Search results inaccuracy

[jhc-17]

Has anyone else noticed how inaccurate search results are? One example; a search of Intel Core i3 12100 PC desktop computers yielded results from 53 to 305, depending on the sort criteria. I have noticed this for awhile, but it seems to be getting worse. This is just one example. It seems to apply to other searches to greater or lesser extents.

This problem affects both sellers and buyers.

ebay, are you listening?

[khetzel]

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@jhc-17 wrote:

Has anyone else noticed how inaccurate search results are? One example; a search of Intel Core i3 12100 PC desktop computers yielded results from 53 to 305, depending on the sort criteria. I have noticed this for awhile, but it seems to be getting worse. This is just one example. It seems to apply to other searches to greater or lesser extents.

This problem affects both sellers and buyers.

ebay, are you listening?

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And when you are shown 53 results there will be a banner claim that you are being shown the "best results" to your search.  If you "click here to see all results" you will likely be shown *more* than your 305 initial results.

It all seems geared toward obfuscation of finding the seller with the best price.  I can almost guarantee that best price seller will not be displayed among the 53 results.

The only good news is Amazon has destroyed its search functionality even worse.

[jhc-17]

I apologize. I should have specified that the different totals for low sort results did not provide a 'see more results' option. I have only noticed that with 'Price+Shipping lowest first' sort option.

In any case, I would assume that the results totals should not change with different sort options, using identical selection criteria.

It is a problem for buyers because it limits what you are seeing, for sellers because not as many people will see your listing. It is also inconvenient to see any changes in the listings. The different Sort options will randomly remove or limit what the sort results provide.

A very basic flaw that ebay should have fixed long ago.

[khetzel]

"A very basic flaw that ebay should have fixed long ago."

I wouldn't hold your breath.  I suspect anything we see as a flaw is actually a feature, not a bug. 

Manipulation of search results does seems to be the new normal everywhere, not just on eBay.

[gosimus]

@khetzel 

< I suspect anything we see as a flaw is actually a feature >    

There's an old saying "Stupidity is more likely than cupidity."  I can't testify that it's applicable here, but I thought that I'd just toss it into the mix.  

[gosimus]

@jhc-17 

< Has anyone else noticed how inaccurate search results are >     

eBay's search engine uses a technique called Automatic Search Expansion.  It does exactly what it says, it expands your search to include things you didn't search for.  For an unknown reason, eBay has removed the discussion on ASE from the Help pages.  For a while it still remained in the Singapore Help pages and I always added a link to the topic there, but I checked and it has been removed too, now.

An important takeaway regarding ASE is that using any operator defeats ASE, which has a frequent consequence of one having to be more exact in the search terms.  To defeat ASE, what I do is to enclose a single word of my keywords inside quotation marks.  In your example, it would be like "Intel" Core i3 12100 PC desktop computers.    

I know the operators were listed but I can't find them now.  Probably they went the same place the discussion on Automatic Search Expansion went.  Here's what I remember.

AND  –  spaces between words default to AND

OR  –  words/phrases separated by a comma and inside parentheses

example:  (wood,plastic)

NOT  –  a hyphen touching the word to be omitted

example:  -gold

EXACT MATCH  –  place the character string inside quotation marks

It seems like there might've been something else on the Help page that's missing now, but I can't remember.  Those four are the only ones I use anyway.  

[tinsoldierunderground]

Since I came on this site in 2010, it's seemingly gotten worse with each passing year... when I search now, I usually get a limited number of items, then at the bottom of the page I get "similar items" or "other items related to your search".  The irony here is that these 'other items' are exactly what should have been included in my query, while 30 or 40% of the items that DID show up aren't in any way related to my search.

If it ain't broke, ebay will fix it until it is.

[jhc-17]

Thanks for your response. The search I actually used was only: "i3 12100" with a narrowing to 'pc desktops'. I added in the 'Intel Core' to make my problem description less inscrutable.  I was trying to make the search wider initially and to avoid Boolean Logic issues.

This is only one example. It is normal for there to be different search quantity results due to different Sort selections.

[krazzykats]

If a seller marks incorrect item specifics, then their i5 may also be an i3, or i7 in the item specifics if they marked all of them. 

Item specifics with incorrect specifics are probably the biggest search flaw, but humans created them.  

[jhc-17]

True, but whatever results are shown for one Sort criteria should be the same for them all, except possibly for the 'Best Match' which will filter out more results.

[khetzel]

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@jhc-17 wrote:

True, but whatever results are shown for one Sort criteria should be the same for them all, except possibly for the 'Best Match' which will filter out more results.

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The problem you are having is thinking logically about it.  Thinking you are in control of the search and some honest computer will give you the information you want, if only you ask the correct question.  

That is no longer the case.  Someone has decided they know better than you what information you want to see.  We come up with workarounds to find the information and someone comes up with new ways to say "look at this instead."

It's not surprising to me it is a controversial topic and previous discussions/help topics alluded to by @gosimus  have been removed.

[thebookee]

Why exactly would ebay switch from an SQL search engine to an ASE search engine?

[thebookee]

This has been my experience. I'm tired of second guessing it.

[jhc-17]

Thank you for confirming something I have long suspected, that it is a glitch that other eBay users accept and merely deal with.

it seems that it should not be that difficult for the talented coders at ebay to fix.

[ed8108]

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@tinsoldierunderground wrote:

Since I came on this site in 2010, it's seemingly gotten worse with each passing year

If it ain't broke, ebay will fix it until it is.

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It's ebay's playground , where users are considered expendable

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