Some users to auctioneer: Bring back old 'My eBay'
A redesign of the customizable site has some regulars saying, "No sale," as they try to figure out new features and a new navigation scheme.
The popular online auction site launched a new version of its My eBay site on Thursday with a string of new features and a new navigation scheme that's left some longtime users baffled. The company said the frustration was understandable, as with any new product or revision. But some users said the changes have made the service unnecessarily complicated.
"Even though a couple features are nice, most are unnecessary, and it's too crowded," one My eBay user wrote in a post to the company's message board.
Others complained about the way the site looks, how it navigates and the new format for displaying items that've been sold. Many wanted the old My eBay back.
"Why fix something that wasn't broken?" another user wrote.
My eBay is the culmination of internal development and user feedback cultivated over the past two years. The idea was to offer better personalization for customers and a revamped interface.
The company launched a preview version in April and generally received positive response, according to Hani Durzy, an eBay spokesman. But changes to long-standing services often cause frustration.
"In a community of 105 million people, not everybody is going to be pleased," Durzy said. "However, we've gotten (only) a very small number of complaints."
Durzy added that eBay is open to making revisions, if the company is hit by a tidal wave of complaints. So far, he said, that hasn't happened.
"If there's a groundswell of calls for change to a feature, it's something we will consider," he said.
Some customers are trying to cause that groundswell.
"I personally think you took a page that was perfect and totally ruined it," another user wrote. "Sometimes changes aren't always for the best, and this is a prime example. Bring back the old version."