item specifics from completely wrong, to not enough choices. to way too many choices with duplicates

[lasantino]

ok.. I just realized.

 ebay recently changed the item specifics to give sellers more relevant and correct options for when they are listing items.

previously, the choices were so limited and incomplete  it was probably turning off buyers left and right.

now there are duplicates, with variations in spelling or punctuation. i'm incredibly frustrated.

I would assume that ebay would make available the different options to a buyer when they are filtering listings down. then combine the different spelling of the same attribute into one group.

However,, i just did a search as a buyer and now realize. ebay has separated out each item specific choice into a different group, even if the specific is fundamentally the same thing..

This is basically hiding all the other listings that may have selected another spelling or descrition specific that means the same thing..

I hope i'm making sense.

here is my example

If i list a pair of women's pumps.

under item specifics.  for style.. there are several choices.. one of which is "open toe", the other is "open-toes"..

the same thing goes for toe style.. im going to include a screen shot to hopefully make it clear..

obviously,, the second third and fourth choices are all indicating the same attribute.. however,, 

if i go and do a search as a buyer.. and use the left hand column to whittle the results down.. instead of ebay putting all of the closed toe options in one group,, they have separated it into 3 different groups..   thus,, unless the seller happens to have guessed which option a buyer would choose,, they will not appear in the whittled down listings... 

does this make sense..

This has got to be a huge reason why sales and questions and views are way down!...  omg,,i'm so mad.

can  someone flat the blues to find out what sellers are supposed to do about this.. 

the same kind of dupilcate descriptors under different item specifics are all over the clothing ,shoes and accessories categories.

[dhbookds]

I really wish there was a way to point out problems such as these and get them to the right group........ Tried last year when there were screwups in clothing, aggravating the blues to death, I'm sure.......but as far as I know there was nothing done.....

I've suggested many times that they choose a few big sellers in certain subcategories and let them correct/add to the Item specifics......wouldn't take them long to correct.....but you just can't get anyone at Ebay to recognize the problems or do something about it. 

[lasantino]

actually,, i think these latest changes were their response to the problems reported last year.. it's gone from bad to worse.

[lasantino]

has anyone else noticed this issue,, anyone else do any research or have any insight?

[abfabvintage]

@dhbookds 

@lasantino 

Thanks DH for posting...and yes, IS is worse than what occurred mid summer of 2018 when they fooled around with Specifics...and now ebay is strongly pushing using Item Specifics so your items are seen. My disappointment is finding out that even when a seller creates their own Custom Specifics in conjunction with using eBay's "required Specifics, the custom specifics do nothing to help you be seen in search. I will continue inserting my own with the hope someone will find my item one way or the other...very frustrating. It has been said, it is obvious a knowledgeable clothing retailer is not involved in the eBay selections. 

[this*old*attic]

That just boggles the mind...

[mcdougle4248]

@lasantino 

I do not sell shoes, however, I have noticed some of the new item specific choices in the category I use the most (Home & Garden>Holiday and Seasonal>Ornaments) leave me wondering what choice to select.

I discussed my concerns with a member of the item specifics team at eBay Open this past week and right on the spot she sent a email to the appropriate team member.  So, there are eBay team members who are looking into what sellers are reporting.  Where it goes from there, I do not know.

@Anonymous  would you please look at the OP and get it sent over to the appropriate team for review?  

[brettyg599]

I can shed a little light on this I believe.

I was told that the categories are done in Russia by an outsourced group.  Something of that nature.  You can get their information and email them directly from support, or atleast I could a year ago.(Call and ask support about contact info for ebay categories)

I emailed them to let them know multiple issues with clothing categories thinking they would just fix them since they clearly made sense.  I spent my own time doing this work for ebay.

I got multiple messages back from them claiming the categories were correct and how they were supposed to be.

For example they removed "fleece jacket" from type of jacket.  The person told me it wasn't necessary since fleece was in the drop down menu for material.  I was kindof emotionally worn down with ebay at the time so I let it go at that moment.  Week later I was curious so I did a search and "fleece jacket" was the number 1 selected option for type of jacket for north face and patagonia. So despite them removing the most popular sold selection from customers people were still entering it into type when listing items.

A simple example like this will show you the disconnect between the people making the categories and the people using the categories.  If they knew the category was the top listed/sold category I am pretty sure logically they wouldn't of removed it.  The fact they didn't even think to check is troublesome to me.

Also of worry is I am noticing this same issue with other categories as you report with cap toe in the pull down menu.  (Dresses hi-lo high low high low dress) Here is a simple fix for Ebay.  Allow the seller to select any of those options when listing if that is how they want to do.  Then have search be smart enough that all of them are the same and produce 1 category when a buyer tried to use left hand pull down menus called Cap Toe. SIMPLE, but the Problem which has been discussed a lot at this point is the person who would do that change is outsourced, so it is a complicated process to communicate or get something simple like that done.

