Relisting books problem

[norskmediashop]

This problem started for me last week. Any time a book listing ends and I go to relist it, I get an error code message in red stating not allowed to list this in this catagory....which does not make sense when its a book and was there all the times before. I have tried everything. ebay's tech department tried to tell me it was a problem on my computer that they were not seeing this, yet the initial ebay agent said she could see the error code. Anyone else having this same problem? This was never an issue till last week. Thank you

[kboy651]

I figured out a way to list my books. When the error message appears there is a box that shows the ISBN codes, category, title etc. Just below is a small check box in front of a statement about using eBay catalog info. Uncheck that box and your listing will go through. Yes 

[mixed.up.media]

BINGO! Worked for me. My book listings are not dependent on that boilerplate. Always thought is was overkill.

That should give eBay a starting point to fix the problem.

Thanks kboy!

[robot-hands]

The book categories are a gaint, apocalyptic mess. I would never use an ISBN to list a book, just create a listing from scratch and THEN add the #.

Your just looking for trouble if you don't.

[thebookmaven-half]

Today I was finally able to create listings for nonfiction books by ISBN using turbolister.  All of the correct data came up for the ISBNs - and they weren't cookbooks.  😄  Hopefully this is a sign that the catalog problems are being fixed. 

[alan_nc]

Actually I like the additional information that the listing gives you with the ISBN info.  It gives the buyer more information about the book and saves you answering questions.  I also can list quicker with it as I don't feel I need to give as complete a description.

The biggest problem is trying to relist groups of books.  If you are relisting 50 to 200 books and this pops up you are really slowed down.

I think most of us would admit that you sometimes relist books multiple times before they sell so it is a problem for all of us.  As long as you don't use the ISBN I have not had any problem listing at all.  Also it usually isn't a problem with a new listing (even if you do use the ISBN). 

Surly Ebay has some programmer who you sort this out in short order ?????

[thebookmaven-half]

I also prefer to use the catalog and the ISBN information.  It makes creating listings much quicker and I often use the stock photo.  Since ebay encourages us to use the catalog, I've often wondered if it gives a slight boost in search result placement.  I've also wondered the same with filling in the item specifics.   In the last week, ebay has been more agressive in suggesting things for the item specifics when I revise my book listings.  Under the picture section I keep getting links to add item specifics, such as 'paperback'.  Anyone else noticing this? 

[alan_nc]

Can we get an up-date on this from someone at Ebay.

Folks.....this is really getting to be a problem. I am spending several hours more each week working on listings and having trouble tracking my unsold items.

Alan

[motte]

Add my store too Heidi, and still not fixed almost 20 days after your post.

[norskmediashop]

same problem here still, nothing has been fixed, and this is now 4/10. I even went into an active book listing to update it, and it wont let me, saying I cant list the book in the book catagory yet its already there and live, and all I wanted to do was update the description. Ebay is ignoring this issue entirely. 

[tolu31209]

I'm just a "small" eBay seller, but have also had this issue with relisting books...it seems to be with non-fiction items. Now, if I were a full-time seller with only books, I wouldn't have time for this, but when I get the error message, I just finish my bulk listings, then go back and complete the one with the "error" individually. So far, it has worked every time.
I have never used the stock photos because I want my buyer to see the actual item they're getting. Most of my books are used and in various states of wear. Whether the item is "like new" or has flaws, I want them to see that!

[hdinat]

I am also having this problem, with relisting about a dozen books per week. Since my listings are free under my store subscription, this is very irritating. 

What happens is the following: Books that are on automatic relist do not relist. When I try to relist them in bulk, I get error messages saying that they are listed in the wrong category (they are not and in any case I am not given the option of changing it) OR, lately, the message claims that "special attributes are limited to one item only." Regardling the latter, I never entered special attributes for many of these items - they are antiquarian and not in the catalog. It seems they, along with the year and country of the book's origin, were put in automatically. 

All I have been able to do with some of the books is relist them individually, removing the attributes (that I never put in in the first place!). This is very time consuming and, every day, more and more of my books wind up this way. I did call Ebay once, they could see the error messages and said they would look into this glitch, but the problems continue.

[jlovie]

We've got the same problem in the UK.

I use GTC listings in my shop, these seem to renew OK, but I see the problem a lot when I'm revising prices, or updating shipping costs.

The only way round it seem to be to stop using the catalogue.

I've stopped using the catalogue for new listings till it's fixed.

The catalogue information is often wrong anyway, and like Amazon, I suspect there's a risk of it being changed after listings are created.

Eccommercebytes ran a story on the listing problem today which might raise awareness.

[thebookmaven-half]

I've notice that the nonfiction portion of the catalog seems to have been sort of fixed.  Now, I'm starting to revise listings from 1-2 months ago that I had to change to an incorrect category in order to list them back then.  When I revise them today, I get the same error message that they're in the wrong category, and I have to put them back into the correct category they should have been in to begin with. 

Annoying and time comsuming.    I still prefer to use the catalog, as I suspect it gives a small boost in search placement. 

[hdinat]

 heidi@ebay

Dear Heidi,

I have called Ebay CS several times about this problem--first it was a matter of not allowing relisting in the category, but a few weeks ago the relisting problem changed to claiming that the book did not relist because it is "not allowed to have more than one Special Attribute." I do not put SAs in my listing because in most cases, it is not applicable. However,  Ebay seems to be automatically adding them - sticking "First Edition" (regardless of whether it is or not) and the year in my listings (most of which are too old for an ISBN). This is happening to several listings per day and there is no sign of this stopping soon. I have to manually relist each one and removed the information (very time consuming when it comes to several dozen listings over a month) and I am concern that Ebay will keep erroneously and repeatedly adding the information that causes the problem in the first place. I pay $299 a month for an anchor store and it is not fair that my "free" lisings are not getting relisted and that Ebay is not addressing a problem which has gone on for months.

[keziak]

I am also getting the specific attribute thing. Until like 20 minutes ago you could use as many as you like, now it's only 1?  So batch relisting is shot to heck because so many of the listings are kicked out with this error.  Also the catalog continues to drop pictures. I have one now that had a dropped stock photo so I added my own....and now MY photo  is gone. ??

The only upside is that...for the most part.....I can now change the category which is nearly always wrong. C'mon ebay, sheer dumb luck would assign the category better than this database!