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eBay & Auctions Questions

What does the posting error "Invalid duration" mean?

This posting error can occur if the duration selected for the listing is not valid for the type of listing.

The valid durations for eBay listings available in Marketplaces are:

Auctions: 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 days
Fixed Price: 3, 5, 7, 10, 30 days
Fixed Price Storefront Items: 30 days or Good Til Canceled

What does the posting error "Invalid Shipping Service Cost" mean?

The following posting error indicates that you are attempting to post to a category on eBay UK that requires free postage to list an item and your Posting Template may still be configured to display a postage amount:

eBay responded with the message:
Code: 21916260
Short Message: Invalid ShippingServiceCost
Long Message: Shipping service cost exceeds 0.00 maximum allowed for selected category.

On June 15, eBay UK made many categories require free postage to be able to list. More information on this change can be found on eBay UK including:
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/sell/april2009/pandp.html

To fix this posting error, revise your posting templates to reflect free shipping for domestic shipping in the UK. In addition, you will need to revise your shipping configuration in Checkout to reflect the free shipping when buyers checkout.

What does the posting error 'XML Parse Error' mean?

XML parse errors are typically caused by having unrecognized characters in your ads. These characters are not supported by eBay and are rejected with this error. The characters are often hidden characters that were probably added to your text when copying from a program such as Word and pasting it into ChannelAdvisor account.

If you open your text in a text editor like Notepad, the characters will show up as a small square (black border and white inside). You will need to search and delete these characters from any text that is included in any component of your ads, i.e. SKU, Posting Template, Ad Template, etc.

After removing all of these characters you can try posting the item again.

This can also be caused by xml code located in your ad template, description, etc. that is breaking the xml used to post your listing. Remove any xml and try again.

What does the posting error "Item not found" mean?

This is an example of the full posting error:

eBay Responded with the message: Code: 17
Short Message: Item not found.
Long Message: Item "1234567890" is invalid, not activated, or no longer in our database, or an Live Auction item.

This posting error usually indicates that ChannelAdvisor is trying to post a relist attempt, but the auction that ChannelAdvisor is trying to relist from is no longer on eBay. The most common reason for this is because eBay has administratively closed down the auction or the auction is no longer in eBay's database.

To get around this, you can use the "Post Now" function in Marketplaces > eBay > Product Mapping > Ads view and make sure to enable the "Do not allow scheduler to use relist option at marketplace" option for the "Marketplace Relist Options" field.

Is there a character limit for values used as a variation on eBay?

Yes there is a limit of 50 character for a variation value on eBay.

What does the posting error "Your account has exceeded the limit." mean?

Errors: eBay Responded with the message: Code: 121
Short Message: Your account has exceeded the limit.
Long Message: You will be unable to complete this request until payment is made or a credit card is put on file for automatic monthly billing.

This error is typically caused because Ebay is having some type of a problem with your billing or billing information. What is recommended is that you log directly into ebay and click on the Sell link at the top of their pages. Ebay should then redirect you to whatever information they need from you in order to allow you to continue posting auctions. Once this is cleared up with eBay, then you should be able to return to Marketplaces and post your items up.

What does the posting error "Your minimum bid is too low" mean?

This is what the posting error typically looks like:

eBay responded with the message:
Code: 469
Short Message: Your minimum bid is too low
Long Message: In order to list more than one item (i.e. Dutch Auction), your minimum bid must be equal to or greater than the site required minimum bid.

This posting error is being caused because the starting bid for the multiple item listing is lower than what eBay requires for these types of listings. The starting bid will need to be at least $0.99 in order to list multiple item listings.

I am trying to post a variation listing and getting an error for "Duplicate Variation Specifics"

I am trying to post a variation listing and getting an error for "Duplicate Variation Specifics"

eBay responded with the message:
Code: 21916586
Short Message: Duplicate variation specifics
Long Message: Duplicate name-value combination in variation specifics.

This type of error most commonly occurs when eBay is not able to see the difference between your items. For example, if you vary your items by color, and the color information is not being transmitted to eBay during the posting process, it will result in this error. Without knowing that the items are different colors, eBay sees them as being otherwise identical.

To correct this, make sure that you are sending the information for the attribute that makes each child sku different, whether it is color, size, or something else.

- If using a category-specific posting template, make sure that the template tag for your attribute is entered by the variation item specific to pull in appropriate information for the items.

- If using a generic posting template, this information will need to be configured at the ad level for each child sku.

- If you are using the automatch feature instead of template tags, you will need to ensure that your attribute has the same name as one of the item specifics so that it can automatically be matched up.

- If the item specific you are trying to use for your variation does not exist in the selected category, you will need to ensure that the automatic item specifics creation feature is enabled under eBay Settings > Listings. This will create a custom item specific for you on the back end when the listing information is transmitted to eBay (it will not appear on the posting template).

