eBay Gives Credits but Not Tools to Add Product Identifiers

by: Ric

" One thing to pay attention to: the incentive is for credits towards advertising - not a credit toward listing or FVFs. "

In other words ( or to translate from eBay speak ): You will save nothing by helping us unless you spend more to advertise, then the additional cost you would have paid to advertise will be less than you would have paid if you did not help us.

The only ones falling for this latest Bull Ship are in the executive cubicles in San Jose as they obviously believe this faux incentive will reduce their work load in building a catalog.

by: The End

Haven't sold on Ebay since 2008. Not going back anytime soon...

by: DIANE1104

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought UPC codes for clothing cat was only for shoes. Lately when editing or relisting I am getting a message saying UPC code is missing. Have I missed an update on the requirements lately or is this just more ebay errors.

by: Rexford

I think that eBay's carrot and stick warehouse must be overflowing these days. Sellers see right through them.

by: Spit in the Ocean

 This is going to be a messy process , I just got off of the phone with Ebay customer service and any '' Good until Cancelled '' listing that is in any of the target categories will not be automatically relisted as in the past .
 Customer service was very specific in their wording , The suspect listing will not be cancelled , but they will not be renewed until the seller provides the missing UPC number .
 The good news is that Ebay is going to credit my account 2&1/2 cents ( Yes , $ .025 dollars ) for every listing that I revise .
 Imagine my delight , If I change 1000 listings by the end of January , Ebay is going to credit my account for $25.00 , It just doesn't get any better than this .

by: DIANE1104

Most of mine are not GTC....this still does not answer between spring sellers update and today. They are requiring UPC on all clothing not just shoes as stated in the spring announcement. SO I am just putting does not apply on all. this is a bunch of crap.

by: sasikat9

If they don't want to relist my items because I don't have there little identifiers on them so be it.

But the did the same song and dance and threatening letters to people when the said everyone had to increase the size of their pictures. They finally said that they will relist them but you couldn't edit them. Big deal.

Does anyone think this won't happen again with this money grabbing slimey company. BET ON IT.

by: justchangecarriers

Lately Ive been having problems finding previous common items in the detailed listings. They have been deleted. This ebay catalog has so many holes and missing things. Why is it my job to create their catalog? I shouldnt be required to put detailed item info. Lately Ive been getting alot of search results that have nothing to do with what I searched for. Ebays site is really going downhill. Full of glitches.

by: Trying-My-Best

I list on my iPad.  

if it his is  so important ... why is their NO UPC field on eBay Mobile.

Why?

by: Marie

@spit in the ocean

"The good news is that Ebay is going to credit my account 2&1/2 cents ( Yes , $ .025 dollars ) for every listing that I revise"  That is what I THOUGHT I read too, but NO, it is NOT a credit on your account.  It is a 2 1/2 cent credit towards ADs.  Here is what that section reads.

LIMITED TIME OFFER!

Now through January 31, you can earn a 2.5¢ credit, for each listing you update with product identifiers, applicable towards promoted listings ad fees. See details below.

Don't overlook that all important two letter word before the word fees.  I missed it and Ina was kind enough to set me straight.

**************************

I'm guessing there are many of Ebay's large / diamond sellers that can't or won't comply with this rule.  For those sellers with 10,000 listings, it would be a nightmare to update all those listings and the cost would be huge for them.  They may bring up new listings with the UPC numbers, but for the existing listings, well only time will tell.  I'm sure Ebay will protect them.

by: Marie

I noticed when I did some updating yesterday that Ebay is now saying a few of my listings that didn't require a UPC code last week, do now.  It was just a handful of listings, but I think this is a fluid situation for Ebay and they are still in the process of identifying what items / categories they want UPCs in.

We do however have the option of selecting Does Not Apply.  And for me, I'm selecting that for quite a few of my items that do not have a UPC.  Time will tell how Ebay views them.  But not everything in some of the categories they are wanting UPCs in have UPCs.

by: thriftyone

I now take pics of the UPCs so I have something to reference when I list and also will add it as another pic in the listing if I have space available. On a couple of these listings that I have added the UPC to their specs, it is now saying they are not valid and I have the pic to prove it is....Ebay FAIL....

by: zamatoelite

I'm not getting paid by Ebay, I'm getting reamed. Why the hell would I take time out of my day to help Ebay?

On every listing, I mark 'does not apply' in the UPC field, and sales have never been better.

by: Marie

@zamatoelite

I understand your frustration with Ebay.  But while you are correct, UPC / ISBNs help Ebay, they do also help you.  So you are actually hurting yourself to make a point to Ebay that will just fall on deaf ears.

The UPC/ISBN codes will help you in relationship to outside searches such as through Google.  They are universal numbers and many customers try to search out things using them.  So while I understand your position, your actions will only result in further damaging your sales.

@thriftyone

Taking a pic of your UPC will not help you with Ebay in any way.  I too have had errors saying the UPC is incorrect when clearly it is what my item has on it.  For those, I just put the does not apply in the UPC box.  Then I create an Item Specific box to put the info into.  

And while this may sound silly to some, with all respect, this is an easy error to make.  A UPC number is not the same as an ISBN.  So don't confuse the two.

by: pace306

.... Im confused (well its eBay so yeh).

%99.9 of all items I sell (since I sell new, current items) have UPC codes and other catalog info (color, and other details) yet eBay keeps telling me that my items DONT have that info.

Are they smoking (in San Jose) any of Toolguys "merchandise"?

Ive called them 2x and they dont know themselves whats wrong (ie what the issues are) so how should I know?

See this is what happens when you have DUMMIES like JD, DW and morons like that in charge.

Thankfully this year (like last) eBay was a no show and NOT ONE PERSON even mentioned their name. Not in TWICE, not in the CES daily publication, NO WHERE. The silence was deafening.

Like composers no one remembers, eBays "music" grows fainter and fainter. They are no longer a real platform to be reckoned with ... just a big website that sells stuff.

"You talked, we listened" .... no you didnt and you are becoming irrelevant ..... the next 2 big sites (that I urge ALL (well except tooguy)(JK) fellow sellers to try to get into if they can - JET and Walmart. Lets all please leave eBay in the dust of history.

by: maya

I paid someone over the summer to insert all the UPC codes in my listings.

One the listing expires if you click sell similar instead of realist,all the UPC codes go poof and disappear. It only works if you click realist, then edit the listing if sizes you have have sold out. I'm done Amazon never asked me to build their catalog they've already done it.

by: DingDong

I have my eCrater shops with UPC (at least 90% of them).

I will not place them on eBay.
I understand that the UPC codes will help me in the search engine searches, but not on eBay. As far as the searches on eBay and how they like to hide your listings. Why help eBay have people coming to their site with your organic searches.

I prefer eCrater and Tictail accounts.

by: toolguy

I have ZERO product identifiers on my listings.

It doesn't seem to be a problem to eBay or myself.

Business as usual. . .