current search does stuff i never asked for

[lemarcheaupuces]

this is the second time i caught this issue.

was looking for a specific item.

had "bracelet" in my search with categories set on "all".

when it was done the category "automatically" switched from "all" to "bracelet".

today was doing a search for cufflinks & Brand name and again set on "all".

when done the page presented to me had "automatically" switched the category to "cufflinks".

it showed about 800 listings.

when i switched back to "all" the page had well over 1000 listings.

that is well over 200 listings a potential buyer might not see unless he catches the switch ebay has imposed in the search.

i always stand up for Ebay.

but this is completely wrong.

no wonder sellers claim they cannot find their listings.

i wonder how many of my items are not being seen because of this?

when i shop on ebay i expect the default search to be "best match".

i never expected the category to switch on me just like that.

and it is not all the time.

i don't know when/how/why this is happening?

[siayan]

I noticed this a week ago. Seems like they are showing what they want you to see. Everyone asked for a better search, it's here. 

[loveyourimagination49]

It's not just eBay. I went to many sites this week and they all stink! 😩

Technology is changing, for better or worse.
Shopping online used to be easy. Now I rather just drive and get what I want.

PS: I don't like shopping

[mistwomandancing]

Well what the heck is going on now!!??!! 

[loveyourimagination49]

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@mistwomandancing wrote:

Well what the heck is going on now!!??!! 

---

I don't know, what?

[luckythewinner]

---

@lemarcheaupuces wrote:

i don't know when/how/why this is happening?

---

eBay search has actually been doing this dynamic category switch for several years now. 

It seems to happen on certain occasions when one of your search terms matches a category name.  

[lemarcheaupuces]

---

@loveyourimagination49 wrote:
It's not just eBay. I went to many sites this week and they all stink! 😩

Technology is changing, for better or worse.
Shopping online used to be easy. Now I rather just drive and get what I want.

PS: I don't like shopping

---

this is a huge issue.

if one has a "hot" item it might not be seen because, the category switches to;

bracelet or cufflinks or this or that.

we all know about best match.

not all buyers are skilled "researchers".

when searching for my cufflinks i went through 4 pages of items.

nowhere to be found.

then i caught the switch Ebay had imposed in my search.

how is a once in a while "buyer" going to catch that?

see it was my understanding (last year) that all jewelry with precious metal should be listed in "fine" jewelry.

well the search imposed by ebay switches to men's jewelry... cufflinks...

it really makes me wonder.

very often i buy an item that as per ebay is hot.

i list it and barely get a fraction of the $ i thought i would get.

honestly it happens way too often.

i might have to study in which category these sellers are listing from now on.

and will have to search for every one item i list to see if there is an automatic switch to a category ebay wants a buyer to see.

i guess the best is to list in the category ebay wants buyers to look at.

this is not right.

[dhbookds]

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Weekly-Chat-with-eBay-Staff/Weekly-Chat-with-the-eBay-Mobile-Team-Octob...

I think this is the only place it was ever explained........see last posts..........

[lemarcheaupuces]

---

@luckythewinner wrote:

---

@lemarcheaupuces wrote:

i don't know when/how/why this is happening?

---

eBay search has actually been doing this dynamic category switch for several years now. 

It seems to happen on certain occasions when one of your search terms matches a category name.  

---

strange i never caught it before until recently.

that means as a buyer, i never realized and didn't look at thousands of listings.

i guess too bad for the sellers.

also this could really affect the ending price of an auction.

this is really messed up.

the cufflinks search?

20% of the available listings weren't being shown to me.

[lemarcheaupuces]

thanks for the link.

will check it up.

now have to think of a way to find the best categories to list in.

i believe NOT all buyers are skilled "researchers" and many of them are not going to see my items because of it.

i can't believe i never caught this until recently.

1 poster says it's been going on for years.

if true indeed (i am also a buyer), there are a lot of listings i never looked at because of the search "switch" imposed by ebay.

this should concern all sellers.

guess it is time to check all my categories and listings.

as if selling on ebay wasn't hard enough.

another headache.

well vented about it so done with it.

thanks for your help...

[lemarcheaupuces]

---

@luckythewinner wrote:

---

@lemarcheaupuces wrote:

i don't know when/how/why this is happening?

---

eBay search has actually been doing this dynamic category switch for several years now. 

It seems to happen on certain occasions when one of your search terms matches a category name.  

---

don't mean to question your reply.

but i just did a search for Fenton Burmese.

the category switched from "all" to Fenton.

i am in total disbelief.

if this had been going for years, i "should" have caught it years ago.

perhaps it is happening in more categories (today) than even before.

let see if my item shows up in Fenton.

[lemarcheaupuces]

---

@lemarcheaupuces wrote:

---

@luckythewinner wrote:

---

@lemarcheaupuces wrote:

i don't know when/how/why this is happening?

---

eBay search has actually been doing this dynamic category switch for several years now. 

It seems to happen on certain occasions when one of your search terms matches a category name.  

---

don't mean to question your reply.

but i just did a search for Fenton Burmese.

the category switched from "all" to Fenton.

i am in total disbelief.

if this had been going for years, i "should" have caught it years ago.

perhaps it is happening in more categories (today) than even before.

let see if my item shows up in Fenton.

---

and of course it didn't show.

i better work on my categories real fast.

listing has just become a lot more complicated.

[luckythewinner]

---

@lemarcheaupuces wrote:
don't mean to question your reply.

but i just did a search for Fenton Burmese.

the category switched from "all" to Fenton.

if this had been going for years, i "should" have caught it years ago. 

---

The fact that you just noticed it does not mean it has not been going on for years. A quick search of this board will turn up many posts similar to yours. 

Here is one from 2015: 

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Getting-Started/Search-category-keeps-auto-switching-from-all-categorie...

[lemarcheaupuces]

---

@luckythewinner wrote:

---

@lemarcheaupuces wrote:
don't mean to question your reply.

but i just did a search for Fenton Burmese.

the category switched from "all" to Fenton.

if this had been going for years, i "should" have caught it years ago. 

---

The fact that you just noticed it does not mean it has not been going on for years. A quick search of this board will turn up many posts similar to yours. 

Here is one from 2015: 

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Getting-Started/Search-category-keeps-auto-switching-from-all-categorie...

---

my reply to you also went on to say;

perhaps it is happening in more categories (today) than even before?

anyhow not looking for an argument with you.

it is no help to me.

would dread to know that my listings are being bypassed by potential buyers because i picked the wrong category and ebay is directing buyers to another category.

i believe that many buyers will not catch the category switch.

i guess i have not since 2015.

[castlemagicmemories]

You are not alone.

I was searching for santa figure and got Victoria's Secret.

Trust me...I don't need Victoria's Secret!!!