Bulk Live Edit Help

Don't cry! Our new Live Listing Revision tool will allow you to revise text in your active listings, even if it is part of your Seller Details (which are the sections of the listing that say Payment, Shipping, About Us, etc.)

Rebecca - That's what I was hoping, but...I tried it. I used the description field, copied/pasted the offensive text in the top block and typed the replacement text in the bottom box - but on my test it "found no errors" but "skipped" the listing and wouldn't make the change. Any suggestions on where I may have gone wrong? thanks!

OK, I spoke too soon. I kept playing with it and discovered it does work "sometimes".

For example:

8 had errors.
xxxx : We will soon be deprecating shipping insurance option.
Description cannot be revised if the item has bid or active Best Offers or is ending in 12 hours.

Supposedly I only have 13 items with less than 12 hours to go, yet, this error comes up much more frequently than that (like x10).

Then there is the dreaded "17 were Skipped". Would be good to know why?

Honestly I got a good bulk of them - but since I can't search the description from the active listings page, finding the remaining 78 is challenging. I am able to search on them in my store, but then syncing up which ones didn't get edited and why is still...baffling.

OK - I think found most of the remaining are items that were multiples and some were sold, so the listing cannot be edited :/ So I guess I have to end those and repost them (but I'm up for a better idea if there is one!

Well.. I don't know if problems connected. But I am having issue in SELLER DETAILS payment, shipping, etc., section. After 55 notes back & forth to HElp here is last of what I was told (also went on live for 2 hours trying to find out problem). this is after days and hours of trying to fix. Here is quote from HELP.

quote:

Hello again. When I mention "formatting", I am referring to the HTML code behind your description. When you create and format descriptions through any editor, including the Auctiva editor, HTML code is added behind the scenes that make your description text show up the way it does. The main thing that causes the “find and replace” command not to work is if there are HTML commands in the middle of the text that you are trying to replace.

If you type a line of text and choose a certain font and size, the HTML code that dictates the font and size should be at the beginning and end of that line of text. Since the line of text is intact in that case, the “find and replace” tool should be able to find it in the description HTML and be able to replace it.

However, if you specify different fonts or styles in a certain line of text, there are inevitably going to be HTML commands within the line of text and you would not be able to do a “find and replace” command for the whole line. Creating double spaces in your description can also create a “ ” tag in the underlying HTML and that will cause the “find and replace” tool not to work either.

Here is summary of I wrote back and have not received response since Friday:

Thanks.. after looking at my listings, very few should have HTML different in different lines of text. Most have same line, font, color, etc., in the payments section.. same in shipping, etc., each paragraph is single spaced?

What exactly do I need to do or not do so I do not go through this HELL again if ebay has more changes later. I want to be able to make them. Whatever I did I do not think happened above the PAYMENTS, as I can get text off the ones of those I tried. So problem appears from PAYMENTS down IN SELLER DETAILS AREA.

I still do not realize why it would be expected that this was an ebay issue and was sent to them to deal with it. Ebay says turbo (AUTIVA SAID TO TRY TO DO IN TURBO) will not fix a problem within auctiva formatting. So solutions are to waste my money ending all listings and fixing, which I have already ended some and HOPE that works.. or hand do each one which will cost even more money because time is money and I have lost 3 days dealing with this, when I do not feel I created this issue. If it is lister created, it is a glitch that auctiva should possibly consider closing so others do not go through this.

Please tell me in detail how to avoid this in the future as I do not want to spend my time fixing only to find another issue with it later.



I was told earlier that only 3-4 people were having this error and they are not sure there will be a fix for it, other than going in individially doing all listings in ebay (and a Supposed again in Auctiva system?) 3,000 changes individually. Turbo Lister (obviously if I wanted to use Turbo i would not list with auctiva, furthermore ebay says it will not fix, as this is auctiva formatting issue????



Right now my options are: Change over 1500 listings 2 times (ebay and then auctiva Saved Listings). (lots of TIME which is money) Or end each listing, fix individually in auctiva and relist (costing me money but less than my time) Really feel if auctiva can't fix this they would offer something to reimburse us for the time involved in re-doing or ending listings.

Ebay specifically says this is AUCTIVA issue. Auctiva blamed ebay. Now it appears they are blaming ME. I used auctiva system???

Anyone got any suggestions??????? HELP FAST I am past due.

ANyone know an easier way???? Anyone know how I can prevent this in future, as auctiva has not responded and I need to get on with the getting on.

Thanks for anyones help.

