I agree, lookandbuyme, more times than not, support staff does NOT read and then will spend days arguing about something completely unrelated, backing previous responses given by support staff who have not read either and or as they have with me prior, advised and advised me to do something that could have cost me thousands of dollars or you merely get the standard clear the cookies and cache even though you have told them you do that before writing support or it just doesn't even apply to your situation....and this list goes on and on.
This is a huge issue that has been brought up many times already.
Using the product catalog is part of eBay's best listing practices and it is on their listing page and sellers are encouraged to do it for many reason. It is NOT just for required categories.
Here is some other important information for sellers on using the catalog from eBay's pages.....
http://pages.ebay.com/sellerin...atalog/overview.html
Making your job easier. And the shopping experience better.
The eBay catalog is an extensive online library of product information and images for you to use when you list your items on eBay
Listing with the eBay catalog is a fast and easy way to create professional, detailed listings for your items—making it easier for your customers to find and buy exactly what they’re looking for. Take a look at the new shopping experience for buyers.
Listing with the eBay catalog makes it easy to describe your items
4 reasons to list with the eBay catalog:
Create listings more quickly and easily
Automatically include specifications like brand, model number, dimensions, and color—plus professional photos—straight from the manufacturer
Increase the possibility that your listing will appear in search—for products in key categories, list your item with the eBay catalog whenever there’s a product match to ensure unique identifiers are included
Get instant access to key selling data like average selling price and number of completed listings, so you can price your item competitively (for this feature, be sure to use Sell Your Item to list and switch to the “form with more choices”)
http://pages.ebay.com/sellerin...earchvisibility.html
7. Use product details from our catalog Product details can help you create complete listing descriptions that are more visible and appealing to buyers. When you use product details in your listing, they:
Make listing easier and descriptions more complete
Also show up on our product details pages—making it easier for buyers to find your listing
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/product-details.html
Using product details from our catalog is a good idea. Buyers are more likely to buy if they can see key product information immediately. Including details from our product catalog in your listings creates a shopping experience that speeds the buyer's path from search to purchase.......
When creating a new listing or relisting an item, you're asked to select a product or category when you start your listing. You're also prompted to search for the product in the catalog using item identifiers such as a Universal Product Code (UPC), a manufacturer's part number, or manufacturer and model keywords. If the identifier matches a product in the catalog, you're asked to select the product in the catalog