Other ebay sellers finding bad results lately?

[reetpleat]

I started selling a lot of stuff on ebay a while ago. Recently, I have noticed stuff bringing very few bids and low prices. I am wondering if people are worried about the economy and not buying, or abandoning ebay, or is it just a bad run for me? Anyone else having bad results lately?

I would think that the exchange rate would be good for foreign buyers, but even they are not paying much.

 

[RedHotRidinHood]

Well....if eBay would stop trying to screw over their small time sellers like us, maybe we would have better sales. It's getting to be scary for us. This holiday season will see many small sellers gone with the wind.

I am convinced that within the next couple of years, they will stop auctions altogether. Their goal is to be (or beat) Amazon.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Ebay is changing their business plan away from auctions and favoring "buy it now" options for low priced goods. They want to take on Amazon.com because the think the online auction biz has run it's course.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5626840&page=1

 

[Foofoogal]

I went to ebay last night for first time in awhile. I swear it is soooo complicated and I am on all kinds of places on the net. Took me 5 minutes to find the gallery. It looks like a space ship with alot of buttons and tech stuff.

 

[RedHotRidinHood]

I'm just hoping that someone good will step in and start doing auctions, the way eBay used to be. I know, I can dream.....

 

[troy]

I agree with the previous posts about ebay becoming amazon. I'm not happy about that, but I do believe it is what they are moving toward. Unfortunately this will hurt a lot of people who worked hard to make ebay what it is today (which made ebay rich and powerful enough to bite the hand that's fed them).

I was following a lot of the online discussion earlier this year when ebay initiated the first two sets of drastic changes.

There are some other auction sites out there, unfortunately it will take years for any one to become a fraction of what ebay is (or has been). The group of unhappy ebayers did a lot of work, and tried to settle on two or three sites that they would try to promote, rather than everyone splitting off in dozens of different directions. Etsy was one of the final selections, but as many FLers know, that site is really best for crafty things. Onlineauction.com is the general auction site people selected as the best possible overall replacement. The cost for the seller at onlineauction is great, I think it's a set monthly fee or something to that effect. The problem is that it is so small compared to ebay, that sellers cannot get nearly the exposure with their items, and buyers cannot find the selection they need.

My mother is a full time seller, and I know for years she has said that summer tends to slump some due to vacationing and things. Hopefully it will pick up over the next few weeks as children get back to school, and the beach umbrella is pulled out of the family wagon and returned to the coner in the garage.

 

[Feraud]

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5626840&page=1

Thanks for the link. Interesting article.

About this

The answer to that is the real story, hidden within the eBay announcement this week. When you study the company's financials, you suddenly appreciate that eBay is no longer an auction company, or even a retailer& but a bank. PayPal, eBay's subsidiary payment processing operation, turns out to be the company's big cash cow.

And so, the most important part of Tuesday's announcement was not what everybody noticed -- the shift to fixed pricing -- but what appeared to be an afterthought: eBay's announcement that it was eliminating payment via checks and money orders and shifting all electronic transactions through PayPal.

Two questions.. One - does anyone who use PayPal use it for anything other than Ebay?
Two- I wonder if the elimination of payment through checks and m.o.s will impact buyer participation and sales on Ebay?

 

[Lefty]

When I do sell, I refuse to take anything other than paypal. I'll take the profit loss in exchange for the convenience. I'm really surprised that checks and money orders still exist. Accepting a piece of paper that won't turn into money for a week is barely above trading my item for a goat.

As to using paypal for other purposes, I've purchased a number of items from small business websites that used paypal for their method of accepting payment. I don't know if it's the best route for them, or just the easiest. I'm just saying that it is used outside of ebay.

 

[reetpleat]

Well....if eBay would stop trying to screw over their small time sellers like us, maybe we would have better sales. It's getting to be scary for us. This holiday season will see many small sellers gone with the wind.

I am convinced that within the next couple of years, they will stop auctions altogether. Their goal is to be (or beat) Amazon.

Haven't you heard the news. They are planning on stopping the auction format.
apparently they say they want to be competative with other on line sellers and favor fixd prices. They say buyers are intimidated and do not like he auction style and feel they overpay.

I thin this is a mistake for two reasons. One is, I think that many people snag bargains on ebay and sellers tend to overprice their fixed listings so as not to sell too cheap. So it will end up like a bad antique mall full of overpriced stuff no one wants to buy because most ebayers are cheap.

Secondly, if you are just like everyone else, you have lost your edge and are just one more site in a competative place.

I suspect that once they get rid of auctions, in time one new site will emerge as the new leading auction site and pick up all their business.

A smart person might create a site called newbay and start marketing it now, knowing it will lose money till ebay gets rid of aucions, but will be positioned to cash in.

 

[reetpleat]

Thanks for the link. Interesting article.

About this

Two questions.. One - does anyone who use PayPal use it for anything other than Ebay?
Two- I wonder if the elimination of payment through checks and m.o.s will impact buyer participation and sales on Ebay?

Yes, I did notice that. Pretty insideous really. I wonder if they are going to get into trouble with the feds. If they do not allow people to pay in any other way, that would be a violation of certain anti trust laws, isn't it?

