Why am I paying for other sellers listing?

[triber]

A while ago a buyer complained because I didn't have the number of the book or patterns on my listings, so I have been adding them to all my listings.

I was surprised when i checked a listing and found that under the category at the top of the page, there is a message that says "see other listing of this book #******. I have found a lot of my listing with similar messages.

I pay a lot for my store fees, I don't see why I should pay for other sellers listings to come up. I realize that they can do a search, but this makes it really easy to see other sellers listings.

[triber]

No, I have an older Del.

[momcqueen]

Do you see a button on your keyboard anywhere that says Print Screen?

[momcqueen]

Does this assist?

https://www.google.ca/amp/m.wikihow.com/Take-a-Screenshot-on-a-Dell%3famp=1?client=safari

[momcqueen]

Sometimes I see only text at the bottom on my listings:

[ricarmic]

I believe on Dells it is "PrtScr" and it will be around the top row, upper right corner of the letters portion of the keyboard (I'm on a Dell too).

[pocomocomputing]

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@triber wrote:

No, I have an older Del.

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Print Screen has been on Windows computers since before Windows existed. It has been on the keyboard in DOS days and may go back to the first IBM computer in 1980. It is on most desktop computer keyboards as far as I remember back to those early computers.

Here is a Wikipedia entry on this. It also shows where it is on most keyboards.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Print_screen

Here is a link on how to use it.

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-the-%22Print-Screen%22-Function-on-a-Keyboard

[pjcdn2005]

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@triber wrote:

Thanks, yes, that is what I am seeing on many of my listings. I am not happy about it. I am going to remove the number of the book or pattern so it won't be so easy to offer others with the same number.

mjwl: I don't know how to do a screen shot.

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If you remove the number of the pattern from the title then anyone searching that way may not even see your listing.  Isn't it better that they see it and then pick who they want to buy from rather than not see it at all?  

[momcqueen]

I'd have to agree with pj here, sorry. This is the way eBay is moving. We're all stuck with their structured data and (what I think is STUPID) product reviews so it's better to get used to it sooner rather than later so that you have an advantage at least against your competitors.

[triber]

I just feel that a minority of buyers would search by the number of the book, most see the pictures and description and like the book or pattern. My sales have certainly dropped since I started adding the numbers, not sure if that is the reason or not. I have many craft books of my own, but I couldn't tell you the number of one of them without looking.

[momcqueen]

Interesting.

Maybe the buyer then who asked you to add your numbers to your listings was another seller instead? 

Would the competition gain anything that way? 

[triber]

I am not sure what. There may be a rare situation where a buyer is trying to replace a particular book, or had the number of the book written down that they wanted. I have sold several thousand books and patterns, and that is the first request for the number.

[i.am.vivian]

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@triber wrote:

I just feel that a minority of buyers would search by the number of the book, most see the pictures and description and like the book or pattern. My sales have certainly dropped since I started adding the numbers, not sure if that is the reason or not. I have many craft books of my own, but I couldn't tell you the number of one of them without looking.

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What about putting the pattern and book number in the BODY of the listing but not in the title if that is worrying you?  That way each specific listing would not bring up the  "Buy this one instead" feature of eBay but will show up in the "Related" items below main SEARCH for buyers who do look for a particular number.  Like others have said the "see similar" items shown to buyers has been around a long time but the "Wouldn't you rather buy this other one" is haphazard and probably going to become permanent everywhere.   😞 

[triber]

I thought the same thing, but sometimes even if it is just in the body of the description, eBay still gives the option for same item listed by other sellers.

I know that anyone can check and see other listings, I just find it unfair that we can pay high prices for our listings or store and to have other sellers items listed on our listings.

Is it just me that is having this problem?

[momcqueen]

My matches aren't showing up that way, no. Page bottom.

[momcqueen]

But it's all going this direction. eBay doesn't give a hoot about our individual listings, they're selling products now as part of the structured data. When a buyer comes looking for a special widget, eBay will show them all the widgets that pertain. They don't care if yours sells, or mine, or some other guy's. As long as one sells, they've got a final value fee to collect. The sellers don't matter, only the sales.

[momcqueen]

Our concerns might matter to us, and I agree with you about this, but eBay is moving in a new direction. Selling items, not listings.

[i.am.vivian]

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@triber wrote:

I thought the same thing, but sometimes even if it is just in the body of the description, eBay still gives the option for same item listed by other sellers.

I know that anyone can check and see other listings, I just find it unfair that we can pay high prices for our listings or store and to have other sellers items listed on our listings.

Is it just me that is having this problem?

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It seems to come & go for me right now but I think mjwl2006 is right about the future outlook.  EBay wants to make a sale, period.  If the buyer isn't going to pick your item they will make sure the buyer sees whatever else is available.  Its really insulting though because you would never walk into Safeways and be offered a flyer for Loblaws. 

I guess eBay sees everything as theirs whereas individual sellers see their listings (meaning item but also time, pics, words typed, effort to ship, customer service, fees paid etc) as belonging to themselves.  Advertising someone else's stuff like that is to each seller what boasting about good things over on the A-river is to eBay.  EBay doesn't like other Sellers' being advertised on its site.  Individual sellers feel the same.  EBay will never 'get' that. 

As mjwl said, we will be seeing this more and more, not less.  Its all eBay's site and they can do what they want.  Our choice is sell here or not.  All we can do is offer the best, most appealing listings possible and make sure our friendly customer service assurances are enough to make any buyer prefer our listings over the others. 

