EventHorizon1984 Log

From eBay Chatter - Lynda Talgo of TNS answers SNP questions

http://www.ebaychatter.com/the_chatter/2007/08/lynda-talgo-of-.html

Lynda Talgo of TNS answers SNP questions

Posted by Laura on August 29, 2007 at 08:06 PM in   General  ,   Trust & Safety Corner   

Unless you've been on vacation the last two weeks (and if you were, welcome back!), I probably don't need to tell you that SNP is an acronym for eBay's Seller Non-Performance policy, a longstanding policy which has had a lot of new attention since August 13. That was the day Senior Vice President Philipp Justus told the Community about our heightened attention to SNP.

As a part of our efforts to improve the buying experience, eBay is focusing on sellers whose recent non-positive feedback and item not received activity put them in the bottom 1% of all sellers. We are paying close attention to this group because they generate fully 35% of all the bad buyer experiences on the site. 

The reason why these efforts are important is that our research has found that buyers who have a bad experience with an eBay seller tend to buy much less—or even not at all—from other eBay sellers afterward.  By targeting this 1% population, our aim is to make a more active and vibrant marketplace for the other 99% of eBay sellers.

Unsurprisingly, Philipp's letter has triggered a lot of discussion and emails.  Our sense is that Community members agree with our efforts to take action against this group of sellers -- sellers and buyers both benefit from a more trustworthy marketplace.  Since beginning enforcement, many sellers have had questions about enforcement and how they can make sure their buyer satisfaction rates remain in compliance with the SNP policy.

We took some of the Community's most common questions to Lynda Talgo, Senior Director of Global Policy Management in Trust and Safety.  Lynda's been one of the thinkers/implementers behind these targeted SNP enforcement efforts, and she and her team have been working hard to help sellers understand SNP.   Lynda's answers to some of the most common questions we're hearing are below.

                                                                * * *
Q: Can a seller get restricted based on only one negative or neutral feedback?

A: No, the intent of our new SNP enforcement is to focus on sellers with a pattern of buyer dissatisfaction, and a seller would never be restricted based on a single negative or neutral feedback.   

Q: What factors do you consider when restricting an account?

A:  We look at negative and neutral feedback activity and Item Not Received rate to determine level of buyer dissatisfaction, and we also use sales volume to determine which restriction to use.  Let’s take a look at each of these in detail.

Feedback:  We look at unique negative and unique neutral feedback activity in proportion to a seller’s total selling feedback. 

Item Not Received:  We look at the rate of INR (Item Not Received) claims in proportion to all selling transactions.

Detailed Seller Ratings:  We are not currently using Detailed Seller Ratings, but we expect to in the future. We will continue to focus our enforcement on a very small subset of the overall selling community.  Please stay tuned...

There are two thresholds we use to determine which restrictions are most appropriate.  Most sellers who fall into a category of SNP enforcement are there due to feedback rates, so I’ll use those in my examples. 

Greater than 5% buyer dissatisfaction rate:  A seller must have more than 5% negative and neutral feedback, as a seller, over the last 90 days to qualify, and must also receive a minimum of two negatives from unique buyers in the past 90 days. 

Greater than 10% buyer dissatisfaction rate:  A seller must have more than 10% negative and neutral feedback, as a seller, over the last 90 days to qualify, and must also receive a minimum of three negatives from unique buyers in the past 90 days. 

There are different restrictions (described below) for buyer dissatisfaction rates of greater than 5%, and greater than 10%, and for low-volume sellers.

Q: Are you now considering a neutral a negative? If so, why continue to have neutral feedback?

A:  No, it’s more accurate to say that we treat neutral feedback as not positive.  For instance, neutral comments alone do not trigger an SNP action.  There is a negative feedback threshold of two which neutral comments do not count towards. 

I understand the concern among some members about counting neutrals in SNP calculations.  Generally speaking, however (and we’ve done a lot of research to prove this), a neutral does reflect an unsatisfactory buyer experience. There are exceptions, of course, but the vast majority of neutral comments indicate an issue.  We felt that leaving neutral comments out of the calculation would mask a significant part of the bad buyer experience problem.

We continue to have neutral feedback because it’s helpful information for buyers to read and review when they are evaluating a seller.  The main purpose of the feedback system is for buyers and sellers to be able to evaluate each other – and neutrals, similar to the Detailed Seller Ratings, provide additional information to buyers and sellers.

Q: How do you do the calculations that determine a restriction?
We calculate the buyer dissatisfaction rate over the past 90 days, which is a rolling window. (That means that with each new calendar day, both the start and end dates on this window move forward a day.)

Let's look at some specific examples of how we would evaluate an account based upon feedback received as a seller:

Case 1:
Seller_Steve sells 20 items in 90 days and receives one negative and one neutral feedback (10% dissatisfaction).  There would be NO action taken. Why?  We have a minimum threshold of two unique negative feedback received before beginning to include neutral feedback in the evaluation.

Case 2:
Seller_Steve sells 20 items in 90 days and receives two negative feedbacks from one unique buyer (10% dissatisfaction). There would be NO action taken.  Why? The interaction between a single seller and single buyer may not give a reliable picture of the overall interactions between that seller and the larger community.

Case 3:
Seller_Steve sells 20 items in 90 days and receives two unique negative feedbacks and one unique neutral feedback (15% dissatisfaction). There WOULD be action taken on the account, since there is greater than a 5% buyer dissatisfaction, and the threshold of two unique negatives was met.

Q: Some people are getting a 14-day restriction, while others are able to sell at a reduced volume -- why the difference?

A:  First, let's remember these restrictions impact only 1% of our sellers – the same group that is causing 35% of our bad buying experiences on the site.  The goals of these SNP restrictions are to change seller behavior.  We want those sellers with a pattern of bad buyer experiences to improve or fix their business practices, so they can be successful on the site.

We feel it is fair to treat casual sellers and those who are running businesses slightly differently.  While it may sound like we’re unfairly penalizing small sellers, we’re really trying to address the different needs and issues between the two groups. 

Low-volume sellers: Low-volume sellers are those with no more than 2 negative feedback, no neutral feedback, and less than $3000 sales volume over a 90-day period, would typically receive a 14-day full selling restriction.  After the 14-day period has passed, selling privileges will be automatically reinstated.  (As with all selling restrictions, the seller can continue to bid and communicate.)

Higher-volume sellers: For sellers who are not low-volume sellers, and who have a buyer dissatisfaction rate of greater than 5% (but less than 10%), the restriction is a reduction in sales volume. Sellers will be able to continue selling and listing items, up to 75% of their historical weekly volume based on their rolling 90 day history of completed sales. (This is based on dollar sales volume, not on number of items sold.)  We manually review restricted accounts after 30 days to determine if there has been improvement in their satisfaction rates.  If a seller’s buyer dissatisfaction rate is brought down to less than 5%, the restriction will be lifted. If the buyer dissatisfaction rate remains greater than 5%, the sales volume will continue to be reduced.  Additionally, sellers whose performance substantially worsens during this restriction period may be subject to more significant consequences.

Sellers who incur a buyer dissatisfaction rate of greater than 10%, with at least three unique negative feedback, will receive a full selling restriction.

Again, these historical numbers are based on the rolling 90 days.

Q: Some sellers are still able to sell, but their volume is restricted.  How does that work? 

A. The volume restriction is based on average completed weekly sales volume over a rolling 90 day period.  For example, consider Seller_Steve, who typically sells $1000/week in merchandise, and then receives a restriction to 75% of his historical weekly volume.  In this example, Seller_Steve would be allowed to list items until his completed sales over a 7-day period reach $750 (75% of $1000), at which point he would be no longer able to list.  He could list again when his sold volume over the past 7 days dropped below $750. 

Q: What about non-paying bidders who leave a negative feedback?

A. It may seem that any negative feedback from a non-paying bidder is undeserved, but this is not always the case.  For example, buyers may decide not complete payment because the seller has attempted to change the terms of the transaction after the conclusion of the listing.  Clearly, this is an area that is not black and white.  We're continuing to evaluate whether all types of negative feedback should be included in evaluating seller non-performance.

Q: How concerned should I be about SNP?

One unintended consequence from the recent enforcement of this policy has been fear and uncertainty in sellers who truly don’t need to be worried, and I really regret that; it was not our intent to cause confusion with our sellers.  The vast majority of you, over 99%, are creating great buyer experiences that benefit the whole Community, and we and our buyers are grateful for your hard work and the excellent customer support you provide. 

                                                                 * * *

Thank you, Lynda! 

Also, please check back soon -- Lynda's next Q&A session will be about actions sellers can take to improve their buyer dissatisfaction rates.

/*

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EventHorizon1984 Log

//

Unless you've been on vacation the last two weeks (and if you were, welcome back!), I probably don't need to tell you that SNP is an acronym for eBay's Seller Non-Performance policy, a longstanding policy which has had a lot of new attention since August 13. That was the day Senior Vice President Philipp Justus told the Community about our heightened attention to SNP.

As a part of our efforts to improve the buying experience, eBay is focusing on sellers whose recent non-positive feedback and item not received activity put them in the bottom 1% of all sellers. We are paying close attention to this group because they generate fully 35% of all the bad buyer experiences on the site. 

The reason why these efforts are important is that our research has found that buyers who have a bad experience with an eBay seller tend to buy much less—or even not at all—from other eBay sellers afterward.  By targeting this 1% population, our aim is to make a more active and vibrant marketplace for the other 99% of eBay sellers.

Unsurprisingly, Philipp's letter has triggered a lot of discussion and emails.  Our sense is that Community members agree with our efforts to take action against this group of sellers -- sellers and buyers both benefit from a more trustworthy marketplace.  Since beginning enforcement, many sellers have had questions about enforcement and how they can make sure their buyer satisfaction rates remain in compliance with the SNP policy.

We took some of the Community's most common questions to Lynda Talgo, Senior Director of Global Policy Management in Trust and Safety.  Lynda's been one of the thinkers/implementers behind these targeted SNP enforcement efforts, and she and her team have been working hard to help sellers understand SNP.   Lynda's answers to some of the most common questions we're hearing are below.

                                                                * * *
Q: Can a seller get restricted based on only one negative or neutral feedback?

A: No, the intent of our new SNP enforcement is to focus on sellers with a pattern of buyer dissatisfaction, and a seller would never be restricted based on a single negative or neutral feedback.   

Q: What factors do you consider when restricting an account?

A:  We look at negative and neutral feedback activity and Item Not Received rate to determine level of buyer dissatisfaction, and we also use sales volume to determine which restriction to use.  Let’s take a look at each of these in detail.

Feedback:  We look at unique negative and unique neutral feedback activity in proportion to a seller’s total selling feedback. 

Item Not Received:  We look at the rate of INR (Item Not Received) claims in proportion to all selling transactions.

Detailed Seller Ratings:  We are not currently using Detailed Seller Ratings, but we expect to in the future. We will continue to focus our enforcement on a very small subset of the overall selling community.  Please stay tuned...

There are two thresholds we use to determine which restrictions are most appropriate.  Most sellers who fall into a category of SNP enforcement are there due to feedback rates, so I’ll use those in my examples. 

Greater than 5% buyer dissatisfaction rate:  A seller must have more than 5% negative and neutral feedback, as a seller, over the last 90 days to qualify, and must also receive a minimum of two negatives from unique buyers in the past 90 days. 

Greater than 10% buyer dissatisfaction rate:  A seller must have more than 10% negative and neutral feedback, as a seller, over the last 90 days to qualify, and must also receive a minimum of three negatives from unique buyers in the past 90 days. 

There are different restrictions (described below) for buyer dissatisfaction rates of greater than 5%, and greater than 10%, and for low-volume sellers.

Q: Are you now considering a neutral a negative? If so, why continue to have neutral feedback?

A:  No, it’s more accurate to say that we treat neutral feedback as not positive.  For instance, neutral comments alone do not trigger an SNP action.  There is a negative feedback threshold of two which neutral comments do not count towards. 

I understand the concern among some members about counting neutrals in SNP calculations.  Generally speaking, however (and we’ve done a lot of research to prove this), a neutral does reflect an unsatisfactory buyer experience. There are exceptions, of course, but the vast majority of neutral comments indicate an issue.  We felt that leaving neutral comments out of the calculation would mask a significant part of the bad buyer experience problem.

We continue to have neutral feedback because it’s helpful information for buyers to read and review when they are evaluating a seller.  The main purpose of the feedback system is for buyers and sellers to be able to evaluate each other – and neutrals, similar to the Detailed Seller Ratings, provide additional information to buyers and sellers.

