# Ebay shoots themselves in the foot again



## macfixer01 (Nov 5, 2012)

Apparently Ebay believes when something works and people are used to it, that it's time to muck it up! So as of this week we can't use wildcards in searches anymore. According to their email Ebay has decided that since their search engine is just so frickin wonderful, and can accommodate misspellings, and knows somehow (through ESP?) what you really wanted, that wildcards aren't necessary anymore. Ok so they give a little and let you search for multiple specific spellings if you put them in parentheses with commas between them. The problem is though that because every search returns so much crap unrelated to what I'm looking for, that I'm used to using wildcard terms with a minus sign to filter out what I DON'T want. And yes I have to use wildcards because the search string has a maximum length too short to filter out all the junk terms individually. I haven't bought 1/4 as much stuff as I used to on Ebay since they took away Ebay Bucks rebates for all the most popular categories. This may be the other change that makes it just too much trouble to bother using Ebay entirely.


----------



## Anonymous (Nov 5, 2012)

I, too, have noticed that their search function is waaayyyy off. It's doing the same thing my cell phone is now doing now that I think about it. I can type the word 

*Your*

with a _capital_ *Y* as the beginning of a sentence, and if I don't pay attention after I spell the word, it's already highlighted to a word they THINK I want to type and they are making me now having to redo the whole dictionary of even typing in a text message. 

There is an algorithm of information being conformed and (or) merged somehow. Since I went to doing paperless billing on my electric bill, since I didn't pay my bill, but wanted to pay it over the phone, they tried to refuse it because it was on an automated system that wouldn't let them override it.... Yeah right! They eventually fixed it, and now I'm going back to paper bills, even if it's to keep the Postal Carriers with their jobs.

Technology is getting wwwaaayyyy out of hand. That's why you have to keep your original adaptiveness within you. I'd bet many people on the computers now have forgotten how to write words using a pencil or pen. Literally, I'd bet on that. 

eBay have changed and I see the differences too, yet, I haven't experienced all the drama they bring because I know what to look for and how to avoid the problems they bring on.

Kevin


----------



## darshevo (Nov 5, 2012)

I too was very unhappy to find the end of the wildcard search. I sent them a less than friendly email to let them know just how I felt. I'm no one will ever read it, and they couldn't care less. They make no secret of the fact that they only want people from china and hong kong selling new garbage that fits into their "category specifics" oriented search. Ebay gave up on the hobbyist seller years ago.


----------



## Smack (Nov 5, 2012)

We are regressing right before our own eyes. Nothing good lasts long.


----------



## rusty (Nov 5, 2012)

Some auctions being sold to Canada now have in addition to the shipping costs another box below stating your Duty Fees which has to be prepaid on check out. Yahoo aren't we havin fun.

I usually just use google, here's a recent search https://www.google.ca/search?q=ebay...69fc0c7cf873bd&bpcl=37189454&biw=1280&bih=797


----------



## element47.5 (Nov 6, 2012)

I've (almost) never seen a company that just relentlessly works to screw their customers more, and more, and more and more as time goes on. They know they are almost the only game in town and they just try to extract more and more from the transactions that occur within the platform. It's always under the guise of providing a better ebay experience but it's really an abusive experience compared to what it used to be. They are really fee crazy and immensely restrictive now.


----------



## oldgeek (Nov 6, 2012)

Shameless greed on their part, especially considering they also own paypal. Yet another disappointing "enhancement" from them.


----------



## Golddigger Greg (Nov 6, 2012)

I think having the duty calculated and added would be handy. Saves me from guessing or wondering IF duty applies and how much it MAY be.


----------



## rusty (Nov 6, 2012)

Golddigger Greg said:


> I think having the duty calculated and added would be handy. Saves me from guessing or wondering IF duty applies and how much it MAY be.



Always ask for USPS shipping, on average 1 in 10 packages are accessed duty.

Goods shipped from the US take upwards of 6 weeks to arrive, I find that my purchases from the UK and Chinese sellers arrive much sooner needless to say I'm avoiding sellers from the US who over charge for shipping.

