You have added something?

Hi leahyrlw,

We're adding the "Description" and "Shipping & Payment" headers to all of our templates. If you would like to use a tempalte without these headers, you can create one via the following process:

1) Go to the Listing(tab) -> Manage(Custom Templates)
2) Create from Existing
3) Choose the template you want to modify.
4) Don't make any changes...just give it a name and save.

This template will now be available in your template library by selecting "Custom" from the category menu and will not contain the header images.

I hope this helps=)

-Mike

Thanks for your response Mike. I'm sorry to hear of the decision to insert these two boxes. They are redundant and frankly really look bad. I'm especially sorry that now I must create new listing instead of creating from similar. That renders all of my saved listings useless. I have over 400. Is there no way to avoid this?

leahyrlw,

There's not an easier way to do this. However, once you've created a custom template without those images in them, it's a pretty easy task to open a saved listing and just switch the template before you post.

We feel that these headers improve the appearance of our templates but I'm definitely sorry to hear you don't feel the same way, and for that, we apologize.

-Mike

Mike, FWIW, I agree with Leahyrlw
and I too have hundreds of ads that are now in need of editing through no fault of my own.

Thanks for the instructions. They work perfectly. I've done two now. One more question. The Active Ebay postings - will the new boxes be installed on my active postings or just on future postings dependent on what template I choose/

Hi leahyrlw,

They won't be added to your active listings...just the future ones that use our stock templates.

-Mike

Just wanted to say that I like this change, it was a welcome one on our part. On the template we use there is not a "box" though. We have changed the wording in our shipping and payment instructions of our description area a few times now, and it has gotten pretty tiring copying and pasting to update our listings. With this added feature, I am able to just make the change once to our shipping and payment details and have it added in to all future listings. Much simpler for me.

Just wanted to say "Thanks Auctiva!"

nightowls

I do not like it..... Description is unnecessary and looks bad I think. Pretty obvious that a description is going to be there. Shipping part is fine since a person, me, does not fill out that part and it does not show up on the ad.

I agree. A "Shipping" header is okay but "Description" is unnecessary. Seems kind of odd to "improve" the template I've chosen for my specific reasons. Why not add new copies of the templates with these features and make an announcement?

It doesn't bother me enough to go to the trouble of creating a new one myself but it's still disappointing.

I'll have to agree with Rick. This is something that hasn't improved since I started with Autiva. Why not simply create a new template, make an announcement of availability and let those who prefer the "new & redundant look" choose it. I currently have 433 active Ebay postings. I am now required to make adjustments to all of them in the create similar mode if I don't care for the new look. My only knowledge of this look came as I "happened to notice" it. I had the same experience when I "happened to notice" the checkout which was put on my account without disclosure and created all kinds of problems which cannot be corrected, but that's another subject. You guys really have a wonderful product here and your Auctiva support from the board is great, but the "will notice" method of doing business isn't a credit to you. I too find it very disappointing. I will continue to struggle along with you and hope for improvement in this particular area in the future. I still consider communication with clients a necessity.
Respectfully so

Thank Goodness! I am not the only one!! I hate those stupid boxes. They compete with the picture, make the whole add look cheap and I could not get them out of there even by creating a new or a custom template. The darn things are imbeded in the [description] code! Please make sure your custom template does not have that in it. Mine did.
I absolutely agree with the fact that a major change like this should not be done if we can't reverse it. At least we could have been told it was coming.It's too bad, it looked so nice before.Now I have to redo all my ads if I can change it back. If not I may be moving on.
Auctiva, please remove those from the [Description] token and let us choose!

Vera
Mermaidstudio1
Fine items for the discerning individual

Update:

I was now able to create a custom template without the boxes but could not do it yesterday. Tried several times, so something must have changed from the code end. Thank you!

Also, I thought I would be able to change the saved listings by changing the profile but that doesn't work with Auctiva (it did with another service I used). So, each saved listing has to be manually changed on an individual basis. Not an asset to us Sellers, not an asset to Auctiva as a service to Sellers. No respect for our time... Very, very disappointing. Maybe in the future, would you guys please do things differently? Make it a choice, don't force us to live with your choices or to have a ton of extra work simply because you thought it looks best. What is good for one may not be for others.

Thanks again, sorry for the rant but I am very annoyed with this.

Vera
MermaidsStudio1
Fine items for the discerning individual

NightOwls,

Please look at the template from the "Preview" link on a saved listing. You will see it there like it or not, unless you created a custom template and manually changed the template on each saved item. It does not show on active items on Ebay that were launched prior to the changes, but it will from now on until it is changed again or you change it yourself.

Regards,

Vera
MermaidsStudio1
Fine items for the discerning individual.

Mermaid,
Have you noticed that the border and "click here for supersize images" have turned from black to blue?

Oh, No!!! Whose bright idea was that?? It looks awful Why not leave it a neutral color that matches all templates? Black was fine, folks!

Now, how do I get that out of there? Please? Pretty Please??

Leahyrlw, thanks for the heads up. I had not noticed it.

Vera
MermaidsStudio1
Fine items for the discerning individual.

I asked and you can disable the border by going to my account - immages and click where it says to disable border, but that doesn't tell me how to make the "click here" black again.

Hi, The problem is like the black border, as much as I like the black wording. You can't change it back or to anything else because it is embeded in the [DESCRIPTION] token. That blue is awful. What are they doing??? This is insane. Everytime I look at my old listings, I am very pleased with the result and glad I found Auctiva. Not so sure right now. I would like to know why they are making these unnecessary changes instead of improving on say, combined check out, reports, etc? Let's leave well enough alone and improve what really needs to be improved, not what they "think" will look better. As I said before, what is good for one may not be good for all. This business is my livelyhood. I don't have time to live with other people's idea of what is best for me or take hours trying to find out how to redo my listings (work I considered done so I can add more items). If this happens a lot I would like to know before I invest any more of time here.

Sorry for the rant. I am now getting really mad.

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

Vera
MermaidsStudio1
Fine items for the discerning individual.

I have to agree with the general opinion on this board, if I wanted to add the word Descrption I could add it. I think it has more of an ebay novice look.

Night,

I saw your other posting. Follow the directions from Mike above and you will be able to remove the "Descritpion" box. Don't add anything to "Shipping" on the item page and you won't have the new "Shipping" show up. Now, for the ugly blue links, I don't have an answer yet. They actually used to match the template color. It was soooo nice then...


Vera
MermaidsStudio1
Fine Items for the discerning individual.

hi,

This is a follow up. I would love to be able to make all listings look like this one again:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5079...r4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT

Is it possible?

Thanks for the help.

Vera
MermaidsStudio1
Fine Items for the Discerning Individual.

Hi,

Just found out something else. If you use the stock template the color link doesn't change. It remains the color of the stock template theme. If you create a template following Mike's directions, it works great for removing the description JPG but it also alters the color of the border and the "Enlarge" link. It's a trade I haven't figured out yet. Does anyone have any ideas on this?

Any suggestions as to how we can remove the Description icon without affecting the color scheme for the links?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Vera
MermaidsStudio1
Fine Items for the discerning individual.

Mermaid,
I see that you are right. That's when the change started. My better half is looking elsewhere. The time itself spent on just waiting for things to load up is unacceptable. I have disabled the image border and still stay with that for now. Let me know if you find anything else. Thanks for your help.