Text editor changes listing format and text

Same here. Happens very often but I have learned to get around it by going in at the Ebay end and changed it. Somewhat troublesome but I don't know any ways of fixing it.

quote:

Originally posted by Genesisarts:
Same here. Happens very often but I have learned to get around it by going in at the Ebay end and changed it. Somewhat troublesome but I don't know any ways of fixing it.

I wish I could tell you a "fix" but there's not as of yet.

Cept the ones that Genesisarts mentioned. (nice to see your familiar face, errrr name Genesisarts)

It's a known bug and Auctiva is trying to work it out. If you search the forums thoroughly you'll see comments from staff.

My Best to both of you,
Donna

Also, it doesn't affect everybody but I have no idea what any of the determining factors may be..

I have also noticed this problem. My way around it is to not preview my listings. I just try to be really careful in the creation. I don't have the time to go back and fix every listing. I am pretty frustrated by this problem, to me it's like not having the preview option at all. I shouldn't complain though, Auctiva overall is the best!

Good solution KB.
I ALWAYS preview AND check eBay cost. You cannot imagine how many times I've caught errors doing both. Especially when I have a gallery in and don't mean to...the cost makes me do a double-take.

Nice input!
Thanks,
Donna

Hi Donna, Good to "see" you too.

The trouble is "what u see is what u get" isn't exactly what it's supposed to be. Many times the descriptions look fine under "designer mode", preview shows something totally different. If I go into "text mode", I will see millions of redundant codes inside. Have no idea how they got there. If I have time, I will clear them out as I often list similar items using saved listings.

I am looking forward to Auctiva fixing this bug.

Hi,

Yes, me too, have reported the problem also.

Rick

I see that code too. Funny thing is when I reported this to support the other day they had the nerve to tell me that I had a lot of excessive HTML in my description!

Uh, hello!!! Your text editor put it there you dolts!

I've spent more time trying to get one listing out than it's worth in the money I make. Now I know, everyone says "what do you want for free?" That doesn't really hold water here. Auctiva is part of eBays developer program. They get money, and not a small chunk, from ebay to create useful software for the eBay community. So even though they don't get the cash from us, they do get it which should make them somewhat accountable for poor software.

Now, is Auctiva really the best? I doubt it. Is it the best for free? Sure. But what other "free" options are there? Turbo Lister? Sure, if you don't mind all the fees for images and scheduling. Spare Dollar has a decent system that I used to use before I found Auctiva. Considering the frustration level here I'm beginning to wonder if I made a mistake in switching.

Well, off to yell at support yet again! Now the image uploaders don't work right. Geeesh, what's next.

I figured I should let you all know how I worked around this issue.

What I found that works, at least better than using the auctiva text editor, is to setup your listing text in MS Word. Include any graphics etc. that you had used in the auctiva editor.

Once you have it all typed up and looking good, do a spell check (a benefit of using Word) and then Ctrl-A (select all) and Ctrl-C (copy). Oh, don't worry if it goes across several pages. it will look fine in the listing.

Open up your listing editor in auctiva. In the listing you want to create place your cursor in the text editor and do a Ctrl-V (paste). If you get a message asking if you want to clean the text that you are copying from Word just cancel or say no. If you do clean it, the text format and fonts will change.

Now finish up your listing. Check the ebay fees if you wish. But DO NOT DO A PREVIEW from within the listing editor. This is what screws the listing up. Instead, save the listing. then go to your saved listings and select the checkbox next to the one you just did. Click on the Preview button and you will see you finished listing the way you set it up. Not the way the text editor decides to make it.

This seems to work well and though it is s couple more steps, it surely saves a ton of headches trying to figure out why things get screwed up.

Good luck everyone!

Rob

Oh Boy! I always read everything before I submit a question. I was thinking that my problem was minimal to what is already here. Then I realized these were all listed last year.

The problem I'm having in just the last week or so, as it has taken me this long to go back and forth. I am in the editor and typing when all of a sudden the bold will pop on. I have literally gone one letter at a time, to catch the bold before it starts and when I go back everything I have written is bold! I don't want everything bold does any one out there have any solutions?
I have always written up my articles in auctiva and previewed and I haven't had any problems at all!!!!! This one has me about ready to pull out all the hair I have - which isn't much!!!! Thank you in advance......

...do you know HTML at all?

So what are your suggestions about HTML?
Oh yeah, before going to do my thing in word I had my whole page running off the page, then word cut it way down, and none of my upgrades, corrections, additions - whatever you want to call them are not being saved and I basically have to write the whole thing again!

Man am I having a bad day! You only got the conclusion of my reply. What happened to the beginning?
Initially I said that I created several websites with HTML seven years ago. But I haven't been using it since, I just use the easy way! I tried after I wrote my plea to go and write the whole ad again in word. I did everything, it looked great. I pasted it in and then when I previewed it one line became two and none of the pictures transferred. I saved it as a web page in word, is that right or not?

A lot of times, we've found it easier just to click on the "text editor" link and manually take out the garbage HTML that we don't want. Then immediately save it before switching back to "Design editor".

That usually does the trick.

Thanks, I tried that but it didn't work. I'm not sure why, but I tried in several different places............ I don't know. I guess I need to just start all over again----extremely costly!

That's the solution. For instance, if you've got text that's bold and you didn't want it bold that means there's an extra [b] in there somewhere. If you find it and delete it that should take care of it.

You can also sometimes play with deleting spaces, backspacing, etc. But that can be a bit of a guessing game.

My biggest complaint about the editor is that it's WYSIWYG yet this extraneous formatting doesn't show up in the WYSIWYG view -- that makes no sense. It's annoying to not see it until the listing is previewed.

Just a suggestion...get a good html editor.
coffeecup
Free to try, cheap to buy.
Also there is a newer version of the editor that Auctiva maybe could install, which might help. Try it, if you have time and see what it generates.
FCKeditor demo