From eBay Stores Forum - Marty, What does this mean...do you know?

For new newsgroup readers, these are not our forum posts. Any comments to the posters below should be made on the applicable thread, marked in bold below.

//

From eBay Stores Forum
Marty, What does this mean...do you know? http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=2000427444&start=0

.

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 17:57 PDT
The auction business needs a boost, but it might get one from a planned redesign of the site later this year. New features will allow other sites to host listings, letting eBay use the popularity of social networking sites in the same way that video site YouTube does. EBay is also making its auction site more profitable by placing an increasing number of small, targeted ads from outside companies.

Are they talking about something that is already in place like the ebay to go thingy or something new?

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 17:59 PDT     1
The above quote is from this article:

http://www.smartmoney.com/stockscreen/index.cfm?story=20070821intro&afl=yahoo

And, it hints that Meg might step down in March when she reaches her 10 year anniversary.

savoir-faire08  (80 )      Aug-31-07 17:59 PDT     2
I am not Marty, Linda, but I think what this passage refers to is the planned listings on MySpace and the likes. I heard some rumors.

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 18:02 PDT     3
Thanks. So, Myspace is going to break down and let us put our listings on there?

Then, why not just put what we have available on there and cut out ebay? Or is it going to be tied to ebay only? Any ideas?

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 18:02 PDT     4
Of course, I don't really think 99.9% of my customers hang out on myspace...lol

Guess it's back to the drawing board for other ideas.

savoir-faire08  (80 )      Aug-31-07 18:05 PDT     5
I wish I'd remember more of that stuff. And here si another one

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/58719.html

clact  (3703 )      Aug-31-07 18:59 PDT     6
Hi there!

I think everyone got it right. They are referring to the various deals in the works with Myspace and I think even Facebook . Its all part of a plan I presume to be everywhere.

Personally I am more excited about the possibility they expanded their credit line not for dividend but to buy Mercado Libre the Latin American auction company growing like crazy which Ebay already owns. You know how wonderful our Canadian customers are, there is a whole world to the south of us here that is only now starting to hit the internet craze.

In any case I think these projects will start slow but there have been recent article stating that the next generation will make the "search engine" one of many options for finding and buying things in the many circles people are in.

For example One girl we sells 70k in T-shirts from myspace. Has nothing to do with Google. She had a lot of friends, started early, shirts had borderline nasty sayings on them and the kids bought them because they were there on that site seeing people like her. Nothing to do with Ebay, Google or adwords.

Similarly as a member of one other site, I am involved in discussions with CEOs on brainstorming ideas. If someone that click with me suggested something, Id probably buy it just as a friend might recommend a movie to you.

As I say all the time only a percentage of items in the world are bought when someone searches for them. People like to be shown what to buy. Almost every successful product out there was SHOWN to you by the TV , a friend or an AD.

Ive found Stumbleupon fascinating. By what I like and what others like me like I get taken all kinds of places. Any of you that have used it know what I mean. After a dozen or so uses it knows you LOL

This is just speculation on my part but just as Amazon uses "people that bought this also bought this other item" I think eBay will gain knowledge of this and sometimes I find a weird dead on result listed first and I think its a test for me LOL

In any case I hope Meg stays on. I really like Meg, and there is no reason for her to retire. She is well liked, has a good vision (even if the outward expression of that here is often not too good).

I am sure many of you heard the story in Forbes but Ill post it here for you anyway...

From Forbes Magazine...

Ebay's Meg Whitman built a retail leviathan without sacrificing her customers, shareholders or ethics. She still has more to prove.
People at Ebay love to tell this story about Margaret (Meg) Whitman, the chief executive. She was on a flight to India with three other Ebay employees when one of them developed a dangerous gastrointestinal problem somewhere over Tehran. Whitman pulled out an atlas and decided Istanbul was the nearest, safest city in which they could land. She called an air emergency service and arranged for an ambulance to be waiting on the tarmac when the plane landed. Whitman rode in the ambulance with the ill executive and stayed with him for hours in the hospital, talking to his wife on the phone.

Once the executive was stabilized, Whitman took him to a hospital in London in the corporate jet. She and the other Ebay employees flew commercial to India, leaving the jet for the patient to fly home to California. "She will exert herself personally, far and above the call of duty," says Rajiv Dutta, head of Ebay's PayPal business. "She makes you want to do the right thing."

Whitman is indeed a welcome respite in an age littered with corporate shenanigans. "Nice" is the word usually applied to Whitman personally, and nice she has been to shareholders. She became chief executive of the online auctioneer in March 1998. Six months later she took the company public at an initial market value of $700 million. Now Ebay is worth $46 billion, and shareholders have enjoyed a compound annual return of 40%. Yet Whitman has taken home a quite reasonable paycheck--averaging $1.7 million a year in the last six years. Of course she is sitting on a nice pot of Ebay stock, most of which she was granted upon her hire--her 1.9% stake is worth some $885 million. That, plus cash and other holdings, makes her one of only ten self-made female billionaires on the planet.

And she did it without indulging in accounting tricks or backdated options, as have so many Silicon Valley executives. "I love who we are as a company and what we stand for," says Whitman. "It's fun to have built such a successful company and done it with a nice character, in a way most people would be proud of."

I agree, and I think Rajiv Dutta will probably be her successor. I have not met him yet, just saw him speak at LIVE, something great about that guy as well and how people feel about him.

People love to hate Meg, that is why in this upside down world it makes sense that she is really a good person.

Marty

oas3  (14573 )      Aug-31-07 19:08 PDT     7
I think it would be just as easy to fix the search and probably alot simplier..

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 20:33 PDT     8
"Fix the search" by ebay standards (playground)lol

Or "Fix the search" like we all need where a simple key word search brings up everything on THIS site with those keywords and only those keywords in it?

Some of us still deal in things that don't belong on myspace or any of the other "social" networks. And, we are fading fast.

Our buyers are giving up and leaving and that is leaving the impression no one wants our stuff anymore. In reality, they just don't find it fun to buy here anymore and there is no where else to go so they are going back to their TVs, hobbies, etc and ebay is just a fading memory for them (buyers...not sellers).

I'm talking about all the buyers who loved to sit down and see what items from their past they could find today. Now, the answer is all to often....NONE.

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 20:35 PDT     9
Thanks for sharing that Marty. Too bad I just don't share your enthusiasm over all the "new" things. I don't even like the new movies, tv shows or much else. I'm just sitting back in my little corner of the world with my records and old movies and old tv series where I'm comfortable and feel at home. *sigh*

joint_runner  (Private )      Aug-31-07 20:41 PDT     10
I don't even like the new movies, tv shows or much else. I'm just sitting back in my little corner of the world with my records and old movies and old tv series where I'm comfortable and feel at home. *sigh*

Rest assured you're not alone! There are a lot of us that are stepping off the treadmill. Enough is enough.

---

As transparent as eBay itself.

raremoderncards  (15 )      Aug-31-07 20:55 PDT     11
Postcards, i am sorry you feel left behind, but the majority of sellers and buyers and internet users in general are moving towards other ways of buying, selling and interacting, and that is where ebay should be moving.There is no way ebay can please everyone, but they should be lookingto please the majority.

huckster3000  (292 )      Aug-31-07 21:03 PDT     12
marty, i do think that you are one of the good guys and mean well. but whenever you are not talking about financial phenomenon like the country's economy - and ESPECIALLY when you are talking about anything related to ebay - i have to say that you almost always totally lose me. and i am someone who is pretty much totally tuned in to the whole web 2.0 digg itunes youtube myspace indy blogger content delivery revolution. when it comes to ebay matters i don't think you are wearing rose colored glasses so much as i fear that maybe you are the unfortunate victim of an electronic rose colored cerebral implant resulting from one of your many ebay live close encounters of the hypno kind.

just trying to keep it real here...

 

huckster3000

DEAD END DRIVE-IN DVD

and if i weren't a civil servant / i'd have a place in the colonies / we'd play croquet behind white-washed walls and drink our tea at four / within intervention's distance of the embassy

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 21:50 PDT     13
raremodern...no need to feel sorry for me. lol

But, when it comes to ebay they should remember that a lot of us old-timers are the ones who buy as well. We are the ones that are left out.

All I'm saying is they should make a place for us to. Those of you into the new things may be surprised someday when you actually discover just how much competition there is out there for your new items.

The people I'm talking about don't buy new on line very often unless it is from a reputable store. And, they loved ebay for the same reasons I did. I have thousands of emails from customers who tell me what the items I sold them meant to them. And, how happy they are to have it.

Those people are losing out on what ebay once offered. I'm just as sad to see it dieing for us as a buyer as I am as a seller.

clact  (3703 )      Aug-31-07 21:51 PDT     14
Huckster, I am not sure what is so difficult to understand.

I read a real lot. Often I read til 2am . There are articles all over the web about what is going on with ways to market items that might make search engines obsolete over time. Everything changes, Ebay has a lot going on now, and I think many of these things are exciting. You will see soon enough Im sure. This playground search thing is pretty much liked by most people now, even people here on the board LOL

For postcards it is amazing. Linda, go to playground.ebay.com and look up postcards click on snapshot view, then view listings of any postcard seller you find. AMAZING! Way better way to find what is needed.

I realize some of you think Im out there in la la land.

But I have to tell you I am no web guru, nor do I have a real lot of time to commit to this stuff yet everywhere I look there are ways to make money.

We get checks to train people, we manage accounts, we sell our own items, items for others ,get money from Squidoo, sell books at classes, sell our own guide at classes, occasionally get an affiliate check , are looking into Skype Prime (look it up) , and cant wait for Ebay local in order to trade more items locally.

This is a great company where people ask for your ideas, where employees meet with you and your ideas sometimes come to the site. A company that has made good numbers without chopping people like onions on a butcher block and which has grown internationally and has its foot in almost every major communication and trading technology going. One could do worse that to be involved here.

As to why people will buy from people they know or socialize with, it happens all the time. Its just like going out to golf and making a contact that is a friend and wants to do business with you. A friend recommends a video or movie and you check it out. All your friends love Subarua outbacks (like me) and you look into getting one. I have seen new music lists on some sites where people compare what they are listening to and there are links to buy the music.

I dont think its rocket science.

In the earlist days of AOL , there were chat room (still are). PEople were so amazed at talking to other people on the computer they lived with AOL bills in the hundreds and arranged meetings at places which got a lot of business from these get togethers. These people are first bought on AOL marketplace, then Ebay and Amazon.

Huckster, if you think I am out there, rent the movie

The Fountain

I think you will enjoy it! Its really good!

I think you will enjoy it! Its really good!

Marty

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 21:52 PDT     15
Marty, I still like to see the price and the information about it. A photo just doesn't tell me where it is from.

I would never shop postcards in that view. I still click on the list view in every store I enter who has theirs in the double column gallery view. lol

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 21:53 PDT     16
A company that has made good numbers without chopping people like onions on a butcher block

Bet there are a couple of hundred thousand sellers who would disagree with that one. lol

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 21:57 PDT     17
In the earlist days of AOL , there were chat room (still are). PEople were so amazed at talking to other people on the computer they lived with AOL bills in the hundreds and arranged meetings at places which got a lot of business from these get togethers

I remember those too. Then, a few years later someone would keep popping in to ask your age and sex and if you wanted to...well you know the rest. And, they got pretty graphic and I left those for good.

Myspace is the gutter of the internet if you ask me. Of course, you didn't, but I went there once to see my sisters pictures from Iraq. I couldn't believe the sleeze. I know you and lots of others here have neat sites there but it is a total turnoff to millions of us. I am not alone!

Asking a friend what they like and asking a stranger is two different things. The world seems to think everyone they chat with is a "friend". Does anyone make "real" friends anymore?

I understand all of this stuff. I just don't like it.

postcardsandmore  (4446 )      Aug-31-07 22:00 PDT     18
Ok, I'm talking to myself. lol

But, I did want to add that I also understand how you can be so excited about all this. You love selling. You love the adventure.

Many of us who stumbled on ebay in the good old days just like passing on our treasures to others and buying new ones. That is what we have lost.

thepinkelephants  (39 )      Aug-31-07 22:10 PDT     19
Huckster, if you think I am out there, rent the movie The Fountain

I think you will enjoy it! Its really good!

