eBay! Keep the same Item number and URL for RELISTED items! Your missing the boat!

[drusalina]

I cannot stress this enough.  If eBay kept the same Item number and URL for each RELISTED item, it would sell faster!  Pinning on Pinterest and clicking on it in Pinterests doesnt' bring up the item if the item was relisted. 

People get frustratied on Pinterest when they can't find the Pin they clicked on eBay!!! 

Come on eBay!  Use Pinterest as your tool to sell more items.   PLEASE!

[southern*sweet*tea]

Ebay doesn't use Pinterest. Individual sellers do. I don't use social media, so you won't find my stuff there. (I used to social media promote, but it was a colossal waste of time)

When an item is relisted using the relist feature, the URL and item number  stay the same.

When an item is relisted using the sell similar feature, it's like starting a brand new listing.

A lot of sellers use the sell similar to give the item a boost in search using newly listed and ending soonest.  I rarely use the relist feature. I'll only use it on something that has a few watchers, and then I'll only use it one or two times.

[drusalina]

Then why does ebay have the link to pin to pinterest on every listing???Etsy keeps the same item number and URL, why can't eBay would have more sales!!!  Just because you don't use pinterest or social media, doesn't mean no one does!    There are millions of people who use social media.  Heck even Facebook has gotten into selling with their Market Place on their pages where you can buy locally!  Ebay is being left in the dust!

[jonathankirkland]

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@drusalina wrote:

Then why does ebay have the link to pin to pinterest on every listing???Etsy keeps the same item number and URL, why can't eBay would have more sales!!!  Just because you don't use pinterest or social media, doesn't mean no one does!    There are millions of people who use social media.  Heck even Facebook has gotten into selling with their Market Place on their pages where you can buy locally!  Ebay is being left in the dust!

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Huh? Where do you see that? Are you sure that isn't because of some kind of browser or add-on extension you are using?

I find it extremely unlikely ebay would solicit any social media site to promote listings... that is something each individual seller could choose to do on their own.

[jklfindings]

You can find the icons the OP is talking about in the upper right hand corner of any listing.  Email, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are represented there.  I've always been curious why they are there since it kind of incourages out side of ebay sales...

[drusalina]

Thank you Jkfindings for helping with that.  You have to look at your listings once in a while to see how other people are seeing them.  Sometimes I log out and then go look at my listings to see what others are seeing.  I also see that they put on my listings other items that are from other sellers.  That is the way ebay has always been. 

I do hope that eBay sees this post and sees that it would benefit both eBay and the sellers if they did what Etsy has always done.  It would increase sales tremendously.

BTW your items Jkfindings are beautiful.  Wish I could afford your saphire rings.  They are beautiful!

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

"When an item is relisted using the relist feature, the URL and item number stay the same. When an item is relisted using the sell similar feature, it's like starting a brand new listing." NO, each listing gets a unique item number. However, the completed listing is marked with a link to the newer, active listing. Remember, a "relisted" item can be edited, even changing the content completely. A duplicate item number would be terribly confusing! ~~C~~

[shipscript]

eBay has GTC (Good til canceled) listings for this very reason. GTC listings have a tremendously longer lifespan and are more likely to be found in a google search.  ebay recommends that sellers use GTC for items that may require more exposure to sell, or for multi-quantity or variation listings where ongoing sales can boost rankings.  If a sellers wants their items pinned, then GTC would be the recommended duration.

[drusalina]

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@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:
"When an item is relisted using the relist feature, the URL and item number stay the same. When an item is relisted using the sell similar feature, it's like starting a brand new listing." NO, each listing gets a unique item number. However, the completed listing is marked with a link to the newer, active listing. Remember, a "relisted" item can be edited, even changing the content completely. A duplicate item number would be terribly confusing! ~~C~~

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No it doesn't.  I use Relist all the time and the item number and URL changes each time.  I know this for sure because the things I pin say that the item is out of stock, when it is not. 

[bubbleman2010]

Simple solution is to pay $20.00 for a store and make all your listings good until canceled.... Easy Peasy....

[c.b.]

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@drusalina wrote:

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@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:
"When an item is relisted using the relist feature, the URL and item number stay the same. When an item is relisted using the sell similar feature, it's like starting a brand new listing." NO, each listing gets a unique item number. However, the completed listing is marked with a link to the newer, active listing. Remember, a "relisted" item can be edited, even changing the content completely. A duplicate item number would be terribly confusing! ~~C~~

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No it doesn't.  I use Relist all the time and the item number and URL changes each time.  I know this for sure because the things I pin say that the item is out of stock, when it is not. 

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NO - you are not understanding what people are telling you.  there are 2 kinds of re-listings...

