eBay held their monthly Town Hall yesterday. The whole show is around 90 minutes long; if you don’t have time to listen to it all, here are some of the highlights. (The show generally deals with the .com site, so non-US sellers shouldn’t necessarily assume this applies elsewhere.)
• Digital delivery products: sellers shouldn’t give up on selling these on eBay; there were strong hints that a new selling format may be introduced for these types of goods.
• Expanded seller preferences on buyer requirements: it will be possible to block buyers with “2 unpaid items in the last 12 months”
• Shipping prices on bulk lots: sellers who are concerned that bulk sales will be disadvantaged in search results, because they need higher shipping prices than single similar items, should put “lot” or “bulk” in the title so that the algorithm doesn’t disadvantage them.
• item specifics: the importance of ISs for Best Match emphasised; if a lot don’t apply, check whether you’d be better in another category.
• “already watching this” indicators will be introduced in search results: should make shopping a little easier, but how about a shopping cart instead?
• feedback changes no more negs for buyers: change will begin second week in May, on a country by country roll-out. Sellers are now advised to leave positives on payment, as it builds buyer confidence that you’re genuine, and makes it more likely they’ll communicate if there’s a problem.
repeat feedback recalculation: will be done during May. 7 billion feedbacks will be recalculated so that transactions between the same partners in different weeks will qualify for repeat feedback.
3 Responses
“, should put “lot†or “bulk†in the title so that the algorithm doesn’t disadvantage them.”
So they’ve already spelled out the next BM “hack”
Product X – Lot of fun!
wingo will cover it and every listing with high S&H will be lot of something
That was my first thought too Toby.
Thing is if someone is really selling a “lot” or “bulk” listing you would think that they should be:
a) Listing in wholesale as the primary category
b) Be using the “Lot” listing format eg “3 lots available (5 items each)”
Why you would have to specify it in the title as well is beyond me 😯