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tictictic_OnEbay
(member)
10/10/06 06:12 PM
Now what?  

I was checking how many competitors' auctions come up when I run keyword searches for my own auctions (items that have been online at least a couple days; not Store items). Many of my auctions are not turning up in searches. I can't figure out what's going on.

I'm searching on Title and Descriptions, All Categories, and I'm using strings of words in the descriptions, with quote marks around them. This one for example, #140040326478 (title: Old 78 Record Boogie Woogie Tommy Dorsey). One song is called On the Sunny Side of the Street, and this text is a few lines down from the top of the description. When I search for "on the sunny side of the street", my auction does not come up. Several others do, but not mine. However, if I search on a string in the third line, "rca victor p-163", my auction does come up, in fact, it's the only auction with that bit of text.

I checked several other of my record auctions, and found the same problem. At first, I thought it might be the font, but I doubt that very much, and some of the search strings do show up. Then I thought the ampersand I used between the song titles was stopping the search, but that's not it either, because some of the text strings below the ampersands are coming up in search results. Then I thought maybe it's just a problem with the records categories, but nope. Here's an example in a different category: 140038888349 (title is Vintage Pr Anthropomorphic ELEPHANT Playing Cards). When I search on this string from the description, it doesn't show up: "this pair is the elephants". However, if I search on a different phrase from the description, it does come up: "schwarzer peter".

And by the way, this isn't a copy-paste thing -- I'm pasting the words to a notepad and then into the search box. And I get the same results whether the browser is MSIE or Firefox.

What is going on?? Is this eBay messing with the search function? Do you think they even know about this? Please check your auctions. Search on fairly unique strings of text in your descriptions and let me know what happens.

Sue




bluepennylady
(addict)
10/10/06 09:33 PM
Re: Now what? new [re: tictictic_OnEbay]  

Sue,

You are right. I cannot find the 140040326478 auction either using the Title and description search and text string "On the sunny side of the street." I do know the eBay searches were not working correctly the middle of last week. I wonder if they are doing server changes again getting ready for the Holidays.

By the way, I tried the search using 2 different browsers and it didn't work in either one. hummm.

Judy/blue



moonstruck22
(stranger )
10/11/06 08:20 AM
Re: Now what? new [re: bluepennylady]  

Judy/Sue:
You are right eBay was, and probably are having issues with their search function.
Also, their search parameters are kind of weird anyway especially when it comes to "Keyword Expansions". They assume what you may want to see and provide that in the search results. However, as a seller it is to our advantage to utilize this feature within our titles. You don't have to waste one of your 55 characters to get your item to show up in a different category's search results.
Here is a link to an explaination within a discussion board dealing with the issue: http://www.30dayauctionchallenge.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=276&highlight=keyword+searches

It's an interesting forum to poke around in an get some insights on increasing sales, too!

Marty



bluepennylady
(addict)
10/11/06 09:23 AM
Re: Now what? new [re: moonstruck22]  

Marty,

THANK YOU! For sharing the discussion board link. Very interesting! They did talk about the search functionality at eBay Live a bit. But this is much more informative.

Judy/blue



tictictic_OnEbay
(member)
10/12/06 10:15 PM
Re: Now what? new [re: bluepennylady]  

I was on with Live Chat today for over an hour. Here's a segment that pretty much sums it up:

-----------------------------
1:49:19 PM You As I stated in my question (read above), I am of course checking the box to search title AND description.
1:50:18 PM You I have checked several of my auctions, and text strings in the descriptions are NOT showing up in searches. I've also had other seller friends confirm my findings.
1:51:14 PM Michael Z. 140039294879
1:51:33 PM Michael Z. I'm just doing some tests on it
1:55:37 PM Michael Z. I'm getting the same thing
1:55:38 PM Michael Z. One moment please.
1:56:27 PM Michael Z. how long have you noticed this?
1:56:45 PM You I began noticing it about 4 days ago.
1:56:59 PM Michael Z. Thanks
1:58:01 PM You It may have started last week, when eBay posted on the system status board that they were having problems with Search not working, but they said it was fixed.
1:58:31 PM Michael Z. Oh ok, this appears to be a bug with the system, it wasn't marked until this morning, but your listing will be searchable from Title keywords only at this point.
1:59:18 PM You Well, that sucks. My fellow sellers will be very irritated by this. When will the problem be resolved?
2:00:06 PM You Does this bug apply system-wide, to Store items and auctions?
2:00:36 PM Michael Z. We are working on this, I just checked with our tech support and there is no ETA on this as of now
2:01:12 PM You I think eBay needs to issue refunds of listing fees.
2:01:50 PM Michael Z. I can transfer you to billing to see about getting a credit, and I can explain to them all that is going on so you don't need to repeat yourself.
-----------------------------

At this point, Billing jumped in. Shawn H. A. wanted to know exactly which auctions were not showing up in searches. I said I had checked only a few, and that I assumed it was anything posted since October 5th. I told him his associate had confirmed the Search feature was malfunctioning and that I thought eBay should refund listing fees to anyone who had listed in the last week. He said no one else had reported this problem and, in so many words, told me to go fly a kite.

-----------------------------
2:16:56 PM You If the Search feature is malfunctioning, eBay should refund listing fees to all its sellers.
2:17:14 PM Shawn H. A. One moment please.
2:20:22 PM Shawn H. A. I have just checked, and the situation is being worked on. Until the meantime is to check ever so often on your listings, and when it does start working again, we can issue the credit for them.
-----------------------------

That last bit is clear as mud (ESL, I suppose).

So both reps admitted eBay has a problem with the Search feature and then just shined me on when I mentioned refunds for everybody. Well, I tried......

I urge you to check your auctions. Run Title-and-Description searches on single keywords and keyword strings with quote marks around them. Try words and phrases in various locations in your descriptions. If they aren't coming up in Search results, please contact eBay.

Sue



tictictic_OnEbay
(member)
10/12/06 11:00 PM
Re: Now what? new [re: moonstruck22]  

Hi Marty,

This is a very interesting thread (I read about 3/4 of it and will go back and reread the whole thing -- lots of good info), but it doesn't explain the problem I'm having. My auctions for records aren't showing up when I search on the title of the songs in the descriptions. So assuming someone is looking for a record with Sunny Side of the Street on it, they won't see my auction. But if I search on various other obscure text strings, they do show up. This makes no sense. It can't be explained by eBay's efforts to help newbie searchers find stuff -- it seems just random.

Sue



bluepennylady
(addict)
10/12/06 11:37 PM
Re: Now what? new [re: tictictic_OnEbay]  

Sue,

I'm not sor sure but that you should call the Power Seller's line and talk to a human being. MIght get something done that way. Since your listings are not appearing in the search, and the LIvechat support agrees, and you have the conversation to prove it, you might well receive a listing refund. It is certainly worth a try.

I have checked some of my auctions. So far they appear in searches. I can tell you there are not near as many hits in the past several days as there usually are on my auctions.
And I have wondered if the same problem you are experiencing is happening on some of my auctions. I just don't know which auctions as I can find mine in searches.

I'm really sorry you had to spend so much time with Live chat and then them not doing anything to help you. That is the pits. And thanks for letting us know what they said.

Judy/blue




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