Question
Okay, I will preface this by acknowledging that this is entirely my own fault for:
* not downloading and constantly updating Mr Lister.
* not using SA Pro.
* not using a state of the art computer.
* having security settings which, whilst necessary, are not compatible with 80% of the internet.
* having the sheer arrogance to think that it would be in eBay's interests to have an efficient on line listing process.
* having the sheer arrogance to think that I can be productive without having to download voluminous amounts of unwanted crap onto my computer.
All that aside, is anyone here still using the SYI form to list, and most particularly, are you using it today?
In the last two hours I have managed to list 6 lots, between several of those lots (on the congratuilations page) eBay (I assume) has been downloading volumes of I don't know what. The six lots have used just over 20 meg's, and between many of the lots I am delayed by 6 to 10 minutes because it continues the download before it will go to the next page. On two occassions it didn't do a download.
I have previously mentioned this download crap here, but I have since worked out the main times it hits is when I am logging in - and on the congratulations page after the first two listings in a run (and neither is every time - thus I have tried rebooting but without getting rid of this scourge today). I seem to get this to such a stupid extent every now and then, and not for the last 2 weeks, but it has made listing today an almost fruitless waste of time.
Is this affecting other users today? Has anyone else worked out how to stop this entirely ridiculous situation, if they have ever encountered it (other than by downloading the entire Mr Lister or SA Pro) ???
Sick of stupidly battling with eBay to be somewhat productive, Kevin
Answer
It must have downloaded everything it "needed" to, it is now working properly.
Kevin
Answer
I use it all the time, but haven't done so yet today. I will be using it tonight though.
I don't like to download a lot of needless crap on my computer either but with almost 1,000 items in my store I am seriously thinking of downloading TL. I have recently had to go and update all my store items ... one at a time. UGH!
Answer
Hey kevin,
our experiences are pretty much the same. Though I haven't tried to list today, I too am sick to death of how "unfreindly" the SYI pages have become. Over the years, instead of being refined and streamlined, they have gotten harder, longer, more tedious, more laborious, more redundant and more occluded with attempts to try and sell, push, and shove features down my throat. It's one of the big reasons I've been listing less and less on ebay and as a matter of fact, I haven't listed anything in about two months, it's just too much trouble. I just shake my head in amazement at how ebay will troll our pockets for spare change but will lose many times that amount with a bafflingly discouraging listing platform.
One can only assume that what they want to do is introduce the selling experience to prospective vendors but at the same time limit their efficiency so they will be inclined to step it up and buy ebays AM program.
I think it would make FAR more sense to make the SYI faster and more productive so the novice can actually enjoy GREATER success and perhaps become SOLD on the notion that selling on ebay can be an efficient, prosperous and ENJOYABLE experience. Once a newbie can see how easy it can be, I think they might be just as, if not more inclined to "step it up". But in the mean time EVERYBODY would be happier, including ebay who would be generating more listings, sales , fees and general PRODUCTIVITY from the users instead of losing sellers (like me) who just can't deal with it anymore.
On the other hand, anything that discourages new (or old) sellers from further glutting ebay with listings is probably a good thing.
I don't want an auction management program. The only thing I can think of that I'd need one for would be to avoid using ebays HORRID SYI forms. Since the SYI forms SHOULD work efficiently, and I'm somewhat stubborn, I simply refuse to buy something I don't want or need just to circumvent something that should work in the first place!
Damn Kevin, I was having an OK day till you pushed my buttons!!
Answer
Damn Kevin, I was having an OK day till you pushed my buttons!!
My Mum traught me to share.
It is all running okay now. It seems that if I can just get past the downloads, it is fine, but that time of downloading can clog up my listing for a good 2 hours sometimes (like today), and I can not work out what it is actually downloading. I would love to just circumvent it, so it doesn't become such a frustrating waste of time.
I will never understand why Ebay makes listing such an unnecessary chore in general. A productive seller will create and pay more fees than sellers who have to list slowly or are deterred from listing at all. It is really stupid.
Harumph, Kevin
Answer
Hi Kevin, exactly what is it that ebay is downloading on your computer? I put up auctions just about every day, using the SYI form, and never have any problems. Ebay doesn't download anything to my computer and never has tried to.
IMO, the SYI form works great. It remembers your settings, it doesn't time out like it used to, you can check the auction in "real time" before confirming the listing ...blah blah blah. It takes me maybe 2 minutes to get an item listed. Can't imagine it being any easier.
Answer
Kevin, I put my two measly auctions up last night (2 Monday-Friday) with SYI and had no problems. Sometimes I do run into the problem with that category screen it will go hinky every now and then and I have to revert back to the other way they have to pick a category.
Answer
G'day Karen,
I have no idea what downloads, but I sometimes get about a meg and a half to 2 megs of download, between the first and second auction that I list - on a night like last night I get it between several auctions and the system won't go to the next page (or allow any pages on other screens to load) until it finishes whatever it does. It becomes a ridiculous and frustrating waste of time, but then I mightn't happen at all for two or three weeks (after it has been an extreme one like yesterday).
The thing is, that I have not found anyone else experiencing the same thing, and it took a while to realise that it was always happening on that SYI listing page. I had previously thought it was fairly random.
I am on dial-up so these downloads take a long time. The SYI form is reasonably efficient when this is not happening. I feel that it would be more efficient if (a) I could ideally customise pages so that the info I usually change was all on one page (okay I am being unrealistic - they want to sell me extras by making go through several pages) or (b) I could at least select which page I go to, so that when I am listing a similar item in the same category I don't have to download the category page for example (not that it is nearly as buggy or slow as it used to be).
I do like the fact that my "template" is already in place when I use the "list a similar item", but I feel the system could be much more efficient (and I can not list an auction with any variation in 2 minutes - I can only assume that you are not on dial up - I am happy with similar items listing every 6 minutes, but I am also a slow typist).
..... and when it does what it did last night it is just a piece of fecal matter.
Kind Regards, Kevin
Answer
Just had my computer go unstable and had to reboot. After that I listed my last two lots for the day. On the second lot, while I was on the "Congratulations" page, I downloaded about 3 megs.
How do I find out what the hell is being downloaded? Is there any way to stop this?
At least this time it didn't interfere with my listing.
Kevin (bemused and frustrated by this crap)
Answer
Hi Kevin_T,
Just curious, did you get your problem fixed?