Locked
Discussion interactions are currently paused.
ChatGPT AI Description Generator Now Available In eBay App
You may need to update to the most recent version, but the ChatGPT powered AI description generator is now live in the Android and iOS eBay apps.
In the listing flow, tap the AI description icon in the bottom right and the new description will automatically populate.
I haven't played around with it too much, but here are a couple examples generated from very basic title info.
Anyone else tried it out yet?
90 comments
kh-vince
·2 years agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
deltilogical
·2 years agoThe techsociopaths are obsessed with infesting every facet of our lives with this sewageware.
You think social media has screwed up the country, wait until their automated interfaces are given free reign. It is already planned your child will be raised alone in a box and interact with the automated interface exclusively, "for safety".
klm-3
·2 years agoI sold on ebay for more than 20 years; now I just buy. I'm only just starting to see a lot of AI generated descriptions, and they absolutely suck. They're just as bad as the previously-prevalent descriptions that just read "condition is used".
grumpy_gardener49
·2 years agoWhen I did English at school, one of the tasks was "Precis", getting rid of verbose, unnecessary text. In one fell swoop eBay has come up with the exactly opposite. My simple description became 2 paragraphs of rubbish.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoLet this buyer's experience serve as a cautionary tale for anybody that plans to use the AI generators. You may save time by having a bot write your descriptions, but then you have to spend time verifying the accuracy of the bot's work or else end up with a SNAD and $$ lost.
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Home-Garden/I-need-to-know-what-to-do-I-did-not-get-what-I-thought-I-was/m-p/34007245
anjofak
·2 years agoIv been up loading pictures of myself and making it talk about me!... it's all about me..
lotzofuniquegoodies
·2 years ago@anjofak
Were you thinking of this song by chance?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxUuDPNbkJk
-Lotz
snowyhills
·2 years agoHow do you remove or turn off AI option in the description?
lotzofuniquegoodies
·2 years ago@snowyhills
I attempted using voice commands (basically a variation of AI) on tv looking for particular football game. System brought up baseball games (team city's didn't even match). AI still has major bugs to be resolved.
-Lotz
deltilogical
·2 years agoWe need some kind of symbol to indicate "HUMAN OWNED AND OPERATED" - probably would get banned from some triggered by the word human.
dogchow747
·2 years agoMany of these AI descriptions are pure noise and nonsense. Another situation where sellers continue to have no responsibility in what they post and sell. I do not expect everyone to be an expert on everything, but "Dumbing down society" is a great way of describing it. Once again this will hurt knowledgeable sellers.. Post your junk with made up descriptions.... Fail to follow through with upset buyers.... Legit sellers pay for it in the end. I rather have a blank description than being sold a load of .... from a snake oil description promising the wonder, beauty, and historic value of a used item.
It makes me trust the situation less than someone saying, not sure much about this, but see the pictures (which may be someone elses..)
Yep, still cranky about this stuff.
janet9988
·2 years agoThe best thing to come out of it is..... it will be much easier to avoid buying those items and look for a better type of seller.
a_c_green
·2 years agoI agree; I think it will quickly become obvious which descriptions are AI-generated and thus can be ignored. This may end up benefiting sellers more by their not using it. 🙂
etpi8753
·3 years ago2009 Jim Henson Gabriella Only Plush From Sid The Science Kid ebay item number is 314735646240 and the seller is amyjohntaylor and the seller say this item going to be sold but i want this item to stay available for 10 years and the seller say a buyer might want to buy it and i want a buyer to avoid this item and the seller told me to tell you about a hacker and i want the seller to put this item on the private list because that will make this item to stay available because a buyer not going to see it because if a buyer not going to see it and if the seller put this item on the public listing back and a buyer have to avoid it and it could be a scam that trying to buy this item or might be a hacker so the seller got to be careful with that because it might be a scam that like to take all of your money out of your bank account and might be a hacker that like to hack the seller account and you got to contact this seller about this because that let the seller know about this and you got to contact the seller to watch out for scam and hackers
valueaddedresource
OP3 years agoInteresting - Shopify's AI description generator apparently has an option that allows you to adjust for "tone"...hopefully that's something eBay could add into their tool at some point too!
