Traffic down since switching from .com to .ca + tariff nonsense

[rdemaree]

My ebay traffic and sales have been down significantly since the February tariff threats and me switching from listing on .com to .ca in March. 

On avg. about 25% less than I was getting. I am usually slow during late winter - early summer ( Late January - Early June) and then I start picking up again but im selling a bit slower and seeing less traffic than what I would consider to be normal.

Curious to hear other peoples current experience with the tariff threats, economic idiocy from the white house and if anyone made a switch from .com to .ca at any point in the past and noticed any sort of dramatic shift or if I can safely chalk this up to trumps tariff threats and the economic instability coming out of the whitehouse + time of year?

Let me know what you think + your experience!

Thanks

-Ryan 

[transtraders]

Just curious, Do you sell on other platforms? or just ebay?

[mrdutch1001]

This may not be unique to eBay as I sell on Etsy and there are disccussions there about less traffic, low sales, decrease in sales,etc...However, this is also the time of year when things slow down for many sellers...but 2025 also has seen the world thrown into chaos caused by one power hungry mentally unstable individual that no one seems to have the balls to slap into reality, and that has created such economic uncertaintly,so many job losses,the  financial stress amongst so many peoples, so that folks just may not want to be spending $ on things they really don't need...

[reallynicestamps]

and me switching from listing on .com to .ca in March.

This is likely the main culprit.

Are you registered on dotCA? Most of us are.

Are you only listing on dotCA?

Even if you are listed on dotCA, we can list on any eBay site in the world.

We have to use their currency and we must use Flat Rate shipping, but those are minor difficulties.

Remember that the USA in spite of That Man in the White House is still the biggest single economy in the world.

(The EU is larger as a total economy. China is nearly as big but consumers have smaller incomes and are less likely to be able to read English.)

Americans are very provincial and are also just as confused and worried as everyone else by TMitWH. They are not likely to be shopping on dotCA, and although listings on dotCA, will appear on dotCOM if you indicate you will ship there, they will be much lower in Search.

FWIW the only listing I have on dotCA are those which are heavy or bulky, demanding parcel rates and therefore Calculated Shipping.

For smaller items, I use dotCOM and Flat Rate/Free Shipping.

YMMV.

[reallynicestamps]

What a fascinating niche category!

[ricarmic]

I would say things are slower and/or prices are softer in my (stamps) world. Some market conditions (aging out baby boomers) were happening before this year's political changes, however I think the economic stuff is further negatively impacting as well.

This is because people use their discretionary income to buy my stuff. 

IMO the political changes mean people spend less discretionary income because:

-they are worried about how bad things will get and how much prices of necessities will go up

(especially folks on fixed income)

-they're worried about their jobs

-they're worried about their falling investment values

So to me this translates to maybe the same number of sales volume, but instead of $30 average purchase price its $10 to $15 = a lot more work for me to make the same net income. 😪

I sell via 5 different mediums/locations/venues at this time, and all are experiencing similar sypmtoms.