10-12-2021 08:00 AM - last edited on 10-28-2021 02:12 PM by tyler@ebay
--Final Update, October 28--
The category changes announced in our Fall Seller Update have been completed.
Now that all category changes are complete, while you might still see some adjustments to searches, it is okay to update or edit your listings without concerns of losing data or having it moved again.
We appreciate your feedback on this roll-out. We'll continue to adjust the process based on the input we’ve received here, and we'll take all of these suggestions into consideration for future updates.
As this project is now complete the post is being locked from further comments.
Resources and observations
We’ve heard from you that updating your Item Specifics in time for the February 2022 requirement date may be a challenge.
A useful tool that may help is located in the Seller Hub under Listing>Active. There is a drop-down box labeled ‘Download’ which will generate an Excel document for ‘Missing Required or Recommended Item Specifics’. You can read more about this tool here.
Should you come across any inaccuracies within the new Item Specifics we ask that you report those directly to sdsupport@ebay.com so our team can investigate. Outside of that, please share suggestions as to changes you'd like to see going forward here, selecting the Categories and Item Specifics option.
---Update as of October 19th---
We apologize for this delayed update. Thank you for your patience while our teams worked to finalize category changes.
All listings have been moved to their final destination categories. You may now proceed with checking your categories, revising items, and updating item specifics where needed.
Some item specifics have been renamed, and the value you originally provided has been copied over to the new item specific, so you don’t need to re-add these item specifics. We encourage you to update your listings with item specifics that are showing as “Required Soon.” These will become required on February 22, 2022.
All other item specifics are either Recommended or Optional. Learn more about item specifics.
Some categories were retired and replaced by product-based categories. You and your buyers can still find the items you’re looking for. Simply browse to the product category of your choice and use the filters to refine your search.
More information about key category changes:
---Update as of October 14th---
The work continues on this move and is progressing according to plan. We are on track and anticipate all category changes for your listings to be complete by end of day tomorrow (10.15). Thank you for your patience while our teams implement these changes.
---Update as of October 13th---
We continue to work through this change and thank you for your patience as our teams work through it. We wanted to provide answers to some top concerns and questions:
Why are Gallery Plus fees being charged for items that were previously free?
We determined that a technical issue impacted a small number of listings, which resulted in incorrect charges (including Gallery Plus, subtitles, and insertion fees) for some sellers. The issue has been fixed and we will be crediting impacted sellers as quickly as possible. No calls to Customer Service are necessary as credits will be issued automatically.
The eBay Standard Envelope shipping option is grayed out and I can’t select it. When will the issue be resolved?
The eBay Standard Envelope shipping option issue resulted from the category changes update and has been resolved. eBay Standard Envelope is now available in applicable categories if your item meets the established criteria.
Should I edit my listings if they’re in the wrong category, have been moved to another category, or have wrong or missing item specifics?
No. Recent category changes require updates to many thousands of servers and data changes to nearly every aspect of our platform. This level of adjustment takes time, which is why we asked for your patience while the process runs. We expect most data updates to be completed within 48 hours, but can they take up to a week (i.e., through Oct. 19). After that, if you have an item specific in mind that you think would work well for your listing, please consider adding it as a custom item specific.
Why isn’t my item coming up in search?
The category change update is still in process. We anticipate search issues will resolve when we complete most data updates during the next 24-48 hours.
There are more item specifics now than ever before. Do I need to fill in all of them?
No. Item specifics that you have already filled in will be maintained as the category moves are completed during the next week. In addition, new soon-to-be-required item specifics are being added and will become required by Feb 22, 2022. As always, the more item specifics you fill out, the better visibility your listing has to buyers.
For Parts & Accessories, when will fitment/compatibility charts start working again?
There was an issue with parts compatibility not working properly as the category changes rolled out that has been resolved. You should now be able to see the options to add fitment compatibility when editing your listings.
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We’re updating some of our categories and item specifics to make your listings easier to find.
Starting October 12th, you’ll see updates to the following categories. Learn more about category changes →
Collectibles & Art
Jewelry
Musical Instruments
Parts & Accessories
Sporting Goods
As these updates go into effect, you may see temporary impacts to your listing experience or to the visibility of listings in the affected categories.
This is a result of listings transitioning to the updated item specifics and category structures. Your affected listings should return to normal within 48 hours, though you may see irregularities on some listings for up to a week. We recommend checking your item specifics and categories in affected listings after these updates are complete.
