NOOOOOOOO Sales

[coveredbridge1957]

I was just wondering if anybody else was getting no sales or low sales from the 15 to now.I had O sales this weekend.The weekend has always been my best sales. I was reading on . com and they are having the same problem one guy said he was down $ 8,000.00 since the 15 of may. He phoned Ebay they said 2 different things one was a Hacking problem the other answer server trouble. And sellers have had there buyers blocked for no reason. :_|

[alpine-cog]

Same problem but for far longer. No sales whatsoever so far in May! Sales have drastically dropped over the past several months. We have been mulling over shutting our store down after many years of successful selling on eBay.ca. 

[brandeentertainment]

I think this place is having lots of issues with bugs and new changes I think are affectinG product visibility... I had to relist 3 movies last week because they would not show up under the title they were listed under...

just  A guess though.. My sales were garbage for about 30 days after having my biggest month of sales but I am doing auctions selling for just above cost and getting the customers to check out my by stuff stuff.. I just listed 500 1$ auctions and again buy now sales are ramping up again

[bb_cool_stuff]

Beginning of the month was great for me, the last week four sales.

I have never been one to blame anyone or anything for lack of sales, but i did mention in January the Canadian Sellers are going to have to tighten up our Business Models to remain competitive.

Like Pierre mentioned previously, listings have doubled in the past two years, therefore doubling the competition.

This could be my worst month ever, but i will remain positive & make the adjustments necessary next month to remain competitive.

Tighten up gang, the road is getting bumpy & will get bumpier, but we are a resilient bunch.

[rose-dee]

Like Pierre mentioned previously, listings have doubled in the past two years, therefore doubling the competition.

Although I have a small turnover, I generally have a dependably regular stream of sales.  I rarely have complete "dead zones", but the last two weeks have been absolutely silent. 

It occurred to me when reading the comment you noted from Pierre (quoted above) that perhaps the sudden influx of all the free store listings since May 1st has had the same effect, only a lot more concentrated.   

Also, I wondered whether the new "listing feed" on the landing page may be putting buyers off, along with some of the other major changes.  It seems to me that eBay is changing too much too fast, which means technical problems that interfere with sales are likely also inevitable. 

Like you, however, I tend to try to look for ways to make adjustments and changes and carry on.  You're right - eBay is going to get tougher than ever before for smaller Canadian sellers and we need to be creative and probably also expect a bit less in terms of profits.

[pierrelebel]

"perhaps the sudden influx of all the free store listings since May 1st has had the same effect"

BINGO.

We has the same thing about six or seven years ago when all store listings became available on the main Search.  The number of listings available more than doubled overnight.  Buyers did not know where to go: too much to look at.

[tobyshitzu]

I don't believe any huge influx of listings from the changes exists.  We've had constant listing promos over the last year anyway

You can find "no sales" type threads every month for years and years despite ebay gmv marching upwards quarter after quarter

[barbsplace66]

Sales have taken a nose dive since May 15th,  sellers across the board both  in Canada and United States have said the same thing. many sellers are scratching their head, making changes, reducing prices, making improvements,  and still sales are down more then ever. 

[pinetreecottage]

ME TOO!!!!!  Just read another post, about something called "Cassini".  A program that apparently determines, through key words, what items a viewer will see from their search.  I didn't understand but a fraction of what was written, but what I did understand, is that we are not all treated equally here.  Maybe this is a way for ebay to streamline their sellers, to be just stores, that sell new multiple same items.  A suggestion in the post, to be successful, was to list with "buy it now" for a long  duration.  the term "ecommerce" was mentioned over and  over.  I've been happily selling my collectables and kitch for 10 years, but I feel my type of items are a thing of the past.  Since I have had an average of 5-10 "visitors" over a 5 day period, there's no point in wasting time and effort, when nobody is looking.  I also think, a lot of international buyers are scared off, by the whole duty and fees thing.  The only way a corporation like ebay, will make changes, is if their bottom line starts to suffer, so time will tell.

