sellers listing items in wrong category and hardly see items im looking for!!!!
Summary: greatstuff62, a long-time eBay seller and buyer, is frustrated with non-relevant items being listed under the ‘Zippo lighters’ category, making it difficult to find genuine items. They feel that sellers are doing this to avoid higher fees associated with eBay motors, but others, including redmodelt, suggest that fees are generally consistent across categories. monroe67 advises using specific search filters and reporting miscategorized listings directly, while reminding that eBay doesn't monitor forum posts. kathiec suggests creating focused keyword searches to bypass the issue. greatstuff62 acknowledges these suggestions but remains concerned about the large number of miscategorized listings impeding genuine searches.
hi, i am a long time ebay seller and buyer, past couple years has got real bad but this year worse than ever, i like and buy and sell zippo lighters, but now there are so many sellers listing car parts, motorcycle parts, sunglasses, holiday items, military, jewelry, ect,, in the zippo category that when you type in zippo lighters to look at them you might see 10-15 on a page of 50 because of all these non zippo products are listed there,, i have no idea why they dont put their items were they go so the correct buyers can see them, the zippo category has like 10 things you can list under like things mentioned above, but they are NOT A ZIPPO LIGHTER,,,, i have reported many but it goes to AI now and they all come back, "found nothing wrong with listing", ha,ha,ha,,,, i even called ebay and he said, "what do you want me to do?", i said remove the listing or and contact these sellers and make them put their car parts and other non zippo items in the right place, i dont think anything ever happend. it is so frustrating to try and look at what you want to look at but all you see is all this other non zippo items,,,,,,,, i can give item numbers, seller i.d.s, to prove all this if i am allowed to, but im getting no where by reporting it so what can i or other zippo lighters buyers supposed to do?? im in other zippo clubs and others have complained also yet every morning when i get on there they are, hundreds of new listings that do not go in the zippo category. WHY DONT EBAY DO SOMETHING?? ,,,,, AI does not do anything because if it is a car part and it is listed under zippo automobile, it can not tell whats wrong in my opinion,,,,,, im so upset im about ready to just look at other places and thru friends to find my collectables,,,,,,,,,,,,, AGAIN, IF IT IS ALLOWED, I CAN GIVE SELLER USER NAMES OR ITEM NUMBERS AND SHOW YOU WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT, OR YOU CAN TYPE IN "ZIPPO LIGHTER" YOURSELF AND SEE ALL THE OTHER ITEMS EXCEPT ZIPPO LIGHTERS, ESPECIALLY STARTING AROUND MIDNIGHT THRU MIDDAY,,,,,, anyway, i just want to look at what i want to buy, not all this other stuff, and will ebay help at all???? thank you
mudshark61369
·2 weeks ago@greatstuff62 ,
Try doing an Advanced search for: Zippo lighter. S elect Exact words any order, in the Collectible category. There are 1,800 results but I didn't find any car parts or other category items. On the results page, in the left column there's a Tobacciana category that may not have as many items. If you want Zippo replacement parts do the same search using that title. For Other of the 22 parts that make up a Zippo lighter look them up by the correct name or nomenclature, in Collectibles or Tobacciana
burky79
·3 weeks agoI can't speak for everyone, but the only times I've ever posted in the wrong category was when I found an identical item someone else had sold and used "Sell Similar". There are very few categories where the fee difference would change at all. The only time I could see someone doing that on purpose would be something that was technically true, like listing books under collectables.
eburtonlab
·3 weeks ago@greatstuff62
If you are just browsing a category, you will see all sort of miscategorized items.
Try searching using keywords instead -- preferably keywords not in the category name.
If that does not help, try using category-specific filter options if you can. You can weed out a lot of miscategorized listings that way. If you are looking for golf clubs in the golf club category, choosing either the "left handed" or "right handed" filter options -- or both at the same time if you are just looking for deals -- you can remove most of the non golf club items from the search in one shot.
To avoid automotive listings, try excluding a make, model or year that is unrelated to your search. The same sellers that list in the wrong category also like to include spam keyword lists, so you can filter out a lot of them fairly easily that way.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=zippo+lighter+-ford&_sacat=38042&LH_TitleDesc=0&_sop=10
monroe67
·3 weeks ago · EditedFirst: Typing in all capital letters is the internet equivalent of shouting. It is quite rude.
Additionally, many readers ignore a wall of text. People will be able to read your post much easier and understand your thoughts much clearer if you break your post into smaller sentences and paragraphs.
On to your topic, which is very important both to buyers and to eBay, Inc., alike.
Granted, reporting a listing in a "cigarette lighter" category that is not a cigarette lighter -- may seem like a trivial matter and something that eBay won't care about.
But they do. Especially if a specific seller has many listings in an erroneous category.
As a previous user responded, both the wrong category and the correct category might, in fact, carry the same Final Value Fee (FVF) percentage. That is true. Most categories are (currently) subject to a 13.6% FVF.
But FVFs are not the only factor that is important to eBay, Inc.
Among many other things, the category in which a listing is, well, listed is crucial to whether a buyer might be charged sales tax or how much sales tax is charged.
And statistics: It helps eBay know how to advertise their services to other potential sellers out there "in the wild."
Is eBay a better place to try to sell your grandpa's old WWII-era Zippo lighter?
How many other Zippo lighters have been sold on eBay?
Or is eBay a better place to try to sell your auntie's original 1958 Barbie doll?
