Why is Turbo Lister such a pile of sh!t?

[Vroomfunkel]

Every time I use it these days, it seems to insist on downloading about 5MB of updates, which it does exceedingly slowly - and then takes 10 minutes to install them, for no discernable difference. And EVERY time I try to list something, there's some kind of error or other for no apparent reason.

This time, ALL my listings are "invalid" and the reason it gives is :"Input data for tag <item.shippingdetails> is invalid or missing. Please check API documentation"

If you can tell me what that gibberish actually means, then you're a better man than I. I've checked everything I can see on the shipping section, and can't see any problem with anything. Not to mention the fact that most of these items are ones that I have listed before and have just adjusted the picture and some of the description details before attempting to relist ... so how come now they suddenly don't work?!?!

Turbo Lister just seems to have been getting progressively worse over the last year or so, as far as I can tell. I even uninstalled the whole thing, and then reinstalled it a couple of months ago to see if that would make any difference at all. Nope. Just as sh!t as ever.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Because IT IS a piece of shit. Even the eBay forum users agree with you. They've been saying that the program is not even fit for beta usage!

[Vroomfunkel]

Some people have recommended Auctiva instead - has anyone here used that? Is it any good?

[scorch56]

ALL of my auctions for the last four months while I'm liquidating my entire collection.. have been through Auctiva. I have had absolutely NO problems with them and they are entirely free (check out any of my auctions under scorch56).

Aside from very minor glitches now and then.. I have no gripes whatsoever and it's hard to bitch and moan about an entirely free service. Of course.. having said that.. just go into their forums and it's filled with hundreds of whiney little cry-babies who pout everytime the service goes down (which it does on occasion). Most of them are simply fat-asses who don't work for a living except on eBay and then cry about how they're losing their "livelihood" due to Auctiva's occasional "growing pains". I always feel like telling these "ingrates" if their living comes from reselling crap on evilBay.. maybe they should PAY for a listing service.

Free super-sized pictures, free scheduling, selling profiles and the store window have saved me countless hours, money.. and even cross-promoted many sales for me in the last 4 months. When I finally get out of this f*ck-assed hobby.. I'm going to owe a great deal of gratitude to the Auctiva people. Not only that.. but they're "ultra-nice" to boot.. as many whiners as I've seen in their forums I've NEVER seen one of the site admins (who.. I might add.. regularly frequent the forums and help members) lose their cool to people.. even when they insult them and the site. They're real adult-like despite some of their members acting like children. Mods could take a lesson from them.. ALL mods.

In other words.. I HIGHLY recommend them. Once you learn their interface and all of their features.. you'll find them invaluable. Just though like posting in these forums used to be before the new software.. if you've invested a lot of time designing an important auction.. I WOULD recommend saving it (cut & paste) BEFORE you hit the "submit" button.. as the site CAN glitch out at the most inopportune times.

Did I mention they are entirely free?

[Vroomfunkel]

Does it store listings that you make so that you can re-use them?

[Kitsune Sniper]

Yes, it does. I'd use Auctiva to list items, but they don't have an "other" option for payment. I need that to be able to list my stuff, since I also accept BidPay. I'm about to bitch at them on their message board.

[scorch56]

Does it store listings that you make so that you can re-use them?

It "stores" listings in several different ways. Listings that have ended are stored for awhile.. and they just recently (with their last major upgrade) tied in with the "relist" option in eBay where you can now relist an item through their interface and get that "relist credit" that eBay offers.. they didn't have that before.

"Profiles" are another way to store info. For instance.. all of my "seller details" (payment method, shipping, about us, etc.) are now standardized and stored on their server so I don't have to retype them into every auction, I just choose what I want to include from a drop-down list and it's inserted. You can also compose and save "master templates".. I have one saved right now for CD-based games and one for cart-based. All of the description is pre-typed in and I leave "placeholders" for platform, game title, and conditions which I simply fill in for each individual auction. If you look at my auctions you'll notice they all pretty much sound the same although the description changes.. that's what I'm talking about. There's also a "saved" auctions folder.. any auction you list.. or want to simply save (in other words.. everything) in mid-edit can be put there automatically. Lastly.. on the create a new listing main page.. there's a drop-down list that has your last dozen or so auctions listed. So if you're selling a Genesis game and the last game you listed was a Genesis one you can just pick it and re-edit what you want within it.. much like the "sell similar" item feature IN eBay works (Though I've never tried eBay's.).

Yes, it does. I'd use Auctiva to list items, but they don't have an "other" option for payment. I need that to be able to list my stuff, since I also accept BidPay. I'm about to bitch at them on their message board.

I seriously doubt that will ever happen.. since BidPay is somewhat a third-party competitor to them. The thing I like about Auctiva is the fact that even though they have their OWN check-out system.. they don't shove it down your throat or force you to use it.. I never have. For cheapskates (and God knows there's PLENTY of them here in these forums) you can even elect to use their own shipping insurance system. I won't get into the specifics of how that works here.. but once you read about it and understand.. if it's worth your time and trouble.. it CAN net you a few extra cents on every auction you elect to use it on. Once again.. they DON'T force it on you. As for the BidPay thing.. you can always do what I do and go into and revise your auctions WITHIN eBay after it's posted.

