posted on August 19, 2001 12:45:03 PM
This may have been discussed previously, if so I apologize.
I just attempted to add a photo to an item that ends today and received an eBay message that says "We are sorry, you are not allowed to modify your item description in the last 12 hours of an auction". This was an addition to a listing that already had a bid not a revision to a listing that had no bid.
Personally I find this change kind of disturbing and definitely an inconvenience for sellers and buyers. The last day of the auction is when mistakes or need for clarification is often discovered. Now there is no way to correct except cancellation.
In the past I've often received requests in the last day for additional photos or clarifications which I both emailed and added to the listing. In these cases I also emailed the high bidder with the change so they could either retract or bid higher. (BTW eBay could have also easily notified high bidders of changes to the listing just as they do with outbid notices, etc)
Is everyone but me aware of this change? If not, keep it in mind. Once again eBay makes a unilateral decision for someone's benefit, the question is who?
[ edited by surrrfurtom on Aug 19, 2001 12:48 PM ]
posted on August 19, 2001 12:56:24 PM
Here is where ebay announced it:
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/marketing.shtml#081401100723
You have to scroll down a bit to where they say the seller cannot edit the auction in the last 12 hours.
posted on August 19, 2001 01:16:06 PM
Spottydoggy
Thanks! I read that but didn't see the part about restricting changes.
It would seem to make more sense if they only allowed bid retractions in the last 12 hrs if there were changes made to the listing. Also eBay could send a notice to the high bidder if a change was made.
Now they tie the seller's hands in the last 12 hours when they may want to clarify or correct a listing. Something which could hurt buyers.
[ edited by surrrfurtom on Aug 19, 2001 01:19 PM ]
posted on August 19, 2001 01:52:05 PMThe last day of the auction is when mistakes or need for clarification is often discovered
Are you are finding mistakes in your auction on the last day very often?
Clarification, as in additional information, I would agree with you. But waiting till the last 12 hours to correct a mistake in an auction with bids on it is wrong. What about bidders who are not around the last 12 hours?
I think this over all this is a good thing. If you can't get any mistakes out of your auctions before the 12 hour deadline, you should kill the bids, and start all over.
posted on August 19, 2001 03:15:36 PM
microbes
Actually I am referring mostly to clarifications I add due those questions that sellers sometimes get on the last day of an auction (more depending on complexity of item).
In 4 years of eBaying you'd think I'd know enough to answer every possible question in the description and condition....but I don't always. I've found these questions to be quite valuable in prompting me to add info or photo angles that I inadvertently omitted or thought unnecessary. I've also had buyers of some items (i.e collectible cameras, scientific eqpt) that wanted a positive detailed itemization of the condition of every possible facet of the item.
My philosophy since I began this eBay experience has been to add the answers to these questions (if at all pertinent) to the auction listing even if it was in the last half hour of the auction.
Now eBay in their infinite wisdom has said we'd rather tie the seller's hands so that they can supposedly treat bid retracters with equality. As I said before why not just allow retractions if there is an addition/revision.
Actually I've had very few problems with bid retractions so didn't think it to be a problem. But I did like to keep my buyers fully informed.
IMHO eBay is kind of like government they overkill a minimal problem with a blanket solution and big hammer. What they don't realize is that the solution is often worse than the problem. Remember how email addresses and communications were restricted supposedly because spam was a problem for some eBayers. Now that emails and contact info is restricted, it is next to impossible for buyers to recognize shill bidding.
posted on August 19, 2001 03:46:14 PMI am referring mostly to clarifications
Then I don't see it as a real problem. If you hadn't mentioned that the widget was 10 inches long, and wanted to add that information, it shouldn't be a problem.
If you had said the widget was 7 inches long, and discovered in the last few hours of the auction that it was 10 inches long, adding this information is almost worthless, because there may be a high bidder that won't see the "correction" before the auction is over. Better to cancel the bids, kill the auction, and start over.
The problem is, eBay has no way of knowing which (clarification or correction) you are doing.
