eBay

johnfduda · ‎01-07-2018

There was a thread yesterday discussing eBay sending messages to sellers to, for instance, lower their price to 99 cents with free shipping.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/I-m-a-special-kind-of-idiot-according-to-Ebay-s-relisting/m-p/...

My take on the thread was that eBay is using "Item Specifics" to match previous sales with the item you're selling now. It occurred to me that if that's the case then, most likely, they're using that matching method to advise buyers that they could buy the item they're about to buy from you from another source and present them the other listing. I think they also do this after a buyer has bought your item; which the reason behind so much buyers remorse.

I seldom use "Item Specifics" in my listings and never get messages suggesting I lower my prices.

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-07-2018

Interesting. It could very well be possible.

johnfduda · ‎01-08-2018

Agreed there's no way of knowing unless you look at the code, which ain't going to happen.

Is there anyone else who doesn't get messages from eBay to lower the listing price. Some say they only send these messages to those with low sales. So do any of you have low feedback and don't get the offers.

Another suggestion: if you repeatedly get the lower the price message, or the forced "Buy-It-Now" changes to your listings try taking out all eBay fields. Go with nothing but your title, and your description. Another possibility copy and paste all your "Item Specifics" or other eBay fields you filled in or eBay gave you. That way the info would be in your item description but would be useable by a BOT to match your listing against other listings.

luckythewinner · ‎01-08-2018

johnfduda wrote:My take on the thread was that eBay is using "Item Specifics" to match previous sales with the item you're selling now

Of course they are - and this should not really be news to anyone.

The whole purpose behind UPCs, manufacturer product numbers (MPNs), ISBN numbers, GTINs, and item specifics and is so that eBay can match one listing against another and locate similar items.

The 2015 spring seller update specifically stated that product identifiers would be used to provide price guidance.

I have no doubt they are also using products identifiers and item specifics for a whole host of other purposes, such as showing similar products to buyers and matching 'more items' in search results.

coolections · ‎01-08-2018

Why start a new thread and instead just post to the one you are referring to.

pjcdn2005 · ‎01-08-2018

I don't know the answer but I do know that I always use item specifics and can't recall getting any eBay messages to lower my prices.

johnfduda · ‎01-08-2018

"The whole purpose behind UPCs, manufacturer product numbers (MPNs), ISBN numbers, GTINs, and item specifics and is so that eBay can match one listing against another and locate similar items."

I never heard eBay say that. The way they're presented in a listing one would think they're there to present information to a potential buyer. But if the real purpose is to "match one listing against another and locate similar items" how does that help the seller. Most of us don't want other listings presented above their item description when a potential buyer clicks on your listing in a search. And I'll bet there isn't a single seller on all of eBay who's happy that when a looker clicks on the buy button he gets a presentation of others sellers stuf.

The reason I think this is important is that if you can prevent that from happening by not using the fields that eBay uses to match items then they have a way to opt out of the program. I've always tried to put the info needed to find that item in the title, which is why I thought I was wasting my time by filling in all those endless specifics.

I have noticed for a long time that my listings are much cleaner that others I look at.

goodluckselling · ‎01-08-2018

@johnfduda wrote:
There was a thread yesterday discussing eBay sending messages to sellers to, for instance, lower their price to 99 cents with free shipping.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/I-m-a-special-kind-of-idiot-according-to-Ebay-s-relisting/m-p/...

My take on the thread was that eBay is using "Item Specifics" to match previous sales with the item you're selling now. It occurred to me that if that's the case then, most likely, they're using that matching method to advise buyers that they could buy the item they're about to buy from you from another source and present them the other listing. I think they also do this after a buyer has bought your item; which the reason behind so much buyers remorse.

I seldom use "Item Specifics" in my listings and never get messages suggesting I lower my prices.

The entire site is going to a comparison shopping site, so yes the item specifics is one way to assemble like items, but there are many other ways as well. Although you may not a choice to not use item specifics in the near future, for now you do and there is as much more bad to not using them than using them. By using them you are in many more search results because you match several different attributes they might assemble a search result with. Look at all the option in the Left side bar when you get a return search results. those option are largely assembled from item specifics and if you do not use them you will not show in those refined search results. Item specifics also curate email blast for products of interest to buyers who were searching for something on eBay.

There are real reasons to use them and eBay will have a mandatory use of them soon. Maybe not for used items though but new items in most category will have them available to all sellers who want to sell a certain item.

Good Luck Selling!

goodluckselling · ‎01-08-2018

@johnfduda wrote:
"The whole purpose behind UPCs, manufacturer product numbers (MPNs), ISBN numbers, GTINs, and item specifics and is so that eBay can match one listing against another and locate similar items."

I never heard eBay say that. The way they're presented in a listing one would think they're there to present information to a potential buyer. But if the real purpose is to "match one listing against another and locate similar items" how does that help the seller. Most of us don't want other listings presented above their item description when a potential buyer clicks on your listing in a search. And I'll bet there isn't a single seller on all of eBay who's happy that when a looker clicks on the buy button he gets a presentation of others sellers stuf.

The reason I think this is important is that if you can prevent that from happening by not using the fields that eBay uses to match items then they have a way to opt out of the program. I've always tried to put the info needed to find that item in the title, which is why I thought I was wasting my time by filling in all those endless specifics.

I have noticed for a long time that my listings are much cleaner that others I look at.

The real reason they were started was for external internet ads and such. These are required info that google, yahoo, bing need to be able to include you in there shopping comparison advertisements. since eBay has a new direction which will be a comparison shopping experience the item specifcs will be required for everything that is in new condition. At least a very large majority will require them.

johnfduda · ‎01-08-2018

I recently listed quite a few used photographic items, all as auctions, many were in horrible condition. I was very happy with the results. There wasn't a single Item Specific in any of the listings.

One has to balance the advantages of increased exposure against having that same buyer wander off to another sellers item or even worse to have that customer sent off to some other website. My original opposition to item specifics was laziness. Then I progressed to resenting that these fields in a data base were being used by a BOT to match up my pictures in the eBay catalog. But to me to think that my info is being used to send my customers AWAY is beyond my understanding.

goodluckselling · ‎01-08-2018

@johnfduda wrote:
I recently listed quite a few used photographic items, all as auctions, many were in horrible condition. I was very happy with the results. There wasn't a single Item Specific in any of the listings.

One has to balance the advantages of increased exposure against having that same buyer wander off to another sellers item or even worse to have that customer sent off to some other website. My original opposition to item specifics was laziness. Then I progressed to resenting that these fields in a data base were being used by a BOT to match up my pictures in the eBay catalog. But to me to think that my info is being used to send my customers AWAY is beyond my understanding.

Some very experienced sellers think because they have an outstanding price that the comparison items help them make sales. if they can not find a better version ( and I am very confident in my case they can not) then this helps the buyer to buy now because there are no better deals to be had. I also use the promoted listings for the same kind of reason.

It really is a glass half full or half empty thought process. If you are looking for reasons not to do something your thought process can come up with reasons even if they do not make sense.

Good Luck Selling!

johnfduda · ‎01-08-2018

There are a lot of posters here, over the years, who will tell you not to list auctions on eBay, lots of advice not to list an auction below what your willing to sell the item for. Not to sell AS-IS on here. I was very leery of those listings.

But: "they do .... make sense."

"