We are testing a reduced set of item specifics in the listing flow

[selling_team@ebay]

We’ve heard from our sellers that item specifics is one of the most complex parts of our listing experience. 

As a part of simplifying the listing flow, we are testing a reduced set of item specifics, optimized for the selling and buying experience. As a result, in select categories, some sellers may see fewer item specifics to fill out when creating a new listing on web or mobile. We’re actively monitoring performance and taking seller feedback into consideration.    

We’re constantly evaluating how to make listing on eBay easier and will keep you informed about any site-wide listing changes. Feel free to leave feedback in a comment below or via our survey during the listing process.  

As always, thank you for selling on eBay. 

Update as of 10/16/23:

Thank you to all sellers who shared their feedback. We have listened to your concerns and ended the test. We will continue to work on improving item specifics and keep the community informed of any site-wide changes.

The full list of item specifics will automatically reflect on your account for future listings. If you wish to add more item specifics to your previously published listings, the full list of item specifics is available when you revise your listing.

[ltldpr]

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@gwens*4saleitems* wrote:

@golfingaddict , @meme6253 

I agree with your take on this and just want to expand on your frustrations. 

ANY item spec that you add AFTER the listing goes live will not carry over when said listing rolls over in 30 days. Those added item specs will disappear just like it never happened.

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Adding after the fact also drops it from the algorithm for AT LEAST 24 but up to 48 hours. 

[limitbreakcollect]

I am a small/ medium trading card seller and I would love to comment on this. I list a tedious amount of listings in a category that is constantly trying to be "improved" as you guys would call it. The idea of simplifying the listing flow sounds great! The auto fill concept is a great idea!

With that being said, why can't sellers OPT-OUT. These current "improvements" do nothing but open up ALL sellers to NAD claims.

For example, I create drafts on my desktop PC. I can manually put in item specifics and everything will be fine. When I load the draft on my phone to take a picture and list the item, there is a split second where eBay's algorithm overwrites my previously entered CORRECT information and replaces it with incorrect and irrelevant information.

AI and auto fill technology is great, but as it stands, it is in an elementary state. EBay is (in my opinion) really dropping the ball when it comes to communication, buyer/seller confidence, and making actual improvements and innovations.

There are people and posts dating back 5 years ago complaining about this same exact situation. At this point I expect the worse and just roll with the punches. 

-Bab

[deltilogical]

My dream would be to create a category template and pick the item specifics I want to see.  The other ones can go away.    Currently I create a template but the item specifics I don't care about are still there.   

I would also like to get a $ piece of the action for the ads placed in my listings. 

[apiginapoke]

Is there anyway a seller can opt out of the beta test? In the past, sellers had the option to opt in or out. For our specific business, we have seen an impact in units. Our units based on our trend is down 20%; our net sales remains the same because of increased price / unit. 

[stoney45]

I certainly agree with you.  For me it's amazingly time consuming and repetitive.   When I first started with eBay 24 years ago all we did was a title, description and price.  Of course it was all auctions as well and it was fun.   I could put on about 40 something items a day.  Sales were amazing!  All of this fun stopped the day Ebay started the "buy it nows"   And it's never recovered.   

[martin2001]

Thank you. I use about 1/3rd or less of the available options. Some do not like the idea, one solution could be to have a longer and short form to choose form. The short form could be created by providing an option on the long form, which specific should be included on the short form (e.g. check boxes).

[evelyb30]

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@partsdepot_uk wrote:

So let me get this right, the issue of missing item specifics that we have been facing for a month now and that ebay CS has told us was a technical issue is now being sold as an attempt to quote 'make listing on eBay easier'!!??

You seriously couldn't make this up! For years ebay have been telling sellers to fill out as many item specifics (many of them completely irrelevant to the item being listed) so that the listing features higher in the search results.

Now they are hiding the specifics at the point of creating the listing and then saying they are missing at the point of listing!

