Buyers seeing the number of 'SOLD' items on a listing - Why are my figures wrong?

[panoramic7]

Hello All

Due to my frustration about my declining sales the last few weeks, I've been looking at ways to improve my listings/sales.

I've noticed in my listings, where it shows potential buyers the number of items already 'SOLD', my figures are no where near correct, eg I've sold hundreds and it shows 3. Looking at my past sales, I noticed different item numbers for the same item. I'm assuming this is where my problem lies.

When you relist an item, does the item number stay the same, or does it get a new number? I am not creating new listings, just relisting. If not, would it be due to say my quantity available reaching zero (meaning I need to relist)?

Hope this makes sense.

Thanks

[chameleon54 · Accepted solution]

I have always found if a multiple item listing reaches zero and you relist it, you lose the previous selling history. Some sellers lift their prices to ridiculous levels if they only have one item left. This keeps it listed untill new stock arrives, but no-one buys it because it is too expensive. Once the item is restocked, they lower their price and sales kick on again. This saves their selling history and rankings with best match..

[amber-eyed-girl]

Yes, that is what sellers will do.

and it annoys buyers, who wonder why a twenty dollar item they want has become one hundred, say, overnight.

questions as to why? pop up here regularly.

so, it is up to you if you want to take that option, OP.

when I see that, I move on. As I have no way of knowing how long it will take the seller to get new stock, if at all.

it is almost as bad, to me, as keeping a listing alive with no stock, but not quite.

I understand it is a failing of eBay's not to allow total sales to move from one listing, to the next.

but sellers who appeal to me are the ones who are straightforward about stock, and I do not look at how many have been sold.

I look at a seller's overall reputation and the item description and price.

[chameleon54]

Amber ...... I completely agree that its not good, but it is the only "fix" sellers seem to have found for another one of ebays failings. I dont use it myself for the reasons you have mentioned,  but I do get annoyed when I lose my selling history though. Unfortunately we have no choice other to work with the system that ebay gives us. If ebays tech. people spent a bit more time fixing the obvious flaws in the system and a little less time introducing new gimmicks each week, we would all be a lot better off.

[amber-eyed-girl]

Yes, there are a lot of flaws. The only thing to do is talk to eBay and hope they listen. If every seller did...they might...maybe 😞


One thing that can help in these situations, for buyer confidence, is a line in the listing like

"Stock reordered every week" depending on the sales of course.