Ebay screwed up ALL model railway categories!!!!

[sipsip_at]

Hello Support - well if these people look here, IDK....

Since today morning all model railway categories are not working anymore. I usually look for O scale railways, but in this category you can't find anything anymore. It's basically empty.

Looks like there are only top level categories left over like f.e. "Toys and Hobbies -> Model Railroads and Trains -> Railroads and Trains -> Locomotives"

Searching here, you find everything, but it's regardless the scale and totally mixed up together -> That's useless!

FIX THAT IMMEDIATELY - AND AS A SELLER I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT A REQUEST!!!!

Thanks

[makaronifresser]

Yep.  If they don't bring back Model Railroad Scale categories, I will have bought my last on eBay.  Literally the only thing I search for in their listings.

[donsdetour]

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@sipsip_at wrote:

Hello Support - well if these people look here, IDK....

Since today morning all model railway categories are not working anymore. I usually look for O scale railways, but in this category you can't find anything anymore. It's basically empty.

Looks like there are only top level categories left over like f.e. "Toys and Hobbies -> Model Railroads and Trains -> Railroads and Trains -> Locomotives"

Searching here, you find everything, but it's regardless the scale and totally mixed up together -> That's useless!

FIX THAT IMMEDIATELY - AND AS A SELLER I HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT A REQUEST!!!!

Thanks

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well it is what it is: you will not be the only one looking for a different venue....buyers will also go look for other locations to purchase from.

And no they not going to change it back: such is the eBay way and always has been. The new and improved is usually here to stay no mater what the results are.

[mr_lincoln]

Hi @sipsip_at ,

I am in that  and other train categories regularly and I do a lot of Sold Search research on eBay.  But I seldom use "O Gauge" in my search titles.  I do however use "HO scale" or "N Scale" before items in those gauges.

I am usually looking for specific makes and models when doing the research.

Ex: (I just ran these basic searches and they worked fine)

-Lionel 2026 Steam Locomotive

-HO Scale Bachmann Spirit of '76

-N Scale KATO F7A Diesel

Regards,

Mr. L

[sipsip_at]

It's not about the search, it's like the categories are gone. OFC when you searf for H0 or o scale you will find stuff, but it's not in seperate categories anymore.

[sipsip_at]

and just to add up, on ebay France and ebay Italy, all the categories are still there.

[gerg6]

Looks like I will be saving a ton of money not be able to find things to buy in model railroading.

[donsdetour]

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@gerg6 wrote:

Looks like I will be saving a ton of money not be able to find things to buy in model railroading.

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Yep not finding things to purchase you will not be a spending that money here.. ehh???

Will you be looking elsewhere??

[sipsip_at]

Well, you guys will save a ton of money, but my problem as a part-time-seller, I will have a hard time selling anything in this trash pile. Looks like the world needs a real ebay alternative....

[wpstuff]

Things like this have happened before. The programmers they have make a change in the code then let it go live without checking to see what it is actually doing. This looks like they messed up the connector to the database. They may get it fixed but who knows how long it will take.

[empirebuilder]

Yup, UNBELIEVABLE!!! Who TF did they consult? Makes no sense to anyone who knows anything about model railroading. My sales have fallen off a cliff. No one is going to buy model trains on eBay anymore. And why do they do this right before the holidays, the peak selling period for trains? I can just see eBay rolling their eyes thinking “they’ll get used to the change.” No, sorry, you’re talking about a hobby that has millions of unique items and you need all those filters to find them. #Bring back the model railroad categories!!!!

[sipsip_at]

I'm 100% with you. This is just to weird and it MUST have been a mistake like @wpstuff already mentioned, because ebay will lose a ton of money too. If sales volume and prices drop in these categories, their sales commission will also drop. I have a hard time believing that this is going to stay unnoticed.

I will give their CS a call tomorrow and complain about it. Would be good if you guys do the same.

[jtc53us]

Same thing with vintage automotive  models and promos. If it stays this way I think I'm done with this site.

[redmodelt]

meanwhile back in 2015; https://community.ebay.com/t5/Toys-Hobbies/ebay-has-totally-screwed-up-the-Model-Railroading-Categor...

I collect American Flyer S scale, not American Flyer O scale. Just checked my saved search, almost 21, 000 items in that list now. A lot of us DO NOT shop for specific items, we are browser shoppers. Because sellers have not been putting gauge/scale specific (N, HO, S, O etc) in the title, guess will cut back on shopping for a while.

[mr_lincoln]

@redmodelt, @sipsip_at , @jtc53us , @empirebuilder , @wpstuff 

I just revised an item for sale ... so Sellers are now seeing this warning ... I joined TCA this year (I live 1.5 miles from the Headquarters LOL!) and Model Railroad items have been very good movers over the years.  I know another member told me last month these categories were going to get changed in a lot of cases ... I am "hoping" eBay tweaks there search algorithms to compensate.  One of the biggest issues I have when doing sold search, even on specific cars or locos, is one word or number can completely change the list returned in search.  I now see more unrelated items (lighting fixtures, tools, etc) and have to delete or change things in the title before I see what I want ... or I get a list of train lots BUT they are mixed gauges and the one or two I might be looking for are a scroll or two down the page.