Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

[lupercal]

I imagine other people have received the same message I did today, about required item specifics by July 12th.

Haven't had time to wrap my head around this properly yet, but short version question: is there any way this isn't going to be ridiculously time-consuming?

[twyngwyn]

You're right....it's a load of rubbish

[lupercal]

Really annoying thing is virtually every one of these specifics they want me to enter is already in my item description in the first place.

[jellybirddesigns]

I find it's been a waste of days of my time that I can never get back.

I did the first round of new specs last year and now they have added new spec requirements. It's become ridiculous, and even more so for those people who have several hundred items across many categories.

They say it will improve your results in search, but in all honesty, I have had a drop in sales since this nonsense started. My shop was trending upwards every year since 2014,  but now, when I look at my stats, I'll probably finish this financial year on the same level as last year, so there's been no upward movement for me since they made these new requirements.

[twyngwyn]

me too....am doing about 50 per day....funny thing is, I've been selling the stuff that NEEDS the specifics...go figure!

[gumleaf_goodies]

Mine too.

[lupercal]

All the search terms people are likely to use are present in my listings, either in the title or description.

Plus some of these required fields are ridiculous.  I don't usually sell comics, but among the required fields are professional grading, and the name of a professional grading company, 'characters' even if the comic is a one-shot that doesn't have any particular characters, and 'cover artist' - which isn't always even known.  

[davewil1964]

Those are recommended, not required. 'None' works for me.

[the4masters2013]

I sell books, amongst other things, and this is driving me more nuts than normal.

Everything they now require is in the title or in the description.

I seem to do a lot of Not Applicable (book series for example).

I am now waiting for eBay to make it a requirement to add the book's height, width etc which is not required at the moment.

If it is made a requirement, out with a tape measure and waste even more time...sigh!

[jillywinkle]

It's time consuming. I finished mine but only the 'required soon' specifics. Tried to do ALL but they weren't applicable, or just kept coming up as recommendations still, even though i filled out everything possible. Don't understand it really. And how does one refund a customer now using managed payments? I can't find anything or anywhere to do so. Also, I can't contact buyers now after sale, unless I click on their ID and go from there, as opposed to just hitting contact seller on the main page of the listing. Pfft