eBay's Best Match is now totally messed up

imjustme · #1 07-07-2013

I just had about 50 auctions end within 2 hours and noticed something awful. Those auctions that didn't have any bids never made it to Page 1, not even when there was only 30 seconds left for the auction to end.

Those that had at least 1 bid moved up normally over Page 3, Page 2 and then in the last 10 minutes finally to Page 1.

The ones that didn't have any bids? Guess what, I found a few of them on Page 28 with 15 seconds left on the auction.

And that is on a Top-Rated seller account.

GreenBean · #2 07-07-2013

Cassini?

imjustme · #3 07-07-2013

Looks like it. For Fixed Price items, the longer your item goes without being sold again, the lower it drops.

But for Auctions, it's the worst. If you don't have at least 1 bid, your item will end somewhere on Page 30. I've had at least 20 auctions end with 2-3 views in a 5 day period, while the ones that did have at least 1 bid ended with over 200 views.

But it's kind of a paradox. If you have no views, you get no bids. And in order to get views, you need bids.

Sandy D · #4 07-07-2013

On page 28?

Are you kidding me?

imjustme · #5 07-07-2013

Nope, not kidding. I opened all search pages and searched for my item names. The earliest one I found using the default 'Best Match' was on Page 28, with 30 seconds left. I found more of them even further down, with a few minutes left, etc. I spread them out every 5-10 minutes and the more time left the further down they were.

Only (and all of them) the ones that had at least 1 bid made it to Page 1.

Try it with your own auctions, you'll most likely notice the same. And that is not a 'Standard' account, but a Top-Rated account with no DSR's lower than 4.8 and two of them actually 5.0 (item as described and shipping fees).

MM78 · #6 07-07-2013

If "You" top dogs having issues...just imagine us the little people!

bigboddie · #7 07-07-2013

That's odd. Maybe it has to do with what your selling and the amount of the fixed price or there is a deluge of your item already listed by other sellers or cheaper? All just theory.

I have a new account with a 30 positive 100% dsrs of 4.9 and 5.0 and have an item up right now with 2 days to go with 139 views and 29 watchers and 35 bids up to $180.00. My item is totally unique and no one else has one for sale but lots of collectors want it badly> I expect those numbers to climb drastically during the final hour of the last day. Funny thing is I started it with a opening bid of 50 and buy it now of 150, go figure.

imjustme · #8 07-07-2013

There you go. It's going to be on Page 1 because it already has bids. However if you don't have bids, you'll never make it to Page 1 for that "final exposure" that may get someone to bid for it in the last minutes. You'll end up finishing somewhere on Page 30 if you have no bids.

Sandy D · #9 07-07-2013

Agree with you. They will show up with bids and I just checked two major accounts and sure enough my items are buried 10 feet underground.

What in the heck is going on.

I also agree that if you are so buried down that far you limit the looks and the possibilities of a sale. Especially like mine, I run Sunday to Sunday on the majority of my items and depend on those last minute looks on Sundays for items with no bids yet.

slapped · #10 07-07-2013

All I will say is that Cassini has an incredible number of complex alogarithms incorporated within in it that Yields a variety of search results based on different criterion, for example, you can actually search for the Exact same thing but get different search results because the ONLY difference in the searches was that they originated from users in different parts of the Country, it seems that ONE of the many ways that search results are "skewed" is to yeild a majority of sellers who are selling that particular item to be as physically close to you as possible,,,I have seen a LOT going on with thi new Cassini, Im still not sure of its Benifits, if any,,,

jeffweico · #11 07-07-2013

The geography thing could be a part of the eBay "Fast and Free" shipping program, or just for shipping times in general. eBay wants to be more like Amazon, but they have nothing like Amazon Prime.

Who knows? Maybe that is next - eBay forcing all sellers to offer FREE 2 day shipping at no extra cost to the buyer.

As a seller, I would have to stop selling cheaper items. I have to admit, though, as a BUYER, I love Amazon Prime. Especially for buying cat food!

jeffweico · #12 07-07-2013

I would also add, not to worry too much. We'll figure this out, just like the last 1,900,564 changes eBay has made to Best Match.

For auctions, I like the old way they did it, listing by "ending soonest". That way, EVERYONE'S items had a chance, not just the favored few.

GreenBean · #13 07-08-2013

Stealth tactics with multiple accounts

Hockey12 · #14 07-08-2013

Same here. My listing keeps getting lower in the page results..... I'm TR AND PS. DSR is almost perfect I don't understand...

golden_monkey · #15 07-08-2013

yuck, i thought it was just me and that time of the year again.
sales slowing up kinda im just powering thru the best I can...

this free shipping crap is kind of annoying.... you get free shipping, or you get a good price... pick one.

if i shipped for free my prices would go up and then my sales would drop.