eBay

kates-of-mequon · ‎02-11-2015

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?

universalmastermind · ‎02-12-2015

Well Jeff, i'm a buyer and I think this is a NUMBSKULL idea! Taking my business elsewhere.

best-now · ‎02-12-2015

Are you people serious?????

Do you really expect a casual buyer to be an expert in computers? 99.9% have no idea what "cookies" are other than you eat them with milk as a snack.

They have no idea what a browser is other than what comes with their computer. Do you seriously expect them to install and learn a new browser just so you people can experiment with our livelyhood???!!!

eBay had enlisted my and other local users help in the early days when they had "usability studies" and "focus groups" since I am local to them, there was a serious effort to simplify and streamline the buyer experience.

Now that nerds have take over and are running the assylum, they think because it's second nature to them, all other casual users have the same knolwdge and abilities they do. Just because they have a smart phone doesn't make the users an expert.

I live in the heart of Silicon Valley and interact daily with these type of people. They are on a different planet from the rest of humanity. They think they are the norm, and forget there are people in the other parts of this country who use the computers for email and eBay only and are not experts.

haute_again · ‎02-12-2015

I would like to opt out of the test. How do I do that? It appears my pages are back to normal, at least for the time being, but I would like the option of opting out of such tests in the future. Any chance of making the opt out option available to us?

starroute-us · ‎02-12-2015

@becksrelics wrote:
"Regarding the concerns over buyers who don't read the descriptions, any negative feedback left for a seller that we can identify as resulting from this test will be removed and will not impact the seller's standing."

Ya know, might ebay take it one logical step further : Regarding the concerns over buyers who don't read the descriptions, any negative feedback left for a seller that we can identify ~~resulting from this test~~ will be removed and will not impact th seller's standing.

We know that will be next to impossible to "Identify" unless the buyer clears states in a neg or neutral FB "No description to be seen in this listing, very bad seller.".

And a CSR actually agrees.:(

dances.with.squirrels · ‎02-12-2015

@jeff wrote:
@ittybitnot wrote:
Yes, we are currently conducting a temporary test that is focused on simplifying and improving the buying experience. The experience you are seeing is how all buyers are currently accessing item descriptions when they use our mobile apps. We are exploring buyer experiences when the buying process is consistent across all devices and screens.

How long is this test going to last?

Will it be the new norm shortly?

We'll test until we can get some statistically significant results. With our sampling rate, that should take less than two weeks.

Thanks for that information Jeff.

I will hold off adding new listings here for two weeks and use my other e-commerce site.

ittybitnot · ‎02-12-2015

The test is from the buyer's perspective, not the seller's. Your listings may be part of the test for some of your shoppers, but not with all of them.

That's good to know. As a seller some of my shoppers might still be able to see my description. For some reason this does not insprire confidence.

amazingarts · ‎02-12-2015

@jeff wrote:
@octochick wrote:

@jeff wrote:
Yes, we are currently conducting a temporary test that is focused on simplifying and improving the buying experience. The experience you are seeing is how all buyers are currently accessing item descriptions when they use our mobile apps. We are exploring buyer experiences when the buying process is consistent across all devices and screens.
This is the very opposite of simplification! How does making the buyer do more work make it a better experience? Then if they miss the very hard to see button all together and later find an issue that was fully disclosed in the description they never saw, whose fault is that? And how will that improve their buying experience?

Keep it simple for the buyers! That is the key!! And please stop experimenting with our listings that we pay for and for many of us pay our bills! We are not lab rats.

It's a test. We'll see if having a consistent experience between the platforms has any impact or not. Regarding the concerns over buyers who don't read the descriptions, any negative feedback left for a seller that we can identify as resulting from this test will be removed and will not impact th seller's standing.

Oh cut the BS JEFF.

Ebay is coming apart at the seams, and you guys are asleep at the wheel.

Collecting dust bunnies and putting them in order according to height while the ship sinks.

I want my listing opted out of this test NOW. Understand? NOW. ...OR I END ALL LISTINGS TOMORROW.

I won't miss the 2 sales a week anyway.

I am not kidding. We sellers are all pretty tired of this ineptitude from ebay.

Are you guys that far removed to think that hiding the description is going to improve sales?

