What is the life-cycle of an eBay shop?

ballisticbrian

I see lots of sellers giving up between feedback of 20,000 - 30,000 and although we don't know if they closed and opened a new shop, I think there is a life cycle. e.g. eBay seller has a plan, it starts to work, everyone copies the idea, everyone goes 1p cheaper than everyone else, seller realises it's impossible to make money on eBay.
What is your life-cycle of an eBay shop?

soolin

Mine is still going but I change products a lot- however it would not surprise me at all if some very high feedback shop sellers have fallen foul of the DSR rules. In my own case although my business account is looking good defect wise my private account is already at only standard rather than above standard- and of course that could eventually endanger my business as well.

It might even be that some have taken the gamble of closing a shop if they are borderline on the new defect rules- and start afresh with a clean slate- there are some seriously big players reporting that they are going to have issues when the defect rules come into play.

ballisticbrian

That's good point Soolin, the detailed seller ratings affecting people ability to get exposure and ultimately do business.


I was on the phone to eBay the other day and I had a good member of staff on the phone and I said to him, "you seem to know what you are talking about." and he said, "Yes I ran a successful eBay business for nearly 10 years".


And while I was pleased to have a knowledgeable person helping me on the phone, part of me was thinking, if it was really that successful, why are you not still doing it? (think Lord Sugar)

soolin

ballisticbrian wrote: »

That's good point Soolin, the detailed seller ratings affecting people ability to get exposure and ultimately do business.


I was on the phone to eBay the other day and I had a good member of staff on the phone and I said to him, "you seem to know what you are talking about." and he said, "Yes I ran a successful eBay business for nearly 10 years".


And while I was pleased to have a knowledgeable person helping me on the phone, part of me was thinking, if it was really that successful, why are you not still doing it? (think Lord Sugar)

Another victim of eBay perhaps?

I phoned them this afternoon to talk about the defects on my private account, the chap was pleasant as usual but not overly helpful. He was slightly surprised I knew who had left my poor stars and I had to explain that if you click to download a report you see the item number- and since my personal items are one off items it was easy to see which buyer was messing around. He did confirm that I shouldn't contact the buyer though as that would breach rules.

He also explained in great detail about how stars and feedback are the buyers 'right' and something can warrant glowing feedback and 3* feedback. He also agreed that losing my private account would mean I would lose my business as well and appeared to suggest that I should perhaps use some good selling stock to up my total sales on my private account to water down the percentage! So basically sell business stock on a private account.

Lastly he said that my projected status was top rated at next review as most of the defects dropped off, but this is not true, two out of the three I can find remain. He also couldn't find the 2 rogue defects and thinks they might just disappear before the changes in August.

I'm feeling A bit down about it all actually , and wish I could find another venue to use alongside eBay just to protect myself from being stuck with stock if ebayfail on me.

The daft thing is my business account is showing 100% feedback not neutrals or negs and 5* across the board- yet it is completely reliant on my private account.

charlies_mum

I am the same Soolin. My high feedback account 7000 + is reliant on my new account with 250 feedback and one defect already. I am going to ave to think seriously about lumping all my accounts together so that I can go onto a 3monthky assessment

I don't really want to do it as I will be selling collectables, ephemera and new stock on the same acciunt

soolin

charlies_mum wrote: »

I am the same Soolin. My high feedback account 7000 + is reliant on my new account with 250 feedback and one defect already. I am going to ave to think seriously about lumping all my accounts together so that I can go onto a 3monthky assessment

I don't really want to do it as I will be selling collectables, ephemera and new stock on the same acciunt

I know from previous threads that we sell in some of the same categories , so if you do find another suitable venue do let me know!

I am taking some stuff to lot at a new auction house on Thursday and am desperately pushing my private sales but like as many options as I can get.

Brooker_Dave

If ebid had any brains they'd try to attract all the ebay sellers who are about to get banned

soolin

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

If ebid had any brains they'd try to attract all the ebay sellers who are about to get banned

There have been massive changes in the past with lots of sellers saying they were leaving to go to ebid but Ebid did nothing and most seem to quietly come back to eBay.

Ebid appear to be much more pragmatic now, have a read of their forums and new sellers are often advised not to actually leave eBay but to use ebid alongside it on the basis ebid cannot match the sales .

I think a new third party site as per suggestions on the other thread is what we need to give eBay a kick , but I rather worry that people like me selling in the collectible/ vintage/ antique categories may well not be the sort of sellers that new players in the market would want to attract.

keaton

There needs to be pretty much a carbon copy of the old eBay, where anyone can pretty much sell anything they want with it fair for not just the buyer but the seller too. Thing is it would need a heck of a lot of money behind it, I keep hearing that ebid, bonanza & 11 main are all getting bigger and better and will soon rival eBay, I hope its true, one site should not have a monopoly over the internet.

Though it should be mentioned 11 main is by invitation only and seems to be for more high profile shops.

On a side note soolin have you tried ruby lane & tias for the older and antique stuff.

soolin

keaton wrote: »

There needs to be pretty much a carbon copy of the old eBay, where anyone can pretty much sell anything they want with it fair for not just the buyer but the seller too. Thing is it would need a heck of a lot of money behind it, I keep hearing that ebid, bonanza & 11 main are all getting bigger and better and will soon rival eBay, I hope its true, one site should not have a monopoly over the internet.

Though it should be mentioned 11 main is by invitation only and seems to be for more high profile shops.

On a side note soolin have you tried ruby lane & tias for the older and antique stuff.

I've never heard of Ruby Lane but a quick look suggests a US site and whilst I am happy to sell to the US postage costs mean the buyers are much more careful now than they used to be and I can't achieve my prices. I can't find TIas at all.

keaton

Yeah I can't find tias either, though it was meant to be a online antique market. There's also these-

http://www.auctionlotwatch.co.uk/auctions.html