posted on October 9, 2001 11:30:53 AM new
I received an email from ebay today informing me I was outbid but here's some items with similar titles. I knew ebay was doing this and have seen a lot of comments posted but this is the first one I've actually received.
The problem I'm having is that their suggestions have nothing to do with my bid. What exactly are they doing to match up items? This seems like a pretty useless service... or disservice to the original seller if ebay actually got the items right.
I bid on a live coral for a saltwater aquarium. What I got for "similar" suggestions was a leather bomber jacket and 7 different audio CDs of which none matched on the artist. There was nothing similar about the original auction title and the suggestion titles.
Thank you ebay for finding new ways to annoy buyers and sellers.
posted on October 9, 2001 04:20:02 PM new
That is interesting.
Doesn't really seem a fair way to handle things. I know, I know nobody ever said eBay was fair.
Say you are outbid on the aquarium and they send a list of other seller's auctions who were selling the same or a very similar item (not leather coats or whatever).
Surely not every seller who is selling the same aquarium would be on the list. How do you get to be the chosen few who make the list that is sent to those who have been outbid?
I think I smell potential new fees here somewhere!
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posted on October 9, 2001 05:45:50 PM newLMAO,
Another whacko eBay marketing idea!
Isn't there a tropical saltwater fish called a Leather Jacket?
As for the music how about
[i]A Yellow Submarine
Crocodile Rock
Sailing
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay[/i]
Just to name a few!
posted on October 9, 2001 07:03:12 PM new
They come from a search engine that a genetic clone of Gracie Allen programmed. She wrote the code so that the program will choose what it believes to be are keywords in the auction and to find similar auctions.
If you look carefully at the so called similar auctions you will find the "keywords".
I have only gotten a few of these bizarre emails. The strangest was when I bid on a lamp and got a bunch of shoe auctions.