kamha7645
·3 years agoPokemon James Trainer 6" PVC Action Figure Team Rocket Vintage Tomy 1998 is broken because the seller told me that
kamha7645
·3 years ago1998 Pokemon Team Rocket Monster Trainer 6" James Figure is broken because the seller told me that
dqdistribution
·3 years agoThey aren't great and needs some work on how it writes, but it benefits lazy people like me. 😞
barefootbookseller
·3 years agoHate it. I sell used items, I put most key words in the title, then add any details regarding wear and measurementsin the description. Now I have to close ai option pop-up, copy and paste title myself then add details. The ai description sounds fake, doesn't say anything about condition - how can it? - and is so long no one will read it. Plus it adds a bunch of made up details..."be the Belle of the ball in this stunning top by an internationally known designer" for a black dancewear tank top. Ridiculous.
redlinear
·3 years agoYep. It sounds like a pitch, it reads like a pitch.
Although.....I'm less certain daily.... anybody reads much of a listing anyway.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·3 years agoI remember when ebay recommended bullet points for descriptions.
statelineracer
·3 years agoToo wordy. Customers don't read descriptions but the gives too much fluff and too few real details.
valueaddedresource
OP3 years agoIt appears eBay has gotten those pesky bugs taken care of - I'm seeing the AI description generator in the latest update to the Android app and the surrounding service details (button label, undo button, banner explaining the optional generative model, etc.) are all functioning correctly.
pls-consignments
·3 years agoBe careful using this AI tool. You must read every word afterwards to make sure it doesn't over-sell or over- hype your items, especially used items. This could put your listings at risk of INAD's.
I tinkered with it when it came out and decided that with my sales already down 45%, it was too risky for me, as I sell mostly used items.
a_c_green
·3 years agoSpeaking of which, I was disappointed that the sample screenshots posted by @bwoodruff in a reply above (here) didn't extend to the end of the ChatGPT text that was generated, as I was curious to see what it produced in response to the input phrase "Super soft, only worn once."
bryan@ebay
That's a common ask of including the current description as part of the prompt to the AI. We'll experiment more with this to improve the generated description.
jeancza_17
·3 years agoThanks eBay. Sure it will improve over time. It takes time to refine for user needs.
Sadly, I haven’t been able to use the AI option because it is no longer an option on either my mobile or web version. It disappeared as I explained in a previous post on this thread. It’s supposed to be fixed but hasn’t been as if this evening. Hopefully it will be restore soon.
dqdistribution
·3 years ago@bryan@ebay
Hello,
I'm guessing your filters are blocking generation for it to function for certain listings.
But I've tried to use it on one of my listings and it continues to error out.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/394588689176?epid=17046031648&hash=item5bdf519318:g:8MYAAOSwaWdghuQL
So, yeah, maybe make it more lenient? Eh Probably not, worth a try.
@elizabeth@ebay I dunno how often Bryan is actually around maybe you could forward it?
bryan@ebay
Thanks for the report - I am able to see the same problem, will have the team investigate.
bryan@ebay
The ChatGPT engine has content filtering which is triggering in this particular case due to the title. There are two issues:
1) This is a valid use case, we need to follow up with the ChatGPT backend to verify this case.
2) The reported error is not reflecting the actual condition - we should be reporting the content filtering error for awareness.
Bugs are being filed for both.
dqdistribution
·3 years agoI'm sorry for putting you to work.
I know the title is a bit... controversial, but DreamWorks chose to name it that, not me. 😞
jeancza_17
·3 years agoI started using the AI tool about 8 days ago and found it useful but very wordy. I complete title and specifics before using and it incorporated the great majority of that information. I then modify, add and rearrange content but leaving good portion of content provided. Very easy to use and saves me time.