Clact, if you think we're out there, rent Orwell's movie 1984

I think you will enjoy it! Its really good.

clact  (3703 )      Aug-31-07 22:27 PDT     20

Postcards, I was at one of the first internet conferences in the early 90s when there were only 300 websites and mosaic was the browser. I came back telling everyone THEN how this was going to change the world and everyone talked to me exactly like you are now! LOL

I even tried to start Ebay before Ebay was made. Well my version of it 2-3 year before was a victorian in where you can click on anything in the photos and call up antiques. The problem? People though antiques would never sell on the internet LOL

I kept on being the boring CPA guy. Ive actually been on ebay for longer than this ID shows . We picked the one with the most feedback when we started our store I have another at least a few years back further than this one and I need to check but I think I was here even earlier.

I use to come to buy stock certificates (as I collected them here).

Things change, but that doesnt mean people get left behind. One thing you need to keep in mind though is that as generations age they collect their own "collectibles".

This is why in our store we stay flexible. We made a lot selling vintage cabbage patch kids then Walmart reissued them. We did great with books, then they slowed down, recently picked up some. We have 5 major categories showing on our sm pro page and almost all of them are equal in sales.

As to the crap on the internet, I have to say I agree to an extent, but every generation has its things. Years ago there were playboy and penthouse magazines, strip clubs, playboy clubs and you name it. There was the free wheeling drug dealing free sex 60s etc.

To a certain extent the internet has opened up a world of communication for some that were boxed in an opportunities to those with different abilities.

I do agree there needs to be a balance. A great book about getting back to real life is "Silicon Snake Oil" I highly recommend it , there are usually copies on ebay for a buck or two. Its a really great book.

I stress over the economy but see my dad for lunch every week, see my friend Dave most weeks, talk to my other friends , go fishing once in a while, hang out at the flea market and take the kids for breakfast every Saturday. I do think balance is hard.

It would be easier if the economy were better, and work in general producted more money LOL

Can I get you to go to one of those live implant rose colored glasses things in Chicago? LOL

Marty

sportscollectible  (508 )      Aug-31-07 22:37 PDT     21
clact....well that is interesting. I went to the playground like you suggested and typed in word for word a title of 6 core auction items I have and not ONE of them showed up in the search!!!!

So whats up with that??

diesel_parts  (1431 )      Aug-31-07 22:56 PDT     22
I don't know where ebay is going but I know where I am going. My store is profitable. I make more than I need from it and that part of ebay I like but the ever changing policies, rules and off the wall happenings make me reluctant to expand on ebay. I have decided for my own good to shrink on ebay.

I think the future on the internet for the little guy is a website that you own and control. Thee are still rules but with your own website you are less apt to become a victim of circumstance. Like 2 npb negs and you get a vacation, not.

Ebay is trying all this off the wall stuff but they are ignoring sellers who run into a problem. We have to guess what they are thinking.

I ran a small welding and machine shop for several years. I developed a policy of not doing business with large corporations. They want work done but after the job is done you have a real hard time getting your money. 60 to 120 days. I went to the small to medium corporations and had no serious problems after that. I am going contrary to that policy now and am uncomfortable with it.

When people without a good understanding of how business works get at the helm well anything can happen. Many good sellers have seen that and went other more secure ways. It took me a long time to build my store and I have all the components to move it now. I will feel more secure when I finish moving.

Bill

sportscollectible  (508 )      Aug-31-07 22:58 PDT     23
Bill I have a website with over 500 items, over 7,000 page views since May and NO sales...Im not sure what to do.

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From eBay Search Forum - New search makes my computer cooling fan come on!

For new newsgroup readers, these are not our forum posts. Any comments to the posters below should be made on the applicable thread, marked in bold below.

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From eBay Search Forum
New search makes my computer cooling fan come on! http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=1000547760&start=120

.

takeamile  (8 )        Aug-31-07 09:24 PDT
I keep my computer on all day going on different sites. When I search eBay my cooling fan on my computer comes on every 20 minutes or so and stays on about 30 seconds. When I get off of the search it never comes on. What the heck eBay! Oh by the way, the search pages stink like a skunk in a garbage can in the summer.

.

karens_krazy_klozet  (1607 )      Aug-31-07 09:35 PDT     1 of 1
Same here - I actually had to reboot to make it stop yesterday after searching on the Playground for a couple of hours. This also happens if I leave a Tab (firefox) open by mistake with an Express search on it.

Even reloading Selling Manager sure makes it kick in high gear. No other sites do this - Amazon, Overstock, etc.

I installed Speed Fan just to make sure - and it's only Playground, Selling Manager and Express for me.

Does anyone know the technical reaadon why?

K3

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From eBay Search Forum - Feedback on Finding 2.0 (New Search and Browse)

For new newsgroup readers, these are not our forum posts. Any comments to the posters below should be made on the applicable thread, marked in bold below.

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From eBay Search Forum
EBAY IS RUINED!!!

http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=2000406482&tstart=0&mod=1188505620474

.

[email protected]

View Listings | Report                 Aug-29-07 21:55 PDT                 522 of 537

Hello All,

I wanted to give you a quick update on where we are in regards to the Finding 2.0 testing. We have completed the first round of tests and we are seeing some encouraging trends. Activity, bidding and buying in several key areas have clearly increased in the new platform in comparison to eBay.com.

Because of these positive test results, we have decided to increase traffic from 1% to up to 20% for users who are searching or browsing in the following areas: Computers, Video Games, Art, Antiques and Jewelry & Watches

We will also continue to run the 1% test across all categories to measure the impact of the new features rolling out this week and other changes (such as category and attribute changes) we're making to improve results across the board.

This week you'll see many of the additional features we've been working on that we know you've been missing. Look for Advanced, Completed search, Title and Description, Canadian items, in-search box refinement, additional stores expansion and other features. You may see changes in item counts, inventory and layout until the roll out of these features are complete.

We're thrilled to see clearly positive results from our tests that show buyers are finding and buying more items in this new system. As always, we look forward to getting your feedback, input and suggestions.

Thanks,
Jeff & the Finding Team

P.S.  If you haven’t already, please take a peek at the new snapshot view  which we think will be a great new way to shop!    http://shop.ebay.com/Art_Art-Prints__W0QQ_dmdZ3

 

captainhappypants  (519 )        Nov-21-07 10:23 PST       1569 of 1569
Chagdes,
Yes, there is that hidden back door that you mention. Also, you can log into eBay UK and get the classic search page. But I assure you that those avenues will be shut down shortly. I don't know if you have calling privileges with eBay, but I do and I spent an hour on the phone with them yesterday: this insipid 'Finding 2.0' is now the official search interface and there will be NO option to use the normal search page. I spoke to three different CSR's and they all were adamant that this was the case; I was even swearing, I was so mad.
The 'Playground' test-phase that they did was obviously phony: I know for a fact that the reaction to Finding 2.0 was overwhelmingly negative; obviously, they were going to do this no matter what the reaction was.
This is about weasling more profit, even if it means making narrowed searches far more difficult and time-consuming for experienced users. Ebay is saying, "Screw you, we don't care about YOUR ease of use, we're imposing this dumbed-down search page so that newbies and casual users can buy more stuff". That's what this is all about.
So, enjoy your back door opt-out while it lasts, which won't be long.

//

[email protected]  View Listings | Report                     Dec-04-07 11:01 PST       1723 of 1739
Hello All,

Just a quick note to let you know what's happening with the search tests. First, we've learned a lot after the extensive testing & all your feedback in the fall & we're now making changes to the system based on the results. We've turned off most of the user testing as we've entered the holiday period and now only a small % of users are seeing the new search (less than 1%). We appreciate all the feedback you've provided and will continue to make changes based on your input. You can see all new features as we release them (checkout the improvements we've made to snapshot view!) and provide your specific feedback on http://playground.ebay.com

Thanks,

Jeff & the Finding team

//

[email protected]

View Listings | Report                 Feb-01-08 17:34 PST                 2653 of 2668        

Hi Lindaspostcardsandmore2644

I am so sorry I am so behind keeping up with this thread.
Would you call out the number of your post with the your question in it to my email at [email protected].

I will do my best to find the answers if I don't already know them and promise to post what I find out back to the board, not just respond to the email.

USSearch I saw your post on the art thread about IS. I am not going to answer there b/c we are going to expire that thread since it is about Art board category changes. The IS that beach is talking about, I believe are the Custom IS, not the IS that were launched prior to that which you see on Clothing. If you believe that the custom IS are not working in your favor, don't use them. They are optional. The IS on clothing are optional as well. If you don't use them you run the risk of buyers not seeing your item if they are searching on a term which is not a term that you used in your item and then use the Product Finder to apply terms.

I hope that answers your question.

With respect to the changes made for Feedback, one of the main focuses for eBay this year is to make eBay a place people want to shop. If there is increased buyer traffic and increased buyer confidence that will translate into increased sales.

Many of the changes we have made are in an effort to correct the broken feedback system. Buyers are afraid to leave accurate feedback because of retailatory negatives, so we have eliminated that factor.

That being said, we are taking steps to be a better business partner to the sellers as well. For buyers who do not pay, more stringent standards are in place. For repeat offenders, they will be suspended. If a suspended buyer has left negative feedback for you, it will be taken out and your feedback score recalculated.

If you haven't already, I encourage you to look at the overview of the changes: http://pages.ebay.com/sell/update08/overview/

and to attend the town hall on Monday: http://pages.ebay.com/townhall/

See you next week,

MarniSue

 

//

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View Listings | Report                 Feb-04-08 14:50 PST                         2685 of 2691        

Lindaspostcardsandmore

In March, Best Match will be rolled out sitewide as the default for both Auctions and Fixed Price. 

At that time, DSRs will be factored into the equation for your listings in Collectibles.

I appreciate your taking the time to post & voice your concerns.

MarniSue

For Everyone:
Julie has started a new thread to address Best Match Concerns.  Please direct your questions & issue to her here:
http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=2000511099&tstart=0&mod=1202165121692

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From eBay Stores Forum - August Brown Bag Lunch on 8/28 @12noon PT

For new newsgroup readers, these are not our forum posts. Any comments to the posters below should be made on the applicable thread, marked in bold below.

FYI apologist itspostingtime posts spin and damage control for eBay ...

//

From eBay Stores Forum
August Brown Bag Lunch on 8/28 @12noon PT
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=1000548908&tstart=0&mod=1188333154912

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:N70feneyf60J:forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa%3FthreadID%3D1000548908%26tstart%3D0%26mod%3D1189126540450+August+Brown+Bag+Lunch+on+8/28+%4012noon+PT

.

[email protected]         Aug-24-07 18:17 PDT
Hello,

Please join us for our monthly discussion on the eBay Stores board.

We look forward to your participation and will attempt to answer all of your eBay Stores questions as quickly as possible. Based on your questions, we'll also offer tips to ensure that you're using Stores to maximize your business.

In addition, we'll have a special guest from the Finding team to answer questions about eBay's new search experience.

We are committed to answering your questions as quickly as possible. In order to accomplish this equitably, we ask for your cooperation -- please limit your questions to two (2) per user.

We look forward to seeing you here at 12 noon PT on Tuesday, 8/28.

Sincerely,
eBay Stores Team

87 replies     Date posted     Reply #

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 11:46 PDT     1 of 87
Hello,

Thank you for joining our August Brown Bag Lunch discussion. This is your opportunity to ask questions, and post your comments about Stores.

We're committed to answering all of your questions as quickly as possible. In order to accomplish this equitably, we ask for your cooperation -- please limit your questions to 2 per user.

All questions posted prior to 1:00 PDT will be addressed by one of the staff. Our responses to questions near the 1:30 mark will appear after the thread has been locked.

If this is your first time using the discussion boards, please see the following tutorial on how to post messages and view updates. http://forums.ebay.com/thread.jspa?threadID=200066500&tstart=0

We will be joined today by the regular members from the eBay Stores Product and Marketing Teams, as well a special guest from Finding.

We will be unlocking the thread shortly; we look forward to speaking with you!

Regards,
eBay Stores Team

dorothysew  (841 )      Aug-28-07 12:01 PDT     2 of 87
Hi:

Just wondering if you could give us any info on crosspromotional problems?

Dorothysew

accessoriesandgifts  (744 )      Aug-28-07 12:06 PDT     3 of 87
Hi. Traffic has been just dead lately. With the emphasis being on trying to ignite auctions, what is ebay doing to try to attract buyers to stores? I find that auctions are dead in the water. Almost all of my buyers purchase from my ebay store, even if the same exact item is also in core at a low starting price.
Elaine
Accessories,Bags,Gifts

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:06 PDT     4 of 87
Dorothysew,

Hi. Yes, we're frustrated w/the cross promo issue, too. Sorry about that. It's basically a technology problem that the team is working to diagnose and fix. They hope to have that back up just as soon as they can.

