Search..........................What a mess.

[exponential_developments]

1906 half crown

Simple search request, please someone else try it as i get,

1902

1903

1904

1905

1906

1907

1908

1909

1910

That's ya lot, search engines are for Google.

[cobwebcottage]

I tried it. Got 5/6 at the top of the search.  First one was 386570023080.

[vintagewatchpart]

I posted on the other "search" thread a week or so about this, don't think its being talked about enough.

I use search to determine product value on unique old items on a daily basis and some of the items that get churned up are unreal. Then I frequently turn to google to search instead for it to only show me Ebay results that Ebay didn't show me.

Imagine the hundreds of searches being performed every few minutes potentially in the UK alone that results in someone finding NOT what they wanted but lots of other things Ebay thinks they want instead... they bounce and go elsewhere out of frustration.

We live in a time where fractions of a second in page loading speed impact a customers liklihood to purchase, imagine taking a modern age of technology back to the 1990s, in fact thats an insult to the 1990s as the search results on Ebay were more accurate back then!

Could list over 100 examples of search issues and how it would impact that customer experience but I am trying to focus on growing my own business but feel torn because our growth is being hindered by these search issues.

[exponential_developments]

I've been using ebay since about 2005, so if search is alienating me who is used to using search, what level of frustration is the average punter feeling.

Had a family meal yesterday, ten of us, not one of my family use ebay any longer, the complaints were they can't find things, get fed up with it and too much junk pretending to be from the UK when it's really from China. Also too many results saying for example £3.99, but when you select size etc the price jumps to £19.99 and really nothing is for sale at £3.99.

[iew-signed-books]

Not quite as atrocious as Amazon's search (sic) engine (what is?), but closing the gap steadily. 

[bittyboy101]

@exponential_developments 

You're 100% right - The eBay searches are now a COMPLETE MESS !

No wonder stuff is no longer getting seen to be sold...

[the-nutwood-collection]

When I search for '1906 half crown', I get 380 results.  On the first page of 50 listings, there are 17 1906 half crowns, scattered among the 50, not all listed at the top.

If I search for 1906 halfcrown, I get 46 results but (oddly) I counted 48 where the search title contained '1906' and 'halfcrown'.  I ignored the ones that gave a range of dates that would have included 1906.

The search obviously sees a difference between a 'half crown' and a 'halfcrown'.  Is there a difference?  I don't know, I'm not a coin person (except for spending them).  

[exponential_developments]

Hi, thanks.....it's two words on some historical sites and one on others. Some even use Half-crown.

[exponential_developments]

If you type halfcrown into ebay, ironically, ebay suggests Half Crown as two words.

[vintagewatchpart]

Could be part of an algorithm designed to pick up on typos, the "did you mean this" correction on Google and Ebay for example. This could also explain why it is ignoring your request for certain years like 1906, perhaps it thought you means 1907 or 1928!! 

I have the same issue searching for Seiko model watches that are series of 8 numbers, it will show me results for lots I have not specified in my search but close by numbers as well.

Maybe this can be looked into, acknowledged or dealt with by the relevant person to prevent customers from abandoning Ebay and turning to other sites, to increase sales, click through rate, conversion... need I go on?

[exponential_developments]

Fact is, it doesn't work, the request is simple, i also tried 1817 half crown as i wondered what the going rate was, but again all mixed up dates.

Nothing works with any common sense, everything is meddled with and over complicated.

[superchallenge]

Got to admit, I noticed something a little similar the other day. I *wish* I could remember the search term I used, but I really can't. 😐

Essentially, the first four or five items (non-promoted) were relevant to what I searched for, but everything below that was pretty clearly based on a "corrected" version of my search which had assumed I was searching for "game boy console." EVERY item barring those first four or five was a Nintendo Game Boy console.

Fair enough, but the issue is that there was absolutely no separation between the two, or a "did you mean...?" or a "we included results for..." message or anything. It was just a normal page of results. It wasn't even a "Best Match" search, because I had it ordered by lowest price.

[iew-signed-books]

Whenever I search for a book signed by a particular author, it brings up titles such as SIgn of the Times etc along with a plethora of equally unrelated drivel.

[the-nutwood-collection]

Today, my regular 'Just for You' notification from the eBay app, based on my recent searches, was for chainsaw parts.  I haven't been searching for chainsaw parts.  I'm not allowed near power tools.

My other half has been searching for chainsaw parts.  He has his own ID.  The only link between us is the IP address. 

If eBay are linking searches by IP, it should make for some interesting conversations when the gold necklace that was being searched for doesn't turn up on Valentine's Day. 

[toolboss15]

Searching now on eBay for any sort of collectables is a complete waste of time. Searching now has defaults to a category that cut out most of potential results. If selling collectables eBay isn’t the platform to sell on anymore due to idiotic eBay changes.

[iew-signed-books]

Collectables is rather a broad term - no wonder the search engine can't cope with those criteria. For some, a "collectable" might be a signed Katie Price 1st ed, for others a blow-up rubber doll.

[darth_baggins]

I need a new case for my Kindle. I typed in "Kindle case 7th generation" - first result is for an iPad case.

Search is just broken.

[bittyboy101]

Sorry to say but the eBay searches lately are 80LL0CKS !

I type in "Vintage plugs and sockets" and yet the USELESS eBay search engine totally ignores this and shows me brand new plug sockets from China !

"Vintage" or "Old" should mean just that, stuff that is MANY years old and used. **NOT** brand spanking new Chinese trash ! 

NO WONDER MY VINTAGE LOCKS ARE NOW NOT SELLING WHEN ALL EBAY DOES IS SHOW BUYERS SEARCHING FOR VINTAGE ANTIQUE LOCKS BRAND NEW ONES ! 😞