Should eBay Add Videos to Your Listings?

by: Ric

There is plenty that can go wrong with this video insertion, and sellers will be left by eBay to suffer the consequences of THEIR errant video selection.

As the OP indicates, the video inserted was for a different model that what the seller was listing.

Now, a buyer views the video, buys the item then files SNAD against the seller because the item they received did not match the video.

eBay executives need to learn that just because something can be done does not mean it should be done.

Rather than simply insert a video, eBay should allow sellers to opt into t6he inclusion of the video... After all, on eBay, sellers are responsible for the content of their listing.

Forced inclusion of a video without allowing sellers the ability to deny permission means that the seller IS NOT responsible for the content of their listing.

eBay executives need to rethink this lunacy instead of knowingly exposing sellers to issues they created and creating unhappy buyers when the video selection is defective.

How many more ways can they come up with to disappoint buyers and alienate sellers?

by: TomH

@ Ric
''How many more ways can they come up with to disappoint buyers and alienate sellers?''

Count all the fingers and toes on the executive suite of eBay -- At Least That Many!

by: Volvo351

The answer here, as with so many of eBay's attempts to "help" you, isn't just "No," it's What TF?

by: Yosemitegal

I left eBay long ago over all the reasons that keep coming up over & over again. How about eBay do something that actually might help a seller by allowing them to upload their own video where they can clearly show the item for sale. It might make the crook buyers think twice since there would be video proof as well as photo. Yeah it's more time (unfortunately wasted cuz of eBays ridiculous policies) for the seller but maybe it would be worth it for high ticket items. Just a thought. To insert a video on a listing without consent seems illegal to me. But not surprised. eBay policies have been so toxic to sellers for so long. Seriously, who is running that joint? 12 year olds?  

by: bb6

I agree, they should let you insert your own videos.  I smell a law suit coming with this "they insert a video for you" What a dumb idea. Maybe they should have an opt in first to help people that don't have a clue how to sell. Not the other way around. I definitely don't want them putting them in my listings.

by: angryllama

This change has TRAINWRECK writ large all over it. Even without looking to ways it COULD mess up sellers, look no further than all of OUR OWN examples of finding  WRONG INFO WRONG PHOTOS in the eBay "catalog". I may be a little ahead of the curve on seeing and cringing at these errors as I did NOT fight the "include UPC numbers" dictum.  I had embraced it years before eBay made it POLICY as sooooo many of what I list are Movies on DVD / Blu-Ray.  For those examples using UPC as the starting point for a new listing is just the EASIEST most straight-forward way to do a new listing.  I find HORRIBLE mistakes in ONLY about 1/2 of a percent the catalog listing info, but the TROUBLESOME errors rise to more like 5 full percent of the catalog entries.  2 recent examples from the past week are an xBox360 game where the STOCK PHOTO that eBay generates is NOT a pic of the GAME, but rather a random screenshot of a single frame of someone playing the game. Another photo examples are ones where a seasonal promo cover of the DVD which represented maybe 2 percent of all the DVDs ever released for THAT TITLE wound up as the stock photo and again, just last week the EUROPEAN Region 2 cover is lurking in the catalog for a stock, standard USA/Canada Region 1 movie.
I think that inserting ANY video into a listing should be at the SOLE discretion of the SELLER, not some BOT program that all on its own decides that This or That public domain video is appropriate.

by: Chicago48

I have embedded my own videos with the HTML code that Ebay gave out.  If you google, "how to imbed Ebay videos" there is a writeup how it's done.  I don't know why they need another app to do it.
Can we opt out?

by: LightWing

Too bad videos are not allowed nor supported on the Ebay Mobile app. Idiots.

by: LightWing

BTW, we sell on Reverb.com as well. Their listing editor allows you to just add a video URL and it's automatically inserted in your listing for customers to see.

by: iheartjacksparrow

What Ric wrote. You just know the sellers are going to end up being hurt because the angelic buyers, who rarely bother to read anything in listings, watch a video of a completely different product (thanks to eBay's intrusion). There will be a SNAD avalanche if eBay doesn't allow sellers to decide if they want a video inserted, and which video.

by: toolguy

I used to embed videos in my listings.

I would upload a video to YouTube of the air tool I was selling in action. It was time consuming but it was kind of neat to see.

by: RKTOYS

Protected or not, all videos are copyrighted by virtue of publication per the 1976 Berne convention.  eBay and Webyclip are committing a crime every time they insert a video without another party's knowledge or consent.  Are their lawyers as stupid as their duhvelopers?

by: mcposty

Rktoys is correct, to use anothers video unless that video gives explicit permission to copy and free use, is still infringing on the video owners rights...to make matters worse, it is using videos for connercial use, making money and not compensating the video owner.

Gawd ebay is extremely stupid

by: FEEbay

@Lightwing
Reverb.com is making a fortune right now because they stick to one credo..... STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE SELLER'S BUSINESS!
Reverb.com automatically EMBEDS videos that the SELLER CHOOSES to insert into the listings...

by: IDKwhoIare

What Ric said.

''In addition to matching the video to the product, the company can also determine which of the videos available online will have the greatest conversion rate, and will lead to the most sales among the site's users.'' - Webyclip

^^^Seems that eBay believes any Tom, Dick & Harry who claims to be an expert is one...except the actual Seller.

by: sundance

I agree with angryllama.  Trainwreck!!  Sigh.  What more can they manage to dream up that handicaps sellers??  Sheesh.

by: Bidonmine

Another push by Ebay to eliminate and reduce their seller base.  

by: Bidonmine

Is their a way to opt out?

by: Rural artist

This would be a concept for new items and a concept for deceptive advertising for used non related items. Ebay is lost among other sites; they do not know whom they want to be.  

by: Michael in BC

I guess we should be grateful that they're not inserting an instructional video for the benefit of buyers, showing them how to package items for return......"...first look around the house for some old piece of junk like a soiled Beanie Baby .....".