Sorry not to be able to be more specific. They're definitely focusing on it.

Thanks.

Gene

onepreciousplace  (1805 )      Aug-28-07 12:09 PDT     5 of 87
What are the chances that you are going to do a free month if you sign up for a store again? I haven't had my store for over a year, but am thinking about reopening if the price is right.

~ Sheryl ~



itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-28-07 12:12 PDT     6 of 87
Well, Dorothy beat me to the punch on that obvious question, but I'll ask the obvious follow-up:

When, if ever, is ebay going to take seller communication seriously?

Why was it necessary for sellers to tie up their time and Live Help's time with the cross promotion question? The cross promotion issue is not an ephemeral glitch, it's been ongoing for some time now. It is also not restricted to a few people. Live Help told me it is store wide.

Seller Communication. It really, really would be nice.
I find more products than glitches



itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-28-07 12:15 PDT     7 of 87
Oops. I lost part of that post. Why isn't this store wide glitch on the Systems Announcement Board? Why didn't someone from the stores team come here and post a short post at the top---before the Brown Bag----, something like what you just said. We shouldn't have to ask about these things on live Help or here. Why is it so hard for ebay to be pro-active on issues that directly effect us all?
I find more products than glitches



[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:17 PDT     8 of 87
(Re: #5)

Hi Sheryl (onepreciousplace),

We don't have plans to have a free trial, but we feel our price for a Basic Store is extremely competitive at $15.95/month.

I hope this answers your question.

Thanks,
Rich

dorothysew  (841 )      Aug-28-07 12:19 PDT     9 of 87
Since you have someone from "finding" here-I assume that is search (sorry not up on new terms)- has general search been changed in the last several wks-I mean outside of whatever tests are going on. And what % of buyers are being subjected (not perjoritive) to new search?

Relative to Carl's post. I have to agree, I wrote 2 emails Fri and Mon, hoping to spur a response either to the board or to me. Nothing. I presume you do not want our buyers treated in the same manner?

D

onepreciousplace  (1805 )      Aug-28-07 12:20 PDT     10 of 87
Well, Rich, if the search was working right, which I read the stores board all the time and there is a huge problem with it, you might just be correct in that. However, it is a waste of $15.95 a month when nobody ever finds the store. And now I'm reading here that when people put links to their stores in their eBay auctions, the auctions are terminated because it's illegal to do that. I guess we are then to assume that all buyers will recognize that silly little red door as something to be checked into and come in to shop? Highly doubtful, as I think these people on this board could verify.

~ Sheryl ~



[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:21 PDT     11 of 87
Dear itspostingtime,

Hi. The short answer is that you're right. We're going to focus on more proactive enagement w/the board going forward, and part of that includes reaching out to you when there are issues and giving you more visibility.

Sometimes, other teams at eBay "own" different features that affect Store sellers. But we're going to try to help facilitate that communication.

Thanks for the feedback.

Gene

itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-28-07 12:22 PDT     12 of 87
Well, while I'm waiting for an answer to that question, I'll go ahead and ask the next obvious question. Since you have someone from the findings team here, can that someone give us some insight into how stores are going to be incorporated into the new findings? And what's the timetable for us the playground to incorporate those changes?
I find more products than glitches



accessoriesandgifts  (744 )      Aug-28-07 12:22 PDT     13 of 87
There has to be more focus on getting buyers to come to the stores. What is happening with that?
Elaine
Accessories,Bags,Gifts

honiesresale  (2999 )      Aug-28-07 12:23 PDT     14 of 87
I thought I heard about changes coming to the powerseller eligibility program. Something about low volume sellers who reach a sales quoto of units sold may be eligible. Is that still coming and if so when?

...................................................

Also, on numerous occasions since last years store fee hike I have tried to purchase books I was in the market for here on ebay only to discover that none were available. I went to Amazon.com and each time found over 50 of the books I was looking for. Is ebay considering lowering the store insertion fee on fixed price items $5.00 and under back to pre "rebalancing the marketplace" levels in order to lure those items back in stores. Clearly if Ebay is unwilling to lower insertion fees for all items then at least add a third tier and have .02 cents for up to $5.00, .05 for up to $24.99 and .10 thereafter. Thanks.



handmadebymartha  (1110 )      Aug-28-07 12:23 PDT     15 of 87
i have been reporting a problem with the shipping calculator to live chat and ebay store phone support ... no fix yet ... and i hope that you can help:)

here is the problem: i have my cards set to ship for 5 oz a package. i offer first class and priority shipping. shipping calculator is now displaying first class when over the weight limit for first class.

buyers are picking the first class amount because it is cheaper, and i am loosing out on shipping fees.

this used to be correct in auctions and wrong on invoices and now it is wrong in both places :(

itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-28-07 12:23 PDT     16 of 87
Gene, Thanks for the reply. I hope "going forward" means "as of today", but I'm patient. Tomorrow will be OK. LOL
I find more products than glitches



oakrc  (4 )      Aug-28-07 12:24 PDT     17 of 87
-

Any news on the Stores' hub page?

handmadebymartha  (1110 )      Aug-28-07 12:25 PDT     18 of 87
a fellow store owner has reported this problem several times with no help ....

seems like the location based bidder blocks are not working. causing sellers to loose money in insertion fees.

please let me know when this will be fixed.

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:25 PDT     19 of 87
Hello accessoriesandgifts (re: #3),

There are several initiatives that are in the works to promote Stores to buyers.

The inclusion of Stores in the global header has increased traffic to the redesigned the Stores Hub. The new hub has great merchandising opportunities that we will be taking advantage during the holiday season. We have also seen the request on the boards to broaden the inventory that we promote on this page and we will do this for our holiday campaign.

In addition to our holiday campaign, we will be launching a post holiday buyer program to inspire shopping in Stores.

We are also hosting a holiday workshop to help Store subscribers prepare for the holidays. The focus of this workshop will be promoting your Store.

Stinson

accessoriesandgifts  (744 )      Aug-28-07 12:28 PDT     20 of 87
thank you Stinson. I would like to suggest also that changes be made so that when you go to the home page and click the stores tab, instead of seeing all that stuff about why open a store, sellers checklist etc - it would be nice to shift the focus to "great reasons to shop in stores" or something along those lines. Really promote those stores and all the great reasons to shop them. We need buyers.
Elaine
Accessories,Bags,Gifts

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:30 PDT     21 of 87
Dear handmadebymartha –

I am going to take your issue directly to our Shipping team and will respond back to you with what I learn. I appreciate you raising this concern as I am sure it has affected other sellers.

Thanks for the feedback.

Andy

handmadebymartha  (1110 )      Aug-28-07 12:31 PDT     22 of 87
thank you andy ~ this has been going on for months :(

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:31 PDT     23 of 87
itspostingtime,

We have a few stores related updates to the new search experience already in the pipeline (Should be available soon). This includes Cross-stores search and the results module for stores that will appear below the regular search results. Was there a particular feature you were looking for?

John

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:31 PDT     24 of 87
Dear honiesresale (re: 14),

Hi. Yep, we're making changes to the PowerSeller program that we think folks will be excited about, as it will help to recognize the hard work of other groups. You can find details here:

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200706151512052.html

Thanks very much for your feedback and suggestions on media. We're always looking at things we can do to make sure buyers can find exactly what they want on eBay, and I'll take your specific suggestions back to that team.

Take care.

Gene

itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-28-07 12:32 PDT     25 of 87
Sheryl,

Just an FYI about this:

And now I'm reading here that when people put links to their stores in their eBay auctions, the auctions are terminated because it's illegal to do that

I know the thread you are referring to, and I suggest you read the EnTIRE thread. There is no prohibition against linking to your store from your listing. The OP of that thread was , let's just say, being less than candid about the real reason his listings were removed.
I find more products than glitches



[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:33 PDT     26 of 87
oakrc:

In response to your post #19. I am not quite sure if you are asking about the current Stores Home Page that we have just launched or what our plans are for the future of this page. So I'll try and address both. The Current Stores Home Page is a fresh redesign of our old page and offers a more consistent look and feel with our newly launched eBay.com homepage. We are now driving much more traffic to the Stores Home Page, primarily from our inclusion in the Global eBay Header. We are seeing increased click thru on this page and have received very positive feedback on this first phase redesign.

I am actually leading an investigation on what the next version of the eBay Stores Homepage should evolve into, so I'd love to hear your ideas. We are considering some exciting new modules to help merchandize Stores and their items. We are still in an 'ideation' phase so I cannot commit to any launch plans, timing, etc. Please do feel free to share your thoughts and ideas of what you would like to see.

Thanks,

Raj

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:33 PDT     27 of 87
itspostingtime,

I should also mention we have the promotional stores "widget" that appears in the left hand navigation bar, too.

John

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:33 PDT     28 of 87
Hello accessoriesandgifts (re:20),

There are several versions of the Stores hub – 2 buyer versions (male, female), 2 seller versions (existing, potential Store owner) and a generic version. The buyer versions include a promotion about why to shop eBay Stores -- that landing page (http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/shop.html) then outlines how to shop with Stores, but I like your suggestion of making info on how to Shop more prominent."

Thanks,
Stinson

itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-28-07 12:34 PDT     29 of 87
John,
I'm not sure I know what "cross-stores" search is. Could you explain?
I find more products than glitches



handmadebymartha  (1110 )      Aug-28-07 12:36 PDT     30 of 87
any reply to #18?

accessoriesandgifts  (744 )      Aug-28-07 12:39 PDT     31 of 87
Stinson - I guess I'm not getting it (need another Starbucks :) When I click on the stores tab, I get just the sellers checklist, how to open store etc etc. You're saying there are those various versions of the landing page - how does one know which one they're going to be in when they click? sorry if this sounds confusing.
Elaine
Accessories,Bags,Gifts

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:39 PDT     32 of 87
Sorry itspostingtime, I try to remove some of our internal eBay speak, but it sometimes slips through. Cross-stores search is when you search the inventory across all the shops within stores. For example, from the Stores hub if you enter your search term in the text box labeled "I want to buy...". Your results will show the inventory that matches your search term from all eBay stores.

John

itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-28-07 12:40 PDT     33 of 87
John,
Questions I know are on people's minds:

Will the new findings alter the Rule of 30?

And, will there still be a separate BIN results that includes store items as at present? Or will this be modified in some way?

Will the stores tab remain in the header?

And, this is a Big One: will the new findings be implemented (ie, go live)BEFORE the holiday season? During? Or after?
I find more products than glitches



[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:43 PDT     34 of 87
Hi again handmadebymartha –

Regrettably, there are not any issues currently filed in regards to the 'Block buyers I do not ship to' feature. This feature is designed to block buyers based on their registration address. However, this is not necessarily their "Ship To" address. This is why some buyers are able to purchase items even though they live outside of the Ship To area.

We understand that situations may arise with the different features on the site, and we would be happy to address any situations that may arise via the Live Help feature and/or Phone support for our Store sellers and PowerSellers.

Thanks.

Andy

golfingaddict  (11593 )      Aug-28-07 12:44 PDT     35 of 87
I have trouble with search dropping a word from my search and then the results are messed up. Is this by design? How will buyers find my items if they search and they get the wrong things? Is that what smart search is?

handmadebymartha  (1110 )      Aug-28-07 12:45 PDT     36 of 87
thank you andy, i will pass this reply along. my fellow store owner has contacted store phone support and ebay live chat numerous times with this new issue ..... not a happy thing at all :(

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:45 PDT     37 of 87
Hi Dororthysew, (RE: #9)

We have made changes to the finding pages last week, outside of tests that are in progress.

I apologize that the communication around these changes was confusing. It hasn't been clear to members what is a test and what is not a test, and we regret the confusion.

The visual updates we made were rolled out to 100% of buyers. These changes were not launched as a test and it is not possible to opt out of these changes.

These cosmetic changes did not impact the way the site works, they only changed the look and feel, including:
- Slightly wider left column that contains navigation and refinement options
- Updates to the item list, including removing the alternating gray and white stripes
- Changes to font size and font family
- Removing link underlines
- Etc.

These changes are part of a gradual update to eBay's visual appearance across all areas of the site. This change will happen over time, but you should already see a more consistent look and feel between the Home Page and finding pages for example.