I suppose fixed price sales ae big for them, and payment processing is big for them, but that doesn't mean that the auctons are not aluable. I mean, we don't tend to hink of the bulk of ebay sales such as cell phone batteries etc.

Why don't they just spin off the fixed sales as nowbay, and keep a strictly aucion site for collectibles. They would still make a ton of money, but give the non collectors and auction types buy it now access.

 

[reetpleat]

When I do sell, I refuse to take anything other than paypal. I'll take the profit loss in exchange for the convenience. I'm really surprised that checks and money orders still exist. Accepting a piece of paper that won't turn into money for a week is barely above trading my item for a goat.

As to using paypal for other purposes, I've purchased a number of items from small business websites that used paypal for their method of accepting payment. I don't know if it's the best route for them, or just the easiest. I'm just saying that it is used outside of ebay.

I will occasionally send money via paypal. But without ebay, paypal would not be much of a company. However, I do have a paypal credit card that I use for buying and cash back instead of transfering to my account which can take days. That is not using really paypal though.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I've used Paypal for many things outside of Ebay. Many online sellers use it in the checkout. I've even had people pay me for freelance work through it. It's pretty handy actually.

 

[Justdog]

Paypal

Thanks for the link. Interesting article.

About this

Two questions.. One - does anyone who use PayPal use it for anything other than Ebay?
Two- I wonder if the elimination of payment through checks and m.o.s will impact buyer participation and sales on Ebay?

Yes you are correct. Paypal is the cash cow. They are forcing sellers to use it exclusevly. My account was delinked from Ebay and I was unable to bid on any items or buy it now requiring paypal only sellers. I lost several auctions until I finally researched that it was Ebay Paypals doing. They blamed it on the sellers. Ebay/Paypal are one company regardles of what they try to speil. I terminated all selling dur to their policies. I am verrry conservative about buying now.
Of 20 items I watch, for example, I may buy or auction for one in a month.
I believe they were trying to see how many people they could turn off last second auctioning and therefore force buy it nows and prebids. I think with their snipping tool they are ruining classic auctioning. Again many small sellers are going to be eliminated. They do not want anything to do with policing transactions.

 

[Justdog]

I suspect that once they get rid of auctions, in time one new site will emerge as the new leading auction site and pick up all their business.

Thread edited severely.
I agree 100 percent.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Thanks for the link. Interesting article.

About this

Two questions.. One - does anyone who use PayPal use it for anything other than Ebay?
Two- I wonder if the elimination of payment through checks and m.o.s will impact buyer participation and sales on Ebay?

Yes, I have used Paypal for many other things,..and no buyers are not affected by Paypal at all, sellers must pay all fees for using Paypal. This is why some sellers have required payment via money orders or checks, to avoid Paypal fees for money received.

 

[kamikat]

Thanks for the link. Interesting article.

About this

Two questions.. One - does anyone who use PayPal use it for anything other than Ebay?
Two- I wonder if the elimination of payment through checks and m.o.s will impact buyer participation and sales on Ebay?

I have never used PayPal for anything other than eBay. Yes, the elimination of checks and m.o.s will end my participation on eBay. As a hair stylist who makes a significant portion of her income in cash tips, I typically have more free cash lying around than in my account. I only buy from sellers who accept m.o.s.

 

[Minerva]

I finally downgraded my paypal account to a personal account. I haven't used paypal for a sale in about two years.

Checks, money orders, or plain old cash works for me, so if they aren't allowed, that's officially it for me on ebay. With the new policy changes I'm setting up shop elsewhere. I did get Google checkout for people who like these newfangled electronic payment methods, but it hasn't seen much use yet. I guess folks who buy vintage don't like electronic payments. lol

So much for 'just a venue', as they used to claim.

 

[Josephine]

Yes, I have used Paypal for many other things,..and no buyers are not affected by Paypal at all, sellers must pay all fees for using Paypal. This is why some sellers have required payment via money orders or checks, to avoid Paypal fees for money received.

I don't mind the fees for the little amount that I sell, I'd rather pay them than have to drive to my bank to deposit the checks, etc (time and gas). If I was a big seller, and it would be a larger chunk of change, I'd probably feel differently.

 

[HatfeathersVint]

I have Paypal buttons on my site, and use PP almost exclusively. I will take checks and MO's, but am out front about waiting a week for anything to clear that isn't a post office issued MO (I can cash it out at the PO).
I use them for the convenience, the security, and mostly, the familiarity with their system.
I sell to other countries a lot, and its easier to pay PPal to do the exchange.

I am in the beginning stages of getting Google Checkout started, but I don't really like the Google system. They put the payment amount into your bank acct, not into one system account like PPal. I prefer the money all go into one kitty, then I can transfer it out when the amount gets larger or the rent is due. PP also gives me a cash back/interest for the amount I have in there. Yes, it is just a few pence, but it is still earning. If the money is in my bank acct it is not earning. I try to think ahead and start a transfer the week before I know I'll need it. It has never taken more than 2 days.
I used to use the PPal issued card, but there are a lot of stories out there of security issues, so I nixed it.