How has eBay sales been for the smaller eBay stores lately?

My store Parts, Laptops items in CRT Recycling store on eBay! has done over $300k the last few years but it seems this past year has been a little slow. I asked some other people and they are saying the same thing that eBay is putting the search engine in favor of the much larger buyers. What do you guys think?

Not so much a favoritism thing per se. More like jump through eBay's hoops in order to gain exposure. You need to change your business model to adapt to a changing marketplace. If you want the search results offer free shipping and a 14 day return policy. Business strategies change all of the time, just gotta go with the flow. You're successful enough to figure it out.

Thank you for the reply, I have a few questions about adding the 14 day return policy. Do you ever sell items for parts or mostly refurbished? If you do sell items AS IS have you run into a lot of problems with people purchasing AS IS items and switching parts out. The reason I do not do a 14 day return policy is I am afraid of a lot of customers returning several items after they have taken the parts they needed.

I suppose that is not bad thank you for the input.

I'm not as active an ebayer as some of you, but lately my volume has been picking up. I don't have a store, and was wondering if this is the right time to consider it? In a quick summary, can you tell me the top 1 or 2 benefits to having a store?

Also, I've been selling 5.25 floppy drives like hotcakes lately....all as-is with no warranty or returns.

The number one reason is your final value fees are way less for most categories. If you do not have one you are paying 10% in final value fees for everything.

Originally Posted by APEnterprises

Thank you for the reply, I have a few questions about adding the 14 day return policy. Do you ever sell items for parts or mostly refurbished? If you do sell items AS IS have you run into a lot of problems with people purchasing AS IS items and switching parts out. The reason I do not do a 14 day return policy is I am afraid of a lot of customers returning several items after they have taken the parts they needed.

If you accept Paypal they automatically have a 45 day return period whether you state that you accept returns or not. Unless their reason is "buyer's remorse"...so I just added the 14 day return policy on mine.

Sales I think have been in the crapper for many lately it seems though, free shipping, return policy or not.

Ebay has changed from the auction site it was, to basically a "buy-it-now" fixed price storefront IMO, I miss the old days.

I was paying like 300 bucks in ebay fees as I was selling alot of inventory in like a couple weeks (That big load of mine.) I did the basic store and I save a lot of money by doing it, I'm only gunna be paying like $130 this time around, its better then 300 don't you think?


My sales have been amazing, I did get screwed just recently on a negative feedback I recieved, the item was damaged in shipping, and buyer contacted me and want to return it, I said Okay, Here's my address, buyer put up a paypal complaint, negative feedbacked me and cut contact. I'm like "uh I said I'd reimburse you." Talking to ebay about getting it taken off.