Cell phone lookups vs. PC; and the difference that can make.

[watchoutlet-dot-org]

Hello, fellow sellers on the eBay platform!

   I have a question regarding buyer 'views' on a cell phone vs. a laptop computer. More and more lookups on eBay are done with a cell phone vs. a computer.  I get that.  The modern age in which we live.  My concern is the viewability between the two.  When an item is viewed via computer,  all information is present as one scrolls.  On the other hand, when viewed on a mobile device a potential buyer must 'click' on both item details and/or seller's item description (where ALL the answers abound!).  I am guessing most don't as I am getting many, many questions that are answered in the two aforementioned categories.  Given this (maybe people don't read?), what is the solution to get the potential buyer to, at least, read the seller's item description?  I'm sure this issue isn't new, so I'm wondering if any of you fine eBay selling gurus have a solution for this.  After all, we CAN'T force people to read!  

   Any help or recommendations would be immensely appreciated!

Mackenzie 

[jrkirk]

This is a common problem, and problem transactions can result if buyers don't read the item description. With more phone transactions, more unhappy purchases are likely to happen. Wish I had a better answer, but just encouraging buyers to read the description is all I can suggest.

[luckythewinner]

what is the solution to get the potential buyer to, at least, read the seller's item description

I don't know of any way to force the buyer to read the description. So I would say the solution would be to fill out the condition and title as if the buyer is not going to read the description. 

Don't pout important information like damage or issues in the description without also putting at least a hint about it in the title and condition. 

[kabilab]

I also have encountered the same problem. In my opinion, as the months go by, it will continue to worsen. My solution was to only liquidate stock that did not require ANY cautionary description. It is similar to the rule that no product should be listed on the Internet that one is not prepared to lose.

[ckimodog]

@watchoutlet-dot-org 

Unfortunately you cannot make a potential buyer read a description, not matter how detailed it may be.  Many are just impulse buyers and fail to check all the facts.  I am guilty of that myself.  I would just perhaps make a point to put in my listings should they need any further info to contact me via eBay messages.  That's all I have right now.

Good luck to you and Happy Selling

[gloryglorygifts]

Lots of people no longer read descriptions. It depends on what I'm looking at/for if I do as well. That's why I try and add as much info in the title as I can: product, size, color, even materials sometimes. This way, the basics are at least seen on any device. 

[jrkirk]

When I started selling here in 1996, the item description and title was all there was on a listing, and there was not even a picture, so buyers almost had to read the description. Over the years eBay has added so much clutter to listings that potential buyers don't even know how to find the item description. Ebay has created this problem it seems to me, and only eBay can do anything about fixing it.

[jrkirk]

Make that, 'some times'........potential buyers don't even know how to find the item description.

jk

[gloryglorygifts]

Not with all the ads in the middle of the listings. Very distracting and you literally have to page down to see them. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

In general, mobile shopping apps are designed for the purchase of brand new, returnable items, which require little description for most buyers.

The Ebay apps are clearly written by programmers who are trying to have their app look like the apps on other sites.

They are poorly suited for Ebay's merchandise mix. They are best suited for the segment of business Amazon has been diverting from Ebay.

Since the management of Internet companies has a strong herd instinct, as do their programmers, this is a serious problem which impacts many, many Ebay sellers.

I am old, and a lot of my customers are old. It is likely that my buyers are mostly using desktops. Since a tiny number of young people have any interest in what I sell, I feel immune to the the fundamental failing of any shopping app.