eBay Message System - How To Switch Back To Classic

[eoptimizer]

eBay's new Messages system makes me feel irritated.

I think I'd already taken the 'switch back to classic' option a few months ago, but here is the ugly new Message system staring me in the face again.

It's like one of the old decrepit original email systems that tried to gain traction with Gmail, but went bust.

I dislike the new system/interface with a passion, so is there still a way to switch back to classic?
...and if not, can eBay reintroduce it, cos this new system's REALLY horrible.

[tressygirl]

It's not liked by many , you're not alone.  However,  once eBay make a change although sometimes there's an   'Opt Out ' link I cannot see it on messages,  and it usually doesn't change things back permanently.

I'm on a laptop using Chrome and bottom right is a link to leave feedback  to ' rate the new messaging experience'  May be worth leaving that feedback and if enough members do,  eBay may,  just may listen !

@eoptimizer 

[a45heaven]

May be worth leaving that feedback and if enough members do,  eBay may,  just may listen !

Has hell frozen over and i missed the message ? (along with many other messages using ebay) 😉

[bitlogic]

Looks like the new layout isd now ENFORCED and NO WAY to Customise!!!

[department28]

Omg. I read this thread and went straight to look at my messages. Sure enough, this awful new layout has taken over. I literally cannot make head or tail of it. The messages are all squashed into a column in the middle, with big coloured dots next to them, which contain the first letter of the username of the messager.... what on earth is the point of that?!

Everything is smaller and cramped up, with one of those tiddly, fiddly little scroll bars down the sides of the columns. And, having made everything smaller and harder to read, I still had to zoom out to see the end of a message from ebay, because most of the room was taken up by the huge message title!

'We've updated messages' say eBay, in one of their irritating pop-up boxes, but WHY?!  The messages layout was perfectly ok as it was. No-one asked them to change it. No-one wants them to change it. It's the same with the equally awful new Feedback Profile page. Just when you think things can't get any worse, they succeed in ruining something else. All these unnecessary changes have certainly ruined eBay for me!

[bitlogic]

Yep, it makes you wonder what the point is of asking users for feedback if they are just going to change it anyway???

[bitlogic]

You could click 'Update Message Feedback' - leave one star and tell them why you think it's a retrograde step!

Everyone should do this who isn't happy with the change

[hollyh321]

Yes, it's really difficult to use. I'm already totally confused by it! Far far too busy and mixed up!. Everything is lumped together. I've given my 1 star feedback but would have scored it minus 10. 

[hollyh321]

I've had to give it another go. It's worse than I previously thought! It's automatically opening the top message which seems to fill half the page as it contains a photo. The message is one I would not have normally opened as it's a seller offer on something I viewed but would not want to buy as I only looked at if for a friend.

the other messages are in a small block that I can't easily read...they're too small. They have a larger initial box at the start but I have no idea what that means. Is it an initial of the sender's nickname? If so, why would that mean anything to me?

I honestly feel so irritated with it as I can't read the page and don't understand the layout. Is there any way to stop the first message automatically opening?

[bitlogic]

Don't think so. The reading pane is always open and I suspect it shows the first message by default.

The 'icon' initial(s) are first character(s ) of user name which is pretty useless when you have say five or six all starting 'C' next to each other. The colours don't help.

Frankly it's a UI design FAIL on eBay's part who's philosophy seems to be

"Fix it till it Breaks"

[hollyh321]

I've deleted the seller message I didn't request but now it's opened the next message which is from my sent folder. I have no need to view this, but it's filling my screen. Genuinely baffled as to how anyone could imagine this change makes things simpler or better!!

Afraid my tolerance levels are very low now! I've been considering finishing with eBay as I find their arbitrary decisions and low regard for small sellers increasingly irritating and frustrating. I've only been here 20+ years!

