mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
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Those are called Variation listings. I'll give you a link below to the policy page on this. However it is likely that the DVD listing you saw is in violation of the policy. It is not meant for completely different items [like movies or books] to be sold in one listing.
It is for things like a blouse that comes in various colors and sizes, or a specific bead that comes in various colors, or a pair of shoes that come in various sizes, etc. Not for unrelated items or something as loosely related as dvds or books.
Those are called Variation listings. I'll give you a link below to the policy page on this. However it is likely that the DVD listing you saw is in violation of the policy. It is not meant for completely different items [like movies or books] to be sold in one listing.
It is for things like a blouse that comes in various colors and sizes, or a specific bead that comes in various colors, or a pair of shoes that come in various sizes, etc. Not for unrelated items or something as loosely related as dvds or books.
You are correct, it is likely they aren't selling in the appropriate categories. But there are some that are in the correct category but incorrectly using variation listings. I see it all the time in craft books.
@mam98031 wrote:
You are correct, it is likely they aren't selling in the appropriate categories. But there are some that are in the correct category but incorrectly using variation listings. I see it all the time in craft books.
I see this quite often as well. There are many books and magazines that just sell better and faster in other categories when compared to the actual "Book Category". But these items are correctly placed within those other categories. And of course sellers are also incentivized to do this due to the decreased FVFs within those other categories.
In the example below that magazine lot can be viewed as being appropriately place while at the same time saving the seller either $14.63 in FVFs (9.15% for store subscribers; $46.78 FVF) or saving the seller $10.23 in FVFs (10% for NON-store subscribers; $51.18 FVF) versus the $61.41 in FVFs (12% Book Category) that that seller would have paid had they listed those magazines within the book category.
Collectibles > Science Fiction & Horror > Other Sci-Fi Collectibles
@go-bad-chicken wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
You are correct, it is likely they aren't selling in the appropriate categories. But there are some that are in the correct category but incorrectly using variation listings. I see it all the time in craft books.
I see this quite often as well. There are many books and magazines that just sell better and faster in other categories when compared to the actual "Book Category". But these items are correctly placed within those other categories. And of course sellers are also incentivized to do this due to the decreased FVFs within those other categories.
In the example below that magazine lot can be viewed as being appropriately place while at the same time saving the seller either $14.63 in FVFs (9.15% for store subscribers; $46.78 FVF) or saving the seller $10.23 in FVFs (10% for NON-store subscribers; $51.18 FVF) versus the $61.41 in FVFs (12% Book Category) that that seller would have paid had they listed those magazines within the book category.
Collectibles > Science Fiction & Horror > Other Sci-Fi Collectibles
My bad. I thought the OP was talking about Variation listings and not a listing for a "Lot" of items. Sorry, I misunderstood.
@mam98031 wrote:
@go-bad-chicken wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
You are correct, it is likely they aren't selling in the appropriate categories. But there are some that are in the correct category but incorrectly using variation listings. I see it all the time in craft books.
I see this quite often as well. There are many books and magazines that just sell better and faster in other categories when compared to the actual "Book Category". But these items are correctly placed within those other categories. And of course sellers are also incentivized to do this due to the decreased FVFs within those other categories.
In the example below that magazine lot can be viewed as being appropriately place while at the same time saving the seller either $14.63 in FVFs (9.15% for store subscribers; $46.78 FVF) or saving the seller $10.23 in FVFs (10% for NON-store subscribers; $51.18 FVF) versus the $61.41 in FVFs (12% Book Category) that that seller would have paid had they listed those magazines within the book category.
Collectibles > Science Fiction & Horror > Other Sci-Fi Collectibles
My bad. I thought the OP was talking about Variation listings and not a listing for a "Lot" of items. Sorry, I misunderstood.
The OP was referring to variations in their OP. But I it is my assumption that the seller that they were referencing who has a variation style listing for DVDs got their because they originally listed those DVDs in a category that allowed variations.
My example that I described above was meant to show how some listings might acquire the ability to list with variations that are not normally available to them within their item's native category, as well as possibly saving them some FVF $$$.
It is my belief that some sellers list items like DVDs in other categories that allow variations in an attempt to manage their monthly listing allotments. i.e. shoe horn 10 DVDs into 1 variation listing as opposed to having to consume 10 of their monthly allotted listings. I have noticed this listing strategy being implemented by some sellers, on various occasions.
I'm having trouble finding the policy on how variation listings are to be used. Not the one on creating them. That one I have found. But to my knowledge there is another one that tells us the do's and don'ts. Like unrelated items are not to be in the same variation listing. Stuff like that. Any ideas??
@go-bad-chicken wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:I'm having trouble finding the policy on how variation listings are to be used. Not the one on creating them. That one I have found. But to my knowledge there is another one that tells us the do's and don'ts. Like unrelated items are not to be in the same variation listing. Stuff like that. Any ideas??
@my-cottage-books-and-antiques
I think that this is the page that you are looking for. I could not find it on eBay either. I ended up finding it by searching via Google.
Creating a listing with variations
https://www.ebay.ie/pages/help/sell/listing-variations.html
Thank you, that is helpful. There use to be another page, but this one will work. Thank you again.