[musicyouneed]

I too have been having poor sales.  Last year this time I was selling about 20 CD's a month, this year, about 7 a month.  It is not only ebay, on craigs list,  up until April, I used to sell $500 a month and over the last 2 months it is down to $100, even at my yard sale in June, I usually have about 400 people drop by and this year, it was only about 100.  I don't know what is happening, I'm still buying.   I'm just hoping that it slowed down because of summer and it will pick up in September.  

I also think that the new generation, under 30 crowd is more into minimalist decorating, don't collect CD's or for that matter much of anything.  I remember years ago going to a rummage sale and walking out with bags of stuff, now people just buy one thing, if the church even has rummage sales any more.    Maybe they also don't have the money that I had at 30.  

[Anonymous]

I had no sales for 12 days and I got 2 sold items in one same day and 2 best offers (way too low) which I rejected.  It is VERY unusual as I usually sold 1 or 2 items daily until last year.

Even with 500/500 free listings, it seems to be getting worse. 

I guess eBay didn't want our final value fees???  If they want our final value fees, put us in a higher search capability so our items can be sold daily and then eBay will be happy getting our final value fees,  make senses???

[pierrelebel]

"make senses???"

Not really.

Think about it for a while.  On every search result page, some items are in front.  Not yours maybe but someone else's.  They sell, eBay collects their FVF.  eBay gets richer.,

It really does not matter to eBay if your items are up front or someone else.  What matters is that the item sells.

If you want your listings to be near the top of the search results page, provide better titles, lower prices, 'free shipping", 30 day return privileges, one day handling,  etc...  In other words, beat your competitors.

Not knowing what you sell makes it impossible to offer more information.

[rose-dee]

---

@pierrelebel wrote:
If you want your listings to be near the top of the search results page, provide better titles, lower prices, 'free shipping", 30 day return privileges, one day handling,  etc...  In other words, beat your competitors.

---

This of course is always the correct approach, yet I don't know that it would explain why so many sellers (in both Canada and the U.S.) seem to be reporting an unusual, even drastic, drop in sales at the same time. 

My personal theory (and it's just that!) is that there are multiple reasons that have collided more or less at the same time:

1) EBay site was swamped with an enormous flood of free listings over the past 3 or 4 months;

2) Too many (and too many drastic) changes to the eBay site and policies in a short time, resulting in "buyer fatigue" -- i.e. just easier to click and go elsewhere, to a site that still looks familiar;

3)  Is it possible that eBay has effectively attracted enough new buyers who actually prefer the big-box mall-style, cookie-cutter shopping experience, and are passing over the smaller sellers of unique items?  As one poster said, perhaps the younger generation no longer has an interest in collecting.  They certainly appear to have money though -- next time you log into eBay, take the time to look through the general "Feed" of items that are getting the most interest.  It's extremely instructive what the "popular" items are: hoards of cell phone covers, miscellaneous electronic gadgets of every kind, sunglasses, running shoes, etc.  Very few OOAK items. 

4) The increasing use of cell phones, and the "attention deficit" behaviour that goes with them, not to mention the problems of "old style" eBay listings being not quite compatible with cell phone viewing;

5)  Higher shipping costs everywhere

6)  General worry and caution over the economy.

These are just a few aspects I can think of off-hand.  Two other elements of the equation that I've wondered about lately are:

1)  Feedback has dropped off the cliff along at the same time as regular, dependable sales.  I haven't been able to put my finger on why this is.  I'm now lucky to get 40%-50% FB, whereas 3 years ago, FB was over 90%.  These days, I'm happy if 1 out of 10 buyers bothers to leave FB -- what has changed?  Buyer fatigue again?  Tired of eBay?  Or is cell phone use the culprit - simply not bothering to return to leave a comment?  I care about FB as a reflection of my service, and it means my reputation is getting less visible all the time, as the FB gets older and/or more sparse.  