I wish I had an answer for you, I cannot imagine your dilemma with over 1500 listings!! My heart goes out to you! I am a small-time seller and feel this is a nightmare for me, I can't imagine what sellers are doing with as many or more listings than you have. I haven't found a simple way to fix this either. I just updated my Seller Details and all my description profiles for all my templates and when I use a previously saved listing, I just make the changes before I list. I'm sure this isn't the easiest or quickest way, but find that at least then I'm sure my listings are correct. Good Luck to YOU!!

Thanks JeanieB, I KNOW we are not only ones with this issue, auctiva says 3-4, however, I have a feeling there probably are more. Hopefully if they write, this will be fixed.

I re-did seller details, auctiva checked and said looked fine & should work, they suggested I try to list one and then try to bulk edit it in live edit. I did & edit still not working. Sooooo if ebay wants something else out in a month. . will have to go through one by one again, because it will not edit the seller details section of my listings.

For those who are, great, well worked for me. I would sure test a listing with your new info to see IF IT REALLY WORKS. We know ebay will make more changes.

If anyone else is having problem, please write here AND and contact auctiva.

can I ask why in the world did you wait until now to change your listings? Ebay announced this back in july.
Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it seems like everytime Ebay makes changes like this, sellers don't want to take responsibility for changing their listings and want to blame others for it not getting done.

First, I don't know WHY IN THE WORLD anyone would change in July, as ebay changes their plans lots of time so I would NEVER make changes right after they are announced (been there done that lesson learned hard way). Plus, I had much rather the buyers pay insurance up until closer to time, as that was insurance I did not have to buy.



In addition, Auctiva and ebay announced the find and replace feature which Auctiva introduced September 9th which should have made this a piece of cake. (IF it worked) I have been working on this and have over 60 notes going back and forth on support trying to fix for quite awhile now.

This auctiva community post would not give anyone an idea this was a SUPER MAJOR JOB nor did the announcement.
______________________________________
Auctiva Rebecca
Auctiva Super Smarty
Apprentice
Picture of Auctiva Rebecca

""" Posted September 17, 2009 02:18 PM Hide Post
Don't cry! Our new Live Listing Revision tool will allow you to revise text in your active listings, even if it is part of your Seller Details (which are the sections of the listing that say Payment, Shipping, About Us, etc.)""""

_____________________________
I was originally told this feature would be very easy to use: These are VERY EASY STEPS THAT A 5TH GRADER COULD DO, (IF THEY WORKED) and anyone should be able to change 100 listings in less than 5 minutes in ACTIVE listings and they will also FIX LIVE ebay listings:
STEPS WOULD BE - PLEASE TRY THEM AND SEE HOW SIMPLE THIS SHOULD BE:

1. Go to active lisings in Auctiva.
2. Put check mark on ALL of the ones being changed in Auctiva system. (which in my case I was changing all)
3. Go to Field/Description
4. Next are two boxes that say: Find Text and other says replace with (or you can leave empty)
5. Continue and Confirm

6. Piece of CAKE and on to the next 100 listings. Do this 15-18 times and you are set with all your listings.

I can do that; it just does not work. So no I am not blaming anyone, (however, am not keen on auctiva blaming me either) I just would like it fixed.
Auctiva sent me to ebay, ebay says it is auctiva format, auctiva then implies it is something to do with me?? I have nothing to do with their formatting as I list directly into Auctiva System with their formatting.

So yes, perhaps I did wait too long, in your opinion, have been waiting week on Auctiva Engineering to look at.. but these could easily have been changed in less than 2 hours if the system worked, so I saw no reason to work on this in July when items were being introduced to do this in a snap. They did not come out until September 9th, perhaps Auctiva should have come out with tool sooner and gotten bugs out of it???

Thanks for your input, but I feel in good faith that auctiva system would work since it is their formatting. I also am finding if this happens again, formatting issues may still be there, anyone of us could have this.

I am NOT only one with this issue. I am not blaming anyone.. I just want to know if others are having problems (I have been told by Auctiva that some are) and if so how they are being handled or if they have found a go-around.

HAVE YOU TRIED THIS?? IF not you should, it is piece of cake if works. EVERYONE should try this to make sure it will work for their listings. If ebay makes other revisions you could have 1500 listings to change and will not know it until it just does not work.

Hi, you could have already had your listings revised by doing it directly on ebay. In bulk. They have a new tool too to change text in listings. Since this one won't work for some reason. Just a thought.

Thanks for your response and help effort, it is appreciated. However, ebay system can't fix either. I was on live with them for over 2 hours and they said it is an auctiva listing formatting issue and their system can't fix auctiva formatting. I even tried Turbo to revise and would not work there either.

Am still working on. ... and appreciate any help or suggestions.

