We have sold on ebay for a year now, and in the last 4 months we were bennefiting from listing multiple single item listings, targeting the ending times by using Listing Schedule. However since BM came into force ‘properly’ on the 25th september we have noticed a 65% decrease in sales.

What should be a busy time of year for us is now becoming quite a financially straining time.

So my question:

Powerseller Support have confirmed that because we used ‘list according to my schedule’ and did not change this when the changes came in, we havent built up a sales history. We are now half way through changing our listings so that we list (5 x 3 day listings of every product we sell), spaced out throughout the day with a quantity of 15 available on each listing & USE THE RELIST WHETHER IT SELLS OR DOESNT.

So….

1. Are we doing the right thing now.? As eBay have confirmed we WILL build a sales history as the item now RELISTS instead of just being replaced by a new scheduled listing. (The reason for 5 multiple item listings is to get the sales from the old skool ebayers who search by ending soonest…if they still exist).

2. Furthermore, and my more pressing question: HOW IS SALES HISTORY AFFECTING BEST MATCH? is it the TOTAL number of sales from the listing and by this i mean is it like a tally that grows and grows so long as you relist within the 7 day window, OR is it a tally that lasts as long as the listing duration.

Because if its just a tally that lasts for the listing duration then surely using the 3 day listing is now the WORST thing to do as everyone else is building up a tally during the month using a 30 day listing except me.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

HOLLY.X

*has never been called a liar in her own comments quite that many times before*

This is a lie.

It is a lie because it is not true.

That is, it is non-factual statements. That is, it is a lie.

The use of “continue” implies that they are currently being sorted by “ending soonest”. They are not.

Best Match is the DEFAULT for EVERYTHING currently. Period.

I think what you’ve failed to realize is that if eBay uses your site to know their own policies, then you are actually the policy makers. Please use these powers for good.

anyone who can come up with the right item specfics permutation and listing strategy
has ebay to theirself

Skype is kinda useful

On a more positive note I know eBay have tested results of the new Best Match cos I was one of those people who mysteriously started getting search results looking like they do today back in August and early September – so I guess Ebay did a sampling and looked at buying behaviour to see what the results were and will have tweaked Best Match accordingly.

I think people who use Ebay for the auction element of Ebay will find Best Match a bit confusing until they work out that they have to view search results by ending time or just click down on the left to select only auction items..

Those who just want to Buy Now – will find it ok.

And the casual firsttimer will find it shows them items they are most likely to buy…

So I reckon it should work out…

I am more concerned about the total Ebay traffic – in my category it has dropped hugely over the last couple of years.

BTW Sue – it was good to meet you at the Channel Advisor thang in August – did send you an email after but no response?

Just checked some of my 90 day shop listings in both the new and old search, bearing in mind with CDs I only tend to list one not multiples, they are showing up very nicely either way complete with gallery photo that I didn’t pay for

So hopefully I’ll carry on selling well, it really all depends if the new fee increases outweight the profit I’m making. I’ll just have to be a lot more careful about what I list and really only list the stuff that is likely to sell rather than everything and hope. So I will definitely be decreasing the number of listings as I can no longer afford to list stuff on the offchance that it might sell.

” Have you ever heard of it Martin? its very informative and generally updates you on policy changes quicker than we can”

“Errm, I may have seen it somewhere, thanks”

The final post on the above-mentioned thread has this to say:

If you list an item with a quantity of 1 and sell it, you can then relist more of the same item within 7 days and you’ll keep the recent sales rating (and improved placement in Best Match) from having sold it before. But do you need to use the Relist button for this to work or does it also work if you use the Sell Similar option?

In the above example, you need to use the relist button in order to retain your recent sales score. the Sell Similar will reset your score.

The first paragraph is a question from earlier in the thread, which Mark D had initially said that he did not have the answer to, but would check with colleagues. So with all due respect, “absolute rubbish” is a bit strong. Shame, I thought we had a definite answer to that one, but it appears not.

They said it is absolute rubbish, they checked it internally and said again that it was not the case. I said I would post this as a comment here and they said ok…

I have a lot of 90 day shop listings that are now running to the end of their listing period and I want to retain a ‘recent sales rating’ for the items when I relist them – so this question is crucial to me.. Any info you get would be greatly appreciated. Regards Robin

Search on any term where there is just one page to show all results and hit refresh a few times with the results ordered by best match – the results keep changing!

How is that helpful for a buyer?

As a seller – I feel like everyone else I’m sure … “stop moving my goalposts without enough information and notice”

But as a buyer I truly despair … I have spent more money off-ebay this month than on – the new search drives me so crazy if I need something in a hurry and am logged into one my accounts that simply won’t let me opt out of the new search I simply can’t be bothered and I hit google. Even as an experienced buyer I don’t have the time or the patience to deal with the new search ‘experience’ and when I want to buy plastic mailers I don’t want to look at children’s toys or whatever other crazy offerings they have for me that day

Which bring me back to the wonderful phrase you used …. “eBay talk a lot about the buyer experience” I wouldn’t be so unhappy as a seller if I was happier as a buyer – because if someone with my experience of ebay can’t find:
1. What I want
2. That I know IS listed and
3. In the right lsiting format without jumping through hoops and finding mysterious option buttons hide somewhere way down in the margin.
I have no clue how my buyers will find anything I sell.

Do ebay ever consider that … I wonder I really do?

Details are here
http://pages.ebay.com/adcommerceintro/

and here
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200809.shtml#2008-09024102610