Still no sales apart from......

Brooker_Dave

mrs_sparrow wrote: »

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.

The people working at a loss or only braking even will give up and vanish, I think it's just a very poor year for all retailers of anything.

I drive up the high st to get lunch and most of the shops are empty, even on a Saturday there seems to be very few people around.

I see a lot of brand new leased/PCP cars about though, and house prices seem to have gone into orbit, so perhaps our economic recovery is just based on a property bubble and people driving hire cars they can't actually afford?

mrs_sparrow

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

The people working at a loss or only braking even will give up and vanish, I think it's just a very poor year for all retailers of anything.

No, they have been my biggest competitor for 12 years now and they will sell at a loss if they have to, just to get the sale. They sell free postage and 3% margin on pretty much everything.

I have no idea of the logistics behind it.

I spoke to another competitor the other day and they complained about this seller too but they obviously buy so much stock the supplier/rep is scared to tell them to stop as they will lose one of their biggest customers. In the meantime, the rest of us are left wallowing, waiting for their stock to sell out to be able to sell ours. The problem is, they buy in such huge volumes, it takes a while for them to do that.

On the plus side, I did see them moaning that people are abusing the returns process for their items the other when reading on the community. Inside I gave a wry smile and though Ha! :rotfl:

Brooker_Dave

mrs_sparrow wrote: »

No, they have been my biggest competitor for 12 years now and they will sell at a loss if they have to, just to get the sale.

That only works until they run out of credit or money.

Sooner or later they'll be gone for good.

mrs_sparrow

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

That only works until they run out of credit or money.

Sooner or later they'll be gone for good.

I do agree, but I am not so sure. I don't get it. They could just be running on buying it in and hoping they can sell enough to pay for it.

I did think that a couple of fake returns claims should not be something to get a bit hot under the collar about when you sell in that kind of volume.

We can but hope I guess.

Thanks for listen to me having my weekly rant. Non-ebay people do not really understand so it's nice to have another outlet to have a whinge on.

soolin

Picking up on the point about margins, if you look at some of the threads on other boards that I have posted on, I tend to be pessimistic about many new businesses.

I used to do voluntary work which basically ended up with me helping people who had small issues with income, running a business or eBay. The idea that you buy at £2 sell on eBay at £4 and make money is one that many people still believe. When you actually sit down and work out fees, packing, stamps etc and not even allowing for returns or losses people are shocked to see their £2 profit turn into a loss. Some even run like that for months and never actually realise they are losing money.

Many of my categories on eBay are niche and I have very few competitors and trade on reputation so am not always the cheapest. Several other of my categories are quite competitive but I retain my profit margin and ignore my competitors until such time I stop selling, and then I dump my stock, or hold it and wait for them to bring their prices back up. I will not race to the bottom.

I do get the odd question though from buyers along the lines of, you are selling this item for £8 but XX and YY have it for £7 so will you match their price? Sometimes I don't even bother responding, but on occasions when I have told them no, and suggested they buy from the other seller they tell me they don't want to as their feedback is poor ..go figure.

I've been to 4 auctions in the past 2 weeks, even their prices are all over the place - I have never seen so many unsold lots in my life.

Brooker_Dave

soolin wrote: »

I've been to 4 auctions in the past 2 weeks, even their prices are all over the place - I have never seen so many unsold lots in my life.

Makes you wonder what's gone wrong of recent?

I was selling more in the depths of the recession that I am now, before the recession I could sell anything, and struggled to get enough stock.

RFW

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Makes you wonder what's gone wrong of recent?

I was selling more in the depths of the recession that I am now, before the recession I could sell anything, and struggled to get enough stock.

Auctions (live ones, not particularly Ebay) have always run at a different time to recessions. They are about 12-18 months ahead. So when the recession was coming prices were lower and during the recession prices go up. My best period as an auctioneer was at the height of the last (or previous to last) recession. Low prices now could mean there are bad times just around the corner.
With an election looming there'll probably be a small boom until May and a bit of bust just after it.

ballisticbrian

Never confuse people dumping stock or getting rid of items because the dates are out of wack, with people selling with a margin! He who goes a penny cheaper than someone clearing out is a fool! You heard it here first!

celestius

I have only just started selling on Amazon as an alternative to Ebay, although Ebay sales are going strong - particularly a few lines which are just flying out, I like having 'free' listings on Amazon that I don't pay for if they don't sell.

On Ebay it's a bit like hoping that the lines that sell well cover the ones that don't!

Must admit though that Amazon seems more cut throat - I list at the price I am happy with and immediately get undercut - why would anyone buy from me when I am clearly not the cheapest?! Having said that so far I have qualified to sell toys & games at Xmas which is a bonus.

Mrs Sparrow have also noticed that my shop just says 'Ebay shop' when I hover over it...

RFW

celestius wrote: »

Must admit though that Amazon seems more cut throat - I list at the price I am happy with and immediately get undercut - why would anyone buy from me when I am clearly not the cheapest?!

You can promote your own Amazon storefront which only comes up with your items. You'll need a way of communicating with buyers but it can be done.
I'm partly in a highly competitive market but I had some items branded myself and worked on promoting them, so I get no competition unless I supply them myself!