As announced in the April eBay Seller Release, eBay are to rename the New – other eBay Item Condition to Opened – Never Used. eBay have now announced that the 10th of June will be the date that the eBay Item Condition is renamed.
The problem is that New – other is a condition some sellers have been using to describe just about anything from perfect but the product is ex display through to this is a return that we’re crossing our fingers is ok but it could be scratched, parts or instructions missing or a host of other defects. Now the renamed Opened – Never Used eBay Item Condition will be a lot more specific and if your item isn’t simply an opened box then you should use an alternative.
On 10 June 2019, any items currently listed as “New – other (see details)” in certain categories will be automatically updated to the new “Opened – never used” item condition label. It’s worth noting that if you sell on eBay’s US site any of your items listed directly on eBay.com were already updated in March.
Applicable categories for Opened – Never Used eBay item condition
The item condition options available for listings vary by category and this change applies to the following only. If the “New – other (see details)” item condition wasn’t available for a category, the “Opened – never used” label won’t be available either:
- Electronics:
- Sound & Vision
- Computers, Tablets & Network Hardware
- Mobile Phones, Smart Watches, Accessories & Communication
- Video Games & Consoles
- Cameras & Photography Equipment
- Musical Instruments
Opened – Never Used eBay Item Condition Definition
The official definition for “Opened – never used” is:
“An item in excellent, new condition with no wear. The item may be missing the original packaging or protective wrapping, or may be in the original packaging but not sealed. The item may include original accessories. The item may be a factory second (i.e. it has a small flaw that does not affect the operation of the item such as a scratch or dent). See the seller’s listing for full details and description.”
What do you need to do?
This change is automatic and eBay will update your listings for you. If you believe the “Opened – never used” label is no longer appropriate for your listing, you should amend it to an alternative item condition such as “Used” or “Seller refurbished” before the 10th of June 2019.
NB For sellers who source returns these probably shouldn’t be described as “Opened – never used”, so if you have been using New – other to describe them it’s time to be a little more specific and describe them as used or refurbished.
One Response
Well, it still looks pretty vague to me. I wish the item condition was something that eBay actually did copy from Amazon.
‘….new condition with no wear.’. But then ‘…. has a small flaw that does not affect the operation of the item such as a scratch or dent’. Is that not ‘wear’?
‘….The item may include original accessories.’. May?
To me, nothing has changed as it still says that ‘it could be scratched, parts or instructions missing or a host of other defects’ as Chris mentioned.
We sell ex-display and unused returned products in the categories mentioned, listed as ‘New – Other’. They are not used, refurbished or new. We list them on Amazon as ‘Used – Like New’ or in the Amazon Renewed area. That is specific. Opened – Never used could be specific if they were specific about the definition!
I guess it hardly matters anyway as eBay sales are dropping off a cliff…