Updates are happening to some item specifics and category structures

[community_team]

--Final Update, October 28--

The category changes announced in our Fall Seller Update have been completed.

Now that all category changes are complete, while you might still see some adjustments to searches, it is okay to update or edit your listings without concerns of losing data or having it moved again. 

We appreciate your feedback on this roll-out. We'll continue to adjust the process based on the input we’ve received here, and we'll take all of these suggestions into consideration for future updates.

As this project is now complete the post is being locked from further comments. 

Resources and observations

We’ve heard from you that updating your Item Specifics in time for the February 2022 requirement date may be a challenge. 

A useful tool that may help is located in the Seller Hub under Listing>Active. There is a drop-down box labeled ‘Download’ which will generate an Excel document for ‘Missing Required or Recommended Item Specifics’. You can read more about this tool here.

Should you come across any inaccuracies within the new Item Specifics we ask that you report those directly to sdsupport@ebay.com so our team can investigate. Outside of that, please share suggestions as to changes you'd like to see going forward here, selecting the Categories and Item Specifics option.

---Update as of October 19th---

We apologize for this delayed update. Thank you for your patience while our teams worked to finalize category changes. 

All listings have been moved to their final destination categories. You may now proceed with checking your categories, revising items, and updating item specifics where needed. 

Some item specifics have been renamed, and the value you originally provided has been copied over to the new item specific, so you don’t need to re-add these item specifics. We encourage you to update your listings with item specifics that are showing as “Required Soon.” These will become required on February 22, 2022. 

All other item specifics are either Recommended or Optional. Learn more about item specifics. 

Some categories were retired and replaced by product-based categories. You and your buyers can still find the items you’re looking for. Simply browse to the product category of your choice and use the filters to refine your search.

More information about key category changes:

• Dolls & Bears. The categories based on Brand/Material/Theme/Character/Franchise/Product Line/Type of doll have been retired. Former categories have been replaced by left-hand navigation filters in the new Dolls & Doll Playsets category. You can access the filters by browsing to the product category of your choice and using Brand/Vintage/Material/Theme/Character/Franchise/Product Line/Type filters to refine your search. 

• Pottery & Glass. The categories based on Brand/Origin/Production Style/Production Technique have also been replaced by filters. You and buyers can now filter by the Brand/Origin/Production Style/Production Technique/Time Period Manufactured.
  
  
• Postcards. The categories based on Location/Theme/Subject have been retired and replaced with two main categories for Topographical and Non-Topographical postcards. The former categories have been replaced by left-hand navigation filters in the two new main categories. For example in Topographical Postcards, you can filter by Country and Region.

• Jewelry & Watches. The categories based on Main Stone and Metal Type have been retired and replaced by product-based categories under Fine Jewelry. Use the filters for Main Stone and Metal to refine your search. 

---Update as of October 14th---
The work continues on this move and is progressing according to plan. We are on track and anticipate all category changes for your listings to be complete by end of day tomorrow (10.15). Thank you for your patience while our teams implement these changes.

---Update as of October 13th---

We continue to work through this change and thank you for your patience as our teams work through it. We wanted to provide answers to some top concerns and questions:

Why are Gallery Plus fees being charged for items that were previously free?

We determined that a technical issue impacted a small number of listings, which resulted in incorrect charges (including Gallery Plus, subtitles, and insertion fees) for some sellers. The issue has been fixed and we will be crediting impacted sellers as quickly as possible. No calls to Customer Service are necessary as credits will be issued automatically.

The eBay Standard Envelope shipping option is grayed out and I can’t select it. When will the issue be resolved?

The eBay Standard Envelope shipping option issue resulted from the category changes update and has been resolved. eBay Standard Envelope is now available in applicable categories if your item meets the established criteria. 

Should I edit my listings if they’re in the wrong category, have been moved to another category, or have wrong or missing item specifics?

