Sellers Full Description.

[solentcityguy]

I haven't bought or sold for some time. Recently I have been looking at some items I might be interested in buying. However other than the description in the heading I can't seem to find a detailed description of the item. Have ebay changed the way people list things or maybe it is because I am using an ipad now. Thanks.

[chapeau-noir]

If you're using mobile on your iPad you actually have to click on a description link - though that's how it looks on my Android.

But...a lot of people are awful at descriptions.   They basically repeat what the item is, say "condition is (new/used/busted or whatever) and the shipping method.  ALL of which are already in the listing, with no other information. I think it's laziness and an increase in mobile listing.

[mam98031]

Also you may have to scroll down further than logic would make you think you would.  You have to get past all the advertising Ebay puts on our listings for other seller's stuff.

[toysaver]

Fewer and fewer sellers put anything in the description any longer.  Maybe lazy but also the population has changed and the younger generation is less fluent in the written word.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@solentcityguy 

I going to agree with the other posters here. I have to rely on my own knowledge about the item to make a decision to buy. The description field is often lacking info and poorly written.

     All my buys are collectable items other than some occasional supplies, so I really would like to know year, condition, missing parts etc. I will click the back button if all I see in the description is " will mail usps". Uggg!

[katzrul15]

If you are on a mobile device, you think the listing does not have a description.  The layout on a phone view is terrible.

[mam98031]

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@toysaver wrote:

Fewer and fewer sellers put anything in the description any longer.  Maybe lazy but also the population has changed and the younger generation is less fluent in the written word.

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Seller's can't leave descriptions blank.  They have to at least put in one character.  

Actually I think it is due to more and more people using their mobile devices to post.  Especially on phones.  They just don't want to type a bunch of details.  Certainly no excuse, just my opinion.

[itsjustasprain]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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Seller's can't leave descriptions blank.  They have to at least put in one character.  

Actually I think it is due to more and more people using their mobile devices to post.  Especially on phones.  They just don't want to type a bunch of details.  Certainly no excuse, just my opinion.

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There is some kind of app at work that puts together a junk minimal description for the item. It consists of the listing title followed by the phrase 'Item is New' or 'Item is Used' based on the condition choice they made. Anything more after that is supposed to be added by seller but many dont seem to bother at all. 

[mam98031]

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@itsjustasprain wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

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Seller's can't leave descriptions blank.  They have to at least put in one character.  

Actually I think it is due to more and more people using their mobile devices to post.  Especially on phones.  They just don't want to type a bunch of details.  Certainly no excuse, just my opinion.

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There is some kind of app at work that puts together a junk minimal description for the item. It consists of the listing title followed by the phrase 'Item is New' or 'Item is Used' based on the condition choice they made. Anything more after that is supposed to be added by seller but many dont seem to bother at all. 

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Oh I don't doubt that.  I was just saying they can't leave description completely blank, the listing won't post.

[chapeau-noir]

eBay skews older and has trouble attracting younger generations, and although there are young sellers and buyers here, their preferred sites tend to be the younger, very active mobile sites like Posh, Mercari, Depop (though Etsy bought that one - booo!), etc., and I see the same proportion of lazy descriptions and very good descriptions, so I don't think it has anything to do with literacy rates (my generation is no great shakes in that department, anyway).  

IMHO, it's a combination of mobile listings (when mobile was young, the number of listings with very poor descriptions and the designation of 'listed with mobile' on the bottom was almost 1:1, and that was some time ago), and new/returning sellers who have started up here to make ends meet during the Pandemic - there was a big influx on all marketplaces (I wish I could find the article which had actual numbers but haven't been able to so far).  We might find writing descriptions from concept to complete easy, but it's a skill like any other and many people simply don't have it.

[dbfolks166mt]

     I am impressed a buyer who actually looked for a detailed description. 😁 It seems a lot of people read the header which of course has limited space and purchase without reading anything else only to discover after they receive it that it was listed for parts, needed repair, was a different color................. It has resulted in a number of return stories on this forum. 

     Al lot of the things I sell on P2P exchange forums are to younger people who actually want the item quickly and want to touch and feel it before they purchase it. Not all are younger but a large percentage, over half, are. 

[chapeau-noir]

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@dbfolks166mt wrote:

     I am impressed a buyer who actually looked for a detailed description. 😁 It seems a lot of people read the header which of course has limited space and purchase without reading anything else only to discover after they receive it that it was listed for parts, needed repair, was a different color................. It has resulted in a number of return stories on this forum. 

     Al lot of the things I sell on P2P exchange forums are to younger people who actually want the item quickly and want to touch and feel it before they purchase it. Not all are younger but a large percentage, over half, are. 

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There's a trend of going back to local in-person shopping, so I'm not surprised.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

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@katzrul15 wrote:

If you are on a mobile device, you think the listing does not have a description.  The layout on a phone view is terrible.

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It's on there but really small Katz. I do a lot of my buying, well in fact all my buying on my phone, Now listing? That is always done on the desktop.

[reallynicestamps]

This may also be why eBay is so hot about Item Specifics.

The listing will not upload /index without the "required" Specifics, even when those are weird-- like asking for the title of a book which is already in the Title.

I suppose it may be easier to fill Specifics which often have a drop down menu, than to actually type out word or sentences.