eBay System Refreshes

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Has anyone recently asked for a eBay store or general listings reset/refresh? Is it a real thing or just a canned answer? Were you able to observe anything to acknowledge it had taken place? Did you see any sort of uptick/ increase in traffic or business shortly thereafter? 

-Lotz

[recped]

You should see some action soon, I "refreshed" and "reset" your listings for you!

[pjcdn2005]

I've never asked to have it done as it isn'ta real thing or  something that cs can do.

However, recped is a whiz at it. 😲

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

It's been mentioned on both boards as a possible solution for sellers having issues. See example attached. It may not be necessary or helpful for sellers with 16 listings

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Share-eBay-Technical-Issues/Listings-not-showing-in-store-Glitch-eBay-...

-Lotz

[pjcdn2005]

Why ask the question if there is such a thing if you already have your mind made up that it exists? My opinion is that it doesn't. Just because it has been suggested doesn't mean that it is true..I've read about it for years and read that it wasn't true.  I'm fairly sure too that  couple of years ago one of the ebay reps was asked about it and they said that there was no such thing.  It's also been said over the years that you could reset your listings by putting your listings on vacation for a few minutes or even by doing a pretend 'bulk edit'.  Even if those things did work years ago, I would be very surprised if they do anything now.

btw, I am as familiar with ebay just as much now as I was when I was selling a few thousand dollars of product a month.  No need to be sarcastic.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Found by confirming with search on dot com. The question was asked because i was curious to know if anyone had any luck with the option.

[recped]

You can "reset" your listings by ending them all and then listing (not relisting) them all again.

You can really "reset" your listings by ending them all and then uploading them on a different id.

Along with getting rid of all your "bad" history you will also get rid of your "good" history. This may not produce the results you seek.

Although it might be possible for the coding nerds that are locked up in a windowless cubicle to "reset" your account I highly doubt that any regular CSR has the ability (or inclination) to do so. Of course that won't stop them from feeding you a line of drivel just to get you off the phone.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

tyler@ebay 

Can you confirm if eBay listing refreshes/resets are an actual thing or closer to Sasquatch? Random reports but no bodies ever discovered?

-Lotz

[tyler@ebay]

Ooooh this is one of my favorite eBay-cryptid myths, up there with Server 13 and Rotating Blackouts.

There is no 'store refresh' button or service that CS can activate for you. We send memos and coach to this a few times throughout the year. Despite that, the rumor persists and there are teammates who will say they'll do a 'refresh'. I find in many cases a member has called in and insisted on one and won't disconnect until they're satisfied that it has been done. Other times a teammate will proactively offer one, even though there's nothing to really offer (other than the placebo effect). 

In any case, if you are told by CS that they'll do a refresh will you let me know the date and time of your call so I can ensure that coaching is given appropriately?

[brettjet38 · Accepted solution]

[dinomitesales]

tyler@ebay 

Okay well now I want to know what "Server 13" is... my quick Google search didn't bring anything up...

[tyler@ebay]

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@dinomitesales wrote:

tyler@ebay 

Okay well now I want to know what "Server 13" is... my quick Google search didn't bring anything up...

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Hahhaa @dinomitesales - it was a rumor from the old days that Server 13 was the 'magic' server that would result in higher sales. I don't know where the actual 'Server 13' came from, but that's part of the mystique to me. 

[brettjet38]

Hi Tyler

The story of Server 13 may originate from around or a few years before this article 

https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/09/26/ebay-goes-live-with-its-bloom-powered-data-c....

"eBay has debuted a new data center power design that abandons diesel generators and UPS units in favor of Bloom Energy fuel cells powered by natural gas. Executives from eBay and Bloom say the facility in South Jordan, Utah sets a radical new course for the data center industry" eBay had 13 data centers around the globe at that time, Server 13 may have been talked about as the latest upgrade that was being worked on, conspiracy theories start from somewhere and always from a "grain" of truth... 

