Still no sales apart from......

mrs_sparrow

it's time for my weekly moan. Sorry.

Still very few sales - only smaller, cheaper, lighter items that I have free postage on are selling

It's getting pretty grim if I am honest, I have never been in the situation where I have so much new stock and none of it is selling.

Realised today that the only real things selling are the (lighter) items I have free postage on. I am assuming that I am being pushed down the list for Best Match because of this.

I've amended prices, stopped and relisted items, put the shop on holiday and taken it off (that worked the first few times). I was selling 30 items a day, now down to a measly 5 today, yesterday 3 items.



I've noticed it is now asking me for more pictures, free postage and to participate in extended returns to be 'top rated plus' and to get better results in Best Match because being top rated is clearly not good enough anymore. Hope I can get over this slump in all honesty. I've got a little shop open but that is still quiet as it is early days. Depressing days at the moment.

*sigh*

soolin

My sales are still quite buoyant, although i had one day last week where I think I sold just 2 items, having sold 17 the day before and 15 the day after.

However, virtually all of my items are free postage and achieve premium listing status- although I didin't think it made much difference to the Best Match ranking.

I've even had a smattering of bids on my private account- which is usually very slow. However, I am showing quite cheap postage as I listed heavy things to make use of the RM changes to the weight limit on parcels. Thought I would take the opportunity to sell some of the stuff the children left behind that has a value but is too cheap to warrant expensive postage.

RFW

I sympathise. Ebay sales continue to be erratic. I've put a lot of energy into Amazon and I've pretty much reversed my Amazon/Ebay sales ratio. Amazon is a pain for cashflow as payment only comes once every two weeks.

As far as Ebay goes I'm not sure freepost makes much difference, I've gone from all postage with combined reductions, to free postage and now a mix of the two. It certainly seems more product led than anything else. I'd say if you're items are in a highly competitive category freepost helps a bit.
If you have a shop, try the marketing promotions, "buy two save 5%", etc. They've given me a much needed boost. The way they are promoted on the pages really does encourage sales.

mrs_sparrow

Sadly I am not allowed to sell on Amazon - supplier rules. Else I might be tempted.

I am spending my time working on my website and am going to get the stuff back on my website instead, at least that is not costing me anything.

I've got about half and half free postage - and those I do have postage on I have a flat rate so there is only ever one charge.

Apparently Google.eBay have had some sort of spat and my stuff no longer appears on Google shopping which is where I would say the massive decline has come from.

Taking some consolation that there are other on eBay finding the same pattern as myself.

While I am in a highly competitive category, some of the items I am the only seller of as I managed to get the last stocks - they should have sold as soon as I listed them, but for whatever reason, they are not selling. I have absolutely no idea why. Maybe just put a huge sale on over the weekend to see if I can shift anything.

I am still wondering if it is to do with that INR as this is when sale dried up. No response at all from the buyer when I message them, no update on the status of the parcel - it has been 3 weeks since they opened it and 3 weeks of dire sales. It is a very peculiar co-incidence if this is the case!!

campdave

Over the last few months, ebay has been incredibly erratic for me - a few days with really strong sales, then a few days with very few sales.

Doesn't seem to tie in with times of week, times of day or even relative to end of the month payday anymore.

I've just ended 600 listings over the weekend as I need to scale back significantly as I have a full time regular job and a baby on the way, but I've had a strong week regardless, with sales this week not too down on what I was doing a few weeks ago with over twice the listings.

justjohn

our sales are through roof...not broke any records yet....


But we are listing more items and xmas stock. Even the private account is doing better than we thought. (was up until 3 last night doing packaging lol )


Need the cash so working that little bit harder.

RFW

mrs_sparrow wrote: »

Apparently Google.eBay have had some sort of spat and my stuff no longer appears on Google shopping which is where I would say the massive decline has come from.

A bit more than a spat, Ebay were breaking Google rules, Google told them, Ebay said, well we can we're Ebay. Google told them again to comply and they didn't or couldn't so Google told them they'll be treated as everyone else and demote their listings. So if you search on Google Ebay items appear much lower than most competitors. I'd assume they've tried to do something about it but haven't heard where we're up to yet.

mrs_sparrow wrote: »

Sadly I am not allowed to sell on Amazon - supplier rules. Else I might be tempted.

I'm intrigued that you can't sell on Amazon but can on Ebay. Does your supplier supply Amazon direct? Maybe ask again to try the odd products, previous best sellers, etc.

Brooker_Dave

mrs_sparrow wrote: »

Still very few sales - only smaller, cheaper, lighter items that I have free postage on are selling

It's getting pretty grim if I am honest, I have never been in the situation where I have so much new stock and none of it is selling.

It's hard everywhere at the moment, my sales have pretty much halved, unless you're the cheapest you won't sell anything.

Despite the endless reports of a booming economy, things seem to have got even worse, 2 of my competitors have given up - blaming ebay.

Bit of a race to the bottom at the moment, even the people getting the sales don't seem to be making any money given the tight margins and the ever rising costs.

RFW

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

It's hard everywhere at the moment, my sales have pretty much halved, unless you're the cheapest you won't sell anything.

True. I know a few saying they're doing ok. I do look at some sellers on Ebay and Amazon with a decent turnover but can't see their profits anywhere. One seller in one of my categories is selling around 500 items a week, average selling price is about £1.20, I pretty much know his cost price, profit per item would seem to be about 10p. I did buy from them as I'd run low on an item, they didn't even offer to sell me anything else, either via Ebay or another website, so presumably Ebay is it for them.

Too many amateurs thinking they're earning by turning money over, no accounting for fees, shrinkage, postage, tax (if they bother) or even their own expenses. It ain't half depressing at times:(

mrs_sparrow

RFW wrote: »

I'm intrigued that you can't sell on Amazon but can on Ebay. Does your supplier supply Amazon direct? Maybe ask again to try the odd products, previous best sellers, etc.

The industry I am in is very cut throat with people grassing you up at the slightest opportunity. You are not allowed to sell core ranges (those are current 'full price' ranges) on eBay or Amazon. if you do, they will terminate your accounts.

My site came up once on the bottom of the Amazon and the supplier was on the phone asking why I was selling on Amazon. i said I am not, they said you are, we can see you, but it turned out the search links just bought my site up and it was listed at the bottom in the suggested links page.

Discontinued, fair game, but I am trying to sell a certain range for full price at £38 and someone else has it on eBay at 3% margin it's beyond a joke. They might want to be working 24/7 but I cannot, and on those margins I cannot employ someone either. As it is, on the prices I have checked my prices are in line with everyone else, I have 100% feedback, no negs except one in the last 10 months when someone a handwash only item into the machine and ruined it (and left feedback to say it was rubbish quality), I dispatch same day first class (in fact I had 10 times more sales when I had 3 day dispatch and 2nd class postage).

I have noticed that my shop now just says 'ebay shop' instead of the name of my shop when I hover over it.

mrs_sparrow

I've also been listing lots of new (and old ended listings) every single day and it has not increased sales at all.

The only one thing I keep on coming back to is that since that INR from the US my sales have all but dried up. I have - again - asked the buyer to contact me and let me know the status. Now I am going to assume that she has the item else she would have been on weeks ago to let me know - but it is open and I am pretty confident it is that one open case that is damaging my status at the moment.

If sales rise once it is closed - or refunded - then I will know for definite it is because of the case but it is a pretty big co-incidence that it is open and sales drop through the floor. If it was for a small amount I would refund it, close it and be done with it but it is for $38 so, hence my reluctance to do it on a whim.