seller update including GTC BIN option only

soolin

Business seller update is here:
https://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/business/news/february2019/index?utm_source=SM&utm_medium=EM&utm_campaign=SR_Index&utm_content=SR19.0

Highlights include this absolute gem:

From 1 April 2019, we’re taking further steps to simplify the shopping experience across all eBay sites. The only listing duration for all fixed price listings for both Business and Private sellers will be Good ‘Til Cancelled.

So for businesses without a shop that means having to remember to cancel all your listings before you go on holiday, or else risk extending the dispatch time to a week or more so that you don't get a late defect.

https://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/business/news/february2019/offers-to-buyers

This one has been trialled in the US and sellers are responding to it favourably (at least on the sites I read)

soolin

As a reminder on how damaging the GTC rule will be- imagine if everyone is a chaotic and as tight with fee money as I am. I get 250 included BIN listings with my shop, about 25 of them are stock that sell well and just roll over on GTC, the rest are either things I like to tweak or even things I try for a month or two and then either put aside to make a 'lot' bundle or sell elsewhere. At the moment I control what gets relisted very carefully and never exceed my 250 listings- on the last day of the month I go through all my unsolds and re list enough to use up the last of the free listings.

With this new rule every one of those 250 items will renew so I can only add something new if A) an item sells (and I do get a good percentage of sales from my unique items) or I end a listing early before it automatically renews.

Ending an item early is of course an issue if there are any questions on it that the bots could decide are an offer to sell outside ebay.

The US forums are very unhappy about this as there model is different and all sellers, business or otherwise get 50 free listings and they tend to add a new 50 things each month rather than roll over stock.

The other thing to remember is that some months are longer then 30 days. So list say 250 items on the 1st March and they will renew automatically on the 30th and be fully chargeable.

soolin

I have updated this as I've just noticed that this doesn't apply just to business sellers but to private sellers as well.

So from 1st April the only option on BIN listings is GTC , no other duration will be allowed.

For,private sellers that will have an impact as the free listing limits are changing as well, in future private sellers will only get 1000 free listings a month and if they opt for BIN listings they will need to check how many of their allocation each of the relists take every month

goodfella66

I can't help thinking that this compulsory GTC rule is a prelude to something else more sinister. Possibly extra fees if the item has been on site for more than so many months. It was only a few years ago they were going to punish long-term items, now they are actively encouraging it.

If you remove an item before the 30 days are up you risk a suspension (or worse) if the item had had a question asked on it. Most of my items sell towards the end of their run so it would be foolhardy to remove beforehand but if I remove once they are relisted I've lost the cost of the listing fee each time.

ballisticbrian

I can't really see what the problem is as I always stick within the free listings within my shop subscription level and use mostly GTC?

soolin

ballisticbrian wrote: »

I can't really see what the problem is as I always stick within the free listings within my shop subscription level and use mostly GTC?

It's the lack of control for me as I sell mainly unique 'one off' items I often tweak them or perhaps give up on them after a period of not getting any interest. Now I will just have to get into the habit of checking my active listings every few days and ending those I want to amend or de list. I also sell right up to my limit and s have listings that I don't re list every month but keep them in reserve for shorter months like now where my core items haven't finished .

The issue of the 30 days re list as opposed to some 31 day months is also something that will need consideration when choosing which day of the month to list.

Anyone, business or private , without a shop will also have to remember to de list everything or manually change dispatch times every time they go on holiday. I know I am unique as I go away a lot, but I'm sure others without shops may find this an extra time issue they don't need.

thebestnameshavegone

Remember the days when you had to have a shop to take advantage of GTC listings?! Seems a long time ago now.

I've got two Ebay selling ids - one with a shop and one without. The one without the shop only has four MVL listings, but they have a long and successful sales history that I don't want to lose, so rather than end the listings every time I go on holiday I have to reduce all the quantities to zero while I am away and then revise it back again when I return. Bit of a faff for about 40-odd variations; not sure I'd want to do it with many more!

mgdavid

Private seller, small volumes but concentrate my efforts on higher value items. Therefore I tend to do listings when there's a 'max £1 FVF' offer. Does this offer roll over on the automatic relist under the enforced GTC?

soolin

mgdavid wrote: »

Private seller, small volumes but concentrate my efforts on higher value items. Therefore I tend to do listings when there's a 'max £1 FVF' offer. Does this offer roll over on the automatic relist under the enforced GTC?

It depends on the offer terms, however all the recent ones have excluded those that roll over on GTC during the offer period (although we might have different terms and conditions so it is worth checking). So you would need to end the listing and relist within the correct period to qualify.

mgdavid

soolin wrote: »

It depends on the offer terms, however all the recent ones have excluded those that roll over on GTC during the offer period (although we might have different terms and conditions so it is worth checking). So you would need to end the listing and relist within the correct period to qualify.

Thanks; what a complete PITA ebay are becoming!

soolin

mgdavid wrote: »

Thanks; what a complete PITA ebay are becoming!

I always suggest reading everything, including all the small print before relying on anything ebay say.