eBay

usbecks · ‎09-08-2017

I just hate not being able to search for parts unique to specific cars. If I input a year, make, model, the search returns page after page of gadgets that "fit" any car in the world. Can't we have that stuff put into a universal category? I tired of trying to wade through it all.

mudshark61369 · ‎09-08-2017

@usbecks,

All of those who will follow this reply will agree with you. Searching on ebay for unique parts for specific cars, or for practically anything else, has become an art, or ends up being an execise in futility. Sometimes too much info returns few if any relevent results, while less info returns more relevent results. Using Best Match or Price: lowest... is a guarantee of totally irrelevent items.

Maybe if you post what it is you are looking for and the title(s) you are using, one of us can help you improve your search results.

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FOOLPROOF, BECAUSE FOOLS ARE SO DARNED INGENIOUS!" (unknown)

ripsmc · ‎09-10-2017

I can't disagree with you on this matter. I used to spend at least a few minutes in late evening browsing and buying antique Harley parts. It got to be such an aggravation I quit doing it.

No matter how much search refining I did the dozens and dozens of pages of bulk Chinese garbage would just keep piling up.

I might do a search for a WLA speedometer and not only get WLA speedometers, but WLA parts, knucklehead parts, flathead parts, panhead parts, shovel and Evo parts, along with hundreds of duplicate, non-relevant items such as fuzzy dice. Most of it was not related to WLAs or speedometers at all..... 😞

legitimate_bidder · ‎09-10-2017

But a bunch of egg-heads spent months devising an al-gore-rhythm so that the search results can show you "what you really want" instead of what you typed in!

Remember, like in 1998, when you could just type in what you wanted, and anything containing the words you typed would show up in the results? That was the way it's supposed to be. It worked. Then they "improved" it....so now you have to do 20 refinements and still don't get what you want. And the refinements are even harder to do!

I guess they figure that we're so dumb, that if they show us pretty beads and trinkets instead of what we're looking for, we'll just forget about what we're looking for and buy the pretty Chinese sundries.

Yeah....good going Ebay! Get us to buy some 99 cent trinket instead of the $200 part we came for (As if we'd stick around long enough to buy anything if we don't find what we want, and get frustrated time after time!)

I used to buy a lot on Ebay, when stuff was easy to find, and when the small niche sellers were still here (Before Ebay drove them away)- now, all I use Ebay is <$10 little sundries. I don't even look at vehicles or equipment or parts anymore, 'cause it's just too much of a hassle, and like you said, every category is filled with cheesy Chinese junk. And any good new items here cost more than at other websites or even B&M stores, so what's the point?

mudshark61369 · ‎09-11-2017

@legitimate_bidder,

"But a bunch of egg-heads spent months devising an al-gore-rhythm so that the search results can show you "what you really want" instead of what you typed in"!

I beg to disagree with your statement. It was not eggheads, who are so smart they just don't think the way others do, that developed the Search. It is a bunch of millennials who do not understand "If it ain't broke don't fix it". I think many of them feel if they do not constantly change things, they will lose relevence in their jobs. Most of them come straight out of school with no idea of how the real world outside of online sales works.

They are also under pressure from upper management to increase traffic to the site, via Google and other search engines, and are probably being told the way to increase increase sales is to give BIN mass produced BIN junk the highest priority in searches. These are not people who restore older cars, collect things not related to video games, or for the most part have much mechanical ability.

As for auto parts specifically, just about every major parts suppliers uses one of 3 major Parts Compatibility Data bases. What is different about ebay is that it allows things like fuzzy dice, floor mats , airfresheners etc. to be entered into its version of the compatibility part of the data base. Also ebay's version of the data base is not the same one used by salvage yards, which returns much better vintage results, theirs is geared to new parts, and does not include superceded parts number searches. The search could be much improved by getting rid of the Description part of the Title & Description search too.

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FOOLPROOF, BECAUSE FOOLS ARE SO DARNED INGENIOUS!" (unknown)

legitimate_bidder · ‎09-11-2017

Trouble is, when ya try and make things work for idiots, they end up not working (or becoming inefficient) for normal people. I think the real problem is, that they had to figure out a way to "game"
the search results, based on such things as selling volume; listing volume; favored practices; etc.

And the more "refinements" they make to the search engine, the worse it gets. In 1998 I never heard anyone complain that they were having trouble getting relevant results from a search here. Seems like the trouble started around '07 if memory serves. Then people started complaing; and with each successive change[complication] more people complain, or just plain give up- so for whatever reason Ebay is doing what it does to the search engine, it is not working.

