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. 

[andnowitsmine]

In fact, let's see what happens when I type "Vintage Barbie" with "Vintage" "specific" on and Newly Listed and try to browse. I will ignore 8,000+ listings that are undecided what vintage means, possibly missing out on something wonderful because the seller isn't sure.

Wow, shocker. A sea of 1980s Barbies! Just what I'm looking for.... NOT.

[dhbookds]

---

@andnowitsmine wrote:

Lmao, that isn't an antique filter, and it is still full of non-antique dolls. And what about the 100,000+ non-specified? You aren't an Antique Doll person, so you don't know how it works.

---

doesn't that kind of prove the need for IS?        

[us_bmich]

"The more data you give us about what you’re selling, the better we can match what your buyer is looking for..."

The LAST thing I WANT or NEED, is Ebay telling me what MY buyers are looking for!!

Jesus, I would not Ebay, give me water if I was dying of thirst!

Ebay, YOUR the problem, not US!

[andnowitsmine]

Perhaps in your category, which is obviously different than mine, hence your lack of understanding of my collectible.

Can you then explain to me what the dozens of new specifics (that take me an extra 10 minutes and a migraine from eye rolling figuring how how they relate to my item) such as the “occasion” of antique doll clothing do for my listing?

Please, tell me, because nobody out there searches for antique clothing like:

“Oh yes, today I want to specifically search for an outfit specifically for one 1883 S&H, who has aspirations of going to the Prom, but who doesn’t like Pink, Purple, or Sky Blue—"

Or “Yes today I think I want to search for a dress for my antique wax doll, I think the occasion is going to her late husbands mother’s Funeral, and so it must be Mourning, but not Gothic, but has to be made in Wool or Linen because Silk may offend her traditional family.”

Or Ken Clothes from the 1960s. Ah yes, the item is called Fountain Boy, so the occasion is obviously working for minimum wage at a Diner, but he can still afford a new car and gas so that’s cool for that era. Doesn’t have insurance though.”

Nobody searches for antique and vintage doll clothes that way.

But you know what we used to do?

Browse through a specific section of Antique Doll clothes and see what is offered. Maybe we’d put a key word of 11” or just “red” and everything that would pop up was antique and related to the clothing you’d want to see.

Or you don’t know what specific pre 1973 Barbie outfit you wanted, you just wanted to scroll until you saw a good deal or a newly listed BIN.

Can’t do either anymore.

[4somethingdifferent]

And we have another glitch.  Just ended my auctions on a bunch of listings and got an individual email for each item reading "Your bid has been canceled" and "The bid that you entered for the item ___ has been cancelled".  I AM THE SELLER!!!  If this one doesn't prove that this roll out is really screwed up I don't know what does.  So the new Artificial Intelligence system that eBay evidently put in now thinks that I'm bidding on my own items!  Already paid for them once thank you.  Had a really good estate sale today and will be setting up at local flea market next week.  May not get as much for some items, but don't have the listing time and commissions to deal with.  

I really do hope that this gets worked out though.  The auction format is fun, exciting and sometimes lucrative.  It only works though if you can get a lot of people EASILY finding your items.  Can we please use some actual intelligence to sort this out rather than artificial to screw it up more?

[ephemeracat22]

Woke up the other morning to see postcard categories completely screwed up. Took me an hour to figure out all the unnecessary category changes and the addition of twenty more subcategories Ill never use.....Bids are in the toilet....They just can't leave well enough alone!!!

[sweetstuff12]

EBAY! Stop this madness!

It is a weekend and my sales are in the dumpster! Your fault! Admit it!

[maaland]

The elimination of subcategories is the worst decision I've seen implemented on Ebay in the 25+ years I've been buying and selling.  I'm selling my Ebay stock immediately because your revenue will fall as a result of these changes, and my investment in your company will plummet.  Bidders cannot browse their favorite categories any longer;  you've made it virtually impossible to browse items like vintage Barbies (pre 1973) or antique photographs (CDVs, cabinet cards).   Your new "upgrades" are disastrous.  

[mmwalzer]

This is the stupidest decision I have ever in a sales environment.  Whoever dreamed this up should be fired!

I sell Vintage Barbie. That means Pre 1973.

I found the category under  Toys & Games.

The sub-categories are:

Trading Cards

Kids Toys

Action Figures 

Dolls & Bears

So I clicked on Dolls & Bears, that gave me  a page with two rows of pictures of various Dolls and Bears and Doll related items.  Right above the pictures it says "Shop By Category". So I click on the photo of a vintage Barbie Doll.  That took me to a page that had  1,906,950 listings.  Since I don't have time to peruse that many listings, I clicked on the only "Item Specifics"  that was important to me. , "Mattel".  (Remember I had already clicked on "Barbie Vintage"). And, it worked that narrowed it down to only  558,470 listings. That page gave me a whole bunch  of new "Item Specifics" that  had nothing at all to do with what I am looking for. "Barbie" was the main character so I clicked on that. Presumably I will have to go back and look at each character individually, since  clicking of "View All" took me to another group of names that were never part of the Vintage Barbie  clan. I was very surprised to have to click on  Barbie again since I had already supposedly been taken to the "Vintage Barbie" listings two pages ago. Now I have 413,013" listings to look at. I am 68 years old, I am not sure if I will live that long.

