eBay font size really small now?

[shooger]

Has the font size gone way down? My auctions appear to be in extremely tiny font, as do the threads and posts in this forum. But all the other websites I use are still in the normal font size. I noticed this about a month ago, and then it seemed to go back to normal for a while, but this past week everything has been tiny again. What gives?

[ricarmic]

I've noticed the same thing on and off again over the last few weeks.

[zarzuella]

There have been lots of posts on other boards about this - ebay is screwing around again.
Every time you use the html characters for paragraph break(< p >) you lose any font size characteristics you have set up.
Quick fix: replace para. breaks with double line breaks ie (< br >< br> )

[ospreylinks]

I don't think you loose font characteristics with (

).

Certainly has not affected my listings.

Jeff

[zarzuella]

Thanks, Jeff. Don't take my word for it (you obviously don't anyway) - read this:

http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jsp?forum=76&thread=410237354

By the way, the words 'lose' and 'loose' have different meanings.

Ann

[ospreylinks]

Thanks Ann,

I guess there is an issue, but we have been authoring our own listings with html, loaded with (<"P">) paragraph breaks and have not experienced the font issue.... Guess I am just luck for now....

Jeff

PS thanks for the grammar lesson as well, now if you could assist my typing skills it would be great... honestly I was hoping to loose some lose paragraphs.

[shooger]

http://www2.ebay.com:80/aw/marketing.shtml#2004-08-03111954

***Coming Soon: Minor Changes to Font Display***
Date: 08/03/04 Time: 11:23:42 AM PDT

To help reduce the time it takes to download pages across the eBay site, in the next week we will be making a few technology changes which will slightly change how some of the text on various eBay pages appears. This will help members, especially those on slower dial-up connections, be able to download various pages more quickly.
In addition, many of the smaller font sizes will be increased by one level to help those with vision problems more easily read the pages.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seems like it didn't work. Everybody on the .com board is uspet about this. I list on .com so perhaps that's why I'm having trouble. My auctions have tiny, horrible fonts and eBay doesn't seem to care! Meanwhile my auctions aren't selling as well since this happened. I wonder why! Thanks a lot eBay - idiots.

If there wasn't already enough going wrong and stopping me from being able to run my business smoothly, they go and MAKE problems. X-(

[ospreylinks]

After posting that I had not experienced any problems.... today I post a few listings and boom.... fonts are all f%$@k#d up......

This is not acceptable, I pay a fee to list and I am the only person who should be able to edit its appearance!

Come on Ebay (or is that big brother).... give us a break and stop meddling.....

Jeff

Any spineless pinks out there want to respond.... I am furious!

[ospreylinks]

Re Post #6

How should the size of a font change the loading speed of a page. I agree a graphic as it is an independent file, but a font.... that is code and whether I stipulate font size =1 or font size=5, the code is the same size....

Jeff

[ospreylinks]

I just sent the following inquiry to Powerseller support.


Recently when I post items in html that I have authored myself, I am finding that the font is changing after a paragraph break.

There are some posts on the Canadian Powersellers Board about this issue (if any of you care to take the time to review what is going on in this community and read these boards it would be nice instead of just worrying about cashing our payments......)

In any event..... explain what is going on please....

If there is something techincal going on, I contend that Ebay has no right to edit the appearance of my listings providing they are in compliance with their guidelines, which they are and I continue to keep my account current.....

I look forward to your immediate reply.

Jeff


I will post the reply once received.

[ospreylinks]

Still waiting for a reply to my email sent to Powerseller support......

Jeff

[shooger]

It doesn't have anything to do with paragraph breaks from my end. The entire eBay website is SMALLER than it used to be. Text is about 1mm tall now, on my auctions and here in this discussion forum.

[ospreylinks]

All of my earlier listings are intact and not changed, and if I relist, they appear as before, it is just new listings that we post as of yesterday.

Same with this forum. No change to font-size on my computer....

Jeff

[ospreylinks]

I received a reply to my query from Powerseller support about the font issue and ask you to find the reply below...

Hello Jeff,

Thanks for writing about the recent changes to the fonts on eBay.com. We
have made these changes in order to increase the readability and speed
of loading our site.

While we are making these changes, you may see some pages loading
incorrectly. Graphics could have very small line breaks in them, tables
could wrap improperly, and fonts could be too large or very small. These
problems will quickly disappear as we complete our font changes. In the
meantime, thanks for your patience.

We hope these changes will make using eBay an even better experience.
Thanks again for writing.

Regards,

Gary C. L.
eBay PowerSeller Support


I don't believe this is acceptable and find my reply back...

I do not believe it is within the right of Ebay to act as editor of my listings in terms of appearance. I pay fees to Ebay to list my items in the manner, description and layout of my choice and as long as I have not contravened any listing regulations for product, content and am able to sustantiate claims made in my listings, Ebay has no right to interefere with their appearance by monitoring or altering fonts, layouts or any other aspect without my expressed consent. Something that I have not agreed to.

Please send me a reference to any terms in the Ebay agreement that state Ebay has the right to alter the layout of any listing to its discretion.

Thank you.

Jeff Rogerson

[ospreylinks]

Further to my second query to Ebay about their right to edit font size in listings, here is the reply....


Hello,

Thank you for writing eBay in regard to our site. I will be happy to
provide further assistance.

There is no specific clause in our user agreement stating our right to
edit the code of our pages as we see fit. You will note that there is
also no clause stating that you have full control over the listing page.


When you choose to use HTML, then you must take into consideration the
effect that the code in our part of the listing page will have. Please
keep this in mind as you create items in the future.

It is my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for choosing eBay.

Regards,

Joseph K. F.
eBay PowerSeller Support


Okay, I don't think this is an acceptable reply and here is my reply to them....

However, by allowing users to input their own html code into their listing (and advertising this fact), you are in fact giving the user license to layout the description of their listing to their satisfaction. In my opinion, by allowing users to enter their own code and by Ebay accepting payment, there is an implied agreement.

I am not a lawyer, but I believe that you cannot for your own convenience indicate that since it is not written it gives us permission to do as we wish.

However, as I pay a reasonable amount of money in fees to Ebay and now really question my rights (today it is font size, what could be next?) I may seek a legal response.

Jeff Rogerson

[shooger]

Sounds like you're running in circles. 😞

My listings are still really tiny. I've had a big drop in sales since this happened.

[ospreylinks]

Absolutely no response from Ebay since their last reply (basically telling me they would do what-ever they want).

A pink should read your post in this thread and then send a note off to Meg letting her know that this tinkering will not help, but will hinder Ebay as vendor sales drop and with it closing fees normally paid to Ebay.

Jeff