Sellers Give eBay Ideas on Visibility

by: Rexford

I can't understand why this meeting even took place.  It has been my experience over several decades that eBay does not listen to sellers.  Was this all for show?  It has become clear to me (for many years) that eBay does what is good for eBay's bottom line. The only other thing that matters outside of that is Wall Street.

This is what I have witnessed as a seller and I don't see that changing, so good luck finding the white short sleeve t-shirt.  

by: Shanna

Yes, Rex, it was just for show. I don't think I've seen an actual answer to a question in the past 10 years. They will even have specific topics with specific team and someone will ask a basic question well within the team's area of expertise.and they still can't answer. Most of the time they say we will get back with you, and they never do.

Remember that time they hired some woman to be Director of Community, and she never made one appearance in the community? Or the time they were hyping 60 and 90 day returns, and two of the eBay workers said eBay recommended 60 day returns on all listing, but if you clicked in the 'See Listings' link under their profile, both of them did not offer any returns on their listings. Pepperidge Farm remembers.

by: Snapped

“ I don't think I've seen an actual answer to a question in the past 10 years. “

Indeed.  But not just ‘a’ question.  These are all the SAME questions that have been asked EVERY TIME they convince a handful of eBay minions to pull a CSA PSA shift and stick their noses into the noisy beehive.

As to any ‘answers’ though, it might be that they are actually self-evident, considering what actions, or decidedly LACK of ANY actions to date since the first semi-annual eBay GAF Show as relates to said questions.  Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.  

Let’s take that pesky ‘search result’ question keeps popping up ever since Cassini was injected into eBay’s search algorithm soup.  Ironically, a search on that famous monkey (can run this train) trio turns up hundreds of those for sale, all types.  BUT, then search for ‘similar items’, and the top half of the page is about 25 gallery shots of ALL promoted listings.  

And on the bottom half, under ‘related popular items’ - about 25 items that have absolutely NO ‘relationship’ to the item searched.  None.  

Now after over a DECADE of that and so many ‘similar’ examples of eBay showing you what THEY “picked for you”, with little concern about what you ASKED FOR, the ‘answer’ about when they’re going to ‘fix that’ should be clear by now, no?  Well, actually, that’s it, that’s the answer - no.  They will ignore any ‘suggestion’ that something needs fixing there.

Now extrapolate.  No matter WHAT it looks like, it is, and will always be, THEIR agenda being served.  They just can’t do that without you.

Hope springs eternal though.  And every new generation has to reach out and touch that dancing flame for themselves to learn that it burns.  

by: Rexford

Perfect explanation Snapped. Spot on.

by: None Such

eBay doesn't really listen to most seller ideas.  eBay does listen to Wall Street; hence all the focus on stock buybacks and generating promoted listings revenues, neither of which is a medium to long term growth strategy.  If eBay did listen to sellers, it would get great ideas to help grow the business and increase sales.

Of course, eBay is hardly the only company focused primarily on Wall Street, rather than growing its customer base:  just look at Southwest and its elimination of the one thing that it had over other airlines: bags flew free.  

by: pace306

@none

"eBay doesn't really listen to most seller ideas.  eBay does listen to Wall Street; hence all the focus on stock buybacks and generating promoted listings revenues, neither of which is a medium to long term growth strategy.  If eBay did listen to sellers, it would get great ideas to help grow the business and increase sales. "

%1000 correct

This session was just a touchy feely feel good exercise to make sellers think eBay gives a damn.

When you make more money off advertising then off sales - you know your platform is failing.

As others have said - even if you found me (my listing) so what? The page is so cluttered with cr@p that you cant see anything.

SO MANY ADS, TOO MANY ADS

There isnt even space for the description due to the ads.

Finding my listing? Never mind the AI upsell (you bought a makeup product and eBay recommends a toilet plunger) - its desperation to sell ANYTHING, since eBay hasnt (yet) gotten it together.

Focus on making the sellers profitable, focus on helping the seller grow has LONG been abandoned.

"Another seller said it was frustrating that after their hard work, eBay directed sellers away from their listing to someone else's" - THAT tells you all you need to know about eBay 2025

by: RKTOYS

eBay is just another organization whose sole purpose of asking for feedback is to be seen asking for feedback.  They were seen and now they can go do whatever they wanted to do all along just like they always do.

by: lstreeter

Yeah I also attended the meeting and it was a ridiculous waste of sellers time.  It was basically a big commercial for "look how great we are" when in reality, we know that is NOT the case.  If they want to prove to sellers that they are on our side, then have a meeting addressing the real problems we are facing, not this dog and pony show!  The problems with ebay search and ebay putting competing ads on MY listing are two of the biggest problems on the platform.  If you search for something specific and get 1000 results because it returns 5 items matching what you searched for and 995 items that have very little to do with your search, how can you even call it a search!  Search doesn't even return my own items when searching my listings using exact words, so how are buyers finding me?