1- listing ends...you then decide to relist or not -- generating a new item number if you do indeed relist

2- 'good til cancelled' - ebay auto-relists FOR you -- keeping the exact same item number and url

I and all other sellers on here who have used the 'good til cancelled' have the exact same item number continue.  it also continues to track number of views and watchers even after it relists automatically.

so, if you need the item info to be preserved, change your listings to 'good til cancelled.'  but, also keep in mind that you have to monitor to make sure your listings don't incur fees you are not prepared for when auto-listing, if too many are auto-listed within a single month.

you are, of course, correct that ebay does indeed offer (and even encourage) sellers to post on social media.  yes, that is a good thing, and if the other sellers do not see benefit in it, then that is fine too.

[omgitlightsup]

Ordinarily I hate answers like this, but in this particular case I have to side with eBay.

Pinterest should not be used for "transient phenomena" like eBay listings. Some things you just can't put a pin in.

If you were looking for something special and I told you I'd just seen it at a yard sale, you'd go get it.. you wouldn't make a mental note to check it out some day, because it'd be gone.

Pin the store, or the seller.. if they consistently and regularly offer items of interest. But if the item is the thing of interest then don't pin it... buy it!

[drusalina]

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@omgitlightsup wrote:

Ordinarily I hate answers like this, but in this particular case I have to side with eBay.

Pinterest should not be used for "transient phenomena" like eBay listings. Some things you just can't put a pin in.

If you were looking for something special and I told you I'd just seen it at a yard sale, you'd go get it.. you wouldn't make a mental note to check it out some day, because it'd be gone.

Pin the store, or the seller.. if they consistently and regularly offer items of interest. But if the item is the thing of interest then don't pin it... buy it!

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So you are saying we shouldn't use the tools available to us across the internet and social media  for free to sell items?  

[c.b.]

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@omgitlightsup wrote:

Ordinarily I hate answers like this, but in this particular case I have to side with eBay.

Pinterest should not be used for "transient phenomena" like eBay listings. Some things you just can't put a pin in.

If you were looking for something special and I told you I'd just seen it at a yard sale, you'd go get it.. you wouldn't make a mental note to check it out some day, because it'd be gone.

Pin the store, or the seller.. if they consistently and regularly offer items of interest. But if the item is the thing of interest then don't pin it... buy it!

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that is very true about ephemeral items--and in fact, ebay takes it one step further... they will PURPOSELY block an *ended* item from appearing in general web searches.  in the tech community, we are amazed at how well it does work.  if you want to test it... go try to search for a type of item that is still live and you will find links to an ebay listing....then once that listing ends (give it at least few hours)...see if it still shows up in the web search engines.  it will not.

of course, due to the way the web works, there will still be a few links hanging out there at times, but it's incredible how well those are flushed from the 'permanent' web.   it's a necessary purge, otherwise, imagine the amount of invalid links that would clog the web.

that is why the 'good til cancelled' is the solution to keep it going.  then again...some people like the benefits of a new listing hitting the market.  there's trade-offs either way. 😉

[drusalina]

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@c.b. wrote:

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@drusalina wrote:

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@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:
"When an item is relisted using the relist feature, the URL and item number stay the same. When an item is relisted using the sell similar feature, it's like starting a brand new listing." NO, each listing gets a unique item number. However, the completed listing is marked with a link to the newer, active listing. Remember, a "relisted" item can be edited, even changing the content completely. A duplicate item number would be terribly confusing! ~~C~~

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No it doesn't.  I use Relist all the time and the item number and URL changes each time.  I know this for sure because the things I pin say that the item is out of stock, when it is not. 

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NO - you are not understanding what people are telling you.  there are 2 kinds of re-listings...

1- listing ends...you then decide to relist or not -- generating a new item number if you do indeed relist

2- 'good til cancelled' - ebay auto-relists FOR you -- keeping the exact same item number and url

I and all other sellers on here who have used the 'good til cancelled' have the exact same item number continue.  it also continues to track number of views and watchers even after it relists automatically.

so, if you need the item info to be preserved, change your listings to 'good til cancelled.'  but, also keep in mind that you have to monitor to make sure your listings don't incur fees you are not prepared for when auto-listing, if too many are auto-listed within a single month.

you are, of course, correct that ebay does indeed offer (and even encourage) sellers to post on social media.  yes, that is a good thing, and if the other sellers do not see benefit in it, then that is fine too.

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That is the problem right there.  For what I sell, it is not profitable for me to have a store, or use good till canceled.  I don't like to pay listing fees, and will use all the free ones they give.   So I guess that answers the question.  If I don't pay for a listing, they won't keep the same numbers.  But it still hurts ebay if items don't sell because when someone clicks on a pin and they don't get the correct item, or any item  (because you get the message that this item is no longer available with no suggestions for others, btw) I lose a sale and so does eBay.  hmmmm.