Autumn 2019 Seller Update

[twyngwyn]

https://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/SU19-1/Autumn-2019-Seller-Update

Category changes - again.....starting in June

Category and Classification Updates

We've made category updates to provide a more intuitive buying, selling, and search experience on eBay. Category updates including new additions, removals, merging and the renaming of categories.

If you have a listing in an affected category, we'll automatically move your listing to the most relevant category. The updated categories include:

• Books, Magazines
• Business
• Collectables
• Electronics
• Food & Drink
• Home & Garden
• Home Appliances
• Industrial
• Pet Supplies
• Phones & Accessories
• Sporting Goods

When tring to download (as suggested) a detailed view of the category changes, this is what I get:

https://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/sites/default/files/CatUpdates2019.xlsx

[brerrabbit585]

---

@curraone wrote:

Additionally, sellers that use Best Offer will be given access to Auto-Negotiation, a new feature that will automatically respond with a counter-offer when a buyer’s submission falls below the seller’s lowest price parameter.

eek!

---

This isn't as bad as it sounds.  Currently they get three tries to reach the lowest price you'll accept and this just speeds up the process, and also makes sure they don't miss out by using up their three offers by time they reach your bottom price.  The only downside is that some buyers might make exceptionally low offers and you'd prefer them not to buy at all, but if they make really low offers they probably won't want to pay your lowest price anyway.

It doesn't actually say sellers will be forced to use that feature if they have best offer on their listings.  It only says they'll have access to it.  Presumably that means sellers have a choice.

[33_rpm]

Not to mention books being placed in the maps and atlases category grrrrrr

[curraone]

thanks brer -  I guess I was scared of the word "automatically"

[twyngwyn]

link from OP still not fixed...grrr

[twyngwyn]

Just SPOKE to call centre, who referred to supervisor....apparently they are trying to get the document to fit on 1 page and are having trouble....might take another 24 hours??

I suggested they move the changes to July if they can't get their act together

[curraone]

well here we are Wednesday - still nothing

[twyngwyn]

Am really hoping that the changes are simple, as ALL of my listings are in the categories being changed 😞

[davewil1964]

All of mine are books. I am really looking forward to having time to change anything that needs changing before eBay's bots put them in the wrong place.

[twyngwyn]

from the US site:

https://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/categorychanges.html

and as it mentions this, there MAY be loads of changes for Oz:

• Aligning categories across international eBay sites will make cross-country trading on the eBay sites easier.

As always, time will tell.....and we're fast running out 😞

[twyngwyn]

here is my chat transcript for today 19/05/19....3rd attempt

Detailed Category Changes......coming in June. The LINK is still not working - it has been 3 weeks....see this thread: https: community.ebay.com.au/t5/Selling/Autumn-2019-Seller-Update/m-p/2234950

2019 - 05 - 19
04:21:52 UTC Murvin
Hi there! Thanks for contacting eBay Australia! This is Murvin, and I'll be assisting you today.

04:22:05 UTC twyngwyn
Hi

04:22:50 UTC Murvin
By link here, did you mean the one in the seller centre?
04:23:01 UTC Murvin
I mean this link here.
04:23:01 UTC Murvin
https://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/SU19-1/Autumn-2019-Seller-Update
04:23:32 UTC
twyngwyn
Yes....Autumn 2019 Update
04:24:20 UTC
twyngwyn
As you progress through the blurb there is a final link to download detailed category changes.....it comes up PAGE NOT FOUND

04:24:46 UTC Murvin

Ah got it. I believe this was the link here.
04:24:49 UTC Murvin

https://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/sites/default/files/CatUpdates2019.xlsx
04:25:05 UTC twyngwyn

yes

04:26:54 UTC Murvin

Yes, we did notice this issue here. And currently we're still working with our technical department to get this resolved.
04:26:54 UTC Murvin
In the meantime, allow me to check on other options we have to download the changes on the categories

04:27:24 UTC twyngwyn
Thankyou

04:32:46 UTC Murvin
Apologies for the delay. I've looked for alternative options to download those changes and unfortunately, it seems that it will still show the same error message on the page.
04:33:57 UTC
twyngwyn
I have over 2000 individual items that are included in the categories involved.......when will this be fixed, if at all?

04:35:12 UTC Murvin
It's not that we don't understand the urgency on this matter here. But as of the moment, we are waiting on updates from our technical department on this and I really apologise since I can't give an exact time frame.

04:36:02 UTC
twyngwyn
Will ebay consider NOT rolling it out until we have a chance to view & change our items?

04:37:13 UTC
twyngwyn

Will a NEW announcement be made, once fixed?

04:38:38 UTC Murvin

For your first question there. At the moment the updates will proceed as normal. But I can have it raised here to put off the updates until our sellers can review and make changes on their items
.
04:39:59 UTC twyngwyn

That would be beneficial for all involved....last time categories were changed MOST of my items were placed incorrectly and took me forever to fix 🙂

04:41:12 UTC Murvin

Yes, we are collating all of the feedback from our sellers on this here as we will need them when we raise it to the developers.

04:43:40 UTC twyngwyn

As it has been 3 weeks since the Announcement and nothing has happened....bearing in mind that there are only 11 days left in this month, I would have hoped that it would have already been raised with the developers

04:46:05 UTC Murvin

While yes we did have it raised the moment this issue occurred. We've yet to receive updates that it has been fixed, that's why we are raising this to them again with high importance as this will have a great impact on sellers. Especially ones with lots of listings.

04:47:48 UTC twyngwyn

Yes....deadline is fast approaching and we are all getting a little twitchy.....hoping there are not too many surprises to cope with. Please pass this on as a matter of importance

04:51:07 UTC Murvin

Of course. Consider it done. I've just sent out your feedback on this and will have our chat transcript forwarded as well
.
04:51:58 UTC twyngwyn

As this is now my third communication on this very matter, I hope you can achieve a miracle 🙂

04:53:36 UTC twyngwyn
Cheers!

04:53:44 UTC
Chat ended by twyngwyn