Why am I getting the error 'Sorry, you cannot list fixed price auctions'?

The full posting error is the following.

eBay responded with the message:
Short Message: Sorry, you cannot list fixed price auctions.
Long Message: Sorry, you cannot list fixed price auctions.

eBay has certain criteria that your account must meet before you are eligible to list fixed price auctions. In order to list these types of auctions, you must meet one of the following requirements:

- Achieve a feedback score of at least 10
- Verify your contact information with eBay (using the ID Verify service)
- If you have a PayPal account, achieve a feedback score of 5 and accept PayPal as a payment method

Once your account meets one of these requirements you will be able to post fixed price auctions on eBay. For more information, please visit:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/fixed-price.html#requirements

What does posting error "Attribute Set Id '2135' does not match category" mean?

The "attribute set ID 2135" message refers to the return policy portion of the posting template. If you receive this message it usually indicates that you are posting to a category that does not support the return policy and you currently have that option selected in your posting template. You will want to assign a posting template without the return policy to the ad and then try posting the item again.

Why am I getting posting error "Checkout Instructions too Long"?

Generally this means that your instructions are over the 500 character limit set by eBay. However, in some cases it may appear that you are under the 500 character limit.

If you do not have 500+ characters entered and you are still getting this error, then what is most likely happening is that when you submit your items, eBay converts your payment instructions from text into HTML. This means that certain characters and spaces will be converted to the HTML equivalent, i.e. a space can become " " and a & will become "&". The trick here is that eBay counts the characters on this field after they convert it to HTML, so in most cases this doesn't make a difference, but in this case the HTML is adding 5 characters which can put you over the limit. To work around this you will simply need to limit this field so that you are under the 500 character limit even after eBay converts your text to HTML.

What does the posting error 'Java script not allowed' mean?

The full posting error from eBay is the following.

eBay responded with the message:
Code: 353
Short Message: Java script not allowed.
Long Message: Your listing cannot contain javascript (".cookie", "cookie(", "replace(", IFRAME, META, or includes), cookies or base href..

This posting error occurs because eBay is seeing some type of javascript that they do not allow on their site. The cause of this posting error can be unclear because eBay does not provide any specific information about what exactly the problem is.

Typical failures are usually caused because the ad contains one of the items below. However, the error can also be caused by text not on this list.

.cookie
cookie(
replace(
IFRAME
META

Any of the following javascript functions can also cause this error:

cookies
base href
includes

One other thing to note is that eBay will also ignore all spaces when they are looking for these words. For example, if you end a sentence with a period and then start the next sentence with the word cookie, then eBay will just see .cookie, which is not allowed.

To view eBay's policy on javascript, see this link:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-javascript.html

This error can also occur if you are using a Frooition template and preview your ad template. This scenario can usually be solved by overwriting the ad template with a fresh copy of the Frooition template, making sure not to preview it.

What does the posting error: No exists means?

This posting error is typically caused because there is no pricing data for this SKU when the system submitted this listing to eBay. This can commonly be caused for example if you are using the BIN price as the start price for your items in your posting template but you have no BIN price setup for this specific SKU. If this is the case then you can simply add in a pricing amount for this SKU and then attempt to post your items again.

What does the posting error "Item has no valid shipping rates configured" mean?

This posting error is an internal error that ChannelAdvisor gives when a listing is attempted to be posted for an item that has no valid shipping rates setup within a ChannelAdvisor posting account. In order to post an item, you will need to include some type of shipping rates for your items. The easiest way to set up shipping is to include a Global Level rate on the Sales > Shipping > Account Shipping Rates page. The rates on this page will affect all inventory items in your account unless they are already setup with either a class or item level shipping rate.

Why are my items posting individually instead of in one variation listing?

Why are my items posting individually instead of in one variation listing?

The following conditions must be met in order for items to be packaged together in the same listing:

1) A schedule is assigned to all of the ads for the child skus.
2) The marketplace assignment must be Fixed Price. (Auction listings do not support variations.)
3) The same posting template is assigned for all of the children.
4) The eBay category number selected must support variations.
5) The item specific being used supports variations. If so, it will have the blue variation icon next to the name of the item specific in the ad or on the posting template.
6) The variation listings option is enabled for that posting template, if using a category specific template.
7) Or, the variation listings option is enabled account-wide under eBay Settings, if using a generic posting template and applying the category information at the ad level.
8) There are two or more eligible children of the same parent that have available quantity.
9) The skus are successfully configured in a parent/child inventory relationship.

How could one SKU be posted to multiple eBay listings, each with unique titles?