2)  A number of "Watchers" on an item used to translate almost certainly to a sale - this is no longer true, at least in my situation.  Legions of watchers don't seem to matter now.  Perhaps people have less money, or are being far more selective about what they buy, i.e. less discretionary spending? 

Many interesting points have been put forward in this thread, but only time will tell what sort of site eBay will morph into.  My feeling is that their intended direction is toward being a big-box eCommerce site, which means that others are right who say smaller Canadian sellers will have a harder hill to climb in the next few years if they want to stay in business on this site. 

[pierrelebel]

"yet I don't know that it would explain why so many sellers (in both Canada and the U.S.) seem to be reporting an unusual, even drastic, drop in sales at the same time. "

If you check the discussion boards over the last fifteen years, you will always find - at any given time - a large group of sellers complaining of lower sales. The one thing to keep in mind is that eBay benefits when sellers sell their stuff.

eBay wants sellers to sell their stuff  (but eBay does not really care if you sell it or someone else sells it - as long as it sells).

And, since more transactions take place every year on eBay (except for the 2009 recession) despite higher shipping costs, and the growth from year to year is substantial, for a seller to maintain or increase his/her sale volume requires offering a better deal overall than the competitors. It is that simple!

I remember 1998 when 2,000 listings on eBay offered Canadian stamps.  With my 200 competitive listings at the time, I accounted for 10% of the marketplace.

Today, you find over 109,000 listings offering Canadians stamps on eBay.com.  Yes, there is more competition and it is growing every year.  And I suspect you will find a similar situation in all categories.

Sucessful sellers adapt to changes.

[pierrelebel]

For anyone with some time to spare;

http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ebay/2487008535x0x160230/D11C904B-4EEA-4821-9C42-D0228F676BAD... 

[hcho3334]

If I keep checking my activating items for helping more viewing numbers, would that be sell more? even a little?

[pierrelebel]

"would that be sell more? even a little?"

NO.  Plain NO.

[hcho3334]

Competion going higher, Ebay just don`t care as long as they can have seller fees from those certain top rated sellers. If There is no solution who would want to have a business here in the future? we don`t need anymore new sellers is what ebay think? It seems new sellers still using old listing method. I wonder why ebay changes a lot for what....

[pierrelebel]

Take a look at:

http://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abn/y13/m07/i09/s02 

"Ebay just don`t care as long as they can have seller fees from those certain top rated sellers"

Actually, eBay does not care as long as the item sells and they collect their fees.  eBay does not care if the seller is Top Rated or not.  It is largely irrelevant.  Keep in mind their net revenues are higher when selling to non-TRS.

The other reality to keep in mind - and it has been mentionned many times - there are just so many buyers coming to eBay every day to buy "stuff" and spend so many dollars.

The fact eBay offers more listings from more sellers may not necessarily translate into more sales, as buyers only have so many dollars to spend.  It means some sales going to new sellers will not be going to old sellers.

Sellers wishing to sell their products to eBay need to do so with open eyes and adapt to the reality of the marketplace.

[pinetreecottage]

It would seem that "pierrelebel" will defend ebay to the end, having been a sort of ebay VIP.  I got that from his ME page.  So take heart all mt fellow *no-sellers* you're not alone, and you're probably not doing anything wrong.  I was a successful seller for years, always selling most of what I listed, now I only have viewers in the single digets over a period of many days, and very few sales.  My titles are correct, my pricing below that of the competition, and my shipping costs below actual. I just ended 3 listings, as there was 0 viewers.  It's very sad and disappointing, but maybe ebay has run its course for us sellers of misc. knickknacks and collectables. "pierrelebel" does not really belong in this category, as he sells only stamps.  He is of course just as valuable a seller, as the rest of us, but may not be expiencing the same *invisibility*.  He will always have repeat buyers, stampcollectors who may have bought from him in the past etc.  Please rest assured, this is by no means meant to be disrespectful to *pierrelebel*,  but as he seems to be answering every post, I just had to add my 2 cents worth.  Cheers.