the hazards of using the eBay catalogue

[ypdc_dennis]

Prefill this listing with eBay catalogue info -- supposedly speeds up the listing process, but you do have to check to see if it contains garbage info. If it does, and you disable the catalogue info it also disables the stock image (and you need your own scan). lt used to be the stock image and text description were separate.

Today's absurd example is from the movie catalogue:

Claymore - DVD, 2011, 4-Disc Set

This five disc set includes all 26 episodes of .... on three Blue Ray discs, ...

so 3 different quantities, 2 different disc types and they can't spell Blu-ray correctly either.

-..-

[momcqueen]

Oh my gosh, don't get me started on the Product Catalogue......

[cumos55]

eBay's catalogue for books is a mess looking for a place to happen.

Works well if the all of the information agrees with the book you want `to list.... but many times it is a mess.

There have been listings where the seller says... the book you get may not be the one described.

Or the stock photo shows a dust jacket... but seller says no dust jacket!!!

Picture policy is very specific  with respect to the requirement of one photo.....  and then when a stock photo can be used 

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/picture.html

The policy on eBay.Canada is the same as that on eBay.com.

Right now there are many listings without one photo... or with phony images....  not of a book.

There are about 14 million listings for books on eBay.com.... and about one third of them are a mess.... specifically with respect to picture policy

and many times  I have difficulty figuring out  the topic  presented in the book , let alone the contents of the book.

Many ex-library books..... and the use of a stock photo ... with no library markings....with these books and a misuse  of stock photo in relation to condition of the book being sold..

It all starts with the Book Catalogue.....  stock photo or not.....  and then resulting in a very messy search for books on eBay.

The book category needs a major clean up....

[cumos55]

The following statement ....

Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.

is present on every listing.

If a seller puts  information from the catalogue, and that information is not correct to the book being listed ..  the seller is responsible for providing the wrong information

Many sellers use the catalogue without question.  Right or wrong there is no question .

Many sellers do not not understand  the contents of a book, specifically a non-fiction book....

The end result is one big mess...  and the biggest mess is created by sellers with hundreds of thousands listings.

and then... the smaller sellers see them do it,  and they in turn do the same....  a more recent occurrence..... although this was noted over many years, but not to the degree as being noted at present.

[momcqueen]

Some sellers trust implicitly that eBay is providing the correct data in the Product Catalogue.

More importantly, when a match is found on relist, the seller isn't warned in advance that their listing data is being overwritten. It's only discovered AFTER the item has been listed and then one must revise and repair.

It's insidious.

[cumos55]

Sellers must confirm that the information in the catalogue  applies.... 100 % ... to the item they will list.

Nothing is perfect.... Everything must be verified... and only then used.

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I have never used eBay's book catalogue... 

I have my way to list a book  with information about the content... from the book... about the Table of contents... and then sometimes I will add additional photos.

There is nothing in the listing that has not come from the book.  or is about the book's content or some specific information from the internet.... Everything relates to the content of the book.  The source of the information is always identified.

Sometimes  I will add a comment, or two,    or even a bit more  about the books's content....rarely done.

What I do not want to happen is for eBay to step in and add information about the book... based on the ISBN for that book.

A book can be published  by many different publishers over many years, and with several ISBN.  The book may be revised, updated  or even edited by someone after the author is not able to make adjustments or the author has died.

Sometimes  the only things that change  could be the size of the book,  the design of the dust jacket,  it is a softcover edition.

With each new edition  there could be some very subtle adjustments in content.....  Sometimes a very simple change can change the value of a first edition ... several fold. 

Once a listing is on eBay... only the seller should adjust it...and no one other than the seller.