terrible Multiple Variation Option settings

[jimpowney]

Dear Marge

Someone is going to ask if I read all the details on how to sell using this option and my answer is most of it but either not enough OR it is no use for the issues I have found

I have spent 10 hours across 2 days TRYING to sell about 100 similar models cars with different variations using a single sales page and drop down options - like loads of people do

I am still no nearer than I was 2 days ago to getting the listing done

As a common user of this option it is probably very good and time savling BUT as a first time trier it is possible the most annoying and unhelpful piece of SW I have ever had the misfortune to use and CS "Experts" have not helped

I worked out eventually after deciphering the stupidly named tabs which options go where and how they look when completed

I then added 2 variants for the packaging - 1 with 2 options and the other had about 7 optons

I then started adding my car names as the sales items and assigne them to the various options

As I worked through, I realised that I had missed a variant so I added it and continued to add a large number of items

I then "conitinue" and filtered EACH item against EACH of the Variants - bit heavy going!and then added quantity and price but not photos yet - I will add them later

AFter sorting the numerous items out individually priced and quantified as above, I "Continue" and get the message "As you have changed Variants, all of your prices and quantities will requiore to be added again = Damn and Blast!!

So back I trawl, redo the selections - another hour gone - and get back to where I was and Save - eventually a sit is not positioned where you would expact at the bottom of each screen so you go back and the last screen is how you left it

bit later, I find a few more variants so go back in and add them

I then meet  the SAME ERROR message telling me that I have changed varuants and everything I have just redone will need to be redone again!

So I "Cancel" and go back, renmove what I just added and try to Save but no option

Forard again to the ERROR MEssage and effectively - there is NO WAY round this possibility so you are resigned to losing tyour changges so what the hell ois the point of the WARNING?!?

Surely the WARNING allows you to think "oops - I need to change that back to the saved state" BUT the saved state ALSO had the error message

Only option, carry on regardless and lose all my work and redo it all again

Get to the SAVE For Later Option and Save

Take photos and go back in to add photos

My priginals were all 3Mb so being green and trying not ti use too much space, I reduce them in Office to about 200kb and upload all

Try to Publish and get ERROR message "Some or All of your photos do not conform to Ebay requirements" witha Hyperlonk which I select and...... NOTHING HAPPENS

SO, I now have 120 photos of which "SOME" have an issues that I DO not know what it is but needs changing so I cannot continue

I am now scared stuff to touch or save anything in case it loses all my work again

I Chat with CS and he agress that this is odd and asks the "Experts"

He replies the EXPERTS have tiold him that "I have corrupted the SW because I have saved too many times and should really have dion the entire listing in 1 go"

Thanks then!

To EBay

EXPERS are EXPERTS BECAUSE they know how things work

EBay Sellers are NOT Experts because we have to use something the FIRST Tiome to understand how it works

Ebay EXPERTS would use their tiume better if they tried to work out why their program is so badly designed and unhelpful rather than b;aming ME for corrupting THEIR SW!

As I Stated, common users of this option will have worked out that they need to prep everyhting in order to make the listing seamless - somethying which the vast majority of first time users will no dibt NOT know

SO the Chat engineer aplogised and sympathised BUT I had to work it out myself - finally found that the Longest side of a photo should be 500pixels - rather tahn the sensible 200Kb that most people can see when the have an inage - my pc does not default to image Pixel size - maybe its my problem then!!

Worked this out an changed all photos to correct size and removed ALL then added All again an saved for later

Today,opened the listing and did the most stupid thing I have ever done in my life - O noticed a 1 lettter typo in 1 listing and being **bleep** about speeling, I corrected it.....CHANGED A VARIANT I MEAN DAMN!!!!!!!!

LOST EVERYTHING AGAIN INCLUDING THE PHOTOS!!!!

SO today I have AGAIN laoded all variants, assiged, proced, quantified and added Photos and go to "publish" and....

....NOW Ebay tells me that I MUST use at least 1 of EACH Variant RATHER than the extra variants O added to avoid the issue of losing everyhting if I found another Item that did not match up later on

So Now I have 2 options

I remove the unused Variants and LOSE EVERYTHING AGAIN

OR

I am forced to Publish false items that I do not have JUST to get round the stupid SW issue

UPset

Windsor

PS

If any common users can see a simple mistake I made and correct me I would be eternally grateful

If anyone else thinks this SW "Warning" option needs changing and has more influence over Ebay than I do - PLEASE TELL THEM!!

If anyone is waiting depsretaly for my items, hard luck really cos I have NO ETA for completion

;0((