Time to update your listings: when you think you've done something wrong but you haven't

[momcqueen]

New warning on log-in. Whaaaat?

Hurry! You have ZERO listings that need immediate attention. Don't delay. The end is nigh

[silverpinups]

In other words, Time to lower your prices on your listings 

Take action before May 2018 or risk losing visibility in search. Start Now

[kawartha-ephemera]

Are warnings like that an exclusive benefit for those using Seller Hub ?

Still on Selling Manager here... no hint of Hub yet.

[esclyons]

that's no different then when you click on returns, and it says  "neat, you have no returns".,

[momcqueen]

@silverpinups wrote:

In other words, Time to lower your prices on your listings 

Take action before May 2018 or risk losing visibility in search. Start Now

---

Nope, that's a different message in another place.

This was all about Product Identifiers. The UPC codes etc.

Here's a closer look at the part where it specifies that. "You need to update 0 listings to move to eBay’s new product-based shopping experience. See the “Required Update” column to see what you need to change. Adding a catalogue product and product details help put your listing in front of the right buyer." And then there's a link to this: https://pages.ebay.ca/seller-centre/selling/ebay-catalogue.html

It makes me wonder the reason the Seller Hub makes a big deal about it on the front page when, in fact, I've no listings in any of the aforementioned categories that would be affected. And I've not ever sold anything on those categories here. 

It totally doesn't affect me.

Yet.

[momcqueen]

@esclyons wrote:

that's no different then when you click on returns, and it says  "neat, you have no returns".,

---

For context, see the whole screenshot. Initially, I found it alarming because it's literally the first thing you are shown on the page when you log in, making it seem as if it's very important. And it might be very important, if I actually had more than zero listings affected. 

[momcqueen]

[rose-dee]

---

@momcqueen wrote:

This was all about Product Identifiers. The UPC codes etc.

It makes me wonder the reason the Seller Hub makes a big deal about it on the front page when, in fact, I've no listings in any of the aforementioned categories that would be affected. And I've not ever sold anything on those categories here. 

It totally doesn't affect me.

Yet. 

---

I've been seeing this "warning" for a while now on the .com Seller Hub (I list mostly on .com), but of course it doesn't apply to 80% of my listings, since they are vintage/OOAK.  I wouldn't worry about it unless you're presented with a far bigger number than 0.  You're fortunate you're selling items that do have manufacturers' universal product numbers. 

Also, this of course is not about anyone reviewing our listings to ensure they comply (like the old days on eBay).  There are no people left behind the curtain.  This is about eBay pushing everybody to use their new product-based system and using automated robot-checks to scare us all into falling promptly in line.  The bots sweep, and then merely fill in the number in the boilerplate message depending on what they find.  

It's inevitable that items without product identifiers, UPC codes, etc. will ultimately be pushed to the bottom of the visible heap by eBay.  And that will pretty much be the end of sellers like me for whom product identifiers are "not applicable".  Actually, I note this is happening already, as the Chinese knock-off "vintage" sellers (most with rather dubious seller performance records) are swamping some of my categories with factory-made garbage.  However, they do have that UPC code, so they get on top! 

It's disheartening, but I've seen the writing on the wall for a few months now, and I'm fairly sure I won't outlast this battle.  Even 'tyler'  recently didn't have much comfort to offer with regard to OOAK/vintage sellers.  I figure I have a few more months, and that will be it. 

[pjcdn2005]

I honestly cannot see them ever grouping ooak / vintage items.  I don’t see how it’s possible.  Over the years there have been a number of things that were implemented on the site and meant to affect everyone but many of those were never implemented in full.  For example, it was years ago that they said we were going to need upc for most listings.  I updated all possible listings but the deadline day came and went and they never followed through.  A few years later they started talking about it again as a totally new idea. 

Another example- all sellers  would have to start using business policies.  They opted some sellers in automatically and it was a real mess at first.  That was years ago too yet I’ve never been opted in...thank goodness!

There are other examples but my point is that just because something is supposed to happen on this site...it doesn’t mean it will and if it does, it may take a long long time.  There have been posters that have been saying for at least a couple of years now that the newest change(whatever it happens to be) is going to be end of them selling here.  Yet...they are still here.

[ricarmic]

Fortunately for the most part stamps don't have UPCs!!!
(some Canadian souvenir sheets do though!)

Because I generally sell groups of stuff, I'd never be able to comply anyway.....If I was MomC the buyer would have to pick their stuff up with a pickup truck!!!

[ricarmic]

This is also why I've had to maintain my stance of "management by exception"....

When this new stuff gets announced, I determine if it affects me now (or at the release date). If it doesn't I don't worry about it until something happens that makes me think it will.

So far that plan has worked for everything except the HTTPS stuff, I misjudged the impact of it a little... but survived ok....

