Best Match Glitch

[momoftwingles2]

Finally had some time yesterday morning and listed two, yes...count them two, auctions. I even STATED shipping! (These are my first two auctions for the year.)

The Dashboard says that I have a RAISED search standing.

Well, I went in and did a search using Best Match for Handmade Mulberry Paper (on .com). I was surprised to find me on the bottom of the list. I took the time and researched every seller who was listed above me since at the time there were only 29 listings.

What I found was EVERY seller listed above me had lower DSR's, did not have 100% positive feedback, had negatives, neutrals and/or both. One seller did not have shipping stated.

So, there I sat at the bottom of the pile again. I have higher DSR's, 100% positive feedback and STATED shipping.

I called Power Seller support to discuss Best Match with them. The rep looked at this example and then several others where I only have store listings.....and most times I am near the bottom with nearly all sellers having lower DSR's, feedback, neutrals, negatives or both. And did I mention one seller who has 70 negatives in always in front of me?

I said that I was concerned that eBay's idea of Best Match based on THEIR CRITERIA was quite different than the perception given to eBay sellers. I also mentioned that it looked like chronological order was being used in Best Match vs. Best Match.

The rep looked at the other sellers in the Handmade Mulberry Paper category and some of the other searches that I mentioned and then put me on hold so that she could talk to the tech team. When she returned to the phone, she said that either the tech team or she would contact me today via e-mail. She did.

The e-mail stated: It has been confirmed that the Best Match search is a technical issue, this is currently being worked on, and your example has been added.

I guess for now I'll be at the bottom of lists in Best Match. Credit must be given to buyers who search and find the sellers they want to purchase from and obviously are not depending on Best Match for their searches.

Hopefully they'll have the glitch worked out soon. It's not hurting my sales as somehow buyers find my store, but I know that it affects other sellers who have mostly auctions running.

Have a good day!
Susan
momoftwingles2

[tea_past_times]

Well, you know we should not be too hard on Ebay. They have lots of work to do, very busy schedules and what not to attend to.I thank God that Ebay is still here to help me live my life and provide for myself. Things are tight here in mid to north southwestern Ontario. Things just have a way of working out on their own sometimes you know? Cheer up, be optimistic, maybe tomorrow you will wake up and Best Match will work perfectly. All of us rural Ebay sellers should just let Ebay do what they do, put on a smile and keep paying our fees, or maybe even send in a lttle extra to help out.

:-):-x;-)

[pierrelebel]

I just did a search on .com for Handmade Mulberry Paper (all categories)and came up with 34 results.

Your listing is there in what seems to be the correct order with 5 days and 11 hours to go.

Keep in mind that on .com DSRs only count as a small factor in determining placement in best Match. Time remaining is always the most important factor.

on .ca, DSRs are not considered when calculating placement in best Match. .

[momoftwingles2]

Hi Pierre,

Yes, now there are 34 results. However, the tech team said that Best Match is not supposed to be chronological order as in this search...it's supposed to be based on the Feedback/DSR's/shipping even for the States.

If a buyer wanted chronological order, they would switch to ending first or newly listed which is what I usually do.

Thankfully, I honestly don't depend on Best Match for buyers to find me. Referrals, repeat buyers and smart buyers who search are the key!

Hopefully eBay will have Best Match figured out and applied fairly to all. I'm sure it will take time, but will be done.

Have a good night, Pierre!
Susan
momoftwingles2

[tea_past_times]

There you go now. The good ship Ebay is looking after us. God bless us every one!!

[recped]

Susan, were you logged in when you ran the search? This can affect a best match search result as the results are tweaked based on the user running the search.

[momoftwingles2]

Hi recped,

I was logged in as momoftwingles2 when checking my standing and then logged in using my husband's ID. I did the search with each on .com and .ca. Both showed BEST MATCH in chronological order. That is what the PS rep and tech guy saw as well and they said it shouldn't be.

The items that are showing after mine now are only because of the timeline...ending soonest...but not best match.

This example is just one of many that I have found that are in chronological order and not Best Match.

Thankfully, to date...my sales are fine...much higher and stronger than last year. My thoughts are that buyers are searching the way they want to search and perhaps not using Best Match.

Your thoughts?
Susan
momoftwingles2

[ameroindustries]

Best match cant be Right . I was searching silver yesterday (looking for scrap silver wear) and what came up right away my listing for silver bars . shouldnt have happpened im lowered no chance of me getting there cant be working right .

[momoftwingles2]

Hi centralmetalcorp,

I'm raised and at the bottom and your lowered and at the top! It's topsy turvy right now. What's important is that our buyers are finding us!