We understand that changes like this can be disruptive, and the teams driving the site-wide look and feel update are listening to all the feedback being sent in about the changes. The finding team is working closely with them on next steps.

Changes have also been made to the new Finding experiences you can see at playground.ebay.com. These changes include visual updates consistent with the changes made to finding pages on ebay.com, but also include adding missing features like advanced search, the ability to filter by search options before selecting a category, etc.

We hope these changes address a lot of the comments and concerns voiced about the new Finding experience.

A small percentage of members continue to be opted into the new Finding experience. We did not change the percentage of members in this test, and members can opt out of this test if the new experience is not meeting their needs.

Thanks,

Josh

a.k.a Jacque
eBay Product Management

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:46 PDT     38 of 87
Hello accessoriesandgifts (re:13),

Yes, one of the areas of focus for the team is getting buyers to Stores, especially increasing repeat purchases and buyer retention. Based on our data, Store owners have a higher incidence of repeat purchases. The Stores product and marketing teams are working on several exciting projects over the next couple of months to help advance our leadership in repeat buying and customer retention.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

Stinson

honiesresale  (2999 )      Aug-28-07 12:47 PDT     39 of 87
regarding trust and safety:

While I commend your attempts to clean up this site and yank up the welcome mat for sellers who consistently under-perform there is great concern over using neutrals against sellers in determining performance. I myself have had several positive neutrals, Neutrals with positive comments Like: "Neutral: very fast shipping" Why should a comment like that be held against a seller because a buyer, for reasons unknown, chose neutral instead of positive. Since Ebay is bent on using neutrals against us are there plans to just delete that option and give buyers only the chose of positive or negative?


accessoriesandgifts  (744 )        Aug-28-07 12:48 PDT       40 of 87
Thank you Stinson - we appreciate it, and do hope those changes and projects take effect in time for the holiday shopping season.
Elaine
Accessories,Bags,Gifts

golfingaddict  (11593 )      Aug-28-07 12:48 PDT     41 of 87
I am also very curious about how shopping.com will be intergrated on eBay express. Will stores items be pushed down because of this? Shouldn't store sellers be promoted before shopping.com?

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:48 PDT     42 of 87
(Re: #10)

Hi Sheryl,

We understand driving buyers to a Store is a primary concern for Store owners. Listing in Auction-style and Fixed Price formats is one strategy to bring buyers into your Store, as well as cross-promoting your items. Also, the Store Listing Frame (header and/or left navigation bar) will link buyers directly from your listings into your Store.

We think $15.95 fee is a great value for a Basic Store, since it includes multiple selling and marketing tools, as well as access to Store Inventory Format and repeat buyers. The product and marketing teams are continually looking to enhance the value of each Store level.

Thanks,
Rich

accessoriesandgifts  (744 )      Aug-28-07 12:51 PDT     43 of 87
If auction fees weren't so high, and if they truly brought buyers (as opposed to just watchers which by the way there are too many of) then I think we'd do some more auctions. But right now every auction I put up just goes unsold, with watchers, and so that is money lost and it does add up, as you know. I used to get excited about watchers, as it usually meant bids but now, I really don't think much of it.
Elaine
Accessories,Bags,Gifts

itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-28-07 12:52 PDT     44 of 87
John,
This includes Cross-stores search and the results module for stores that will appear below the regular search results
OK, thanks for defining cross stores search, but I'm still trying to picture this. Are you saying there will be a cross stores search box more or less in line with core search boxes? Or are you saying that a stores search box will appear down the search results page, between the core results and store results module"?

And when will the store module appear after core listings? Always? or only when the Rule of 30 is used?
I find more products than glitches



dorothysew  (841 )      Aug-28-07 12:53 PDT     45 of 87
Josh, aka Jacque, thanks for the answer. I'm sure you understand seller's apprehensions concerning the holiday season. Every year we've been promised no disruptive changes and every year something huge goes wrong. (I've been on 3 Xmas I think-maybe 4-my memory....).

I know each of you has the best of intentions, but can we count on some real info about things during at least these 4 upcoming months-to prevent the hysteria, that spreads with no info-during our stressful time? We want to deliver our best to our buyers, but we also need Ebay to deliver their best to us.

D

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:53 PDT     46 of 87
Hi handmadebymartha –

This is in response to your post #15. Ask and you shall receive a quick answer. :)

After reviewing this situation, we have found that this is not an issue with the site. Once the weight of the items exceeds the shipping service, the system will calculate the shipping based on multiple packages. However, there is a new version of the checkout process coming to the site in the near future that should resolve this situation and ensure that buyers are being billed correctly for their shipping.

Thanks.

Andy

accessoriesandgifts  (744 )      Aug-28-07 12:54 PDT     47 of 87
On the subject of star ratings - I think it is crucial that buyers be educated about how to properly use the stars. I ship lightening fast (i.e. same day as paypal comes in for most items, once in a while the very next day). I get so many comments, like 99.9% on my lightening fast shipping yet my star on shipping time is only 4.8. Once the item leaves our hands, we have no control as to how long the post office will take to get it there, even if it went priority and right away. Someone needs to educate the buyers better about the stars and how to use them properly. Better yet,remove the stars!
Elaine
Accessories,Bags,Gifts

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 12:58 PDT     48 of 87
itspostingtime,

If I am understanding you correctly, you can already see the separate BIN results on the new search experience. I believe they are still optimizing when and how it appears. I brought it up by searching in playground for Nirvana LP cd/b>.

Our team is not responsible for the header, but it is my understanding that there are no plans to remove Stores from the header.

We do not have a date for if/when the new search experience might go 100% live (I'm assuming you mean replace the current search). I would not expect that to happen during or before the holiday season.

John

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:02 PDT     49 of 87
Hi itsposting time, (RE: #33)

Good questions, I’ll address each of them.

> Will the new findings alter the Rule of 30?

The Finding team is working closely with the Stores team to study the Rule of 30 and other ways we provide exposure to Store Inventory in eBay.com search results. We don’t have any definite plans yet to change the Rule of 30, but if we find a solution that works even better for buyers and sellers, we’d certainly consider it.

> And, will there still be a separate BIN results that includes store items as at present? Or will this be modified in some way?

The new experience doesn’t have a BIN tab, but our intention is to have the same behavior as eBay.com today for searches that filter on BIN. It’s not currently working this way, but this is only because we’re gradually adding features to the new experience, not because we have made a decision to change the way this feature works.

> Will the stores tab remain in the header?

As far as I know, yes. I’m glad we were able to add this link to the header.

> And, this is a Big One: will the new findings be implemented (ie, go live)BEFORE the holiday season? During? Or after?

The new finding experience is still being tested. Based on the data we’ve collected so far, we’re seeing that in some categories on eBay.com, it’s driving more sales than the old search. We’re planning to ramp up traffic to a few of those categories before the holiday season to confirm that, outside a test scenario, we are actually helping buyers and sellers with the new experience. During this category-specific test, buyers will still be able to opt out if the new experience isn’t working for them, as we want to take care not to force this change. We’ll be posting more information about this category-specific ramp up soon, including information about the categories involved.

Thanks,

Josh

a.k.a Jacque
eBay Product Management

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:03 PDT     50 of 87
Dear honiesresale (re: 39),

Hi. I think that's a fair question. We're obviously concerned that feedback skews so strongly "positive" that we're trying to find ways to introduce more differentiation.

I hear your concern about neutrals, and we'll pass that feedback back to the Trust and Safety team. They're obviously taking a hard look at this now.

Thanks.

Gene

chopsueysisters  (2164 )      Aug-28-07 13:04 PDT     51 of 87
Hi, I didn't know this was going on I haven't been around but I wanted to tell JakeJake that my issues from last month, Raj is helping me on one of them, but have not heard from JakeJake on the other.

Raj, that customer service person still has not followed up re your last email from the other week.

It is now both issues opened for 1 month for 1 issue and almost a month and a half for the other

All aboard the crazy train!
This one time... at band camp....



[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:05 PDT     52 of 87
Hi dorothysew, (RE #45)

I understand your need for better communication from us at eBay about changes to the site leading up to the holiday season, and my team is spending more and more time on the boards. We always strive to provide as much accurate information as we can.

Thanks,

Josh

a.k.a Jacque
eBay Product Management

itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-28-07 13:05 PDT     53 of 87
John, Sorry, I hadn't been to the playground in a while. my bad. It looks like search store inventory only is now a very clear option on the left. Since that is already there, I assume that "Cross store" is distinct from that, in that "cross store" results include ALL store merchandise, whether store listing format or core listing format? And that will be on the left as well?

As to the time frame, you are saying that we should assume that the new findings will NOT go live before next year?
I find more products than glitches



chopsueysisters  (2164 )      Aug-28-07 13:06 PDT     54 of 87
how much more time is this BBL open?

All aboard the crazy train!
This one time... at band camp....



[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:06 PDT     55 of 87
Chop,

Hi. What issues are you referring to?

Gene

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:07 PDT     56 of 87
Itspostingtime,

There will not be an additional search box. I meant to indicate that when someone does a cross-stores search either through the hub, or by applying a store inventory filter, that they will stay in the new search experience (if that is where the user is searching from). Previously the user was sent out of playground for these results.

The appearance of the store module (i.e., Rule of 30) is still being optimized for the new search experience. I don't know what rules will be applied to it at this time. I don't expect it to change much from the experience on the regular search, but I cannot say for sure.

John

chopsueysisters  (2164 )      Aug-28-07 13:08 PDT     57 of 87
It was from last months BBL so #1) was about the gallery banner image compression size that we can use on our ebay stores. The other was an #2) issue I had sent about the custom pages. You were gone at the time so Raj is helping me on #2

All aboard the crazy train!
This one time... at band camp....



[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:09 PDT     58 of 87
(Re: #54)

Hi CSS,

This session will end at 1:30PT. I'll post another message on this in about five minutes.

Thanks.

chopsueysisters  (2164 )      Aug-28-07 13:10 PDT     59 of 87
I don't really have any new questions this month only that I am looking forward to Darlenes commitment of making advance communications & brainstorming ideas for holiday season. I want Christmas to be a kickin' season this time around!

All aboard the crazy train!
This one time... at band camp....



chopsueysisters  (2164 )      Aug-28-07 13:11 PDT     60 of 87
okie dokie!

All aboard the crazy train!
This one time... at band camp....



golfingaddict  (11593 )      Aug-28-07 13:11 PDT     61 of 87
I just want my stuff to show up in eBay express and in searches. My store sales have been good but I don't want them to slump because buyers get strange search results.

Can anyone address how store items will be displayed on eBay express now that shopping.com items will show up?

And can the finding team tell me why when I search for Robert Held the word "Held" gets dropped and the search returns are showing only Robert? (that is not a good finding experience)

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:12 PDT     62 of 87
Chop,

Hi. Was the gallery compression issue that you think the slideshow promotion box loads too slowly for some b/c we're not compressing those images as much as we could/should? I've asked our engineering team to take a look at that.

Gene

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:12 PDT     63 of 87
itspostingtime,

Yes, with respect to your question on timign of going live. Do look at Jacque's post in this thread on the testing that will be going on, however.

John

kingst  (2651 )      Aug-28-07 13:13 PDT     64 of 87
first when are they going to fix the bulk editor? it is a store question plain and simple and second,
Experian owes me money, or Ebay does,since there is now a spam link on my auctions that reads,
Free Credit Report & Score From Experian. Learn more.
since i pay ebay for my listing, i think that i should be getting a cut from the spam link! i cant add a spam link in my listings although i pay to list and have a store!

chopsueysisters  (2164 )      Aug-28-07 13:15 PDT     65 of 87
JakeJake, yes that was it. I was just wanted them to check to see if they were doing compressions to help with load time. Because I run them on all my stores pages and people had told me they can't stand them because it croaks!

All aboard the crazy train!
This one time... at band camp....



[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:17 PDT     66 of 87
Thanks, Chop. I'll ping them again.

Gene

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:17 PDT     67 of 87
golfingaddict,

We are trying to get someone to address your question regarding express/shopping.com.

with respect to your search for Robert Held. have you done the search recently? It seems to work okay now (assuming Robert Held is supposed to bring up art glass).

John

chopsueysisters  (2164 )      Aug-28-07 13:17 PDT     68 of 87
ok, ping them hard. like a grapefruit

All aboard the crazy train!
This one time... at band camp....



