Ebay items just not selling any more - not even getting views, what has changed?

theoretica

As a buyer, I search for specific and usually quite scarce second hand items at good prices - one thing which significantly puts me off buying is sellers registered as private sellers who look to me like businesses - especially if they mark 'no returns' as I want the rights I feel entitled to.  

Generic new stuff I often decide to get from Aliexpress.

horsewithnoname

Whalie said:

As a buyer, I have stopped even looking at E bay.  Too many crooks!  Hard to tell the good from the bad.  Having my last few buys all going wrong (fortunately not high value), I have lost all trust.

I’ve been buying off eBay for twenty years. Only issue I ever had was when an item didn’t turn up, but I got refunded after a while so no big deal. All the sellers I’ve dealt with have been great. 

BlueonBlue

I believe that in general people are feeling the cost of living pinch and the purse strings are tight .

RedImp_2

BlueonBlue said:

I believe that in general people are feeling the cost of living pinch and the purse strings are tight .

All the more reason to find a secondhand bargain on EBay.

MikeJXE

Whalie said:

As a buyer, I have stopped even looking at E bay.  Too many crooks!  Hard to tell the good from the bad.  Having my last few buys all going wrong (fortunately not high value), I have lost all trust.

I’m a buyer too but opposite to you.

I stopped buying on Amazon and choose eBay, a couple of days delivery doesn’t bother me I’m  not a want it next day person 

I do check prices but don’t always buy the cheapest 

Photos and a good description are my priorities 

soolin

RedImp_2 said:

BlueonBlue said:

I believe that in general people are feeling the cost of living pinch and the purse strings are tight .

All the more reason to find a secondhand bargain on EBay.

Getting second hand bargains on eBay is becoming more difficult, so much identical Chinese and Far East stuff being sold by lots of different sellers. 

I’ve cut right back on my vintage and antique sales, with places like Ikea selling simple things like vases, bowls mugs etc for a few pounds my retro/vintage stuff can’t compete once I factor in postage costs. My own grown up children don’t buy ‘stuff’ , they aren’t minimalists by any means, but don’t see the need for stuff like fruit bowls or mantle clocks or Wedgwood candle holders . 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

I think a lot of people are holding out spending for Black Friday, October was dry weather so people were out and about and, depending upon what you are selling, December is more likely to be gift focused. 

If OP is still reading, worth using promoted listings standard, as the fees are now free paying 2.4% on around a third to a half of sales is well worth it IMHO.

MattMattMattUK

I have a slow stream of bits I sell on eBay, personal stuff being cleared out. I have noticed that often items sit with zero views for weeks, then sell on one view. Things to seem to take longer to sell, have few if any watchers and I also get more lowball offers, even getting messages asking/demanding I sell to them for a lower price. I have also had more scammers buying this year than in the last two decades of selling on eBay in total. People who claim items were damaged on arrival but will not send pictures to show damage (and the items were so well packed that short of the box being run over it could not have been damaged in transit), people returning items claiming they do not work after asking for a partial refund after receiving an item but getting back the fully working item after having refused a discount. A colleague also sells on eBay and has a run of people buying items on Buy It Now and then cancelling the order. 

I think that eBay shot themselves in the foot when they got rid of PayPal and allowing people to keep money in their account as people would sell, then use that money to buy, but now it goes straight into bank accounts (or did until last week) people have got used to selling and not buying. 

soolin

MattMattMattUK said:

I have a slow stream of bits I sell on eBay, personal stuff being cleared out. I have noticed that often items sit with zero views for weeks, then sell on one view. Things to seem to take longer to sell, have few if any watchers and I also get more lowball offers, even getting messages asking/demanding I sell to them for a lower price. I have also had more scammers buying this year than in the last two decades of selling on eBay in total. People who claim items were damaged on arrival but will not send pictures to show damage (and the items were so well packed that short of the box being run over it could not have been damaged in transit), people returning items claiming they do not work after asking for a partial refund after receiving an item but getting back the fully working item after having refused a discount. A colleague also sells on eBay and has a run of people buying items on Buy It Now and then cancelling the order. 

I think that eBay shot themselves in the foot when they got rid of PayPal and allowing people to keep money in their account as people would sell, then use that money to buy, but now it goes straight into bank accounts (or did until last week) people have got used to selling and not buying. 

Funds for private sellers now stay on ebay and when you buy something the system prompts you to choose 'pay by balance' and then goes on to the other options like paypal and credit card. 

MattMattMattUK

soolin said:

MattMattMattUK said:

I have a slow stream of bits I sell on eBay, personal stuff being cleared out. I have noticed that often items sit with zero views for weeks, then sell on one view. Things to seem to take longer to sell, have few if any watchers and I also get more lowball offers, even getting messages asking/demanding I sell to them for a lower price. I have also had more scammers buying this year than in the last two decades of selling on eBay in total. People who claim items were damaged on arrival but will not send pictures to show damage (and the items were so well packed that short of the box being run over it could not have been damaged in transit), people returning items claiming they do not work after asking for a partial refund after receiving an item but getting back the fully working item after having refused a discount. A colleague also sells on eBay and has a run of people buying items on Buy It Now and then cancelling the order. 

I think that eBay shot themselves in the foot when they got rid of PayPal and allowing people to keep money in their account as people would sell, then use that money to buy, but now it goes straight into bank accounts (or did until last week) people have got used to selling and not buying. 

Funds for private sellers now stay on ebay and when you buy something the system prompts you to choose 'pay by balance' and then goes on to the other options like paypal and credit card. 

Yep, that is the change that I mentioned, which I think came in last week. I suspect it is too little too late though for a lot of people, they have got used to having the money in their own bank account and it has broken that mental concept that eBay purchases were "free" or low cost if they bought using money they had gained from selling.