Have a good night with great sales!
Susan
momoftwingles2

[faerywishes]

I have to be honest. I joined Ebay in Jul 04 and until this last week I have never used Best Match in any search. I've always used ending soonest and lowest. So I decided to see where I was in all of this in here. I did a search for k & company and out of 14 pages I was on 13 & 14. I checked page 12 the sellers on there had worse DSR's than I did and their items ended later than mine. I was extremely upset to say the least. When the auctions ended 2 days later my sales were pretty much what they had always been, which I was happy with. I checked traffic reports for the 7 days and they were pretty much the same as they have been for the last month. When I checked Best Match on Monday I was in the middle of 13 pages. So I was fairly stoked, until I checked yesterday and I was on page 12 & 13 of 14 pages. I checked the earlier pages and again people with much worse scores were ahead. I decided I'm not looking anymore. This set of auctions is pretty much doing what it normally does and traffic is good. I asked Ebay if I could include a postcard with other search types as suggestions and was told to go ahead. So I have them ready for my next set that ends tomorrow. I feel our best option is to educate the buyers to our best advantage. And like you have noticed as well momoftwingles2 they are finding their way to us despite this BIG Ebay push of "Best Match". I have been for the last 2 weeks sending in my package info on mailing times and shipping fees with explanations of how to give us 5 *'s for DSR's. I feel no sense whining and complaining about these changes, instead figure out how to educate the buyers. I know chances of someone taking the time to read the info I send is slim but I'm trying.

[pierrelebel]

One again, DSRs are only one of many factors used by Best Match. Ending time is one of the MOST heavily weighted factor in the formula on .com.

A different formula is used in Canada, excluding DSRs. .

[gifts_of_elegance]

It seems to me that Best Match is set to saleability of an item. The more expensive items seem to end up on the bottom of the list. That would explain why sellers of small ticket items are doing well while sellers of more expensive items are suffering.

I also notice that lot of times my listings are not showing up at all. I have a large inventory and I am always adding more items. I check to see if a similar item is already listed before I list it. Couple of days later I find two listings of the item which tells me that sometimes listing are in a "Twilight Zone". I noticed this when I also print a list of my active listings. The list always includes LESS items than the number shown on "Active" listing in my Selling Manager.

[faerywishes]

Could you tell me where you find that Best Match is derived from DSR's and time ending? I couldn't find anything. But that still doesn't make sense to me why a seller with lower dsr and ending later than my auctions gets a better standing me for best match.

Thanks

[hockey-gods]

You'll go crazy trying to figure out Best Match - more so if you contact the clowns at ebay for an explanation.

I've had a STANDARD search rating for 3 weeks and here's my DSR numbers

5.0
5.0
4.88
4.99

Not sure what the *&^% I'm suppose to do to get a Raised rating....

[faerywishes]

WOW sorry to see that custom-hockey. I know what you mean about talking or emailing Ebay for an explanation. I have contacted them 3 x's by email and 2x's by phone. They are very good at keeping me running in circles...lol.

I just did the best match again. I know I shouldn't but I just want to understand.
Seller A's DSR scores are:
4.9
4.7
4.6
4.6 with feedback at 98.7%
Item ending 6 days 21 hours on page 5
Mine are
4.9
4.9
4.5
4.8 with feedback at 99.1% which i believe is also incorrect but can't get a straight answer from Ebay

Now I know my 4.5 is lower than seller A but I still meet the guidelines. My items end 1 day 5 hours and are on page 6. Pierre has said that time ending counts but it doesn't look like it to me.

[recped]

Seller A's DSR scores are:

But you can't see the sellers 30 day numbers and those are the only ones that really influence Best Match.

Could you tell me where you find that Best Match is derived from DSR's and time ending?

From a multitude of posts by eBay staff, from various announcements, from various off site interviews with eBay execs etc.

It's impossible to know the exact parameters used for Best Match, even more difficult as they are in a constant state of flux but here are the basics.

Keywords
Total Price including shipping (for fixed price)
shipping amount (for auction items)
Seller 30 day DSR ratings
Seller non-performing seller rating
Location of item
Location of Buyer
Time ending
Sell thru rate of similar listings
Click thru rate of similar listings
Buyers previous history

Plus others I don't know or can't remember. Each of these factors is weighted as to their impact, I've heard that Keywords and time ending still constitute the most influential factors but I don't know if this is true.

It's quite clear that dsr's and basic feedback percentage are only minor factors if a seller is getting "standard" exposure, they seem to be used more to tweak the basic Best Match results.

eBay will never fully divulge the parameters used, if they did there would be wholesale attempts by sellers to "work" the results. As it is sellers have discovered a few things that have been effective (repeating the word NEW in the title worked very well) as soon as eBay caught wind they made adjustments.

Regardless of whatever problems you may have with Best Match it is certain that the only goal is to increase sell thru rates and average selling price. For sellers as a whole this can only be good while for a few there may be some suffering. It's far too early to say if Best Match is going to achieve it's goal but we will find out when eBay get around to crunching the numbers and Best Match either stays or goes.

[faerywishes]

Thank you so much recped for taking the time to explain this to me...us. I didn't realize there were so many factors to Best Match. The help page I was reading was "About Your Seller Dashboard" and I guess I got hung up on the DSR's improving "Best Match". Probably because of all the new changes recently. I need to get back to focusing on selling and not fret so much about these changes. I didn't even use Best Match until a week ago so I think I have to forget it again...lol. Thanks again and have a wonderful weekend.