eBay are considering a change to the “item condition” Item Specific that sellers use to describe their items. They say that buyers sometimes misunderstand the condition of an item which leads to disappointment and leaves the seller trying to resolve a problem.
I know where they’re coming from – some of the computer products I sell are “New and boxed” but about 10 years old with any manufacturers warranty they once had expired. I don’t like describing the products as “Used” as they’re not, but calling them “New” might be misleading to a buyer.
They’re asking selected sellers to suggest additional alternative Item Condition values for certain categories as well as showing the most popular terms submitted by other sellers.
If you want to influence the Item Condition values for the categories you trade in and are a in the group of sellers chosen to vote you can log in to the Community Consultation and make your opinions heard.
31 Responses
“eBay Community Consultation on Item Condition Values
Thank you for your interest in the discussion for alternative item condition values. At this time, we are only allowing PowerSellers to cast votes for alternate values.”
🙁
yeah we got the above too, then while sitting wasting a few minutes at the M40
Cherwell services
we thought we would have another go, and the bugger then wanted us to respond with a pin number
I completed the survey and offered suggestions on the condition of several product lines, because having criticised ebay on numerous previous occasion about not consulting sellers I felt that I should.
Personally I would like to see more consultation albeit a survey of sellers as a regular feature.
I doubt if my few comments will have any impact on the decision making process, but it felt good to be asked for a change instead of being told. If ebay had spent more time speaking to professional sellers before implementing and then changing policies i.e. postage charges they might not be in the mess they are now.
I would urge invited sellers to take advantage of the opportunity to influence decisions. You never know the idea of speaking to the people who are the backbone of ebay might catch on.
New/Unopened
New/Unsealed
New/Shelvage
Excellent with Packaging
Excellent without Packaging
Good with Packaging
Good without Packaging
Typical without Packaging
Typical with Packaging
Poor but functional
Non-functional/broken
Is this going to jam up the Google submissions? Google (so far as I can find out) allows:
new
used
refurbished
Not having a condition attribute will result in the item being rejected by Google, not that eBay cares.
I put new (old stock). vintage stock with tags or new (vintage stock) in the description but alas, most eBay buyers don’t read.
in truth its just another stick to beat you with. dont matter what you say or what term you use,
some buyers just see with their minds eye,
and should stick to the high st ,where they can touch feel and be demonstrated too, and never buy on ebay
knackered,
just a little knackered,
very knackered,
knackered beyond repair
beyond knackered
vintage knackered,
as new knackered
brand new but knackered
😈
Aren’t eBay missing the point entirely anyway? It shouldn’t be about what sellers want at all, it should be about what the buyers want, they’re the one’s who are going to be using it.
why all the play with words
a simple percentage scale would be easier
If I described an item as 80% or 90% or 95 % etc etc etc along with a few descriptive words, most would get a reasonable picture of condition
I don’t think it will make much difference, no matter what words or phrases we/eBay use…There will always be a number of people who will disagree with “our” perception of the product.
I may think “new-unused” is a fair description of something that is 2 years old but never used, someone else may feel that I shouldn’t use the word new…Horses for… 😐
My opinion is New should mean that the item is as you would expect to receive if you bought the item from a shop (not oxfam 😆 ) and that this is the first time that the product has been up for retail sale. Some items have tags some don’t. Some items come in boxes some don’t. Some are sealed some aren’t.
Breaking things up into different kinds of “New” doesn’t really seem to fit with eBay 2010.
The problem is that they currently have:
Like New
Excellent
Good
Acceptable
for the categories like video games but the definition of Good means it must include either the manual or box making all loose games regardless of condition “acceptable” — BUT the majority of people do not follow the guidelines of ebay and might list a game cart as “good” despite being loose.
New means in the same condition that you would expect to buy an item if purchased from a shop together with full statutory warranties and rights.
How can it mean anything else?
Private sellers should not be allowed to list new items full stop or be allowed to even use the word “new”!
Only business sellers should be allowed to use the word new and classify an item as being new!
It simply is not possible for a private seller to offer something that is new with all the rights that go with that.
Private sellers should be restricted to the use of the word “used”.
Oh look, another idea copied from Amazon 😛
There are many reasons why private sellers might be selling a new item. Why pick on them for it?
“New old stock” is the perfect way to describe things that are new, yet vintage — such as some of the Converse Chuck Taylors and other vintage sneakers that we sell. They’re completely unworn, sometimes even still in the original box, but they’re 20-30 years old or more, which doesn’t quite gell with the literal meaning of new.
It will be interesting to see what happens with this and if eBay start doing the same thing on ebay.com!
Am I alone in thinking that “New” means not used by anyone since it was created/manufactured etc.
The obvious exception for me would be antiques. I wouldn’t feel honest describing something as “New” if it was say older than 5 years. Then “Unused-Since new” would be simple enough.
Well I completed the survey and put my tuppence worth in for what it’s worth.
I recall a buyer I had a couple of years back who told me I had “ambushed” her into purchasing some Waterford crystal which was chipped. I had 6 glasses, 4 perfect and 2 with problems to the rim. Put 3 auctions up, the chipped ones over an hour later so that they were away from the others. I put chipped in capitals in the title, in the description and also pictures of the damage. When I queried what the hell she was on about and how did she miss the word chipped, she said “I don’t have time to read the listing you should have listed them somewhere else like Amazon!!!”