[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:18 PDT     69 of 87
(Re: #64)

Dear kingst,
Would you mind being more specific on the Bulk Editor issue?

Thanks,
Rich

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:19 PDT     70 of 87
Hi folks,

Please submit your questions and comments as soon as possible. We'll be locking this thread promptly at 1:30 PM PDT. Any questions that are posted close to the end of the session will responded to after the thread has been locked.

Thank you for joining,
eBay Stores Team

kingst  (2651 )      Aug-28-07 13:19 PDT     71 of 87
it dont work! the page you need to make the changes is skipped going right to the confirmation page. it has for weeks.

kingst  (2651 )      Aug-28-07 13:20 PDT     72 of 87
i would also like to know why the spam link is allowed in my store? yet i cant list one! thanks

accessoriesandgifts  (744 )      Aug-28-07 13:21 PDT     73 of 87
How about plans to educate buyers about leaving stars (from my prior post #47)
Elaine
Accessories,Bags,Gifts

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:22 PDT     74 of 87
I have just added "ping them like a grapefruit" to my collection of sayings. Thanks. :)

Gene

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:24 PDT     75 of 87
Everyone,

Please feel free to suggest future "special guests" for the BBL. Sounds like Trust and Safety may be one candidate.

Gene

kingst  (2651 )      Aug-28-07 13:25 PDT     76 of 87
the secrets of search one topic
how to rate the buyer topic two

itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-28-07 13:26 PDT     77 of 87
Well, OK, I'm down to my tenth and last post for the day. First: CHOP!!!!! Where've you been?

Second: To the finding team: I just looked at the Robert Held search and the results came up in "snapshot" view. Which I like a lot: kudos to the team.

But this really demonstrates that, with the new findings, it will be more important than ever to use gallery. I know that ebay france recently required Gallery (not sure how they addressed the fees on that)

Given this new emphasis on the visual, are there any plans to require gallery here? Or to lower the fee for core gallery in some way?

I know that's not strictly speaking a store issue, but if anyone can address it, please do....

And, since this is my last post and I can't add more, thanks to all involved in today's BBL.
I find more products than glitches



[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:26 PDT     78 of 87
Hi golfingaddict - (re post #41)

Yes, the Express team will start to phase in adding listing from Shopping.com. There won’t be anything done to disadvantage Store listings. They remain committed to ensuring relevancy of items remains top priority both from a price and inventory quality standpoint.

Thanks.

Andy

accessoriesandgifts  (744 )      Aug-28-07 13:27 PDT     79 of 87
Yes and thank you to Gene, Stinson and anyone else who answered my questions - I appreciate it!
Elaine
Accessories,Bags,Gifts

[email protected]        Aug-28-07 13:27 PDT       80 of 87
(Re: #71)

Kingst, can you write in the exact steps you took when you received the Bulk Editor error to [email protected]? We can't seem to duplicate it.

Thanks,
Rich

chopsueysisters  (2164 )      Aug-28-07 13:27 PDT     81 of 87
I hve doc appts all this week IPT!! I am OK, just very tired. I will email you!

All aboard the crazy train!
This one time... at band camp....



kingst  (2651 )      Aug-28-07 13:28 PDT     82 of 87
you simply click on the buttons, also stated in the tech board by others

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:30 PDT     83 of 87
itspostingtime,

Glad you like the snapshot view. Default presentation of Galley view is one of the things we've been testing, so it is definitely somethign we would consider. If the data and customer feedback support it, we could see it happen. We'll also be looking at snapshot view, which may be even more beneficial to sellers (and more compelling for buyers)

John

golfingaddict  (11593 )      Aug-28-07 13:30 PDT     84 of 87
Andy, I pay for a store and to list my items. I still cannot get all of my store items on eBay express because it does not include all categories. I'd say that my store items are disadvantaged on eBay Express if they bring on shopping.com

Are you aware that Amazon advertises on shopping.com

So my aroew items will be next to Amazon.com items? Weird...

kingst  (2651 )      Aug-28-07 13:31 PDT     85 of 87
what about the spam issue from experian?

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:32 PDT     86 of 87
Kingst,

Hi. Sounds like we should also add the Advertising team to the list of guests, so they can explain their testing.

Gene

[email protected]      Aug-28-07 13:32 PDT     87 of 87
Stores Community,

Thank you for participating in this Month’s discussion. The thread is now locked to new posts.

We will be going through the entire thread to make sure all questions are answered. Please check back for the completed thread.

Thank you again for joining us today. Stay tuned for details about the September Stores Brown Bag Lunch event.

Regards,
eBay Stores Team

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From eBay Stores Forum - eBAY .... I Thought You Were Fighting Scams

For new newsgroup readers, these are not our forum posts. Any comments to the posters below should be made on the applicable thread, marked in bold below.

FYI apologist itspostingtime posts spin and damage control for eBay ...

//

From eBay Stores Forum
eBAY .... I Thought You Were Fighting Scams
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=2000424988&start=0

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 09:12 PDT
Just got around to reading the latest eBAY advertisement that came last week ----

I CAN NOT BELIEVE ---

That this mega corporation is encouraging its sellers to buy inventory for the holidays on the street and then use return policies to dump unused inventory back to the original store.

There is no defence for this total lack of ethics --- NONE

eBAY --

You are encouraging sellers to CHEAT -- BE DISHONEST -- and and to abuse the marketplace

I AM DISGUSTED

WANNA FIGHT FRAUD ?????

FIRE THE GENIUS WHO DEVISED THIS APALLING SCHEME !!!!!

Carl

.

dorothysew  (834 )      Aug-27-07 09:14 PDT     1
Carl, could you explain abit? I didn't get the advertisement you are talking about.

Thanks

D

secondchancebuys  (Private )      Aug-27-07 09:19 PDT     2
yes please explain.

career.curves  (132 )      Aug-27-07 09:24 PDT     3
I would be very interested in reading this as well.

 

-Tammy

pins-n-needles  (3237 )      Aug-27-07 09:25 PDT     4
Crumb. I just deleted my email - I think that one was in it. Was it the last 'seller central' email?

I think I deleted it without opening it as usually there's nary a thing that has any pertinance to me or what I sell.

babybcp  (918 )      Aug-27-07 09:25 PDT     5
It was in the PowerSellers Newsletter I think...

Jennifer

 

oas3  (14536 )      Aug-27-07 09:26 PDT     6
            eBay's Newsletter Advice Ticks off Sellers:::
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m08/i27/s01

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 09:28 PDT     7
Fall 2007 --- PowerUP Quarterly

REV UP Plans for a PROFITABLE Holiday

SOURCE RETAIL FOR BIG PROFITES

"Returns mean low risk --- When sourcing at retail check the return policy ..... You can always return the inventory if you find it does not sell ....."

Maybe we should all flock to the eBAY Store --

Carl

just-thinking  (0 )      Aug-27-07 09:29 PDT     8
"I'm not sure just why eBay would give this advice in the current climate of retailers scrutinising eBay."

"Ebay Tells Sellers To Cheat Stores To Sell Merchandise On eBay!"

From that article

secondchancebuys  (Private )      Aug-27-07 09:35 PDT     9
I am speechless.

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 09:37 PDT     10
We have B&M ----

If I caught on to a person using me as a consignment shop without proper agreements I would without any doubt bring a civil law suit ---

Would I win ??? DO NOT KNOW AND DO NOT CARE ---

I would pay the dollars to cause extreme public embarrasment to both the offender and the source of the idea ---

I have seen some outlandish schemes ---- This one ---

BY A HUGE INTERNET JUST A VENUE TURNED MARKETING COUNSELER absolutely takes the BLACK RIBBON of shame

I repeat --- The person who devised this grand idea ..

NEEDS TO BE PLACED IN A POSITION WHERE THEIR NOSE IS PRESSED AGAINST THE WINDOW LOOKING IN ....

AND YES I AM SCREAMING ----- eBAY has exceeded the basic boundaries of common decency ---

Carl

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 09:40 PDT     11
eBAY is requesting sellers to commit fraud ---

There is no way to sugar coat this ---

NOR SHOULD THEY TRY ---

eBAY should make a very public apology for when this gets widely decimated by the media -- AND IT WILL without any doubt -- Ina already has it ---- It will make there outcry ovewr scams to be a paper thin veneer and expose them as shameless - unethical - and extremely irresponsible

Carl

sewm4  (2 )      Aug-27-07 09:44 PDT     12
"Ebay Tells Sellers To Cheat Stores To Sell Merchandise On eBay!"

That is NOTa ebay quote it is a PARDOY

tiny-townersredux  (0 )      Aug-27-07 09:48 PDT     13
            It gets more and more bewildering. I just pulled the only good item I had listed on my main ID.

This site is only good for selling:

• Selling Rare and Scarce Items,


• Selling junk,



I'm getting really neurotic about selling anything!

 

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 09:50 PDT     14
            "Ebay Tells Sellers To Cheat Stores To Sell Merchandise On eBay!"

That is NOTa ebay quote it is a PARDOY

It is indeed a parody --- However that is exactly what the suggestion is encouraging sellers to do ---

There is no way to sugar coat or spin this outragous marketing scheme ----

WHATS NEXT ---

As a way to boost sell through will eBAY encorage buyers to buy fromn sellers on trial basis --- BUY IT YOU WILL LIKE IT -- IF NOT JUST RETURN IT AS NOT AS DESCRIBED --

This is effectively the same thing --- What the hey it will only cost the sellers a few bucks

Carl

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 09:52 PDT     15
Can someone give me the email addresses to Bill & Meg -- I will give them the benefit of doubt that they are so far removed from daily eBAY reality that they are unaware of what their market gurus have devised and its implications --

Carl

just-thinking  (0 )      Aug-27-07 09:53 PDT     16
WHATS NEXT ---

As a way to boost sell through will eBAY encorage buyers to buy fromn sellers on trial basis --- BUY IT YOU WILL LIKE IT -- IF NOT JUST RETURN IT AS NOT AS DESCRIBED --

This is effectively the same thing --- What the hey it will only cost the sellers a few bucks

Don't give them any ideas Carl LOL

The buck stops at the top, sure fire whoever did
this but the CEO is ultimately responsible for this.

oas3  (14536 )      Aug-27-07 09:56 PDT     17
Carl whoever wrote that article as well as those above that approved it should be shown the door..

tiny-townersredux  (0 )      Aug-27-07 09:56 PDT     18
Will they pay for the item, will it get any bids, will I get a chargeback, will I get a bogus feedback, will I get suspended, will I take it in the shorts if I start it too cheap, will the unsold fees eat up the sold profits, will I get my ad pulled, will my shipping get questioned??????

Et cetera.

Why is the River so simple and this place so complicated?

sandrarn83  (2769 )      Aug-27-07 09:56 PDT     19
Carl Ebay is offering a suggestion that many Ebayers already do. I am a shopaholic both for myself and my business. I know most of the store managers in every store I shop personally. Reason? When you spend a couple of thousand dollars somewhere in a hour or two they tend to remember you. I have heard this same complaint on a number of occasions by almost every store manager or owner. Usually in the context of "I don't mind selling to you because you don't bring it back". Seems this is a common tactic unfortunately. The large famous New York Avenue dept store people even have a sign in their outlet stores about resellers aren't provided the same return policy as the general public. They reserve the right to refuse to refund. Someone like myself stands out quite prominently when you buy 50-100 of something identical at one time.

Of course I agree with you. Unfortunately this is quite common a practice and yes I agree it's still wrong. Ebay is just trying to hook the newbies into selling on the site. Someone has to take the place of all the sellers who have left.

just-thinking  (0 )      Aug-27-07 09:59 PDT     20
Imagine when all the stock analyst places find out
about this.

itspostingtime  (2 )      Aug-27-07 10:01 PDT     21
Carl,

I've never done it. Wouldn't do it. But it's certainly not a new idea.

That's why I'm not shocked by this. Over the years, I've seen this SAME advice given by SELLERS on the Boards. As I recall, there's usually been a mixed response: some people view it as unethical, some people agreed with it and some acknowledged that they did it.

I can tell you, aside from ebay, this sort of thing is prevalent in, say, clothing stores, where buyers buy "special occassion clothes" (something to wear to a wedding, for example) and then return it after the affair is over.

I know of people who do this at their local GoodWill...they'll buy something, take it home, research closed auctions, and bring it back if they don't think they can sell it. And I know it happens in antique malls as well.
I find more products than glitches

 

neglus  (16640 )      Aug-27-07 10:03 PDT     22
This is very unsettling. Can hardly wait to hear Hani Durzy's response to that one - hopefully there will be one along with an apology to all in the Community who are disgusted with this "tip". I suppose the tip that suggested shoplifting inventory (though this is really the same thing) got cut.

