posted on December 18, 2011 09:23:24 AM new
I hope you can help me. I keep getting questions about my items which are included in the item description.
This is not the usual "buyers can't read" issue.
It has come to our attention that when viewing some items on an Iphone (and possibly other devices, I have no way of checking) my item descriptions are blacking out part way through.
This is not happening when viewed on a PC.
What can be done? Have you any advice?
As an example" Item #270753804442,
which reads: This quartz crystal ball
is a beauty that glistens
with shimmering foils,
vibrant rainbows and
a small red iron inclusion.
This stunning crystal ball,
from Brazil, is
a wondrous 3 1/2”
in diameter
and weighs
2 pounds, 2.2 ounces.
Winning bidder pays
shipping & handling
based on
calculated packed weight
and USPS shipping zone.
(Calculator below.)"
Reads only" This quartz crystal ball
is a beauty that glistens
with shimmering foils,
vibrant rainbows and
a small red iron inclusion."
on an Iphone, while the full decriptions shows up on the PC.
posted on December 18, 2011 12:00:00 PM new
Hello Susan,
The problem is likely related to the HTML code that you are using in the listing, which probably has code that the iPhone is not able to read. I checked the HTML code for this listing description, and right where the description stops showing on the iPhone you have some unusual HTML code. It looks like you might be creating the HTML code for the listing in a Microsoft program (such as Word, but possibly a different program), which tends to add extra HTML code that can cause problems. The best way to avoid this problem in the future would be to create your descriptions in Vendio using the Vendio HTML editor.
posted on December 18, 2011 12:46:45 PM new
Hi Nathan,
Regarding: "The best way to avoid this problem in the future would be to create your descriptions in Vendio using the Vendio HTML editor."
This is the way I create all of my listings.
I do not use html, as I am not versed in html.
I went through all my listings on an iphone and found that there 8 with the problem.
I tried going to eBay and adding an html font color to the best of my ability hoping it would solve the issue, but it did nothing.
posted on December 18, 2011 03:20:37 PM new
Hello Susan,
This listing contains the following line of code:
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com: Office: Office"
This is not code that would be added by Vendio. You must be creating your listings in some way that is putting in HTML code that is not being added by the Vendio HTML editor. Maybe you are copying formatted text from another program. Or maybe you are creating your listings from another older listing where the HTML was not created in Vendio.
Please be sure to create completely new descriptions, without copying the text from anywhere, with the only formatting being done using the Vendio HTML editor. Please let us know should you continue to have trouble with this for your future listings when taking those steps.
Regards,
Nathan
[ edited by NathanCS on Dec 18, 2011 03:20 PM ]
posted on December 18, 2011 04:53:10 PM new
Hi Nathan,
Two things, just to clarify for this html challenged type.
First, I usually copy and paste parts of my description. Sometimes from an active eBay auction, sometimes from a microsoft Word Document that I maintain w rough descriptions of certain items. Do you mean I cannot copy and paste Anything into the Vendio create an item html editor from any other source?
That I have to physically type each and every word for every listing?!?
(Just to be clear, everything I copy and paste is in plain print with no html.)
Second, if this is the problem, how on earth do I change the parts of the affected listings to show up properly on the Iphone technology?
posted on December 18, 2011 05:08:45 PM new
Hello Susan,
If you are copying from a Word document, then that is what is causing the problem. Microsoft likes to add extra coding to the text that is unnecessary and can cause display problems like the one you are having. Even if it looks like you are just copying plain text you aren't -- Microsoft is adding in extra code.
If you need to copy the text from Word, first copy the text. Then paste the text into a Notepad file (this will convert it to only text). Then copy the text again, but this time from the Notepad file, and then paste it into your Vendio description. The same method should work when copying text from an active eBay listing (otherwise you will just be copying the same code that is causing the problem and adding it in to your new listings).
For the active listings, the easiest way to correct this problem would be to create a new listing, with the description being recreated as I described above. Microsoft adds so much extra code that it would take very good HTML skills in order to know what code needs to be removed, what code can safely be removed, and what code would mess up your listings worse if it was removed.
Thank you, Nathan!
Wow...I never would have thought that copying plain text from a word doc would insert html.
One last question: my sister just passed by and asked if copying from the word doc with the "paste special" setting set at "unformatted text" would also work?
(To which I repied "huh?", but she showed me and I thought I would ask.)
posted on December 18, 2011 05:59:03 PM new
Hello Susan,
Yes, that will likely work as well. The key is to get just plain text. Also, I would recommend trying with one listing first (and confirming that it has corrected the problem) before continuing with your other listings.
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