cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

This is my official protest, complaint and rebuttal against the removal and/or refusal to maintain the software named TURBO LISTER from being allowed to upload listings to e-bay – which is set to be deceased in June 2017.

 

First, TURBO LISTER is a database program that is stationed on the customers’ individual computers and is NOT a one-item-to-list-at-a-time, screw-up program like the ‘seller hub’ program that’s currently being implemented in its place.

 

Second, ‘seller hub’ is NOT a database with a proper filing system, and as such cannot hold ALL the customers’ listings until all items are sold.  Instead, ‘seller hub’ can only hold a listing for as long as the listing is running at Auction or as a one-time, Buy-it-Now sale.  Every seller knows that rarely do listings sell on the first time they are run –either at auction or on a buy-it-now.  Therefore, this ‘seller hub’ scheme is unacceptable, mostly because customers will have to re-type EVERY listing for EVERY item, EVERY time they need to list it to sell.  That’s totally absurd and a major waste of time.  On TURBO LISTER a customer types up a listing one time only and holds it in whatever folder s/he wishes until the item has sold.  I also use my TURBO LISTER to keep track of the items I’ve sold as well.

 

Third, ‘seller hub’ is not only far inferior to TURBO LISTER in many respects, but is harder to use – NOT EASIER -- plus it requires that some stupid code be typed in before you can even start placing a listing.  What GARBAGE is that?!  Most items do not have codes attached to them – DUH!

 

Fourth, the listing process for ‘seller hub’ appears to have the listing launch immediately whether the seller is ready for the listing to run or not.  Oftentimes, I’ve created listings weeks in advance before I ever launch them to e-bay via TURBO LISTER.  There is no contingency for this on ‘seller hub’.  If there is such a contingency, it’s either transparent OR it’s not readily available as it is in TURBO LISTER.

 

Fifth, as ‘seller hub’ is a stinking “cloud” program, located on the e-bay servers, it means that should the e-bay servers be hacked or go down during some storm, absolutely NO ONE – ANYWHERE -- will be able to work on listings in the background, getting them ready for launch.  Customers will not be able to put ANY info for ANY listing together with ANY pictures because the e-bay server is down.  And that’s only ONE of the major flaws that cause “cloud” programs to suck!  Another reason that “cloud” programs suck is because ANY and ALL information that’s placed in these listings may not be available for the customer to edit once an item is ‘listed’.

 

Sixth, another reason “cloud programs” like ‘seller hub’ suck is because the customers’ information is made more readily available to anyone, anywhere, that hacks into the e-bay server – including the IRS, the CIA, the FBI, the NSA or other rogue agencies.  Since company servers are targeted more often than private computers, keeping individual programs on individual computers is far superior to any “cloud” program that’s implemented.  “Cloud” programs were initially started as another form of corporate control over the consumer.  Why independent programs were instigated in the first place, why they are still being created, and why people use these private programs instead of using “the cloud” – is to repudiate this type of ridiculous corporate nonsense.  E-bay – DO NOT become another idiot Microsoft company that everybody hates.

 

Seventh, originally e-bay was started to help the little guys – independents (remember those guys?)  – giving them a market to sell their items so they wouldn’t have to resort to yard sales.  Ever since e-bay has allowed large organizations to run listings, however, e-bay is no longer interested in helping the little guys that got it started in the first place, and instead is weeding them out with little items here and there:  by pushing onto the customers inferior programs that do not meet their needs, by forcing particular customer identity information into each listing that is not needed, by coding every single listing with some obscure number that is not needed, and by raising its unnecessary fees to snuff the little guys out of the marketplace, among others.  E-bay – whatever happened to freaking customer loyalty?!

 

Eighth, those members like myself who have been using TURBO LISTER for a period of over 14 years that have finally learned how to use it correctly, ARE NOT INTERESTED in learning new software regardless its capabilities.  We like what we have and DO NOT want to change.  As stated earlier, as the program ‘seller hub’ now stands, it is NOT easier to use, in fact it’s NOT AS EASY TO USE as TURBO LISTER.  the program, then, that should be eliminated is ‘seller hub’, NOT TURBO LISTER.  Or as a compromise – KEEP BOTH – and let the consumers decide which they would like to use.  E-bay – you can keep up with more than one program, can’t you?

