So true!  As I read the ebay reps continue to repeat what "buyers want," it became clear they don't even understand that!

Buyers want pictures that tell a story. If text helps tell the story, they are not opposed to that.  But they do want a clear photo of the item.

My 10 year old could have figured that out...

I'm not here for your entertainment, you don't really want to mess with me tonight

swept*away wrote:

As I read the ebay reps continue to repeat what "buyers want," it became clear they don't even understand that!

 

Buyers want pictures that tell a story. If text helps tell the story, they are not opposed to that.  But they do want a clear photo of the item.

 

My 10 year old could have figured that out...

I'd like to hear about the "survey's" they've conducted that addres what SELLERS WANT.

A buyer wants a clear photograph.  That does not mean devoid of anything OTHER than the product.  It means a clear photograph of the product!

Buyers seem to want the ability to return an item on an auction site when there is no auction venue that accepts returns to my knowledge.

Buyers seem to want to wear an item, use it, swap it for one that is broken and then return it for a full refund.

Buyers seems to want an auction site to behave like Nordstrom's.

Then we have the sellers...

What do sellers want?

I know what I want as a seller.  I want a VENUE in which to sell my merchandise.  I am willing to pay to rent "space" on that venue.

I am not willing to have the venue tell me how to run my business.

I don't want to be told whether I must take returns or how I issue refunds.  I don't want to be told what the photographs of my merchandise should look like.  I don't want the people I rent SPACE from to take a percentage of shipping fees.  I don't want the venue I rent SPACE from to tell me I will be rated as seller without a rating system for the buyers.

I don't want the people I rent SPACE from to tell me where my listing will be positioned based on my compliance with rules they have no business making in the first place as a RENTER OF SPACE.

All I want to do is RENT SPACE from eBay nothing more.

If eBay wants this much control over a buyers experience, perhaps eBay needs to PURCHASE my inventory and market it however they wish.

Or, perhaps there should be a way for buyers and sellers to RATE eBAY.  If their ratings fall below a certain level, they have to give a monthly credit to everyone until they get their ratings above a certain level.

Yep, that's it.  We need to rate eBay.

Right now, I'd say their rating.. on a scale of 1 to 10 is hovering around a 2.  They would automatically get a 2 for the software being up and running and useable by their RENTERS.

Hi rockrosey,

Thanks for your input and questions.

In addition to giving buyers a great shopping experience, another reason for the new picture quality standards is our desire to provide a more consistent experience on the view item page. And, with over $5 billion in merchandise sold via mobile devices, it's important that images be 'uncluttered' for viewing on mobile device screens.As for borders on pictures, these hinder search engine optimization.

You can continue to use the item description area for the images with borders, arrows and other edits. Sellers tell us it's important to have a place where they can express their brand and showcase their items; this is why the item description remains open to the type of photos you describe in your post. So, what you see as an inconsistent policy we see as providing the flexilibility to sellers.

Please let me know if there are any other specific questions or input you have. We appreciate your time to give us your input.

Bradley 

Is Ebay Motors exempt from the new picture requirements? If so please provide the LINK where this is stated. On another topic a PINK says motors is excluded from new picture requirements.

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/February-28-2012/Text-In-Picture/5200071169

The smart thing would be to make some ruls requiring the primary picture to actually be the item for sale, and 95% of the image must be said item - this would be targetted at those dregs who list things using some buxom woman's image to get attention as picture 1, or some buxom woman holding the item showing more of her then the item....

So, what you admitted is there is no survey saying buyers want clearer items, EBAY want's to optomize for mobile devices. BIG difference in reasoning.

Hi Dansgears:

Here are the links to the announcement where we exclude Motors from the new picture requirements this year:

FAQ in under Picture Requirements FAQs on the following page:  http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/newlistingrequirements.html

Motors chart located in left nav of announcement micro-site: http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/MotorsSpring2012.html

-Jess

bhazelrigg@ebay.co.. wrote:

As for borders on pictures, these hinder search engine optimization.

Could you please elaborate on this, or post a link that provides some insight?  (or do we really want to know how automated software decides whether we've provided a "good" picture or a "bad" picture and ranks our search placement accordingly?)

I photograph my items against a plain background - very often I take it a step further and edit the image to cut the object out and place it against a UNIFORM SOLID COLOR background of a color chosen to optimize visual clarity and contrast.

How is the bot going to tell the difference between my solid color background and a BORDER?

And how is the bot going to distinguish between TEXT that has been superimposed on a photo of an object and text that is part of the actual object itself?

_

Dear Ebay, I've been around from the beginning(1993). You used to be able to provide a service worth the money charged for it. You used to be simple, very few rules and regs. A person could make money selling, a buyer could get a good deal, and you still turned a profit. Now it is a new rule every time you turn around, and it only benefits EBAY the big corp. I have had enough. SCREW YOU GUYS, I'M GOING HOME!

Is it no text on just the main photo or all photos??

Could you look at this listing and tell me if it's in compliance or not?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230527105807

I am sorry but the difference of viewing a clear photo on a 20 " monitor is NOT going to be the same experience ona 2" Iphone screen Personally I would need a 10x magnafyier to even see the Picture clearly on a 2" screen... Now we have to base our picture quality on the users of Iphones and Blackberry's??

You speak of giving the BUYER a great shopping experience.... What about giving the SELLLER (YOUR CUSTOMERS) A GREAT selling experience???? Have you ever thought of that.. or are you just trying to make all your sellers go away... DO you have illusions of grandure and think you are the Greatest Retail store out thier?? You are not a Retail store... You are not the biggest shopping mall in the world You are a website who RENTS space to sellers You don't own us.. We choose to come here but really you are being to think you are GODS of some sorts... If SELLERS do NOT comply with your rules we take away thier food and drink and make them starve until they DIE and go Bank Rupt

Hi joyofthehunt,

While trying to provide a better mobile experience is partially behind our policies it is not the entire reason for implementing our new policies. Buyers are asking for bigger, better, more pictures on our site. Ecommerce standards are rising and the marketplace is asking for better pictures. Whether you are on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device we want your eBay experience to be teh best possible when shopping around the web.

(As a side note sellers will not be able to opt out of the mobile experience.)

-Jess