by: methuen-web-sales

A few years back I got a phone call from eBay CS asking general questions about how I list things on eBay.  One of the questions was if they disallowed watermarking on the pictures/photos would I be affected.  My reply was I would delist all my postcards and photos because some (many?) people may copy them.  Also, I mentioned some dishonest listers using my photos for their listings.  She saw my point and I guess I wasn't the only one who had that concern.  One can still watermark their pictures.  

by: River

Selling and buying on eBay came up when I went to a reunion of old friends recently. Many had been selling on ebay but stopped when sales dropped off. A few had stores that were no longer profitable. Almost all of them said they can't remember the last time they went on ebay to shop. A few said they only went to see completed listings for pricing research. ALL said the biggest reason ebay wasn't a buying destination was the  broken search function. They were frustrated searching through results that had nothing to do with what they were searching for. I said I also would rather shop where I'm doing my own selling if possible and others agreed.

I've been hearing the same frustrations about the broken and frustrating sea

by: River

I hit post accidentally before I finished my last sentence. People have complained about the broken search function for years. Instead of fixing it, ebay solution is to make up lost revenue in advertising cluttering the pages of the few results people actually do look at. Maybe it's time for ebay to really listen and fix what's broken Instead of continually making the problem worse.  

by: Jim Y

If I were at the meeting, I would suggest on how to get a lot more eyeballs on eBay itself, because the more people looking for items affects all of the other items, making eBay a more friendly place to shop.  

My suggestion would be to lessen some restrictions.  Firstly, allow all drop-shipping.  Who cares where the item comes from?  That is so silly.  Also allow digital downloads.  The other major sites allow it.  Why not eBay?  As far as feedback is concerned, don't allow any feedback under $5.00.  They have the technology now to do it.  And also concerning the adult products; since it was removed from the safe section and apparently not allowed, it is still all over Ebay where anybody can access them.  That makes eBay look smutty and unsafe.  Put it back where it was.  That would increase viewers even more, giving other items on the site a chance.

by: Snapped

“ Fri July 31 2015 00:00:18
eBay Search Is Seriously Messed Up
By: Ina Steiner”

Ecommercebyte Blog.  Note the date.  And that is a few years AFTER eBay began mucking with search, metrics, and seller reputation.  This, but one aspect of one function; visibility - arguably the most important - where a search issue has been publicly aired.  Also note there were 162 (!) comments generated.  And not fer nuttin’, as the saying goes, one particularly germane question: “Does mgt know about this?”

Of course they do.  Got some free time?  Dig into the archives.  Won’t take too long to find a bunch more and (actually) similar.

The ONLY conclusion, save seriously negligent illiteracy, is that eBay’s ignoring hue, cry AND constructive suggestion then and since, has to be willful.  

But ya know, that’s not the ickiest part here.  Ok, it’s clear what they are and how they roll.  Adapt or depart, same as it ever was.

But really then, what IS the point of pretending to care?  That can only be optics.  With a side of word salad vomitus.  Maybe some ‘hope’ for sellers newly awakening to eBay’s manipulative facade.  

Maybe just some semi-interesting reading for any survivors a decade hence to shake their head over.  Same as it ever was.

by: rhw1

The sad part is all of those wasting their time, drinking the eBay Kool Aid, and actually hoping, (believing) someone gives a crap.  

by: pace306

Search isn’t “broken “, it’s Cassinized.

eBay via cookies and other html tricks, shows you what IT wants you to see, not always what you are looking for.

Some categories and items are so heavily curated that to unseat them, you would have to pay %300 in advertising to get to the front page.

It’s all a scam and they know it!

by: Geetar

STAY TUNED for EBAYS New SUPER DUPER DELUXE PROMTED LISINGS.
All just for you the seller. Guaranteed to make more sales for you! Now YOU can pay almost 50% commission on your sale. "we make all the money and you make none"

We at ebay, at the last virtual check-in have determined that sellers do not want more visibility anywhere on the web, and that they do not want to grow the buyer base. They just recommended to us at ebay that they want the new super duper deluxe promoted listing where you can give up to 50% of your sale to us. So, of course that's what we are dong.

by: danny

As a buyer the most frustrating experience on ebay is getting a popup  to download their app constantly on every page.  And I am on a desktop.  I went from purchasing on there every day to two or three times a year in the last couple years because of it.  Even complained to the BBB and got an automated response and issue never resolved.  I shop now exclusively on Amazon  now regardless of price.   The other platforms are not much better i.e. Temu "spin the wheel", I've never purchased on Temu.  It would seem they make more money on clicks that me spending.  Make buying simple again.