terrible listings

newlywed

And Olio now have a selling section and it’s pretty useless… no filter options, rarely any sizes listed until you open the posting, and half used washing up liquid being sold for £1…. 

elsien

newlywed said:

And Olio now have a selling section and it’s pretty useless… no filter options, rarely any sizes listed until you open the posting, and half used washing up liquid being sold for £1…. 

Yes, and I think it’s a mistake on their part to move away from the free side of things. Opens up a lot more opportunities for people to get narked and remove the friendly ethos. 

TripleH

But then you include the information but the buyer hasn't read the advert...

I include more information when I sell as a result of common questions asked by potential buyers now.

tightauldgit

I have to admit sometimes I am lazy when uploading things to Ebay and don't always put a lot of info as I try to put everything in the photos as much as possible. It gets time consuming and tedious trying to properly describe everything when you are uploading multiple items with the clunky old Ebay app that requires me to go and fill in pointless stuff anyway.

If it's something unusual or valuable I'll do my best to write as much as I can but if it's something bog standard than i kind of expect the buyer to be semi-competent - e.g. if it's a size 16" M&S dress shirt then it's a size 16" M&S dress shirt the same as every other size 16" M&S dress shirt, you shouldn't really need me to go measuring it for you. On the other hand if people ask I generally will. 

As an aside are there good resources for what works and what doesn't on Ebay - e.g. is it better to list something at a higher price with free postage or at a lower price but charge for postage, do long descriptions sell better than long ones, is there key information in listings that make a difference, or is it just the photos? 

I also have a few items where I don't really know whats right - e.g a sealed and packed shirt, is really hard to take a good photo of showing the whole thing so better to unpack it and take better photos of it on a hangar, but then it's unsealed and worth less? What's best?  

At the minute I'm listing a lot of rare CDs from my collection many of which are still sealed in cellophane - which makes it impossible to show the inside and the contents, but if i unseal them to show it then am I reducing the value? 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

tightauldgit said:

At the minute I'm listing a lot of rare CDs from my collection many of which are still sealed in cellophane - which makes it impossible to show the inside and the contents, but if i unseal them to show it then am I reducing the value? 

They'll sell quicker and for more if they remain sealed.

Media is pretty basic, a decent buyer willing to a premium for a rare CD that's sealed knows what to expect on the inside  

Pollycat

tightauldgit said:

If it's something unusual or valuable I'll do my best to write as much as I can but if it's something bog standard than i kind of expect the buyer to be semi-competent - e.g. if it's a size 16" M&S dress shirt then it's a size 16" M&S dress shirt the same as every other size 16" M&S dress shirt, you shouldn't really need me to go measuring it for you. On the other hand if people ask I generally will. 

Even if it's a standard size e.g. M&S, Next etc I find the sizing isn't consistent even in the same brand.

I have a size 10 Next dinner dress that measures exactly the same as a size 14, same style.
So I always include measurements in my description/photos.

I've recently sold a pair of Nike trainers size UK 3.5 junior as they were a bit big.
I then bought a pair of Nike trainers size UK 3.5 junior because the seller said she felt they were on the small size.
They fit perfectly but if the seller hadn''t included that bit of info, I wouldn't have bought them.

tightauldgit

Pollycat said:

tightauldgit said:

If it's something unusual or valuable I'll do my best to write as much as I can but if it's something bog standard than i kind of expect the buyer to be semi-competent - e.g. if it's a size 16" M&S dress shirt then it's a size 16" M&S dress shirt the same as every other size 16" M&S dress shirt, you shouldn't really need me to go measuring it for you. On the other hand if people ask I generally will. 

Even if it's a standard size e.g. M&S, Next etc I find the sizing isn't consistent even in the same brand.

I have a size 10 Next dinner dress that measures exactly the same as a size 14, same style.
So I always include measurements in my description/photos.

I've recently sold a pair of Nike trainers size UK 3.5 junior as they were a bit big.
I then bought a pair of Nike trainers size UK 3.5 junior because the seller said she felt they were on the small size.
They fit perfectly but if the seller hadn''t included that bit of info, I wouldn't have bought them.

I think in general more information is always better but it's time consuming as hell adding all this stuff. I'm sitting here and it's taken me at least an hour to upload just 10 CDs with photos and descriptions. Not least of all because the Ebay app is bloody annoying and requires me to add EAN Artist and Title to every listing but then deletes the same information 2 times out of 3 so you have to go back and re-enter it which it then deletes again 2 times out of 3. 

Spoonie_Turtle

Men's clothing I believe the sizing is more consistent.  Women's clothing, we need measurements because even the same brand won't necessarily have consistent sizing.  And it's best to include in the description because it's easier to skim that than to go through photos in the hope they've been included (most people don't) AND hope the photos haven't been compressed so you can't see what the tape measure says. 

It's also very exclusionary of people using screen readers to include information in the photos and not in the description, they should be able to gain the relevant information without needing a sighted person to describe the photos to them.

tightauldgit

I went back this morning and revised some of my own 'terrible listings' that I noticed I had pretty much put nothing in the description box. I do suspect that often the main thing with ebay is not so much what you put in there but just the fact that you have something so the algorithm knocks you higher up the list. 

Pollycat

tightauldgit said:

Pollycat said:

tightauldgit said:

If it's something unusual or valuable I'll do my best to write as much as I can but if it's something bog standard than i kind of expect the buyer to be semi-competent - e.g. if it's a size 16" M&S dress shirt then it's a size 16" M&S dress shirt the same as every other size 16" M&S dress shirt, you shouldn't really need me to go measuring it for you. On the other hand if people ask I generally will. 

Even if it's a standard size e.g. M&S, Next etc I find the sizing isn't consistent even in the same brand.

I have a size 10 Next dinner dress that measures exactly the same as a size 14, same style.
So I always include measurements in my description/photos.

I've recently sold a pair of Nike trainers size UK 3.5 junior as they were a bit big.
I then bought a pair of Nike trainers size UK 3.5 junior because the seller said she felt they were on the small size.
They fit perfectly but if the seller hadn''t included that bit of info, I wouldn't have bought them.

I think in general more information is always better but it's time consuming as hell adding all this stuff. I'm sitting here and it's taken me at least an hour to upload just 10 CDs with photos and descriptions. Not least of all because the Ebay app is bloody annoying and requires me to add EAN Artist and Title to every listing but then deletes the same information 2 times out of 3 so you have to go back and re-enter it which it then deletes again 2 times out of 3. 

I don't sell books/CDs/DVDs.


I recently listed an item of jewellery on eBay.
2 photos showed the total length of the item and the size of each stone.
I also included these measurements in the description.
The item sold and the buyer raised a return request.

My profile is 'no returns'. Obviously, SNAD over-rides this.

I explained to the buyer that:

"I'm sorry to hear that the item doesn't fit (too big). 

The length of the item is shown in photo #5 and the size of each stone is shown in photo #4.

The length of the item and size of individual stones are also stated in the item description. 

My eBay return policy is 'no returns' unless the item is 'significantly not as described' (SNAD) as per eBay policy. 

As this item was clearly described in length and size of stones, I am rejecting your request for a refund under 'doesn't fit’ reason."

I got a response from eBay encouraging me to accept the return in the interests of goodwill but responded with the same explanation.

I kept my money from the sale.

To me, this is why good photos and descriptions are important.

Personally, I'd rather take the time to do a full description than have to faff about sending a return label, refunding and relisting.

I do appreciate that not all listings need this level of detail. But the items I sell (my own unwanted stuff) does.