As an example I was looking to purchase an Epson V-750 Pro scanner the ebay vendors wanted over $100.00 to ship with a possible 6 week delay in customs, after speaking with a representative from CDW in Toronto who due to economic climate was willing to sharpen his pencil to match the US price of that scanner.

The cost to ship was a measly $34.00. plus my warranty is good in Canada.

One HP 70 ink cartridge from ebay $116.00 with $100.00 shipping is ridiculous, my printer uses 12 cartridges. After checking out Alibaba found a Chinese supplier of OEM inks, purchased 12 twin packs, paid via escrow and had the ink within a week with out any Duty.

You do the math, a single HP 70 ink cartridge selling from Ebay most with expired dates, yea theres a chip in the cartridge that the printer reeads to inform you of the health of the cartridge. 

Out dated cartridges selling for $116.00 with outrageous shipping.

The twin packs came direct from China shipped TNT arrived in a week, cost a grand total $1100.00. Expiry dates into 2014 these are fresh inks, not something that has been sitting in some storeroom collecting dust.

Yes ebay's days are short numbered.


----------



## resabed01 (Nov 6, 2012)

element47.5 said:


> I've (almost) never seen a company that just relentlessly works to screw their customers more, and more, and more and more as time goes on. They know they are almost the only game in town and they just try to extract more and more from the transactions that occur within the platform. It's always under the guise of providing a better ebay experience but it's really an abusive experience compared to what it used to be. They are really fee crazy and immensely restrictive now.




Well said and all very true. It's not the place it was 3 or 4 years ago when it was easy to sell and make a profit doing so. I've noticed the small sellers dried up. Ebay set things up so the high volume sellers (read Hong Kong and China) are treated well.
To charge fees on shipping is unacceptable.....period. Then they screwed up the feedback system royally....I could go on all night ranting about ebay...lol

I love it when they ask me to fill out one of thier surveys....I don't hold back! :lol: I notice it's been a while since they've done that.


----------



## jimdoc (Nov 6, 2012)

Charging fees on shipping should be illegal. I am sure it lost them many sellers.

Jim


----------



## darshevo (Nov 6, 2012)

jimdoc said:


> Charging fees on shipping should be illegal. I am sure it lost them many sellers.
> 
> Jim



I know they use the ideology that "its my sandbox, play by rules or go home" but I have a feeling that if a class action lawsuit were to be enacted over that particular practice there is a good possibility they would lose. Everything about it feel hinky.


----------



## goldenchild (Nov 6, 2012)

As annoying as all of ebays constant "enhancements" are I doubt it will be enough to bring them down. Like element47.5 said they are basically the only game in town. Most people don't even know what wildcard characters are let alone know how to use them. Most users type in something like "iphone 5" or "laptop" and go from there. The search results are more than enough for the simple user. Whether you love or hate ebay it will be around for a long time to come. :|


----------



## macfixer01 (Nov 7, 2012)

goldenchild said:


> As annoying as all of ebays constant "enhancements" are I doubt it will be enough to bring them down. Like element47.5 said they are basically the only game in town. Most people don't even know what wildcard characters are let alone know how to use them. Most users type in something like "iphone 5" or "laptop" and go from there. The search results are more than enough for the simple user. Whether you love or hate ebay it will be around for a long time to come. :|




Well that's true, the results are more than enough, and that's the problem. You also need a way to eliminate all the extraneous junk. What I was referring to for one example was the old search I used to use (below). I'm interested in books about Fireworks, meaning pyrotechnics. Well everybody and his brother uses the word fireworks to describe whatever piece of junk they're trying to sell, such as earrings, necklaces, items related to the web software called Fireworks, in movie descriptions, game cards and sports collector cards, and so on. So then I have to include a bunch of minus terms to filter out what I don't want. I can't do an equivalent search anymore without wildcards because the string can't be long enough to remove every combination of movie, movies, ticket, tickets, dog, dogs, stamp, stamps, shirt, shirts, and so on... The thousands of unwanted items it returns are too much trouble to wade through.

