PROBLEM: Description Disappers after Listing!

Hi stakhovych, Can you leave a link to your active ebay listing so we can see it. If it doesnt show up for us either...your best bet is to go ahead and just enter the description in ebays editor to at least get it on there. Also I just want to ask, did you change the color of the description text when making the listing or was it set to automatic? Please post your link here so we can see it.

Hello Westvatexan,
Here is my last listed item: 110004393610. As you see all description was cutted. Here is my old listing: 110004394439; here is everything correct.
I noticed this problem after adding by Auctiva additional features to their service.
So, I have to go to every listed item and manually add description via eBay. It is not suitable for me because I have to list a lot.
About colors in listing: I created html in external editor and inserted in Auctive, so there is no way Auctive can make it automatically.
I tried to clean all coockies, cache and temporary files, but no success.
Regards,
Stanislav

Which additional features did you add? Any chance there could be something wrong with the code you created? (Although, if it's the same code you used for that previous listing then I guess not.)

I like your template layout, though, very nice.

Hello Rick,
Thank you for you kind words about my layout. I spent some time to create it.

I did not add any additional features. I used the same descriptions and the same templetes as before but now the description disapperas.
Also I noticed starnge behavior of Auctiva in Firefox and IE 6.

Firefox 1.5.
In Item Description section I cannot add anything. My templates contain some general info and I cannot even edit it. Moreover, If I try to switch to Text Mode to insert new html code with description - nothing happens, it does not switch.

IE 6.
Here the problem is different. I can edit description, but when I try to Preview the listing it disappears (in the same way as in listed listings).

Earlier I experienced only problems with IE, but now even Firefox does not allow me to post.

Do anybody have similar problems?

Stanislav

Oh, I see, you mean the problems started since the recent Auctiva updating.

Is your copy of Firefox the most recent? I know some people that had problems with it got them fixed by updating FF.

Also, I think I have heard of the disappearing problem (somewhere here on the forums) but I don't remember any other details, sorry. You might try searching for "disappear" or "disappearing" and "description".

stakhovych, Can you place your code for your listing here: http://www.practiceboard.com

And leave the url it gives you here so we can see the code for it...wayoutwest is real good with html coding..he can probably tell you what the problem is and if not someone on auctivas staff will most likely be able to.

oh sure, volunteer me why dontcha?! Next you'll be wanting a pint o' blood!

j/k

Thank you for trying me to help!

I don't know if the code can help to find the origin of troubles, but still, here us a link:
http://www.practiceboard.com/?4012139

I really appreciate you help, guys.

Stanislav

It looks like you took an auctiva template and possibly modified it?

If so, problem could be that it's missing the description tag.

Course, it should reject it from being posted with a 'must have one and only one description tag' error msg.

assuming this is a customized template, could you post your template on practiceboard?

Thats what I was thinking also wayoutwest...but I dont know enough about html to know for sure..Im so html illiterate..its seriously scary..lol.

By the way, I love to volunteer other people for stuff....I wanna make sure everyones hair falls out before mine does...lmao....just kiddin!...I suggested you because I can tell you got this code stuff down pretty good. I wish you lived next door so I could come over and have you baby step me into it....lol Like you need something else to do right?...lol

quote:

Originally posted by Westvatexan:
Thats what I was thinking also wayoutwest...but I dont know enough about html to know for sure..Im so html illiterate..its seriously scary..lol.

By the way, I love to volunteer other people for stuff....I wanna make sure everyones hair falls out before mine does...lmao....just kiddin!...I suggested you because I can tell you got this code stuff down pretty good.

*aw shucks* thanks. Dont know near as much as I'd like to, though.

quote:

I wish you lived next door so I could come over and have you baby step me into it....lol Like you need something else to do right?...lol

LMAO! too funny esp. when you consider just how far behind i am on everything - laf!

If you have the spare change to buy it, the very best book I've ever found for html is the one by O'Reilly Publishing. Dont remember the exact name of it, but has a drawing of a koala on the front cover.

There's a few different editions, with the latest including a section on xml. The version I have is an older one, so dunno if the newer edition is as good (but would reckon it is). Very well laid out, things that belong together are put together, etc.

So many html books are just all over the place instead of starting with basics and building on them. (ie: might start with tables, and then tell you about tags like <br> and <b> and then jump to bullets, and then how to do italics. And so many of them dont have an easy to use reference. O'Reilly even came with a handy, tear-out, reference sheet (dunno if new edition has that or not)

So, like I said, O'Reilly book is best html book i've ever bought; my copy is very dog-eared from so much use.

edit to add - link to current edition http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/html5/index.html

just saw on oreilly site that they have buy 2 get 1 free - coupon code: OPC10

and a link to read books online and can read full text (well, kinda, looks like they limit you to 5 chapters a month) It's a paid service, but has 14 day trial. Just click the Read Online button under the Add to Cart buttons.

Guys,
I found something interesting and probably you are absolutely right that problem could be in html. Even if I don't use any templates but insert by own description it fails.

Right now I did the following:
1. Created blank listing (without any templates)
2. Inserted the following html:
<p align="center">Hello</p>
3. Pressed Preview button and everything was ok. I see Hello word and it is centered.

Then I tried my description which I was using in almost all my listing before.
1. Created blank listing
2. Inserted my own description prepared in FrontPage. Here it is:
http://www.practiceboard.com/?4013042
3. Pressed Preview button ... and NO DESCRIPTION!

