Flawed eBay Motors Search!

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eBay motors new search function....
tsmith0820 (12 ) View Listings | Report Mar-26-05 13:09 PST
I for one liked the old search function MUCH beter than the new one for finding vehicles. Try searching for a specific make and model in a range of years and you cant... just make and model. Call me crazy but some people are looking though a broad range of cars to find the one they want. I typicaly do searches for 1994-1995 Mustang Cobra... Right now I'm looking for a 99-02 Full Size 3/4 ton pickup with under 55k miles. This is next to imposible to do with the new search function. What they should have done is added to the old search to make miles a searchable catagory with a high and low range (wouldnt be hard since it is entered when the vehicle is put up for auction), just like year used to be. The only improvement I can see is the addition of searchable distance. This is about 5 step backward and 1 forward.

Just my 2 cents,
Ty Smith

1 replies Date posted Reply #
rapparts (1269 ) View Listings | Report Mar-26-05 16:21 PST 1 of 1
tsmith:

This feature is a NIGHTMARE for antique/vintage car and truck parts!! I'm in the process of writing a very descriptive letter to Mr. Cobb and company!! This is the same BS they pulled on us when Motors was rolled out 5 years ago, when they originally wanted the antique car people to enter a year/make/model for the part they were listing!

As knowlegeable CAR PEOPLE are aware -- the extremely broad applications of year/make/model in the antique parts is in no way compatible with that damn parts finder!

Not only that -- but because it is now "in your face" on the Motors home page, and in prominent search areas -- the new, or non-computer/Ebay-savvy person will most probably take the results at face value, and not go into an advanced search function.

Since we don't LIST our parts according to the "parts finder" attributes -- they're not necessarily going to be picked up! I tried it on several of my auctions that were running last week - and they were NOT included in search results. Since I know how flawed the system is, I type in ALL years, makes, models, etc. in my descriptions - so they might turn up in an advanced search, or "search title and description." A good number of sellers will not do this, because they're not aware of the system's flaws. The implication is that the "PARTS FINDER" will turn up everything listed for your search request -- and there should be a "NOTICE/WARNING" indicating that "...antique/vintage car/truck parts that have broad-range years/applications MIGHT NOT show up in this search..." advising people to search further.

Examples of broad applications for ONE part --

Housing Gaskets that apply to assorted years: 1925-1949, Chrysler, DeSoto, Plymouth, Dodge, 4, 6 & 8.

Pedal pads that fit 1932-1942 Ford B-4, V8, Lincoln, Lincoln Zephyr, Studebaker Champion....

Carb/manifold gaskets for assorted years 1933-1955 Pontiac 6, 8, and Nash.

Gear Cover Gaskets for Chrysler/DeSoto/Dodge Passenger and Truck/Plymouth - 1948-1962

Gaskets for 1935-1948 Graham, Reo, Continental, Kaiser Frazer

Housing Gaskets for 1923-1928 (assorted years) for Maxwell, Chrysler, Plymouth

Gaskets for 1931-1936 Oldsmobile 6 and LaSalle 8

Gaskets for 1935-1949 assorted years - Graham, Reo, Silver Crown, Continental, Kaiser-Frazer

Parts for Buick 6, GMC Truck, Yellow Coach, assorted years 1929-32

and my personal favorite: A Vellumoid set for: 1931-35 Buick 8, 50, 1934-36 Buick 40; 1934 LaSalle 8, 1929-1930 Marquette 6, 1930-1931 Oakland V8 1928-1936 Oldsmobile 6, 1929-1932 Pontiac 6.

The problem is that NOBODY in Motors has any comprehension, hands-on, or working experience with antique/vintage cars. In fact - Motors doesn't even acknowledge that this category exists.

I've decided -- I don't want them to touch my category, or to try to improve/isolate it -- because history being proof -- they'll "f" it up. I just want them to leave it alone, and have a "WARNING LABEL" on their parts finder -- or at least a comment stating that the finder is not necessarily compatible with antique/vintage parts.

Mr. Cobb -- Simon -- Motors -- are you reading this?