Help with Variation Problem

[clarry100]

We have a listing with variations for size and colours.

A while back we added a new variation size/colour to the active listing but when we submitted it we must have forgotten to save it back to the inventory template as well. Now the template does not have this variation and the active listing and the template differ.

We did not realise we had done this until we came to adjust the quantities for sale and get the error message in the attached screen-shot.

We don't want to have to cancel and relist from the adjusted template as by doing so we will lose all the sales records that are already on it.

There have been sales on the item now so it won't let me make any other changes to the variations for this reason.

Does anyone know how we can now correct this mistake we made by somehow re-aligning the inventory template to what is in the active listing for this item without having to cancel/relist?

[clarry100]

Any takers on this one?

[digital*ghost]

Sorry clarry, I don't use the template option so I don't know what can be done - are you able to make some other change to the listing, say a temporary price adjustment, then re-save as a template to hopefully include the new variation? 

[clarry100]

Thanks DG.

Tried doing a temp price change on one of the variations.

But when you goto CONTINUE you get the following error.

Actually its the same error message as it happens. Just reaslised.

We did try a few things and some different errors came up but we just can't seem to get past this point.

It does look like we might have to end the listing and lose all the sales records then rebuild a new template based on the added variations in the inventory and relist it.

It's a pain and just our own oversight as we forgot to save back to the template when we added in the new colours/sizes.

Didn't even reaslise it had happened until we went to adjust quantities on the listing some time later and cannot.

[digital*ghost]

Ok, seems eBay's help pages might be good for something... 🙂

Hopefully you haven't ended it yet, as it seems like you can keep the listing, but save edits to a new template.

Try and see if this works:

How do I create a template from an existing listing?

Using Selling Manager Pro, you can save your listing as a template that will be associated with one of your inventory products.

To create a template from an existing listing:

1. In the Scheduled or Active View of Selling Manager Pro, click the title of the listing to view the listing.

2. Select Revise Your Item.

3. At the bottom of the Revise Your Item page, under Save template options, select Save edits to a new listing template.

4. Click the Submit Revisions button.

Tip: You can also create a template from the Scheduled or Active View by selecting the listing and clicking the Save to Template button.

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/sell/questions/create-template.html

Edit: Just an afterthought.... Can you delete a current template, then create a new one from an existing listing?

[clarry100]

Thanks again DG.

I did try what you suggested above, but got a different error message. Don't properly recall what it said at the moment and didn't screen-shot it either. Something about not being able to change variations because you have had a sale (which we had) on the item I think.

Anyway after that I gave up and ended the listing.

Then I went back to inventory and created a whole new template (and deleted the old one) and relisted the item from the new template.

Lesson learned to not forget to save back to your template when you add/change variations on an active listing with variations.

The default is to just save to the active listing. You have to actively choose save to template as well.

A bit of a shortcoming there if you forget to click the radio button (as we did) you end up in this kind of trouble with seemingly no way out.

And you don't know you have the problem as your listing looks & works fine. Its only some time later when you come to change variation quantities and/or prices you find out all is not well.

Previoulsy I had contacted ebay about it but they were of no help.

Anyway... all working again now, but of course we have lost the sales history in so doing. Onwards and upwards.

Perhaps Cassini will like the new listing and promote it a bit. Gotta think positive. LOL

Thank you for your help.

[digital*ghost]

Aw, bugger, for a little while there I thought eBay had actually provided a solution to a problem. 

[clarry100 · Accepted solution]

I'm thinking that because we changed the variations on the active listing and did not save it back to the template that meant that both the inventory item and the associated template did not align with the active listing. The inventory item and the template aligned OK as that was how they were originally created. So even I tried to create a new template from the active listing it was trying to create that template but with no inventory item to align with. The error message we got was something to do with having a sale on the item which I think was just the web site not knowing how to report the error properly.
So I'm pretty sure the only way out in this case was to end the listing and start again.
The web site is none too tolerant of dummies making mistakes.