It is logically to conclude that problem is in html. So, I'm asking for your help, wayoutwest! Please, what is wrong here? I was using this html for half a year but now it does not work.

Thank you in advance,
Stanislav

After some experiments with html I found the reason of all troubles. Only one part of a code coused a conflict. Here is a link:
http://www.practiceboard.com/?4014054
May be you could take a look and explain why it happened?
Thanks.

could you post your template on practiceboard?

I succed description not to disappear, but now I have another problem - I cannot post. I have API error. I also contributed to threat 'API error'.

wayoutwest,
I cannot understand how I can give a code of template. I can give an html of description and the html of the whole posting. But how can I show code for only template. May be I just understand it wrong. Help.

are you using a custom template or one provided by auctiva?

It looks like you took one provided by auctiva and modified it, but I am unsure.

If you modified an auctiva template, then I need the html code you used for template.

To get html code for template, go to http://www.auctiva.com/listings/template_managecustom.aspx and click edit next to template you use. On the next page, if you see pictures in the box, then click "Switch to : Text Mode"

This will show you html for your template.

If you did not modify an auctiva template, then I need the html code you used in description.

No, No, No

I use standart templates and very simple. That is why I'm wondering. I did not change anything, but the problem remains. I will try to figure out with the code and will give a link soon.

okay. my next question is

the html you put in description box, can you post that in practiceboard?

Here is all html that is involved into listing creation:

1. Description html:
http://www.practiceboard.com/?4021737

2. Terms of Use html:
http://www.practiceboard.com/?4021748

3. Template html (unmodefied):
http://www.practiceboard.com/?4021769

This is all code that I use in my listing. Nothing less, nothing more and I have API error!
I'm really frustrated. I spent several days and still the problem is not resolved!

every ebay site has different rules, and I dont know which ebay site youre listing on, but if you are listing on ebay.com, this is against the rules "or international money transfers like Western Union".

Other than that, I see absolutely nothing wrong with your code.

I have opened a support ticket asking auctiva folks to visit this thread and see if they can help you.

I'm sorry it's taken so long and I'm sorry that I wasn't more help.

was going back over your posts on this thread to see if i missed something.

where you posted this: http://www.practiceboard.com/?4014054

Reason why nothing shows up for that code is because there isnt anything there to show. The "We Accept PayPal" is in head section. (and <head> sections dont do anything on ebay)
and <title> only means "take this text and put it in blue bar at top of browser window" And ebay uses its own <head> section and its own <title> tags.

That still doesnt explain your other problems though.

quote:

Originally posted by stakhovych:
Guys,
I found something interesting and probably you are absolutely right that problem could be in html. Even if I don't use any templates but insert by own description it fails.

Right now I did the following:
1. Created blank listing (without any templates)
2. Inserted the following html:
<p align="center">Hello</p>
3. Pressed Preview button and everything was ok. I see Hello word and it is centered.

Then I tried my description which I was using in almost all my listing before.
1. Created blank listing
2. Inserted my own description prepared in FrontPage. Here it is:
http://www.practiceboard.com/?4013042
3. Pressed Preview button ... and NO DESCRIPTION!

It is logically to conclude that problem is in html. So, I'm asking for your help, wayoutwest! Please, what is wrong here? I was using this html for half a year but now it does not work.

Thank you in advance,
Stanislav

since <head> tags dont do anything in ebay, here's html without that and without <html> tag and without <body> tag.

ebay's usually pretty good about just ignoring those, though.

http://www.practiceboard.com/?4027095

quote:

Originally posted by stakhovych:
Nothing less, nothing more and I have API error!
I'm really frustrated. I spent several days and still the problem is not resolved!

So you have API error AND description disappearing? or is description no longer disappearing?

API error could be because of saying you accept Western Union.

I hate to barge in...well, really I don't.

Have you scanned for any viruses, do you have the eBay tool bar, do you have pop up blockers going?

I'm trying to think of something that would keep this site from working for you.

Good Luck,
Donna

quote:

Originally posted by wayoutwest:
was going back over your posts on this thread to see if i missed something.

where you posted this: http://www.practiceboard.com/?4014054

Reason why nothing shows up for that code is because there isnt anything there to show. The "We Accept PayPal" is in head section. (and <head> sections dont do anything on ebay)
and <title> only means "take this text and put it in blue bar at top of browser window" And ebay uses its own <head> section and its own <title> tags.

That still doesnt explain your other problems though.

This was a code which caused the problem of disappeared descriptions. I removed it and the problem gone.

quote:

Originally posted by wayoutwest:

quote:

Originally posted by stakhovych:
Nothing less, nothing more and I have API error!
I'm really frustrated. I spent several days and still the problem is not resolved!

So you have API error AND description disappearing? or is description no longer disappearing?

Now I have only API error. Description is fine.
Today I will try your suggestion to remove Western Union way of payment.
Thank you for ideas.
As soon as I try this solution I will post the result.
API error could be because of saying you accept Western Union.

VICTORY!!!!!

The reason of API error were words 'Western Union' in my description. It is forbidden to accept WU. Actually I never accepted WU and I even don't know why I included it.

Guys, thank you everybody who participated in solving my problem! I'm very pleased! You are the best! Thank you once again!!!!!

Stanislav

phew! glad it's all fixed

more than welcome for the help. sorry it took so much time.