A few issues:
As some else pointed out, if you select the AI option it erases any content you already had. I just cut my own out then repaste at the bottom and work it into the description or delete what is repetitive.
It’s too soon to tell if impacting sales especially since sales have been slow, however, I had 2 items sell with an hour of listing 2 days in a row which maybe a positive sign.
BUT…my overall sales have dropped about 30% in past month. I researched and discover none of my listings were appearing in google even with exact title and adding eBay to search terms. Same listing crosslisted were showing up from other platforms. Research on seller hub showed internal traffic had jumped like 30% but external dropped 35%. Whether or not this odd change is related to AI is not known and the drop appears to have started earlier 5/19. In talking with text support no real explanation but had me bulk edit reset my listings saying I should notice a change in traffic within 72 hrs. We shall see.
THEN..this afternoon when I went to finish some drafts and new listings but the AI button is gone. So did eBay take it down, was it somehow related to the reset or opting to use seller hub, who knows? Contact tech support and they claim it will be fixed without explaining what happened.
Thus far I like the AI tool and found it helpful and likely increasing internal traffic but if it’s somehow killing my external traffic then won’t be using it. At this point reserving judgement.
For perspective-I’m a very small top rated seller (< 100 listings now only 65) of mostly clothing. Listing is not always consistent but when I am only list 2-3 items a day.
a_c_green
·3 years agoI can't help noticing the irony of that banner line in those screenshots when ChatGPT has been activated: "Now you're talkin'"
Obviously you're not talking; you're letting the AI pad your description instead. If I open a listing description and see a great sea of glop like that, I'm going to assume that it's going to be only vaguely accurate at best, and I will need to pick out the relevant details from amongst all that verbiage.
huntfishdie45
·3 years agoWho needs this when you can just cut and paste someone else's description? While you're at it steal their pics too.
brightlightbookseller
·3 years agoConsidering our description is almost always only about the condition of the item, not the actual item's history or relevance (we leave that to the buyer to decide what they're interested in), this would be beyond useless for us. Interesting, but absolutely not something we would ever put into practical use.
tabcu51
·3 years agoI am sorry but as an older individual I have been through and through people feeding me corporate lingo (aka male bovine kawkaw) and to be quite frank if a seller wants to make sure I know they fully believe I am an idiot then by all means use this AI generator, just don't expect me to be a buyer. Because I doubt very much I would buy from such an individual any faster than the next seller, while having the absolute cheapest price would help a seller doesn't need an AI generated listing to catch my attention that way.
chapeau-noir
·3 years agoI agree that it was rushed out to goose Wall St., but eBay is hardly the only company to have done things like that and it was interesting to get a look-in at it.
IAC, I've read a lot of chatGPT, and fiddled with it, and can write that kind of dreck myself without any help. I even used to get paid for it.
valueaddedresource
OP3 years agoSo basically it was prematurely launched without basic functionality in order to hit Q2 headlines for Wall Street but won't really be ready until some vague timeline in the "coming months" 🤣
valueaddedresource
OP3 years agoI guess this doesn't make much sense now but if you know, you know. 😉
bwoodruff
·3 years agoActually, we started rolling out an update to sellers in a limited ramp which is typical of all companies today when introducing new features. This also coincided with a new update from the Android and iOS clients. However, a bug in the client logic exposed the experience without the surrounding service details (button label, undo button, banner explaining the optional generative model, etc.) which created a broken user experience and confusion when found by sellers who had just download/installed the Android update. They were not intended to see these changes at this point in time. It was a bug. This did not affect the iOS experience.
The unintended consequence of this bug was exposing a broken experience for a feature that we have been actively collecting feedback from our sellers. The actual feedback has been very positive and this feature has been very effective for many sellers. Depending on your listing category & details (title & aspects), your mileage may vary.
valueaddedresource
OP3 years agoThanks for that info @bwoodruff - sounds like you work for eBay?
If so, @devon@ebay @kyle@ebay @elizabeth@ebay @brian_burke@ebay can we get this account properly labeled as an eBay employee account here in the community please?
valueaddedresource
OP3 years ago@bwoodruff from the ID and depth of knowledge shown here, I'm guessing you might be VP Seller Experience Engineering?