 

Moreover, my spreadsheet keeps a more accurate accounting of seller activities than does your All-In-One page that’s associated with the new ‘seller hub’.  Yours is inaccurate for my needs.

 

Personally, I already have over 1300 listings holding that I can easily file under various folders, and I’ve created over 30 templates on TURBO LISTER.  There is no transition of information from TURBO LISTER to the 'seller hub' program.   TURBO LISTER is easy for me to manipulate as I please, and I can launch my listings when I am ready to launch.  TURBO LISTER also affords the customer (including me) the ability to change formats easily if need be.   Not only do I have over a thousand listings waiting to be uploaded to e-bay for sale, I also have at least twice that many to list -- that will be going onto my TURBO LISTER database on my computer – because I do not have either the time, the patience, or the inclination to learn another program to replace one that works perfectly fine in the first place, nor do I have the time or patience to re-type every listing if it doesn’t sell the first time around.  This ‘seller hub’ **bleep** is all about control.  You can’t fool us.  We don’t want it.  We want TURBO LISTER.

 

All TURBO LISTER users should rally together and quickly file your complaints at the disrespectful manner in which e-bay is behaving in getting rid of the initial uploading program for listings, thereby totally disregarding its beginning supporters who have utilized this program over these many years.  If you DO NOT, you will not have a database to keep your listings safe until your items have sold.

Message 1 of 43
latest reply
42 REPLIES 42

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

@jj_goodies*plus  Currently I do not use Seller Hub ... initially they were going to make it manditory for Store owners if memory serves but that has been changed.  I decided to wait to see comments about it before trying it ... so far have not read too many glowing reviews so I am staying with Selling Manager for my small store. 

 

TL was supposed to be canned to but that decision was tabled ... it may not be supported at a certain point (or now) but I seem to recall they may be doing something about that ...

 

Anyway, I am sure someone with more definitive knowledge and facts on both subjects will post soon ...

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor
Message 2 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

Thank you for your comment. I am not a store owner but I do use e-bay frequently. My hopes are that TURBO LISTER will remain intact with perhaps some upgrades and the minor bugs fixed. It's really a great database.
Message 3 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

It is funny. Before the announcement of the depreciation of TurboLister, these boards were full of complaints about the program. Now the story has changed.

 

To be fair, the complaints came from a small number of members. I think we all (myself included) would be surprised at the number of Turbo users there are. Only eBay would know the count.

 

It was a good program. But now it is old. It is in desperate need of an upgrade!

 

To upgrade the DB engine, eBay would have to pay royalty fees to Oracle (owner of most of the DB engines, and eBay pays them plenty now, for their enterprise DB). Those royalty fees would need to be paid for every processor that the DB engine runs on.

 

I looked around some, and a good DB engine can run $900 per processor.

 

That does not include a communications package and a GUI (graphical user interface). Both of these would need royalties paid as well.

 

Then there are the costs associated with coding the package, and then more $$ to update it on an ongoing basis. IT resources are not cheap!

 

By moving to a centralized solution, eBay saves a lot of $$. If eBay does not save a lot of $$, those $$ must be paid in the form of increased listing fees, FVF fees and Store subscription fees. Or subscription fees to users of a TurboLister 3. All of these increases or even just one or two, would do eBay more harm than ending Turbo.

 

eBay's decision to depreciate Turbolister 2 is really the only decision they could make.

eBay is continually updating this site. Some advice given may have changed. Please reply to this thread, to let us know if this advice works for you. The links on the bottom of any eBay page can help you deal with most eBay issues. Contact eBay Customer Service on Facebook.com/eBay or Twitter.com/AskeBay
Message 4 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

Thank you for your comment. Why are you under the impression that Oracle is involved? Under the help menu on TURBO LISTER it claims:

About Turbo Lister

Developed by eBay
Copyright 2002-2014, eBay In. All Rights Reserved
The eBay Inc. Logo and Turbo Lister are trademarks of eBay Inc.
Version 9.921.101.0
This product uses the ImageMagick open-source library under license terms at http://www.imagemagick.org/script/license.php.
ImageMagick is Copyright 1999-200 ImageMagick Studio LLC.

