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" market flooding is not necessarily the reason for depressed sales. "
I totally agree. Flooding did and still does contribute to lower "sell through" rate and lower prices realized for auction listings and longer "time on the shelf" for fixed price listings. It is one but only factor affecting all of eBay.
When we look at Canadian sellers specifically, there are other factors. The shifting preference by buyers to purchase listings offering "free shipping" has worked relatively well for American sellers but the concept has been much more challenging for Canadians generally facing higher shipping costs through Canada Post than Americans though USPS. And the gap seems to grow over the years.
We also have the lower Canadian dollar. Most Canadian sellers list in US$. By doing so they often outprice themselves on the Canadian marketplace. Some may argue that few Canadians buy their "stuff" True. But raising prices to Canadians by using the more expensive American dollar will not improve the situation.
Another important factor to consider is that the marketplace is often looking for "new stuff". Things or categories that did well years ago may not attract as many buyers on eBay today. Possibly these buyers have moved to other sources of supply. I remember reading posts on these Canadian boards years ago about sellers lining up at Value Village to buy their "stuff" and list it on eBay at double or triple what they paid. I do not recall seeing many such posts this year. Maybe Value Village has raised prices over the years and/or packing and shipping costs have raised so much that buyers no longer see the bargains. Or...or.. or...
My point is that while overall sales on eBay may have gone up over the years, the competition (number of listings) has increased at a much higher rate. All that while markets have shifted somewhat, costs have gone up, tastes have changed, and Canadian sellers face specific challenges not faced by American competitors.
Successful sellers adapt to changes. There is no option. And there are many reasons to be optimistic when we look around these Canadian boards and find plenty of success stories: Canadian sellers finding ways to sell on eBay and make a profit
(even old gals and guys - long retired - still moving thousands of dollars every month, working part time).
And you may have noticed that nowhere did I blame eBay for any of that "sale slowdown". Frankly, they are not the problem.
"Frankly, they are not the problem. Really??? "
Yes, really. You see many technical and policy problems. Yes, they are there. None of them are the end of the world. While they may affect some sellers in some categories, overall those problems are NOT the cause of the slowdown experienced by so many Canadian sellers. Many of the problems you list also affect me as a seller. But it will not stop me from finding solutions, from adapting and working around those problems as most Canadian sellers do. If it costs me a few cents here and there because a buyer cannot combine a few purchases into one payment, so what?
I know you spend much time finding so many things wrong with eBay. That's OK. You have the right to do so.
Personally I would rather see what is right with eBay. Why it still works for most sellers willing to find solutions. Think of the millions of sellers who manage to adjust, adapt and work with eBay despite all those challenges.
Life is way too short to worry about eBay as much as you do.
@pierrelebel wrote:"If it costs me a few cents here and there because a buyer cannot combine a few purchases into one payment, so what?"
I don't even stop to think about the $0.50 or so here and there that I lose on such purchases - it's irrelevant compared to considering how many multi-item purchases -- potential sales -- I've lost as a result of .com buyers (my biggest buyer market) giving up on me, Canadian sellers in general, or not coming back to eBay at all.
The thing is Pierre, none of us really knows what that number is, or how much it may represent in lost dollar value. It is, at the very least, significant if a seller regularly offers goods that would be appealing as multi-item orders.
"I know you spend much time finding so many things wrong with eBay. That's OK. You have the right to do so."
LOL. I don't have to spend much time finding things. They are right there in front of my nose every day. I point them out primarily to clarify problems from my own perspective, and to perhaps give others some insight that will help in being pro-active about adjusting and adapting. And some things about eBay I just wish eBay had never done, period. Frankly, they are vexing.
"Think of the millions of sellers who manage to adjust, adapt and work with eBay despite all those challenges."
Um, would that possibly include me?
Despite all the challenges that eBay policy has thrown at my little enterprise, here I am, still selling, relatively successfully, despite it all. Not because of a great deal that eBay has done to make my selling activities easier and smoother, but I'd say on the whole because I'm a creative problem-solver by personality and I'm tenacious.
I've managed to jump every hurdle eBay has put in front of me, and still make the profit I need to make to remain viable as a business here. I think that would fit the definition of adaptation and success. Things were so much easier and simpler a few years ago, I didn't have to keep looking over my shoulder lest eBay policy trip me up on simple things they never should have got involved with in the first place, I made better money much faster, and had a lot more fun doing it, but it is what it is. There are many definitions of success on eBay, and they don't all include selling thousands of dollars of product each month.
What I don't understand is why one wouldn't want to discuss criticisms or complaints about eBay. Those discussions can often lead to solutions or at the least, a better understanding of how things function (or don't) here.
Life is way too short to worry about eBay as much as you do.
I don't know about you, but I find it interesting, productive and even amusing at times, to parse out these issues. I've never been a worrier, it's not in my nature at all.
"Pierre, are you working for eBay...."
How many hours of research went into that question?
It is not the first time we see a similar question raised on these boards and I can imagine the guys and gals at eBay.ca in Toronto laughing their heads off at the suggestion I work for them!
@pierrelebel wrote:"Pierre, are you working for eBay...."
How many hours of research went into that question?
It is not the first time we see a similar question raised on these boards and I can imagine the guys and gals at eBay.ca in Toronto laughing their heads off at the suggestion I work for them!
I get that as well. Many of those on the bitter bus, accuse us of this because we work within the system and do well.
Yeah give Toronto a call and ask about me.
Because we do not join in the negativity, we must be eBay plants, shills, employees? Maybe we just do well because we do? No! Wait! That can't be it, you must be cheating.
Wow. Thanks for drawing attention to that. It explains a great deal very clearly. I was beginning to get downright paranoid about recent sagging sales (none since July 21st). I sell under this ID and another. Both are fading into the sunset. I was, like others, beginning to think that somehow my items were being suppressed unfairly in the search engine for whatever reason. Now, I know more about what is happening across the marketplace and I can begin to form decisions going forward. Nothing lasts forever. Everything changes; and in the world of online sales, change comes swiftly and requires a constant reinvention of your business plan.
Good luck to everyone here. I still love eBay but it's not productive to sit and wish for the good old days. Back to the drawing board.
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