Hey, eBay! Stop adding incorrect item descriptions to my old listings!

[1786davycrockett]

This morning I was in the process of listing another edition of THE LAST BATTLE, by Cornelius Ryan -- an outstanding military history concerning the fall of Berlin in April 1945, in the final days of World War II in Europe; and I decided to click on the "sell similar" feature, since I knew that I had previously listed another edition of the book a while back.

To my anger and dismay, it was clear that eBay (in its infinite wisdom) had added additional item descriptions into my previous listing -- and even had the unmitigated gall to CHANGE item descriptions which I had previously entered, such as:

(A). The title had now become LAST BATTLE, instead of THE LAST BATTLE (a minor change, admittedly; but still not the full and correct title of the book, as written by the author, and published by the publisher, and listed in the Library of Congress).

(B).  An ISBN codes (the wrong one, naturally) had been added to my listing.  Since eBay does not seem to understand the significance of ISBN codes on particular book editions, their adding this ISBN code to my original book listing provides erroneous information which I, as the seller, can not back up, if a buyer decided to open up a NAD case against me.

(C).  The topic had been changed to "General"  -- what bookseller in their right mind would choose to provide such an obscure and meaningless term for the "topic" of a book?!?

(D).  The genre had been changed from "Nonfiction" -- to "FICTION"!!!  What ignorant moron at eBay concluded that a serious historic study of the final days of Nazi Germany in World War II was a work of FICTION?!?  Doesn't ANYBODY at eBay actually READ books?

(E).  While all the other book dimension remain unentered, someone at eBay decided to enter an "item weight" -- perhaps one of the most useless determinators for buyers interested in purchasing books.  And, of course, this listed "item weight" is the pre-shipping weight, and not the actual weight which determines the USPS shipping price.  Furthermore, it wasn't even the CORRECT item shipping weight of that particular edition!  So why does eBay seem to put such value in listing it -- and why add it to the listings of sellers who have obviously previously decided that it is of NO value to their listings?!?

So, knock it off, eBay -- I don't need you to second-guess and "correct" my listings!  I've been selling books, comics, magazines and records since the mid-1960s -- a generation before eBay was even a glint in a mainframe computer's brain -- and I'll handle my own item descriptions, thank you!

[mam98031]

Unfortunately, as I have attempted to demonstrate, all too often the ISBN code in the eBay catalog has been contaminated with incorrect and erroneous information.

I addressed this in my post.  I said the following:

It is better if you put the ISBN in the Item Specific Boxes.  The search engine search the title and the ISBs automatically.  Many people search by ISBN.  If the ISBN is in the catalog, a message appears on your screen when you are setting up the listing.  It asks you if you want to include the Catalog description or NOT.  I always select no.  I write my own description.

For me it is simple.  I just answer no and I don't use the catalog descriptions.

I have not had Ebay update my listings with ISBNs or descriptions from the catalog and many of my listings have ISBNs.

Hopefully someone will come along that can help you.

[1786davycrockett]

@mam98031 

"I have not had Ebay update my listings with ISBNs or descriptions from the catalog and many of my listings have ISBNs."

Okay.  But are the ISBN codes which you are using the CURRENT ISBN codes -- or are you using ISBN codes from previously deleted ISBN items?

As I had previously mentioned, ISBN codes are quite regularly deleted (for items which are slow movers or being deleted from the publisher's catalog); and then re-used (often many months later) on NEW items, most of which have NO relationship with the previous item.

For 13 years, I was one of the Lead Persons for one of the major national booksellers; and, every week or so, each of us was given a dozen or so pages of computer print-out sheets, composed of about 60 items per sheet -- all of which were publisher-deleted items.  The intention was to locate all of the deleted publisher inventory, to return to the distributor, after which those ISBN codes would be deleted from the publishers' national catalogs (and our own).

So it is possible that the ISBN codes in your listings may be for previously deleted items, and the codes that you are currently using are actually re-listed codes for newer products.

Years ago, I attempted to demonstrate this to the eBay employee who was in charge of the eBay catalog.  I provided him the eBay item numbers for 5 different books published by the same publisher -- all 5 of which were listed with the identical ISBN code.