How many Barbie dolls are sold on eBay?
So, if you feel that there are extreme examples of incorrect categories, you are certainly allowed to report them to eBay.
In very egregious examples, eBay can punish a seller with higher fees -- to a worst case situation where a seller is suspended from eBay.
greatstuff62
OP3 weeks agofriend, sorry if i offend you using capital letters but yes im frustrated and trying to shout to ebay to do something!! there are many sellers doing this and no one will help, i just looked at one of those, they have 9,960 items that are mostly car parts but none in the ebay motor/car part category, instead in zippo lighter, toys, home and garden, but not 1 zippo listed,, this is just 1 of them. so you want me to try searching using different methods or words? no, all i should have to do is type what im looking for wether it be a zippo or barbie or whatever and i should find what im looking for, not every thing else under the sun,, and yes i would think this is extreme like you mentioned, 9,960 items, this is just one seller,,, anyway, thanks, it still shouldnt be that hard to find anything you want to look at without typing in a way to go around it, have a good weekend
kathiec
·3 weeks agoBut you're not shouting at eBay here. They don't monitor the forums. You're shouting at fellow members who can't do anything to solve the problem.
I've been on eBay since 1996, and keyword spamming has always been a problem. Years ago, long before AI, I used to report it, but quickly learned it's just not one of eBay's priorities. The best way I've found to deal with it is with focused keyword searches. It takes a bit to get them working exactly the way you want, but when you get one completed save the search. Then all you have to do is run it from the Saved Searches section of My eBay. You obviously don't want to do that, but sometimes you have to learn a lesson from the Reverend Jagger and accept that you can't always get what you want.
And btw, sellers don't miscategorize listings to save fees. Fees are pretty much the same in every category.
monroe67
·3 weeks ago"Reverend Jagger."
I usually refer to him as a mid-1960s British philosopher.
monroe67
·3 weeks ago · Edited". . . yes i would think this is extreme like you mentioned, 9,960 items, this is just one seller . . . ."
Yeah, that does seem very bad. Or at least improper.
Here is my suggestion for you:
On eBay's home page, locate the words "Help & Contact" near the top.
I do not use the eBay app on my phone, but only use eBay on a computer. Those words, "Help & Contact" are in the upper left area, above the large "eBay" logo.
Click on the words "Help & Contact."
A field should appear in which you can type in the reason you want help.
You may type in "Report a Seller." Then press your "Enter" button.
You should see a page of information with a large blue button near the top that says: "Report A Seller"
Click on that button and write your issue(s). I don't know, however, how much space eBay allows in that field or box.
If eBay decides that seller is indeed violating their policies with their close-to-10,000 listings, eBay will do something about it or him or her.
When eBay punishes sellers in any manner, eBay does not notify their previous or potential buyers. I think eBay wants to give buyers enough credit to make their own decisions on who to buy from and who not to buy from.
BTW: Posting a "shouting" complaint in eBay's Community Forum does not notify eBay of a problem with a seller or a buyer or anybody else.
greatstuff62
OP2 weeks agowell i apologize, i thought maybe a ebay rep reads some of these and replies, sorry, my 1st post ever and after trying all other things i know to do
greatstuff62
OP3 weeks agoand also, i just compared your link using "ford" to my regular search for zippo, yours leaves out lots of new listings i would have missed, thanks
eburtonlab
·3 weeks agoYes, specifically it will leave out any listings without both zippo and lighter in the title or item specifics, or any listings containing both of those also containing ford.
If you want all listings in the Zippo category that contain zippo, but not ford, and not just lighters, try this:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/38042/i.html?_nkw=zippo+-ford&_sop=10
redmodelt
·3 weeks agoYou need to come back and tell us why you think they are avoiding fees because with a few exceptions, the fees are the same on the general listings and eBay motors. The same issue comes up in eBay motors with people using everything under the sun in the fitment area. The seller figures that people that buy lighters are the same ones that buy their items so build a listing(s) to take that into account. Not fun, but that is what it is. As you have found, eBay is ok with it. Learn to narrow down your search parameters. Look at the listings or other items, do they have any key words in common? If so, do the - in front of those key words followed by a comma space for each one in your search title.
greatstuff62
OP3 weeks agoi have only listed in ebay motors a couple times and if i remember the final value fee was higher, and i have narrowed down looking at zippo lighters as much as i can and it all still shows up, as far as "keywords" and comas i dont know what you mean, but nothing in the title or description mentions "zippo" period,, and yes im sure other items get listed in the wrong category but that does not make it right and ebay should not be ok with it,,,,, listing a item should go in the proper place instead of a category it has 0% to do anything with,,, i remember a time when or if this was done ebay removed it promptly, or someone else would turn it in and ebay removed it,,,, i also think it is using zippo's name improper, maybe telling them might do something? but it is not ok in my opinion
redmodelt
·3 weeks agoSelling fees | eBay
cpt_kirstov
·3 weeks agoPeople with stores near their insertion item limits will post in various 'collectibles' categories because they get thousands of extra free listings in those categories
monroe67
·3 weeks ago"People with stores near their insertion item limits will post in various 'collectibles' categories because they get thousands of extra free listings in those categories" --
which (1) is not a valid reason to list anything in an incorrect category
and (2) may very well be in violation of eBay's policies.
Good thing you didn't list a specific store or seller name.
Do you know anybody who lists in a wrong category just to save a buck or two?