can't change/edit "provided by ebay" description in listing

[alicelliot6]

I'm trying to list an item but I'm not able to add as description. The current description section is just the title of my listing, and a checkbox that says 'provided by ebay' with no option to change the description.

What's going on here?

[gurlcat]

Is it an auction with at least one bid, or have you sent any offers to buyers for it?  

[ethig_3147]

I'm having the same problem. This is just a draft I'm creating, not a live listing, so no bids or offers yet. Were you able to solve this problem?

[mam98031]

Did you have the option when you were creating the listing of using the Ebay catalog description?  If you had an ISB and you entered it in the set up of the listing, it will either tell you they didn't find it or a pop up box will ask you if you want to use the catalog info.  Did this happen?

[ethig_3147]

No, this option did not appear. The listing is still being created, it is not yet published, and ebay simply took the title and populated the description with the same text as the title, and no option to edit the description.

[13sengel]

I’m having the same problem right now! Mine is also a draft. 

[az93]

Did you check the box for ai to provide description?

[a_c_green]

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@13sengel wrote:

I’m having the same problem right now! Mine is also a draft. 

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Just a guess (and a screenshot might be helpful), but if you use the description provided by eBay, it might be that you can add to it (below the eBay text) but you cannot edit what was provided by them.

If that is indeed what is happening, and you still want to use the eBay text as a base that you will then modify, I would copy its text into a separate text editor (e.g. NotePad or WordPad, on Windows machines), make the changes there, and then paste your description into the listing in place of the original eBay text. (Delete the eBay text, un-check the option box or whatever is necessary to do that, and then paste in your text last.)

[davidson_23]

I'm having the same problem. I typed in my title, and eBay used it as my description, which does not allow me to edit. Super frustrating.

[mam98031]

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@davidson_23 wrote:

I'm having the same problem. I typed in my title, and eBay used it as my description, which does not allow me to edit. Super frustrating.

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Which listing so we can see it?  Did you use the Ebay catalog for any part of your description?

[east2mre]

I ran into the exact same issue and hit the word change at the top right and I was able to add my description. I also deleted the title prior to this but I can not say if that contributed to me being able to add mt description.

[purple_butterfly1]

On desktop, there is a very small, inconspicuous "Change" option at the very top of the screen in the right corner that will allow you to go into edit mode. Very frustrating that this is so easy to miss. This option should be put right near the description area.

[lagarto_electronico]

Not for me. I can fill out my own description, but eBay automatically fills in their own, which is badly written wall of text. No option to remove it.

Even if I remove the UPC and MPN, eBay refuses to remove the prefilled garbage. Literally a giant wall of text written on roughly the second grade level.

Update: I was able to trick it into stopping. I had to remove the MPN and UPC and also erase all of my own description, which I saved in a text to document. In place of where my text had been I wrote, "eBay please stop adding pre-filled information". When I revised the listing, that was in place of BOTH my original description and the official eBay wall of text. Then I revised it again and added my original description.

I know what you are thinking. You think it was the MPN and UPC that triggered the pre-fill. Nope, I had removed both and it was still adding it. I had to remove the MPN, the UPC, my own description, and make sure my own description was replaced with the text, "eBay please stop adding pre-filled information."

Now it says, "eBay please stop adding pre-filled information" and then goes on to show ONLY my original description.

Don't ask me why it worked. It just did.

[mam98031]

I use UPCs all the time.  Sometimes they find a description in the Ebay catalog and sometimes it doesn't.  If it does, I can tell the program NOT to use Ebay description and it then goes away.  I can still leave the UPC there and I can create my own ISBs and description.  Just say no.  LOL

[thezenzoneatx]

Lifesaver!!!