My Sequential order numbers replaced by random XX-XXXXX-XXXXX format numbers in interface

[andycox_123]

When I set up my store on Ebay I opted for a simple sequential order number system which has worked well until about 3 days ago.

Random numbers with the format XX-XXXXX-XXXXX started to creep in and today I'm seeing only these numbers in the interface. I make personalised items so it is essential that I can easily tie up the personalisation with the order.

To make matters worse, if I view the individual invoice in the browser it has the new format, but the printed invoices have my original sequential order number on! How do we tie the 2 together?

The situation is further compounded by a change made in the new order interface, whereby sellers can no longer get the buyer's note to print out on the invoice. 

Fortunately, the orders from Ebay at present are so pitifully low, that it is not as much of a problem as it could be, but come the Christmas period - this will be an absolute nightmare if not rectified!

[berserkerplanet]

Not a technical issue, is an announced intentional change, and as such is unlikely to be "rectified"

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/2019-Spring-Seller-Update-is-Here/ba-p/29730258
"Efficiently track and manage your orders with updated order numbers"

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/seller-updates/2019-spring/marketplace-updates.html#standardize...

[andycox_123]

Oh! I see.

So 'Efficiently track and manage your orders with updated order numbers', means different order numbers in the interface and printed on the invoice!

Massively efficient!

I had absolutely no problem whatsoever before this change - now it is screwed.

This is still a technical issue. Unless there is some way to change the order numbers on the printed invoice then there is an issue. I can't see an way to address this in the interface.

[discount.warehouse.center]

I appreciate the new order format, as ebay order numbers were previously ambiguous if you had more than one selling account, or you aren't a seller but an outsourced support desk.  They should have done this a while ago. If you aren't familiar with other marketplaces such as Amazon, an order number can only exist in their system once.

What I am not happy about is that the order number has only changed in some places. Existing integrations need to make use of a new API to pull the new order number into their system. Why? I'm sure the answer will be clear, but would instead make it obvious that the previous API was either not futureproofed, or was hard-coded in ways it shouldn't. Think websites that have a maximum password size limit of 16 characters. DoingItWrong.

[andycox_123]

The new order numbers aren't as convenient as my previous sequential system, but the real issue here is that Ebay have overlooked the printed invoice order number!!!!!!!

Ebay interface has the new order numbers. Printed invoice still has my old sequential number. No way of tying the screen order number with the printed invoice number. It's a serious oversight which a company of this size should not have made.

In addition, when Ebay added the ability to edit notes inline, it removed "My Notes" from the printed invoice, so now we have to refer to the customer name as the only common reference point between the screen and printed invoice. Even these can vary between screen and the first line of the invoice address. It has really slowed down the process for us.

If a customer were to contact us after sales and refer to the order number on the invoice that we print out from Ebay's interface, we wouldn't be able to trace them because it doens't tally with anything.

I've spoken on the phone to Ebay and I've been told this won't be fixed any time soon.

This problem will be hell at Christmas; our busiest time. I will have to reduce the number of items we sell in our Ebay store simply to compensate for the extra time needed to tie up each invoice with the correct order.

We also sell on Etsy, and the process is a dream by comparison. Personalisation - easily added by customer, Personalisation prints out on the invoices, your own notes print out on invoices, single invoice number, threaded messaging system, keyword searching on invoices, inline messaging and note editing. Everything that makes the selling process easier that Ebay doens't offer.

[id-prints]

I also sell personalised items and I have tried my best to get used to this new format but for me it has made my work a lot more diffucult.

We sell hundreds of low value items it it was so easy keeping track of the orders before the change as all the order numbers were in sequential order not they are just random numbers.

Do Ebay actually consult any buyers before they make changes?

I wish it would change back to how it was

[andycox_123]

Hard to believe that a company of Ebay's size can introduce an order number system, but actually overlook the fact that they have failed to add the order number to the printed invoice.

They're claiming it's an improvement to have Ebay, Seller and Buyer all using a single order number for reference, but the only way a buyer can refer to the order number is by referring to the confirmation email they have after buying. Referring to the printed invoice is pointless.

For us, it's the actual identification of the personalised product to tie up with the printed invoice when we come to pack. The name on the personalised item only occasionally matches the surname on the invoice, and there is all too often a difference between the surname on the printed invoice and that displayed in Ebay's admin interface. The old sequential order number was ideal for this.

Since the sequential order numbers are still in Ebay's database (they're still printing on our invoices), why can't we have both order numbers on the invoice?

Surely this would take an Ebay developer a matter of minutes to rectify, one way or the other.