[m25jet]

What in God's name do eBay think they are playing at?  I've just gone and had a look at my eBay Messages after reading this thread, and as has been reported by other users, the layout has gone and changed to the hideous new format!  It wasn't like that yesterday, as I was still on Classic View at that point.  Worse still, there is no way to revert back to the old format, nor is there any option with which to customise the new layout.  eBay should round up the bunch of idiots responsible for this mess and sack them all on the spot!  😠

[eoptimizer]

OK, 12 replies, all dislike it, not a single one liking the change.
So it's not just me.... LOL

The system literally 'instantly' sends my brain into Heavy Duty Irritation and depression, cos the message system was fine before, now it isn't.

I think it's what happens when you let smartphone developers lose on systems.
I use a desktop for a power interface, I don't want the interface limited to some tiddly screen, but that's what eBay design/development have served up.
What I'm looking for, "the message" has been pushed over to the side of the screen and is about the size of a smartphone, useless.

This is why you need to have both desktop and small device design staff.
For power and user friendliness, you need to make sure the 'page of attention' is as close to the top of a menu system as possible, not buried under a slew of irritating drops thru menus, and in this case, "the whole burial all on display to you" LOL.
eBay's Halloween "Message Graveyard"...

Thanks for info/replies:

Yes all, I left feedback too.
department28: Yes, eBay's been designing some awful needless changes. They need to reflect on this.
bitlogic: Yes, what's the point of feedback, clearly if they'd tested this on 'non-brown nosers' they would have heard this change was too problematic.
hollyh321: Yes, "confused" - it really does bamboozle you when you first see the page....
hollyh321: "I've had to give it another go. It's worse than I previously thought!" Yes it is truly horrible.
bitlogic : "Frankly it's a UI design FAIL". Yes, eBay would do well to go by the old "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". You know, the older systems often have a ton of expense and effort put into creating them, often large teams, and clearly here they seem to think thay can change all that design on a global system with one guy's thought and a smartphone app programmer.
hollyh321 again: "my tolerance levels are very low". Yes, join the club.
m25jet: "What in God's name do eBay think they are playing at? ...hideous new format!". PLAYING seems to be what they're doing...

[department28]

Yes, I'm also finding it particularly irritating that it is automatically opening the top message, and shoving it in your face! This has taken away our choice to look at the top message, or not, as the case may be. It feels really intrusive, like someone opening your post for you! 

[gordiesings]

eBay has been changing things, with no benifit for years now. They're a solution, looking for  a problem.

[jonat_broad]

I like it. It's faster and brings things up to date with a more modern messenger style interface. Used to dislike the old design which would seemingly randomly sometimes show old messages related to the current one but sometimes wouldn't.

there are issues (doesn't show links to orders, doesn't show messages that haven't been responded to) but it's very very similar to Amazon buyer seller messages.

[hollyh321]

🤣🤣 about 20 times slower for me as my messages are in a random tiny list that I can't read! 
I never had a moment's problem with the previous system. Always as clear as day to read. 
Ebay will be thrilled that one member can use it? 😄

[reimo6501]

Same thing happened to me hence my looking on the community page for an answer as I see no option to switch back. I thought I had sorted it like you had a while ago and I HATE the new format! It is just awful and ebay are also now forcing us to actually have to claim our money from our new online ebay fund accounts that we did not ask for  in order to get the proceeds of things we sell paid into our accounts! - I am seriously starting to wonder if it is worth all the hassle as even msaking offers or bids now requires us to give payment details to ebay to take control of payments as everyone was opted in automatically to the requirement (I since opted out as I do not agree with it but many members have not).

Not sure how to switch back to classic messaging and it is driving me nuts! - unable to contact ebay chat as well as no options to do it- so much time wasted on ebay and have better things to be doing!

[reimo6501]

Its fine if you like it but many of us HATE it and there WAS an option to switch back which has now gone.

CHOICE is the thing ebay needs to be giving us or many of us will no doubt just leave ebay as it is no fun anymore

[linthamdesigns]

I'm not bothered one way or the other, I think there are other new measures and polices on eBay that need either to be reviewed or reverted , such as the Estemated Delivery Date for orders is so wrong and not fit for purpose, and buyers misusing the returns process. The messaging system is the least of the worries, you'll all get used to it in time.