These updates also include new item specifics in the above categories, which will be required February 22, 2022. Starting today, these item specifics will be available as you list, with the “Required Soon” tag. Learn more →
Keep an eye on this page over the coming days—we’ll be sharing up-to-date information on affected categories and listings, and answering any questions you have.
10-22-2021 07:26 PM
@dhbookds wrote:I used
Camp Hill Military postcards
in best match search
https://www.ebay.com/sch/262041/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=camp+hill+military+postcards
Thanks for the link. Your search only gets 17 of the 167 results and includes results like "...Camp Robinson Hill Township..." and "...Sneaking soldiers spying camp below hill." Obviously not the ideal way to search for Camp Hill, Washington military postcards because your search is using the Postcard filter which seems to be losing most of the Camp Hill postcards, I don't know why.
10-22-2021 07:44 PM
@dhbookds wrote:I used
Camp Hill Military postcards
in best match search
https://www.ebay.com/sch/262041/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=camp+hill+military+postcards
Your search is for Camp Hill & mine was for Camp Lewis. When I use your search for Camp Lewis I get the search says I got 17 results (actual results shown is 24 - 6 of which are sponsored), still just a fraction of the 167 Camp Lewis postcards found. I think this is because your search uses a filter of Postcard. It also returns weird results like "c1911 Russian Military Art Postcard - Sneaking Soldiers Spying Camp Below Hill"
10-22-2021 08:43 PM
@somanypcs wrote:
@dhbookds wrote:I used
Camp Hill Military postcards
in best match search
https://www.ebay.com/sch/262041/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=camp+hill+military+postcards
Your search is for Camp Hill & mine was for Camp Lewis. When I use your search for Camp Lewis I get the search says I got 17 results (actual results shown is 24 - 6 of which are sponsored), still just a fraction of the 167 Camp Lewis postcards found. I think this is because your search uses a filter of Postcard. It also returns weird results like "c1911 Russian Military Art Postcard - Sneaking Soldiers Spying Camp Below Hill"
Camp Lewis in postcards & supplies brings up 155 listings on dot ca. As always mileage may vary.
-Lotz
10-23-2021 05:48 AM
My basic point was to use general search, not searching each category.........Topographical/non.... especially when you get such a low # of results.........
The categories are not going to be accurate now, just because of so many items transferred to the wrong ones.
10-23-2021 09:08 AM
Well eBay, your last update on this board was 10-19. What is happening? When will this mess be fixed? Why can't you provide an update every day? This is really hurting us. And....When will I get my Gallery Plus fees refunded? Still not done & that cash has been taken from my account. I am beyond disgusted with eBay now. Velvet, why don't you reply?????
10-23-2021 09:22 AM
@dhbookds wrote:
My basic point was to use general search, not searching each category.........Topographical/non.... especially when you get such a low # of results.........
The categories are not going to be accurate now, just because of so many items transferred to the wrong ones.
I agree with everything said about using a general search now. However, my basic point, and the basic point of many sellers on this board, is that eBay made a mistake adding so many item specifics and REMOVING most of the sub-categories in dolls, P&G, photographs, postcards, art, etc., which essentially does away with easy browsing. eBay could have added all the new items specifics and KEPT the old subcategories. Now most buyers will not know that when they use the new humongous blob categories and/or use filters where the original sub-categories are now "hidden" that they will only find a sub-set of what they are looking for.
10-23-2021 09:32 AM
Not arguing your opinion that ebay made the basic mistake of removing sub categories....... but something I replied to originally said that both postcard main categories would each have to be searched.......I merely posited that one general search could be done. That is what I think buyers will do and then refine their search via search terms and/or the refinements on the left.
The subs are gone.........and I very much doubt they are coming back, based on the experiences of those removed before in other categories. The challenge now is to present the best titles and IS........
10-23-2021 11:55 AM
I sell a lot of fashion/costume jewelry and the new categories are extremely unhelpful. Also the Item Specifics are really impacting my ability to easily list my items. There are so many and most of them don't apply to what I sell. Please bring back the costume jewelry category and this should tighten up the Item Specifics so there aren't over 50 of them. It is a terrible not seller-friendly change/update. I'm not sure who it benefits, but definitely not the seller in this case. I have noted this on an eBay call so I hope it was recorded and passed on.
10-23-2021 04:33 PM
So . . . how are all of those new ITEM SPECIFICS working out for YOU in your buying & selling?
