AI-Generated Descriptions Allow Misleading Listings

[club-michas]

I recently had a frustrating experience with an eBay listing that exposed a serious issue with AI-generated descriptions. The seller used eBay’s automated description feature, which created a polished but vague overview that sounded more like a sales pitch than an actual product description. Because of that, the real condition of the item was hidden until the very end, where the seller admitted it was defective and unchecked.

The listing was marked as acceptable condition, but most of the DVDs were either missing or unplayable. A product labeled as acceptable should at least be usable, and this one clearly was not. The AI-generated description made it seem like a valuable film collection while failing to inform buyers about the actual state of the discs. This allowed the seller to get away with misleading buyers while technically including a disclaimer at the bottom.

If eBay continues using AI-generated descriptions, they should at least ensure that they do not override or obscure critical details about an item’s condition. Otherwise, sellers will keep using them to sidestep responsibility and buyers will continue to get burned by deceptive listings. This feature should serve buyers, not enable dishonest sales tactics.

Has anyone else had similar issues with AI-generated descriptions hiding important information?

[a_c_green]

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@club-michas wrote:

Has anyone else had similar issues with AI-generated descriptions hiding important information?

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Of course; I would not believe an AI-generated description any further than I could throw it by the leg, and those sellers using them are mostly not checking the results before listing, because it's trivial to find errors in practically any "must-have" AI description. The seller is of course responsible for his listings, so any of the errors mentioned in the original post (especially discs that are just plain missing) would fit a Not As Described return. It's a good example of what happens when a lazy seller meets a tool that enables him to be even lazier.

(I remember a suggestion about turning AI descriptions into a drinking game, where you would have to drink a shot whenever the phrase "must-have" came along, except that all the participants would be unconscious within minutes.)

[merry-go-boy]

I absolutely agree with you!

When there is no information about the actual condition or size of the item I feel the seller is not reliable. I don’t want to read this:

“exudes a timeless charm that is sure to delight”

“a unique collectible item that captures the essence” 

[toomuchstuffagain35]

I read phrases like that in a description and my reaction is "puke".

[pls-consignments]

Want to know a secret?  Savvy sellers don't use AI generated descriptions because of this issue. 😉

[adamcartwright]

@club-michas 

If eBay doesn't care about keyword spamming, then I don' tthink they'll care about misleading AI descriptions.

[ekmadonna]

And Savvy Buyers hit the back button IMMEDIATELY!

[chapeau-noir]

I suspect that sellers who 'believe' in those AI generated descriptions know nothing about AI save the hype. These descriptions don't DO anything, they're just boilerplates with keywords from the title and item specifics slotted in. That's it. 

[krazzykats]

Tried it and didn't like it.  

ᓚᘏᗢ

[jimw1776]

I do use AI generated descriptions, sometimes.  BUT I always add MY wording and description, usually in the start of the description, and at the end. Yes, my descriptions are wordy, and I do spend (probably, too much) time writing a description but I'd rather give  complete info.   Personally, as a buyer, I don't buy from a seller who says (sz lge, or med) , or gives just a couple pix of an item.   (my 2 cents on AI)

[jonathanbrightlight]

I mean, I've seen many misleading descriptions in my time that were not generated by AI.  It's not a problem unique to AI, though the option to use AI is attractive to those who don't write English well and/or are just trying to save time at the expensive of accuracy, which isn't a good idea.

[simba6]

That has been a problem.  Sellers don't read what AI has written and it can have incorrect information. 

Buyers can click return this item and select does not match description.  They will receive a full refund and the seller foots the bill for shipping if they want it back.

That wordy pablem serves no purpose anyway. 

[dhbookds]

Dislike AI, but:

the real condition of the item was hidden until the very end, where the seller admitted it was defective and unchecked.

Not sure that "hidden" is a proper evaluation since the seller (apparently) says it was defective, etc.  

[a_c_green]

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@simba6 wrote:

That has been a problem.  Sellers don't read what AI has written and it can have incorrect information. 

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From what I've seen in reading (too many) bad AI descriptions, its usual approach is to try to put together sentences using as many Item Specifics as possible from whatever IS values the seller has supplied. (Any misspellings or weird capitalizations in the IS fields are brought into the description as well, making it obvious where the AI was getting its input from.)

The more specifics the merrier there, you'd think, but I also see it bringing in terms or values from someplace else, such as similar items in the same category, or other items from the same seller, without seeing any contradictions in what it's writing. Thus the description, which may not even be all that accurate anyway, may no longer even be talking about the actual item on sale.

The all-time worst AI descriptions are for listings where the seller has not bothered to add much of anything at all. AI will burp out two vapid paragraphs as options for the seller to choose, and it seems that the lazy sellers will usually use both paragraphs, one after the other, even when the second paragraph (which the seller has not read) is just a restatement of the first one. The buyer is left no wiser than when he started reading, in the same position as a buyer who didn't read anything at all.

[fredoniacoinandtreasure]

I have tried the AI listing utility and would never use it, too much **bleep**, too many errors. Keep it simple!