So this extra revision of each listing to add the item specifics that weren't showing when creating the listing is supposed to be making it easier??

Do us a favour ebay, let go of all your staff who suggest and implement these 'improvements' and give us back the selling platform of around ten years ago (when it worked) please!

The Germans have a word for this which we could also do with in English:

Verschlimmbesserung - an attempted improvement that only makes things worse.

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That word should be eBay's new advertising tagline, or the siggie on eBay rep posts on the boards.  Truth in advertising! 

[aldelbertmatthew]

How about you fix your existing problems with searching and being able to see listings in general? Why is my 150 listings on Poshmark receiving more daily interactions in the form of likes, shares and comments left and more sales while my 330 listings on eBay go for days with no views, watchers or sales?

The site going down every single night to put in these untested changes is breaking this site more and more. You're not going to be monitoring anything when those 3rd quarter reports hit the investors call.

[from_me_2_you]

Many of the boxes I need to read and check or ignore BEFORE I can actually list the item have NO relevancy to the actual item I am listing. As I have said in the past, before any changes are made by the newest hire who has to prove his/her/its/ they/ them/etc, should actually have to CREATE a SALABLE ITEM LISTING, research, photograph, write text, figure weight of the item list and cause it to be delivered, BEFORE MAKING CHANGES to existing formats! When there is FINALLY a listing scheme that most of the sellers are pleased with, LEAVE IT ALONE!!!  With enough agreement (by sellers) a few "tweaks" could be evaluated and incorporated into the listing procedures! I have been with eBay since 1999 and mostly pleased with it until the last 8 or so years. No comment on the managed payments, it has its pluses and minuses! Still hold stock in PAYPAL. Also a stockholder from the IPO, of eBay, too. 

[from_me_2_you]

"As always, thank you for selling on eBay."

Perhaps the sentence should read.....Thank you for listing on eBay, seems the selling part of the sentence is failing. In the past few months or so, I have (with notation for myself for removal) been listing some of my items on one or two other sites. 

Hopefully the he/she/him/her/ them/ those/etc./ who seem to be constantly "tweaking" (for the worst) the listing options finally get it so the real users who actually (attempt) to sell are satisfied.

[ltldpr]

I'd like to know if the Cassini search algorithm has been updated to ignore the Item Specifics that are now being eliminated, since the Cassini search algorithm is specifically designed to place listings that include Item Specifics higher in the search results and basically ignore those listings without Item Specifics.

Can you answer that, selling_team@ebay ? If not, can you please find out?

I'd also like to vote IN FAVOR of having the Item Specifics that you are doing away with HIDDEN under "More" as others have suggested. 

[gloryglorygifts]

Well, since you addressed that response to me, I will say that like 75% of my items do not have item specs that ebay has available so I just use the Add Specs feature to include them. We sell different products but are basically in the same boat. Selling things on a marketplace that do not fit into a template. I have no problem adding the specs that I need but just don't remind me that I have 20 blanks that have nothing to do with my product. 

[gloryglorygifts]

Welp, the last thing I need right now is anyone tinkering around with item descriptions, in my busiest time of the year. I mean I have new inventory coming in now for the 4th quarter sales. If I'm still looking at it in January, I am not going to be a very happy camper. I am afraid to say anything more because of the.... ahem.... throttling thing. 😘

[gloryglorygifts]

Interesting that you say they do the testing at night. That's when I usually get the most sales but lately it's been crickets with only 1 or none in sales. The messages still come thru tho. Aha....... 

[apiginapoke]

Thank you for your information. We are currently revising item specifics after going live. We are seeing an uptick in those items selling with the revisions. Similar to those prior to noticing the specifics not being available. In the past, we have revised specifics on old listing and not experienced those specifics being dropped after 30 days. 

Is this something you are currently experiencing with this update? We have not been through a full 30 day cycle with revisions for this update. Your input would certainly impact how we allocate time.

Thank you for your time!