eBay-for-iPad - 'reinvented' version-3-4-0 is a disgrace! Dont 'upgrade' folks :(

So I've updated the new eBay App on my iPad and to my great horror eBay have totally stripped it of all its functionality, like prominent info on bids, watchers, payments etc. Its now a dumbed down version with gigantic pictures and a homepage full of suggestions and 'collections' not relevant to me.

It used to be such a useable app that I preferred it for all my eBay activities over the website. Now it looks like they've hired the studio intern to produce a version thats great for 9yr old girls! It's a horrible mess for sellers especially, but I also suspect many buyers wont be happy either.

If you look on eBay's iPad forums, or read the reviews in Apples App Store its World War III!!! Out of about 300 reviews they are all 1 Star apart from about 10. Thats crazy. There doesn't seem to be any path back to the old version 3.3.3 unless you have an iTunes back-up of it. Anyone else having issues?

If you haven't upgraded yet I would strongly urge you to read all the problems first as at the moment there is no going back easy

Heres a link to the forum:

https://getsatisfaction.com/ebaymobile/topics/ebay-for-ipad-reinvented-version-3-4-0

 

Wow, I read those comments. It's really disgusting when a company makes a change to something that they know will not benefit the customer, and they must know this is an awful new downgraded app.

 

Blerg. Too late for me...but I did just turn off app auto-update

 

They still haven't responded directly to the major complaints. I've had to go back to the website to monitor my auctions as the app doesn't show me any bids from an overview page. You have to click on each item to see if you have bids or watchers. It's really useless for sellers. The only thing they didn't change is the way you actually upload items to sell, but of course buyers won't see this part, unless they sell too.

 

Whoops! Enjoy....

 

I think this is all part of eBays grand plan to compete with Amazon. They want it to be harder and more expensive for the little guys (you know the ones like us who made their business what it is). I think that's why they've removed all the functionality from the App. It's the big retailers $$$ business they want now, and they won't be using silly little iPad apps to upload a secondhand vinyl LP like me. So why bother with me now. I'm irrelevant to the new eBay order

 

How depressing, and I'd like to believe you exaggerating a tad. But you are not. I've been reading for many years now about the treatment if small sellers at the bay. I've had an ok experience selling myself without having to accept loss as a standard "cost of doing business." Glad I don't use a phone app to list items.

 

I never used to before I got an iPad. But it really made it easy having all the pics and info to hand. The app made it all very easy, so I stopped using the website much. I'll still use the App to upload items but will have to return to the website to keep an eye on things as the app is now useless on that front. Shame really. So far the phone version is unchanged but I find that less easy to use for listing. Fortunately I don't really sell lots of stuff now, and just keep within my 30 items for free. It's a hobby. If they stopped doing that promotion I wouldn't bother. I'm sure that's next for the chopper!

 

Those free listings are what is confusing. I have my 1 to 50 items to work with a month if I feel like it. Why would I get 50 free listings if they would like to get rid of me? I think I might be on a list of desirable low level sellers. Not to boast. But I have had big ticket items in several categories and the transactions all went well. $1,800 each on coins books, $300 to $700 LPs once in a while. I bring merch not already on the site. I try and skip listing any records if there are too many currently listed.

The sellers eBay wants to dump might be sellers of more common items and small tickets, or have had more than one or two deals gone bad with refunds given. They must have a list of red flags that they use against sellers. They can't just want all small time sellers out. The fees are important to shays bottom line.

 

I have to keep selling as I have too much (junk) stuff that is sellable and not a part of the good collection.

I grabbed a lot of thrift store extras when you could find decent stuff. And have sold the bulk of best of it. But I still have stuff that I can get $15 to $35 a record for on Amazon, and I can place some of it on eBay as well. The leftover records are now starting to get hotter. So since I am the only one who would mine cash out of these old records -- I need to do it. No relatives would bother with the lowest junk if I died. It would go back to the thrift stores where it came from.

So I need Amazon and eBay as well as other venues to cash out this last bottom of the barrel black gold I an siting on. I can't ditch these online stores if I wanted to.

 

I agree with most of the other comments, the new app is terrible.

Disclaimer: one person's gender stereotyping is another's target marketing. Having said that it looks like they're trying to become less of a male-focused web site, based on the softer and lighter colored features on the opening pages.

At their best, eBay is a combination of a small-seller-storefront, factory outlet for mass market &snitches brands, and on line yard sale.

IMO, they're making a mistake if they get away from this.

 

I meant "and niche", not &snitches. iOS 8 apparently has some bugs in their dictation program, and I shouldn't post before the coffee kicks in.

 

I have to admit I don't care for it. I've gone back to using the web browser rather than the app

 

Some people on the eBay user forum linked to in post #1 above have tracked down the design team who created this abomination...

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland...akes-lead-role-as-ebay-reimagines-mobile.html

What's scary is this line.....

So that will be the end of eBay as we know it. I'm assuming that statement means the web site.

And this line sums it up......design process in reverse!

Another eBay user forum poster writes....

 

"So far, he is pleased with the performance of the app"

Does this mean from a customer perspective or software/technical perspective?

 

Or the success of the adds featured in the new design?

 

It's an odd thing to say as it's obvious the customer feedback is terrible. So he must mean how it is working. In this case working well at giving me stuff I don't want and working well at not giving me the info I need. hmmmm....

 

I just did a quick check of the reviews given in the Apple (AUSTRALIAN) App Store. Currently 725 all with average 1.5 stars (out of 5) you would have thought they would have responded by now. The USA App Store has 3500 bad reviews! Everyone is saying the exact same thing. It is very clear what is wrong. But no. The sound of one hand clapping....

Another eBay forum user writes....

 

I currently use an iPad.I hate apps!All of them.Just give me good old fashioned web browsing,and basic uploading.That's all I ask.

 

They still haven't updated the app, ignoring 7000+ bad reviews and exclusively negative posts on their own user forum. Amazing...

Thanks for listening eBay!

 

eBay is undergoing a change. They are not having the growth that they have always depended on. Profits are still there but not growing like they used to. Investors want out now.

So I expect to see few changes for better of worse. PayPal is being sold off, before eBay is acquired by takeover.

eBay finally reached the peak of what they can do. They now know it's downhill from here.

 

I knew they'd 'updated' something cos even the website got bugs in it and a few changes.
More nails in the coffin Ebay.
Still waiting for a viable alternative.

 

Major layoffs have been announced recently.

The alternatives are Amazon (where I do well with vinyl and CDs), Discogs, and forums like this one.

I've been doing well on Amazon with even obscure titles. Condition must be tops is the only thing, but that's the same anywhere right.

 

We don't have Amazon .AU

 

You have nothing within a thousand miles if in Aust. Very unfortunate location. But it's nice there!