No. Recent category changes require updates to many thousands of servers and data changes to nearly every aspect of our platform. This level of adjustment takes time, which is why we asked for your patience while the process runs. We expect most data updates to be completed within 48 hours, but can they take up to a week (i.e., through Oct. 19). After that, if you have an item specific in mind that you think would work well for your listing, please consider adding it as a custom item specific.

Why isn’t my item coming up in search?

The category change update is still in process. We anticipate search issues will resolve when we complete most data updates during the next 24-48 hours. 

There are more item specifics now than ever before. Do I need to fill in all of them?

No. Item specifics that you have already filled in will be maintained as the category moves are completed during the next week. In addition, new soon-to-be-required item specifics are being added and will become required by Feb 22, 2022. As always, the more item specifics you fill out, the better visibility your listing has to buyers. 

For Parts & Accessories, when will fitment/compatibility charts start working again?

There was an issue with parts compatibility not working properly as the category changes rolled out that has been resolved. You should now be able to see the options to add fitment compatibility when editing your listings.

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We’re updating some of our categories and item specifics to make your listings easier to find. 

Starting October 12th, you’ll see updates to the following categories. Learn more about category changes →

Collectibles & Art

Jewelry

Musical Instruments

Parts & Accessories

Sporting Goods

As these updates go into effect, you may see temporary impacts to your listing experience or to the visibility of listings in the affected categories.

This is a result of listings transitioning to the updated item specifics and category structures. Your affected listings should return to normal within 48 hours, though you may see irregularities on some listings for up to a week. We recommend checking your item specifics and categories in affected listings after these updates are complete.

These updates also include new item specifics in the above categories, which will be required February 22, 2022. Starting today, these item specifics will be available as you list, with the “Required Soon” tag. Learn more →

Keep an eye on this page over the coming days—we’ll be sharing up-to-date information on affected categories and listings, and answering any questions you have. 

[Anonymous]

So what Ebay is really telling everyone in these categories is to expect ZERO SALES for the next week. Got it. Thanks for the heads up so I can go look for another job.

[gurlcat]

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@stepo wrote:

I'm also tired of seeing these PABLUM ANSWERS from the ebay team members that really don't address any of our concerns.  Yes, you sellers may be losing money and buyers are no longer finding your items, but be patient, all will be better when we finish screwing up what was working perfectly well before.

---

What gets me is the creepy cultish lingo, like "The ______ experience".  Like if listings could come with aromatherapy fragrance blasted into buyers' faces, ebay would be ON IT.  And there would be another IS sellers would have to include with each listing.  Hmmmm, is this necklace 'Energy' or 'Serenity' or ...
(BTW, had to look up 'pablum' --FASCINATING, and going straight into my lexicon!)

[shilohpostcards]

All I can say is this sucks!   From adding gallery fees to collectible listings to changing categories and eliminating all the hard work we manually did to put in item specifics to enhance search placement.   None of it makes any sense at all (except the gallery fee rip-off, that's just dishonest greed).   I don't know who you hired that came up with this crap, but you need to fire them or put them in charge of Chinese import listings. 

[donsdetour]

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@gurlcat wrote:

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@stepo wrote:

I'm also tired of seeing these PABLUM ANSWERS from the ebay team members that really don't address any of our concerns.  Yes, you sellers may be losing money and buyers are no longer finding your items, but be patient, all will be better when we finish screwing up what was working perfectly well before.

---

What gets me is the creepy cultish lingo, like "The ______ experience".  Like if listings could come with aromatherapy fragrance blasted into buyers' faces, ebay would be ON IT.  And there would be another IS sellers would have to include with each listing.  Hmmmm, is this necklace 'Energy' or 'Serenity' or ...
(BTW, had to look up 'pablum' --FASCINATING, and going straight into my lexicon!)

---

What:::: You don't want that dynamic thingy??????

[abfabvintage]

We need more buyers expressing their concerns since it is our buyers that keeps ebay running. No buyers, no ebay sales. Thx for your comment.

[ginasthisandthat1939]

I do believe this is "unanimous".

