posted on August 24, 2002 02:43:12 PM new
I came across an ad a moment ago, to me it was long-winded and hard to read. My frind thinks it is a great ad... Please someone, is this the way you like your ads? It looks to me like they typed half the book for the ad..1557520947
posted on August 24, 2002 03:26:15 PM new
I just checked out all his past auctions. They are all just like it! I can't even imagine how long it takes him to list an item. But he does get a few fair bids...
posted on August 24, 2002 03:28:36 PM new
Would also bet he spends virtually no time answering questions about his items. If all the information is up front, there are very few inquiries. If the ad is short, always seem to be endless ones.
posted on August 24, 2002 03:31:34 PM new
Much to Long--------I would never read that. In fact it took to long to load also. Just a short few words about the book would be fine and then if anyone wants more information you can say "email me if you need more information or have questions to ask".
posted on August 24, 2002 03:32:37 PM new
It's overkill - and no pun intended. I would not bid on this auction as it is not only obnoxious and tiresome, but could be construed as an insult to anyone's intelligence. (Not even to mention the annoying senselessness of all the over-sized and ultra-over-sized font.) Of course, this is a pet peeve of mine anyway; when will sellers realize that most buyers can only look at one auction at a time? It's not like there was another one on the same page that we could 'minimize' by physically overshadowing it.
Mind you, I only scanned the seemingly endless list of recipes, but I didn't really see what would amount to keyword spamming - legal or otherwise.
In my mind (and I may have the wrong perception), keyword spamming would be a list like Kennedy Lobster, Pie a la Dior, and Hotel Hussein Cuisine, etc. Even if these were the real names of the recipes, it would be "legal keyword spamming" to list them in order to make the listing come up in an unrelated search.
But how many browsers will type in "oxtails" unless they are, indeed, looking for food-related items, most especially recipes?
IMHO, a list of chapter titles would have been too much, but a list of the individual recipes is over the moon.
We see so many of these needlessly long "descriptions" that it makes you wonder when eBay will start limiting item descriptions to x number of characters or inches of space. (sigh)
Just my opinion (which is what you asked for, I believe).
posted on August 24, 2002 10:30:27 PM new
Ohmygod! The worst I've ever seen. Gosh. And then he doesn't offer to send it media mail for a set price. AND HE HAS THE NERVE TO CALL A 1953 BOOK "ANTIQUARIAN"!!! What does that make us, Grandma Moses???
Do you suppose he has software that allows him to scan all that information which he's copied from the book (and is it copyright infringement?) so he doesn't have to type it in manually?
posted on August 24, 2002 10:58:10 PM new
They have good feedback. Maybe a neater idea would have been to photograph a side view to show the thickness of the book. Possibly scan a clickable pic of the list of recipes instead of all the print.
He doesn't mention if he uses media rate. I'd hate to pay Priority to ship that brick.
posted on August 25, 2002 08:57:07 AM new
Your opinions on the auction description being too long are valid, but it means little if this is not an item you have an interest in.
However, if you are in the market for a cookbook, and you are unable to leaf through the one offered, then a longer ad might be enough to convince someone to bid.
Laugh if you will, I like to see some of the recipes before buying to determine if the author uses common ingredients, or exotic hard-to-find ones; and to see if everything takes hours to prepare, or can be done on the run.
These things are important to the buyers of the item being discussed, and many potential bidders will be happy the seller took the time to deal with issues of concern.
Anyone else will not appreciate what this seller is doing. His selling record shows that he knows how to please his customers, if not the critics.
posted on August 26, 2002 09:23:35 AM new"I like to see some of the recipes before buying to determine if the author uses common ingredients, or exotic hard-to-find ones; and to see if everything takes hours to prepare, or can be done on the run."
I agree with you 100%, and was somewhat interested in the book myself! (Too late now, though.)
But I don't see any of that information anywhere in the description. Am I missing something?