fireworks -dvd -cd -music -movie* -vhs -ticket* -cargo -dog* -stamp* -tour -magic -shirt* -glass -dress* -sap* -camera -lantern* -fdc -neck* -ear* -pony -ring -disney* -comic* -web -bear -sticker* -pokemon -adobe -game

I have another search for Western Digital 416* (416B and 416C) vacuum tubes. I get hundreds more hits for artwork, HVAC equipment, hydraulic parts, and other junk than I ever do for vacuum tubes.

macfixer01


----------



## butcher (Nov 8, 2012)

I had heard of wild cards, but did not know how to use the joker in a deck of cards, to search with.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms173746.aspx


----------



## element47.5 (Nov 8, 2012)

The frenzy over certain Western Electric tubes is completely insane. I have seen WE rectifier tubes identical to a 5U4GB, a dead-dirt common rectifier tube that 90% of tube-type TV sets used which you can buy in Sylvania or RCA or GE brand new old stock for $5 or $6 or $7 go for over $1200. These are rectifiers, they just change AC to DC, there's no "magic tube sound" or anything like that. It would be like paying $200,000 an ounce for an ounce of Johnson Matthey gold (yes, something like 120x the price of an utterly identical electronic component in terms of functionality and life and voltage rating and even appearance except for the identifying lettering around the base) just because you believed something or other about that particular mfr.


----------



## Irons2 (Nov 8, 2012)

Their new Web format sux too.


----------



## Palladium (Nov 8, 2012)

Irons2 said:


> Their new Web format sux too.



I'll 2nd that!


----------



## macfixer01 (Nov 9, 2012)

Element,
It really is crazy. I'm only looking for a couple types of gold-plated 1960's vintage Western Electric tubes. I used to occasionally get them fairly cheaply, but now even used and untested ones are priced out of sight by the audiophiles. Here's an example of what they look like:


----------



## qst42know (Nov 9, 2012)

Perhaps one of the tube sites for working tested tubes would be a safer bet.

https://www.tubeworld.com/400a723a.htm


----------



## macfixer01 (Nov 10, 2012)

qst42know said:


> Perhaps one of the tube sites for working tested tubes would be a safer bet.
> 
> https://www.tubeworld.com/400a723a.htm




Thanks but I'm not interested in whether they work or not, just the gold plating.


----------



## Anonymous (Nov 13, 2012)

Have anyone experienced on eBay now that they have a new format, that you can't schedule an auction for a later date? Or is it something that I'm overlooking? I remember I could schedule an auction for a later date, while creating the auction, but I don't see it there no more.

I'll go check some more and read their community page.

Kevin

*[UPDATE]*
I found it.... When you go to the page to create your auction or relist the auction, scroll down the screen until you see this

*Choose how you'd like to sell your item*

then click on the link right next to it that says 

* Add or remove options*

on that popup, it'll give you the option to schedule when you want the auction to begin.


----------



## mikeinkaty (Dec 18, 2012)

Favorite trick for some sellers it to list something at a VERY high price then come back with a different ID and list something similar at a much lower, but still high, price.


----------



## patnor1011 (Dec 18, 2012)

mikeinkaty said:


> Favorite trick for some sellers it to list something at a VERY high price then come back with a different ID and list something similar at a much lower, but still high, price.



And how is seller going to profit from this? Apart from paying high listing fees.


----------



## macfixer01 (Dec 19, 2012)

patnor1011 said:


> mikeinkaty said:
> 
> 
> > Favorite trick for some sellers it to list something at a VERY high price then come back with a different ID and list something similar at a much lower, but still high, price.
> ...




I think mikeinkaty is saying it's a ploy to make the lower cost item seem cheap by comparison? So that someone may snap up the cheaper item quickly thinking it's a bargain, even though both of them were really overpriced? That's possible I suppose if there aren't others selling the same item that a buyer could compare with. I occasionally see the same seller name offering several identical items at different prices which confuses me more.

macfixer01


----------

