Listing description with AI

[qutepets]

Dear eBay sellers,

What is the best service that can write listings titles and descriptions using AI? For example, if we enter a product type and name and some specifics. It writes the title and description for me.

Thanks in advance!

[*vyolla*]

You need to write your own listing title.

When you add your item's MPN, EAN, product name or ISBN, if the product is in eBay's catalogue item specifics will be prefilled. More details on this eBay guidance page:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/listing-item-product-details...

[qutepets]

thanks Vyolla, really appreciate your help.

[douglaspuglas]

If you use the eBay app it auto fills the description with what you've said in the listing title.

So the description ends up as one line that the potential buyer has already read.

Many sellers leave it like that seemingly convinced that a repeat of four or five words will sell their item.

I think the best service to create listings is to use your own brain or failing that use the sell similar feature.

Be original not an AI sheep.

[clickdr-40]

 ebays ai description  = cheesey, gushing, waffle,

[suelel1968]

"For example, if we enter a product type and name and some specifics. It writes the title and description for me."

This is not intended to sound sarcastic. once you have done the above steps, you pretty much have your title. No need to over complicate.

For items i am less familiar with, item to look at recently sold similar items and "sell similar" as already suggested. 

[wyntersemporium]

I have noticed and have used the AI 

quite entertaining what it spews out. Especially for the ring I was getting rid of on my private account. 

[wyntersemporium]

I use the AI  has saves me writing it in, then I add additional to it at the bottom of description 

[litp*records]

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@wyntersemporium wrote:

I have noticed and have used the AI 

quite entertaining what it spews out. Especially for the ring I was getting rid of on my private account. 

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I have seen a few of these AI descriptions now on other people's listings and they are quite often in the "cringe" category.  Meanwhile offering nothing of substance regarding the condition or quality of the item.   Like it's just regurgitating something from Wikipedia etc.

Also if the AI description is pulled from the item specifics which are in turn pulled from the title, well...you can see where a lot of errors are gonna happen (as many of the autofilled item specifics are incorrect).

Seriously it would be better to have no description at all than some AI-written junk.

[bennotbill · Accepted solution]

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@litp*records wrote:

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I have seen a few of these AI descriptions now on other people's listings and they are quite often in the "cringe" category.

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The few I've seen could better be described as belonging in a children's advertising storybook.

[kempseykate]

I have just spent a very entertaining and hilarious half hour seeing what ebay AI come up with for various items.

I tried the book I am currently reading - a novel - AI decided it was a book about the history of publishing!

Then I tried a jigsaw puzzle - a bit gushy,  recommending that you either see if you can beat the record (what record?) for completing it or 'take it slowly and enjoy the journey'.

Finally a box of envelopes all someone wants to know there is the size and material, but we were treated to 2 poetic paragraphs, suggesting that A4 board backed envelopes are fine for your delicate items ... wouldn't fancy the chances of sending Aunt Mary's china teapot in one. AI also decided they had a self sealing strip.

As a seller, I won't be using it. As a buyer I will not buy anything that seems to have used AI, as the description probably isn't accurate. However, I will 'use' it when I'm fed up and need a laugh!

[bits_n_bobs_heaven]

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@qutepets wrote:

Dear eBay sellers,

What is the best service that can write listings titles and descriptions using AI? For example, if we enter a product type and name and some specifics. It writes the title and description for me.

Thanks in advance!

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There will never be a true replacement for the HUMAN touch of expression. AI's are, as already stated, at best, "belonging in a children's advertising storybook" - Classic! 😂🤣🤣🤣

[rainbowtrax]

I just tried out the AI description on a few of my items and I have to agree, as a buyer I wouldn't touch with a bargepole any listing that had those descriptions. Not a single one had any  of the vital information that buyers need before buying, just a load of guff and waffle that any sane person would cringe at.

