommerce is general is a lot more saturated than 5-10 years ago. It used to be a piece of cake. Today being persistent is just not going to cut it. In today’s eCommerce world you have to be smart and ruthless.

By the way drop shipping does work on eBay with brand new accounts. I can show you a few snap shots of my brand new accounts that are 2 weeks old, all doing $500 - 1000 a day in sales.

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

I own a factory and dropship for many ebay sellers in the UK. Its not dead but does depend on category/industry.

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

Factory in the UK or you mean in China/elsewhere?

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

Ah, the old duplicating threads.

Welcome
Welcome
Welcome

:typing:

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

In the UK. Majority of what we manufacture is cheaper to manufacture here than have it imported from China.

Dropshipping is growing in this industry. I'm having to turn away business all the time as can't cope currently and looking to expand next year.

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

No I’m not trying so persuade anyone from leaving ebay. In fact, anyone please feel free to try and sell on eBay and you will figure out for yourselves!

The truth is my business has gotten so slow that it’s not becoming feasible anymore. If the business is still like this for another month or so, I’m going to find a new job! That’s how bad it is.

I’ll give you guys some rough numbers: 5 years ago I was making $60k a year and last year I was only making $20-something k! Each year the profits decreased because of increasing competition and lower prices from compeititors.

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

preach brotha :clap:

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

Once ebay disabled merchant accounts it's been a hard way to keep up. So much easier working with merchant accounts than paypal. Next day depositing, customers actually buying your items than contrary. It was all good just a week ago (literally).

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

Definitely not dead, but needs to be run in a precision fashion. Those that just hop in dont last long. Takes skill and experience like anything. Most just dont put in the time.

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

i think so

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

DS will never die your business could die but DS will never die so the next time somebody tells you that it's BS.

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

If you have an established account do not dropship on it. Create a stealth account to do so. I say this because eBay has been flagging DS accounts, and once this happens to your account you can kiss sales goodbye. From what I have learned here it is due to connecting a DS API to your account, but no one is 100% sure, so it is best to keep it safe and make a DS stealth account...

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

The best way nowadays are new untagged account. If you have tagged account, the best thing you can do is go big numbers. But stealth account work great!

Re: Dropshipping on ebay dead?
 

I think we will find solution to flagged accounts.