As part of our ongoing efforts to make eBay an easier and safer place to shop, we’re working on giving eBay.ie a new look and some new features.

Find what you want
eBay will be changing the way its search function works, with improved matching that gives better search results.

Previously, buyers only saw search results where the item title keywords exactly matched their search terms. For example, a search for a term like ‘MP3 Players’ would not return items with specific titles like ‘Apple iPod Nano 8GB’. Search now looks at the category an item is listed in and any item specifics the seller provides so that buyers are more likely to find what they want. Find out more about how the new search looks and works.

We are also introducing a new sort order mechanism for displaying your items, called Best Match. The aim of Best Match is to present the most relevant items to buyers first, based on the popularity of the items. eBay.ie will continue to display items from Irish sellers first, and within the Irish items, they will be in order of Best Match.

Easier Browsing including Window Shopping
We’re going to be improving the item details page (sometimes referred to as the ‘View Item Page’). The new page will be easier to read at a glance. There's a bigger picture at the top of the page, with quick and easy access to the other pictures. The new layout also makes it easier to find payment and postage information. This means that the essential information needed before bidding and buying can be read at a glance. There’s also a real-time countdown clock to let you know how much time is left on an item. Find out more about the new Item Details page.

Watch more items
Your new My eBay will allow all members to watch up to 200 items, which makes it easy to keep tabs on items you might wish to buy. The new My eBay also lets you create customised lists to help you group items the way you want and gives you at-a-glance status information. This should be available to all our members in Sept. More information and FAQs about the new My eBay.

Faster checkout
The new checkout feature makes it easier for buyers to pay for items on eBay without having to transfer to the PayPal website. It’s also easier to manage delivery addresses, and Postage and Packaging costs.

Find Good Sellers
We are making changes to how listings are displayed in search results to reward sellers who offer great customer service, by making it easier for buyers to see listings from those sellers at the top of their search results.

Listings of sellers with a Detailed Seller Rating of 4.3 or below on any of the four rating categories (item as described, communication, delivery time, postage & packaging charges) will appear lower in search results. Ratings are calculated on a 30 day basis, so sellers can improve their DSR scores quickly by offering good customer service. For buyers this will result in a better buying experience, and for sellers this will mean happier buyers resulting in more repeat business. Read some tips to help you improve your service and scores. eBay.ie will continue to display Irish sellers above overseas sellers in the search results.

We hope you will find these new features really helpful for buying and selling on eBay.ie.

Regards,
The eBay Team.