topic Re: Shock search results !! in Selling

Shock search results !!

suitcase_of_memories — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 20:32:50 GMT

I just did a search from the categories bar

Antiques > Textiles > Embroidery Results 110

Thought that was a very low number so went back to my listings clicked on the item I have in the above category.

Whilst in my listing I clicked on Embroidery, to go back into the Embroidery Category pages, the very same category I had just done a search on via the Category Bar, Results 827

What the hell is going on on here..

Oh by the way, my listing wasn't on view in the first search via Antiques > Textiles > Embroidery

You better do some checking today sellers

Re: Shock search results !!

phorum_junkie* — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 22:21:09 GMT

I just don't concern myself with where or if my items are appearing. There are so many ways a prospective buyer can search and so many different keywords they can search for that it is almost meaningless which is proven by your post, different search criteria produce different results.

There is little I am prepared to do to try and make my items appear in more searches as I would rather concentrate on listing, packing and posting items.

Re: Shock search results !!

licoricebabyandfabmama — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:01:31 GMT

Obviously suitcase, your concern is in light of the recent posts on ebay search results. Pay 50 bux per month for a store, I would say you have a right to be concerned! There may not be much you can do about, but if your listings arent showing up, well i remember reading about some members who called Ebay and lo and behold more traffic came through their stores. Do you look at your traffic reports? Im just saying its not a sin to treat Ebay as a business and make sure you are getting what you monthly fees are supposed to provide you.

Also maybe try getting a friend to look for a listing of yours see how they show up in a different computer.

Re: Shock search results !!

alanawent3133 — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:04:28 GMT

I just don't concern myself with where or if my items are appearing. There are so many ways a prospective buyer can search and so many different keywords they can search for that it is almost meaningless which is proven by your post, different search criteria produce different results.

There is little I am prepared to do to try and make my items appear in more searches as I would rather concentrate on listing, packing and posting items.

dont forget to allocate time to be a Sanctimonious know it all

Re: Shock search results !!

thecatspjs — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:30:12 GMT

My concern with searches is as a buyer and a seller. I too am increasingly concerned with the way some searches are generating erratic results - hope it just relates to ebay refining their "fabulous" new approach to searches 😞

So far the changes don''t make any sense to me - it makes it so much harder for me to find what I am looking for and spend my money.

Re: Shock search results !!

2106greencat — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 01:04:06 GMT

It is maintenance day - all sorts of wierd and wonderful things happen on a Friday 😞 check tomorrow and see how it is,

Re: Shock search results !!

digital*ghost — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 01:38:14 GMT

There are so many ways a prospective buyer can search and so many different keywords they can search for that it is almost meaningless which is proven by your post, different search criteria produce different results.

Not exactly - clicking through to a specific category from the main eBay menu and clicking through to the specific category that a listing is in from that listing is exactly the same search criteria, so should have yielded exactly the same results (give or take a few, certainly not ~700).

@suitcase, I just went to the same categories and got 865 results from the eBay menu, and 866 after clicking it from a listing, so could have been a temporary glitch - I notice very similar anomalies in my searches from time to time, but usually a page refresh or trying the search again will bring up the correct results (well, I suppose here 'correct results' probably means 'the most eBay are willing to show me at any one time' :^O ).

Not so much a laughing matter when people searching get those kinds of results and are none the wiser about what they're not seeing, though. 😕

Re: Shock search results !!

buy-savvy — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 05:56:23 GMT

It is definitely concerning that there are many erratic results with searches at the moment. I do not like the new "improved' eBay search at all !! The large images are annoying and I can't seem to see as many items as before.

I have a store on another id and only sell in Australia and don't post overseas, however upon searching some of my items earlier today, upon clicking on Australia only, my items appear below:

eBay International Sellers, even though it says Item Location: Australia. What hope do we have of being seen if the search results are so erratic??

Re: Shock search results !!

ringinthedingding — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 07:24:38 GMT

What hope do we have of being seen if the search results are so erratic??

Apparently you will just need to relist repeatedly until such time as ebay decides to let someone actually see your listing! whenever that is .. perhaps never .. no more bets .. dealer wins again!! .. lay your bets please ..

Re: Shock search results !!

phorum_junkie* — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 08:04:06 GMT

Of course you would think searching through categories and sub categories should bring up the same results but what if a seller has uploaded or sold a heap of items between searches?

Then there is the fact that there are as many different ways to search as there are members then the big difference, different browsers will produce different results.

My point was that there is little point stressing about it or wasting time trying to do anything about it.

