eBay

jgrit · ‎09-02-2019

As a buyer, I search for cyan colored product. There are 50 search results. The first two results are for yellow and the second result is magenta (the word cyan is not in either title). These two results are what I see on my screen ( I am an ignorant, lazy, newbie, or nutty buyer, so I do not scroll down). I go to the river with my money.

zktalkj_0 · ‎09-03-2019

@jgrit wrote:
@eburtonlab wrote:
@moondogblues

In my experience searching here, I get results that have NONE of the words I am searching for. I have better luck with the results that show up under what the search engine shows me...the 'unrelated' results.

Try adding a nonsense exclusion term such as -octopus to you search keywords to bypass those faulty keyword substitutions.
WOOSH.... You guys just flew over my head. Nonsense exclusion term, Boolean and faulty keyword substitutions? Is there a mad scientist controlling eBay search? Theoretically, I (newbie, nutty or nonreading buyer) just took my money and went to another website or buying platform.

Ok...

*ALL* search engines use the same basic underlying algorithm, I know that sounds hard to believe but from the simplest to the most elaborate it all boils down to the same ultimate formula. Once I understood this it made searching slightly easier but also it became appallingly clear as to why, exactly why the search results are what they are (and most likely always will be).

Nothing has really changed in Search Engine World from the days of the very first search algorithm, certainly they claim it has evolved and I don't doubt they've made refinements but ultimately right down at the core it's all the same as it was on day one. Knowing that you can become a more savvy buyer but it won't really "fix" the problem, merely as buyers we learn how to work with it or we work around it.

I won't even get into what spamming the search engine does to the results although that can be seen pretty clearly as well, and that is what happens when SELLERS understand how it really works.

So no, ebay isn't the best.

But Amazon really isn't a whole lot better at all either.

The Marketplace I can't even use advanced search.

So in conclusion there really is not a whole lot anyone can do, the use of parenthesis and a few other fancy in-search formulae (such as exclusions) can help narrow the search, best I can tell you and if you wish to try your luck elsewhere I will pray for you because you are going to need it.

jgrit · ‎09-03-2019

@zktalkj_0 wrote:
@jgrit wrote:
@eburtonlab wrote:
@moondogblues

In my experience searching here, I get results that have NONE of the words I am searching for. I have better luck with the results that show up under what the search engine shows me...the 'unrelated' results.

Try adding a nonsense exclusion term such as -octopus to you search keywords to bypass those faulty keyword substitutions.
WOOSH.... You guys just flew over my head. Nonsense exclusion term, Boolean and faulty keyword substitutions? Is there a mad scientist controlling eBay search? Theoretically, I (newbie, nutty or nonreading buyer) just took my money and went to another website or buying platform.
Ok...
*ALL* search engines use the same basic underlying algorithm, I know that sounds hard to believe but from the simplest to the most elaborate it all boils down to the same ultimate formula. Once I understood this it made searching slightly easier but also it became appallingly clear as to why, exactly why the search results are what they are (and most likely always will be).

Nothing has really changed in Search Engine World from the days of the very first search algorithm, certainly they claim it has evolved and I don't doubt they've made refinements but ultimately right down at the core it's all the same as it was on day one. Knowing that you can become a more savvy buyer but it won't really "fix" the problem, merely as buyers we learn how to work with it or we work around it.

I won't even get into what spamming the search engine does to the results although that can be seen pretty clearly as well, and that is what happens when SELLERS understand how it really works.

So no, ebay isn't the best.
But Amazon really isn't a whole lot better at all either.
The Marketplace I can't even use advanced search.

So in conclusion there really is not a whole lot anyone can do, the use of parenthesis and a few other fancy in-search formulae (such as exclusions) can help narrow the search, best I can tell you and if you wish to try your luck elsewhere I will pray for you because you are going to need it.

Is there a mad scientist controlling eBay search? Theoretically, I (newbie, nutty or nonreading buyer) just took my money and went to another website or buying platform.