And, according to the above web site it states:

It allows you to:

freely download and use ImageMagick software, in whole or in part, for personal, company internal, or commercial purposes;
use ImageMagick software in packages or distributions that you create;
link against a library under a different license;
link code under a different license against a library under this license;
merge code into a work under a different license;
extend patent grants to any code using code under this license;
and extend patent protection.

Message 5 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

TurboLister's DB engine is BerkleyDB. The rights to the upgraded version of BerkleyDB are owned by Oracle.

 

ImageMagick is used for well...images. A very small part of the TurboLister package.

eBay is continually updating this site. Some advice given may have changed. Please reply to this thread, to let us know if this advice works for you. The links on the bottom of any eBay page can help you deal with most eBay issues. Contact eBay Customer Service on Facebook.com/eBay or Twitter.com/AskeBay
Message 6 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

There is also a software tie to Microsoft. You MUST have Internet Explorer installed on your computerr for TurboLister to work. Part of the reason that there is no MAC version. You don't have to use IE, but it must be installed.

Message 7 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

I too am not happy about the whole turbo lister issue. I have used it from the beginning and am reconsidering if I even want to stay on ebay as a marketplace - after 18 years! Retyping everything is not what I want to do!!
Message 8 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

One can only hope eBay will listen. Was going to start selling again but without Turbo Lister I'm outta here.
Message 9 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

Didn't Ebay say they were going to maintain Turbolister support for current users?

Message 10 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister


@mozartbach1971 wrote:

Didn't Ebay say they were going to maintain Turbolister support for current users?


The email I received said it would available for current users beyond June with limited support. There will be no more product updates beyond support for category changes.

Message 11 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

I received an email stating that they were eliminating it -- at least that's the way it read to me. I was definitely NOT happy since it's the only lister I know how to use and have numerous listings contained in it. Hope for the best.
Message 12 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

It would be nice if they did get some of the bugs out before dropping any support.
Message 13 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

I am just now grappling with the idea that eventually TL will go away and not be available to me.  I have already told eBay I would quit selling if they ever stop allowing me to use Turbo Lister.  I had already come to many of the same concluisions as you mention below, but in my case I have over 10,000 future items ready to list at any time I choose to, in addition to the 6000+ items I currently have running in my store.  Plus I have about 15,000 items from past sales saved in my TL files which I refer to one occasion when creating new listings.  So far I see no way to save those listings into Seller Hub so that I can use them in the future.  I do host my own photos so I don't think that losing them is an issue for me, but if they ever decide that HTML cannot be used in the item descriptions than that would force me into having eBay host my photos, which I will not do.  Right now I feel like I am being forced into an early retirement.  My reason for delving into this today is that my primary computer hard drive has failed and if I cfan't save it I don't think I can re-install  Turbo Lister since they say no new users can download it, so I assume it is not available for download for current users if they need to retrieve it again due to a computer failue like mine.  Luckily I do have backiups of all my TL files both present and future.  I need to study this all further.

Message 14 of 43
latest reply

Official Protest and Complaint against removing Turbo Lister

I have been selling on Ebay since 1998. I was upset that my listings were disppearing off of Ebay after 90 days. I finally discovered and learned to use Turbo Lister 2. It was not easy for me to learn because I am not a computer genius.  It takes an older person a lot of time and energy to learn a new program. I have been using Turbo Lister 2 for awhile now and it works great. I was so happy because turbo lister saves my fixed price auctions for as long as I want and it also saves my auction pictures with the auctions. If my auctions disappear off of ebay after 90 days, I can always relist them from Turbo Lister. It is a wonderful free program. I can't afford to pay for expensive programs. Please Ebay keep Turbo Lister 2 available for us to use. I do not understand this new CSV spreadsheet files.  I uploaded all of my auction photos directly to ebay by pressing the upload photo button. I do not understand what I need to do to get my photos matched with my auctions with these CSV files. I hope someone can please explain this to me and help me. Thank You.

Message 15 of 43
latest reply