THIS IS STUPID STUPID STUPID.

whatmodernwas · ‎02-12-2015

@jeff wrote:
@octochick wrote:

@jeff wrote:
Yes, we are currently conducting a temporary test that is focused on simplifying and improving the buying experience. The experience you are seeing is how all buyers are currently accessing item descriptions when they use our mobile apps. We are exploring buyer experiences when the buying process is consistent across all devices and screens.
This is the very opposite of simplification! How does making the buyer do more work make it a better experience? Then if they miss the very hard to see button all together and later find an issue that was fully disclosed in the description they never saw, whose fault is that? And how will that improve their buying experience?

Keep it simple for the buyers! That is the key!! And please stop experimenting with our listings that we pay for and for many of us pay our bills! We are not lab rats.

It's a test. We'll see if having a consistent experience between the platforms has any impact or not. Regarding the concerns over buyers who don't read the descriptions, any negative feedback left for a seller that we can identify as resulting from this test will be removed and will not impact th seller's standing.

"any negative feedback left for a seller that we can identify as resulting from this test will be removed and will not impact the seller's standing"

I've translated the above pledge to Tagalog (Filipino) just in case anyone has an issue that requires help from eBay's state-of-the-art customer service:

"anumang mga negatibong feedback ang natitira para sa isang nagbebenta na maaari naming kilalanin bilang na nagreresulta mula sa pagsusulit na ito ay aalisin at hindi makakaapekto sa status ika nagbebenta"

haute_again · ‎02-12-2015

..and now that I have just screwed myself into being further disfavored by Cassini search by adding reduncency to my listings when I edited my listings last night to add visible, extra item specifics to over compensate for this test, will you be including me in a test that includes advertising my auctions to make up for the double whammy I've been delivered?

I'm also wondering if I should receive deficits for having a blank white photo embeded with my auction descriptions, so the description is visible, will those deficits be removed when a competititor comes along and reports me for it?

tools* · ‎02-12-2015

@semantic_memory wrote:

I would like to opt out of the test. How do I do that? It appears my pages are back to normal, at least for the time being, but I would like the option of opting out of such tests in the future. Any chance of making the opt out option available to us?

There is one way to opt-out of this bad idea.

jeff · ‎02-12-2015

@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

Jeff,

I haven't seen the beta yet, so a few questions:

Is it true that , for store listings, the pop up strips out store categories? And , for older stores, links to custom store pages?

Much has been made about SEO and Google by ebay's management. Do the Google bots "see" the description, even if the buyer doesn't?

What else, if anything, is stripped out? Page borders, for example? Embedded videos? Pics in the description?

If ebay decides the beta test was positive, will this become the default view for ALL users, ir will it only become the default view for those who have downloaded the ebay mobile app?

For users in the test, the categories are appearing on the description overlay some of the listings I've seen. SEO is not going to be impacted by this test since the links are still there (ie, the database that the bots crawl are have not changed). The designs sellers have used, including borders, embedded videos and pics still appear.

haute_again · ‎02-12-2015

Unfortunately I have more upcycled clothes than new with tags clothes. Amazon isn't really an option for me. Etsy is for vintage which I have none of either. I am aware there are other options but without sales, setting that up is a bit difficult.... as is the cost of daily living.

Your February selling activity	Items	Amount
	You have sold	12	$522.92

I wish everyone well and hope they find their place.

ymeagainlord · ‎02-12-2015

@nowthatsjustducky wrote:
@ymeagainlord wrote:
If the coupon was to save a couple of hundred what's the issue?
Really no different than the Cadillac keychain I sold for $10 last night. It was free to me (found it in a leather attache case I bought at Goodwill a few months ago.).

Exactly. What does how much or little the item cost (even IF a free coupon) have to do with the selling price if the buyer can't find it elsewhere?

Crusader Cat is watching

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - L Tolstoy

"You are entitled to your own opinion, you are not however, entitled to your own facts."

ittybitnot · ‎02-12-2015

Jeff wrote:

It's a test. We'll see if having a consistent experience between the platforms has any impact or not.

What sort of "impact" are you looking for? What exactly are you trying to measure?

Increase/decrease in sales?

Increase in buyerbacking out of a listing?

jeff · ‎02-12-2015

@semantic_memory wrote:

I would like to opt out of the test. How do I do that? It appears my pages are back to normal, at least for the time being, but I would like the option of opting out of such tests in the future. Any chance of making the opt out option available to us?

Clear your cookies and/or try a different browser or device. The test is assigned randomly, so by coming to the site fresh may move you into a non-test group.