OMG Etsy-worst test EVER!! Item details HIDDEN under photos

[QuirkyAntiquesStore]

Well now I've seen the biggest seller sabotage test EVER. The item details are now HIDDEN in a drop down underneath the photographs. I thought I was finding a rash of sellers that were not adding descriptions to their listings. Then I vaguely remembered another post recently. I'm on PC and it just took ME about 8 mins checking other sellers I have book marked to work out how to drop down an item description. You think people don't read descriptions NOW? Just wait until they presume there aren't any descriptions because someone thought it would be a grand idea to HIDE them. UPDATE: I have now had to add THIS to my shop announcement. PLEASE NOTE: Etsy thought it would be a GREAT test idea to hide descriptions in a drop down box under the photographs. If you cannot see my item description at first glance please look under the photographs for the section ITEM DETAILS.

[nineteen27]

that is a test i am not in.

i still see the descriptions in the normal place.

[QuirkyAntiquesStore]

I wish I could-like another poster below I also shop on here and I've bailed out of several shops recently because i thought they were being sly with no descriptions. And I'm a PRO at this!!!!

[nineteen27]

@QuirkyAntiquesStore 

you can try deleting your etsy cookies.

many times that works to take your account out of the test.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

It's been going on for a while. I've been in and out of it.

There have been several threads about it.

https://community.etsy.com/t5/Managing-Your-Shop/TEST-Description-amp-Shipping-Info-UNDER-Photos/m-p...

[BrooklynStVintage]

I did think there were no descriptions on a couple of things I was shopping for and just left their shops. Found out later they were under the photos. Not a good idea during the Holidays.

[DivineCrossings]

I’m in this test (and seem to be in every horrible, detrimental test Etsy has perpetrated over the last five years). I agree it’s lunacy to do this, but you’re a little late to the “party”. There are many threads about this and sellers are appropriately outraged, not just at the stupidity of the test, but with the timing of it. I am curious to see the fourth quarter results report and wonder if sales are down across the board as a result of this latest debacle or if GMS are up over last year. If sales are down, I’m sure Etsy will find a way to spin it to make even the most stalwart stock holders dizzy and if they’re up I’d love to know if resellers and IP infringers make up the majority of the gains. No way to know, though.

[QuirkyAntiquesStore]

@DivineCrossings I just added this as a shop announcement. You may want to as well. PLEASE NOTE: Etsy thought it would be a GREAT test idea to hide descriptions in a drop down box under the photographs. If you cannot see my item description at first glance please look under the photographs for the section ITEM DETAILS.

[DivineCrossings]

@QuirkyAntiquesStore @As much as I’d like people outside of this Etsy bubble to understand just how shabbily sellers are treated and how little control we have over anything any more, I don’t want to burden customers with the dirty details. I’ve simply included a screen shot of my descriptions (when the first test like this came out months ago). Hopefully, they’ll see it there. Fingers crossed. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[Prerafdesigns]

I have just noticed information was missing. Just before Christmas too! not a good idea

[OneEyeCatStudio]

The shipping cost is hidden as well.

[QuirkyAntiquesStore]

@OneEyeCatStudio The thumbs up was to let you know I read your response. It's certainly NOT a "thumbs up" situation at all.

[QuirkyAntiquesStore]

@nineteen27 Thank you for that but I'm more concerned that my/our customers won't be able to work out what's going on and just leave the site if they keep seeing this. No descriptions makes you think its a sneaky seller trying to get around "not as described" returns as ...no description means you didn't actually describe anything.

[nineteen27]

@QuirkyAntiquesStore 

i understand that.

but most customers are not seeing what you are seeing.

i am not.

and i have not had any customers message me and ask me questions about the items... 

so that tells me they can see the descriptions in the normal place too or they found them under the photos.

[stuartroadvintage]

The test is by account so not all of your customers will see it this way. Probably just a very small percentage. But agreed....they need to stop!

[Jewels2at]

I wonder why Etsy thinks this is a good idea.

They are just creating so much more work for their sellers. Having to answer questions about the description, the shipping...this is a mess.

Not very impressive.

[QuirkyAntiquesStore]

@nineteen27 The problem is-I'm a pro shopper and even I bounced from the first few shops. I didn't care enough to ask questions but I MIGHT have impulse purchased if I could have seen the descriptions easily. A lot of my buying decisions are made instantaneously, as are impulse purchases. Sales can be made in that moment. I am more concerned at the fact you guys say I'm late to this no description party so obviously Etsy isn't listening. This doesn't bode well.

[nineteen27]

etsy listens to their weird stats.

and revenue.

if they are making less money with that test...

they toss it aside and test something else.

so the fact you did not make a purchase...

and you are in that test.

is a good thing... and a bad thing at the same time.

good because maybe hundreds of buyers just clicked out of the site based on the test so maybe it will not be permanent.

bad because hundreds of buyers are not buying on etsy because of the test which means less sales for the sellers.

[QuirkyAntiquesStore]

@DivineCrossings "I don’t want to burden customers with the dirty details".

Fair point-maybe I'll edit my notions about what I think of Etsy tests out of that announcement lol. Thanks for that insight :O)

UPDATED ANNOUNCEMENT:  Etsy has changed the way some listings display. If you cannot see my item description at first glance please look under the photographs for the section ITEM DETAILS.

[DivineCrossings]

@QuirkyAntiquesStore believe me…I get the frustration! I’d like nothing better than to rent a billboard in Times Square, scream it from the rooftops or take a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal to loudly proclaim all of the gory details. Sometimes I’ve just gotta take a deep breath….and breathe through it. LOL.

[rarefinds4u]

Completely agree!  It is just awful I hate it!

[SilverandEarth]

It's ridiculous! Like most (if not all) of Etsy's changes. Why not have the review section as a drop-down instead of the item's description?!

[bluegreenjewels]

LOVE this idea!

[QuirkyAntiquesStore]

@DivineCrossings 

"good because maybe hundreds of buyers just clicked out of the site based on the test so maybe it will not be permanent.

bad because hundreds of buyers are not buying on etsy because of the test which means less sales for the sellers."

I think we can eliminate the good part as Etsy won't know WHY I clicked away from that shop. I look at multiple listings, read the description at a glance and click away. There is no way for them to tell whether I couldn't be bothered to read the description or whether I couldn't FIND the description. Drop in revenue would be the only metric and there are a dozen excuses they'll use before blaming their stupid "lets hide the descriptions" test.

[DivineCrossings]

@QuirkyAntiquesStore Um…did you mean to @ me…cause I don’t remember writing that..lol???