As a buyer, word spamming is a big issue, if fact, it is such a problem it wastes a lot of tine when I could be buying what I want and get sapmmed instead. For example, in collectibles I look for graded MTG cards and Comics. Depending on the siutuation, I may spend time looking for BGS graded 9.5 alpha cards for example. In theory there might be less than 20-or 30 so cards in the case of MTG alpha. Enter that description in search and you get 100's if not 1000's as seller will put "not alpha" in the title, BGS or PSA ready in the title, or Beta, unlimited, 9.5 and a bunch of things, so, rather than continue the search as it is a waste of time, I go back to a few sellers I can trust. Those other sellers do not get looked at and then they do not understand why they get no sales. The same thing happens in comics when I search , for example for CGC graded comics or 9.8 books. I come across "not CGC" ie it is rally PGX etc or "CGC ready" etc. or somethging else, I do not want to look at hundred's of fake listing. We might buy thousands per week, but more often than not , sellers are just lazy, , spam or copy other sellers. The later we just take as a complement. We have bought fakes, altered cards, re-colored cards over condition , those with hidden defects and have paid $500 or more in one case. As a buyer , we appreciate the protections that eBay and PP affords the buyer. We have noticed that the number of "not" type lsiting have declined and for the positive, we noted that on some items, they have put in filters, like an Italian filter when searching for "MTG Legends" f oeign edition filter, not for all sellers all but great when you can get it, so they are trying.
eBay ploiicy changes does not help , as for example they at one time wanted lots of detailed pics and detailed descriptions etc, then they lost our pics and now wants shorter descriptions and fewer pic. for mobile, until of course they invoke seach by pics combined with theri catalog, weher the pics and the actual item s do not match. I think they lost the URL's when they tried to get more mobile freidly, only a guess of curse as they are not transparent.
Anyway, a a seller and buyer, it is difficult ..
The best way , is try to be honest. Those sellers that are trying to get more exposure, fine, but do not breaks the rules, you know when you are wrong, and when you get caught or have no sales, put yourself into the other persons shoes. Actually most buyers are quite rreasonable as nobody is perfect. Too often,. seelrs only view thing from their POV. Take the other side and things msa look differently. Not all sellers are trying to spam, but they see others do it so they try too, maybe they are nrew , The eBay system is no simple system to naviagte, we still make lots of mistakes and on top of it all, the eBay gliches make it look as if the seller is incompentent. or do not know how all the tools work . We still have many, many glitches, even after 22+ years with eBay. I think I have figured out why, but that is another topic.
I thing I have been asking for , forever, a tool that allows you to increase prices universally. Ask, and ask, and ask until blood comes from my eyes. We have pride in our stuff and pride in the process,. iN THE REAL WORLD PRICES AND COSTS GO UP, AND UP AND UP. but DO WE HAVE A TOOL TO KEEP UP, NO. BUT HOW MANY TOOLS does eBay have HAVE TO MAKE LESS, 1 , 2, 3 , 4 ETC. MARKDOWNS, COUP'S, DISCOUNTS, ETC , ETC ETC. ( sorry about all caps, got excitied) . I see guys killing themselves, with negitive results and they work for slave wages, ie less than min wages. Fine if you looking to get rid of your" stuff " as G Carlin used to say, but a business, nah, so people must enjoy the pain. You know shipping cost will increase every year. Shipping in ebay is a module, why not tool that you use that allows you to say increase you shiiping ot item prices by 1.8% or whatever. Pull down the app, go to shipping and enter whatever number you want, click and wow, your postal rates increae by the entered amount. ( eBay can do this, vy the way, we sellers have to keep asking about it.) Kinda, like the clamour over "markdown" . How many tools are available to reduce your prices, and how many allow you to increase them ?
Look at both sides of the process as a business, for sellers that have issues with returns, remember that all business's have shrinkage , som,e more than others and all can be managed if you put in the work...
Just saying /.....
