eBay Inserts Rival Listings Ahead of Item Description

by: Sierra

If you're using promoted listings, YOUR items have the opportunity to be shown in the same place on other seller's listings.  

by: ebayout

Sierra...complete your thought. "If I PAY for using promoted listings..."
I shouldn't have to...and won't.

by: Sierra

@ebayout My thought was complete. I don't get views without paying for the stupid ads, so I pay for them. I'm glad you get enough views and sales without paying for the ads!  

by: COVID-19

"using promoted listings, YOUR items have the opportunity to be shown in the same place on other seller's listings."

Umm.....no. Because that's what eBay wants.

by: my2cents

@R

This is not new.  It has been boing on for a very long time.

by: AddyUp

Yes it's been going on a while now.

Just like final value fees on postage. Which was probably the point where it was decided we can do anything to sellers, They just bend over and take it.

by: Sierra

@COVID-19 I want sales so I have to play eBay's game. If you could offer positive advice rather than belittling my selling strategy, it would be most helpful. How do YOU get views & sales without paying for ads? Granted, you may be selling "commodities" or other chit people need vs. want.  

by: my2cents

@Addyup

Well not that long.  FVF on postage is a dozen years + old.  Promoted listings started in 2015, but I'm not sure when it was when they actually ended up showing on our listings, it was awhile ago however.

by: my2cents

@Sierra

Some categories, as I'm sure you aware are just saturated with listings.  Those categories seem to do better with Promoted Listings.  What category or categories do you sell in?

by: Sierra

@my2cents I sell almost exclusively in Antiques (specifically Antiques / Primitives).  

by: my2cents

@Sierra

That is a tough one for sure.  I wish I could help, but likely anything I say is something you are already aware of.  I wish you the best.  Sorry I don't have anything enlightening to say.

by: Rexford

I'd have a bonfire for all of my inventory before I'd give eBay a dime for promoted listings.

by: ebayout

The spirit of this thread has gone south. Despite comments that it's been going on this way for a long while, I don't recall ever seeing the current format. Before, the ads were above and/or below the listing, not plopped between the pictures and the actual description.
I also notice that the main picture has a much bigger footprint than previous, but that doesn't make up for the intrusion of the ads.

by: Snapped

“ Before, the ads were above and/or below the listing, not plopped between the pictures and the actual description.”

Yup.  That was before eBay convened a special select secret committee of invited sellers back in like, August to reportedly help ‘design’ a better listing page layout.  We were all ‘informed’ at the time by someone claiming to be a party to that committee to just be patient, it was still under development, and that eBay will certainly take their inputs into consideration.  

Chief amount the concerns expressed at that time was that eBay would do something to further obscure the listed item by ‘rearranging’ the page to better feature all the OTHER items they want to show when they do happen to call up your listing.  

Those ‘concerns’ were summarily DISS-missed as being ‘typically’ negative and that we should all ‘trust’ eBay and the ‘committee’ to keep seller interests foremost in mind before any ‘changes’ were implemented.

And then crickets.  Until now.  

One thing’s for sure though - the word ‘typical’ does indeed describe what seems to have been resolved for the great listing page redesign.  

by: WhySoManyDownVote

It’s pretty simple. Price accordingly to pay for promotions and offer plenty of similar items. I just noticed that my listings make up 50% of the other listings show on a competitors listing. That is how you succeed on eBay, complaining about it and threatening to leave the platform accomplishes nothing.  

by: TKbytes

Unfortunately Ebay holds the rights to your listing page. It is documented on the selling fees page on the Ebay website under ''other terms and conditions'' and states as follows:  
''Seller fees don't purchase exclusive rights to web pages on eBay. We may, in our sole discretion and without consent from or payment to sellers, display third-party advertisements (including links and references thereto) and listings from other sellers on any eBay page.''

Kinda sneaky but it is their sandbox... we just choose whether or not we want to play in it.

by: my2cents

@Snapped

"...eBay convened a special select secret committee of invited sellers back in like, August..."  It was before that and it was NEVER secret.  It was openly discussed here and in the Ebay community.  

With that said, the buyer team responsible for the redesign of the presentation of a listing shut us out months ago.  IDK if they didn't like our feedback or just thought we were holding them back.  Whatever their reason was they stopped having the committee actively involved for six months or better.  

That was likely me that said to be patient it was still in development.  That was back when things were still being discussed.  As I stated they stopped talking with the rest of us a long time ago.

by: COVID-19

"I'd have a bonfire for all of my inventory before I'd give eBay a dime for promoted listings. "

Rexy, that's the spirit, my brotha! 👍 Fight the good fight. 🤜 🤛

by: Fruitylovesyou

Wow and their plan is coming together. Sad.
Hats to you for sticking around this long

by: Ophelia1

Etsy does the same thing, and worse, because Etsy forces off site ads on sellers that have sold over $10,000.00 a year, and offer no way to opt out. (eBay is encouraging offsite ads now too, wait for it....news at  11).
When you sell on a marketplace like eBay, ETsy, etc, you face the same issues.
The only way to avoid all that, if you have the money, time and knowledge, is to have your own website, preferably, while you are still in a marketplace, so you can start working on your customer base and refer them to your site,