Does anyone else here sell on eBay?
By Fleur
@Fleura (30159)
United Kingdom
September 13, 2022 3:40am CST
I have sold odds and ends on eBay for several years now. Things that I know a charity shop would never bother with (or simply couldn’t take) but that I’m sure someone out there must want. All kinds of things from vintage vacuum cleaner tools to baby toys, antique underwear to garden sheds.
For a couple of years I’ve been rather too busy to list anything but now I’m having another push to declutter so I’m working my way through a pile of things. But something seems to have changed and I can’t understand what.
Of course when you offer something unusual for sale, only a few people are going to be interested. Many people might have a look, but then decide it isn’t for them, which of course I quite understand. In the past I might have relisted an item two or three times before it found a buyer (and sometimes then it would suddenly be wanted by a couple of people!)
But this time around I’m finding that some of the items I have listed never even get a single view!
Is this just a ploy by eBay to get everyone to pay extra for their ‘promote it’ option? Do they somehow hide listings until you pay up? Or has something else changed that I have missed? Or is eBay less popular and buyers have gone to other sites and I haven’t realised? Anyone else had this experience?
9 people like this
10 responses
@58lordstreet (1668)
•
13 Sep 22
years ago I did - when I had to get rid of a lot of stuff before moving away.I dont really know how it works now , its got too professional
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (179715)
• United States
13 Sep 22
I have, I was trying to list something on Sunday, and it took a lot of tinkering around. I finally gave up and just listed on FB. I might go back to it though as the FB people are being unreliable. I downloaded the app as it is supposed to be easier. Sorry about our bad luck, do you know if eBay charges for the listing if you don't sell it?
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (179715)
• United States
13 Sep 22
@Fleura That's cool. what I found frustrating, is they don't seem to save cookies. Everytime I would leave to get photos or something, I would have to go back to square one. Not very user friendly is you ask me.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (105254)
• Marion, Ohio
13 Sep 22
I dont use ebay too much anymore. I didnt like it when all the retailers started listing things on there. Now I only go to ebay if I cant find a decent price or an item somewhere else.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (105254)
• Marion, Ohio
13 Sep 22
@Fleura I always read feedback before ordering.
1 person likes this
@Chellezhere (5659)
• United States
13 Sep 22
I have not, but Whozeewhatzit sells coins and stamps, and has been doing it on eBay since 1995. Although I have not spoken to him since I moved out in June, when I was still living with him, he constantly complained that sales were down. I think some of what you are experiencing may be a residual from COVID, and inflation and the recession we are currently in might cause more.
1 person likes this
@Chellezhere (5659)
• United States
13 Sep 22
@Fleura It's hard for any of us to say, and Pierre Omidyar (founder and director emeritus), Thomas J. Tierney (chairman), and Jamie Iannone (president? & CEO) certainly won't tell us.
1 person likes this
@VictorFrankenstein (236)
• United Kingdom
18 Feb
I've been selling on Ebay part-time for years, and tor the past few years there's been a slow decline. And in January I've had no sales at all! It does seem that Ebay's no longer a good place for small sellers, especially if you're selling something niche. I personally suspect that the search engine results are partly based on what sales you've had in the recent past - so if you have a bad month, you'll get less exposure in the following the month, leading to a vicious circle. That's just speculation on my part, but there's definitely something wrong.
I've actually got the majority of my listings on Ebid these days - the fee structure's a lot friendlier, so even with low sales there's the possibility of making a profit.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47125)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
13 Sep 22
I neither sell nor buy on eBay.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (19855)
• United States
13 Sep 22
I only used ebay once. My mother thought about using ebay to seel some of my uncle's stuff, but I don't know if we would be able to get any buyers.
1 person likes this
