Why does eBay persist with multiple choice listings? Makes it impossible to sort items by price.

[azima7597]

Nolt only making it impossible to sort by price, I get the feeling that some sellers are multiple listing in order to mislead buyers into thinking the price of a particular item is lower than it really is. eg a choice of 4 dfferent colours af widgetA at $5 each listed along with one widgetB at $3. So the listing shows an image of widgetA and the price shows $3. Very tricky. Turns me right off.

[kopenhagen5]

I no longer go into a listing that has a price range e.g. $3.00 - $15.00.

I skip the lot of them.

[enigmabear]

Why does eBay do a lot of things?

I for one can't explain their 'logic' 

[joztamps]

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@enigmabear wrote:

Why does eBay do a lot of things?

I for one can't explain their 'logic' 

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I can, but I'd just be guessing.

[digital*ghost]

Why does eBay persist with multiple choice listings?

Because it's an essential listing format, and since many sellers use it the way it was intended, the site would be clogged with literally millions of identical items with minor variations if they removed it. 

Unfortunately, there are sellers who abuse the format, so a better question is why won't eBay enforce the policies they have for variation listings so that sellers stop abusing it? (It's the most appropriate question, but for eBay it's rhetorical, because the majority of sellers who abuse the format are in China and eBay won't sanction them, or their listings). 

[heihachi_73]

Because eBay killed off the time-based Buy It Now listing format back in February, so sellers have to use the Good 'til Cancelled multiple variation format to list more than 40 fixed price (not auction) items in a month without being slugged hundreds in $1.65 insertion fees.

GTC listings automatically use up a listing every month, unlike the old multiple-day Buy It Now listings (which also didn't have to be listed for the maximum amount of 30 days) which would either end by themselves or could be relisted *for free* another eight times without taking up a free listing or charging the seller any money. GTC doesn't offer anything for free and as soon as it relists it will either use up one of the 40 monthly free listings or $1.65 (or even more if the item is $100+) will be charged if no free listings remain. So, whenever you see a Buy It Now listing on eBay and it's not tied to an auction, it is actually a GTC listing.

As far as multiple variation listings are concerned however, I do look down on sellers who list a cheap item which might not even have anything to do with the main item they're trying to sell, just to get their item to show up as cheaper than it really is. For example, having a PlayStation 4 alongside a $2 AC power cable just so $2.00 shows up next to the picture of the PS4 on the listing.

[davewil1964]

I pay 6c if I go over my allocated listings. But I don't expect a free ride.

Not to mention that non-stores are still getting unlimited free listings for a few days every month. Most of us anyway.