Search results bugged on PC

[vintage_80s_toys]

Example:

When I search for gi joe escape car it says "21 results for gi joe escape car" but only shows 13 results.

Happening on both Edge and Chrome with no ad block and cleared cache.

[vintage_80s_toys]

I can't edit my original post, but wanted to add that I know of 2 listings that should show up in the results, but aren't.

[vintage_80s_toys]

If I click Year Manufactured -> 1971 then the 8 missing results show up under "Results matching fewer words"  even though all their titles all have the search words in them.

[eburtonlab · Accepted solution]

Are you using the "Lowest First" sort order?

That sort order has been known to "streamline" or hide some "nonrelevant" results. Usually there is a message at the top of the results when that happens with a link to "see all results", but in some searches with relatively few results, the link may not appear as it should.

Try a "Newly Listed" or "Ending Soonest" sort and you may see all results you are expecting.

[lacemaker3]

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@vintage_80s_toys wrote:

Example:

When I search for gi joe escape car it says "21 results for gi joe escape car" but only shows 13 results.

Happening on both Edge and Chrome with no ad block and cleared cache.

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@vintage_80s_toys  Here you go. All 21 listings show up here:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=gi+joe+escape+car&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_stpos=9720...

Thanks to @eburtonlab for the suggestion to change the sort parameter.

[vintage_80s_toys]

Yes, thank you!  I guess I'll have to start using highest first and jump last page. 

[eburtonlab]

You are very welcome.

If it were up to me, there would be no difference in the number of results returned in each type of sort. Most users assume -- logically enough, I think -- that the sort order simply changes the order of the results, not their number.

I can understand why eBay chooses to alter the Lowest First sort; the top of that sort can tend to be cluttered with items that may not be relevant to the particular search: parts, pieces, broken items, plans, pictures of items rather than the items themselves, accessories, etc -- but if eBay is going to alter the number of the results shown, eBay should do a much better job of making it clear what is going on and should be allowing users to easily opt out of any possible filtering.

A little more transparency and consistency on eBay's part would go a long way to addressing user complaints with the way search is currently performing.

[vintage_80s_toys]

This is what upsets me the most...  I was looking to purchase a GI Joe Serpentor chariot part, so I searched for "GI Joe Serpentor" (without quotes)  expecting to see everything, but ebay hides most of the results I'm looking for and cheapest part I see is $6.  Clicking "show more results" shows a $2 result, but I have to specifically search for "GI Joe Serpentor Shield"  in order for the $0.99 result to be shown.  It seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen.  Ebay deliberately hiding cheaper listings in order to increase revenue seems unethical to me.

[eburtonlab]

Your search for GI Joe Serpentor is automatically steered into the Action Figure category. To see everything related to those keywords you can choose "All categories" and search again, but that also finds lots of comics and trading cards.

Limiting results to the Toys & Hobbies category:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/220/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=gi+joe+serpentor&LH_TitleDesc=0&_oac=1&_sop=15&_b...

It seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen. Ebay deliberately hiding cheaper listings in order to increase revenue seems unethical to me.

eBay does not actually claim to show every possible listing in a given search, so there is likely no basis for such a suit. eBay spells out some (but not all) of the many factors that can affect search appearance and placement:

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-agreement?id=4259#6

eBay is a corporation that is designed to maximize shareholder value, so it should not surprise anyone that eBay takes actions designed to increase revenue. Though in this particular case, eBay's reasoning is likely that most of the folks searching using just the exact keywords GI Joe Serpentor are, in fact, looking for action figures rather than accessories or comics. Just as folks searching using just the exact keywords Chevy Camaro are more likely looking for a vehicle rather than a part for one.

As a buyer, if eBay's default search assumptions are not providing the results you want, try changing the way you search by adding or removing keywords, using exclusions, changing the category, or using filter options.

As a seller, steps should be taken to ensure you are listing items in the category that your buyers are searching in (or that eBay is steering them into), and that you use the right keywords and item specifics so users can most easily find your listings.