The eBay employee simply stated that he would "pass along the information."

But no changes were ever made.

So, basically, all we can do is complain about a broken and unworkable system.

And, on eBay, there are far too many of them, anyway, to count.

[mam98031]

Okay.  But are the ISBN codes which you are using the CURRENT ISBN codes -- or are you using ISBN codes from previously deleted ISBN items?

Beats me.  I just take the ISBN off the item I'm wanting to sell.

As I had previously mentioned, ISBN codes are quite regularly deleted (for items which are slow movers or being deleted from the publisher's catalog); and then re-used (often many months later) on NEW items, most of which have NO relationship with the previous item.

I don't know anything about this.  Ebay doesn't assign ISBN number at least as far as I know.

https://www.isbn.org/about_isbn_standard#:~:text=Currently%2C%20the%20U.S.%20ISBN%20Agency,in%20an%2....

So it is possible that the ISBN codes in your listings may be for previously deleted items, and the codes that you are currently using are actually re-listed codes for newer products.

Maybe so, but I have not had any issues at all.

Years ago, I attempted to demonstrate this to the eBay employee who was in charge of the eBay catalog.  I provided him the eBay item numbers for 5 different books published by the same publisher -- all 5 of which were listed with the identical ISBN code.

OK, sorry that sounds like a real problem for some sellers.

[winterpalace25]

@mam98031

I understand what you're saying about the choice to not use the catalog's item specifics, but I want no part of ebay's catalog.  The fact that they have used us to create their "catalog" is what makes it have so many mistakes. 

I don't think many people actually search by ISBN, but rather by title or subject, especially on eBay.  And that's how I hope they will find my books.

In any event, I have experienced ISBNs pulling up entirely different books or different editions because publishers do reuse them. I don't think they are very important, except to acquisitions librarians.

[mam98031]

I can only tell you what I do.  I do use ISBNs, I just decline the option of using the catalog description and stick with my own.  IDK how many buyers search by ISBN nor do I venture a guess as I'm sure I'd likely be wrong.  There are likely far more than you are aware of that do.

Keep in mind, a great deal of our traffic on this site comes to us through Google.  Enhancing your listings to contain things that people put in their Google searches can only benefit us.

[ittybitnot]

To my anger and dismay, it was clear that eBay (in its infinite wisdom) had added additional item descriptions into my previous listing -- and even had the unmitigated gall to CHANGE item descriptions which I had previously entered, such as:

@1786davycrockett 

I know what you are talking about.  Years ago when I still sold here I had the misfortune to experience something very similar to this.  I would take photos of my book, write a detailed description with the all the dates/edition numbers/ISBN/etc.  Each and every time I would look at the listing when it posted, and it looked like I was in the twilight zone.  There was another book there, not mine.  LOL..

It took me a while to determine that it was a function of entering the ISBN number.  Leaving it out relaxed things a bit, but it didn't last.  There was no place to "check" to NOT include the eBay forced information.  

Getting real tired of playing 'wack a mole' revisions game with the book listings, I simply ended the ones that kept getting changed and sold them someplace else. 

I looked at your "The Last Battle" listing yesterday.  It appears it is still OK today with "does not apply" in the ISBN item specific box. (Maybe the bot can't put it in their for you if it is filled in with something?)   By the numerous books of the same title that have the same cover by other sellers on your listing, I would surmise, unless all those other sellers have the same exact edition, eBay is "helping them out"...LOL. 

Take a screen shot or two, and check on it again in few days.  Good luck! 

[mam98031]

This is what I see when I enter an ISBN or UPC.  

This is what I see if the number is in the catalog.  On the lower right I can use it or cancel it.  If I cancel it the description does not auto load to my listing.

This is what I see if the number is not in the Catalog.

[dougabbott]

TV Photo sellers are worst. They don't have a clue to what they are selling. They list photos from the "Outlaws" TV Series as being from "Tales of Wells Fargo" etc. They list Hopalong Cassidy as Roy Rogers etc. These sellers are a bunch of brain dead idiots and should be banned for lies in their descriptions. They are ripping people off and eBay does nothing.