eBay

blue.dragon.curios · ‎10-11-2024

I run a 2000 item store and sell between 5 and 10 items most days. Between 8 pm and 2 am est I always get one or more sales. Suddenly I started selling about 3 per day and 0 during my best hours, this is the fifth consecutive day. It seems very unnatural to me, more than a coincidence. My account health is great and I have no restrictions.

I have absolutely no idea why the shift has occurred l. I am still listing about the same quantity of items as usual. Has anyone else here experienced something similar recently?

ricarmic · ‎10-11-2024

Its probably not something you've done but something others have done....

I check "competitors" selling the same thing, is it selling for them? If it is do they place higher than you in searches (ie they're probably spending more on promoted listings than you).

There are many many things now that favour one seller over another, figuring out what they are/n't doing that you are/n't is very very hard.

Some of my prime product lines have been very very seriously negatively impacted by others who've overpriced stuff but put jumbo promotions on the items, which appears to be working for them. I've found other ways to generate enough income without putting too much into promoted listings, although I do have some tricks that used to work which I'll re-try if things get overall too slow.

Experimentation is an important part of surviving here, try some to see what happens....

blue.dragon.curios · ‎10-11-2024

It’s interesting that you mention that because promoted listing rates are exactly what I thought may be the problem. I do promote 95% of my listings and I do not use particularly high percentages. This has always worked well but the sudden decline was surprising.

It made me wonder if competitors are ramping up their rates for Q4, or perhaps the volume is increasing rapidly as sellers expect that listing now will be more fruitful.

femmefan1946 · ‎10-13-2024

If you don't think your PL fee option is high enough, try ending PL.

Sometimes the algorithm then panics and puts the cancelled PL item higher in Search while the 30 day "halo" is still in effect.

Or not.

It's cheaper than raising your PL fee.

Also have you compared your September /October 2024 numbers with your 2023 numbers? 2022? 2019? (because we ignore the 2020/21 pandemic surge in online buying).

Are your sales down or is the value of your sales down?

38e_avenue · ‎10-13-2024

@femmefan1946 wrote:
If you don't think your PL fee option is high enough, try ending PL.
Sometimes the algorithm then panics and puts the cancelled PL item higher in Search while the 30 day "halo" is still in effect.
Or not.
It's cheaper than raising your PL fee.

Also have you compared your September /October 2024 numbers with your 2023 numbers? 2022? 2019? (because we ignore the 2020/21 pandemic surge in online buying).
Are your sales down or is the value of your sales down?

A good advice. Me too, I stop to promote for 2 or 3 days, then I promote again.

I also shut down all my listings and relist them as "similar" a few times a month.

BTW, the "mysterious drop in sales" is probably the most frequent topic since this board exists 😃

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎10-13-2024

@38e_avenue wrote:
@femmefan1946 wrote:
If you don't think your PL fee option is high enough, try ending PL.
Sometimes the algorithm then panics and puts the cancelled PL item higher in Search while the 30 day "halo" is still in effect.
Or not.
It's cheaper than raising your PL fee.

Also have you compared your September /October 2024 numbers with your 2023 numbers? 2022? 2019? (because we ignore the 2020/21 pandemic surge in online buying).
Are your sales down or is the value of your sales down?
A good advice. Me too, I stop to promote for 2 or 3 days, then I promote again.
I also shut down all my listings and relist them as "similar" a few times a month.

BTW, the "mysterious drop in sales" is probably the most frequent topic since this board exists 😃

My personal opinion is for anyone seeing a sudden drop in sales, it is something eBay has done recently. Not the seller. They've done so much to the algorithm in the last 3 to 4 years, what works 1 day no guarantees will work the next. eBay sell similar relisting is a lottery at best, as of late. (It did for some magical reason trigger sales. Now, not so much.) With most things eBay the only pattern is there are no patterns or in other words inconsistent consistency. Now off to buy some lottery tickets!! 🤣 I need to stop asking is this ticket guaranteed to be a winner!!!

-Lotz

38e_avenue · ‎10-13-2024

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:
eBay sell similar relisting is a lottery at best, as of late. (It did for some magical reason trigger sales. Now, not so much.)