If so, thanks for stopping by to answer questions about this! It's always great to see eBay execs engaging directly here in the community.
I understand the feature is still in phased testing, but is there any additional insight you can share about how the feature works and what those of us who were exposed to the bug-induced broken user experience were missing?
Was it just some ux/ui elements like the buttons and banners that were missing or is there a significant difference in the functionality from what we were seeing as well?
bwoodruff
·3 years ago@valueaddedresource Yes, that's correct, and thank you -- I'll use an @ebay official account to respond in the future.
To answer your question, I'm including some screen shots below from the iOS experience. We'll be further enabling this for additional sellers over the course of the next few weeks as we continue to adjust based on feedback.
The AI generated description is completely optional. We have a banner indicating the new feature when it is enabled. The description editing (or during item creation) is the same as it has always been, with the exception of a new button to generate an AI description. You can undo it if you don't like the generated text.
The screens below show how this works. Hope this helps.
The first is the listing summary where you would typically add or edit a description.
 
From the item description page, you can choose to use the AI description.
You can undo if you do not like the generated description or otherwise edit/accept it. 
 
Selecting done takes you back to the listing summary where you can save/cancel edits.
 
valueaddedresource
OP3 years agoThanks @bwoodruff - that does help! Looking forward to seeing it in action as it rolls out to more users in the coming weeks.
bryan@ebay
One final note (and from my @ebay account this time), this is all completely optional - the traditional description editor remains the same: simply ignore the button and enter your own text, click done.
valueaddedresource
OP3 years agoThanks again @bryan@ebay . That logo looks good on you....hope we keep seeing you around!
ninjanick1973
·3 years agoNew to this forum stuff so sorry if I should elsewhere with this.
I have the AI description on my phone. Recently for the past few days it has disappeared. I thought I pressed a button and disabled it.
I spoke to Ebay people but they were miffed as what has happened and suggested reinstalling the app.
I had a play with my phone and once it has reappeared.
Is it only valid for new listing, does it disappear when you type or is this a glitch?
It is a good idea even though you have to be careful as it can mis describe the item.
jeancza_17
·3 years agoI had same happen to me about 5 weeks ago. Starting using then it disappeared. eBay claimed they had taken it down for everyone which they did for short time but others had it and I didn’t. I finally got it back yesterday. I saw no difference in results using it and it’s too wordy for my liking.
simba6
·3 years agoNothing but run on babble.
turnpiketreasures1
·3 years agoI don't get it at all. If you have to add more details in order to get a description that isn't just like a cut and paste thing for the item you're selling, then why not write it yourself. We need to perhaps ignore AI for things like this because if we don't we will soon be a society of people who not only don't know how to write a simple sentence, they'll be unable to carry on a conversation, or deal with sales people, or even talk to their family. There is great danger in using AI for things like this. It has a purpose, but writing descriptions for things you sell on eBay, shouldn't be one of them. Our brains are going to turn to mush very quickly if we keep finding ways to not use them.
nilis13
·3 years agoDumbing down society
janet9988
·3 years agoSchool instruction is already leading this way.
jeancza_17
·3 years agoMy primary motivation in giving AI a trail run is to see if I can save time in writing the description but also to see if there is an impact on sales.
Because I sell clothing, I add measurements and anything AI missed. I also highlight condition separately. I remove content to streamline and for accuracy. Thus far AI written descriptions haven’t exaggerated to where I feel I’m at risk for an INAD.
The content generated is coming direct from the specifics I complete but AI uses a narrative style using more adjectives than I generally use. If you didn’t fill out the specifics first think there is greater risk of an inaccurate description. Mine have been spot on just way too “flowery†language and wordy for my liking.
My descriptions are lengthy as compared to most resellers due to the nature of the product (clothing) and because I crosslist using the eBay description on other platforms where the description is the primary source of information for the buyer. Many resellers on eBay simply use their title as their description. I’m always amazed anyone can sell clothing that way!
