eBay

rose-dee · ‎04-10-2015

It seems eBay just can't stop monkeying around with the décor. Today, on logging in (the new login screen of course), I clicked on "Summary" in the place it's been for the last few years, under "My eBay", and -- no seller Summary page.

I thought they had removed it for some bizarre reason as they have done with so many other useful features. No, wait, it's now buried elsewhere. It took me nearly half an hour to locate it and reset it as my default page. Then they have the gall to display a link that says: "Tell us what you think"!! Well, you can imagine what an earful they got from me this morning.

For the information of those who have yet to run into this irritation, I found the seller "Summary" page now under the "Selling Manager" subsection in the panel along the left side of the new general "summary" page. The latter, now under "My eBay" took me to my Watch list, which was useless to me on a daily basis.

And what, pray tell, is the purpose of that? Is it to encourage sellers to buy more, rather than going to their seller summary page to look after their business? OMG, tell me I'm dreaming.

Why must eBay continually be shifting things around? They really need to have a page called "Daily Site Changes" so we can learn where to locate our familiar features that have apparently gone AWOL.

It strikes me that this is like some sort of group Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at eBay HQ. If they wanted to find a way to discombobulate, confuse, frustrate and scare away buyers, they couldn't have done a better job than they have over the past year or two. How would you like to come home each day and find all your familiar furniture re-arranged by some deviant poltergeist? Answer: you'd probably move house.

I'm disgusted.

rose-dee · ‎04-10-2015

On closer examination, I noticed the URL has that word "beta" in it. Since I'm no programmer, does this mean a test situation? Yikes, let's hope they drop this none-too-brilliant idea.

FYI, here's where to find your usual seller Summary page if yours is AWOL too! (I've blanked out the personal details):

maggiebvintage2010 · ‎04-10-2015

This same problem began yesterday for me, and I have reset and reset my landing page to no avail. It will work once, then lands me on the Watch List, etc. useless (to me) page again. Anyone have a more permanent fix for this? I also told eBay what I think, but we all know that doesn't matter to them.

pjcdn2005 · ‎04-10-2015

I never use the summary link, I've always clicked on the My eBay link on the top right and it takes me to my SM summary page. Maybe that will work for you.

I just checked and I also get the watch page when I click on summary even though the landing page is set properly.

rose-dee · ‎04-10-2015

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
I never use the summary link, I've always clicked on the My eBay link on the top right and it takes me to my SM summary page. Maybe that will work for you.

I just checked and I also get the watch page when I click on summary even though the landing page is set properly.

Yes, that's exactly the problem (at least from a seller's viewpoint). Like you, I have always just clicked on "My eBay" to go to my Selling Manager "Summary" page. After years of working, It doesn't work for me as of this morning. It still doesn't -- I have to go down through 3 layers of eBay screens to get to my SM Summary now.

Although it's frustrating and very irritating for us sellers, we have no choice but to cope and adapt. However, I'm really concerned about eBay driving buyers away with the interminable shape-shifting on this site.

I can only hope this is one experiment they will abandon.

rose-dee · ‎04-10-2015

@maggiebvintage2010 wrote:
This same problem began yesterday for me, and I have reset and reset my landing page to no avail. It will work once, then lands me on the Watch List, etc. useless (to me) page again. Anyone have a more permanent fix for this? I also told eBay what I think, but we all know that doesn't matter to them.

Same story here. I thought re-setting my default landing page would work. I did that 4 times, then gave up when I ended up back in the same stupid place every time (my Watch list). Now I just grit my teeth and go through the hoops - what else is new here?

pjcdn2005 · ‎04-10-2015

Your first post said that you normally click on Summary. But now you're saying that even when you click on my eBay (right side, above summary) you still go to the watch list? I see the watch list only when I click on summary.

maggiebvintage2010 · ‎04-10-2015

pj - That is the change. For years, ever since I subscribed to Selling Manager Basic, I hold my cursor over "My eBay" in the upper right, a drop-down menu appears, and I click on "Summary". It took me to the Selling Manager Summary page. Yesterday that changed, and it apparently cannot be reset.