Yes, I can confirm that. I shut down and relisted "as similar" 3.000 items this Friday. Until now (Sunday evening), not a single sale. Usually, such a massive relisting resulted in 12-15 sales within 2 days. I have a Premium store, so I can relist for free. But imagine a seller without such a store, or with a lower level store - such relisting would cost 300 dollars! 🙄

Additionally - what's even more strange, the traffic did increase!

I am TRS Plus, so in theory I should have the max visibility, right?

Here are my last 31 days sales:

chicweb · ‎10-13-2024

I personnally saw a big change starting october 1st.

Impressions:

Pages views:

That's 50% less... Very very weird.

Sales are going down too compared to September... Nothing changed in my Seller ratings. Still Top rated, exactly like in September. Nothing moved at all, there.

Something happened October 1st? Dont know what, yet.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎10-13-2024

@chicweb wrote:
I personnally saw a big change starting october 1st.

Impressions:

Pages views:

That's 50% less... Very very weird.

Sales are going down too compared to September... Nothing changed in my Seller ratings. Still Top rated, exactly like in September. Nothing moved at all, there.

Something happened October 1st? Dont know what, yet.

@chicweb

@38e_avenue

I have seen a major drop off in traffic and sales, both after promo cycle ends and when I had a brief hiatus down time for a few days (2). Takes a few days to pick up even if I restart comparative promos promptly. It's back to majority of traffic is via eBay vs Offsite.

Traffic last 30 days:

Traffic last 45 days:

Traffic last 60 days:

Impressions last 60 days:

Note % drops.

-Lotz

chicweb · ‎10-13-2024

@lotzofuniquegoodies Interesting...

I notice something... When using calculated shipping... If Untracked and tracked international are both offered on a product... it seem that ebay only show the tracked now ?

As an example:

The Canada Post International Non-US (Air) is activated too worldwide on this item... Not showing at all in the options.

This could have an effect on the Impressions/Views/Sales directly if they implemented a change on this. International Tracked Packages is a bit more expensive than Non tracked.

Am I the only one that sees this? That could explain a lot.

chicweb · ‎10-13-2024

Nevermind my last comment. Just saw I was using International "Parcel" and not "Small packets"....

That could explain a lot on my personnal case.

Don't want to divert the topic, here 😉

byto253 · ‎10-13-2024

Looks like the OP sold 9 or 10 items per day on the 12th and 13th, so may have been a blip.

dobo5250 · ‎10-14-2024

i too had a recent drop in sales from 4/5 sales week on 1800 listigs to zero for last five days -- and my other parameters are also way down for same period views etc -- at first i looked at last year and the year before and they did show a drop right before thanksgiving -- so maybe thats it -- iam lucky i have meet my costs for the month a week ago so iam ok for this week and next -- but i was trying to get ahead a little --- no such luck

i have stopped using pl on all new listings -- but still have them on all old listings -- maybe that whats happened it finally they finally caught up to me -- i don't know -- i don't like using pl but when things are dire then i do --another week before i put back on everything again --- hope you have a turnaround soon i know that feeling

38e_avenue · ‎10-14-2024

Today is 3rd day after I did shut down and relist "as similar" all my 3.000 listings. I also stopped the promotions for 1 day and restarted it at 7%. Still no sales (usually I have 3-5 sales a day).

However, by checking my records I discovered I had a similar "weird" October just 2 years ago. For no reason my sales dropped to 1 per day.

But I have to admit, I stopped to list new items about 4 months ago, because I was busy with other things.

And creating new listings (10 or more per day) was always the best - and always working - way to boost the sales.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎10-14-2024

@38e_avenue wrote:
Today is 3rd day after I did shut down and relist "as similar" all my 3.000 listings. I also stopped the promotions for 1 day and restarted it at 7%. Still no sales (usually I have 3-5 sales a day).

However, by checking my records I discovered I had a similar "weird" October just 2 years ago. For no reason my sales dropped to 1 per day.