Thanks

Me too, all of the above... one dang listing at a time...been at it for a month now. It would also help if we could revise listings from closed listings. Save the time we spend searching saved listings, and simply revise them as they close. But hey , I know that sounds way to easy

I am sitting here doing some of these now. SOOOOO steamy frustrating, especially after 76 support notes back and forth, and 1 1/2 hours on ebay live, plus trying to do with turbo, days invested in this.

I actually wondered if I were only person. I will tell you, most of my items were store listings, so I put store on vacation and am ending all of the listings and then re-starting them.

While I am doing it I am trying to change the item details to what ebay's new requirement is going to be - th custom. I do not trust ebay or auctiva system to handle this change.

What have you been told??

IF there are others having this problem.. please speak up. . more voices may get this fixed. I was most perturbed because auctiva acted as though this was something I have done?? I asked for credit and was told NO. this is feature we are paying for and not getting and they are not looking for quick fix. Added issue is even hand doing each one.. next time ebay has a problem we will probably still have same EXACT problem.. so this could be ongoing issue that is NEVER resolved.


IF you are having same problem.. speak up.
Yes, we waited till last minute, been there heard that. However, if system had worked could have done in no time at all.

wow! And people wonder why I think Auctiva is worthless! Why do we the CUSTOMERs put up with substandard service? We do we continue to pay for a broken system? I can't be the only person that has an issue with Auctiva on a weekly basis am I? I don't even report half of the things that are wrong simply because I have too much to do to be ignored and told that they are "working it"

I too have been very peturbed lately. Got an answer this morning that took me around the WORLD, when it did not work an hour later, was tol NOT to do what I did and to go into my account and make the change (took less than one minute). I have done this a lot lately.

I really think Auctiva jumped off the cliff wayyyy toooo fast. They started commerce, started the HUGE fee charges, then took week or more to figure that out. I think they are spreading themselves too thin, possibly trying with commerce to disconnect from ebay? So effort is going somewhat to both places. . .and not many people are getting what they expect to get.

As far as the time it takes to answer my questions.. NO problem with that. It is the content of the answers.

And in the case of this bulk live, they do not realize how time consuming this is to hand fix them and made no suggestions to make this any easier.

We now have 3 people that actualy have said "YES I have this problem" I was told 3 - 4. .am sure there must be more out there though.

I am not even sure doing all of this, that next ebay change I will be able to use revise description and could have to do this completely over.

Frustrating. . to say the least.

I am sure someone is reading these forums and chooses to ignore the fact that this failed to work.

Auctiva... this was passed on to engineers.. .over a week ago. . .

what is status of a fix???
Right now even if everyone has/is changing listings.. this could very well happen again when ebay makes other changes. If seller wants to just make a change it could happen to them.

This needs to e addressed for now and in the future.

It is getting frustrating that auctiva is not responding to many of the issues being bought up.

We would appreciate your response.

I have this problem also. I cannot "find and replace" through Auctiva, because the Shipping Details are IN THE PROFILE. The Profile is *NOT* part of the description when you go thru Auctiva's interface, it is separate.

However, when you go through eBay's new "find and replace" tool, it *IS* seen as part of the description, and html formatting doesn't seem to matter. I was able to find & replace a sentence that mentioned shipping insurance on multiple items that had the sentence in there. Some items did not have all of the Auctiva Seller Details that made it to the actual listings, it just ended with the description field (another glitch).

What I'm wondering is, if I edit it through eBay's find & replace, when time comes for the item to relist, which it does through Auctiva, will my replaced text be erased and replaced with the original???? Or will my changes keep?

Edit your profile and then if it replaces your eBay edit, it will still be correct.

booklady

That just makes too much sense. :-)

I have edited my Seller Profile. So hopefully it will 'replace' when items are relisted?

I've looked at the archives on the numerous questions people asked about this same issue, and most of the posts are old and the software interface seems to have changed since then. I see instructions for things which do not appear to be here anymore, such as a "Get HTML" button in the bulk edit area. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

Well, if I can edit my 5,000 listings with eBay's find & replace tool (It's about time they allowed editing of descriptions!), and as long as Auctiva won't replace them with the old info, it should be okay.

Good luck.. mine would not work through Auctiva, through Ebay or through Turbo. . pieces would work.. I have ended store listings and am fixing and relisting. .was too confusing trying to figure out which ones it worked on.

Auctiva told me their system should have worked on Seller Profiles too. . not just description.

If others are having problem. .please write in. . because even if not fixed now.. when next fix comes along it may not work for you either.

I was told only 3-4 people are having problems and think only 3-4 people are vocalizing about it.

Good luck.