 

just-thinking  (0 )      Aug-27-07 10:03 PDT     23
I think it is one thing to know others do it but
another thing to encourage others to do it.

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 10:06 PDT     24
Sandram83

I am sorry -- your tone is much to concilliatory ---

It was thing when an individual engages in these shenanigans -- NO LESS APPALLING -- NO LESS UNETHICAL ---

It is totally another when a VENUE recommends to its selling group that this is an acceptable business practice -- IF

This is acceptable -- WHY NOT the whole spectrum of dishonest practices --

Forgereries -- Stolen Goods -- Fakes --

It is now established that eBAY is willing to encourage unethical and fraudulant practices -- So where is the line -- or

Does this venue get to redifine decent business practice

Believe me the media will have this and by weeks end this will become a major black eye and butt of Letterman and Leno Jokes.

Not only that I am certain that some large compant retailing CEO's are discussing methods of combatting this -- and -0- just possibly they may involve manufactureres --

The potential; for harm is great -- and rightfully so

carl

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 10:12 PDT     25
Its posting time --

I do not care about any of that --

PLEASE -- You can not really believe that what others do is an excuse for wrong doing --

eBAY is trying to set itself as the white knight in cleaning this place up -- This suggestion does not set a very good example --

THERE IS NO WAY TO DEFEND THIS -- NONE

It exposes a very seamy ethical leadership that calls into question any effort eBAY makes to fix other unethical practices by its sellers --- IT REMOVES ALL CREDABILITY about eBAYS efforts to clean this sight up.

It is a call to commit fraud --- and there is really no other way to describe it --- NONE -- It may well border on an illegal act called scheme to defraud which in NY is a class D Felony I believe ---

It is NO LESS THAN STEALING -- and I do not care if it is in practice now -- THOSE WHO DO IT WITHOUT THE STORES KNOWLEDGE ARE STEALING --

carl

classy_crafter  (358 )      Aug-27-07 10:20 PDT     26
Ive bought retail and resold it for a profit. But never ever would I return it. Its just wrong and unethical.

I cant believe eBay would actually encourage such unethical and fraudulent behavior.

"I don't believe in a government that protects us from ourselves." - Ronald Reagan

classy_crafter  (358 )      Aug-27-07 10:21 PDT     27
Carl,

You are right. I bet you the CEOs of all the major retailers are brainstorming about how to combat this situation and how to distinguish someone buying for themselves vs an eBay seller. Who to refund and who to refuse to refund.

Things will end up changing, and not for the greater good I am afraid.

"I don't believe in a government that protects us from ourselves." - Ronald Reagan

ocean2tides  (801 )      Aug-27-07 10:22 PDT     28
yes, this is done by some sellers.

But the idea that EBAY itself would RECOMMMEND and ENCOURAGE sellers do it is unconscionable.

Are they going to recommend and encourage the buyers of my ebay products to do that, too? 

They want to get major advertisers to their site (macy's, target, etc.). Wonder how they will view this?

WHAT is WRONG with these people at ebay? Where do they find these employees? A company shows it's true side by the employees they hire. This speaks volumes about, not only the employees, but the leadership at ebay.

SHAME on ebay!

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 10:26 PDT     29
I am attending a meeting of local business people Wednesday evening -- In this group are several store managers from local stores including several that might be subjected to this scheme --

I will poll them to see how they feel about this particular method of aquiring inventory -- their reeaction should they catch someone ewngaging in the activity -- and will also try to get some general comments.

I DOUBT THEY ARE in favor of purchasing inventory -- then consigning it to an eBAY seller with an if it does not sell you do not have to pay for it guarentee -- I think they will be very distressed at the thought of a large scale competitor encouraging its "associates" to engage in such a practice --- and --

I will be very surprised if they will publicly or privately condone it -- or -- name it anything other than outright deceptive or worse.

I will report back the reactions on Thursday or Friday --

carl

sandrarn83  (2769 )      Aug-27-07 10:29 PDT     30
Go for it Carl. By the way that store manager for the New York Ave dept store people hates me. He reported me to headquarters for purchasing in "his store" for resale. Headquarters in turn started INCREASING the lingerie supplied to that local store. He still hates me he just has to grit his teeth and tolerate me now because NY loves me. Some companies obviously like resellers others do not. I think you will find the small B&M store owners are the ones worst affected by this tacky idea.

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 10:33 PDT     31
Sandram83

I see absolutely nothing wrong with purchsing locally or wherever for resale

THAT is not the same thing at all -- People who purchase for resale and return are abusing the retailer --- It is no less unethical than stealing -- after all when this methodology is used --

The retailer has had any opportunity to sell the item stolen from them --- There is no defense -- It is what it is.

carl

oakstrom  (3567 )      Aug-27-07 10:39 PDT     32
Funny thing is i do believe the major retailers are in the process of changing there return policies to one much more conditional and restrictive, as the number of returns is really biting into the margins.

It would be too funny if those people that follow ebay's underhand advice, find the stores are not going to refund carte blanche this selling season.

Really would be nice to see Ebay roasted for this "glitch"

Oakstrom

 

mygift2u  (6701 )      Aug-27-07 10:44 PDT     33
That letter to toally unethical. Someone needs to fire the person that dreamed that one up!

Unbelieveable!

mygift2u  (6701 )      Aug-27-07 10:44 PDT     34
            Sorry, should have read - That letter IS totally unethical

ocean2tides  (801 )      Aug-27-07 10:46 PDT     35
Sandra,

You buy at the stores, but don't return the merchandise.

That is the difference.

EBAY has recommended that it's sellers buy and RETURN if it doesn't sell for a profit.

Can you imagine if ebay recommended your ebay customers do the same? They buy from you (or other ebay sellers), if it doesn't sell for enough when they list it, they should return it to you, the ebay seller.

IT'S THE EXACT SAME THING.

SHAME on ebay.

mygift2u  (6701 )      Aug-27-07 10:48 PDT     36
To clarify -

What a seller does is the sellers business BUT encouraging buying with the sole intention of returning an item to a retail store if it does not sell on eBay is totally unconscionable. Ebay should NEVER have put this in print.

HEY eBay - If I list an item in CORE and it does not sell can I "put it back in MY eBay STORE for FREE???????

What is the difference??

lucysfabrics  (2332 )      Aug-27-07 11:05 PDT     37
Nice work, eBay! That's why a lot of major retailers are tightening up return policies and charging restocking fees. Pretty soon regular people won't be able to return for legitimate reasons.

Stuff like that is why I don't tell people I sell on eBay.

 

faeries_finest  (870 )      Aug-27-07 11:20 PDT     38
It's a common trap that Ebay fell into - mistaking what you can do for what you should do.

Yes, people can return items they buy at retail stores but it isn't an automatic pass. There are circumstances where you shouldn't return and buying to resell is definitely one of them.

It's also perpetuating the myth that you can engage in business risk free. No, you can't. You take chances. You make your best decision as to which direction to take your business and what to sell but there aren't guarantees.

So - what are the odds that Ebay will admit it was poor advice???

Faerie
faerie's finest - enchanting your life with flavor

oldspartantrader  (2944 )      Aug-27-07 11:29 PDT     39
So - what are the odds that Ebay will admit it was poor advice

When they are forced to do so by the fall out that I am certain is coming they will do so -- It will beblamed on some low level employer and couched in terms such as --

We have taken measure to ensure -- This was a glaring error by our editorial people and should have been caught -- We in know way condone such a practice as company policy --- BUT

That is all defensive and the damage will be done --- AND

If consumers are informed by media about the implications to them and their normal use of the return mechanisms -- there may well be additional backlash --

The proper thing at this point is contact recipients of the article and apologize and admit error -- To contact some key media people and cut the publicity off at the pass -- This might even allow eBAY to be seen as humble and caring LOL --

It will also be a premtive strike that will make any bouhaha just old news and give them the ability to point to how proactive they are in cleaning upo issues wiuth the sight ---

If I was a media person I would be having an absolute field day with this --- If I had an axe to gring I would be honing it -- AND YOU CAN BET many out there do and are.

Carl

appliancecoverqueen  (178 )         Aug-27-07 11:33 PDT       40 of 47
"When sourcing at retail, check the return policy before you buy. If items are returnable, you can always return the inventory if you find it doesn't sell at a good profit."

HOLY CARP? What the heck is wrong with this company. They encourage sellers to be unethical and then install a ridiculous star system rating that unethical people can hide behind. Can they do anything more to destroy their reputation with sellers?
Judy




just-thinking-2  (0 )      Aug-27-07 11:37 PDT     41 of 47
If I was a media person I would be having an absolute field day with this --- If I had an axe to gring I would be honing it -- AND YOU CAN BET many out there do and are.

Bet you are right. I bet there are many people out
there writing the news, blogs, stock analysts, etc.
etc. etc. And if not yet, I bet it will be very
soon.

batches2007  (704 )      Aug-27-07 11:38 PDT     42 of 47
            I feel like a deck hand on the Titanic with no room in the lifeboats...

swimwear-maternity-more  (467 ) View Listings | Report     Aug-27-07 11:44 PDT     43 of 47
Here us an article that Auction Bytes wrote about these very issues. There is an on-going article regarding the issues of eBay sellers buying merchandise from certain retail stores and outlets and are being banned from buying from them or have limits on how many items they can purchase.

Here is the article on Auction Bytes:
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m08/i27/s01

This is a very interesting topic.

Erna

swimwear-maternity-more  (467 )      Aug-27-07 11:49 PDT     44 of 47
I meant: Here is an article

spelling errors

career.curves  (132 )      Aug-27-07 11:49 PDT     45 of 47
In all seriousness, I'm off to change my return policy and I'm removing my 100% satisfaction guarantee.



-Tammy

big_sapper  (140 ) View Listings | Report     Aug-27-07 11:53 PDT     46 of 47
Anyone rememebr the Seinfeld episode where Jerry returns the jacket to the clothing store?

...

JERRY: Excuse me I'd like to return this jacket.

TELLER: Certainly. May I ask why?

JERRY: ........For spite...

TELLER: Spite?

JERRY: That's right. I don't care for the salesman that sold it to me.

TELLER: I don't think you can return an item for spite.

JERRY: What do you mean?

TELLER: Well if there was some problem with the garment. If it were unsatisfactory in some way, then we could do it for you, but I'm afraid spite doesn't fit into any of our conditions for a refund

JERRY: That's ridiculous, I want to return it. What's the difference what the reason is.

TELLER: Let me speak with the manager...excuse me .............Bob!

(walks over to the manager and whispers)

TELLER: ........spite.....(Manager walks over)

BOB: What seems to be the problem?

JERRY: Well I want to return this jacket and she asked me why and I said for spite and now she won't take it back.

BOB: That's true. You can't return an item based purely on spite.

JERRY:. Well So fine then ..then I don't want it and then that's why I'm returning it

BOB: Well you already said spite so......

JERRY: But I changed my mind..

BOB: No...you said spite...Too late.




world_securities  (4952 )      Aug-27-07 11:58 PDT     47 of 47
Carl, now that you've seen eBay's other side, would you care to revise your earlier post?

eBay PR displays posts like this, as an example of how 'they can do no wrong'. So to speak.

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?messageID=2007444775&forumID=21&x#2007444775
I feel that I am paying my fees for an opportunity at the BAZARRE'S traffic --- No More -- No Less -- and

there is tons of that traffic for me to tap into at this time -- I do not care if it is declining -- I do not care if it ceases totally at some point -- I will make the necessary adjustments at that time.

In essence too many people are still expecting eBAY to do more than eBAY is willing to --- MAYBE they used to --- PROBABLY the site was better --- It is waht IT is -- and the smart thing to do is to accept the is and make it -- If unable to make the present situation work it is important to recognize that unless you just want to spend money ---

For many that tipping point arrived --- YET rather than changing there model -- or moving on they seem to believe it will go back if enough old sellers scream ---

The only thing eBAY listens to is the KACHING --- As long as it rings loudly they are pleased --- I would be too


You take a very pragmatic attitude toward business. And people listen to you for that reason.

You should consider Everything you write in that vein.


