Today a potential eBay customer sent me a message, saying that he wanted to purchase 21 pieces from a 94 pieces left listing of mine, but was unable to do so, because the listing format had changed (not by me) on a months old listing, that has had several purchases from it already. I have now been told by eBay, that a recent Chrome Update is causing some listings to change format, which of course is Super odd.
The listing (just days ago) was showing 94 pieces left, and you could add however many to the cart you wanted. Post Chrome update, the listing now shows both the potential eBay customer and myself the same thing (because they are also on the new Chrome update), and the listing has now changed to a drop-down menu, to select the number of pieces wanted, but Maxes-out at 12 pieces. Also not showing us how many pieces are available in total. Yet my Seller Hub shows correctly, and that I have 94 pieces available.
Come to find out, both the potential eBay customer and myself are both using Chrome. I was told to log out of eBay, make sure my Browser was up to date (It was) and then clear Chrome cache, cookies, and browser history. Then go log back into eBay again. That worked perfectly. I am still amazed that a browser update can change an eBay listing format. Wow 😯
I do have AdBlock on (and didn't think about that), and still have it on. So it was never an issue, evidently.
I told this information to the potential eBay customer. They then also logged out of eBay, made sure their Browser was up to date, and then cleared Chrome cache, cookies, and browser history. Then they logged back into eBay again, and that worked perfectly for them as well.
Such a morning. This was of course not something I wanted to deal with on this busy day, but did, and it all worked out well in the end. The customer bought 21 pieces.
Here is what Google's AI (Gemini) currently has to say about this issue:
Multiple recent Chrome-related issues have been reported by eBay users, impacting the formatting and creation of listings. These problems appear to be caused by a few different factors, including conflicts with browser extensions and issues with eBay's own HTML updates. [
1,
2,
3]
Known problems
- Corrupted formatting: An update to eBay's listing description coding has resulted in random insertion of unwanted HTML tags, removing bold fonts, and reformatting line breaks. Sellers have reported that even after manually fixing and saving, the formatting becomes corrupted again.
- Descriptions not showing: Some eBay users with AdBlock Plus and other ad-blocking extensions on Chrome have reported that item descriptions disappear from listings. Pausing the ad blocker on eBay's site has fixed the issue for many users.
- Failed listing creation: For some users, attempting to create a new listing on Chrome leads to an endless spinning circle or the "List Item" button failing to work.
- Bulk editing tool freezing: Users attempting to use the bulk listing or editing tools in Seller Hub have reported that the page gets stuck or hangs when trying to make changes. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
How to fix listing issues on ChromeShort-term fixes
Long-term solutions
- Ensure HTTPS compliance: In the past, Google Chrome updates flagged pages with insecure HTTP content within the listing description. Make sure all external links and images use a secure address.
- Wait for an eBay fix: Many of these issues are site-wide bugs on eBay's end, and representatives have confirmed that they are aware of the problems and are working on a fix. [5, 10, 11]
Is the problem with Chrome or eBay?
Recent user reports confirm that issues are stemming from both eBay's side and the user's browser setup.
- Server-side: Several issues, including the corrupting HTML code and the bulk edit tool freezing, appear to be caused by ongoing technical bugs within eBay's platform.
- Client-side: Issues with ad blockers and corrupted browser data are specific to the user's browser configuration, meaning they can often be fixed with the steps listed above. [12, 13, 14, 15]
