Updates to Searching on eBay Coming in April

The title of this post is the title of a message that I just received from eBay. In the message, eBay explains that the new search has everything the old search has but is better. More specifically, eBay states that the new search has "Better results--you'll see more relevant items." Let's discuss this.

In a recent post, I explained what I noticed about the new search in comparison with the old search. I wrote:

Since the number of results were low for "Textbook, Education," I used that subcategory to compare the results. In the old search, four results were returned and only one of them was a result that had little to do with Nancy Drew, How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen. The other three results all contained Nancy Drew books.

In the new search, nine results were returned: the three results from the old search that contained Nancy Drew books and six results that did not contain Nancy Drew books. The six results were three listings for How Reading Changed My Life plus two listings for As We Remember Her: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and one listing for First-Aid Kit for Mothers. So the new search returned the three relevant items from the old search plus five additional irrelevant items that the old search did not return.

EBay tells me that I will see more relevant items. By my own observations, I will see more items, but those items are irrelevant.

The second point eBay makes in the message is that "New options on the left side of the page make it easy to expand or narrow results." I opted into the new search again to see what is on the left side of the page that makes it better. Honestly, I do not know. I'm not trying to be difficult; it just does not look that different to me. I think the place to select auctions versus stores or Buy It Now is in a different location, but the page seems to have the same functionality.

The third point made by eBay is that "Snapshot View enables you to get a quick glance at the results." I am lost on this one. I see nowhere to find a "snapshot view," unless eBay means that little window that sometimes opens up for me on the saved searches page when I am trying to see all of the search results. Maybe that is it. I do not want to see a sample of the results; I want to see all of them.

The fourth and final point made by eBay is that "Now you can select multiple brands or colors to see what you want faster." This is good for people who are searching for new items, especially clothing. I cannot see how it is going to help a buyer of vintage books. This final point just proves that eBay wishes to cater to the buyers and sellers of new items and is not interested in helping people like me.