topic Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon in Selling

Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

lupercal — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 05:53:13 GMT

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?

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

twyngwyn — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 05:54:41 GMT

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

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

lupercal — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 06:03:37 GMT

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.

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

jellybirddesigns — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 06:10:24 GMT

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.

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

twyngwyn — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 06:11:18 GMT

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

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

gumleaf_goodies — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 10:28:48 GMT

Mine too.

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

lupercal — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 12:39:01 GMT

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.

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

davewil1964 — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 12:45:28 GMT

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

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

the4masters2013 — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 19:15:19 GMT

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!

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

jillywinkle — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 08:16:31 GMT

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

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

jillywinkle — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 08:18:02 GMT

none...hmm...i will try that..just to try to kill off the lingering 'recommendations'...thanks

Re: Required Item Specifics - Coming Soon

lupercal — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 11:00:58 GMT

@jillywinkle wrote:
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

With refunding a customer, you should be able to just go the item on your Sold Items page and choose Refund. The refund comes off the balance of your next scheduled managed payout. If there aren't any pending pay outs it's handled a bit differently - not sure, as I haven't had this situation, but I think they treat it as a debit on your account.

I haven't noticed that contacting buyers is any different under the new system; again it should be an option on your sold items page.