A LOT of people moan and groan about how Auctiva doesn't implement each and every one of their favorite options into their interface.. yet. Some will never be implemented.. you can't expect a free service to cater and allow it's own competitors into their system.. that's just plain proposterous, but at least they're improving the interface constantly. Whenever I list anything.. there are a few things I want in each auction so I go ahead and revise in eBay as that's the only way. Auctiva lists my location as So. Oregon.. but because eBay has my zip on file (a requirement) whenever my auction gets posted to them.. they re-edit and show my actual town (which I don't like) so I always have to go back and re-edit that. Also.. Auctiva's own "counter-system" option sucks and requires you to jump through a crapload of hoops to even sign up for it and use it. It's glitchy and not worth the effort.. so I have to manually insert eB's own counters into every auction afterwards should I want one. Lastly.. although Auctiva gives you the option to tick the "immediate payment required" box.. oddly enough they DON'T have an option to tie in with your eBay pre-set preference to "only allow PayPal members to make bids" setting.. so no matter whether you have this set in eBay or not.. it won't show up in your auction when you list through Auctiva until.. once again.. you revise the listing in eBay. Sure these are all "extra" work for someone.. but like I said.. they've saved me countless hours composing listings themselves and it's a small inconvenience to pay.. IMHO.

One last thing I like is the fact that if it wasn't for them.. I'd have to give up eBay soon. I absolutely loathe the new SYI "Fisher-Price" form that eB is forcing upon us as mandatory soon.. so much so that I'd quit them if I didn't have Auctiva's listing interface as an alternative. Sometimes.. complex (although I never found the old form to be a challenge.. but the world's full of idiots) can be better. Auctiva has already reassured everyone that they will integrate seamlessly into the new format when it becomes 100% mandatory and the only template eB offers (in May I believe).

[Kitsune Sniper]

I seriously doubt that will ever happen.. since BidPay is somewhat a third-party competitor to them.

Well, I'm not saying they should include BidPay as a specific payment option; just that they should add "Other" as an option. There's several valid payment methods that fall under that category (Cash, BidPay, and several of the proxy services used in Europe).

Just saying.

[scorch56]

Well, I'm not saying they should include BidPay as a specific payment option; just that they should add "Other" as an option. There's several valid payment methods that fall under that category (Cash, BidPay, and several of the proxy services used in Europe).

Just saying.

As far as I can recall.. there are many other options they let you choose within Auctiva; but I personally accept nothing BUT Paypal so quite frankly.. I've never played with those options. I'm certain money orders and such are listed. Besides.. like I said.. it's only one more extra step to add ANY payment method you choose (and they DON'T support) by simply adding it to the auction after it's posted using eB's own "revise" sysytem.

Vroom.. another thing I wanted to let you know about.. I noticed you're in the UK. Many Auctiva people use it from overseas.. but the server for them is based in the U.S. Auctiva DOES also allow international users to post on a select few international eBay sites (it's the FIRST option asked when you create a listing) but from what I've deduced.. maybe BECAUSE of the location of the server/company (stateside) it works better for overseas sellers when they're posting to eB-US as opposed to their OWN sites. Makes sense.. sending your listing across the ocean.. and then back again.. is bound to introduce more opportunity for "glitches".

[Kitsune Sniper]

As far as I can recall.. there are many other options they let you choose within Auctiva; but I personally accept nothing BUT Paypal so quite frankly.. I've never played with those options. I'm certain money orders and such are listed. Besides.. like I said.. it's only one more extra step to add ANY payment method you choose (and they DON'T support) by simply adding it to the auction after it's posted using eB's own "revise" sysytem.

This wouldn't be a problem, but I've been having tons of problems actually getting through to eBay. For some reason, the site just hangs on me and never finishes sending data to my browser at random periods... it's probably due to server overload, but still. It's getting really bad.

I'm gonna try out Auctiva for next week's auctions, so.

[scorch56]

This wouldn't be a problem, but I've been having tons of problems actually getting through to eBay. For some reason, the site just hangs on me and never finishes sending data to my browser at random periods... it's probably due to server overload, but still. It's getting really bad.

I'm gonna try out Auctiva for next week's auctions, so.

Whatever you do.. just DON'T elect to use that "Sellathon counter thingy" they have.. trust me .

[ianoid]

I use Vendio. It does cost me a little bit. Am I lame or something? hadn't even heard of Auctiva. And yes, Turbo lister does suck it big time.

[Vroomfunkel]

Do you think that eBay are deliberately letting Turbo Lister become unwieldy so that more & more people will migrate to the other solutions - eventually allowing eBay to ditch TL and the associated cost of providing it altogether?

I have my suspicions ...

[Vroomfunkel]

Sigh ... I guess I'm just doomed to glitchy services. Tried Auctiva out, set up a load of auctions and scheduled them to go up on Thursday - all was looking good. Then I tried listing an auction today and it wouldn't go through until I deleted the special delivery option - even though when I ran an error check, Auctiva said there were no errors.

So I messaged their support to ask about this, and here's the reply:

"This is actually because eBay UK has split "Royal Mail Special Delivery" into two options, which are not available through the Auctiva website at this time. This issue has been confirmed as a bug and has been referred to our engineering department for correction. However, at this point, I do not have a good idea when it will be resolved. We appreciate your patience with regard to this matter."

Surely it wouldn't have been much of a task to at least add it to the error checking mechanism?? Just add a line of code that will pop up an error message if you have Special Delivery selected on the auction? Or hell, just disable the Special Delivery option? So now I have to go through all the auctions I scheduled and remove the special delivery option on each one. Grrr!