Also ebay doesn't use test servers as far as I am aware, so they just roll out new changes on top of old software and kinda just see how it goes.  I also have this conspiracy theory that promoted listings uses something similar to the old ebay algorithm which seemed to work much more intuitively than the new one.  This new one "Guesses" what you want instead of searches for what you typed in.  This doesn't lead to very intuitive results, it leads to results that many of which have nothing to do with what you want to shop for. (Other day I typed in "Los Angeles Angles Angels Starter Jacket, and I got like 100 results of any starter jacket with Los Angeles in the title, which is clearly not what I wanted. If this is happening to me, it happens to our customers. I got frustrated and just gave up after a few minutes)

The categories have been messed up for a very long time.  I tried to help ebay out last year and spent hours of my own time recording and reporting fixes and issues with them.  They did absolutely nothing.  I have done so much free work for ebay, I am totally past caring about helping them anymore.  When someones time/effort goes completely unrewarded or listened to they are bound to stop helping you for free. Ebay relies on this free information from sellers, hence why they roll out new changes untested and let us test them. We are an unpaid test group. They outsource literally every aspect of our business so they don't have to do anything.  The cracks of these decisions have started showing and the cracks are turning into full earthquakes.  With no change the site will completely collapse under this pressure.

[lasantino]

oh my gosh,, you are exactly explaining the fix I was trying to explain,, 

I would be willing to help if ebay would actually use our work and fix the specifics... i bet a lot of sellers would help.. who can we contact???? 

@Anonymous 

trinton,, I know you spend a lot of time helping the posters here.. but please.. this specifics issue im positive is one of the things that is contributing to views way down,and thus sales way down.. can you please find out what department does this nowadays.. and what can sellers do to suggest ebay bring back specifics programming to the usa!!!!!

[lasantino]

@brettyg599   omg, the fleece jacket thing is a perfect example..

the russian programmers did the same thing with styles of boots..

they removed ankle boots as a style( absolutely the most used description of style of short womens boots) and moved the ankle descriptor to the shaft height specific.. ok that's fine.. but ankle boots is a style name dangit. and without it.  sellers are grasping at straws tyrying to figure out what  a buyer may choose when they don't see the obvious ankle boots..  actually,, I know what a buyer....  the click on the back button and leave ebay and shop elsewhere.. !!!! EBAY FIX THE SEARCH SPECIFICS.. COORDINATE WHAT A BUYER USES TO FILTER DOWN WITH THE OPTIONS  A SELLER HAS FOR ITEM SPECIFICS!

[divwido]

I'll fill boxes if they want to write the listings, but someone of these make no sense.

Style-What are those style choices?  and don't forget to tell them what it is.

Subject or Theme-It is a dish, it has no theme.

[this*old*attic]

Trinton@ebay

Between about 2001 and 2008, there were members across all of the boards who formed s group called Voices.

The Voices group worked TIRELESSLY with representatives from EBay to correct this exact thing - although at the time, it was KW consolidation (Item Specifics didn’t exist yet).

For example, Vtg=Vintage (same return with either, freeing up title spaces), combining plural -s and -ed endings with the base words so that pant/pants or scallop/scalloped or embroidered/embroidery or sun dress/sundress got the same returns.

 I have long felt that all of the time and work that went into those long ago meetings were left by the wayside when the new search engine was launched- Cassini?

This Item Specifics mess is NO DIFFERENT.

Why can’t Ebay understand that splitting and diverting search results into tinier and tinier returns DOES NOT focus and refine or target a user’s search/buying experience.... NO! 

It limits their experience and choices, and even outright HIDES viable options from them!!!

[lasantino]

@Anonymous   ?    can you please review the messages and responses in this post and help get this info to the right department..   

my views are down 50%  since the latest changes in the specifics and categories

[abfabvintage]

@this*old*attic 

@lasantino 

Thanks, Rose for your reply. I agree wholeheartedly...my disappointment, in addition to the ebay IS choices, are just dumb. On the listing page it allows you to include your "custom" IS...then to find out by doing some search research they are not even considered. I wish I could find the thread where a poster did the "test" using his custom IS and it did not work...why ask for it when it isn't considered? If I had a pair of  "ankle boots" with no ebay IS for it, I would normally just create a Custom IS. But am not changing my MO on this...I keep adding in Custom hoping it shows somewhere in search.

[this*old*attic]

We were told the custom Item Specifics weren’t searchable all the way back at their introduction.

 I forget the reasoning for even having the option.... standardized experience for users? EBay would mine custom insertions for commonly used terms and add them as identified?

Anyway - customized Specifics aren’t returned in search