"There actions hurt sellers --- BUT -- have not hurt the Corporation ---" oldspartantrader

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From eBay - ***A Message from Philipp Justus – Making winning on eBay even more fun***

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200708.shtml#2007-08-21102613

***A Message from Philipp Justus – Making winning on eBay even more fun***
August 21, 2007 | 10:29AM PST/PT

 

Philipp Justus

Hello everyone... We've been talking a lot with you about improving the buyer experience on eBay, and I'm pleased to let you know about some great new enhancements that we're adding to the site over the next two weeks. We've been working hard to ensure that these enhancements will add to the thrill you feel when you win a great item at a fantastic price. Winning on eBay is a big part of the great experience you have on eBay and we want you to win faster, more often and have even more fun than ever before.

If you've been keeping on eye on Sneak Peek (www.ebay.com/sneakpeek),   you're probably aware of many of the products and enhancements we're working   on. I'd like to give you a quick snapshot on a number of enhancements that are   on their way.

Our new eBay home page – A homepage is like a front   door, and it can say a lot about the business inside. Making its debut this   week, our new eBay homepage has a simplified interface that puts the focus on   you and what you love. Quick access to key My eBay information, featured items   and recent activities helps to make a more inspired and fun shopping experience.   We hope you like our new "front door" – and that you find it   welcoming, informative and fun.

Bid History redesign – Through research and talking   to a lot of you, we know that our competitive bidders spend a lot of time on   the bid history page. We've enhanced the page to be more functional for you.   You'll now be able to bid directly from the Bid History page. We heard that   it's really important for you to be able to see more information on all items   you're bidding on, so we've restored some transparency when bidding on items   over $200.

New look & feel in Search – We're making a number   of visual changes to our current Search to make the search results pages less-cluttered.   Soon you'll notice subtle changes to color and other details that will help   the most important content on the page – your items – stand out   better.

Snapshot View on Search Results – Snapshot View allows   you to browse quickly through larger item images – it's a little like   window shopping but with faster results. Browse for what you are looking for,   or refine your search by color or price, and let your visual sense be your guide.   You'll find the link to Snapshot View at the top right of every search results   page. This is an exciting new way to help you to find and win items on eBay.

You'll be hearing more about these projects and others – like progress   with our new My eBay beta, our Finding tests, and more – in the coming   weeks. Until then, keep checking our General Announcements board, and visiting   our Sneak Peek page for updates. We also hope you'll use our [email protected]   email address to let us know what you think about our new projects. We really   want to hear from you – so don't be shy.

Sincerely,
  Philipp Justus
  Senior Vice President, eBay Auctions

 

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From eBay Feedback Forum - A Reminder About the Purpose of This Board

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=1000535993&tstart=0&mod=1185909098267

A Reminder About the Purpose of This Board                                 

[email protected]

View Listings | Report               Jul-31-07 12:11 PDT                                     

Hi,

The Feedback Board can be a wonderful place for members to interact, answer questions about the Feedback Forum, and discuss other aspects of eBay. The Board Usage Policy provides guidelines on how to interact in a way that upholds the Community Values. The Policy Explanation Board provides additional clarification.

As a reminder, there is no room for interpersonal disputes, including the "he said/she said" types of arguments of who said what about whom on this or other Forums. If necessary, members who choose not to uphold the Community Values despite specific reminders will be asked to leave.

Thank you for your cooperation.

- Avery

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From eBay - ***A Message from Philipp Justus – Understanding eBay’s Seller Non-Performance Policy Enforcement***

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200708.shtml#2007-08-13104345

***A Message from Philipp Justus – Understanding eBay’s Seller Non-Performance Policy Enforcement***

August 13, 2007 | 10:51AM PST/PT

 

Philipp Justus

Hello everyone...We’ve been sharing our plans with you to reignite the core marketplace and improve the buying experience. Some may wonder what this means, but, really, the “buying experience” is a combination of many different aspects of the marketplace. Over the last few months, you’ve heard from a number of marketplace teams who are working on significant projects like Finding, for instance, to make finding items easier and more exciting for shoppers. We’re investing in auctions, as well as other core areas of the site. Across all these efforts, our goal is to thrill and delight both our buyers and our sellers, and to make eBay the best shopping destination, on and off the internet. (Learn more about what’s in the works at www.ebay.com/sneakpeek.)

While improving functionality on the site is critical, a big part of the buyer experience is in our sellers’ hands. We recently launched Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) to give buyers more information about the kind of service they can expect from a seller. DSRs add transparency to the marketplace by giving buyers a sense of how accurately sellers describe their items, what their shipping times are like, whether previous buyers have felt their shipping & handling charges are fair, and how they handle communication during the transaction. The majority of our sellers deliver a great buyer experience, and now it’s even easier for them to differentiate themselves from those that do not perform as well.

The vast majority of eBay sellers deliver consistently positive experiences to buyers. However, a very small minority -- just 1% -- of sellers currently cause fully 35% of bad buying experiences. This small minority not only damage their own reputations, but also indirectly damage all of the good sellers who benefit from a strong and vital eBay marketplace. To address this problem, we have begun enforcing our Seller Non-Performance policy in stricter ways than in the past by considering a seller’s buyer dissatisfaction rate.

New enforcement of eBay’s Seller Non-Performance Policy
There are currently two types of input from buyers which we use to measure a seller’s buyer dissatisfaction rate: the percentage of negative and neutral feedback they’ve received and the percentage of Item Not Received complaints filed against them. Sellers who have demonstrated buyer dissatisfaction rates greater than 5% within a 90-day window are now subject to temporary 14-day restrictions in the form of selling sanctions or reduced listing volume. Sellers with dissatisfaction rates that are 10% or greater are now subject to indefinite restrictions until they improve their buyer dissatisfaction rates to less than 5%. In both cases, sellers are given instructions on how to resolve their open disputes and take other recommended actions to in order to regain their full selling privileges. (Please read Seller Non-Performance policy and our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.)

More about Feedback and DSRs
Some of you have asked why neutral feedback ratings have become a part of measuring buyer dissatisfaction. Through our quantitative research as well as many conversations with community members, we have found that neutral feedback is most often an expression of deep buyer dissatisfaction. Therefore, leaving it out of the calculation would mask a significant part of the issue. Ultimately, only positive feedback is an indication of satisfied customers.

Detailed Seller Ratings are not used in our buyer dissatisfaction calculations currently, however, we expect them to become an additional input in our calculations in the future. We will keep you updated on adding DSRs as part of our calculations, and how they will impact a dissatisfaction rate.

Helping sellers improve their satisfaction rates and become successful is goal #1
Please know that our goal in restricting or sanctioning sellers is always to drive them to resolve their business challenges, improve their satisfaction rates, and remain in the marketplace as successful sellers. Our communication to impacted sellers spells out specific actions they should take to improve their rates, such as settling any open buyer dispute issues, refunding buyers when appropriate, asking for mutual feedback withdrawal when disputes have been resolved, etc.

Please remember that this new enforcement impacts the bottom 1% of current sellers, who cause 35% of the negative buying experiences on the site. The vast majority our sellers provide great buyer experiences by following these and other best practices:

• They accurately represent the condition, size, and quality of the item directly in the listing.
• They accept payment for an item at the end of a successful sale.
• After payment is received, they promptly ship the item with proper packaging.
• They proactively and professionally communicate with the buyer throughout the transaction. (Please read our Seller Tips for more information.)

We’ve talked to a lot of sellers and other members about this effort, and it’s clear that many members understand the need for this enforcement and are supportive of these efforts. The whole marketplace, and especially the 99% of our good sellers, will benefit by cracking down on bad buyer experiences in this way.

It’s also clear we need to do a better job communicating with sellers on these issues, and helping them understand what to do to avoid problems, or resolve them after they’ve occurred. My hope is through better education and communication, those sellers who are impacted can change their practices quickly and as painlessly as possible for their continued success and the good of the whole marketplace.

Sincerely,

Philipp Justus
Senior Vice President, Auctions

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Des eBay - ***Test d'un nouveau critère de tri des résultats de recherche: le tri par pertinence***

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/fr/200707311541492.html

***Test d'un nouveau critère de tri des résultats de recherche: le tri par pertinence***
juillet 31 2007 | 03:41PM CEST

Bonjour à tous,

Depuis plusieurs mois, nous proposons sur le site eBay.fr un nouveau critère de tri des résultats de recherche : le tri par pertinence. Ce critère est disponible parmi les autres critères existant dans le menu déroulant situé en haut des pages de résultats de recherche.

Afin d'améliorer l'efficacité du moteur de recherche, nous allons désormais tester ce critère de tri par défaut pour trois catégories d'objet: CD/Vinyles, Loisirs créatifs et Monnaies.

Qu'est-ce que ça change?
Désormais, quand vous utiliserez le moteur de recherche pour rechercher un objet appartenant à l'une de ces catégories, les résultats de recherche obtenus seront triés par pertinence.
Les utilisateurs qui souhaitent trier les objets à l'aide d'autres critères comme le prix de vente ou le temps restant peuvent continuer à utiliser ces critères à l'aide du menu déroulant situé en haut des résultats de recherche. De plus, si vous naviguez dans les catégories (sans utiliser le moteur de recherche), les résultats de recherche demeureront triés par temps restant.

Qu'est-ce que le tri par pertinence ?
Contrairement aux autres critères de tri disponibles sur eBay, qui ne sont basés que sur un seul facteur tel que le temps restant ou le prix de vente, le tri par pertinence combine plusieurs facteurs. Il permet d'afficher en haut des résultats de recherche les objets correspondant le mieux à ce que les utilisateurs recherchent.

Le tri par pertinence modifie donc l'ordre de présentation des objets sur la page des résultats de recherche. Nous tenons à préciser qu'aucun objet n'est enlevé ou ajouté quand le tri par pertinence est utilisé. De même, les options de mise en vente telles que « A la Une de la Galerie » ou « A la Une de la Catégorie » continuent d’être fonctionnelles.

  Pourquoi implémenter le tri par pertinence par défaut ?
Nous avons réalisé de nombreux tests utilisateurs qui montrent que le tri par pertinence permet aux utilisateurs de trouver plus rapidement et plus facilement les objets qu'ils recherchent sur le site. Nous avons donc décidé d'implémenter cette fonctionnalité par défaut sur quelques catégories, afin de confirmer les résultats de ces tests.

Si vous avez des commentaires ou suggestions au sujet du tri par pertinence, vous pouvez les faire en nous écrivant ici.

Bonne journée,

L'équipe eBay

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Hello all,

For some months now on eBay.fr, we’ve offered a new sorting criterion for search results: sort by relevence. This criterion is available amongst the other criteria in the drop-down menu at the top of the search results pages.

In order to improve the efficiency of the search engine, from now on we are going to test this sort criterion by default for three categories: CDs/Records, Crafts and Currency.

What’s changing?
From now on, when you use the search engine to look for an item belonging to one of these categories, the search results given will be sorted by relevence.

Users who want to sort items by other criteria, for example price or time remaining, can continue to do so with the help of the drop-down menu situated at the top of the search results. Likewise, if you browse these categories without using the search engine, results will continue to be sorted by time remaining.

What is sort by relevence?
Unlike the other sorting criteria available on eBay, which are only based on a single criterion like time remaining or price, sort by relevence combines several factors. It allows those objects which best match what users are looking for to be shown at the top of the search results.

So sort by relevence changes the order in which items are displayed on the search results page. But we make a point of specifying that no item is removed or added when sort by relevence is used. In the same way, listing options such as “gallery featured” and “category featured” will continue to function.

Why implement sort by relevence by default?
We’ve carried out a number of tests which have shown that sort by relevence helps users to find the item they’re looking for more quickly and more easily. We therefore decided to implement this functionality by default in some categories, in order to confirm the results of these tests.

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From eBay - ***Testing an Improved Finding Experience***

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/uk/200707300936512.html

***Testing an Improved Finding Experience***
30 July, 2007 | 09:37AM BST

We wanted to let you know that we will be testing some changes to Finding pages over the next few weeks. These tests are designed to make it easier for buyers to find items on eBay.co.uk.

In the week beginning 30th July, 2% of users will be shown new search and listing pages. We have redesigned the layouts, and improved how search works to return more items for each search and also to return only relevant items.

As a simple example, if a buyer in the test searches for "red size 12 shoes", instead of looking just for listings with the words "red", "size", "12", and "shoes" in the item title the search engine will find all the items in the shoe category that are size 12 and in the colour red.

The buyer should see more relevant items, and will also see a new way to narrow their search results according to important details such as size, colour, and type.

The tests should be completed by the beginning of September.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk Team

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