Ebay sales are dead since new year

finn · #1 04-02-2019

Hi

My account has seen little sales since the new year. Christmas wasn't all that great either. I sold 2 items last week. Last year at this time I was selling at lest 2 per day. I was doing retail dropshipping with some software but have since stopped when ebay came out against it last spring.

The items I sell now I source myself and while there is competition somewhat my items are fairly unique to those sold and I've dropped my prices lower than most. It just makes no sense that I would have such low numbers. I'm above standard for over a year.

I've talked to ebay and they say there are no restrictions on my account but this doesn't seem right as there was a sudden spurt of sales after my last review and then nothing.

Any advice?

cafonabob · #2 04-02-2019

Because they chased away all of the good sellers and it is only Chinese crap and everyone shops on Amazon and other places now. The former CEO of eBay John Donahoe. It was as if he tried to destroy this beautiful marketplace on purpose. Maybe he bought Amazon stock early?

karimlecavalier · #3 04-02-2019

Definitely something is wrong in eBay, if the management will continue this politic against seller eBay will have no future

walkingupwards · #4 04-02-2019

I have experienced this drop since Aug/2018. All of the sudden my account couldn't sell anymore even though I've tried everything possible, but nothing seemed to work!!

Before that drop, I used to list an item and that listing would start bringing sales the first day with lots of views and watchers. Now I list and the best I could get the first day is 10 views and maybe 1 watcher. At first I thought it is about my account only, but later found out that some other sellers in my category are also being treated that way.

Last week a new seller registered on Friday. In the category where I sell in currently, around 1000 transactions are closed on a Sunday. So usually that 1000 transactions get distributed "fairly" among sellers. On this last Sunday, that new seller got a "boost" from eBay and netted 896 sales out of ~ 1000.

I am all with encouraging a new seller by giving them traffic, but ****ing all others in such a way is beyond ridiculous.

nickopedia · #5 04-02-2019

There is no question that eBay changed the ranking of listings, but it's not affecting everyone.

Are you drop shipping?

rsot · #6 04-02-2019

Welcome to the forum finn - all the best as you master stealth

A lot depends on your niche...

phaz0rz · #7 04-02-2019

I agree with the one's saying eBay's market share is slowly dwindling to nothing. There are still buyers there but maybe 10% of when I started.

yankee · #8 04-02-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

I agree with the one's saying eBay's market share is slowly dwindling to nothing. There are still buyers there but maybe 10% of when I started.

You sell 10% of say 5 years ago?

My market is still good. Nothing like 2013 but still very good. Amazon on the other hand....is 1/100th or maybe even 1/1000 of what it used to be for me in my nitch.

agent006140 · #9 04-02-2019

I sell collectibles and I have seen a big drop recently,Ebay does rotate the listings but I think it has to do with Ebay and the economy.
There are so many sellers selling the same thing and many are dropshipping from AMZN,then I go to AMZN and place my order there if it is cheaper.

agent006140 · #10 04-02-2019

I also notice sellers using their phones to take pictures,the pictures are poor.

phaz0rz · #11 04-02-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by agent006140

I also notice sellers using their phones to take pictures,the pictures are poor.

That's improved in the past couple of years. A lot more sellers are using professional white backgrounds since eBay started requesting sellers do that for better placement in Google. Most are just stealing stock photos from Amazon or each other. The quality of photos on eBay used to be a lot worse but at least back then you got to see pictures of the actual item you were buying. Now it's just 90% stock photos.

I could be wrong but I really get the impression that eBay is being suffocated by Amazon. While Amazon has been busy making billions of dollars and buying grocery store chains to use as distribution centers, setting up their own door to door delivery company, and taking over the cloud computing industry, eBay has been busy getting their logo put on cheap 1mil shipping tape that nobody wants to use.

WEI · #12 04-02-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

That's improved in the past couple of years. A lot more sellers are using professional white backgrounds since eBay started requesting sellers do that for better placement in Google. Most are just stealing stock photos from Amazon or each other. The quality of photos on eBay used to be a lot worse but at least back then you got to see pictures of the actual item you were buying. Now it's just 90% stock photos.

I could be wrong but I really get the impression that eBay is being suffocated by Amazon. While Amazon has been busy making billions of dollars and buying grocery store chains to use as distribution centers, setting up their own door to door delivery company, and taking over the cloud computing industry, eBay has been busy getting their logo put on cheap 1mil shipping tape that nobody wants to use.

This is just on point

Hope eBay mgt can see this.

james_112233 · #13 04-02-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

That's improved in the past couple of years. A lot more sellers are using professional white backgrounds since eBay started requesting sellers do that for better placement in Google. Most are just stealing stock photos from Amazon or each other. The quality of photos on eBay used to be a lot worse but at least back then you got to see pictures of the actual item you were buying. Now it's just 90% stock photos.

I could be wrong but I really get the impression that eBay is being suffocated by Amazon. While Amazon has been busy making billions of dollars and buying grocery store chains to use as distribution centers, setting up their own door to door delivery company, and taking over the cloud computing industry, eBay has been busy getting their logo put on cheap 1mil shipping tape that nobody wants to use.

Well said.

So the solution here is, re-instate all the banned accounts right ?

agent006140 · #14 04-02-2019

AMZN does not have antiques and collectibles,Ebay does.
Unfortunately,the good antique dealers have fled,they cant make decent money and they risk of being scammed.

walkingupwards · #15 04-02-2019

Through my work on eBay I learned that people love being deceived and cheated. A lot of sellers charge a higher price for the item they sell on Amazon and at the same time they have that exact item on eBay for 10-20% cheaper, yet people decide to buy it on Amazon!!

ebaystealth1974 · #16 04-03-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

While Amazon has been busy making billions of dollars and buying grocery store chains to use as distribution centers, setting up their own door to door delivery company, and taking over the cloud computing industry, eBay has been busy getting their logo put on cheap 1mil shipping tape that nobody wants to use.

MFing word! hahaha

agent006140 · #17 04-03-2019

it is not just Ebay sales have slowed,so have Etsy,some sellers have not seen an order for weeks .

agent006140 · #18 04-03-2019

AMZN is still using USPS,pallets have dropped on weekend but they are getting more M-F.
I saw 2 AMZN Prime vans drove by late afternoon yesterday.

ebaystealth1974 · #19 04-03-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkingupwards

Before that drop, I used to list an item and that listing would start bringing sales the first day with lots of views and watchers. Now I list and the best I could get the first day is 10 views and maybe 1 watcher.

My experience hasn't been the same as yours. 5 days ago, I listed an older semi-popular gadget... today it has 1100 views, 40 watchers, and 50 sold.

Maybe you need to spend more time on YOUR listings, instead of your competitors? No clue...

newjerseymax · #20 04-03-2019

I don't know ANYONE personally that buys on eBay (I have 3 teens).
I don't know ANYONE personally that doesn't buy on Amazon

phaz0rz · #21 04-03-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by newjerseymax

I don't know ANYONE personally that buys on eBay (I have 3 teens).
I don't know ANYONE personally that doesn't buy on Amazon

Cool story.

ebaystealth1974 · #22 04-03-2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by newjerseymax

I don't know ANYONE personally that buys on eBay (I have 3 teens).
I don't know ANYONE personally that doesn't buy on Amazon

I sometimes buy $20,000-$30,000 a month on eBay lol

I guess I make up for all those people you know that don't buy on there!