Insanity on a level almost never seen before on eBay since the Managed Payments debacle!

[debbie6438]

Insanity on a level almost never seen before on eBay since the Managed Payments debacle!

Got this stupid email from eBay: (excerpt)

“You'll see these item specifics in your listing flow as Required Soon, and they will be required starting July 12, 2021.  After this date, you won’t be able to publish new, relisted, or revised listings in the following categories without the Required item specifics:”

So we will have to update over 16 thousand listing manually or they will not automatically re-list!

The stupid - dumb thing is that what they are asking us to update is already in the listings!

(ONE) Artist name required – dumb that is already in two places, the headline and the item

description text.

(TWO) format DUMB it's a record “phonograph record” that too is the the listings, search engines.

“Listing flow”???? It that “new talk” like “I'll reach out to my supervisor” How about just calling

them, too much reaching and not enough touching! This is **bleep**!

We sell mostly 78rpm records these are single records from 1900 to about 1958. (the 45rpm replaced

this format) These have generic sleeves, they are 10 inch in size, they are a “single” with two

songs one on each side, with very little other information. In our description text “WE” not eBay's

system add “condition” There is very little else you can say!

So since THEY could careless what sellers have to go through already, here we go again!

The reason given to us on the phone today was that buyers complain about buying something

without item specifics, and this will help to prevent returns! DUMB! Buyers most of the time

don't even bother to read the description text. Often eBay's system leaves that tab closed,

unlike the old days, and most buyers just overlook it! That's eBay fault, and the stupid buyers

who fail to read the listing! BTW we have never had this complaint – because 78rpm record buyers

know what they are buying! Once in a great while a “vinyl” buyer will ask if these are LPS?

We tell them no these are “Shellac” that is what old 78rpm records are made of, NOT vinyl.

Sellers could be put out of business, if like us, they have over 16 thousand listing to correct one at a time! Do they know how long that would take??????

Just try and get a logical answer from anybody over the phone when we tried to “reach out”

We are waiting for a “call back” from a “supervisor” who will undoubtedly tell us “you are

s c r e w e d”

If we make it through this one, it will be a miracle!

Sellers need to ban together and demand that eBay stop this reckless and clandestine objective

which will hurt honest sellers who are just trying to make a living on-line! Since THEY

are the only game in town, they should rethink this gross and ridiculous, not to mention

superfluous change in platform before they ruin their long time sellers!

[debbie6438]

So after the “good till canceled” listings end, I have 90 days to update the listings (that's over 15 thousand listings) or they disappear forever! This is a full time job, I have to go out, find the product.

Examine, clean, grade, sleeve, photograph, create listing text, etc. Buyers demand new products all the time! It's a never ending operation. I have to drive to get supplies, drive to the post office, package,

organize in the warehouse. List on eBay, answer email, etc. Now I have 90 days to add these stupid

and unnecessary item specifics. But let's be clear about this. With the bulk tool I can add the word

“record” for 200 at a time. I am in the music / record category, when I start a listing new you are

sent to the record category! It's been that way since they started! Here's where it gets even dumber!

I don't sell “vinyl” per-say most of the records I sell are single 78rpm “shellac” records. These

have no “album titles” they are singles, like the 45rpm which came after this format in the 1950's.

YET they are asking for an “album title”. The guy on the phone said just put N/A “Not applicable”

sounds reasonable. So I thought why not try this in bulk listing tool, I am given that choice. But

when I went to add N/A or “Not applicable” for the “album title” I get this error message

“album name should contain only one value” what on earth does that mean? Nobody on any of

the message boards since 2005 seem to know? Glitch or stupidity? If you are going to force us

to add these “I.S's” then at least give us the option to bulk out what we don't even need that

is truly “Not applicable” - that's the advise we were given. There you go! I will have to add

one at a time N/A for each 15,000 plus listings, then add each “Artist” which is the very first

thing on the header and text description! So why am I forced to add it a third time?????

They claim it will drive sales! It will help in the Google searches, it will attract more buyers!

Bla Bla Bla! THREE TIMES I NEED THE ARTIST NAME!!!!! THREE TIMES?????

Can anybody on earth tell us why???? WHY?

[antverpiastamps]

Item specifics can be useful depending on what you sell, I would like to know the size and color of the shoes I'm buying but in the article  I am selling (collectible postage stamps) specifics like color have absolutely no sense although it is one of the specifics we will need to fill in in the future. You have the option to fill in item specifics as you wish, so make it easy on yourself and just write 'see item description' in all required specifics if they are not relevant. It will save you a lot of time and stress to do it this way.

[3031cheryl]

What I just love is that it will say that I need to update 2 item specifics but when I go in to do it, everything that I had originally, is gone.  I don't see them ending our listings.  We are their bread and butter.

[fashionista1977]

They have said that the listings won't renew if we don't update the info into their format.

I sell mostly vintage and antique items, and craft and sewing items that don't fit any of the categories, don't have bar codes, so most of my stuff will be unsellable here, where I have built a nice following over 16 years, with 2 seller ID's.  

I guess the master plan is to make eBay a boring mass market site.  It used to be a cool selling platform. Oh well.......That's why there are other sites.

[debbie6438]

Gee that was so cute and thoughtful

thanks!

Four things you can never get!

1) a logical answer when you call eBay 😧

2) and answer that makes any sense at all 🤔

3) an answer that helps or solves your problems 😩

4) anybody who even knows what they are doing! 😁

Just a sweet thought for the day!

Love you guys! 😍

[psycheme]

MP  is a complete nightmare and trying to list revise or relist items is even worse. I stopped selling my vinyl LPs on eBay two weeks ago it's just not worth the aggravation  and I certainly do not want to give them personal information that they are requesting. And for you 16,000 Records OMG I will say a prayer for you. You will be trying to fill in all the details for the rest of your life . Best of luck we need a new eBay .

 PayPal should start their own auction site like the old eBay. Half the sellers would transfer within a day. 

[gibsonbk]

What I am doing is finding those categories that do not yet require item specifics.  For records I am using the entertainment music categories.  I just use the other music memorabilia.  It is much easier to bulk edit a category change.  Most buyers are searching by title anyway. 

[ckimodog]

Unfortunately, we have people who are telling us what do and none of them have never done what we do.