In today’s Autumn 2017 Seller Release, eBay announce that they are expanding the categories in which you must use product identifiers and introducing a number of other tweaks.
We know that generally Product Identifiers are a pain in the next to manage, especially if you have to try to locate a GTIN for a product. It takes time and there really is no simple shortcut to finding the information. The reality however is that your products won’t appear as highly in search, won’t have product reviews attached to them (and we know all the arguments for and against this being a good thing) and certainly won’t be featured on Internet search engines.
Product Identifiers shouldn’t be too much of an issue for sellers selling a regular supply of new stock. They’re much more of a pain point for sellers who have a never ending stream of new one off products to sell. It also means sellers who manufacture their own goods or who brand white label goods will have to buy their own GTINs.
- From September 2017, your Good ‘Til Cancelled listings won’t be automatically renewed if they contain invalid product identifiers. This should be no surprise as it was previously announced.
- From 19 October 2017, you must include product identifiers for all new and revised listings in Seller refurbished condition, as well as for new and revised listings in Used condition in certain categories.
You’ll be pleased to hear that if your Used items don’t have a product identifier, you can still use ‘Does not apply’. However bear in mind that Using ‘Does not apply’ when a product identifier is available violates eBay’s policies and could result in your listing being removed. Improper use of ‘Does not apply’ also makes your listings ineligible for traffic and merchandising opportunities for listings with valid product identifiers.
- From spring 2018, eBay will use product identifiers to automatically match new and existing listings to products in the eBay catalogue.
Bundles and lots
You can gain extra exposure for multiple-item listings by creating a bundle, a combination of related items in 1 listing, or a lot, 2 or more of the same item in a single listing.
Bundle and lot listings will now be highlighted in the buyer shopping experience, which could help drive more interest in and better conversion of your listings. Opportunities for additional exposure include search results pages and product pages.
8 Responses
Has anyone managed to find the “bundle” option?
At least they had the good sense to still include the n/a option for antiques, art, custom and home-made goods.
Ebays Strategy is clearly.. Once we have you all using similar images without watermarks, we can select the best one, then create just one listing where all the sellers sell on. they are already gearing up for this if you read the newsletter clearly it says:
‘From spring 2018, when you create new listings or manage those that are already active on the site, your items will automatically be matched to products like yours in the eBay catalogue.
We’ll use the product identifiers you provide in your listings to find product matches for the item you are selling. ‘
It should be entitled – WE WANT TO BE AMAZON
I administer a charity Ebay site selling a lot of old railwayana and sometimes we have no idea what a piece of vintage equipment was used for, we simply list it with a basic description and photos from a number of angles, usually with rulers on the images, and wait for the auction bidders to fight.
One of them turned out to be a multi-purpose tool for running a water boiler like the one on the bar in the film Brief Encounter – match that in the Ebay catalogue then!
Hi Eric…Sadly they don’t care about you, if you are selling one off items its small fry to them, they want the big brands on board
i make my own gold prospecting equipment. totally unique, got a bar code fore that?
Ebay dont even know where it should be listed. Tried to tell me 3 weeks ago that after selling on ebay for over 3 years that my products should be in “PLUMBING”!!!!!!