[rose-dee]

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@pocomocomputing wrote:

Print Screen has been on Windows computers since before Windows existed. It has been on the keyboard in DOS days and may go back to the first IBM computer in 1980. It is on most desktop computer keyboards as far as I remember back to those early computers. 

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Yes, those of us who have been around computers for decades always smile when people "discover" Print Screen.  If I remember -- way back to DOS -- didn't it used to actually immediately print the screen when you hit the button?  

It's been "ALT\Print Screen as long as I can recall, and I still use that combination on my W10 laptop keyboard.  Maybe they've become smart enough not to need the "ALT" anymore?  Old habits die hard, you know.   Of course, I'm one of those who can remember IBM computer sort card, $15,000-a-piece office Micoms running IBM Selectrics, and the first home PCs that ran on cassette tapes (now that took patience!).  We've certainly come a long, long way.  My most recent laptop cost me about $399 and does what a whole roomful of churning tape drives used to do in the 1980's. 

Sorry, sliding off topic...

[rose-dee]

@triber wrote:

I know that anyone can check and see other listings, I just find it unfair that we can pay high prices for our listings or store and to have other sellers items listed on our listings.

Is it just me that is having this problem?

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I agree that it does rankle, but we sellers always have to bear in mind that we're paying to use somebody else's selling platform, not for a stand-alone site of our own.  EBay can do whatever they like with their site, including aggressive cross-promotion, and we're just going to have to accept it.  

I think there are a couple of things driving this:

1) EBay used to have excellent, organic cross-promotion through its FB system -- if you recall, it used to be possible to see a whole lot more of what other buyers purchased, and at what price, simply by checking a seller's FB.  I used to do this myself as a buyer, and discovered more than one related (or better) deal that way.  So in a sense, we sellers already had this happening, but of course not with all the thumbnail photos, and not right up front in our listings. 

Once eBay restricted the amount of information displayed on FB (and made FB less current and relevant), I imagine they needed to find an alternate means of cross-promotion, and this is it.  

The difference is that the cross-promotion is now all over the place.  This includes, in addition to the ones 'mj' listed, the product reviews at the tops of listings and those annoying lines that say "Trending at $-------", to remind shoppers that the item they're looking at may be priced too high.  

2) I think eBay is in a cash crunch, what with their fiscal issues and the relentless pressure of competition from other online selling sites.  They need to ensure that every buyer's visit results in a sale, not just browsing.  If a buyer looks at one item but is directed to another, the individual seller may lose out, but eBay wins.

3) EBay has been doing some aggressive recruiting of new sellers, both on its site and through its "coupon" shipping supplies purchased by existing sellers -- those eBay branded boxes (as I've recently noticed) are printed with an enticement to "Make use of this box, start selling on eBay".  For eBay, every new seller means a more reliable cash flow, through FVFs on sales and/or store fees.  One new seller is worth far more to eBay than one new buyer.  So once a buyer is here, eBay wants to lead him/her around by the nose to ensure they actually purchase something -- from which seller makes little difference to eBay. 

As a result, all that is left for us as individual sellers is to keep tabs on the cross-promoted items on our listings and stay competitive with pricing and offerings so that if a buyer lands on our store, they stay.  

My real concern about such in-your-face cross-promotion is that it may lead to a race to the bottom by sellers afraid of losing their own buyers.  Still, I'm not sure how lower prices across the site will directly benefit eBay in terms of FVFs, unless they are betting that the volume of sales generated will compensate.  

I worry too that buyers may get sick of all the "LOOK HERE!" links on listings, and just give up on eBay out of sheer overload.  EBay already has far too many active content external ads running for my taste, which just make listings look cluttered and over-busy in an ugly way, and slow down the loading of pages.  Encouraging buyers to browse is one thing, screaming at them is another. 

[rose-dee]

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@i.am.vivian wrote:

I guess eBay sees everything as theirs whereas individual sellers see their listings (meaning item but also time, pics, words typed, effort to ship, customer service, fees paid etc) as belonging to themselves.  Advertising someone else's stuff like that is to each seller what boasting about good things over on the A-river is to eBay.  EBay doesn't like other Sellers' being advertised on its site.  Individual sellers feel the same.  EBay will never 'get' that. 

As mjwl said, we will be seeing this more and more, not less.  Its all eBay's site and they can do what they want.  Our choice is sell here or not.  All we can do is offer the best, most appealing listings possible and make sure our friendly customer service assurances are enough to make any buyer prefer our listings over the others. 

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Although I feel essentially the same way about this issue, I'm resigned to the fact that eBay owns the place and may do whatever they please.  

The unfortunate but realistic aspect of this is that eBay is answerable to its shareholders, not its subscribers (us).  Now, if eBay were structured in such a way that sellers were also shareholders, I'm convinced it would be an entirely different site. 

Things changed radically a few years ago when eBay went public, when the bottom line became maintaining cash flow and ensuring rising share value.  This became the focus and driving force behind eBay decision-making.  Attending to sellers' concerns and needs became secondary.  In my estimation eBay has been flailing around every since, trying one dubious concept after another to continue to satisfy its shareholders.  

Going public is a double-edged sword -- yeah, you get the cash injection, but then you're beholden, not to the users of your services, but to a bunch of high-stakes gamblers sitting at boardroom tables whose agendas may be at best, misaligned, and at worst diametrically opposed to the best interests of the site's users.  

This is also the reason eBay sells space on its site to outside advertisers, yes, even some (like Sears et al) that could be considered direct competitors.  Cash flow, cash flow, cash flow, from advertising sales. 

That's the reality of what we're stuck with as individual sellers here.