Invalid Variations Specifics after 8 years of using the same variations. What the heck is going on?

[ci1000]

I have been using the same variations for over 8 years with no problems until today.  I was planning on listing about 150 items today but received this notification

"(21920061) Invalid variation specific Parameters: [Invalid variation specific] Fastening is not allowed as a variation specific."

Seriously!!! What is going on!  Among other things, I sell jewelry, specifically Fashion Jewelry/Earrings and I have been offering my customers the same variation choices for the past 8 years.  The type of fastening they would like for their earrings.... Hook, Leverback or Clip-on.  The listings that are in my shop right now are not a problem yet but all of the new listings have the above error.  Excuse me "Fastening is no longer acceptable"

I am so angry!

[rfmtm]

This problem has been popping up for a while now.  It would appear it is an attempt to stop the misuse of variations for not allowed "choice" listings.  Unfortunately, the bots are not very good at it and flag legit variation listings like yours in error.

Probably the best you can do is contact ebay, which I would suggest doing here by private message:

www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness

or

www.twitter.com/eBayForBusiness

[ci1000]

Thanks I'll check it out.  Total bot insanity.

brian@ebay

Brian, I could use your help here.  Not sure if you can remedy the situation but you've helped me a lot in the past.  If not can you direct me to where I need to go to get this taken care of.

Thanks, Chery

[downunder-61]

Does Brian still work here ? I thought he had left, sorry Brian if I am wrong LOL

tyler@ebay

velvet@ebay

[ci1000]

Haven't received any communication from anyone regarding the problem.  It's been a few months since Brian helped me out last time so I don't know if he's still here or not.

I've contacted SixBit and am waiting to hear back from their tech support.

Totally frustrated at this point....

[ci1000]

Here is the new explanation regarding the error message I'm receiving.....

The recent updates that eBay has made in item specifics has affected the category that I'm selling in..... Fashion Jewelry/Earrings.  Apparently eBay has reserved certain words, such as Fastening, for use only in the item specifics field.  So now I'm unable to use the word Fastening in my Variations definition?

This make NO sense at all!  What about variations for size and color.... how does this all work?  I'm looking at editing over 800 items.  I'm supposed to remove all of my current variations and create new ones.

Hopefully Six Bit has a bulk edit solution to this insanity!

[rosared_0]

I'm having exactly the same problem, started today when I tried to list a new jewellery listing. 

Did you find a way around it?

[cstpos]

@ci1000Can you name the variation field Closures instead of Fastening? I know it's a pain - they kept telling me I had to choose what type of CD case I was including when I was listing computer networking switches!

[ci1000]

There is no easy fix at this point in time.  SixBit is working on a bulk solution which will be part of a Beta test.  Not sure if eBay bulk edit would work for me since all my inventory is in SixBit and I really like SixBit because I can work on everything offline.  Anyway, I didn't want to participate in a Beta test so I opted to re-do all of my jewelry listings.

Basically I created new listings for each style of my earrings and changed the variation from Fastening to "Ear Fastener".  The wording change worked (unless eBay decides they like my new words and confiscates them too).

I still have to change out all of my heart earrings which are still listed with the old "Fastening" format.  As soon as you take down your old listings they will not work again.  You have to change the variations on everything before you can relist.

[ci1000]

@cstpos eBay already uses the word "Closure" in jewelry listings.  They have a list of acceptable variations under that header but they aren't what I needed for my earrings.

It's always a pain when eBay makes all their brilliant changes.  What's really bad is when they do it so close to the holiday's and leave everyone scrambling to correct their existing listings.  I should be concentrating on "New listings".

Plus my store is a mess because we can't choose the landing page or order of viewing.

On top of everything.... with all of the category changes and "Item Specifics" changes.... I don't know how buyers can find anything at this point in time.