Historically, I have used a straightforward bullet style approach. AI descriptions via eBay’s tool generates a narrative style. To me it’s way too wordy but does give me new ideas or words I hadn’t thought to use. Personally, I prefer my bullet style but I’m willing to try it to see how buyers react although the great majority of buyers don’t read anyway. LOL.
Thus far, It has saved me a small amount of time. I’m not comfortable accepting the AI description without making it my own. If it had the option to modify to fit your own style it could save me more time. I know chatgpt does offer that option but eBay doesn’t at this point.
AI seems to be the way of the future and agree over time society will likely “dummy down†becoming more dependent on technology than independent thought as we’ve seen over the past years. Think calculators, gps and cellular phones. Many young people lack basic math skills and can’t read a map. Technology has resulted in many advances but there are significant negative societal impacts as well.
valueaddedresource
OP3 years agoTo quote South Park.....And......it's gone. 😂
eBay has now removed the AI description icon - it's no longer there for new listings or when revising old ones.
Even worse, when I try to revise my test drafts that used it, I get an error saying that AI created description now contains "formatting not supported by this app".
Not sure if this has anything to do with some of the other glitches going on right now with the listing form and quantities but obviously eBay has decided this isn't ready for prime time for some reason.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·3 years agoLOL! Maybe someone at ebay actually tried using it, and realized it wasn't ready for prime time....at least, not without providing sellers with some instructions about what information to "feed" it.
Or maybe they want to launch it with the Spring, oops, Summer, oops, Fall Seller Update....
valueaddedresource
OP3 years ago@my-cottage-books-and-antiques a cynic might take note of the number of times AI has been mentioned in recent earnings calls and investor conferences and conclude that simply being able to say it launched in Q2, even if only in beta, may be more important to eBay than whether or not it actually works. 😉
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·3 years agoWell then, it's fortunate for ebay that there are no cynics here LOL
valueaddedresource
OP3 years ago@my-cottage-books-and-antiques I wonder if any of those investors find the irony in going back to read the 2019 public letter from Elliott Management calling out management failures and misexecution.
Fast forward to recent years and the platform still faces issues. In 2018, eBay sellers complained about countless technical issues including incorrect billing, lost photos, warped titles and many others. On this month’s end of year podcast, eBay senior management apologized to sellers and admitted, “This is a 2018 that we don’t want to repeat on a number of levels. And the technology issues that we have had with the platform is top of the list.â€
We agree: The consistent reliability of the platform is central to eBay’s success, and management must do all that it takes to achieve it.
While innovative endeavors in new pursuits like machine learning and augmented reality are promising future technologies, eBay’s publicly touted initiatives in these areas will add little value if the core platform continues to have critical functionality failures.
That last line in particular......the more things change, right?
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·3 years ago@valueaddedresource Agree 100%. Maybe spend a little less on stock buybacks and a little more on maintaining the site?
wastingtime101
·3 years agoIf I wasn't having such a lousy day, I'd be tempted to pull up the app and "sell similar" on some of my current listings to generate drafts and see how ChatGPT would alter descriptions for all my "must-have" items.
wastingtime101
·3 years agoWay to get that AI salesmanship going. Every single description posted in this thread says the item is a "must-have" except the Camry mount which is "necessary"
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·3 years agoListed the actual item the other day. For chat GPT I used this as my "input" (which granted wasn't much):
"Syroco Matador Bull Wall Plaque" and I put it in category: Collectibles>Retro>1960s
here's ChatGPT:
This vintage Syroco Matador Bull Wall Plaque is a must-have for any collector of mid-century collectibles. The intricate details of the matador and bull make it a unique and eye-catching piece that will surely make a statement on any wall.
Crafted in the 1960s, this piece is a testament to the quality and craftsmanship of that era. The time period manufactured was a time of great creativity and innovation, and this piece is a shining example of that. A perfect addition to any collection or a great conversation starter for any room.
