topic Re: Where have all the items gone? in Buying

Where have all the items gone?

ab57fg — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 08:37:39 GMT

Ebay strikes again with their crackpot ideas!

95 % of listings in the cars/bikes/boats categories have vanished due, presumably, to the latest set of category changes.

If I can't see the listings, I can't buy, and the sellers are being charged for a service they aren't getting(i.e. customers seeing their products)

Will ebay refund these sellers for loss of traffic due to these ridiculous changes?

Like the previous decision to remove won items from the summary page, this needs to be changed back.

Re: Where have all the items gone?

the3coopers — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 08:42:29 GMT

Could you explain what you mean?

I see 1.6 million item in Car, Bikes, Boats parts...

http://tinyurl.com/957q9ej

As for "Like the previous decision to remove won items from the summary page" that doesn't make sense either.

Re: Where have all the items gone?

the3coopers — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 08:44:42 GMT

Actually, that was just spare parts... I get 3.5 million in Vehicle Parts & Accessories

http://tinyurl.com/9nson95

Where are YOU looking?

Re: Where have all the items gone?

at_wicks_end — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 08:58:03 GMT

I had a regular customer contact me yesterday saying he looked up my store but it showed I had zero items listed, when my store was certainly open. I also looked up a seller I buy from regularly to purchase again. I clicked on a listing of his in my purchase history, and then clicked the link to show his other items. It brought up his listings. I looked at that one, then went back to his "other items" list, and it showed zero listings available. I continued trying to no avail.

Now, this is not the first time this has happened to me. A few months back I had 2 repeat buyers contact me on the one day asking if I had stopped selling as it was showing zero listings.

So, I wonder how often does this happen? I have up to 3 days in a row with no sales, then numerous on the one day.

I have also seen a number of power sellers report this happening to them as well.

Re: Where have all the items gone?

suitcase_of_memories — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 09:10:26 GMT

It may have something to do with the exposure on A Current Affair last night [wednesday 12/9] regarding the woman who got fully ripped off buying a car from ebay. Stupidly she paid via Western Union so has lost her $'s completely, but perhaps they are reviewing the Car section looking for the 'seller'.

There are at times though when I have searched Saved Sellers item & it shows they have zero listings which I find unusual as they are BIG sellers.

There is also the question/hypothetical that if 5,000 items are uploaded by individual sellers [with a million or so listers on ebay that is not unviable] at 8.10pm how can they possibly all be VISIBLE at exactly 8.10pm on their ending now night ???

Re: Where have all the items gone?

ab57fg — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:43:05 GMT

A couple of searches that I have been doing for quite a few years are for Citroen(well someone has to!) and Klr - I would put Citroen in the search description, and scroll down to Cars, bikes,boats - result(last week) approx 10,000 items, now, 81 items.

Ditto with the Klr search, last week, 450-500 items, now, 10.

It looks like an expanded category of vehicle parts and accessories has now been introduced to do what was already done with cars, bikes, boats.

As for the reference to won items on the my ebay - about 15 months ago they rehashed the my ebay summary.

Won items went straight into purchase history but there wasn't any indication that you had won anything on the summary page(though "didn't win" was there!) - you had to go into purchase history to find if you had won anything. Thankfully after about 2 weeks, won items returned to the summary page.

Basically, if it ain't broke, don't "fix" it!

Re: Where have all the items gone?

missionsellit — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:09:12 GMT

I am highlighting this problem in the music category in the books music string. Big changes to how catgegories are affected, some buyers won't try too hard and as a seller, that worries me. Can't buy what you can't see, and there was me going to flog off my Citroen bits on my non TRS seller reg to get some free listings, so I went checking, try this, and I agree, the obvious search I do for citroen thru cars has 'vanished'

Try Citroen in all categories, then filter for 'location' Australia only , and I get..........14202 results, including the disappeared ones from parts and the other categories. I would advise now your in THAT screen do your DS or 2cv or SM search and I think the results will be better, but like you I used to just head for cars to see who wanted to give me a cheap 2cv or SM. Actually with all these category search changes, that may be easier than it used to be, but sad for the attached seller.

Thanks for the heads up I will now try hard to not be a sad citroen bits seller, I will change my listing approach and sell some listed in UK, it works for me in music to not put everything on one domain, attracts different 'search' results to look at my 'other items' while sticking with a 'theme ' that would interest anyone that happens on ONE of them.

PS that rusty SM is MINE....ALL MINE, :-x (only joking, I/m downsizing, lost the hoarding bug now)

Re: Where have all the items gone?

