Comments on: Dear eBay, may I please get on with selling now?

By: Jeremy Middleton

Jeremy Middleton — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:04:27 +0000

Yes I have to agree with all parties who have blogged against the new ebay search structure. Personally I think they must be losing a fortune. I have seen seller like me who used to use feature plus on most listing not use it at all.

I have seen my seller fees dramatcally reduce until I get used to the new system, interestingly enough I have an item on feature 1st and an item on standard listing and the standard listing come up higher?

I think the reason that eBay are doing this is to further reduce the sale price of goods and to keep the postage down for the buyer keeping there position as the No1 site for UK visitors. However they are going to have stiff competition in the future. Walmart have recently set up a free classified site in the USA http://walmart.oodle.com this must be worrying for eBay? as you cannot compete with FREE? FREE = put the competition out of business, and in this economy people will go for the free option. Lets face it while doing your on-line shopping you might as well sell something while you are at it?

By: Jimbo

Jimbo — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:38:01 +0000

#60 & I scored the winning goal in the 1988 World Cup

By: Dustin Jones

Dustin Jones — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:55:34 +0000

Ebay makes changes + I crack out on policy changes, calling ebay to get the scoop and TESTING TESTING TESTING = sales doubled in 3 weeks. Fees are DOWN with the new structure and i’m about to drive into work with 52K worth of sales and about 820 packages going out today.

There is a way, but it is exhausting, takes risks and yes …is frustrating. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, which most have closed. Successful sales are capable right now …large or small sellers alike.

While everyone was complaining, I was keeping silent trying things. Now we are soaking in the benefits. …how long it last’s …humm??? who knows.

Website and Amazon should be implemented after the holidays.

By: Uncle Sam

Uncle Sam — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:02:53 +0000

I would also like to get on with selling – but I can’t. Apparently I’ve listed too many branded goods, so I have to wait for my account to be reviewed before I can list anything else.

11,000+ feedback with no negs in the last 12 months, my lowest DSR is 4.7 & my account is under review. Can they blame us sellers for being naffed off with them?

By: Whirly

Whirly — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:44:56 +0000

Talking of home improvement showrooms,, I hear MFI are doing wholesale if you turn up with cash,, not that I bought 14 sofa’s yesterday and 7 chests of drawers

Fingers crossed for Sunday, I gave my address as the Mabe Car Boot Sale,, well they aint gonna wanna have to take all that lot back to the store and unload them on a Sunday are they….

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:44:39 +0000

ebay support is what drives me nuts
to get any sort of sense you usually need to email them 3 or 4 times
the first answer from ebay is nearly always useless

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:38:04 +0000

luck of the draw init
my swag is great for ebay
but would stand no chance in a home improvement show room

By: Whirly

Whirly — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:58:30 +0000

Here’s a good example Norf, yesterday I noticed that a load of listings had “Postage to Europe” added, I didn’t bloody add that to any listings? Even an itailan postman could loose a bath ffs, let alone the massive cost of shipping,,

then this morning I find some more, go into revise them and it won’t let me, clicking on revise takes me to the sign in page then signing in gets stuck in a permenent loop.

I should be listing, answering emails etc, but yet again I am *issing about trying to fix stuff AGAIN, I haven’t even had my bloody eggs yet ffs,,

not a good start to a Monday.

By: Whirly

Whirly — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:13:08 +0000

53 My biggest gripe norf is the amount of editing and revising you have to do, it’s all well and good us saying eBay is a tool etc but how much time do you waste each week unpaid fiddling about with eBay’s barmy policy’s,, my eBay business is about as reliable as a 1974 Austin Allegro

if I broke down the hours spent *issing about on eBay I doubt I would make minimum wage,, this is my gripe.

your in a unique situation with your products they are pretty much what eBay was designed for I think you will always be successful on eBay norf,,

it aint the same for everybody though.

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:48:51 +0000

52
we are REAL professional sellers we did not became sellers because of ebay, we were buying and selling long before ebay ever existed, so we have a whole alphabet of plans not just a b

By: nadine

nadine — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:02:02 +0000

northumbrian, it’s not just eBay drives us crazy with stupid changes made without warning. It’s that you never know. You have adapted to all their antics so far, and good for you! But what about next month’s changes? or the month after that? Maybe they will decide they’ve gotten too many complaints about gemstones, and decide to limit your sales. Why not? They already did it to sellers of designer clothing. That’s why every professional seller needs a Plan B, just in case.