Here's my actual description:
Ah, the brave matador and the brave bull!
Bullfighting and Spain were popular motifs in Mid Century decor, and this 3D type hard plastic wall plaque is a prime example. This large plaque measures about 35" long, about 22" tall, and about 2" deep at its deepest. Marked on the back copyright 1968 Dart Ind (I've also seen these marked Syroco...I think the names were used almost interchangeably), Made in USA, 7126 (the model number). Two attached metal hangers on back to hang on wall.
Condition: Alas, NOT perfect: This is in great condition with one exception: Somewhere along the line, our fearless matador lost the tip end of his right shoe, which should be projecting out from the red cape, but has somehow been broken off. (see 4 close-ups, from different angles). Price reflects condition.
One interesting note: ChatGPT pulled the 1960s reference from the Category I chose....it's not in the few details I provided. So I wonder if ChatGPT will also be pulling from Item Specifics? (I didn't fill any out for this test)
Hopefully ebay will provide us with more insights for this tool soon.
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoChatGPT is ONLY using online information from BEFORE September 2021. I doubt they are utilizing any of the eBay Items Specifics.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·3 years ago@slippinjimmy I may be wrong, but I think this is ebay's in house version of ChatGPT, and @gienna2 seems to be saying it pulled from her IS in her test. I'll try again later when I have more time.
valueaddedresource
OP3 years ago@my-cottage-books-and-antiques this is not an eBay in house tool as far as I know. ChatGPT has a paid pro version with plug ins and more toys for the developers, some of which allow it to connect to web and draw on current Bing searches for info.
eBay's devs may have done some amount of customizing to make it fit within their app, but the bulk of what is being done here I would bet is not from eBay.
https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/23/openai-connects-chatgpt-to-the-internet/
Easily the most intriguing plugin is OpenAI’s first-party web-browsing plugin, which allows ChatGPT to draw data from around the web to answer the various questions posed to it. (Previously, ChatGPT’s knowledge was limited to dates, events and people prior to around September 2021.) The plugin retrieves content from the web using the Bing search API and shows any websites it visited in crafting an answer, citing its sources in ChatGPT’s responses.
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoThanks @valueaddedresource for confirming that data after September 2021 IS used (but only for the Pro version).
I of course have only used the free version, when I have received an answer and then asked for updated information from 2022/23 the bot always apologizes and says that they do not have access to that data.
It's pretty common situation for free users of any type of App that only paid for accounts get all the bells and whistles while the leeches get a "crippled" version.
gienna2
·3 years agoSorry, I'm confused. This is a button that appears in the description portion of the eBay listing tool when you are editing a listing. While in the eBay app. So not the Chat GPT playground site.
Be nice if eBay would give some info, here.
valueaddedresource
OP3 years ago@gienna2 it's ChatGPT integrated into the eBay listing tool, though as you pointed out, a limited version without all the bells and whistles.
CEO Jamie Iannone said they were working on doing this in the Q1 earnings call with investors last month.
kayomi@ebay
·3 years agoThank you for raising this issue. And I apologize for the experience you had. We are constantly testing new features to simplify your selling experience, and we regret that there was an issue on this experience for some Android users. The issue was resolved on the 25th, and the improved experience is being rolled out to sellers over the coming months.
gienna2
·3 years agoYes. 🙂
gienna2
·3 years agoThe new eBay AI button does use specifics, though. It pulled my height and width, though I had them entered wrong, so it entered the wrong numbers, which is how I know it did.
Chat GPT is def really cool. But this is not that. You can't give it follow-up instructions, for example, such as "please rewrite this so it has fewer adjectives and is less flowery."
And, as I mentioned in an earlier comment, once you hit that button there is no undo if you are on mobile, at least.
valueaddedresource
OP3 years ago@gienna2 from what I've seen from other companies using ChatGPT Pro with plugins, it's pretty customizable as far as how deeply integrated they want it to be, whether it allows for that follow up "conversational AI" experience etc.
