I have just been on the phone to eBay because I apparently have active content in my listings, I sorted this out months ago and now they seem to have moved the goalpost again, they are now telling me that we are only allowed TEXT in the description area, no photos, links or anything other than text. If you leave these in your listings will not show and will be blocked, apparently its to make it better for mobiles.
Thoughts please people especially GarageSale staff.
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eBay is clearly destroying itself day after day, so many examples I can do, the last one, what about the new rule which forbid totally any kind of watermark over photo (at least in ebay.it)? First I need watermark otherwise people steal photos and not buy photos (selling photos… you understand…), second I would have to re-scan over 5000 items (back and front, over 10.000 scans, it took me 1 year and a half), that’s something impossible. Sorry for the OT, but that’s my personal thought.
Concerning your matter, which is also mine, yes you can no longer add link… and new GS versions should do it automatically… but also links to my ebay shop are forbidden?? Anyone can clarify it, please? Second, photos into description should be still allowed, but must use https. Anyway I am not surprised if they are going to forbid also this! There is only one solution… escaping from ebay!!
I have already started to take steps to leave eBay they are fast becoming a joke, I also list items that can be copied, stolen and resold eBay just don’t seem understand this or care.
The same for me… and what’s more, other platform also costs less!! I don’t know there, but here in ebay.it a new type of shop has just been introduced. In a few months, if you have more than 10.000 listings you will pay 149€/month, otherwise 0,05€ each one over that amount. CRAZY!! The countdown is already started… it destroys small business and opens doors to big companies who can pay thousands euros/months…
GS team really should think about developing GS for other selling platforms, in my very own opinion…
That’s a very irritating statement from the eBay support. Clearly, it’s wrong. Did the support represent provide you with a link with more details?
Did you only had phone contact with the supporter or also chat or mail contact?
Regards, Kristian
Which other platforms have the same reach as Ebay? I would be interested to know and would appreciate comments from people who have used them.
David
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I have since had a long discussion with eBay and at this moment in time they are not budging, so nothing in the description area other than text, no images and only approved links e.g. link to a product video on Youtube, so that basically means all the templates on GS are now useless. This also includes these sellers that have paid 3rd party companies to build them nice yummy shops with product templates they all have to use nothing but text. eBay say they are bringing everyone to a level playing field and people will judge us on our feedback.
David @davidelliott , that’s a good question and not easy to reply to. Well, I would say that it merely depends on what you sell. Reading ebay power seller forums and hearing other sellers talking about these themes, if you sell any kind of industrial good (I mean, from phones to purses or car spare parts), solutions does not miss and are numerous. However, that’s not my business, and if you sell ancient, used or collectibles items, as I suppose you do, it’s more difficult to find a valid solution… at least today. To reply to your main questions, actually there are not other platforms that give you the same reach as ebay does, and that’s merely why they take such decisions without taking care of people (sellers). Using other words, it like a sort of “monopoly” for this markets, they are free to do what they want. For other markets, they are trying to copy amazon, but sure they will fail at all. BUT, this does not mean that there are no other solutions or platforms which are really developing day after day. Since new ebay shop changes, you really have to do some calculations. Maybe a little less “reached” platform might be convenient as well if it is much less expensive, and does not obligate you to spend nights and months to modify one by one every damned photos with a watermark (which mean, re-scanning almost all my 5000++ items…) instead of working. So, to come to your questions. There are 2 main platforms, I have tried both. The first one is Delcampe, it is incredibly developed since the horrible site they had in past. I used it for some months and had some unexpected sales. They give you a tool to synch listings from ebay to delcampe site. It is so useful, however I had to give up since the synch tool was not able to export my GS template and it was a mess. This tool is free, I hope they will improve in future even if for a honest price. Today delcampe is far from ebay levels, but maybe tomorrow… The second platform (very different from ebay and delcampe) is catawiki. If delcampe is the very best solution if you sell stamps and/or postcards, it is much less convenient if you sell other stuff as antiques, coins, old photos, books… On the other hand, catawiki is no longer a suitable platform for that kind of “bulk listings” as almost every professional seller does on ebay. However, I really had very good responses using catawiki for specific items like those excluded from delcampe (coins, antiques, ancient book… never tried with photos). In general I would say that Catawiki is better for valuable items, at least I tried with well worth goods and had an unexpected income that ebay will never give me. Sure this platform is the main I will rely on in the future. Bad things of catawiki, it still must be improved in many things, I don’t think they have tools as GS or (ex) turbolister and working from the site is not very good. Besides, I HATE they give you money after 2 weeks, bank transfer and not payal (which is not so bad after all…), anyway, I had such good sales I can’t dream on ebay, so I can wait!!
So, summarizing. If you are looking for a platform where putting every kind of ancient, second hand or collectible items in bulk, as ebay actually is suitable for, today there is nothing as good as ebay, but I am optimist for the future. Or even, you might decide to open your own ecommerce site, but it requires much money and much time. So, from my own opinion, since the actual mess of ebay (at least until they do not understand how many stupid things are doing) will require a focused proposal. This means, postcards and stamps (massive bulk) on delcampe. Coins, ancient books, antiques (in general well worth) on catawiki. All the rest, which is a minor part, on ebay with a basic shop which still have a normal fee. My aim is to manage all these listings from a ecommerce site built for being integrated with all those platforms (should be possible), but it requires thousands euros… calculations done, excluding the ecommerce site (which anyway I will need also if I remain on ebay) that’s might be less expensive also if you use different platforms instead of ebay. Besides, spreading on more channels might open you new horizon, like catawiki is already doing (to give you a concrete example, Italian marenghi never goes sold on ebay, or it is very very hard it happens, on catawiki I sold them all in less than a month at higher prices). Anyway, take this as my very own experience that might be very different and not suitable for you…
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[quote=“markb256, post:7, topic:3284”]
This also includes these sellers that have paid 3rd party companies to build them nice yummy shops with product templates they all have to use nothing but text
[/quote]…
WHAT ???
Thanks for the info. I will have a look at the other sites you mention.
PS. the latest version of GS is working well for me although the Search function is still a problem for me. I do get frustrated though that with every new release new problems appear for someone. The must be some really weird coding for that to happen. David.
Welcome!
I still have the issue of searches for exact correspondence who find the correspondence into larger words (I mean, I am looking for ABC1, GS gives me ABC1, ABC12, ABC13, … ABC110, ABC111, … very frustrating…)
@markb256 it seems abroad I find more unhappy seller! http://community.ebay.com/t5/2017-Fall-Seller-Update-User/Watermarks/m-p/27505515
I’ve been dissatisfied with eBay for a while now.
I tested out Bonanza for the past few months. They offer imports from eBay and Amazon. I tried both their free membership and their first tier premium membership.
The few sales I made were more than I would have gotten from eBay or Amazon, but despite their partnership with Google and some other promotion goodies, I had far too few sales to justify my time spent.
Short of becoming an Etsy member – ugh! – I haven’t come up with anything else.
I see @Michelle , as always it merely depends on what you sell. I never heard about Bonanza (sounds a funny name 
), I gave a look but is seems to be far from ebay, delcampe and catawiki. I browsed “antiquities” section and more than “antique” it seems “vintage”… or problably neither… I am afraid that’s not the best place for mine items.
I recommend you to give a look to catakiwi, it might be a good solution…
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