Spring Cleaning at eBay

by: eXtinctBay

As mentioned on the other blog regarding this ''cleansing'' of eBay, they need to concentrate on DUPLICATE listings, not the unique items which buyers are seeking.

Not to mention the many dropshippers who actually do not have the listed item in their hands. If they could rid the site of even as little as 1/3 of these listings, the merchandise which is not available anywhere except eBay can be featured.

One EKG comment on the other blog put it best: If a seller is paying to list something, it should be always available, even if they want to keep the item active for 20 years.

If eBay does not want to allow all items to be listed as long as the paying customer chooses, then they should just sell the company, as they are obviously not in the right business.

The new owner can put money into the site, instead of constantly regressing it. This would benefit all involved, not just management and shareholders, but everyone- buyers, sellers, and investors.

by: blueribbon1844

@extinct "One EKG comment on the other blog put it best: If a seller is paying to list something, it should be always available, even if they want to keep the item active for 20 years."

Precisely. WHY do they think they can take my dollar for 18 months for a listing fee, take my store fees, hide the listing in the search, and then delete it altogether?

Oh that's right, we are dealing with the most unethical company in the world. Makes sense now.  

by: iheartjacksparrow

That's one thing I really love about eCrater: once I list something, it's there, being seen by potential buyers, until it's sold or I remove it. And as others have already mentioned, sometimes it takes a while for the right buyer to find your item.

eBay is the cause of their "stale" products since hiding listings, rolling blackouts, and seller limits are responsible for buyers not being able to find what they want.  

by: Beth

AND no they are not sending emails to everyone.  Only a few folks got emails. Most I know got zip.  

by: I Must be Crazy

I have to think, with 167 million registered users, Ebay would be able to sell darn near anything on the site. That said, if they would simplify search, and stop hiding listings, then perhaps fewer items would have a chance of becoming stale. In any case, it should be up to the seller of an item to decide when to end it. Ebay needs to spend money upgrading and strengthening their infrastructure, not eliminating items. It's like the power company always telling us to conserve. They don't want to build a power plant to meet the need, but rather reduce what people use by charging more for less. Ebay is no different.

by: LasVagueness

Very nice essay, Bob.  

by: pebbles

IF eBay made more listings actually visible rather than hidden, they might actually have a chance to sell! When I can't see my listings, even searching with the item #, that's no fault of the seller that's failure on eBay's part.
Just the other day I was shopping for glasses. I typed "juicy couture glasses" 0 results. I then typed " juicy couture eye glasses" still 0 results BUT when I selected from the suggested drop down menu, bam! Well over 100 results. Cant-see-ini, we have a problem!

by: Chicago48

I think the cleansing of GTC is a good idea.  However -- look at AMZ.  They don't have such policy -- yet, and I'm grateful for that.  I've had stuff on AMZ for years and years, and just yesterday sold a headphone that was listed in 2013.  I think Ebay should take another look at this policy.  Maybe extend it to 2 years.

by: frustrated

Where did it say they were ending and completely deleting them?

Since when did I pay them to host my items, and then they decide to get rid of turbo lister, and make my item GONE?

Good thing I have inkfrog.

You don't need to take NEW pics, BTW, just change one for another, raise the price by at least 1.00, and for GOD'S SAKE change the title.

Looks like no matter how bad can't see me IS, they refuse to abandon it. Even if they start posting losses, year over year.

DOOOOOUUUUUHHHHH. Beginning to think these guys don't like money.

by: The End

Looking forward :o)

by: Modlcitizn

I'm happy to see this! The collectibles categories are loaded with overpriced and worthless garbage that has been listed for years. I have watched one old postcard that's been for sale for over 6 years. There is one stamp item that is damaged and worthless that's been for sale for over a year for $40. It comes up all the time in my eBay emailed searches, which drives me nuts.  It's become very tedious to sort through all of this garbage. eBay has become the luggage carousel at the airport where things go through the sales cycle over and over.

by: Windkissed

Thats unfair to sellers.  Sellers specialize in different catagories and items.  Who is ebay to determine what someone should sell or not.  They are bent on pushing the merchandise because that is what gives them their income.  Sellers are different,  I sell for a profit on a certain item not how fast it sells.  I have searched items on ebay and only got a few brought up and then if you keep searching for days you will eventually find what you want, because ebay picks and chooses what items get first pick in the searches.  Or what ends up on the first page.  I have searched my own items and some don't even show up on a search.  What with that.  I sell vintage, pre owned, New and handmade things.  They are not items that are typically  bought because of a trend or whats popular at the time.  Things like this will not sell quickly.  Besides we pay for listing those items, sellers should be able to list what they want when they want and for how long they want.

by: maxmad

ebay is not a classified ad site anymore, their sole purpose is to take as much money from the seller and their items as legally possible, and if that means deleting items that don't produce for them, so be it.

I'm almost sure ebay finds it Really entertaining to read some of the rants from sellers,

 

by: epuise

"Dusty" listings need to be "dusted off" or moved to another site.

by: Marie

@epuise

Maybe so, but it isn't Ebay's place to make that decision, it's MINE!!!  I pay them to do a job, they should be concentrating on that and leave me to do my job!

They can significantly unclutter Ebay by getting all the duplicate listings off the site.  Especially with the Asian sellers.

by: mcposty

I want a discount on monthly fees and I want to see them rid of Chinese millions of duplicate listings.

If not..I'm picketing

by: donald

The Chinese duplicates are the main problem or sellers listing in the wrong category not the one or two odds and ends. I'm not lowering my prices to satisfied ebay. They either wait till it sells, at my price or they will lose me too. I sure can live off my other venues, especially Amazon.


Also Bob says that sellers leave worthless items on the site because, you get free listings. That's not true we get discounted prices do to a store subscription. eBay has never offer nothing for free!

by: Lightning

As suspected, ebay is refunding fees for removed listings, at least according to the announcement just made:
''We have identified a relatively small number of unproductive listings and have begun removing those with one or more years of no sales and minimal page views, and are refunding any associated listing fees.''

On an unrelated subject, ebay sent me a selling tip in my weekly status report:

''Tip:
You can be super smart with your selling. Seasonal items will sell well at the right time of year.''

If they think this is ''super smart'', that might explain a lot.

by: Marie

@lightning

Well yes and no.  First, Ebay would have to show how these listings were violating an actual policy just because of their age.  Ebay doesn't currently have such a policy.  So they shouldn't keep the listing fee.

HOWEVER, for those listings getting closed that were listed using one of your FREE listings, Ebay does not give back a free listing because they closed a listing.  So you lose out on that.

The Announcement last night did NOT address the question I've been asking.  Are they CLOSING or DELETING the listings.  It makes a HUGE difference.  If they just close them, then we can access them in our unsold items.  Revise them and repost them if we so desire.  But if the delete them, then we have no access to the listing anymore.  If we want to repost the product, we will have to create a brand new listing, take photos, etc.

And of course when we list it again, there goes another one off my free listing total for the period.

If you have TL, I suggest you synchronize with Ebay for all your items, sold, unsold & scheduled.  This way you will have those listing in TL at least.  Just in case Ebay is actually deleting the listings they are closing.
 

by: DSShop

Yes, I would have to agree that Ebay need to update software to make it easier for the customer and seller when it comes to listing. This however, for them to decide to just say your listing is done or else is over the top.