My guess is eBay went as bare bones as they could just to get something up and running, hopefully without breaking anything....and from what we've seen with other glitches around here lately it's probably good that they did. 😂
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoOn the desktop you can expand your original request with extra details and receive a revised answer, I've never had the nerve to ask for "better grammar" given the bot has much better grammar skills then I have.
gienna2
·3 years agoThe other thing is your personality shines through in your version ... That is part of your branding and can't be replicated with AI. I prefer shorter descriptions (to keep readers focused) but still want to sound like an actual live human person!
As others have noted, it might be good for people whose only description is: See pics.
gienna2
·3 years agoPlease note!!! You cannot undo this if you click it after you have already written your description! I didn't know what it was and clicked out of curiosity.
It rewrote my entire description based only on the title and item specifics. I lost everything: the condition description, the details about the decoration, the likely maker, which I did not put in the title or item details because it's just a guess, & more. It didn't even get the measurements right!
Maybe this works for sneakers or electronics, but for my item the description was ludicrous!!!
This is the text clicking this button created. I don't even know what to say about how silly it is:
Add a touch of vintage charm to your home decor with this stunning Copper Tone Patina Candelabra. Standing at 14.5 inches tall, this unbranded medium-sized piece features four arms and holds up to five candles. Made of high-quality brass and finished with a beautiful copper patina, this decorative candle holder is sure to impress your guests. Measuring 16 inches in width and 14 inches in height, it is the perfect centerpiece for any table or mantle. Ideal for anyone who appreciates classic design, this candelabra is a must-have for collectors of decorative candle holders.
Talk about using a lot of words to say absolutely nothing. And now I have to remember what I wrote myself. Arghhhh.
valueaddedresource
OP3 years agoWow @gienna2 sorry that happened to you, but that's a great point and good warning for sellers!
lotzofuniquegoodies
·2 years ago@valueaddedresource
@gienna2
@chapeau-noir
As for the warning, very scary thought. Why I have taken to copying so I can repaste(if necessary) prior to hitting send when I am in the process of writing a very long discussion post. You never know when eBay may choose to not to let you send, especially if there happens to be some hidden html included. Best to be safe vs sorry. Note to self...Just say no to Chat AI.
Chat AI reminds me of that routine from Monty Python lore and getting the rundown for Spam, Spam, Spam and Spam then customer asks if they can get anything without spam? Sounds unlikely!! Same with eBay. Personally I was never a big fan of spam..... or glop, for that matter!!!
-Lotz
a_c_green
·3 years agoI haven't tried it myself, but generally speaking, when you're editing text and something goes sideways, pressing Ctrl+Z can roll back your keystrokes (and the response they generated), one press at a time. Might be worth a try the next time that happens.
It's notable that in one paragraph it manages to give two different heights: 14.5 inches and then 14 inches.
gienna2
·3 years agoRight?? I use chat GPT for lots of things and know all AI text needs tweaking, but this is unusable. Also, 100% good tip on CTL-Z but I was on mobile. 😕
Another tip for others is to write in notepad (no formatting & available on phone) and copy and paste so you have a backup. I do this 99% of the time.
Eh, my second attempt was probably better & more succinct anyway ...
gienna2
·3 years agoIf anyone is interested, this is how I described it:
Well-proportioned four-arm, five-candle candelabra stands a stately 14 inches tall; about 10 inches across at the widest point.
Likely brass, but with a lovely warm copper tone patina and just the right amount of verdigris.
The cups are decorated with embossed stylized oak leaves, acorns and stems. The top rings are removable. Holes for bobeshes.
Two subtle etched bands on the base.
Unmarked. Similar proportions to Baldwin examples, but I have not seen one in this style.
(Plus boilerplate on shipping, smoke-free, etc)
No AI program knows what's in my head and what I know about what I sell.... At least not yet!!
grumpy_gardener49
·2 years agoLol, it reminds me of an Estate Agent's description of a property and what's actually there when you view it.
a_c_green
·3 years agoDistinctly unimpressed. Those descriptions are just blather, adding little to no factual content, especially nothing to help avoid Not As Described returns from buyers who might even read the description in full, but will learn nothing further about the specific item in that listing.