[cumos55]

For books this is an update in relation to the the ISBN....... International Standard Book Number 

On eBay.com  one can already group similar listings.....  done on the basis of ISBN.... It appears to be done on the basis of ISBN.

But even with this grouping the end result is not perfect.... observed with some searches

All listings of all books have already been checked, and an ISBN has been added .... if available,

There has been no indication of what will happen with books... before ISBN became a reality, or with a recently published book without an ISBN.   This is where the designation ... Does Not Apply ... is placed in a listing.

and then many recently  books have both an ISBN-10  and an ISBN-13

The next step  will be to end and relist all listings each day... starting June 1......  and verify whether any ISBN number.....  or reference as ... Does Not Apply..... is missing.

A new listing... or a relisting   of an ended listing .....of a book, without a reference to ISBN or Does Not Apply, triggers a situation where the seller is currently notified  by eBay that the ISBN is missing

-----------------------------------

Some sellers of books have not listed an ISBN with each listing.....    These are OLD listings, before the ISBN rule became a reality, as it will be enforced in the future.   Wonder what will happen with these listings in a search .... These listings will not be a part of the grouping principle,  and perhaps a loss in sales .... maybe.... One never knows......

[reallynicestamps]

@pjcdn2005

honestly cannot see them ever grouping ooak / vintage items.  I don’t see how it’s possible.

How about this?

If it has a UPC number, it can't be listed as 'vintage'.

The first UPC marked item ever scanned at a retail checkout was at the Marsh supermarket in Troy, Ohio at 8:01 a.m. on June 26, 1974, and was a 10-pack (50 sticks) of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum.[6]-- wikipedia

Even there the earliest codes were on groceries. I doubt there are many vintage items newer than 1974 around.

The ISBN which is the equivalent for books came in around the same time, although I have seen a few titles as early as 1970 with ISBNs.

So coding it should be a simple as 'If vintage =/= UPC".

(Obviously my knowledge of coding is only slightly better than my knowledge of Mandarin. )

神经睾丸星期二 -  Hoban Washburne.

[rose-dee]

---

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

I honestly cannot see them ever grouping ooak / vintage items.  I don’t see how it’s possible.  Over the years there have been a number of things that were implemented on the site and meant to affect everyone but many of those were never implemented in full.  

---

I think 'reallynicestamps'  has a point in this regard, let's hope eBay doesn't think of it anytime soon. 

From my perspective, grouping of products isn't really the biggest concern (at the moment anyway).  It's the effect that having a UPC seems to be having on placement in ordinary searches in categories that have been traditionally populated by true vintage/OOAK listings over the years.  I'm also worried about how that effect appears to be superseding seller performance through whatever means eBay uses to show buyers the results of their search. 

As I mentioned, I've noticed a couple of Chinese sellers in particular have figured out that if they list 2 dozen of essentially the same manufactured "looks-like vintage" item, in different colours or slightly different styles (i.e. just short of truly duplicate listings), and each has a UPC, then all those items are floated to the top of a keyword search, with the actual vintage items pushed much further down the list.  It was rather shocking actually when I first noticed it a few months ago.  Aside from two or three 5-star, US TRS Plus sellers who manage to stay at the top of page 1, most of the rest of us now reside on page 3 or deeper.  

This is not the position I was ever in when placement largely depended on the seller's performance record.  Traditionally, my high quality vintage or OOAK items would always show up on page 1.  So this is really my biggest concern (which I've expressed previously) -- that if product identifiers become one of the key determinants, if not the most important determinant, for placement in searches, then not only will the best sellers not get top billing, but buyers won't be well served by searches that are not based on seller integrity. 

I think you are right however about eBay's history of spotty implementation of policy.  That may be my only comfort, ironically the fact that eBay can't seem to manage its own policies well. 

[rose-dee]

---

@reallynicestamps wrote:

@pjcdn2005

honestly cannot see them ever grouping ooak / vintage items.  I don’t see how it’s possible.

How about this?

If it has a UPC number, it can't be listed as 'vintage'.

---

Or --- if it is truly vintage/OOAK, and has no UPC number, then you have to use our own (eBay's) UPC-like code system so we can group these items.  An idea worthy of eBay. 

However, I'm sure we've all realized by now that eBay has no real interest in serving its "traditional" sellers anymore.  Which, from eBay's point of view, would make the above concept far too much effort for no good reason.  It's easier to just let the last of the old guard drop off the back end.   

Is there anybody left anymore who doesn't recognize that Bay wants to look like a big online, one-source retailer with commercial, manufactured products just like any other major retailer?  EBay no longer wants buyers who come here (especially the new ones) to think of this site as a hodgepodge collection of individuals all over the globe selling unusual "stuff" that you could never find at your average HBC store.  That is precisely what made eBay an interesting (even fascinating) place to browse and shop years ago, but I believe that ship has sailed.  And from what I've been seeing, I think a whole lot of the "traditional" buyers were on board.