GLOBAL MODERATOR POST (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=20151.msg206412#msg206412)
While ending Auction Contest #334 tonight, I noticed eBay has made a change to what is displayed when clicking on an eBay link to an auction that has ended.
For example, this is the eBay link to Auction Contest #334 (first image below) in which the once active link is provided
http://www.ebay.com/itm/263744168835
While an active listing, that link would take someone to the AE Strowger Candlestick eBay listing (second image below).
But, once ended, clicking on the link (above) directs the person to a currently active listing (third image below) which eBay displays and states on the top line as "The listing you're looking for is no longer available. Check out this similar item we found for you." with "this listing" being something which seems to be related to the ended auction only in price, certainly not item type.
At the beginning of the line "The listing you're looking for . . . ," the word "listing" is a blue hyperlink to the ended auction. Clicking on that link displays the ended auction.
Going forward, trying to find an eBay auction that has ended now requires an additional click. Unless one knows what is going on, it seems the eBay link is broken since something different is displayed. It's there and can be found by clicking on the "listing" hyperlink.
Ebay is trying to lead people to active listings so that they might bid on them. It is a very annoying behavior, but it is being done in the interest of increasing profits.
Larry
Good thing, seems to be country-specific and German ebay does not (yet) do so. Bad thing, you have to keep all that differences in mind when providing a link. Could be that others don't get the same result opening that link like yourself. Experienced that before more than once.
Haf
Not only is it annoying, but sometimes it's pretty funny what the eBay "bot" thinks is the same as what you were trying to look at. I just won a beige Starlite and the link gives me the actual phone auction, but others it gives a pink Starlite keychain. The auction calls the phone pink, but it wasn't. Only a set of human eyes would know the difference. So their attempts to find something the same as anything collectible like a telephone are probably in vain. Their bot doesn't know a phone from a keychain. Most everything collectible like a phone is unique and there isn't another item comparable up for bids at the same time. I sent feedback trying to tell eBay this but it probably fell on deaf ears and blind eyes.
It's doing this in the UK too.
Really confused me the first couple of times as I thought either I was going mad or eBay was broken.
Very irritating!
>:(
Yup. Spotted this a week or two back. Their bot is just picking up on keywords.