Ridiculous Product Identifiers requirement

[mtg-n-tech]

I just got that stupid email about requiring product identifiers aka MPNs or UPCs.  Why the heck was it applied to the category I sell in: individual MTG cards.  They don't have UPCs.  The booster packs do but the individual cards don't.  Plus they applied this requirement to the category "mixed lots."  How stupid are they?  I don't have time to sit there and change every single listing to "Not applicable" or whatever someone else said is the workaround.  This is idiotic.  Stop applying a requirement to a category where 0% of the products in that category have a UPC.

[gretchen92514]

Apparently, eBay bots are not very bright, are they?

[phanoto]

If eBay allowed sellers to leave the space blank for the UPC, some sellers would leave if blank when a UPC number was available.

At present, there are major problems with the Product Identifiers Program.  When the problems are eliminated, there will be only ONE product identification number for each kind of item.  Buyers will easily be able to find that specific item at the lowest price.  Sellers will not be able to sell the item at higher prices as they are doing now. 

[nowthatsjustducky]

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@phanoto wrote:

If eBay allowed sellers to leave the space blank for the UPC, some sellers would leave if blank when a UPC number was available.

At present, there are major problems with the Product Identifiers Program.  When the problems are eliminated, there will be only ONE product identification number for each kind of item.  Buyers will easily be able to find that specific item at the lowest price.  Sellers will not be able to sell the item at higher prices as they are doing now. 

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I had a problem getting a couple lots of temporary tattoos from a vending machine to list via Turbo Lister.  Since they were not used obviously, I wanted to list them as New.  However, I kept getting an error that a UPC was required.  These obviously don't have one.

So my solution was to do a search for temporary tattoo upc.  I just pulled the first two that came up and plugged those into the listings and they went through fine.  For those standing by to spank me for "cheating the system", bear in mind that this mess is eBay's fault, and currently, searching by UPC number does not work anyway (you get that Item Not Found error).  If they don't want us using "filler" UPCs even though UPCs no longer add any "value" to listings, they need to get off their butts and fix their foul up so that we can at least select Does Not Apply in the UPC field (field is still too short for that to work).

[sockmonkeydave]

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@phanoto wrote:

If eBay allowed sellers to leave the space blank for the UPC, some sellers would leave if blank when a UPC number was available.

At present, there are major problems with the Product Identifiers Program.  When the problems are eliminated, there will be only ONE product identification number for each kind of item.  Buyers will easily be able to find that specific item at the lowest price.  Sellers will not be able to sell the item at higher prices as they are doing now. 

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@phanoto

The problem is UPCs get recycled on a regular basis, so the ebay DB would need to update every day... ain't gonna happen.

NA works for me.

[slippinjimmy]

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@sockmonkeydave wrote:

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@phanoto wrote:

If eBay allowed sellers to leave the space blank for the UPC, some sellers would leave if blank when a UPC number was available.

At present, there are major problems with the Product Identifiers Program.  When the problems are eliminated, there will be only ONE product identification number for each kind of item.  Buyers will easily be able to find that specific item at the lowest price.  Sellers will not be able to sell the item at higher prices as they are doing now. 

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@phanoto

The problem is UPCs get recycled on a regular basis, so the ebay DB would need to update every day... ain't gonna happen.

NA works for me.

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Not at all accurate!

[mtg-n-tech]

I just got done telling ebay one at a time that my auctions all don't have UPCs because the bulk tool won't actually do anything in bulk other than create a nice list.  And of course this is with a brand new PC I built with Firefox 44 installed using a 4500 passmark rated CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 240GB SSD and their interactive javascript on the page was still as responsive as a piece of software from 1995.  Wouldn't it be easier to exempt the entire category?  Why are they even emulating the EXACT SAME FEATURE that everyone hates on Amazon?

[phanoto]

"searching by UPC number does not work anyway (you get that Item Not Found error)."

Yes, there are some major problems that they need to work out.

You can put the UPC number and one word that is in the title, and the SEARCH will bring up all of the sellers who are selling that item if they put the UPC code in their listing.  And, that is the only items that will be brought up by the search. 