Thanks for your tip to just click on "My eBay" without using the drop-down menu. That does take me to the Selling Manager Summary. However, it is annoying to constantly find these little changes. I guess we just have to accept that it will make the site more friendly for buyers using mobile devices, and thus increase their spending here.

rose-dee · ‎04-11-2015

@maggiebvintage2010 wrote:
pj - That is the change. For years, ever since I subscribed to Selling Manager Basic, I hold my cursor over "My eBay" in the upper right, a drop-down menu appears, and I click on "Summary". It took me to the Selling Manager Summary page. Yesterday that changed, and it apparently cannot be reset.

Yes, that's precisely it. Perhaps I wasn't being clear enough in the original post.

However, it is annoying to constantly find these little changes. I guess we just have to accept that it will make the site more friendly for buyers using mobile devices, and thus increase their spending here.

I agree, but sadly in my particular case, the sort of buyers who are interested in what I have to offer are generally not the kind who are walking around with mobile phones at the ready. It's the techie generation eBay is now chasing, the young and restless who are married to their mobile devices, constantly looking for the newest thing (and who haven't got the patience to read).

Attracting those kinds of buyers won't do anything to help sellers like me. I'm certain the ever-changing look of this site isn't appealing to the more mature buyers who probably prefer to come back to a familiar place. I've accepted that my days here may be numbered for these reasons, it's just a matter of how long I'll have.

maggiebvintage2010 · ‎04-11-2015

I prefer to keep a more positive view. If eBay can move to a mobile platform that provides a shopping experience more comparable to a desk top computer view, then more people will use it, including the people who don't generally shop like that now. Not all erudite and mature people wish to stay in the technological past. Lots of people in their "mature years" have smart phones and tablets with data plans, and are using them for all kinds of things. e-shopping will inevitably be part of their list of activities if it isn't already. Here are 2 interesting links:

http://searchenginewatch.com/sew/opinion/2353616/mobile-now-exceeds-pc-the-biggest-shift-since-the-i...

http://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics...

Assuming that things will stay the same would be like thinking that your uncle wouldn't like a large flat-screen tv because he grew up with a black and white console television. Even my 70+ year old sister, who is technologically deficient, has never had a mobile device, and who ditched her desktop computer years ago, is enamoured of her friend's smart phone and amazed with how much she can do with it. She asks me dozens of questions about the safety of internet shopping. When she gets tired of driving all over to find things she wants (and she will), she will begin to e-shop, and probably with a smart phone.

pjcdn2005 · ‎04-11-2015

Perhaps I wasn't being clear enough in the original post.

Your original post was clear but your later post saying that you still had to go through layers to get to the summary page confused me so I just wanted to make sure that you saw my earlier post saying that it wasn't necessary to click on my summary. You can just click above that on my ebay and you will go to the summary page. That's the way I have always done it and it still works. No hoops necessary.

I agree that the constant changes are very frustrating and they have got to be disconcerting to all users which in turn, may cause some buyers to go elsewhere. I've shopped regularly on other sites that will make a major site change once every couple of years. One day the site looks as always, the next day it is totally different and it stays like that for another year or two. It may be confusing for a day or two but then it becomes familiar. But with eBay constantly changing, it's difficult to ever be totally comfortable with how things works.

pjcdn2005 · ‎04-11-2015

I agree that things do evolve and that it doesn't have to be a negative thing. I doubt that my dad will ever shop online let alone shop on his phone but it wasn't that long ago that he was

'afraid' of getting a phone that did more than make phone calls. But now that he has a smart phone, he texts more than I do so people do evolve with technology to a certain extent.

But as I said in my other post, the changes shouldn't be never ending. Also, one thing that I don't understand.....ebay has a mobile app so why is there a push to change the classic site? There are always going to be people who use pc's and laptops so why cater mostly to mobile users? I've never used the app but I have heard that it doesn't work well with a cart and that it does some other wonky things so I don't understand why they seem to be concentrating on making this site more mobile friendly when the app they have isn't working well.

Even though I don't see a need to have this site cater to mobile users, I don't think that changes like that will alienate users who don't shop on their mobiles. I do think that some of us may need to change the way that we do things but that isn't necessarily a bad thing either.