Book search is broken

[maaxguy]

I am having issues with the book category and it no longer allows me to narrow my search into categories such as fiction ,scifi,fantasy adventure or any other genre in the fiction section and this is the same in nonfiction or any other category .I can no longer do a proper book search at all. What has Ebay done to the book catagory and does anyone have issues similar to mine in different catagories ? It is very frustrating.

[ypdc_dennis]

It got broken because of category changes being rolled out system wide this week. Books got a major rework.

[eburtonlab]

Try a general search using a keywords such as books. Change to the Book category, then use the filters on the left side of the page to narrow further -- such as by selecting Genre: Science Fiction, and Fantasy, or by picking a particular topic:

https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=books&_sacat=261186&LH_TitleDesc=0&_fsrp=1&_fcid=2&_so...

[maaxguy · Accepted solution]

Hi,

The problem I am having is that I do not get those choices on the side I did try the link you sent me but it only allows me to get to fiction but after that there is no way to narrow my search to a certain genre such as scifi or mystery it just comes up with all the fiction listed on ebay and the only way I can get to a genre is to enter it into the search box as there are no menus to choose from on the side it is totally blank . I went though the link you sent me and it does the same thing and it is very frustrating.I did notice changes to the book section a few days ago and the changes they seem to have made are all bad. Why do they feel to need to fix something that is not broken. I have had no issues at all before they changed the book catagory everything was working fine. Thanks for your suggestion I will just have to see what transpires in the book catagory over the next few days. 

Cheers

[maaxguy]

Now it is asking me to choose how many items I want ?? it will not filter past fiction and the page is blank unless I type in the genre into the search box .What is the point of this ? Why is ebay screwing with something that was not broken in the first place ? This is very frustrating. 

[bookilu]

It's bad for sellers too - no children's section??!!  And am getting messages on my new page of listings that says  "add required soon" under item specifics, Book Title, language - the book title is already in the listing title.  What is this about?  Hitting the Help button is no help at all.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@bookilu wrote:

... am getting messages on my new page of listings that says  "add required soon" under item specifics, Book Title, language - the book title is already in the listing title.  ...

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Supposedly making ebay more google search friendly.

[maaxguy]

Well now I do a search for fiction and it takes me to wholesale books ,what's up with that ? oh and I still cannot filter it to any kind of genre. What is ebay doing ??? They change the book catagory for the worse and considering I had no issues with the way it was before I guess my next question is why attempt and fail in changing the book category when it was not broken in the first place . I never had any problems before this and now I am left shaking my head as to what they are doing to this catagory .

[femmefan1946]

Yes it's a mess.

And while they have added a lot of Item Specifics, these seem to change from one listing to the next, and I am speaking from the point of view of a book seller setting up new listings.

Of the last four listings I made only one asked for the ISBN, for example. While reader/buyers don't use that, search engines do, and collectors will look for it to make sure they are getting the right edition.

One of the Item Specifics is Fiction, for what that's worth.

Sheesh.

[bookilu]

I guess I don't understand how item specifics work - they are somehow related to Google?  I thought they were to help filter results for ebay shoppers.  Was I being naive?

[femmefan1946]

Looks like the Item Specifics are back. Changed but back.

Listed a few books today and even the relists were different.

I've been watching the about to relists on my Active Listings and about 15% or so need new or different Item Specifics.

Mostly titles . SMH.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

Looks like the Item Specifics are back. Changed but back.

Listed a few books today and even the relists were different.

I've been watching the about to relists on my Active Listings and about 15% or so need new or different Item Specifics.

Mostly titles . SMH.

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Tried a test today using the top and bottom ISBN from 1987. It was able to pull up the book using the bottom number. Received Cannot find with top. Filled in fields for specifics for specifics. Updated that the book was Hard Cover and that it was Fiction. Was not able to update routine things like Title, Author, Year, Illustrator etc.

We've gone from something that mostly worked to something now that barely works.

-Lotz

After creating the listing the item showed up immediately in listings requiring updates. Had to fix with the tool.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

Yes it's a mess.

And while they have added a lot of Item Specifics, these seem to change from one listing to the next, and I am speaking from the point of view of a book seller setting up new listings.

Of the last four listings I made only one asked for the ISBN, for example. While reader/buyers don't use that, search engines do, and collectors will look for it to make sure they are getting the right edition.

One of the Item Specifics is Fiction, for what that's worth.

Sheesh.

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In my test the system filled in Publisher with first name of the Author. Author was blank. Some items that are being filled in by the system are definitely wrong but would be easy to miss if you were not paying attention or rushing.

-Lotz

[maaxguy]

Well I thought by now the book catagory would be fixed but no it is not. This is what I get when trying to search for books and I am a seller by the way I use it also to buy. So I go to the book catagory and it gives you very little choices so out of all of them I pick books ,crazy right ?searching for books in the book catagory well when I hit the search button it sends me directly to wholesale books even though I do not want to end up in this catagory it is what I get every time I hit the lovely little book catagory because why would I want to be able to search fiction ot nonfiction or any genre that used to be in the book catagory. I would actually try to contact ebay support (assuming they do have one) and waste my time in getting an answer so I will just check back in the next few days to see if it has been fixed though I am not very optimistic in doing this. I am sure I  must be in Dante's Divine Comedy. 

[pjcdn2005]

It is crazy the way it is set up or sort of set up.   When I clicked on books I got the bulk category as well and when I clicked one of the boxes with the  number of items, nothing  came up.  I did find out by accident though if I then clicked on books and magazines I did get a number of boxes with categories but the  fiction and literature box gives me zero results.

How the heck does one get to fiction?

[reallynicestamps]

How do people search for books?

Specifically fiction?

I would be looking either for an author or a title, but there must be other ways.

In non-fiction, definitely I would be searching on topic as well.

I should run some tests.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

How do people search for books?

Specifically fiction?

I would be looking either for an author or a title, but there must be other ways.

In non-fiction, definitely I would be searching on topic as well.

I should run some tests.

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I just did a search using by Category - Books and then used the search word: Parrots. A number of my listings did display. The first one I checked has a Category called Cookery Topic . Field is filled in with the term Parrots.

If you have/raise parrots, please don't eat!!!

Item ID:  153898048974

What happens when eBay uses auto-fill incorrectly.

Do I have time to proof almost 1000 listings? NO!!!

Clicking on the revision tab now only displays that a revision was made. Not what the revision was.

-Lotz

[reallynicestamps]

I used "Aphrodisiacs" because-- stop laughing. I actually have a book listed with that in the title.

But it did not turn up in Search although it is in my Active Listings. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

I used "Aphrodisiacs" because-- stop laughing. I actually have a book listed with that in the title.

But it did not turn up in Search although it is in my Active Listings. 

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Is it with exactly that spelling? Nothing shows up using that search word only under your store.

-Lotz

[reallynicestamps]

I don't sell books on this account.

It would be a pretty odd mix.