Doesn't it seem strange that my search under "collectibles - postcards" FOR:
1920 pensacola american legion armistice day parade locally published FL FLORIDA
turned up ZERO results . . . yet this exact postcard IS posted for sale on ebay under THIS title:
Pensacola, FL, Am Legion & Bugle Corps at Armistice Parade WW I celebration
If THESE category specifics are SO GREAT (yeah, right!) why did my search turn up ZERO (0) results when the card I was searching for was listed for sale all along?
Too, I buy vintage postcards (mostly RPPCs) and vintage photos of boys dressed in Native American garb (though I usually have to search for "boys Indian") and my searches (TITLE ONLY - not including description) used to turn up maybe 10 per day. Yesterday they turned up (again, TITLE ONLY - not including description) several hundred photos of Cleveland "Indians" baseball players - none of the listings of which had the word "BOY" in the title.
I've also I've also noted that with item specific "YEAR MANUFACTURED" under postcards that ebay will absolutely not let one list a year earlier than 1914. Yet postcards were being manufactured as early as the 1880s and voluminously so starting about 1900. While one CAN post the decade a card was made under "Time Period Manufactured" item specific, one CANNOT post a particular year any earlier than 1914 under "YEAR MANUFACTURED." Ebay just will not let one do so. I sell lots of pre-1914 postcards so that "item specific" is totally useless to me.
Yep. I could go on with maybe 2 dozen other examples of how the NEW "category specifics" have garbled both my selling and my buying.
:-{
10-23-2021 04:40 PM
Doesn't it seem strange that my search under "collectibles - postcards" (not narrowed down to "topographical" or "non-topographical") FOR:
1920 pensacola american legion armistice day parade locally published FL FLORIDA
turned up ZERO results . . . yet this exact postcard IS posted for sale on ebay under THIS title:
Pensacola, FL, Am Legion & Bugle Corps at Armistice Parade WW I celebration
If THESE category specifics are SO GREAT (yeah, right!) why did my search turn up ZERO (0) results when the card I was searching for was listed for sale all along?
Too, I buy vintage postcards (mostly RPPCs) and vintage photos of boys dressed in Native American garb (though I usually have to search for "boys Indian") and my searches (TITLE ONLY - not including description) used to turn up maybe 10 per day. Yesterday they turned up (again, TITLE ONLY - not including description) several hundred photos of Cleveland "Indians" baseball players - none of the listings of which had the word "BOY" in the title.
I've also I've also noted that with item specific "YEAR MANUFACTURED" under postcards that ebay will absolutely not let one list a year earlier than 1914. Yet postcards were being manufactured as early as the 1880s and voluminously so starting about 1900. While one CAN post the decade a card was made under "Time Period Manufactured" item specific, one CANNOT post a particular year any earlier than 1914 under "YEAR MANUFACTURED." Ebay just will not let one do so. I sell lots of pre-1914 postcards so that "item specific" is totally useless to me.
Yep. I could go on with maybe 2 dozen other examples of how the NEW "category specifics" have garbled both my selling and my buying.
:-{
10-23-2021 04:55 PM
Using 1920 pensacola american legion armistice day parade locally published FL FLORIDA
I see that post card, in 3rd place shown under "fewer words" match,
10-23-2021 06:20 PM
I want to know when someone at ebay realizes that Pottery and Glassware are WORLDS APART, not the same, different without a doubt but yet you put them in the same category??? No one but no one has any idea on where to put anything when it comes to:
COLLECTIBLE POTTERY (It is clay, not glass! )
COLLECTIBLE GLASSWARE (this is glass, NOT CLAY)
Someone needs to fire the category people that are to lazy to separate these two items.
10-23-2021 06:38 PM
I just found some drinking mugs listed under vases..
I guess flowers drink water out of vases so it is correct now a days????
10-23-2021 06:54 PM
The listing page is beyond ridiculous for postcards. So many Item Specifics are irrelevant, repetitive, a waste of time, and an eye sore.
Seriously? I now have to scroll and scroll and scroll down for each listing, watching closely to make sure eBay has not entered an incorrect automatic IS, which could result with my item being "not as described".
Of course IS are important. I always enter as many IS as possible. The problem now is that who ever designed the new listing page has zero knowledge about postcards and no idea about what they are doing!
10-23-2021 08:57 PM
Standard Envelope is still available