Add recommended item specifics is a MESS

[albany_sellers]

Is there ANY plan to fix this whole trainwreck?

I am trying SO HARD to add these specifics, yet it's borderline impossible when every other item I "update" does not reflect those updates. It's always something and it's getting on my last nerve. 90% of my 320+ listings that "need item specifics" do not even need them.

Why does every single item need a "character" or any number of other specifics that have nothing to do with them? All this whole debacle is doing is making unneeded work for us and serves no purpose other than to annoy us.

My sales have tanked this last week and i have to wonder if eBay is somehow "punishing" me for not having all of the "suggested" specifics. 

At this point, I am pretty sure I speak for a lot of us sellers when I say CAN WE NOT? Just let us list our items and let us sell them without badgering us constantly about the most useless things possible.

[brainestorm]

Yes there is. A box to check.

And oh how I check it.

Relist an item or, go in and add anything a picture.

A price change .. And oh, there it is again. 

The new managed payment home screen.

Did make it easier to ignore the specifics.

Because of, there is so much more there to grab your anger.

I believe you can rearrange the screen.

But I am afraid to try.. It normally screws something else up on there..

Lol

[iart]

If you don't think that eBay is taking these into account with search placement then, I'm sorry, but you do not know eBay!

[iart]

Excellent original post.

We have over 2000 recommended. Mostly because we usually sell items that don't have an ID number.

We went through and 'fixed' all that needed one addition. Worked on some that needed 2. The rest are just too time consuming.

[dhbookds]

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@iart wrote:

If you don't think that eBay is taking these into account with search placement then, I'm sorry, but you do not know eBay!

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Not sure what you mean "these"...........  I do certainly believe that ebay is going to use some of this stuff for placement.......  But ............if the item is NOT a character........it certainly does no good to fill  in that IS.....or even to worry about it being there.........  If the buyer searches for a Mickey Mouse pin, your item won't/shouldn't show up.....but it's because it's NOT Mickey Mouse, not because you did/didn't fill in that IS..........  Likewise any other IS that doesn't apply to your item. 

I don't like this anymore than anyone else......Many IS choices are ridiculous and redundant.....and they are too numerous for many items.  BUT we have to deal with them.......  Ignoring those that don't apply is Ebay's advice and what I do.

Just as an aside.........I don't list much clothing.....but when I look at all the many IS in that category it always astounds me that Bust/waist/hip measurements are not a requirement for woman's stuff........in my opinion that should have been the lst requirement (and yes, I can think of items where they shouldn't be........but in general.....

[portkoop-0]

Yeah it's real royal PITA is what it is.

I suspect it's ebay trying to separate the dropshippers from the real sellers since only the real sellers would know and own their products so we know first hand which specifics are good and which aren't however...

A dropshipper doesn't care.

They just accept every specific and done, it is after all YOUR product or perhaps my own that's being dropshipped.

And that is how returns get started, when buyers get confused on a dropship listing, they buy what they think is the right product since the clueless dropshipper accepted a number of non-related specifics, but you and I... We get to deal with the eventual return when the buyer receives something completely different from what they needed and expected.

[portkoop-0]

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@luxgoods wrote:

Well Said. It just a lot of more work that is useless.  If you remember awhile back ebay started messing with the item specifics and it was a disaster.  All of us who sell clothing spent hours and hours correcting the mess.  I would love to know who comes up with these ideas to justify their jobs.  At least try to get it right.

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Unfortunately there's a far bigger mess happening behind the scenes, this is merely an attempt to correct it, granted it's not doing much if any good.

[pickleplant]

The clothing "Type" specific that will be required is such a strange specific. I understand why it is required but it's the structure that is maddening.  If I'm listing a Men's polo it goes into the polo category. If I'm listing a women's polo? Its the Women's Tops category and a Type set as polo. Seriously? Then the "Style" item specifics hold values that would also be a "Type" of a shirt. Some categories will be requiring a style as well as a type too. It seems like there is no planning or regard to context of the current structure or any consideration on how and what data business gather on their products.  Requiring ThredUp to update their 3 million + listings has a real cost to them to map all their listings and once they start requiring any data they aren't recording on inspection they can say goodbye to them. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@portkoop-0 

I'm still not understanding why eBay can't let us see if there are required/and or additional specifics required when you are in the listing. Seems they can only be fixed with the tool. The complete listing usually has everything in the body and info much easier to retrieve and confirm.

-Lotz

[sextons-sweet-deals]

the "occasion"  & "season" specifics just cracks me up!

I'm pretty sure the shopper knows what they are looking and can decide when they want to use the item. 

[prettywoman-2012]

The title of your opening post says it all. It IS a big mess, and one that I have tired of dealing with, after 22 years of playing along with all other "improvements" to the seller experience. Best of luck to you

PW

[portkoop-0]

We're seeing specifics requiring length / width and height for circular or round items, and no diameter specification, there's more to it but that's the basics.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@sextons-sweet-deals 

I was listing a Beatles book the other day. It filled in as a suggestion a random female artist. Huh? Maybe they are just testing us to see if we are paying attention. Or the alternative. Just trying to get on our last nerve!!!

-Lotz

[ajl_ventures]

The "Do not remind again" box does not show up on every "specific reminder" to complete.  When it does, I've noticed that particular listing never comes back.  This is STILL a pain to do because in my listings (used items) about 99.9% of the information is in the title and description.  

The creator of this MESS should insert a box for the lister to check on the MAIN listing page:  DO NOT REMIND and have the so-called eBay REQUIRED SPECIFICS on the main listing page.  If lister does not complete required in the first step, program the form so the listing cannot be submitted like when you forget to complete other parts of required entries.  This is the KISS method especially for used item sellers.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@ajl_ventures 

I've had listings where changes/add-ons(by eBay) have been updated several days in a row so each day a new reminder to fix and update. I've had listings I've ended and used sell similar to refresh and 0 the views. Those too will come back requiring item specifics. I've had listings I've updated shipping options only to see those too come back requiring item specifics. In ALL cases the check box was checked. The recurring culprits seem to be electronics, clothing and books. After awhile it just becomes a major nuisance. Best analogy I can think of is the movie Groundhog Day.

-Lotz

[valueaddedresource]

Apparently there is a "known issue" with constantly being nagged to fix listings you have already fixed and/or item specifics not sticking.

I saw this mentioned in the weekly chat last week, but haven't seen it in announcements or anywhere else so a lot of sellers may not be aware.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Weekly-Chat-with-eBay-Staff/Community-Chat-November-11-1-00-pm-PT-Gene...

Sorry, I know that doesn't really help anyone here, but at least know you are not crazy or missing something if you see the same ones come up again and again.  It's just eBay being eBay. 🤣