Sudden decline in eBay sales from Australia listings

[dougalaus]

I have experienced a dramatic drop in sales in 2026. I have 620 listings currently and the only thing I have changed is to declare that I will not despatch to USA. The reason for that is that I will not get involved in the stupidity gnerated by that country's imposition of duties. However, I do not think that can affect my sales overall. In Australia there are some cost of living challenges but not of a magnitude that would stop people from buying on ebay. It feels like ebay has made a policy change or amended the visibility of listings but I have no specific indications of anything like that. Ebay's income must also have dropped so I hope they are on the case and can find a solution.

[springyzone]

Yes, I have noticed that too. (the new emphasis on second hand categories)

There's another thread somewhere, put up by Twyngwyn I think, about AI being used to help direct buyers to second hand items in the luxury or collectable categories.

I think for many years, ebay tried to downplay these and in fact, to actively change things. I think they wanted the mum and dad sellers of ordinary second hand items to move over to gumtree etc. They would boast on ads that 70% of stock was brand new.

Brand new from China, a lot of it.

The strength of ebay has always been that you could find almost anything on it, new or used. That is very much NOT the case on marketplace.

I was always surprised they never pushed that aspect, that the rare, the unusual, the collectable etc was easier to find on ebay.

I can see why they need to expand the authenticity aspect though.

So it looks as if they are trying to rebrand as carrying lots of new stock but also as the place to come for high end second hand brands and collectables.

[thenastiest58]

yup mine have dropped a huge ammount its insane. im hoping to find another platform to sell on as ebay are offering pretty much sweet  f a 

[cinemascope2014]

A drastic drop happened early last year when Trump and Musk went nuts.

This time it will be a deeper and longer decline because of the Middle East situation and the very real prospects of a recession later in the year, with Australia Post already mumbling about a major increase in parcel costs in May, along with the expected price rises mid-year. It ain't going to be pretty.

[cindysvintagestuff]

That is actually not true.  Ebay is constantly changing and updating and AI has sent everything to hell.  And their search engine is dreadful.  And what is worse is when you purchase something and it comes from freaking amazon (I will not deign to give it a capital letter, the crooks).  Anyway, back to the subject, the reps have a copy and paste script, I actually got frustrated at one and directly asked if I was speaking to an AI, she ended the conversation.  I tried again a few minutes later and got a person who was actually able to help.  But honestly, they don't know very much and are only able to help within a very narrow bandwidth.  I feel sorry for them.  But my sales have tanked since trump (again, I will not give him a capital letter, another crook) and I  am beginning to become concerned.  Sales always have their ebb and flow but I make my living from ebay and employ someone also so its a worry.  All the best and just keep plugging away.  It's got to get better ...right?!

[davewil1964]

Yor rant relates to the question how?

[cindysvintagestuff]

Agree.  Ebay is a cat, it likes to be stroked and petted and when you stop it scratches you.  Personally, we list 3 times a week, I send an offer on EVERY watched item, I use the email they send which asks you to go through the listings they provide because the items have not sold in 90 days (it's quite a handy function actually) and do little adjustments to make ebay happy, you must have promoted imo but I use 2% on every item (it's the lowest you can have), I have sales regularly on the listings I want to move (that's a weird thing because I find the items don't always sell during the sale but afterward) I also use the 'items ending today' before they click over to the new cycle and make adjustments on the items that have been hanging around awhile and the really hard ones to move I put up for auction (I am not a fan of auctions but they do serve their purpose on occasion).  Also, ending items and then relisting them with some adjustments is a way to put the item up the top because it becomes a new listing.  But I am on ebay every day, doing all the petting and stroking of the cat.  You have to be on ebay every day.  I don't put it on holiday as my employee is a gem and is very capable of managing but I am still watching every damn day because there are just some things that only I can do ( decisions on some messages and such).   I learned the hard way that the algorithm puts all the items on the bottom and you have to work your butt off getting them seen again if you put it on holiday.  The search is bad enough as it is without that.

[cindysvintagestuff]

Sob... I hate Marketplace.  I think its unsafe and people are awful.  They waste so much time and so many are just idiots.  I can't cope with it.  (I am assuming you are talking about FB Marketplace)  My husband has just semi retired and will be working with me and he will likely use FB as he has already used it for our other business.  It's just not a place I personally am willing to work on.  And there really is no safety net like on ebay.  I mean ebay is definitely a buyers forum with sellers often getting the raw end of the stick but ebay has saved me from truly terrible customers on a number of occasions, I would never have got that on FB.  But ebay is also definitely becoming a place where you feel you need to start thinking about a plan b because its just becoming harder and harder to use and,  if you used all the prompts that ebay pushes you to do, you would literally make no profit.  In fact, I added up one day all the costings, 13% fee 2% promotion 55c per item to manage payments plus the often 12 -15% promoted they want you to put on your item its like,  that's like taking your stuff to an auction house who usually charge 25% but they do all the work!  You just drop your stuff off and then get paid.  Ebay is literally pushing for that kind of percentage but you source, sort, photograph, list, store, package, do customer service, and drive to the post office.  And probably other things you can think of.  I honestly don't know why people would pay anymore than the base 2% promoted (the items just don't get seen without it)  It's highway robbery, and don't get me started on the percentage they take off the postage!  And I do hate all the cheap chinese stuff up there, and the fact that you purchase it on ebay but it gets sent from Amazon.  Grrr  Sorry. Rant over. 

[davewil1964]

Save the paragraph.

Is there any reason why you are bumping oldish threads rather than starting your own?

[sandypebbles]

Everyone here is very well aware that eBay reps use a script

And the Dumpster effect

What is your advice for the OP?