Fiddling while Rome burns

[moonlight-rhapsody]

I've just had yet another pop-up box telling me that "Unsold" will now be called "Inactive".  I wonder if that fiddlesome micro-change was decided by the same person who thought "Sold" wasn't clear enough so they changed it to "Orders".   Is somebody actually paid to come up with these micro-changes, or is it a school student on work experience?  More scarily still, do they have a committee to discuss these fiddlesome changes?   

Obviously it's a micro issue in the scheme of things, but I can't help thinking that you couldn't get any clearer than "Sold" and "Unsold", so of course ebay have to "fix" something that wasn't broken.  Again.

[insidethe93]

the_book_seekers wrote: "I've long thought there has been a fixation with beautifying the site over and above the practicality of use."

I agree.

"beautifying" to eBay seems to mean mainly wall-to-wall advertising. The place has become so cluttered!

[the_book_seekers]

A million sellers selling nothing...... 

True. But they are promoting for millions in the hope of selling. 

[theelench]

You're probably right, these days the sample is too small to be anything but a footnote, if that.  But today there are 415 sellers on the leader board, one up on yesterday.  So it is dynamic in some way.

Does it not follow that when the boards were busier, with a better mix of views and possibly a higher standard of discussion, the boards were worth ebay taking notice of with the leader board having a 'special' interest as a way of refining the sentiments expressed overall?

[theelench]

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@the_book_seekers wrote:

"Ebay probably consider the sample size too small and the UK market as peripheral to main operations too consider what is said on the forum."

I recently read a stat which said 31% of ebay sellers are in the US followed by the UK at 29% so we're not that peripheral.

---

It will be interesting to see if that changes when ebay publish their next set of figures.   After last years changes I would guess that there has been an increase in sellers who, like me, are watching and waiting on developments.  

I haven't sold anything (I haven't tried to) and although I tried to buy 2 items (A reduction on previous years numerically, but both were higher than my average price range), both ended in frustrating failure.

[the_book_seekers]

That 31% of sellers produces over 60% of ebay's sales, but when you have a population of 349 million that's no surprise.  

As for the UK's percentage of sellers it will depend on how many new sellers have taken up free selling and been retained. There initially may well be a rise or maintaining of numbers driven by the lure of free selling, but once the reality of selling on this site hits keeping them may be  another matter.

[department28]

'I think that mixed in with the totally pointless changes like rounding box edges there are others that help ebay achieve its insatiable appetite for data on everyone who uses the site.' 

Yes. When the penny drops that pretty much every change/update/tweak etc is more for eBay's benefit - one way or another - than about providing any genuine improvement for those using the site, it makes you feel increasingly reluctant to continue to be a part of it. 

Unfortunately, unless you can manage without doing anything online, it is difficult to completely avoid all this modern day nosey-parkering...  

[moonlight-rhapsody]

I've just had yet another pop-up box telling me that "Unsold" will now be called "Inactive".

I see they've changed it back to "Unsold"!

[fribblecollectables]

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@moonlight-rhapsody wrote

I see they've changed it back to "Unsold"!

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Probably took someone a week to sort that.

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[department28]

When I noticed 'unsold' had mysteriously reappeared, I kept glancing at it, expecting it to revert to 'inactive', but so far, it's still there... 😲

There are a number of other things many of us would be very happy to see undone... perhaps this is just the start? 

Back to the Future, eBay!

[technthread]

I would be happy if they reversed these changes, I think they are both fairly new:

1) very crafty placement of ‘no, thanks’, and it is in a smaller box so you have to be precise. It would be so easy to promote without meaning to.

2) I was wondering why I had so many drafts. They have placed ‘sell one like this’ in the place I clearly tend to tap when I’m looking at sold listings. It isn’t as egregious to me as the first one but seems pushy, I’m just researching I knew where to go if I wanted to do a sell similar on something.

 

Hope nobody minds, I just wanted to get those off my chest 😆.

[gjalp]

I have unsold on my business ID and inactive on my private ID. Go figure that one 🤷🏻‍

[department28]

One of those little things I find particularly annoying, is when you click on a completed listing, or sold item, it takes you to a useless 'interim' page, so then you have to click again to 'See original listing' - which is what you were expecting to see straight away!

The only purpose for this useless page seems to be for displaying yet more 'similar sponsored items'... 🙄

[the_book_seekers]

Whoever is coming up with these ideas is just making ebay irritating. I had one of those order has been delivered. Time to list your next item messages - ignoring the fact that I've been adding listings over the last few days.  ebay has been putting out an increasing number of prompts and pushes to do this, that or the other over recent months on top of the promote, offer fast free and or tracked delivery messages.  The ones I find most annoying at the moment are the 'This one hasn't sold yet? Let's update....' 

[theelench]

Ebay just keeps on getting worse doesn't it ?  

A nice fat 8% pre-filled and just waiting for the accidental mis-click.

I wonder why, if ebay has sunk so low as to use fairground huckster tricks, it doesn't go the whole hog with 'promote my listing' and 'no thanks' flashing on and off and the seller having to 'hit' the one they want before continuing to the next section.   They could probably rig that too.

[theelench]

Ebay becoming "Irritating" is just such an understatement.

Some of their pointless prompts remind me of Joyce Grenfell monologues to an imaginary class of 7 year olds. 

[the_book_seekers]

Somebody is listening - today I've had both  'This one hasn't sold' and 'Order has been delivered' messages.  I need a coffee...

[department28]

'The ones I find most annoying at the moment are the 'This one hasn't sold yet? Let's update....' 

Yes - far from being helpful, these messages are usually completely irrelevant and unnecessary. I'm sure most of us know what we're doing, and just want to be left to get on with it, rather than have all these hints and nudges and silly phrases popping up all over the place. 

I also dislike those daft little notes on the item listing page, 'Hurry before it's gone', and 'Breathe easy. Returns accepted' - does eBay think a potential buyer might start hyperventilating if they aren't reassured about returns? 😂

[c_of_e84]

hmm if they did they would of kicked all the UK sellers off the site and made solely for the use of china.

[theelench]

"This one hasn't sold yet? Lets update..."

I haven't actually seen this one, having become absolutely sick of ebay and its exploitative ways, but let me guess.

"Lets update" leads to "helpful" suggestions.  First on the list will be.

"Sponsor Your Listing"

Next, for those already Sponsoring.

"Try one our other Promotion Strategies"  (Which cost just a little more)

As you say and I agree with you,  "most of us know what we're doing and just want to left alone to get on with it".

So, if ebay wants to increase revenue, it should DO what we pay it for (one way or another). 

Get back in the background and become merely  a platform to bring sellers and buyers together.

Give the buying public free and un-restricted access to all the ads. sellers are paying you (one way or another) , to host.

That led to your success.  It might even save you now.

[the_book_seekers]

"Lets update" leads to "helpful" suggestions.  First on the list will be. "Sponsor Your Listing"

Spot on for the first one -

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Promote your listings to help you get more sales.

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Maybe a special offer is all you need to get this item sold.

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