eBay to Roll Out New Simplified Search

by: BuildingMyOwnSite

This announcement has NOTHING to do with why we all scream about search being “Broken”.   This is just breaking the news s l o w l y , that search is about to be INTENTIONALLY “Broken” further.   The LAST THING that is needed is a SIMPLER search.  Search has been broken further and further as Ebay removed the more detailed and nuanced parts of their search engine.  None of those things disappeared on their own, they did NOT melt into the clouds, they were intentionally removed.  Slowly replaced by CantSeeMe, and penalties to sellers that Ebay did not want to play fair with, for various reasons.

A newer, simpler search will fit in well with what Ebay, Etsy, and Amazon all believe:  Browsing, Algorithms, MetaData, and Artificial Intelligence, are the way to “CAPTURE” sales.  (Because buyers are too stupid to find items themselves.)  Don't make (or “Let”) buyers find what they want.  Show them something quick, Tell them good news quick, and my favorite, Have them “Take Action” quick:

Here it is!
It only costs  $___.___  !
On sale for 70% off for the next 6 minutes!

From my Antique/Vintage/Handmade standpoint, the 3 biggest mistakes Ebay has EVER MADE:
1) Destruction of a search engine that worked.
2) Removal of the Quantities matching a search, in each category where a match showed up.  (This destroyed the ability to quickly find crossover items that often appeared in large volumes, in a DOZEN or more categories.
3) No enforcement of incorrectly listed, or fake items.

This announcement was once again for Wall Street, and has NOTHING  to do with what ANYONE wants.     Not Buyers,  Not Sellers.

It will further the manipulation and unfair reporting of searched items, to Buyers.

It will further the discriminatory and inequitable treatment of ALL small and medium sellers.

Wall Street will love it, stock prices will move a little,  lots of people will make some money.

by: sellerchick

What a clueless twit!!! The next 60 days are the window-shopping season for holiday!!! People dont want to re-learn ebay NOW of all times... Whatever happened to waiting until SPRING to mess up the whole site???

by: lessthanthreerecords

I've said for a long time that eBay's slogan seems to be, "If it ain't broke, fix it until it is."  But I don't think there's much left to break.  Of course, I'm hoping this will be a positive change, but I'll believe that when I see it.

by: BuildingMyOwnSite

Clarification: Regarding the new Simplified Search, I said:

“It will further the manipulation and unfair reporting of searched items, to Buyers.”
—► Meaning search manipulation BY EBAY, of items that SHOULD BE reported in a Buyer search, therefore cheating Buyers out of making their own decision relative to ALL items that match the search.
AND:
“It will further the discriminatory and inequitable treatment of ALL small and medium sellers.”
—► Meaning Inequitable treatment BY EBAY, of some seller's items, that are NOT REPORTED, in a Buyer search, and therefore cheating sellers out of their fees, and expectations of fair treatment on the site.

by: Ming the Merciless

OK, everyone altogether now:

If his lips are moving, he L-Y-I-N-G.

This search is designed to be benefit Diamond, enterprise, and Chinese sellers.

As most of us who don't smoke pot already know, ANYTHING ebafia debuts (think the first Seller Flub beta) goes live long before the bugs have been identified and fixed resulting in chaos.

Expect catastrophe from the Gang Who Can't Code Straight.

Perfect timing, Devil. Is that Hal Lawton's parting shot at the small and medium sellers' bullseye?

by: pace306

Ina - what does SIMPLIFY even mean?

Taking into consideration that hes trying to impress Wall Street big wigs - so that they will keep on recommending a BUY on eBay stock - what does it all mean?

Cassini isnt "broken" its fixed - its basically "past posting". Past Posting is betting after the time when no more bets are to be taken. It is considered cheating; information may have become available, including the outcome of the event, that was not available to those making earlier bets.

In eBays case, hes simply using an algorithm to sort through searches and then adding eBays own criteria to it - to change the out come(s).

Search on eBay SHOULD be organic - like Googles - but its not. By using the carrot/stick method, eBay has tried to make sellers behave in certain ways - and it seems that the filters and forced outcomes are no longer enough.

It SOUNDS like eBay is simply replacing sort data with its own data AFTER the buyer makes his/her choice .... but until eBay explains it all - its hard to know.

Of course eBay is known the world over for doing shady illegal things to enrich itself - so NOTHING surprises me.

by: boardwalk

What a joke, simplified search= paid enhanced listings first, then top sellers, and then what ever else they want to show.  The search is totally rigged.

by: cc

Sound to me like they are going  to make eBay listings LOOK LIKE AMAZON !!!  Want an iPhone 7 choose from these sellers - with little or no communication with the sellers and even less information given to the buyers about each product the sellers offer.  They need to stop chasing Amazon's tail (trying to look like them and function like them) and figure out how to make eBay WORK.

by: LasVagueness

Please, no, DO NOT make eBay look like Amazon.  

by: donald

I don't believe that looking like Amazon is really a bad thing. In fact, it may benefit us, domestic sellers. Also, I don't see another way around the many listings or same exact items listed on eBay today.  It will really simplify search.

This will not hurt one of a kind item sellers one bit but will organize the site. Especially the Chinese crapola.

by: donald

I say this cause I'm a regular buyer and also because I sell on both Amazon and eBay and my sales on Amazon are higher. It must be for a reason.  I also list the same exact items on both sites.  

by: Chicago48

i almost feel as though the search has been greatly improved, as my sales on EB has skyrocketed!!!!  I also expect with all these changes that our 3P fees will increase.

by: Chicago48

@Donald:  I agree.  If it works for AMZ and you get more sales, why not try it for Ebay?  

by: FeelingFroggy

Forked tongue speak again. These idiots couldn't simplify pouring milk much less a search engine. Let the whining begin.

by: Rexford

Wenig lost his credibility with me when, shortly after he took the reins, he said "we are going to reconnect with small sellers".   He didn't. "They" didn't.

With that said, and it may be purely coincidence, I have seen an uptick in sales during August and so far this month. I'd like to think that perhaps they have made some positive changes as it relates to search, but as always with eBay, I will wait and see.   If selling limits (invisible and known ones) still exist, then no amount of improved search will allow small sellers to grow their businesses.

And if by making search "simpler" he means making it like Amazon search, he'll get a big resounding "NO!" from me.

by: Chicago48

I too am seeing more sales.  So whatever they were beta testing or changing seems to have lifted the gate so that people are bidding and buying more of my items.

by: Philo

-bring back "+" and "-" modifiers
-default should be ending first not, cassini best guess
-turn the ability to report fakes back on,

by: Chicago48

@philo,
Did you know that Ebay has a facebook page where you can leave comments and there's a twitter @askebay.  You may want to use it.  Otherwise, write Devin Wenig direct (which is what I do often and get a reply).

by: Barbbie

@donald and chicago -
Amazon's sales are higher because they have buyers who are dedicated to amazon and will not buy elsewhere. Those buyers will never look at ebay or your personal website or any other place (except walmart). They love Amazon, they are used to it and they will pay any price to purchase there because they never shop around.  It is not because of the stupid buy box. The idiot box is for the truly foolish Amazon buyer. Also, you can find items you want on Amazon too, they are all located right behind the cell phone cases but at least they will come up in search.

by: Barbbie

Also, last year when they made some kind of change, my sales went up considerably.  I was of course happy about that.  It lasted maybe 4-5 months and then it went down again only worse than ever.
I have not changed anything, but since I have already done all the carrot jumping I can do, I really do not know what more I can do but hope something changes for the better.