Seriously, eBay? Click for full item description--for the MILLENNIAL generation?

[mczombies]

Seriously--what upper level management corporate drone thought this was a good idea? I have enough problems with the laziest, most superficial, and spoiled generation I have ever come across. A generation so entitled and disconnected from reality that they legitimately feel that an item isn't as described if it doesn't fit them perfectly, or if it just doesn't meet their standard of what they could get at the mall--back when mommy and daddy used to buy them stuff.  Now they just have to say that they were too lazy to click an extra button, and ta-da, SNAD.

If I have to read one more time in my messages......"I just recieved my item and I am disappointed because it is........___________" Fill in the blank with something like: not new, doesn't fit, is the wrong color, doesn't look good on me.......I always know it is a millennial because they make sure to tell me that they are "disappointed."  Yeah, like I'm not disappointed too--get used to it, kid! Boo-freakin-hoo, your used shoes that you paid 1/20th of the retail price for (that were literally worn one time, and advertised as such) aren't new? I have had more than one message recently that basically said, "I know the shoes were described accurately, but I was hoping that they were new, I am just really trying to get used to settling for less, but it isn't easy because I don't have a great job, I have student loans, and I just really wanted a new pair of shoes." **bleep**? Seriously? They were hoping for a miracle and didn't get it, and I am responsible?

I have had it--I am going to change my username--for the store I sell clothing and shoes on to: Millennialsnotwantedheregoawaydontbuyfromme. Or maybe I will just start selling used and smelly shoes and "other things" to the perverts--what the heck.  It would be a welcome change to get a SNAD for "Not smelly enough" instead of one for "Waah, you didn't fufill my unrealistic expectations like my mommy does." 

So thanks eBay, for once again infringing upon the transparancy that I try so hard, as useless as it is sometimes, to have with my buyers. Once again--you are taking the money right out of my pocket. 

[chrysylys]

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@shipscript wrote:

@chrysylys

One buyer problem arising from this, now that sellers have stripped their descriptions down to plain text, is that a description that opens in a new tab is no longer connected with it's parent listing. How can buyers know what goes with what? Sellers with a template and more branding in their listings, or better yet, photos of the item, will probably have an easier time with their buyers, yet that is exactly the type of content that can put their description one click away.

So, given the complexity of the problem and now knowing the limitations, if there are reasonable suggestions, I can certainly take them back to eBay.

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I saw one the other day that elevates the possible problem.  Went back to a listing I had bought from to check something.  The new button was there.  When I clicked it, the entire listing was displayed on a new page with NO trace of this site at all.  No links, no buy information, no 'you bought this', nothing that showed it was related to this site at all.

That's another issue, the target blank.  I don't want this site telling my browser what to do.  That's MY choice.

I'm highly annoyed that they have allowed G to create this mess.  There is no excuse for letting themselves be bullied by a search engine.

[dhbookds]

@shipscript

thanks for the explanation AND the tools, etc.......  You've certainly been able to help me, as well as a lot of others...... your attention and simple explanations as what we all hope for from Ebay employees, but unfortunately don't get most of the time. 

[kitschy*loot]

I'm pretty certain more than just millennials open SNAD cases for some of the reasons you listed, and they aren't the only ones who say they are disappointed. You're not a psychic, so you don't always know the age group of someone you sold to.

[shipscript]

@chrysylys

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@chrysylys wrote:

That's another issue, the target blank.  I don't want this site telling my browser what to do.  That's MY choice.

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This is yet another one of those complex problems.

A seller's item description is loaded into a window or frame inside eBay's listing page. That isolation frame prevents malicious content from reaching out and modifying eBay content. Over a year ago, eBay held a developer meeting to discuss the consequences of using the industry standard "sandbox" attribute on the description frame. That attribute prevents malicious content (Active Content) from running within the frame and all modern browsers honor the "sandbox" security attribute.

One huge problem arising from the "sandbox" attribute was that clicking a link would open that link inside the frame, thus disabling all active content on the newly embedded page. So if a seller wanted to link to their eBay store, that page would be loaded inside the description and would fail to appear because its scripts would be blocked by "sandbox".  Very untidy indeed.  eBay had to make a decision whether to block ALL links or find a way to allow some links.  Of course, the developers argued for allowing links.

While it would have been possible for a visitor to right-click to open the link in a new tab, not that many people know that trick, and opening inside the description area, and failing there, was an ugly proposition.

It took eBay six months (an excruciating delay for developers) to evaluate all its  options and come up with target="_blank" as the best overall solution. In order to even allow that method, they would need to loosen the "sandbox" rules and write their own custom scripts to patch the hole they planned to make in the "sandbox" just so sellers could have links.

Anyway, avoiding the nasty problem of having a link open inside the description window is why sellers must now add the target attribute. eBay has some sort of loose patch that will get those sellers through the holidays, but then all those targets need to be fixed.

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@chrysylys wrote:

I saw one the other day that elevates the possible problem.  Went back to a listing I had bought from to check something.  The new button was there.  When I clicked it, the entire listing was displayed on a new page with NO trace of this site at all.  No links, no buy information, no 'you bought this', nothing that showed it was related to this site at all.

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That is the page that eBay has always loaded into the frame or description window on the listing. It is the same page that loads for mobile visitors who must click to see the full description. eBay has had that page format for about 10 years and the URL starts with "vi.vipr.ebaydesc.com/".  Because I have worked with that page for years, I'm inured to any issues, and so may be eBay staff.

Of course, buyers don't know that URL, and, as you suggest, it does make it difficult for buyers.  I will bring this thought back to eBay, as I've seen several mentions of it being a problem. I even had a kneejerk reaction to one that opened as plain text from horizon to horizon. Not happy.

[chrysylys]

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@shipscript wrote:

I even had a kneejerk reaction to one that opened as plain text from horizon to horizon. Not happy.

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I saw that on one too.  Can't remember which one though.

[tomuchstuff5]

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@nawlinsron2 wrote:
Have to agree with OP...https or not...why wouldn't a milly click "see description"?
I'm no social scientist, but I have a theory...they can't focus. They were brought up on TV commercials that flash images for a nanosecond...I suppose that's cool. Cool cannot pass for info (description) these days, but it apparently does...all that matters is the headline.
Even with clear pictures and an unambiguous full description, I've had dumb questions.
ebay should flash a checkbox whenever a bid or BIN is placed....
"I have READ the description of this item and agree to the accuracy of same."
Maybe that would cut down on wah-wah returns.

Excellent Idea

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[tomuchstuff5]

@shipscript

Interesting, Thanks for explaining. 

There was a tool to identify listings that would have that problem a while back. Before the buttons. I don't think it changed them, just identified. 

Any idea what going on today with the different format of the pages within a store. Looks like the old format. Advertising photos for cross promotion is clickable text now in mine? Not complaining. Not a big fan of that particular feature anyhow. 

search is even working different for me. It seems to be operating more on keywords. Did they change something?

[shipscript]

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@tomuchstuff5 wrote:

There was a tool to identify listings that would have that problem a while back. Before the buttons.

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You can check your own listings for https issues with this eBay tool:

https://www.ebay.com/sh/lst/active/http-content

If you need help locating the specific https issues, the Sandbox tool will color code the problems in the Markup tab to help you find them.

http://www.isdntek.com/ebaytools/ActiveContentSandbox.htm

Sellers who have items listed in eBay's tool above the pass the Sandbox tool are likely to have linked stylesheets that themselves contain non-secure media URLs.