topic Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better! in Selling

Something has changed ....and not for the better!

stickerswa — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 00:51:07 GMT

I have seen (and experienced ) the slow sale posts that are springing up faster than mormon door knockers on a Sunday morning!

But ebay has changed something ...not sure what but the site is different. Here are some of the things I have noticed over 4 accounts over the last 3 months

Item quantities for sale changing to zero - Found this out when I noticed 1 item that sells well was not selling and found 5 others that were reset to zero. No I didnt let them sell out ...I keep all my quantities topped up !

Items that used to sell well are now not selling at all

Page views have dropped from hundreds to almost nothing.

Email questions have dropped to almost none.

Used to get sales everyday but now it seems to be one day a week where I will sell 30 items and the rest of the week 1 or 3 items each day.

Anyone else having these trends?

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

dazzledayz — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 01:01:44 GMT

Yes, that's what I see too.

Search has been glitchy as all getout for the past week or so and it wasn't good beforehand.

Sales and views have been sporadic and many sellers have reported listing numbers not adding up correctly.

I think they've been fiddling again and broken a few things.

Quite possibly buyers are feeling a bit over it too what with all hte site changes and various malfunctions.

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

kopenhagen5 — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 01:05:49 GMT

I have noticed listings running for 10-20 days and zero views within the last couple of months.

Very unusual.

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

dazzledayz — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 01:59:06 GMT

@kopenhagen5 wrote:
I have noticed listings running for 10-20 days and zero views within the last couple of months.

Very unusual.

I've seen that too but the real problem is that you simply can't trust the numbers.

I've noticed for the last few years that number tallies can vary depending on where you view them from.

Search has also been very difficult since Cassini came in and you have to wonder how an apostrophe can return totally different lists.

eg Womens does not equal Women's (try it with any Women's Weekly title).

Only here would you find a search algorithm silly enough to count punctuation marks as searchable characters.

It's really very fruntrating and does NOT contribute to site usability for either buyers or sellers!

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

clubesquire — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 04:27:16 GMT

Yes, this is just too weird, especially when you list a venerable, iconic, historic and highly sought collectible in our sphere that engenders absolutely no interest. It’s just not possible. Even more so weird when you consider the results of the same listing elsewhere, on a site with far less traffic, but almost overwhelming interest, with the only impediment to a sale at the moment being price, which will be successfully negotiated.

So many items with zero views and no watchers, so we’re just ‘slacking off’ for a bit, until it’s sorted. Something is wrong.

There’s an old saying, “You can go broke sitting at home enjoying yourself, without actually working for it!”

I’m just pleased we don’t rely on the income like many other poor souls do.

Melina.

not a real person - just a number

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

clubesquire — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 02:31:14 GMT

I was having a wee little think this morning, and yes, it hurt .... lol.

We all I think, take it for granted that the people who really matter with the functionality, administration and marketing of eBay are those at the top of their game, yet time and time again they demonstrate that this is not so. I’m sure too that they think they are the best and are in front of the ball, despite many bells going off just now. Bells it appears that only we have an ear for.

eBay is an elephant compared to many others, no doubt about that, but how do you eat an elephant? Yes of course, one bite at a time. That’s exactly what’s happening and eBay either can’t see it, or don’t want to. Even elephants fall from their rarified height and position of strength at the multitude of bites from lesser creatures who each in their own way become a contributing factor to ultimate DEATH! It just takes time and in universe years it happens very quickly.

I don’t want it too happen, but it remains a train wreck in super slow motion.

Can you picture eBay in 10 years time? I can. It will be lonely here for westerners. Buyer and seller alike will have been drowned in eBay’s slobber. It will exist for Chinese sellers and their buyers and the Big Boys, just as an extra marketing arrow to their quiver - perhaps. They might eventually disembark too.

My memory goes back a long way with eBay. They’ve made some demonstrably horrendous mistakes with dire consequences for some, and they know it. Sadly, they’ve learnt nothing from their errors.

Dont Take it on trust that those within eBay who should know what they’re doing, actually do. I’ve read narrative from many much smarter and probably more qualified people from within these pages here. And, it’s their advice I look to, not eBay’s.

Quite grumpy today 😔

Melina.

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

the4masters2013 — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 05:45:45 GMT

Well stated!

I agree with you completely.

Also feeling grumpy today...sales are down like many people's.

At least it's the weekend... miracles may happen.

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

countessalmirena — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 08:16:33 GMT

Oh Melina... I hope that you have found yourself being degrumped.

I have been fighting a few difficult things this week, with my weapons mostly being watching some Mock The Week, making some more bone stock, drinking some excellent coffee, sleeping in longer one day this week, reading a couple of old favourites (Georgette Heyer), listening to gorgeous music, and resuming some High Intensity Interval Training after a strained knee has recovered somewhat.

I’m also thinking of possibly dashing out to get chocolate. It’s good angel/bad angel temptation.

Can any of that be of help in your degrump?

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

chameleon54 — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 10:51:13 GMT

My degrump modas operandi is to drive 5 minutes to my favorite deli, buy a nice Ham Cheese & Tomato toastie and a cup of coffee, drive half a km. to a little look out by the sea and read the paper overlooking a spectacular bit of coast line. I do this several times a week and it works wonders.

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

clubesquire — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 12:04:25 GMT

Wine o’clock didnt didn’t seem to work either. No chocolate was the problem .... lol.