But I have to admit, I stopped to list new items about 4 months ago, because I was busy with other things.
And creating new listings (10 or more per day) was always the best - and always working - way to boost the sales.

@38e_avenue

Grand total of 7 sales - 1 this month. 1 transaction buyer cancelled 2 mins after paying. They said "accepted offer in error???" 2 Sales 3 days ago. Nothing since. Feast or famine is the new eBay normal.

-Lotz

reallynicestamps · ‎10-14-2024

But imagine a seller without such a store, or with a lower level store - such relisting would cost 300 dollars!

Really?

Because with a Basic Store, in addition to the purchased 1000 listings, eBay has been giving me 10,000 truly Free promotional listings for over a year, possibly longer .
I don't count on having those free listings though, and am ready to drop half my current listings if the freebies disappear.

Sales are going down too compared to September...

October is not September. Nor is September August.

How do your sales compare to October 2023? 2022? 2019? (Skip the outlier pandemic surge years of 2020-21)

I know that come November my sales on this account will drop, because my customers will be using their stamp allowance to buy holiday gifts. This year that starts on Hallowe'en which coincides with Diwali. This happens every year and has since we first opened our business in 1978.

and when I had a brief hiatus down time for a few days (2). Takes a few days to pick up even if I restart comparative promos promptly.

I agree. If I don't list for a few days, sales are off. If sales are off, it takes time to build up again. On the other hand, I've noticed that if I make a sale to an unusual location (low population Idaho or to Liechtenstein) I usually have another sale there soon after.

I think eBay gives active sellers more Visibility in Search where they have already been successful.

...so may have been a blip.

Probably.

i have stopped using pl on all new listings -- but still have them on all old listings -- maybe that whats happened it finally they finally caught up to me

PL worked well for me, even a 2%, for a long time. Not so much that the PL items sold, but my Views and more importantly my overall sales went up.
Like you I just don't think of using PL when I am listing. I used to do about one in ten listings as PL at 2% now I doubt I have one in 25.

38e_avenue · ‎10-14-2024

@reallynicestamps wrote:
But imagine a seller without such a store, or with a lower level store - such relisting would cost 300 dollars!
Really?
Because with a Basic Store, in addition to the purchased 1000 listings, eBay has been giving me 10,000 truly Free promotional listings for over a year, possibly longer .

Really. I'm getting even 50.000 free listings, but in completely useless categories. I do not plan to change my selling profile and list 50.000 magic sponges from Dollarama 😄

38e_avenue · ‎10-14-2024

@reallynicestamps wrote:

Sales are going down too compared to September...

How do your sales compare to October 2023? 2022? 2019? (Skip the outlier pandemic surge years of 2020-21)

October - for some reason - was always "weird", and not like other months. Here an example from my 2014 graph:

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎10-14-2024

@38e_avenue wrote:
@reallynicestamps wrote:
But imagine a seller without such a store, or with a lower level store - such relisting would cost 300 dollars!
Really?
Because with a Basic Store, in addition to the purchased 1000 listings, eBay has been giving me 10,000 truly Free promotional listings for over a year, possibly longer .
Really. I'm getting even 50.000 free listings, but in completely useless categories. I do not plan to change my selling profile and list 50.000 magic sponges from Dollarama 😄

@38e_avenue

I'm still trying to figure out the rationale for the recent "sitewide upgrade" to " 5M limit on quantity of items worth $5 M and where to put them once I do. Techically I am at 1950(combined). I did print the list of the select applicable limited categories and keep handy. (The antique category seller chooses is not always the same antique category eBay has designated as being included. See screenshot attached). You have to watch very closely watch as you create listings that eBay doesn't "dump" in an incorrect category as you go to create listings. Only have basic store so that equals 1000 listings + 10,000 which nowhere resembles the above quoted 5 M listings.

-Lotz

https://pages.ebay.ca/sitemap.html

Note 1. "Antiques" are part of collectibles but not included as part of of the sitemap attached under Antiques...If that makes any sense what so ever.

Note 2. What is applicable under Home & Garden is EXTREMELY limited. Party Supplies??? Similar to toys and hobbies.