I mean think about it, if this Data Centre Upgrade was in the works for a few years before it was built a rumor about a "'magic sever" could easily have originated there, and to add to the conspiracy, just like AREA 51, the eBay Data Center was also out in the desert sands at that time...

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5643784,-112.0483147,584m/data=!3m1!1e3

[clemowbooks]

The Vacation suggestion might work, maybe, but the effect would be to have all those listings re-open on one day.

Which would play hob with the usual advice to have something opening and/or closing every day.

tyler@ebay 

Server 13?  I'm always up for a good conspiracy.

[recped]

Re: Server 13

If I remember correctly Server 13 was part of the theory that the fiorst two digits of your listing number indicated which server you were on. Server 13 was the server that was offline most of the time.

This was a popular theory in the early 2000's but didn't exactly mesh with the fact that even at that time eBay operated a few thousand servers it was suggested that EVERYBODY was on Server 13 at one time or another.

Rolling blackouts seemed more credible although no one could ever answer the question of WHY and WHAT PURPOSE other than perhaps the hamsters running out of energy.

[ricarmic]

@clemowbooks  Just a note that when you put your items on hidden vacation, it does NOT change the closing date, it just hides them from people's view. They close and renew according to their usual schedule, and of course you pay all the related fees as if they were not hidden from view.

From personal experience closing and reopening a store does cause a burst of views, but I have not tested closing and reopening within a couple hours. That used to work, but I haven't tried it in a few years.

[clemowbooks]

Thank you.

I was thinking of Closing items (not vacation items).

When we actually END  listings that are spread over a month, the renewals would all be on the same day, right?

[brettjet38]

I usually end an entire category in my store, then I tweak those listings and just relist them all, they get a boost in the search, and it's a good way to maintain your listings/inventory also...

...out with the old, in with the new & it makes the "watchers" (virtual collectors, competitors, stalkers, and actual potential Buyers) look for your item again, it can actually entice Buyers to make the purchase as they think they missed it when it "ended"...

[ricarmic]

Hi @clemowbooks 

Yes if you close/end them they are ended and won't renew of course.

When you relist them all the ones you relist start the day and time you relist them so assuming you relist them on the same day, yes all of those would renew on the same day 30 days later. To preserve listings renewing gradually over a month, you would have to gradually relist them so that they are gradually renewed 30 days later...

For example 120 items renew gradually over a month (for ease of math assume 4 a day for 30 days).

When you end them the're "done"

If you relist all 120 at once they'll all renew again 30 days later.

If you relist in 4 batches of 30 say on Mondays, each batch of 30 renews 30 days later.

If you want to have 4 a day renewing, you'd have to relist only 4 each day for 30 days so that they would renew 30 days later.

It all comes down to how much you value/want to preserve the renewals being spread out.

Some would say a few a day is better because something is closing each day, keeping continual interest some would say a large group ending together is better because it draws people to see a bunch of stuff closing at the same time and causes more group sales. 5 different people are going to give you 5 different answers to what is best.

[tyler@ebay]

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@brettjet38 wrote:

Hi Tyler

The story of Server 13 may originate from around or a few years before this article 

https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/09/26/ebay-goes-live-with-its-bloom-powered-data-c....

"eBay has debuted a new data center power design that abandons diesel generators and UPS units in favor of Bloom Energy fuel cells powered by natural gas. Executives from eBay and Bloom say the facility in South Jordan, Utah sets a radical new course for the data center industry" eBay had 13 data centers around the globe at that time, Server 13 may have been talked about as the latest upgrade that was being worked on, conspiracy theories start from somewhere and always from a "grain" of truth... 

I mean think about it, if this Data Centre Upgrade was in the works for a few years before it was built a rumor about a "'magic sever" could easily have originated there, and to add to the conspiracy, just like AREA 51, the eBay Data Center was also out in the desert sands at that time...

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5643784,-112.0483147,584m/data=!3m1!1e3

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That's really fascinating @brettjet38 - I had forgotten about that article. I think between this and @recped 's recollection we have the shadowy genesis of this eBay-cryptid!