Why do I even bother with Ebay?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Why do I even bother with Ebay?

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I find AI and searching has made search results mainly meaningless on many sites. When I first started using Google, they had an option to search within results, it worked great. They did away with that feature, I assume so you could get more useless hits on searches.

gtodrive · Guru

I was beginning to think it was just me! I am relieved to hear that it is a real thing! You are right Carl, Ebay searching has gone from useful to useless. Thanks for sharing your experience with Ebay and confirming that I'm not crazy...well, at least not about Ebay. biggrin

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Funny how it seems everything is going backwards. I haven't used Ebay in a long time. I was replacing a cylinder head on a Briggs engine and wasn't sure which pushrod goes where (one is aluminum). I did a search and the AI told me to put the aluminum pushrod on the exhaust side. To double check I asked a friend who fixes these engines all the time. WRONG! The exhaust side has a stronger valve spring and will destroy an aluminum pushrod. "Garbage in, Garbage out"
It's almost impossible to get decent results on a search engine. It's more important than ever to have factory service manuals for whatever you are working on.

Dave Rose · Addicted!

I just go on to see what prices are like-lately though when i punch in 70 Chevelle parts-a bunch of Ford items come up-and have to scroll down most of the page to see an actual part.
Keep on Cruising!!!
Dave

65 SD L79 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I do buy most of my parts off EBay but realize the search button is broken and it's frustrating

mrford · Addicted!

Yes it's not what it once was total waste of time seems everything comes up that your not looking for an when you do find it it's that GLOBAL SHIPPING OVER CHARGING ! This is a good one I live in Vancouver BC I bought some upholstery out of Portland for a car 315 miles away it gets shipped south the opposite way to LA 963 miles I thought maybe they will put it on a plane from there to Vancouver but then it goes east to CHICAGO 1740 MILES then to TORONTO 510 MILES then to Vancouver 2650 miles all by ground shipping for a TOTAL OF 5863 MILES, AN that was USPS 3 1/2 weeks later I got it thank god it was correct stuff so much for going green !

LT1Caddy · Poncho Master!

mrford wrote:
Yes it's not what it once was total waste of time seems everything comes up that your not looking for an when you do find it it's that GLOBAL SHIPPING OVER CHARGING ! This is a good one I live in Vancouver BC I bought some upholstery out of Portland for a car 315 miles away it gets shipped south the opposite way to LA 963 miles I thought maybe they will put it on a plane from there to Vancouver but then it goes east to CHICAGO 1740 MILES then to TORONTO 510 MILES then to Vancouver 2650 miles all by ground shipping for a TOTAL OF 5863 MILES, AN that was USPS 3 1/2 weeks later I got it thank god it was correct stuff so much for going green !

Let me TRY to explain this "air miles extravaganza" for you.

California clearing house for other states is LA. Clearing house for the World is Chicago. Clearing house for CP is Toronto and then you get to Vancouver.

If you send a book in the USA there is a "book rate". But to get this book rate the product has to go thru kansas (!@#!@#) I'm north Of TO. I bought a book in Northern Ohio. It was shipped to Pittsburgh, then Philadelphia, then NY (La Guardia) then Atlanta, THEN to Kansas. Now to Chicago, then Windsor, then TO and finally to me.

BUT I can top that... During C19, I bought a vent window actuator in Connecticut, it went to 13 (thirteen) destinations, 4 in Florida, before crossing the border in Montreal to get lost for two weeks and show up a month after it was sent............... You are NOT crazy, the rest of the world is LOL

GLHS60 · Poncho Master!

Could this be one??

Thanks

Randy

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/355683369276?itmmeta=01HYTNJ7WYZVWCRB91N7TC1K9K&hash=item52d061813c:g:YJcAAOSwwrFmM64J&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4OSKr1CtIAbS%2F9dMrDy%2B%2BtBQ9jgKwtVXR4YWCgaUGutCN3z9yxn66b9h5jWz6rAkRTZ2G20dTT0XqV52Bd%2Fggr9WjHQvZ1gCKYynvtYd0DpU7GJN8osZzhBVqwYBG5g5La7ZESt2rCfuNX8eYPzmaVlmnaeW%2FRrAxIXCeRmap40u20Y%2FBnuapw2T3IqT4LLgzAgou6PRAtMMYJ8W055x8KQOht5EaOOExOY%2BN6lavGSgLg8ijeGpZtEcVOUW%2B4tPrKXPYUj%2F2Oa5412K%2BZ0T94nRLjTjBlrJiDds22DKxIVg%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8b-yNX2Yw

eBay item number:355683369276

-- Edited by GLHS60 on Sunday 26th of May 2024 09:46:41 AM

Bob F · Guru

Try reading up on advanced ebay searches using stuff like "boolean logic". IT ain't my forte but some of these tips should be helpful.

https://etutorials.org/Misc/ebay+hacks/Chapter+2.+Searching/Hack+9+Focus+Your+Searches+with+eBay+s+Advanced+Search+Syntax/

Just trying to be helpful and improve my mood - my plan to attend the Calgary Firebird show today has been rained out. - Bob

unruhjonny · Guru

eBay's search engine has been boogered up for many years.

I believe that the problem is that it's pushing listings that sellers have paid to get promoted - what ever the reason, it SUCKS.

I use picclick.ca - it's an eBay crawler, and does a much better job of finding items related to your search term.

PLEASE NOTE(!!);

picclick.ca is for "Canadian" ebay listings, or listings specifically that are done in a way that Canada is one of the shipping destinations;
you can get totally different hits by flipping to picclick.com - which is for USA listings, or listings from American sellers which do not specifically state they will ship to Canada.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Thanks for that tip Johnathan. Pretty cool.

unruhjonny · Guru

I'm happy to help.
I joined eBay in '99 when I first started having regular internet access;
I learned of eBay in 1998.

The search engine used to be a LOT better;
These days I NEVER use their search engine - it's totally useless.