[allellington]

Yes, I am sorry this is happening to buyers. eBay is claiming this will make it easier to find items when it is the exact opposite. I don't think they actually consult with actual buyers and sellers before rolling out these changes. Just a bunch of corporate types in offices who know nothing about the categories they are imposing their changes on. I sell vintage postcards. There used to be helpful categories - like military, airplanes, each U.S. state having its own sub-category. Now they have consolidated to topographical and non-topographical- no one would ever search for a postcard that way. So if you were someone who collects military postcards there is no military section anymore. You will need to go to non-topographical where you can wade through postcards of planes, trains, automobiles, cats, flowers, and more. Maybe if you're lucky you'll see some military postcards in there too.

[shilohpostcards]

My categories are gone, my item specifics are gone.  Christmas is quickly approaching and you are messing up our sales.  This is so wrong on so many levels.  And the sneaky gallery plus fee on collectibles should be illegal. 

[gurlcat]

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@abfabvintage wrote:

That's because some of them went through the Oct 2019 debacle that affected their listings. This time their listings are not affected but they know full well what happened in 2019 so they can't justify this current debacle.

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Not sure which of my comments you're replying to, but if you're talking about smirkers --ha, there were PLENTY in Oct. 2019, and I think that's because the IS changes (which became a full blown GLITCH) only affected clothing, and only certain sub-categories of clothing.  AND it was only IS changes, not a whole revamp of categories.   So yeah, people who didn't mess with clothes at all had no idea what we were talking about, and thought our freaking out was hilarious.  And I hope some of them were in the categories now being affected, and they remember what their lack of empathy would sound like now, to them.  

[shilohpostcards]

"my guess is that is where your ______ will end up"  is a not a satisfactory answer. 

[abfabvintage]

So since haven't gotten a reply from velvet on when can I go in and fix my stuff that is wrong...at random picked my chop plate listed now as cup and saucer to revise. Can't do it. Here is what it says:

Pottery & Glass > Cookware, Dinnerware & Serveware > Cup & Saucers Change category

So.....I would have to change the category to change the sub cat to Plate? And opened their "Type" drop down and only lists types of cups. So I added my own as a plate. Then? I cursor down and it has selections like Adam Levine? Sorry, Adam Levine has nothing to do with my made in Japan plate. It is a bigger mess than I thought. 

[renohamel66oo]

They pulled the “Vintage Car and Truck Parts” category which is ridiculous. Now parts for classic cars and trucks are mixed in with new car and truck parts. Makes zero sense and will absolutely not lead to any more sales. It’s much more difficult to find items now for classic cars and truck. BUT they still have the Antique motorcycle parts category. A clear distinction between new and old motorcycle parts. I have called and complained and same with writing in multiple complaints. Everybody needs to voice their concern!

[modernmarkey]

You must be new to eBay as nothing works how eBay says it should. Totally lack of respect for the buyers and sellers. 

[somanypostcards]

"We’re updating some of our categories and item specifics to make your listings easier to find."  or easier to counterfeit? 

eBay's definition of Era:  "Time period the product is from or attempting to emulate"

eBay's definition of Time Period Manufactured:  "Time period the product was manufactured in or manufactured to imitate, characterized by named time periods"

So if I list a modern reproduction of an undivided back postcard (c.  1901-1907), what value do I enter for Era:   Pre-WWI (the new earliest era choice), c. 1901-1907 (the time period I am attempting to emulate), Post-WWII (the new latest era choice), or 2021 (the actual era of manufacture - my enter your own choice value)?   And the same question applies to what should be entered for Time Period of Manurfacture.

[abfabvintage]

Yes, the smirkers. I thought Oct 2019 was bad, this is worse. They are still trying to do that, to me a failed product catalogue thing and now messing with categories that were stable. Back then they said they weren't going to include vintage and collectibles, but here we are. Pottery and glass was never under collectibles. A big hot mess. Already suggested these New Blues need to do their homework and read what happened in 2019. I am just nuts about this. More work I didn't cause with no sales, no pay.