Updates are happening to some item specifics and category structures

[community_team]

Update 9/21: Earlier this summer, impacted sellers were contacted directly via email and onsite messaging with details about required actions.

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We’ve revised some categories and item specifics to help make your listings easier to find on eBay and by external search engines.

Starting today, you’ll see updates to the following categories:

Collectibles (Figurines)
Parts & Accessories (Motorcycle, Scooter, and UTV/ATV)
Home & Garden (Candles & Home Fragrance, Home Décor, Pillows, Furniture, Window Treatments & Hardware)

During this transition, your listing experience could be temporarily impacted, as well as the visibility of your listings. You may notice some item specifics changing names, listings moved to different categories, or some listings temporarily not appearing in searches. 

Any affected listings should return to normal within a week, though some effects to listings’ visibility in searches may continue for up to three weeks. 

Once these changes are complete, we recommend checking your listings in the above categories to see if any were affected.  Learn more about category changes →

We understand these updates will take extra time and may cause some frustration, but our goal is to help you increase your listings’ visibility and sales. 

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. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

We understand these updates will take extra time and may cause some frustration, but our goal is to help you increase your listings’ visibility and sales. 

@community_team 

Do you have any data that shows an increase in visibility and sales as a result of these restructurings?  Some of the changes have been "over" for quite some time, and it would be interesting to note the increase in conversion rate as a result.  The "postcard" category was given as an example with only two types.  How about Pottery & Glass? Restructuring has been over for a few months now with just Glass or Pottery as well. 
Does the data show the favorable increases as indicated?  

Unfortunately, all we have is anecdotal information from buyers who can't seem to find what they want, and sellers who see a marked decline in sales.  Some general facts on the data would be most appreciated. 

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@ittybitnot 

@discount_oddities 

I keep having flashbacks of my kidlets watching one of these insert item here doesn't belong with the others. Try to get this song out of your mind. I dare you!!!  😆

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsRjQDrDnY8

-Lotz

[collectfest]

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@wrong66 wrote:

Last year I think they learned that they maybe screwed buyers and sellers more than they had intended with the destruction of categories. Last year we learned that this didn't bother eBay in the slightest.

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yeah, Groundhog Day all over again.

[collectfest]

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@meme6253 wrote:

I just want to have this put on record, so we all know it's a RECORD!!

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yeah, agreed and toy round things are MARBLES, not marble, and a marble table or chess set is not MARBLES, they're marble!!!

So, stop mixing them together in search for goodness' sake. WORDS MATTER.

[mi-294]

my 8 years old cat Nalu can run ebay much better than Jamie

he can always understand the difference of a chicken from a spare part

he always shows love to the person who is feeding him and he is leaving a part of his food at the plate in case another cat comes looking for food

you can earn as many millions you want Jamie but you will never earn a soul

Nalu for CEO

[boltonandride]

There are eyeglasses and purses showing up when searching for motorcycle parts, eBay doesn't even realize that they WERE the #1 source for used auto and motorcycle parts on the internet, total market dominance, they never even noticed this because of their blind envy of amazon and stockx, now they completely changed one of their best niches overnight so that the new corporate members can feel like they did something, there was nothing wrong with using only keywords to locate relevant results, worked fine for 20+ years, incredible incompetence at the ebay offices and all they can say is, were sorry you feel that way, we won't do anything about it but we'll look into it. 

[corndogcache]

Is this why all of a sudden . . .

A) 15 of my Good 'till cancelled fixed-priced listings from various categories, mostly in Collectibles, were ended by eBay today? They just showed up randomly in my Ended Listings as Unsold, for no apparent reason. They've been up there for between a year and a few months each, none in categories that are being changed. No messages to explain, just random ended listings with no explanation.

B) When I try to re-list them, or to launch new auctions & fixed price listings, I get this error message: It looks like you've reached the number of items and amount you can list. You can list up to 10 items and $750.00 in total sales this month. Request to list more. Message is absurd as we have a Store, and something like 100,000 listings and $100,000 in sales allowed each month, and we only have just over 700 listings. We've never come close to maxing out what we're allowed in the store. 

C) Even if the message doesn't apply, fine, we hit the Request to List More link, and we get this message: 

Request higher selling limits

Here are some ways to list more items on eBay. Select one to continue.

Verify through Customer Support

When we click Verify through Customer Support, we get this message: Unfortunately, you're not currently eligible for a selling limit increase.We're only able to offer selling limit increases every 30 days. As your limits were increased on 9/21/2022, you'll need to wait to request another increase. Learn more.

We've had a store for years. It's the fourth quarter, the quarter in which we make a profit, for once, and we're shut down by eBay. No messages, no explanations, nothing. Still charging us for our store, of course!

ARG.

corndogcache

[tirescheap]

this is affecting my business and i was not notified prior.  currently we cannot even post any new listings because 20-30 item specifics where added and the prior ones being used are not even accessible to make changes needed for new listings. prior item specifics have been changed without my approval or me making the change.  all these new item specifics have any impact or place with the product we sell. also, compatibility cannot be used whatsoever at this time or current listings edited in compatibility. lastly to even make a quantity change on a current listing it wants new item specifics that where there in the first place just changed to something we did not input.  A COMPLETE JOKE and is doing the opposite of what ebay claims is the goal - BOTTOM LINE COSTING US SALES.  the new item listing program which most did not like just needed a getting use to and that was just a few months ago now is being changed again FOR THE WORSE.        

[bestdresseddoll]

This won’t affect just those categories trust me. My sales have tanked since the last time they did this and I’m not even in those categories. 

[shaggygolfballs]

Same here. I’m not in those categories as well but my impressions dropped around 40% and my sales reflected that number as well.

can’t tell if it’s just a slow month or something with eBay’s update

[chapeau-noir]

 

[anjofak]

Can't they just clock in and go hide like real maintenance crews...gees

[tirescheap]

who's genius idea was it to combine motorcycle scooter and atv utv together. ebay you are out of your minds, they are not even close to the same category.  so, combine them and force sellers to spend hundreds of hours to update item specifics that do not apply whatsoever.  this is by far the most stupid idea ebay has come up with to date.  oh ps you have wiped out compatibility all together and we can't even list a new listing.   ebay once again is costing we the sellers money 

[nilis13]

Personally,  my sales starting tanking with GTC a while back. Then all the item specifics, and then again this April/May with more and more changes,  Bots, etc etc..no views, no sales. Sellers leaving and many sellers were buyers.  Too many glitches also. New formats for listing now that are way too time consuming and the perpetual glitches with that also. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@wrong66 wrote:

Tools? Shoes? Don't give eBay any more ideas, please.

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Are you suggesting eBay goes heavy on "bad" ideas and not so much on "good" ones? If you search for a magazine, clothing usually returns as a suggestion(Regularly in the top 10). Would like to know who gave them that idea?? To whoever did I suggest this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZfasru1i9I

-Lotz

[niede_davi]

I have a macOS Catalina 10.15.7 with Safari 15.6.1 both up to date. Everyday it seems another function fails to  work on the eBay site. It started with pictures not appearing , but lately many things get the "something went wrong" or simply fail to work.  I've cleared caches, deleted sites and history, and changed multiple setting many times with no effect. Are these problems part of the "Updates"? My iPad also seems to be experiencing more issues with the eBay site. Are these updates just not compatible with Apple?