Driving customers like Rip and myself away, who were inclined to make substantial purchases, in favor of keeping ditzy 15 year-olds looking for a $4 cell phone case, is essentially what Ebay is doing. (Not that it matters at this point, though- as Ebay has long-ago driven away many of the small sellers whom people like myself primarily used to deal with, and for whose offerings we came here for....)

But ultimately, yes, of course, what happens here is the result of management decisions made by executives, and the nerds are, of course, just implementing their orders.

hawkwind5454 · ‎09-23-2017

We all know that the "hoe", single-handedly did more to destroy [old] ebay, than any current members of the ebay hierarchy, could ever do. The major damage has been done, and once the course of a river has changed, it's next to impossible to change it back. Those, now of power at ebay, are the puppets of the JD ripple effect. They know no better, or of any difference. I, too, would peg the begining of the ebay calamity era to be late 2007. So, a decade of bells, that cannot be un-rung. The majority of the millennials care nothing of quality, character, uniqueness, or history. The items they buy, are those of mundane ubiquity.... Just the type of buyers ebay has saught to cater to; So not the ebay format of almost two decades ago.

ripsmc · ‎09-23-2017

I agree with you that it started getting pretty bad at the end of 2007. I know there were a few issues in 2006 and in December of 2006 I decided that I would not sell anymore on eBay due to some announced policies that were going to be taking effect in '07.

And which got worse over time....

And knowing eBay, will get even worse in the future. If that's possible....

sockmonkeydave · ‎09-23-2017

@usbecks

Give an example of what you are looking for...

I did a search on 2003 Ford Explorer Owners manual.

And that is what I got back... no Dora the Explorer

I sell aircraft parts, and a search by part number returns just what I input.

usbecks · ‎09-24-2017

Hi,

Thanks. I know how to find part numbers, supersessions and optionals. I retired after 32 years as a aircraft parts buyer. The real thing is that those of us who are car hobbyist like to browse. We my not "need" anything in particular! We are using it like a swap meet. There could be a part out there, suitable for our car, that is better one we have or are just missing. So, I would like a search for year, make and model to return items unique to that car.

jr-41ford · ‎09-25-2017

@usbecks wrote:
Hi,
Thanks. I know how to find part numbers, supersessions and optionals. I retired after 32 years as a aircraft parts buyer. The real thing is that those of us who are car hobbyist like to browse. We my not "need" anything in particular! We are using it like a swap meet. There could be a part out there, suitable for our car, that is better one we have or are just missing. So, I would like a search for year, make and model to return items unique to that car.

I used to do the same, my long time buddy still searches eBay for auto stuff. Nothing in particular, just looking for something that might catch our attention.

luxe_auto_parts · ‎09-25-2017

The only problem I faced while searching is lack of some parts, or even nonexisting of particalar parts, but NEVER was dissapointed with the search result. If you want to get maximum from your search request you should use a part number (PN, MPN, IPN, SPN and etc.) and put it with or without brand name into the search line. I guarantee, if those parts with that particular PN had been listed, you will find them. If you search for a part using a brand name (make), model, year it's also quite applicable. The auto parts sellers usually use the most common words to describe parts. For example, if you are looking for a Mass Air Flow Meter Sensor you can put MAF and will have the same result, or lets imagine you are in a need of Reinforcement Bumper Bar Carrier. You can shorten your request by using a word "Re-bar".

If It's really a struggling for buyers I think eBay should create (if it hasn't created it already) some sort of Guide how to search for auto parts.

Let me know if you need some help with search and I'll try to help you.

sockmonkeydave · ‎09-28-2017

@usbecks

@usbecks wrote:
Hi,
Thanks. I know how to find part numbers, supersessions and optionals. I retired after 32 years as a aircraft parts buyer. The real thing is that those of us who are car hobbyist like to browse. We my not "need" anything in particular! We are using it like a swap meet. There could be a part out there, suitable for our car, that is better one we have or are just missing. So, I would like a search for year, make and model to return items unique to that car.

LOL I have an old Cessna 150 parts cat. the margins of every page have notes.

One part has had 6 different changes in number.

I now get what you are saying, I did a search for the explorer... 200,000 + listings.

I only looked a a few pages, I could not believe all the duplicate listings, with the same stock photo.

It would take me a month to look at all of them.

But all the results I looked at were for the exploder

When I started selling, I did look at all the aircraft parts on ebay.

My watch list was full of stuff that I knew I had one out in the shed.

What I do now is sort by newly listed, so I don't have to see things I have looked at before.