Is eBay's awful search function the reason for eBay's decline in the UK?

[poshboutique2]

The search algorithm on eBay is a total nightmare if you are in the UK. Random results unrelated to your initial search show up in their hundreds, as well low value items from Chinese sellers. It is positively discouraging to buy from eBay, especially on the app which is what most use.  And the so-called 'filters' are time consuming and fiddly to use. Even after applying filters you're left with items totally unrelated to your original search. I am sure people give up and try another platform. Contrast this to Vinted which is an absolute pleasure to use as a buyer. Their search is super effective and really easy to use - finding the items that you want as well other related items based on your initial search. I've bought more from Vinted than I expected to because they make it so easy to find items that I love.

eBay's search is a mess and I actually think this is a major reason for their declining sales in the UK.

[smarts-gaming]

For my business I often have to check what items sold for previously so I filter by sold and then sort by "ended most recently". It cant even manage that, I have to be really careful because it might just chuck in a random listing from 2024 in the mix for 0 reason at all. The order is all messed up so I cant trust what im looking at. You cant even view listings from that long ago normally, but somehow they pop up in this search. My theory is that these were promoted listings, and ebay is still prioritising them regardless of search parameters, even after theyve been sold ages ago which is insane. Their site and app has been broken for a while now. Im also sick of the constant notifications about things I never asked for, yet for my saved searches or selling an item/receiving an offer, its crickets from ebay.... But the random item I clicked on and off just to do market research, yes lets bombard me about it for the rest of the week. I also dont need 50 different notifications for a parcel turning up. 

Id love if they fixed the app but at the same time im not sure I trust them too without breaking it entirely. If you have the option to browse on desktop do that, it works a little better. 

[moonlight-rhapsody]

"eBay's search is a mess and I actually think this is a major reason for their declining sales in the UK."

For some people it may not be a single reason that causes them to stop using ebay, but a dissatisfaction with the site in general - all sorts of little things that aren’t enough on their own to cause a departure, but together add up to it being more trouble than it's worth.  I’m sure the broken search function is one of those factors, plus the dominance of unwanted sponsored listings, plus the deceitful listings which offer, say, a 20-piece tool set for £1.99 then you discover it’s actually only a screw for £1.99 and the tool set itself is £50, plus the multiple listings of the same item from the same seller, plus probably a dozen other little things.  And if you do order something, it probably won't arrive when you expect it because of the unrealistic timescales that ebay gives. 

It’s just all so tiresome.  Sadly there’s nothing about ebay these days which makes shopping a pleasure, and once it stops being a pleasure, you stop buying and you go elsewhere.  I wish it were otherwise, but again sadly, I see nothing to suggest that anything’s going to change any time soon, if at all.

[*devils.advocate*]

Can only agree with both smarts-gaming and moonlight-rhapsody comments.

And to add one thing, as a buyer, since the “free to sell” emphasis began, there’s an increase in the really obvious rubbish which is being listed by the new sellers attracted to the site.

Saw one tonight when searching - described as “a collector’s item” - dreadful picture, an obviously damaged item and listed at a stupidly ridiculous price.

All these clog up an already broken search (broken for so many years) and, as above, makes searching feel like a useless and futile exercise.

Mixed in with all the other changes (especially the silly prices for postage) eBay seems to want to create the ‘perfect storm’ to drive buyers away.

[*maetrix*]

Couldn't agree more...I used to do approx 90% of my online shopping on ebay...now it's got to a point where i've almost forgotten that ebay is still a thing..a bit like zavvi,you just stop using these sites and eventually forget all about them.

Scandalous how somebody has turned ebay into the horror-show it now is.