eBay Spring Seller Update 2019 Is Rolling Out

by: fifilapew

@jack, sounds about right!

by: Tiffee Jasso

I tried a practice run for GTC for a while  a couple of years  back, and found that those items rarely sold. Unless Ebay's search engine is better today than it was two years ago, it means sales will tank by half or better for some sellers, including me. I imagine this has more to do with paying higher fees for promoted listings than it does with grabbing more listing fees. That is the problem with today's big business, they sit around all day trying to figure out how to get more of your dollars, and at the same time cut service on their part.  

by: geoffreymason

I have found that staggering end/start times for my niche collectibles increases sales; I have experimented broadly and have seen the results. It does not serve me to have 1,500 or so listings end simultaneously. This new twist is going to be more labor-intensive and time-consuming for me. With ebay mismanaged and in the doldrums, I have secured my own website and I am continuing to add other platforms -- yes, more work and more time involved, but ebay simply does not provide enough buyers.

I've been on ebay for eighteen years and, like all other long-termers, have experienced the decline in traffic and sales; one poor ebay move after another has decimated not only my sales but the sales of others. Sorry to be leaving the site for other venues, because "in the old days" it was hot and profitable.

And I really do not understand why any ebay seller would laugh at, criticize, demean and deride smaller sellers; we all choose selling parameters that are comfortable, profitable, and doable for ourselves individually.

I have posted many times that the site is dead. Today's update puts the nail in ebay's coffin. I had planned to dump ebay last year but got cold feet. But, this year, ebay management has lighted the fire that will keep my feet warm and my resolve strong.

by: maxmad

other then the higher fees for the crooks at ebay , it's way better to have gtc listings, they will have a much better chance of being indexed with search engines like google , bing, etc,

we had some rare industrial valves listed on our website for years, something like a 25 digit part number from hell, was almost sure no one in the world needed them, but sure enough someone did, they found them thru google, clicked to our website and bought every one we had.

by: RKTOYS

The GTC change is a transparent attempt to gain fees by letting accidents happen.  It is sad that the brillant Derpmeister can't fins any other way to make money.  Like, oh I don't know, not playing games with visibility.

That said, offers to watchers is something I'll at least try.  Only because I want out faster.  If I was looking to stay in business, I'd echo sentiments around here that it sets a bad precedent.

by: toolguy

2 more years

Then I'm on the Social Security Train and will depend on eBay a lot less then I do today.

by: thriftyone

looks like elliott and starboard are pushing for board seats....maybe BIG changes will happen soon....like showing DW the door....

by: mydogti

I think the updated "GTC feature" is meant to replace the "Archive feature" found in TurboLister.... but with this approach your listing never expire and you get to pay to keep them alive.  

by: Marie

There isn't really anything alarming in this Early Seller Update with the exception of the GTC policy change.  That one can be HUGE to many small and casual sellers.  

For myself, this GTC change will not really impact me as I rarely run a 30 day BIN.  But for those that do on a regular basis, this is a game changer and not in a good way at all.

The balance of the UPdate I like.  Some I'll use and some I won't.  But there are some nice options coming our way.

That report in the Seller Hub needs to be improved upon.  Going back 90 days is not enough.  They need to fix this and allow a much longer time frame.

by: nothingnew

Yea, I'm out! I will be listing less and ending my listings on the day before automatically being relisted. Unless I want an item to repost. Lots of times I let my realists sit a month before resisting.

by: InspirationPlus

Now I know why eBay has been showering me with free listings the past couple of months... so many that I can't even use them all. I will be going back to my basic free listings so I don't get hit with enormous relisting fees. I will probably check them at 29 days and cancel some and replace those with new, then alternate monthly. I sell on 6 different sites, so I don't really need a huge inventory at eBay.  

by: Alma St. Goods

They've already admitted that they don't show GTC items after the 3rd month. It's "stale"  Now they force everyone into it?

Every update makes me a happier that I moved to poshmark.  

by: Lightning

I had just recently moved ALL my listings from GTC to 30 days, and I saw a boost in visibility and sales.  My listings paraded out like new listings every month, which helped a lot, instead of hiding in the corners of the eBay netherworld.  I lowered some prices each month, trying to move things along.  Oh well, back to the drawing board.  

My new plan is to bulk end 25% of my listings each week, and then repost as GTC.  I'll probably pick Sundays as ''relisting day'', end them and repost with a percent off.  No shipping to do on Sunday.  That leaves some time to do this stupid errand.  So I'll be on a 28 day cycle.  Sundays are a good day to have new listings show up.  The only thing I will lose, besides some MORE of my time, is that I won't ever have listings visibly about to end, which used to seem to trigger some sales.

I see that eBay blind-sided us with this change, excepting the Australia thing a couple of weeks ago.  The last time we were forewarned about a significant change was about watermarking images, and then they walked that back due to seller resistance.  This time they have given us almost no time to resist, not wanting to repeat that misstep.  Sneak attack.

The good news is that, as a very frequent buyer on eBay, I won't have to see the repetitive listings appear in the category I shop in - weekly and monthly listings of the same stuff, same price, same fate, unsold.  One seller has stuff that is 500% overpriced, NEVER going to sell, but appears regularly every 30 days.  Going on 4 YEARS now.  Can't take a hint, I guess, slow learner.  That alone might make the change worth it.  Adios to that crap.

by: Chicago48

Would anyone know this question:  If you have a store, will your stuff automatically relist with or without a charge of 30c per listing?

by: Chicago48

Someone in Ebay forums started a petition to stop the GTC.

by: DingDong

I am a small seller. With all the free listings, I do have about 300 items and adding new items as items sell or end (and I have free listings).

My thoughts are now to keep the 50 free listings so if I forget to cancel, and they automatically relist that I don't get hit with a fee as long as I keep below the 50 listings.
BUT, this does create a new problem, ? I think?.
I have 2 "out of stock" against me, but I am still above standard seller (with 300 listings)
Now, if I drop down to 50 listings only and with the 2 defects, WILL I be paying the penalty fee (14%) because how they calculate the rating of the seller ?

I am so glad that eCrater has been picking up more for me.

by: vintagepaperads

Ina,

Thank you for your post on this topic. There is a lot of discussion on the eBay seller forums right now, mostly centered on the GTC requirement for fixed priced listings. There is a petition to keep the shorter time durations that is getting a lot of traction:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Petition-to-Kee
p-30-Day-Fixed-Price-Listing-Duration/m-p/29544808#M1376132

Would you consider updating your post with this information to help bring attention to this and give other sellers the opportunity to join the petition? Your reporting, as always, is greatly appreciated. I have always found it to be the most reliable source of information on eBay!

by: Chicago48

Too many questions.....Can we call customer service rep and "unlist" if we make a mistake?  Will they charge the store owners for GTC?   Will we still get the calendar?

by: frustrated

WATCH YOURSELVES.  

SELL SIMILAR is beginning to not work as of TODAY WED FEB 27

Some items will fail and say 1 not submitted. OTHER TIMES it will say 2 items submitted.  When you had 4 up there.

And no warning, no flag.

WATCH IT!!!

And yes I do know this is off topic.

by: mcposty

Isnt this just a mini update? the big one is yet to come?