The first page of 50 had only 13 "Sponsored Listings" and only one of them was Vintage and it was for Francie. All of the other listings were "New".  Only  10 of the 50 items were "Vintage" and they were for  Barbie, Ken, Francie, Skipper and Ricky. Remember I asked for just "Barbie". 

When I received the notices for my listings that need updates to "Item Specifics", I dutifully filled them all in and added all of the items that were appropriate. Now, all of my listings have been moved to these STUPID new categories which wiped all of them out so I have to do it all over again.  I was led to believe that these "Item Specifics" were going to make my listings more visible and INCREASE my sales. 

Will someone please tell me how my listings are more visible when they are lumped in with 413,013 other listings of items that are not even vintage Barbie?

I would like to mention that I pay to promote every single item in my store, but I fully intend to stop doing so as soon as I am able to revise my listings again. I am certain there are a whole bunch of other "Promoted Listings" among that 413,013,  but only 13 made it to page 1 and 12 of them were listed in the wrong category.

Why would anyone in their right mind pay to promote their listings?  An even stupider idea is that anyone would want to take advantage of the NEW "Promoted Listings Advanced BETA" program. Unless of course that is the only way you can actually have your listings seen in the appropriate category.

If I didn't have so much inventory,  I would remove all of my listings, close my store and never visit eBay again. I fully intend to sell off my items and do just that. 

It used to be fun to shop on eBay and I really enjoyed selling the things I love, but they have ruined it.

I was reading the BIO of our illustrious leaders and most of them spoke of how much they loved shopping for the items they loved on eBay. Some of them have children or family members that love to shop here.  I wonder what they think of eBay now that they have destroyed it.

Recently, two different people asked me if I would recommend eBay as a selling platform and foolishly I said yes.  Now I am embarrassed to have done so and never will again.

Thank you eBay I can't wait to see how long it takes your company to fail.  I just hope I can sell my inventory before it does.

[decadeslostvintage]

Wow!! eBay when you mess up, you mess up BIG TIME. I mean like on a cosmic level.    

[yesterfun]

Here's just one example of how this is messing up searches for buyers.   The screenshot below shows the search I did a few minutes ago.   Let's say I'm looking for a vintage Francie doll, and I want to see the newly listed Francie dolls.  So I put in "vintage Francie doll" and choose the narrowest available category, "Dolls and Playsets" because I do not want clothing, just a doll.  What comes up is mostly non-Francie items and mostly not dolls, most of them not vintage. Yes there are a few normal vintage Francie dolls somewhere deep  inside there but you have to scroll really down to find them. First item up is a non-Mattel gown, nothing at all to do with Francie, and it may not even be vintage because it has a question mark by "vintage" in the title. Second, part of a Francie outfit. Close, but no doll, and this "Dolls and Playsets" category is supposed to exclude clothes by themselves.  Third, a record player & telephone with a pair of Francie shoes.   Fourth, a non-Mattel nun doll wearing a habit!

[heartsafire!]

I sell mostly jewelry and have spent days trying to fix my listings.  Days that should've been spent adding NEW listings!  All the while sales have absolutely stopped.  It's demoralizing.  Years of work, down the drain.  All of this while our country deals with cargo ships unable to come to port--which should increase our ability to sell things that are actually on ebay and in the country! 

Ridiculous items specifics for costume jewelry.  A listing that should take less than one minute, now takes several--which adds up when you're a one woman operation in my case!  

I have never felt more unsupported by ebay---and actually I feel like they want us to fail.

[xvoodoomanx]

What eBay has done here is so nonsensical (trying to be nice!) and either they are so out of touch OR they are INTENTIONALLY  making it more difficult for buyers to find items. The question is: Why?

There do seem to be a LOT of unhappt buyers after this update. More than I can ever recall seeing before.

[ohmygoodnessgracious]

Thought this was supposed to be EASIER for BUYERS to find what they want  OR to browse. Many buyers like to browse to see what else they can find in a  SPECIFIC CATEGORY!

PLUS, if you are looking for an old postcard, close your eyes, because  one will see lots of NUDITY and some GRAPHIC.   Provide a WARNING!  I thought that was a law!?! 

I don't want to even look for old postcards anymore! So much nakedness and in EXPLICIT positions!

Ebay needs to at least warn the public  that Ebay is now R Rated.

Hey Stockholders, pay attention!