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:43:05 +0000

item specifics in antique jewellery dont have a RING or size option
there is no 12ct or 15ct etc,etc, etc ,etc ,etc ,etc, etc, etc,
ebay steers you into using item specifics, then drives you up the wall, who ever concocted the specific list has just pulled any old thing out of the air did anyone who sells these things ever get to suggest what might be best? rather than use some conveniant anorak that lurks the boards

“ANTIQUE” FINE JEWELLERY.and you get a NEW or USED option
how barmy is that

By: Norrie

Norrie — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:35:59 +0000

Actually all I would like to see is eBay having a public feedback score, linked to the fees they charge. Sellers are in this position and eBay sell to their sellers. How do you think they would have manage to maintain their scores over the last year.

By: Sue Bailey

Sue Bailey — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:37:35 +0000

Kate, try listing on eBay France, where there are *two* item specifics for new/used. As you say, barmy.

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:25:37 +0000

Item specifics in jewellery drive me batty, for example I have to choose between clip-on and dangly or chandelier, I can’t have both. And I can’t have beaded and gothic or beaded and wedding, it’s a choice again. Why can’t wedding or gothic jewellery be beaded?
It’s barmy.

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:43:42 +0000

dont get me wrong ,if any other site worked for us we would not hesitate to use it,
ebay provides a service we pay for it and are happy[ish] customers,
but we dont owe them anything else and they dont owe us anything either
this is business, not my family or my community

By: Gill

Gill — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:38:35 +0000

North, you are right – it does take a lot of work to maintain other venues as well, especially as a ‘one woman band’.

However, I think it is essential for the security of my business to do that. Lots of previous policy changes didn’t affect me personally, but I saw the writing on the wall loud & clear.

The recent policy change to ban sub-99p items affects a large proportion of my inventory. If ebay was my only venue, that would have been a huge blow. Fortunately it isn’t going to have such a detrimental effect on the business as a whole, as I can still sell that inventory on my website and Amazon.

Horses for courses & all that.

By: Sue Bailey

Sue Bailey — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:15:39 +0000

if sales are just fine, thats all anyone can ask for

I don’t think so. For example, how about an easy way of changing item specifics in bulk? My whole point is that eBay are distracting us from the important business of selling with ill-considered policy changes that make busy-work for no gain for anyone.

if only ebay had let us know
Precisely my point.

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:10:31 +0000

for instance we fill in the Ring size item specifics when listing on ebay uk
as ebay conveniantly converted them to the equivilent US size on the .com site
but without warning they decided not to
so droves of US buyers are now asking us what the ring size is
if only ebay had let us know ,we could have easily listed with the us size mentioned, we now need to answer a trillion questions or edit a couple of hundred listings

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:52:50 +0000

though I know exactly what your saying
drives us nuts too,
the bugg,ering around with item specfics alone, will have us in the mad house
Gawd knows how anyone new to ebay manages to list ,or get anything seen
ebay need to start looking how to simplify things,
Dan Wilson came out with a good expression in another post, he mentioned
template creep I thought that was so apt,
ebay are also guilty of a similar complaint, with their forms and templates
and there are more trees branches and leaves in ebays categories than there are in the new forest

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:44:17 +0000

well there ya go then! if sales are just fine, thats all anyone can ask for

By: Sue Bailey

Sue Bailey — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:14:35 +0000

#39 North, I for one am certainly not blaming eBay for poor sales. My sales are just fine, thank you. What I AM blaming eBay for is my having to spend an awful lot of time amending listings and pissing about, AND my inability, due to eBay’s policies, to rely on the income my eBay sales generate.

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 05:53:11 +0000

seems to me many find it easier just to blame ebay, for poor sales and problems, I can think of lots of things ebay could do better, though I can think of an awful lot more things that nowhere else can do better than ebay,

we too have sales blips and bad times , we dont just look at how ebay, is working
we look at how we do things, our prices, our listing methods, our stock,
what our competition is doing ,and the market place in general
we also look at other venues ,and other methods, we would certainly use any one, or anywhere if we thought for a moment they were more cost effort and time effective than ebay, but so far there is nothing that comes close

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 05:35:29 +0000

have all those beating the drum about websites other venues ,considered that is the very reason ebay is no longer working for them ,
are they are taking their eye of the ball ,or spreading theirself too thinly,
most ebay sellers are one man bands, you cant play the flute and the trumpet at the same time

By: ebuyerfb

ebuyerfb — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 02:42:27 +0000

Too often we hear conspiracy theories about eBay crashing its stock, padding listings for its own benefits, not caring about its sellers, etc.

I’m suddenly reminded of the Ultima video game series. In the final game of the series the hero realizes that he is part of the problem, empowers the people to solve their own problems, and then leaves forever. Perhaps this is exactly what eBay is doing. Sellers are being forced to adapt to quick and disruptive changes. Many are even forming their own sites.

Or it could just be really bad management.