sponsered items

just noticed when i search an item now the 'sponsered' items list first even when i select 'cheapest first'

sneaky ebay

Message 1 of 16
Latest reply
15 REPLIES 15

Re: sponsered items

The "suggestions" we have to endure when we lose an action are probably sponsored items too I guess?

Message 11 of 16
Latest reply

Re: sponsered items

Sponsored items are just promoted items. You definitely only pay when they sell and the ads cost you nothing if the item doesn't sell.

It's worth paying twice on some items. I only needed to put my price up by 25c or 50c to cover the extra fees. I elected to pay less than 6% extra but they said the trending rate was almost 8%. I think the promoted items in my category are all Chinese or Thai goods as their prices are low enough that they can easily afford to increase the price enough to cover the extra fees. The extra fees are only on the item price, not postage, so that makes a difference too.

I see the overseas items being promoted but they don't often match the search, but perhaps this is because there aren't any relevant items being promoted and ebay feel obliged to fill the space with something. Where they have the five small pictures across the middle of a listing, the first three (four?) are usually sponsored/promoted items and I saw my own promoted there a couple of times. I can't remember how relevant they were at the time.

I think part of the problem is that too many categories have been merged and they don't look at the item specifics enough when they promote items so you end up seeing irrelevant items.
Message 12 of 16
Latest reply

Re: sponsered items


@papermoon.lady wrote:

The "suggestions" we have to endure when we lose an action are probably sponsored items too I guess?


Not always.   I was bidding on a lot of low(ish) value items from a local seller and when I missed out on winning an auction the "suggestion" was mostly another one of the seller's items.....sometimes one that was still on my watch list and sometimes one that I had already won.

 

None of them was ever a sponsored item.....that seller never used them.

Message 13 of 16
Latest reply

Re: sponsered items

So their "choices" are probably based on similar words in titles, descriptions etc.

I have never really examined the situation because I usually quickly close the tab after losing because their suggestions are irritating. If I want to buy or bid on another item I can look for an alternative myself. Later today for example I want to bid on an item and if I don't win I already have an alternative tomorrow.

Message 14 of 16
Latest reply

Re: sponsered items

I'm inclined to think they go by keywords because they're usually fairly similar items. I haven't always taken a lot of notice though. Like you, I'm pretty quick to click out of their 'similar items'.
Message 15 of 16
Latest reply

Re: sponsered items

Similar items in my case are absolutely rubbish compared to what I'm after lol.

Message 16 of 16
Latest reply