eBay

timemachine777 · ‎08-01-2017

About a year ago Wenig talked about eBay going visual. Shop by photo. So, I looked at the pros and cons, and currently I see more cons. I only saw a benefit with new/unused products that were simple in design (Though I could be completely wrong about that).

The reason I stated, simple in design, is because as items become more complex, the current object detection photo software has difficulty making a match. When I look at facial recognition software, for instance which is the godfather of this tech. Faces are much easier to map, than many products that have more layers and angles, plus specs, too decipher.

A great example of my (I could be wrong) statement. I recently posted that it would work well for products like dishes and cups. I just read an article about a MUM in the UK that saw a picture on eBay of a Tupperware pitcher and cup. She just looked at the photo and not the info. See bought the item, and when it arrived it was a doll house miniature. You need to be more engage than just scanning, when buying stuff.

This could also be one of the reasons why eBay is pushing free returns. I can see it now. The skyrocketing number of returns due to all the sellers using stock photos in their listings, and buyers scanning photos instead of reading data.

The one thing that gets me the most is how long this process can take buyers. Lets put aside the amount of time it takes to find a photo of what your looking for, for the visual scan, and let's just look at the time involved in you taking a photo of something you want. That can be very time consuming right there, and then you have to do the scan.

I can type the text faster than that and be done with my search in many cases, faster than you could have your photo ready for a visual search. Plus your results will be limited to your photo. I will get more examples in the end. Which means the chance of a better deal.

It seems like the more evolved search tech gets, the harder it gets to find what your really looking for. This looks to me like another crooked leg forward.

beautybylynn · ‎08-01-2017

customers wont read more then 4 secs. That is why so much thought goes into designing grocery store shelves. You have to make that person think they cant live without that in that time frame, then they might go more indepth (view your page)

tunicaslot · ‎08-01-2017

The idea will apply to some and not to others. Many others are using this technology - not just Ebay and I'm sure that's why Ebay held off on this a few months as they wanted to see how welll it was accepted on other venues.

Sometimes - people think too much into things - bringing up all the negatives and what ifs and then are pleasantly surprised at the results!

timemachine777 · ‎08-01-2017

@beautybylynn wrote:
customers wont read more then 4 secs. That is why so much thought goes into designing grocery store shelves. You have to make that person think they cant live without that in that time frame, then they might go more indepth (view your page)

Two different shopping experiences. When we shop for stuff we are always flipping what mode we're in. When I'm grocery shopping I'm in two modes. What I need to get and what's new or different. What I need takes really no thought. Muscle memory kicks in and I grab at stuff as I walk by them. As for new stuff. I stop and read the package info. Some more than others. An if I need a medical degree to read the ingredients, it goes back on the shelf.

End cap impulse shopping is another mode that some of us keep in the off position, like myself. An, I can't forget about going grocery shopping on an empty stomach. You buy more quick junk foods and snacks. I go grocery shopping every two days. I want my vegetables and meat as fresh as possible when I cook them. I see loads of people standing in the aisles reading packages.

That shopping mentality is quite different than the visual online shopping experience. The product presentation is completely different at the B&M's also.

Shopping in general on line is time consuming as it is. I could never imagine grocery shopping on line. I would be paying top dollar to spend my day finding products that I need, and then I have to wait to get them.

If I'm on line shopping for a new laptop, lets say. I'm not going to scan photos and click BIN. I would have to be the biggest idiot walking around. You need to read the specs, etc. Check out the seller and compare sellers. Same goes for most new product. I know our school systems are putting out a lot of dumb kids nowadays, but I have to give the younger generation more credit for commonsense I would hope.

timemachine777 · ‎08-01-2017

@tunicaslot wrote:
The idea will apply to some and not to others. Many others are using this technology - not just Ebay and I'm sure that's why Ebay held off on this a few months as they wanted to see how welll it was accepted on other venues.