The thing with AI is to remember that the A stands for artificial. It's only ever going to be a poor and inferior version of the real thing. Look at artificial anything else. Take food for example. There's a reason that things are advertised as having "no artificial sweeteners", "no artificial colours", "no artificial flavouring" etc etc. Or jewellery - who'd choose artificial pearls over real ones? Artificial is just a cheap, low quality alternative to genuine or natural, used to save time and/or money.

Likewise, an AI description is only ever going to be a very poor imitation of the real thing. There's no substitute for using your actual brain to compose a proper description. If it was as easy as pressing a button then there'd be no need to write anything ever again. If you want fast and don't care about inferior then AI descriptions are the way to go. It does save time but at the expense of making listings look ridiculous. I can't see how it could possibly not have a detrimental effect on sales. It's just one step further on from the automatically generated "condition is used" descriptions that also slow sales.

[jbrusby]

It may have a place if you're a commercial seller who sells stock products and rigidly completes all the item specifics by hand, so that the AI blurb is vaguely accurate.

Unfortunately that's about 1% of listings, and the rest really aren't suitable for the AI Ebay has rolled out. In the main because the catalogue that auto-fills item specifics is so full of errors now that the AI just repeats them in the description with a lot of filler, resulting in complete gobblydegook that's less than helpful and plain confusing for a buyer. Added to the fact it presents a lazy get-out for sellers who no longer bother to write anything in their own description, and I'm finding buying on Ebay is almost too much of a chore now. It's a real time-drainer having to try to decipher details about the item amid AI waffle, and send endless messages to buyers asking for basic details they should have included.

[ear2fear]

When EBay asked for feedback on what I thought of the new AI feature I said I thought it was great and that it was a real time saver. I've since changed my opinion because when I've seen it on other sellers items I've thought the description seemed overly long and a bit too gushing. And you've also got to hope that the seller has read through the description and corrected anything that is inaccurate. I don't see any problem with the auto-fill thing where it just automatically puts the title of the item as the description. Not if there is nothing further to add. With some items it's difficult to wax lyrical about them. 

[qutepets]

Hi all, 

Thank you all for your feedback. I completely understand descriptions generated by Chatgpt are cheezy and sometimes exaggerated. 

This can be fixed by the prompts/instructions we enter. For example, "Write a product description for a X, use the keywords x,y,x. The description should not be more than 250 words and the product specifications are as the following;" 

The reason, I am interested in finding out opinions about other sellers is because as a part-time seller, I would like something that would generate descriptions quickly and there is one less thing to do when I am listing an item. 

Thanks again everyone, your feedback is very helpful. 

[willa-7419]

When I see listings with all that AI generated garbage I usually ask the seller if they would like some maple syrup to go with their waffle , then start mocking them without mercy.

[leach1527]

It has only just clicked with me that the cheesy marketing speak that is found in an increasing number of listings is down to AI. 

Most of it is an absolute load of gushing rubbishy cliches which sound like those TV adverts for souvenir anniversay coins and plates - "this beautifully crafted item is made from the very best materials and will bring you pleasure for years to come and will take pride of place in your home display cabinet" 

Ultimately it is a lazy way of listing and can leave out the detail you really want and need to know. 

[englishbandit]

I buy a lot of stuff on eBay, as soon as I click on a listing to buy a motorcycle and it's done by AI, I just come off the listing and move on. If a seller can not be bothered to wright the listing and put in important stuff about the item then I don't want anything to do with the seller. 

[englishbandit]

Totally agree. When I am buying motorcycle on eBay ( I am looking every day) I need proper info from the seller not ai garble. It must be costing seller sales because I just come off the listing I am looking at as soon as I start reading it and see it's AI , I just can not be bothered to then have to email the seller to ask them what should already be in the listing. And to be honest if you can not be bothered to wright the listing out properly, your not the sort of buyer I want to buy from. Shame really. And to be honest the rubbish AI  wrights is pointless info and so poor.