Doesn't anyone own a computer anymore?

[roccotacodad54]

   I just saw 7 new posts complaining about trouble with updates on the phone app. wow

I just kind of assumed a phone app for Ebay was just a novelty kind of thing. Not something people would actually depend on to access Ebay. Phones can go dead for one thing. Half the time I don't even know where mine is if I'm home. I prefer my landline for calls at home.

  They also suck for anything internet related. All that thumb and forefinger flicking just to see something with any detail. I have a smart phone, two tablets and don't use any of them except to make calls, watch videos and I plug my phone into my truck stereo to charge it and play mp3's through it. I have a laptop somewhere?

   Not for internet. I find a regular size screen and a keyboard much more user friendly. When not at the screen I don't like to be tethered to anything like a leash and collar.

    Just me I guess...............

[tinsoldierunderground]

@roccotacodad54 

I've only used the app if I'm not at home and need to check on a bid, beyond that, I can't stand it.

I wouldn't want to rely on it for purchasing decisions, too easy to miss details, at least with my 65 yr old eyes.

We have an inside joke at our shop; all our younger employees were born with only one hand, the other one has a smart phone implanted at the wrist.

[roccotacodad54]

   Yep. All these posts crying about not being able to use the app. 

   A good reason not to rely on it exclusively. 

   I keep reading posts to the effect of "I'm locked out of my account with no way to get access".

   Really? None of those people have ever heard of a web browser?

   I'm amused that older folks have to advise young "tech savvy" people on a workaround as simple as using a web browser.

   I once asked a youngster why she bothered uploading music to the cloud from her PC then downloading it back to her phone. Instead of just plugging her phone into the PC and using the drag and drop function to put said music into her phones' music folder. She responded by stating she had never heard of plugging a phone into a PC........She worked at a phone store...................

[kelekt]

make fun of the app / phone or ipad people all you want but it's what many (most?) people are doing these days and we NEED them to be able to use the app to BUY things on this site! 

sure, the ones complaining here in the forums are probably mostly sellers...but the BUYERS out there who only have/use their phones or iPads won't bother checking over and over (unless they are bidding on auctions!) ... they will just go buy things elsewhere. and many buyers don't even know about the forums or even how to contact Ebay so they will just move on to apps that work.

not cool to lose a million potential buyers because of stuff like this 😞

[valueaddedresource]

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@kelekt wrote:

make fun of the app / phone or ipad people all you want but it's what many (most?) people are doing these days and we NEED them to be able to use the app to BUY things on this site! 

sure, the ones complaining here in the forums are probably mostly sellers...but the BUYERS out there who only have/use their phones or iPads won't bother checking over and over (unless they are bidding on auctions!) ... they will just go buy things elsewhere. and many buyers don't even know about the forums or even how to contact Ebay so they will just move on to apps that work.

not cool to lose a million potential buyers because of stuff like this 😞

---

@kelekt  exactly this!

It's so easy to get locked into our own bubbles thinking about how we use things but some people use it completely differently and while I've always thought the app was pretty useless for a lot of selling tasks...it's definitely not useless for buying!

For those who prefer that experience for browsing/buying, what do we think is most likely what they did when encountering this issue - open up a mobile browser window or open up one of the other shopping apps they likely have installed on their phones?

[wastingtime101]

It's a tricky situation because eBay isn't just a retail site, it's also a marketplace where third parties (sellers like you and me) list items for sale. Because it's a marketplace, change is frequent.

Things become outdated and stop working and that's driven not only by changes to the app, but also changes to operating systems. Eventually operating systems stop functioning properly as tech advances, and they become too outdated to remain compatible with newer app updates.

It's a problem, but not one eBay created. It stems with the hardware and the operating system software. Blame the tech billionaires that found ways to make sure people always have to pay for that upgrade.

Complaints are coming from both buyers and sellers on old devices @kelekt .

It's kind of overwhelming due to the number of operating systems no longer supported with recent changes - typically it's only one OS version lost at a time, but with this change 3 versions of Android were impacted and 1 version of iOS.

So far only UK users are reporting problems which says the change does not affect US accounts (even though for a moment earlier I thought it did @jonathanbrightlight ). Eventually the US app will be impacted, but for now it's UK users impacted. Probably related to all the changes launched today for private sellers, buyer protection fees, etc.

Even though US users on Android 7 can still use the eBay app, they've been reporting problems for weeks with things not functioning right. That's what happens as things move forward. Eventually eBay will have to cut off Android 7 for the US because the app will be too buggy to function and old versions can't be updated.

[grand-and-glorious-purpose]

I use both.

I only list with a desktop though. I shop with both.

I haven't sent an email or had a printer in years (other than a label printer).

[kelekt]

@wastingtime101  ok, yeah..I get that. change updates etc etc

so it might work in Ebays best interest (and other sites like this) to just GIVE people modern updated phones... because the loss will be that great if none of these people can shop on Ebay on their phones anymore.

with the economy the way it is, it's unreasonable and unlikely that all the people with older phones can just go out and get a new phone. not gonna happen. so now what? just lose millions of buyers and shrug it off and say "oh well that's the way it is" 

Ebay better figure it out.

[jonathanbrightlight]

Good summary, @wastingtime101, and thanks for the tag.

[jbbowers12012]

Hi,  Here in New Jersey we have always used our desk-top & always will.  Just used to it I guess.  (J.B.)

[valueaddedresource]

Great points @wastingtime101 !

While I can understand the frustration, especially with it taking out multiple Android versions at once, and I do think the buying side of this should be considered...I also think if you looked at a venn diagram of those who prefer shopping on the app and those who are still using older tech that are impacted by this - that cross over is probably not very big and also probably splits along some pretty obvious generational lines.  😂

Ultimately not much eBay can do for all the reasons you explained, but like a lot of things eBay does, a little bit more proactive management and communication might have helped it go a little smoother.

[roccotacodad54]

"we NEED them to be able to use the app to BUY things on this site! "

Thing is you DON'T need the app. to buy things. Only if that's the only way you are willing to do so.

[roccotacodad54]

"none of these people can shop on Ebay on their phones anymore."

They can if they will adapt to the situation.

[kathiec]

so it might work in Ebays best interest (and other sites like this) to just GIVE people modern updated phones... because the loss will be that great if none of these people can shop on Ebay on their phones anymore.

Please tell me this is a joke and you don't really expect that eBay is going to buy phones for 132 million members. 😂😅😄 Particularly since no one actually needs a phone to shop here. I don't even have the app on my phone. Never have. And I buy here just fine. 

I suppose if you take this to its ridiculous conclusion one could say that anyone who can't afford to keep their phone updated can't afford to buy things on eBay anyway. Plus, of course, there are countless other apps that don't work on older phones. So hey, maybe all the companies publishing those apps and eBay could take turns buying people new phones! 🙄

[redmodelt]

Only desk or laptop for me. I want to be able to see what I am buying. 🙂 Now if I did have a phone to use, I might use it to check on sales but not to list or buy. It is bad enough I am going to need to buy a new computer in a few months mine can't upgrade to 11. 

WaWa, I want my good old XP back! LOL

[kelekt]

@kathiec eye rolls and laughs galore! good times 🙂

so yeah, no...I don't think Ebay will buy anybody anything ever. 

but the loss of buyers (who only use app) will be noticeable. super happy for you that you don't need the app! great! but there are people who shop on apps and that's it. they will just move on over to the amazon app (or the many other apps that exist) and buy what they need there. 

this is something that will only matter to those who want to have as many (buying) customers on this site as possible. irrelevant if you don't care if Ebay loses customers.