By default, eBay ads automatically use the value populated in the "Auction Title" sku field for the title of the listing. However, this can be overwritten in the following two manners:
-----------------
1. Existing Ads

In Marketplaces > eBay > Product Mapping > Ads view, you will need to click on the desired ad id link. In the "Ad Information" tab, you will need to select the "Use the following title for the ad" option for the "Ad Title" field. You would then just populate the desired title into the field. This would be repeated for every desired ad.

2. New Ads

This can only be done when creating multiple ads for a sku using the inventory spreadsheet. You can view instructions on how to do this by going to the Inventory > Products > All Products view and clicking on the "Bulk Upload Inventory Items" view. You can then expand "How to Create Ads with the Inventory Upload" and you will see instructions on how to upload multiple ads.
-----------------
In order to have Marketplaces post multiple listings with unique titles, the sku must have an ad created for each desired unique title.

If you are using this method, please be aware that your listings may be in violation of the duplicate listings policy for eBay.
Please see here for further information on this:
http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/duplicatelistingpolicy.html

How do I create custom attributes using the bulk update spreadsheet?

To create custom attributes using the bulk update spreadsheet, you will want to download the bulk update spreadsheet template. To do this, go to the Inventory > Products > Upload a File view, click on the "Custom Upload Format" file link or the "ChannelAdvisor Upload Format" link and then download the revelant file.

Open the spreadsheet. You will want to enter all of the SKUs you wish to update into the Inventory Number column. Fill in the Attribute#Name/Attribute#Value columns with the desired attribute name and value for each of the attributes that you want to use. For example:

Inventory Number: 12345
Classification: Clothing
Attribute1Name: Color
Attribute1Value: Red
Attribute2Name: Shirt Size
Attribute2Value: Large
...

If the attributes are defined as Classification attributes, then you will want to populate the Classification Name column with the appropiate classification.
Otherwise the attributes will be created as global attributes.
If the class/attribute name that you enter does not match an existing classification, the system will automatically create a new class/attribute in that classification.

After the spreadsheet is complete, you will need to save the file as a tab delimited text file. Now return to your IInventory > Products > Upload a File view, choose "Inventory" as the upload type and browse to the tab delimited file you just saved. The SKUs in the spreadsheet will be updated with the classification, attributes, and attribute values.

Classification attributes are "tagable" fields that you can use in your ad templates and posting templates. The tag format for the attributes is {{ATTRIBUTE NAME}}. For example:

Attribute1Name: Color
Attribute Tag: {{COLOR}}
Attribute2Name: Shirt Size
Attribute Tag: {{SHIRT SIZE}}

How do I post the same item on different schedules in Marketplaces?

Our system is set up so that you can have many ads for the same SKU. So to post the same item on different schedules you would have to create multiple ads for the same SKU and then assign different schedules to those ads. The ads you create can be assigned to posting templates for the same marketplace or different marketplaces (i.e. one for eBay, and one for eBay Stores/Fixed Price), it just depends on how you want to post your items. So you can create the first ad and then just copy it to create an identical ad. If you want to post to different eBay marketplaces like auction and fixed price, you will have to create new ads and not make copies of existing ads. You can then assign different schedules to the ads so that the identical items will post at different times according to their unique schedule.

What is the maximum number of ads I can assign to one schedule?

The maximum number of ads that can be assigned to a schedule is 50,000 ads. If a schedule has more than 50,000 ads assigned we will notify you and automatically duplicate the schedule and split the ads between the two identical schedules to stay under the limit.

How will my Schedule act when using Post Now?

If you list an ad with the Post Now option, the schedule will now affect how the ad is posted.

The schedule will override the settings chosen on the Post Now page for quantity posted and any buffer (Continue Posting Until inventory reaches quantity X) rules. Duration (1 day, 30 day, GTC, etc) will still be determined by the Post Now.

For example, if the schedule is to post 5 quantity but the Post Now is for 1 quantity, the eBay listing will have 5.

What is the max number of eBay ads that can be assigned to a schedule?

We recommend that you assign no more than 25,000 eBay ads to one schedule. Our system will be able to effectively handle this situation. However, the official max number of eBay ads that can be assigned to one schedule is 50,000. If you exceed this 50,000 max, we have processes in place to duplicate the schedule and spread the ads across these duplicates. There is no action required by yourself and no change in performance. When we run this process, you will be notified via email.

Will my GTC (Good Til Cancelled) listings get updated every 30 days?

Yes. As long as you have enabled the revise listings setting in your ChannelAdvisor > eBay > Settings view. This will mean that changes made to various parts of the inventory or ad details will be updated and reflected in the live listing automatically.

Please see the Revising Open Listings page for more information on this process:

https://ssc.ChannelAdvisor.com/howto/revising-open-listing

How do I remove an ad from a schedule?

Go to the Marketplaces > eBay > Product Mapping > Ads view. In this view, select the ad(s) and click the "Remove Schedule" icon. This will remove the ad(s) from their schedules and stop them from posting.