9701michael — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 04:31:15 GMT

I've tried my saved searches for vinyl records over the past 2 days (as these are mostly what I sell and buy), to be greeted by a list of exactly 61 items, instead of the 1,000's that I know are active! I contacted customer support (twice), and received the usual 'clear your cache' nonsense - which I did, and which of course, achieved nothing. I've been checking back in there today a number of times, and it finally dawned on me (I'm probably a bit slow on the uptake) that the search function was now only showing 'new' items, with another default of 'free postage'. I've managed to remove the free postage default by fiddling around and clicking buttons, but nothing I've tried will remove the 'new' default (because in the preferences panel, it's the only option available!). Not only will this stupidity stop me buying, it's obviously going to stop anyone else from buying my stuff. Not a hint from customer support, that the problem is of their doing (clear your cache, indeed!) - Great work once again, ebay. Not only do you profit-gouge your sellers with the doubling of store fees, but now you screw them over with these new system changes. Here's a hint ebay guys - collectable records are most likely to be vintage, i.e., old and used, because they're original pressings - and that's what collectors (you know - 'buyers') want, and sellers want to sell. As such, 'used' records account for the vast majority of records bought and sold on ebay (by the 1,000's). Now, if nobody can search for them anymore - what it the point of ebay?

Re: Where have all the items gone?

the3coopers — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 07:44:17 GMT

It looks like an expanded category of vehicle parts and accessories has now been introduced to do what was already done with cars, bikes, boats.

It's just a category change - they happen ALL the time, so there's not much you can do about it. It's like when your supermarket rearranges the shelves slightly... not the end of the world.

Cars, Bikes and Boats is for those vehicles. Parts and Accessories are for guess what... parts and accessories to suit vehicles.

Anyway, your problems solved now? Just update your search, save it again, and move on. No point complaining about things, irrespective of how silly the changes might appear, they were obviously done for some reason or another 🙂

Re: Where have all the items gone?

9701michael — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:25:33 GMT

"Just update your search, save it again, and move on."

The problem is, at least in my main category (vinyl records), you seemingly can't just update your search and save it again. Because the new settings don't allow you to select the specifics you need (they either aren't there anymore, or they don't 'take' when you choose them). The options have apparently been removed as part of this revamp. So now, instead of being able to view (for example) the 11,000-odd 7" 45's that I know are active listings, new and used (because there's always around that number), this version of the search only shows me around 60, which is ridiculous. As a buyer, I naturally enough want to see everything that's available. As a seller, I need to know what's on offer, and what prices are being achieved/how much interest there is, in items I'm planning to list (it's vital information when framing your prices to the market). Now I can't do either of these things, whereas only a couple of days ago, I could do both. Then there's the obvious and real concern that other potential buyers simply aren't able to see my listings anymore - and if they can't see my listings, then they can't buy my records! It really is a joke, except that it's far from being funny.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I've tried and tried to update/reset the search criteria, but nothing works. It'd be lovely, even if highly unlikely, if somebody from ebay would take the time to come on here to try and understand the problems, and address them - or at least, explain how we can get around the surrent limitations. I feel that as both a buyer and seller, I'm being screwed.

Re: Where have all the items gone?

viewmont1071 — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:33:10 GMT

It's just a category change - they happen ALL the time, so there's not much you can do about it. It's like when your supermarket rearranges the shelves slightly... not the end of the world.

Cars, Bikes and Boats is for those vehicles. Parts and Accessories are for guess what... parts and accessories to suit vehicles.

Anyway, your problems solved now? Just update your search, save it again, and move on. No point complaining about things, irrespective of how silly the changes might appear, they were obviously done for some reason or another 🙂

How do all the other buyers that rely on email notifications for their set saved searches accomplish that coops?????

.... ie upgrading the saved searrches?????

when they do not no that ebays default parameters have changed???

Re: Where have all the items gone?

viewmont1071 — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:37:13 GMT

ie.....some sellers have noticed the discrepancy because their searches probably also involve completed listing searches.

The sellers actually first noticed manually the total item count discrepancies because they are familiar with the average listing counts

..... how many buyers would notice the discrepanacy and then check their searches?????... from mine a poofteenth of a percent

Re: Where have all the items gone?

9701michael — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:49:49 GMT

And let me make this clear as well, while I'm at it: This isn't just a problem related to the personal 'saved searches' function. I've logged in and gone straight to the main categories list, and chosen 'records' in the music section. Result? Same as with my saved searches. A paltry number of items show up (most from overseas/mostly 'new' items/mostly 'free postage' items), that simply fails to represent what's actually available for purchase.

Re: Where have all the items gone?

viewmont1071 — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:57:25 GMT

yesterday there were over 1,000,000 car parts listed and 17,000 odd cars today there are a total of 28,000 items listed in the whole category??? new and used in the general search

Re: Where have all the items gone?

viewmont1071 — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:07:44 GMT

and I wondered how I could make my parts appear in the car bike and boats section.... like this part

Honda Cbr 125 Right Rear Fairing

that is listed in the new vehicle part category and has been automatically moved to the category below

Vehicle Parts & Accessories > Motorcycle Parts, Accessories > Other Bread Crumb Link Vehicle Parts & Accessories > Motorcycle Parts, Accessories > Bike Parts

but for some reason comes up in the new exclusive car bike and boat section in the general category search

........ while many many other parts listed in exactly the same category do not come up??????