Sometimes - people think too much into things - bringing up all the negatives and what ifs and then are pleasantly surprised at the results!

The biggest negatives that I see, are that, as a shopper; it's time consuming. As a seller; Brace for the returns.

rixstuff · ‎08-01-2017

No

No no

No no no no no no no.

Buyers need descriptions and details. Even on other sites that are geared for smart phone sales, items with only pictures and the barest of details DO NOT SELL because buyers want to know before they pay that the item is what they are looking for - materials (cotton or polyester?), sizes, colors (is it blue or black), measurements(!). Also as you say, search engines are STILL text based. Folks need to be able to sort. There is one site that I quickly LET GO of because I couldnt sort or filter because it was just pictures with no details. I often list things here with full details then copy those over to a POSH site i have bookMARKed. And if you put just pictures with no details you will regrET SYmbols as a replacement for text descriptions.

lloydsteventaylor · ‎08-01-2017

depends on the product. I would buy a pound of sand with visual search but not a rare gold coin.

goodluckselling · ‎08-01-2017

@timemachine777 - There are apps now you can create dynamic 3-D visuals of an item complete with a turntable to watch the item spin around slowly to inspect it carefully.

If what you are trying to do is stay as current as possible, both of your options are or will be old news in a couple months.

Coming to America soon!

eBay is already live with the worlds first Virtual shopping experience. Is was in connection with one of Australia retailer named Myer - Virtual reality shopping experience and has thousands of items from the store available to shop using the virtual experience.

Imagine sitting on your couch and being able to walk the aisles of your favorite department store and shop in a number of ways just as if you are in the store. It will show you the same aisles and product placement as you might see in one of the stores.

Click here to see a list of links.

Good Luck Selling!

goodluckselling · ‎08-01-2017

@tunicaslotwrote:
The idea will apply to some and not to others. Many others are using this technology - not just Ebay and I'm sure that's why Ebay held off on this a few months as they wanted to see how welll it was accepted on other venues.

Sometimes - people think too much into things - bringing up all the negatives and what ifs and then are pleasantly surprised at the results!

I recall a bad review from most of the regulars about the ebay branded supplies. I do not hear any complaints any longer? I guess they are accepted by most here. Free is good usually unless it is the eBay forum (in a number of ways.

Good Luck Selling!

d-k_treasures · ‎08-01-2017

@goodluckselling wrote:
@timemachine777 - There are apps now you can create dynamic 3-D visuals of an item complete with a turntable to watch the item spin around slowly to inspect it carefully.

If what you are trying to do is stay as current as possible, both of your options are or will be old news in a couple months.

Coming to America soon!

eBay is already live with the worlds first Virtual shopping experience. Is was in connection with one of Australia retailer named Myer - Virtual reality shopping experience and has thousands of items from the store available to shop using the virtual experience.

Imagine sitting on your couch and being able to walk the aisles of your favorite department store and shop in a number of ways just as if you are in the store. It will show you the same aisles and product placement as you might see in one of the stores.

Click here to see a list of links.

Good Luck Selling!

And here I thought I might actually be impressed.

Nope - didn't happen.

_____________________________
"Nothing is obvious to the oblivious"

odditiesandantiquities1 · ‎08-01-2017

@timemachine777 wrote:
@tunicaslot wrote:
The idea will apply to some and not to others. Many others are using this technology - not just Ebay and I'm sure that's why Ebay held off on this a few months as they wanted to see how welll it was accepted on other venues.

Sometimes - people think too much into things - bringing up all the negatives and what ifs and then are pleasantly surprised at the results!
The biggest negatives that I see, are that, as a shopper; it's time consuming. As a seller; Brace for the returns.

