"Add recommended item specifics"

[racer1949]

I have been selling on Ebay for over 20 years and I find getting these messages to be annoying, unhelpful and downright rude. All my items sell and sell well. I create specific items which do not fall into the category of athletic shoes, watches, video games or any other generalized areas. How do I stop Ebay from continually harassing me. Anyone else have this problem?

[reallynicestamps]

The Item Specifics as I understand it have nothing to do with your buyers.

They are designed to attract the attention of Search Engines- which basically means Google which eBay annoyed some years ago  and has been frantically trying to kiss up since.

You can enter N/A in many of those boxes. Don't forget to click on "Add" when you do.

With Books, which I sell on another ID, the IS call for the title (which is in my Title) and the author's name (which is in my Title) the format (which is in my Title) , and the series (which is in my Title if applicable).

Search Engines can only search on the things they are programmed to search unlike humans, many of whom have an imagination.

[m60driver]

Recommended item specifics can be safely ignored.  Only required item specifics need to be addressed.

[racer1949]

Hi, thanks for replying and for putting up  something worthwhile. I will put the N/A in the boxes I don't use on my next listing. No way to tell Ebay to stop doing this so this may be my solution.

[racer1949]

Thanks. This is my first line of defense but sometimes I just get tired of Ebay telling me what I should do. In the words of World Driving Champion Kimi Raikkonen to whoever was talking to him on the radio during his last F1 win, "Leave me alone, I know what I'm doing". Thanks again.

[chapeau-noir]

This is just a bot-run operation and everyone gets it - it's not personal.  You really don't even have to put N/A in the boxes you don't use - just leave them blank. Only the required items need to be filled out, and those 'recommended' that you deem necessary for your particular item, whatever that may be.  Ignore the rest.

[slippinjimmy]

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@racer1949 wrote:

Hi, thanks for replying and for putting up  something worthwhile. I will put the N/A in the boxes I don't use on my next listing. No way to tell Ebay to stop doing this so this may be my solution.

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Do not put N/A in place of a proper entry. You will only be hurting yourself.

Just leave them unfilled and ignore them if they don't apply to what you are selling.

The ONLY ones you must fill out are the Required ones.

[racer1949]

Thanks, I guess they will never really go away.

[racer1949]

Thanks, keep it simple I guess.

[chapeau-noir · Accepted solution]

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@racer1949 wrote:

Thanks, I guess they will never really go away.

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It's one of those annoying broad-brush initiatives on the part of eBay that sometimes works sort of and other times fails spectacularly (the latter in fashion, where I mostly am - electronics is better).  Yeah, keeping it simple is better.

[selsa84]

Good morning, Just wondering why putting N/A in the box would hurt sellers?  Was told by an ebay cs rep that was the way to go. Not that i put much stock in what ebay says.

[winterpalace25]

"Does not Apply" is appropriate for Required IS where they truly don't apply.  But leaving the IS blank for Recommended IS is best. If you put N/A in 20 slots, it will clutter up your listing and look bad. The only downside to leaving them blank is that Seller Central will nag you in your To Do List. If that bugs you, as it does me, you will have to click on Add Item Specifics and check the box for "Don't Remind Me Again." It's interesting how that box is so faint and hard to find.

[racer1949]

Hi, This is a great tip. I can find the Add Item Specifics but do not see Don't Remind Me Again. Can you give a written map to perform this function?

[sunnyseadolls]

ebay only is interested in big turnover sellers, if you don't produce to ebays set standards you don't get ebay's interest, they don't care about small sellers, sorry but that is a fact.  If you're a small seller they don't care about you. 

[lisashouseoftreasures]

Hi ... I agree with all of this except whenever I click the "don't Remind Me again" button ... it doesn't last long.  I had 700 items that were on the Recommended Item Specifics "list".   I cleared out about 300 and had 400 left.  I used "dont' remind me again" on all of the ones I cleared out and also added a lot of N/A's, unknown, etc.  just to fillin the boxes that did not apply.   When I checked the list again to try and clear out the remaining 400, it said I had 665 left to do!  It added back 225 listings to the list!   So it seems like the system just adds them back in until you add something in every single recommended item specific box in the listing.

  Very annoying and frustrating .... I think I will just ignore them as well going forward.  All of the required item specifics are done.  I don't have any more on the list.