Re: Where have all the items gone?

bigtrainiac — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:08:22 GMT

I just searched music > records > single & have 5,323 results found for Single.

Setting is Au only.

Re: Where have all the items gone?

viewmont1071 — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:24:39 GMT

One of the few parts showing in new car bike and boats general search but actually listed in

Vehicle Parts & Accessories >
Car, Truck Parts >
Other

TIMING BELT KIT - DIAHATSU HANDIVAN, MIRA & MOVE, 846CC, 3CYL, SOHC, #KTBA070

my old cohort at Ultra cheap auto 'Big Al' will be loving that

Re: Where have all the items gone?

9701michael — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:28:33 GMT

Yes, I've just done the same thing, with the same result. Now on the face of it, that is a better result. But it's still not a complete or accurate result. As you can see if you choose the 'ending soonet' option, there's a just a (relative) few ending shortly, and then it quickly jumps to items that are ending 12 and 14 hours from now. If you're familiar with the category, you'll understand that this simply isn't correct. Also, if you know the regular sellers, you notice the ones who simply aren't showing up - the ones who are always there, and usually have lot's of listing ending over the next hour or so (every day). Maybe these regulars have stopped listing? I guess it's possible with these latest changes - but if I click on my 'saved sellers' search, and choose one of these regulars, that result shows me that they have plenty of current listings, ending over the next few hours. So where are they as far as the category search is concerned?

Re: Where have all the items gone?

missionsellit — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 06:01:31 GMT

224000 lp's listed "On Australia" for location, of those-

213000lp' not listed under a 'speed' category(33,45rpm etc)

157000lp's not listed under a 'duration'category (LP,single,ep)

206000lp's not listed under a Genre (pop rock classical jazz etc)

139000lp's not listed with ANY OF THE ABOVE categories, (click unspecified in all categories)...........

So I looked at those 139,000 and found MANY that HAVE specified at least one of the above, Rarely has a seller been so negligent as to totally miss all of those categories, yet according to ebay search, and the tool most people use to sort their search, 139000lp's not findable in ANY item specific search.

Strangely I found some in there that were "On Australia" that were in GBP , and LOCATED in UK, so tell me how the heck that works, in particular, as I am IN australia, and have some LP listed in GBP, so I would not expect them to appear in the ON australia search, fairs fair, but how fair is it that a UK seller gets there????? (and is outside the perameters of the search as listed in GBP therefore ON UK)

Step 6 in ebays own "How to sell an item " says

"Use as many Item specifics as possible"

So, Mr ebay do all the sellers that PAID for listings and can't get seen, (upto 139000lps alone) let alone the 206000 in' no genre' that is a pretty used search mechanism, get a refund for the service they paid for yet did not get provided?

Forget search engine placement based on TRS or anything else , that won't mean ( add own word) if you aren't IN the search engine.

Also, to those few items that ARE selling, most often for opening bid, there is the loss of value that the seller THOUGHT based on averages that auctions WERE getting , but are not now. ( I watched 4 listings yesterday from one seller in "Classical" that he selected correctly in his specifics, but was not visible in trhe "Classical" 3 passed in for 99c and one sold for 99c.

Each one should have sold for $20-30 based on historical auction averages. He probably is still wondering what the heck happened.

Easy, No one could see his listings with correct categories selected, but not displaying

Ebay I know has always had little glitches, but this is MAJOR disaster if you understand the full cost of those thousands of records and the man hrs put into listing, just not being seen, and a fee paid for the 'non privelige'.

I lodged a complaint about one of my OZ listings on Wednesday, it has Classical genre selected, it's STILL not showing.

I am about to ring ebay again, what are the odds on getting

"clear your cookies" or "it takes at least 24 hours to index"

Index THIS.........It's the finger next to mine ..l.. (LOL)

Re: Where have all the items gone?

suitcase_of_memories — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 23:03:56 GMT

I think I am being censored this is my 2nd time attempting to reply.

I often make a list of 30 Ending Soonest items in a category - say Art Deco......when the items have finished I click on Completed Listings......& quite often find items that did not display in the Ending Soonest view !

I have done this over a period of years, so it is not new.

Sellers become aware of this but what hope do buyers have of learning about it !!! And if it is due to specific search settings why make it SO HARD to search for an item such as Vintage Vinyle LP ?

Imagine if you paid your local newspaper to run an advert for you & it didn't appear in their paper [at least in the category selected...i.e. instead of in Garage Sale it appeared in the Editorial or similar]...you've spent your monies for nothing.

Then if you Relist & it still can't be found you've well & truly lost your $'s FOR WHAT ??