I don't believe it's a case of too many negatives. Most of us are clueless until something launches and it messes us up. In my case IPR. Why can't things be brought out and talked about prior to launch. They aren't the sellers, we are.

timemachine777 · ‎08-01-2017

@odditiesandantiquities1 wrote:
@timemachine777 wrote:
@tunicaslot wrote:
The idea will apply to some and not to others. Many others are using this technology - not just Ebay and I'm sure that's why Ebay held off on this a few months as they wanted to see how welll it was accepted on other venues.

Sometimes - people think too much into things - bringing up all the negatives and what ifs and then are pleasantly surprised at the results!
The biggest negatives that I see, are that, as a shopper; it's time consuming. As a seller; Brace for the returns.

I don't believe it's a case of too many negatives. Most of us are clueless until something launches and it messes us up. In my case IPR. Why can't things be brought out and talked about prior to launch. They aren't the sellers, we are.

Because they ask the buyers only.

d-k_treasures · ‎08-01-2017

@timemachine777 wrote:
@odditiesandantiquities1 wrote:
@timemachine777 wrote:
@tunicaslot wrote:
The idea will apply to some and not to others. Many others are using this technology - not just Ebay and I'm sure that's why Ebay held off on this a few months as they wanted to see how welll it was accepted on other venues.

Sometimes - people think too much into things - bringing up all the negatives and what ifs and then are pleasantly surprised at the results!
The biggest negatives that I see, are that, as a shopper; it's time consuming. As a seller; Brace for the returns.

I don't believe it's a case of too many negatives. Most of us are clueless until something launches and it messes us up. In my case IPR. Why can't things be brought out and talked about prior to launch. They aren't the sellers, we are.
Because they ask the buyers only.

I thought they ran it past the group at the playground ...........

_____________________________
"Nothing is obvious to the oblivious"

timemachine777 · ‎08-01-2017

@goodluckselling wrote:
@timemachine777 - There are apps now you can create dynamic 3-D visuals of an item complete with a turntable to watch the item spin around slowly to inspect it carefully.

If what you are trying to do is stay as current as possible, both of your options are or will be old news in a couple months.

Coming to America soon!

eBay is already live with the worlds first Virtual shopping experience. Is was in connection with one of Australia retailer named Myer - Virtual reality shopping experience and has thousands of items from the store available to shop using the virtual experience.

Imagine sitting on your couch and being able to walk the aisles of your favorite department store and shop in a number of ways just as if you are in the store. It will show you the same aisles and product placement as you might see in one of the stores.

Click here to see a list of links.

Good Luck Selling!

I'm familiar with all that. I've been doing the motorized lazy susan videos for more than a decade for a few of my customers on high end items. Why would I want to do all my shopping from the couch? Just a good way to get fat and lazy, and spend more due to shipping and handling.

When I was a kid I could do that. Call the A&P supermarket, and tell them what I wanted. They would have a delivery boy delivery it within 2 hours for a tip. Usually 2 bucks. For decades, I'm always hearing about different ways to shop and different ways to deliver the goods. In the end, most people are still shopping the same way people have for hundreds of years.

Over 20 years ago VR was suppose to change the gaming industry, and all it did was give users a major headache, and some got seizures.

timemachine777 · ‎08-01-2017

@goodluckselling wrote:
@tunicaslotwrote:
The idea will apply to some and not to others. Many others are using this technology - not just Ebay and I'm sure that's why Ebay held off on this a few months as they wanted to see how welll it was accepted on other venues.

Sometimes - people think too much into things - bringing up all the negatives and what ifs and then are pleasantly surprised at the results!
I recall a bad review from most of the regulars about the ebay branded supplies. I do not hear any complaints any longer? I guess they are accepted by most here. Free is good usually unless it is the eBay forum (in a number of ways.

Good Luck Selling!

Maybe it's because, like me, they don't use the junk, so they don't talk about it. I had three stores which meant that I could get a lot of so called free supplies. The tape is thin junk, and smells, mailers are very thin, and the boxes are very thin also. Nothing of any quality. Some have complained of small roaches living in the cardboard corrugation too.