Click to view entire descripton??? What the heck???

[kates-of-mequon]

Has anyone seen this new layout for listings? I have a button on my last listing called 'click button to view entire description'.

There is a completely blank screen unless one clicks that button. There is NO description of the item for sale until you click this button and then the description opens in a separate window.

What is this all about - an I in a test group?

[rockygems]

I'm in the same "test!!  Click to look at description, then we're asked if we like it or not....NOT!!!

[rockygems]

Mine is on my desktop and phone.  Every listing, mine, other sellers, comes up with the Click for Description and then the What Do You Think? link to give your opinion.  wow.

[tools*]

It just occurred to me that they might be doing this to render our description text unsearchable. But why? What does this accomplish?

[bigdeals.etc]

I'm hitting the same thing when I view any listing. But my 2ndary selling account doesn't see them at all.

HERE IS ANOTHER UNMENTIONED PROBLEM.

Take a look at one of my listings attached. I have many more store categories on the left margin underneath "Maternity". But when I scroll down to see the rest of my item description, that store category box and anything else in the left margin DOES NOT SCROLL. It's just frozen. How are buyers going to see my other categories???

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

I am on a desktop PC and using Chrome -- all listings I have viewed are normal.

~~C~~

[eric-duong]

I am on wireless laptop using Chrome and I have to click on "SEE FULL DESCRIPTION" to view item description. - I don't think it just happen with Firefox or IE 

[macman4623]

Wonder if it has anything to do with the screen resolution...

I'm running 1366x768 and haven't seen the new format yet.

[bigdeals.etc]

It's pretty clear already that ebay is experimenting... people posting whether they do or don't see it on which browser is not needed anymore, it's obviously affecting many members.

But what is ebay thinking??? Correct me if I'm wrong, but nowadays everyone who surfs the web or browses HATES pop ups. So what does ebay decide to do??? POP UPS!!!!

Two sarcastic thumbs up from me ebay! Great Job!

[haute_again]

Aparently I am in the test group as well.  No wonder I have had NO SALES!  I am listing clothing **bleep**!  Clothing buyers aren't going to ask for measurements, they are going to hit the back button.  For F--'s sake!  $#$%Y%Y$&^  seriously?

[deadhead9]

Dunno if this is related or not---

I listed a spendy item last evening (2/11)  and the item would NOT show up at all even when C&P'd into a different accounts SEARCH bar.

And when I searched for similar items the numbers were insane---the first time before I listed I looked at Similar and Sold.  There were a few hundred in my first broad term search and of course less as I narrowed it down but still--around 100 items.  And many in the SOLD items. As this is a high end desired item there were not a whole lot that had NOT sold. 

Got the CONFIRMED LISTING email--and NO actual item listed.  Not even close.  And the numbers of similar items DECLINED over the course of a few hours to--ZERO.

I don't know ANY other company that plays games like this or WANTS to drive the place into the dirt. 

Disruptive?  Why yes;  yes it IS.

Innovation? Not by the hairs on your chinny chin chin. 

[nowthatsjustducky]

I just looked at some random smaplings on two of my accounts, and both are showing the "new" format with the link to pop up the description.  I logged out and looked again, and again, it is the new way.  Had my housemate look (not logged in), and we saw the old way.  We both use Firefox, but mine is the latest.

Anyway, I went ahead and clicked the "Tell us what you think" link, and told them very bluntly what I thought.  Here is word for word what my feedback on this was...

"This is going to cause nothing but trouble.  It is difficult enough getting buyers to actually read descriptions when it is right in front of their faces.  Moving the item description to a new window that requires excessive scrolling will result in many more not as described claims from buyers who either don't notice the actual link and just assume the seller didn't add an actual description, or otherwise  could not be arsed to click on the link and scroll around to see what they are actually buying.

Pro tip here:

A policy of "If it is not broke, just wait, we will fix that." is not a sound policy.  Mkay?"

[argusmike]

Shipscript,

Nice to see your ID again.

I'm on a TenFourFox browser running on an Apple PowerPC and I'm afflicted with the new format, even on my closed auctions.

As you suggest, it makes sense to converge on the mobile form. What else is different on mobile? I assume it must be vastly simpler than the PC screen version (in order from top): title, photos, auction data, seller data, lots of white space, thumbnails, "people also viewed," description-shipping tabs, item specifics, and FINALLY "See Full Description" link. Surely this could be cleaned up for both the PC and mobile platforms.

Final observation: the "Seller Notes" section has been removed in the last half hour or so on the auctions I see. Multiple folks must have informed the coders that that field could hold a lot of description if sellers decided to use it.

Mike

[usmc*usnmom]

Firefox 35.0.1 and Chrome on a desktop and I'm getting the new format on every listing I've looked at so far this evening.

This really stinks.

I told Ebay in no uncertain terms exactly what I thought of their new format.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any stupider.......

[greengorn]

I've seen this change too, and that's what has driven me to visit the message boards this evening.  I am always amazed at the incompetent and truly idiotic decisions that the ebay execs make.  It is unfathomable that they are really that dumb.  If they made the opposite decision of every major decision they have made in the last five years, this company would be more successful than amazon.

There is already a problem with buyers not reading descriptions and opening up cases after sales that could have been avoided if they only read the description.  I cannot even tell you how many messages I have recieved in the past year from prospective buyers asking questions about information that they could have read in the description had they read it. 

This is going to result in more returns and problem transactions.

This is going to result in more messages bombarding sellers' inboxes from buyers asking questions about items that they can answer themselves if they read the descriptions. 

This is going to be a huge mess - and why? what for? What possible reason would ebay use to rationalize this change?  Pages are too cluttered? Buyers are too lazy and a.d.d.?  Why don't they free up some space on their pages instead by removing all their suggested purchase links that drive buyers away from your listings.  That would de-clutter things. 

I think this is just another case of computer programmers with no actual seller experience or connection with the practicalities of selling who have too much time on their hands, so they make **bleep** like this up to justify their jobs so they don't get fired and then execs suffering from massive group think, sell these dumb ideas to one another.

[nowthatsjustducky]

I'm suspecting this is part of a push to simply try to be more like Amazon, where everything is neatly described in a prepackaged catalog entry (notice the eBay catalog details and item specifics show on the main portion of the listing?)

That's all fine and dandy for the typical new in package stuff.  But for the items that made eBay the success it is today, that simply is not practical.  I've said it before, but it bears repeating...

eBay!  Stop trying to be frickin' Amazon!  You are not Amazon!  You are eBay!  Focus on the things that made you unique instead of just trying to be another mediocre ecommerce site, before Etsy and eBid snap up that market out from under your greedy fingers..  If you continue this path to become the River, you will fail.  You will not become the new Amazon.  You will just be deNile.

Remember the story of the Dog and the Bone.  If you try to take the bone belonging to that other dog you are seeing in The River, you will lose.

I swear, you know how sometimes you need to land some firm but gentle slaps across someone's rear or face to bring them to their senses?  This feels like it requires a throat punch