Drop in sales - has anyone else noticed a BIG drop WC 8th October 18?

[bbqhqnet]

Hi Guys

Something appears to have changed this week? It may possibly be related to the recent software changes on the eBay seller platform - but I have had a HUGE drop in sales since Monday 8th October 18?

2 x eBay reps have told me that my account is good - no restrictions, etc? I mostly offer Free Express Shipping and am now moving to Same-day Handling. No-one has been able to offer an explanation?

I have been selling for 15 years this December and NEVER had it this bad? Has anyone else noticed this with their store?

Steve

[lupercal]

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@enigmabear wrote:
Ebay staff don't read here I'm afraid

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That's what I thought, but I did get an ebay message the other day asking if my question on these forums was answered to my satisfaction. Don't remember getting one of these before.  Doesn't mean anyone actually monitored it, but evidently the forums aren't wholly disconnected from ebay.

[countessalmirena]

lupercal, it's completely automated by the Lithium forum software.

If anyone from eBay is watching these forums (and that's quite an "if"), it may be quite a low-level employee who groans at having to sift through what's posted, who summarises it in a report which is skimmed through by a slightly higher-level employee who hates his life, hates his haircut, wants to move to another country, and who desperately tries to remember to have a kale smoothie every morning in a fruitless attempt to reduce his stress level.

[lyndal1838]

[digital*ghost]

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@countessalmirena wrote:

If anyone from eBay is watching these forums (and that's quite an "if"), it may be quite a low-level employee who groans at having to sift through what's posted, who summarises it in a report which is skimmed through by a slightly higher-level employee who hates his life, hates his haircut, wants to move to another country, and who desperately tries to remember to have a kale smoothie every morning in a fruitless attempt to reduce his stress level.

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That dude would have one of the easiest jobs in the world, all they'd have to do is send the same email every time, with a few minor tweaks - if they don't have a template already, I'm about to make that guy's year, assuming he knows how to copy / paste:

[x] Sellers reporting significant drop in sales / lack of visibility

[x] Sellers reporting increase in NPBs ([x] of [x] sellers correlate this to low buyer FB score)

[x] Sellers reporting alleged buyer fraud (rest assured evidence, as always, is inconclusive by our standards)

[x] Seller complaints re: FVFs, [x] of [x] complaints specifically in regard to FVF on postage

[x] Seller complaints re: selling limits / payment holds

[x] Seller complaints re: technical issues involving the cart and payment systems

[x] Seller complaints re: receiving allgedly undeserved negative FB ([x] of [x] sellers correlate this to the inability to leave buyers negative feedback)

[x] Seller complaints re: allegedly incorrect eBay MBG decision

[x] Buyer complaints re: search manipulation via bait items in variation listings

[x] Buyer complaints re: item location misrepresentation

[x] Buyer complaints re: Global shipping program

[x] Buyer complaints re: GST on imports, [x] of [x] buyers insist it is inapplicable to secondhand goods and postage

[x] Buyer complaints re: item not received /  not as described

[x] Buyer complaints re: sellers not leaving them FB as soon as they pay

[x] Buyer complaints re: allegedly incorrect eBay MBG decision

Of course, this will drasticallly reduce the time required to make said reports, so I will challenge him to a game of forum bingo to help allay the boredom. Bonus points may be awarded for:

• A post from buyer or seller proclaiming they are never using eBay again
• A meme or post inferring eBay staff are monkeys
• An accusation from one poster that another poster is an eBay employee
• The word "clique" is used
• A post containing a blank spolier - double points if the spolier only contains a blank spoiler
• A post written all in caps - double points if there is no parapgraphs

If other members want to play, please note penalties will be applied for:

• Posting in a thread older than 3 months
• Inadvertently posting a word that is transformed into **bleep**

Feel free to add to the list. 

 NB: I am not criticising or making fun of anyone who has these complaints, BTW, I know many of them are legitimate, serious concerns

[countessalmirena]

Slightly higher-level eBay employee:

To n. [where n. = name of eBay employee currently tasked with providing forum report summaries], thank you for providing this month's community.ebay.com.au report summary.

Your reports are important to us and we value your input in this company.

It has been noted that there is no new health smoothie recipe included in the attached sheet. Please amend your report summary to include this.

Going forward, you should be aware that your report summary cannot be uploaded/forwarded until it has been completed. Failure to complete all fields will result in errors and many annoying beeps. Do not pretend that this Australian forum does not have plentiful smoothie recipes.

Yours sincerely,

Subsection of Section C Sub-Section Leader,

[name of sub-section leader]

[*tippy*toes*]

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@countessalmirena wrote:

lupercal, it's completely automated by the Lithium forum software.

If anyone from eBay is watching these forums (and that's quite an "if"), it may be quite a low-level employee who groans at having to sift through what's posted, who summarises it in a report which is skimmed through by a slightly higher-level employee who hates his life, hates his haircut, wants to move to another country, and who desperately tries to remember to have a kale smoothie every morning in a fruitless attempt to reduce his stress level.

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I heard on the grapevine that if you mix vegetable oil to kale, it slides off your plate into the bin much easier.

[lyndal1838]

@ digi  @countess and @ tippy.....................

Three smileys each.

[imastawka]

@ digi  @countess and @ tippy   

Thanks guys.    I needed that.

[brerrabbit585]

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@bbqhqnet wrote:

I've learnt on two separate occasions that you must contact eBay customer service.

This most recent time - when my sales went dead, I contacted two different reps - and let them know my concerns, the best rep seemed to really appreciate my plight - and promised to escalate it. Sales have picked up since.

I also believe that the satisfaction surveys that they send us DO make a difference - on both of my  "rocky" patches I gave some realistic, but quite poor feedback - their Question = Would you recommend selling on eBay to friends and family, my answer a Score of 4/10. I went on to say that I felt that eBay was not looking after me and that sales had dropped significantly.

Lo and behold -  on both occasions, sales bounced back - almost immediately! Let your voice be heard guys!!

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I would say there's a 101% chance that your sales picking up after ringing ebay would be due to coincidence, not a direct result of the phone call.  These days there is only certainty about ebay and that's the uncertaintly of sales.

[chameleon54]

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@brerrabbit585 wrote:

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I would say there's a 101% chance that your sales picking up after ringing ebay would be due to coincidence, not a direct result of the phone call.  These days there is only certainty about ebay and that's the uncertaintly of sales.

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I,ve had reasonable sales over the last few days and are a third of the way through packing after the weekend. BUT THIS IS WEIRD....................EVERY SINGLE sale I,ve packed so far has been from international buyers. Normally they only make up around 25% of my sales. Is it the local Australian economy or has ebay suddenly increased the visibility of my items to OS customers ? Who knows , but its very unusual and just shows how reliant we are to the whims, glitches and daily changes on ebay.