Question
It was really convenient that eBay put that search box up in the right hand corner of their pages... and I use(d) it all the time.
Now, when I enter a search in it, it doesn't perform the search, it sends me to this page: http://search.ebay.com/ws/search/Adv...jsZ1QQfromZR40
Now see, it has the search term "Buck Rogers" right there in the URL code... but it didn't do a SEARCH for Buck Rogers... it just sent me to the main search page.
I did this on a bunch of stuff that often doesn't return a search result yesterday, and it kept bringing me to this page, and I thought that meant there wasn't anything on eBay that met the serach criteria. Then, I discovered today, that because of this stupid, idiotic, fu**ed up thing they did to search, that I missed bidding on something I've been trying to find for YEARS...
Then, if I do a search for something they have deemed to be a "keyword", it doesn't lead me to a search result, nooooo, and it doesn't lead me to that blank page either... it takes me to some screwy sub-categorization of items.
http://buy.ebay.com/frankenstein
I have my search settings to show me highest priced first, and when I do a search, that is WHAT I FU**ING WANT TO SEE... A LIST OF HIGHEST PRICE TO LOWEST PRICE OF EVERY FU**ING THING THAT IS ON EBAY.
FU** THOSE FU**ING FU**S!!!!!!!!!!!!
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When I put Buck Rogers in the search box, this is what I get:
http://search.ebay.com/buck-rogers_W0QQsojsZ1QQfromZR40
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damn Toyranch.
that totally sucks.
I wonder if it was a glitch for that moment. I just tried the search and I got
http://search.ebay.com/buck-rogers_W0QQsojsZ1QQfromZR40
(same thing as auctionqueen)
is it still doing the same thing on your end?
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Yes, it happens if you close all your windows to eBay (don't sign out though) and then open myeBay or the home page and do a search...
If you already have done a different search, it will pull up the result.
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I sometimes get what tr gets and sometimes get what aq gets. Fortunately, I know to keep trying, but the casual buyer probably does not.
After I get my ebayables sold off the next few months I'm probably not going to sell very often at all. It's too much of a hassle.
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Okay, now I see. I closed all my eBay windows and opened up in myebay and tried the search from there.
OH NO! They are messing around again and we all know what that means!
I have my home page set up to open with my auctions showing. Earlier today I had a hard time getting it to connect with that page. No problems now but it could be related.
Edited to add that I had the same results as TR did when I entered the generic term FRANKENSTEIN in the search. You get the same thing if you enter the word FIESTA.
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This really, really, really pisses me off. Now I have to type the frigging name of the thing TWICE to see it, or it delivers me to some screwy shopping portal for the search term..
Hey eBay!
STOP!
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Toy,
You are missing the bigger picture, As quoted in this thread:
Hi...I'm Shri Mahesh, Vice President of Product Marketing & Platform for eBay North America. My team is responsible for defining many of the new products and improvements that will help enhance the marketplace for our Community.
As the eBay Community continues to innovate, the volume and diversity of the types of items that are bought and sold on the site continues to expand. This is part of the magic of eBay! With this growth, however, it's our job to make sure that finding the items that you are looking for stays easy and efficient.
As you may know, in the last year we've done a number of things to improve finding on eBay – from ongoing refinements to the category structure, to adding item specifics in many categories, to enhancing our search and browse functions. While each of these initiatives has improved finding in many categories, we know there is still work to be done. The Community continues to tell us they need a simpler eBay, and we believe that starts with the finding experience.
I have bolded the parts that spell it out for you. You do have to accept Shri Mahesh's definitions of "improve" and "easier", but once you do that it is quite clear.
A simpler Ebay, for example, starts with performing your searches twice instead a tawdry single attempt.
It is always "easy and efficient" "finding the items that you are looking for" if you insert the search term twice (think of it as spell checking ).
AND, and this is an important one for a serious buyer, the search function will work much quicker and the prices will be much lower, when there are no nuisance buyers using the search engine - or any other part of the site.
I hope this helps you to understand these new easier improvements.
, Kevn
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So I guess they finally listened to sellers who told them to quit changing every-single-thing and started messing with buyers...
Well, the proliferation of "item specifics" and forcing new and unusual search methods on buyers is the single biggest reason I decided to stop selling at eBay for a living in the first place. I can't say I'm really all that surprised that they have done this. It will take me more time to shop, but it will frustrate many buyers, and bring prices down further. I guess from a buyer's perspective, this is actually a good thing. It will drive away the competition.