If you are listing in the correct categories, filling in as many item specifics as you can and populating your title with as many keywords as you can think of that buyers may search for then you have done all you can and doing searches and worrying about the results is going to do nothing to improve your ebay experience.

Re: Shock search results !!

zanadoo_56 — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 08:08:48 GMT

(QUOTE) dont forget to allocate time to be a Sanctimonious know it all LOL Well put!

But seriously....as a seller it never ceases to amaze me that what I think is a simple unambiguous search will take me God knows where....often to items that have little to do with what I'm looking for. Then the filtering begins....I seems to be adding a minus to so many words there's not enough room to display my search parameters.

Re: Shock search results !!

i-once-was-bump — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 08:17:10 GMT

I think that as sellers are paying eBay to provide a service then it is reasonable to expect that service to be delivered.

It doesn't matter how the more perfect among us spend their time as they are apparently quite happy to pay for a non-existent service whereas the plebs can't afford to waste money on "no show" listings.

(And please don't dare tell me how I should make better use of my money so that I too can afford to pay eBay for no-shows.X-()

Re: Shock search results !!

suitcase_of_memories — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 08:34:39 GMT

The search I performed was at around 7.30 am. - maintenance doesn't occur till evenings [like about 15 minutes ago according to my ebay page].

The search i performed was all within the matter of no less than 2 minutes.

I understand key words in title, but to the uninitiated who have NO IDEA how convaluted ebay searching is.... if they click on eg. embroidery as I did this morning, & they see only 110 items available, they will simply scroll through & then move to another category.

They won't know just how confusing & time consuming finding ALL the items in that embroider category can be. They won't even be aware that there are more items & they have to jump up 7 times, turn around in circles 20 times, stand on their head in the corner for 10 minutes, say the Lord's Prayer & then click again & find they've just witnessed a miracle.......the embroidery section had been breeding whilst they were performing all their tricks. :^O :^O ... gosh I can't even post a smiley face ....... how is a newbie going to work this place out !!!

I still wonder why we only see 1 2 3 [until we click no 2] pages at base of listing pages when there used to infinite numbers once upon a time.

Re: Shock search results !!

suitcase_of_memories — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 08:35:24 GMT

OH there they are, first time I've ever tried that [the smiley faces thingy i mean]

Re: Shock search results !!

ringinthedingding — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 09:04:07 GMT

recently i searched high and low for some cheap iron on repair patches and after numerous searches decided to buy and then low and behold AFTER I PURCHASED then ebay decided to display other items I may like and yes indeed I would have liked to have seen those cheap IRON ON PATCHES ebay thought I may like in the original searches as they were half price to what I eventually paid and were all missing items in my search yet contained the keywords I was searching for .. how rude of you ebay!! and as for those sellers that you were hiding from me well I am speechless as no matter how far and wide I searched your server was deliberately hiding the cheaper items from me even though I was reordering the search to cheapest + post etc .. thanks for that ebay you certainly opened my eyes as apparently the server knew of those listings but hid them from me even though they were exactly what I wanted!!!!

Re: Shock search results !!

jillywinkle — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 10:48:44 GMT

dont forget to allocate time to be a Sanctimonious know it all

B-)B-)B-)B-)

Re: Shock search results !!

ringinthedingding — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 11:23:30 GMT

"doing searches and worrying about the results is going to do nothing to improve your ebay experience."

QUITE RIGHT as it is now apparently a useless exercise and the search results are obviously highly tainted!!

from a buyers point of view let me reassure you that it is loathsome to have the ebay server deliberately hiding things from me that I am attempting to locate and buy and I will now be looking at other avenues to purchase from as am realising that the ebay server is now costing me extra and the cheap items that I want are now being hidden and ebay is shoving their preferred sellers down my throat .. no more!!

Re: Shock search results !!

suitcase_of_memories — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 20:51:01 GMT

Well there you have it people, straight from a buyers mouth...experience !

Yes ringinthedingding I would be incredibly annoyed if I discovered this AFTER parting with my cash.

This also highlighs the frustration for buyers who are knowledgable in their search patterns, even they can't locate ALL the items of a specific genre when searching using all of EBAYS TOOLS for searching.

How did that enhance the above buyers experience ?. IT DIDN'T

I feel for the buyers who genuinely are looking but can't find & I feel for the sellers who are paying to be connected to those buyers but can't be found !!!!

Re: Shock search results !!

bsal6160 — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 22:02:41 GMT

Just make sure you have ENDING SOONEST as your primary search filter. It does not matter if someone is a preffered seller.

Re: Shock search results !!

2106greencat — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 00:31:59 GMT

Hey bsal, does that still work with BIN ? or just auctions ? I have my BIN as good till cancelled??