In addition, if all sellers of the same item are hitting up ChatGPT for their descriptions instead of actually writing the descriptions themselves, how many different descriptions is it going to generate for the same item each time? It will just be the same glop over and over, served up by every seller of the same item.
Hard pass.
chapeau-noir
·3 years agoAI output *is* mostly glop.
valueaddedresource
OP3 years ago@a_c_green in general I agree, but also I did use an extremely basic/generic title. It will be interesting to see if the results are better if you include more details to begin with and/or if they improve over time.
a_c_green
·3 years agoTrue, but the problem is that so many lazy sellers use extremely basic or generic titles, also pasted into the description field with nothing else added, and having ChatGPT fill in the otherwise empty field with paragraphs of text is not improving the listing in any way.
In addition, this idea won't scale in any useful way, because all the ChatGPT texts generated off of such similar lamebrain titles are all inevitably going to read the same. The problem is not so much that it's Garbage-In/Garbage-Out (at least ChatGPT can form grammatical sentences with correctly-spelled words, something a lot of sellers need help with), but more precisely that the same Garbage In will result in the same Garbage Out. Imagine 50 different sellers of the same LuluLemon leggings all hitting up ChatGPT. How is Description #50 going to be significantly different from Description #1, unless one seller puts in significantly more specifics than another?
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoMaybe they are good for sellers who can't compose a description better than "good condition, see pics".
These AI generated descriptions make an excellent base that you can edit to fit your own style if you wish.
If you enter info for ChatGPT to create a description you will get different responses even if you change one or two words in the instructions for ChatGPT you will get output that can be radically different.
I've been doing a little testing (not for eBay use), it's actually quite amazing results even on very obscure topics. I might be able to do better if I spend half an hour composing my own rather than 30 seconds asking and another minute editing.
Have you ever actual experimented with ChatGPT?
a_c_green
·3 years agoOh, totally agree with you there. It's just that I can see a ton of sellers of items in saturated categories all glomming onto it with the same minimal details for it to work with, leading to the same repetitive bare-bones listings that you see currently, but with a lot more text in the description that still cannot usefully distinguish one example of the product from another.
Right, but I can't see many sellers actually doing that. It seems more likely to me that it will simply serve as a crutch for the ones who can't be bothered to do the work in the first place, but quicker and in larger quantities. As the old joke goes, "Better, Faster, Cheaper: Pick two..." ðŸ˜
I have not; something that I should have said more clearly up front; sorry. I will certainly mess around with it when I get a little more free time soon.
slippinjimmy
·3 years agoYeah you should check it out, some fo the stuff it can do is pretty amazing.
For eBay use it isn't of much use to me because my description are almost entirely factual with very little "flourish". Almost all of what I have in my Descriptions (same style for the last 25 years) is now sort of a repeat of the Item Specifics with better formatting.
I've been playing with it for totally unrelated to eBay or selling.
What I don't like about AI of this type is that it is being used a lot in the financial world to write short articles on the movement of the stock market on a daily basis. Real pundits are bad enough (they lie) but AI pundits are worse. Some outlets put a disclaimer but many do not and this is why AI like ChatGPT needs to regulated with a clear indication that the text is bot generated (similar to the fake editorial content in magazines & newspaper that are paid for and much have the tiny "advertisement" displayed.
ChatGPT etc have the potential to spread fake news at a level we have not seen (and the amount of fake news is already ridiculous enough).
Another case is AI written essays in schools, that can make you look like a high grade student when in truth you know nothing.
Like many things there are positives and negatives.
leemarie831
·2 years agoI wondered where these bland descriptions were coming from. They are like lame sales' pitches with no real information. I don't trust the listings with these descriptions. It's not that hard to write a product description. Be brief, detailed and truthful and there should be no problem attracting buyers. But then there is TOO brief. I was looking at a listing for a used book recently and the description said........book.