[sharingtheland]

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@phanoto wrote:

If eBay allowed sellers to leave the space blank for the UPC, some sellers would leave if blank when a UPC number was available.

At present, there are major problems with the Product Identifiers Program.  When the problems are eliminated, there will be only ONE product identification number for each kind of item.  Buyers will easily be able to find that specific item at the lowest price.  Sellers will not be able to sell the item at higher prices as they are doing now. 

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OMG is this your latest crusade?  ^^^^

 Manufacturers change codes on their products all the time.  *I* bought my own UPC codes to use as needed.  Check Amazon; there are many UPC codes for the same item.

[sockmonkeydave]

@slippinjimmy  @phanoto

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

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@sockmonkeydave wrote:

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@phanoto wrote:

If eBay allowed sellers to leave the space blank for the UPC, some sellers would leave if blank when a UPC number was available.

At present, there are major problems with the Product Identifiers Program.  When the problems are eliminated, there will be only ONE product identification number for each kind of item.  Buyers will easily be able to find that specific item at the lowest price.  Sellers will not be able to sell the item at higher prices as they are doing now. 

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@phanoto

The problem is UPCs get recycled on a regular basis, so the ebay DB would need to update every day... ain't gonna happen.

NA works for me.

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Not at all accurate!

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So.. Folgers coffee, just dropped the size of coffee cans from 27 oz to 24 oz

They no longer use the bigger can..(but they charge the same price, lol)

So after the 27 oz product is out of the system, Folgers will no longer use those UPC codes, for a dozen different flavors.

And you don't think UPCs get recycled....

[*eponymous*]

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@sockmonkeydave wrote:

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The problem is UPCs get recycled on a regular basis, so the ebay DB would need to update every day... ain't gonna happen.

NA works for me.

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A number has to sit-out for 48 months after last use before being recycled.<<<That's what a google search turned up, with a link to the GS1 rules.

For eBay cats that require UPC, buying them right here on eBay is the least expensive route for sellers.  OF course, the code are unassigned...

[sockmonkeydave]

@*eponymous*

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@*eponymous* wrote:

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@sockmonkeydave wrote:

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The problem is UPCs get recycled on a regular basis, so the ebay DB would need to update every day... ain't gonna happen.

NA works for me.

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A number has to sit-out for 48 months after last use before being recycled.<<<That's what a google search turned up, with a link to the GS1 rules.

For eBay cats that require UPC, buying them right here on eBay is the least expensive route for sellers.  OF course, the code are unassigned...

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lol  4 years.... that seems like a good time line for these guys to get it figgered out.   lol

[slippinjimmy]

For eBay cats that require UPC, buying them right here on eBay is the least expensive route for sellers.

There are no eBay categories where Product Identifiers are required 100%. For one thing all Used and Vintage items are exempt and there are a bunch of other reasons.

I'm not prepared to say that they will never be 100% required for ANY listing but I don't see it happening in the next 5 years barring a takeover by Alibaba or ???

So unless you are cross listing to Amazon no need to be rushing out to buy codes.

[grasshopperx]

The gimmick is, Ebay wants all new items on here like amazon. Then they want upc codes so all the same identical items come up in the search.  This drive prices down. And then ebay can send an email to all your watchers showing them someone selling the same thing CHEAPER.  I got an email from ebay showing me an item to save me 49 cents!  So if a sellers customer isnt taken away from an ebay ad, they will sure to be taken away with a cheaper price. So what is the point in selling here if a seller can not make a buck? seriously? Dont worry, nothing ebay trys ever works anyway. The search doesnt, the defects are a diaster, the returns are a diaster. It just keeps getting worse and worse. And just when you think it cant get any worse. It does. Eventullay ebay will destroy itself. Its happening already. Everyone i know from sellers to buyers are all gone.  

[klassic*kids]

I sell predominately used children's clothing so for UPC I put it in "does not apply".  However, I do have a few NWT items that might have to be updated to include this informatioin.  Someone mentioned to me that their NWT things were flagged by ebay for no UPC.  I don't know if mine have been, can someone advise me where I would find out if my NWT items have been flagged?

This question is for anyone who knows and happens to be reading this. Thanks in advance.