Ah! Tomorrow’s another day and I’ll be with my grandies. Precious, innocent little kids have a beautiful way of shifting all the weight. I’ll be as happy and chirpy as a hat full of fluffy little ducks 🙂

De-grump happening soon.

G’night all. Be healthy and happy and have sweet dreams 🙂

Melina.

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

bbqhqnet — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 18:44:06 GMT

Hi Melina

You don't have to feel bad about being grumpy with eBay! They are supposed to be our selling platform, and we rely on that platform for income - at least I do?

I was made redundant from a management job coming up 3 years Jan 2019 - now eBay is supposed to be my income base! I discovered; after a couple of years trying for another job - that though I could get lots of interviews, no-one wants 60-year males! Hey, no biggie - just spruce up the15-year-old eBay store and all will be well. And - it was, for a while?

Then - one week just recently, things started to go a bit weird? Sales dropped, mysterious at this time of year when BBQ stuff starts to really "fire up"? I complained to eBay CS - got one muppet, who was about as good as a hip pocket on a singlet - then someone who really knew their stuff - and presto - sales bounced back to normal - briefly?

Now - and it's too early to tell for certain, I seem to be back in the "dead zone"? Friday 19 Oct and Friday night, Saturday am, seem to be dead once again?

We sellers need to make a stand, and - NOT let eBay knacker itself and kill us all!! After all, we sellers ARE eBay - without us, there's nothing to sell, no $$ for them or for us?

I made a single post to this effect on the = selling platform the other day - but it was mysteriously taken down? Now I wonder if this one will make it?

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

*tippy*toes* — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 23:55:38 GMT

Hi BBQ, congrats on your new shooting star!

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

clubesquire — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 01:54:06 GMT

What Tippy ^^^^ said.

Congrats and best wishes that things improve for you 🙂

Mel.

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

chameleon54 — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 03:41:36 GMT

BBQ you mentioned in your last post that sales fired up for a day and then stopped again. I experienced the same thing when my selling account was compromised. Around 2 weeks of one or two sales a week, four or five sales in one day with questions etc then dead zone again for another couple of weeks. After that things returned to normal and sales are going reasonably well now, so I have my fingers crossed ebay have finally fixed my account problems.

As for relying totally on ebay...........I am in a similar position to you. Middle aged, grumpy old man who is no longer employable and frankly doesnt want to go back working 9-5 for a boss. I relied completely on ebay sales for my income for several years and had reached the point where I was going to have to rent a premisis and employ some-one to keep expanding. I went as far as trying a potential employee out, but at that point decided it was too risky to stake my future on ebay.

Instead of continuing to develop my ebay business, I started a sheep grazing business to spread the income risk. This has worked very well. The money I make from ebay is still quite handy, but I have enough income coming in from sheep now that I can glide through problems such as two months ago when my ebay selling accounts where affected by glitches.

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

kopenhagen5 — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 05:59:13 GMT

Well done bbq. 10,000 plus with 100% and great DSR's.

(Probably means you have done more like 15,000 plus)

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

digital*ghost — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 06:36:18 GMT

I don't know if this will help anyone, as I know everyone has different needs as desires, but in case it does, I was trying to make this point in my other post - there's a difference between an eBay business, and a business that's on eBay. When eBay started to favour big box retailers, my first thought was "oh, guess I'll have to become one of those". (FYI, that was a few years ago, and I'm not even close ).

When I think about what I want to acheive with my business, though, I honestly don't factor eBay into the equation, even though most of my revenue is currently generated here - however, I want to build a successful business, not a successful eBay store, and as mentioned, the two can no longer be entwined long term with any degree of confidence.

Kinda embarassing confession time, for direction and motivation, I often recall this scene in Breaking Bad

Ok, so nothing I do is illegal, BTW And it's not like I go around making speeches that end with "I am the one who beads", but I'm not satisfied yet with what I've created - it's not about money, and it's not about the items; my long term goal is be a fully recognisable brand name, at least in the craft community, so when I think about this scene, it's more about the "go big, or go home" element to it; I just find this a little more appealing than a bunch of dudes in muscle shirts screaming it while they do cross fit or something.

Right now, I'm using ebay just as much as they are using me, and I want to be in a position where I can discard them as easily as they could discard me. Walking away now will hurt me much more than it will ever hurt them, and I suspect that would be the case for many sellers who are reliant on eBay for income, and I also suspect eBay know it. To have any chance of eBay making real change, they have to become as expendable as we are, and right now they definitely aren't.

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

*tippy*toes* — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 12:48:52 GMT

@kopenhagen5 wrote:
Well done bbq. 10,000 plus with 100% and great DSR's.
(Probably means you have done more like 15,000 plus)

10,000+ with 100% feedback won me. We aren't quite into BBQ season here yet (still a bit cold), but when we are, I know where I'll be buying bits and pieces from. There are a few things I want to get to "enhance our BBQ experience" (I don't mean that in a sarcastic sense). Most I'll be able to get from bbqhqnet at what seems to be a good price.

Re: Something has changed ....and not for the better!

collect247 — Sat, 20 Oct 2018 22:58:41 GMT

My memory goes back a long way with eBay. They’ve made some demonstrably horrendous mistakes with dire consequences for some, and they know it. Sadly, they’ve learnt nothing from their errors.

O how I applaud you clap clap clap clap.