Topic: Selling Topics

All About the eBay Importer

Introduction to the eBay Importer
How long will it take for my items to import?
My items have completed importing, and a bunch of them need to be edited. Any tips?
What kinds of listings does the importer import?
Does it import my pictures?
Does it import my categories?
What doesn't it import? What are the current limitations?
Is it safe to give Bonanzle my eBay login info to import my eBay items?
Do I need to stay logged in during my import?
What happens if I import my items multiple times?
Does it cost anything for me to import my eBay items?
Is there a maximum number of listings that can be imported?
Does eBay authorize or condone importing items?

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Introduction to the eBay Importer

The eBay importer is your friend in the importing business. It will grab all of your active listings from eBay and copy them into your Bonanzle booth, with as much detail as it can gather (title, description, price, shipping information, pictures, and category are all usually grabbed, with some exceptions). Importing items from eBay is free and usually is completed within a few hours, though sometimes can take as long as 24-48 hours, depending on system load.

How long will it take for my items to import?

When you submit your eBay importing job, you will be told how many jobs are pending before yours. Plan on it taking at least 30 minutes for each import job in front of yours before yours begins. After your job has started, the time it will take to finish importing depends on the number of items in your eBay store. It can range from a couple minutes if you have 10-20 items, to several hours if you have thousands.

My items have completed importing, and a bunch of them need to be edited. Any tips?

Yes! Use the batch editor to change the price, category, shipping, or desription of your items en masse.

What kinds of listings does the importer import?

The eBay importer can import both standard eBay and eBay motors listings, and it can import auction or fixed price. However, some proprietary listing templates (especially ones with complex HTML or Javascript) can throw the importer for a loop, and lead to descriptions not being imported. You can read more abou tthis in the eBay importer limitations section.

Does it import my pictures?

Yes, the importer will import the first four pictures that it can find associated with your item. Note that images that are embedded via HTML in the description for the item may not be picked up by the importer, but it usually does a pretty good job of discovering what your pictures are and how to grab them, especially if they were uploaded via the standard eBay listing form.

Does it import my categories?

Yes, the eBay importer will grab the first two levels of categorization for your item (e.g., Collectibles -> Quilts). Since Bonanzle categories currently extend only two levels deep, more detailed 3rd and 4th level categories are currently ignored.

What doesn't it import? What are the known limitations of the eBay importer?

There are a couple known areas where the eBay importer is currently limited:

• Price not imported for auction listings. Since the true/best price of an item listed in auction format is unknown, we don't try to guess at the price of your auction items. Your best bet to set their price is to use the batch editor after importing your items.
• Calculated shipping and advanced shipping options not imported. We plan to eventually add these features to the importer, but for the time being, if your items were setup to use calculated shipping or other advanced shipping options, you can set those through the batch editor after your import completes.
• Advanced HTML descriptions can be abbreviated or dropped. eBay and Bonanzle have somewhat different rules for what HTML is "OK" and what HTML isn't. In 90% of cases, your descriptions' HTML should import to eBay without issue, but in some cases, HTML will be modified when the item is saved on Bonanzle. In some cases, very complex HTML may be ignored altogether when importing items. We attempt to train the eBay importer about these new formats on a case-by-case basis, so if this happens to you, you can contact support@bonanzle.com and we will review the formatting of your listings as time allows.
• Pictures are only imported once, when the item is first created. The eBay importer will only grab the pictures for an item when that item is first discovered on eBay. So, if you were to post an item on eBay, import it to Bonanzle, return to eBay and revise the listing to add more pictures, and then re-import that listing to Bonanzle, the item would not show the extra pictures that you added upon revising it. In this case, your best bet is to delete and re-import the item.

Is it safe to give Bonanzle my eBay login info to import my eBay items?

We use 256-bit high security encryption to submit your eBay login information so it can't be deciphered by malicious third parties. We then store your eBay login password no longer than necessary to verify your eBay ID. After your ID has been verified, we store your eBay user name and discard your password, so on subsequent import attempts, you don't need to use your password to re-import your items.

If giving out your eBay password still rubs you the wrong way, your best bet is to log into your eBay account, change your password to a temporary password while Bonanzle verifies your eBay ID, and then change your password back to its original value after your items have been imported.

Do I need to stay logged in during my import?

Heavens no! Your items will import whether you're logged into Bonanzle or not.

What happens if I import my items multiple times?

If you select the checkbox for "Just add new items, don't update existing items," then subsequent item imports will only pay attention to (and put in your booth) items that were added to your eBay account since the last eBay import.

If the box isn't checked, then the importer will re-import all your eBay items from scatch (except for the pictures of the items you had previously imported).

Does it cost anything for me to import my eBay items?

Nope, nada. You will only be charged final value fees on Bonanzle, and only then if you sell your items here.

Is there a maximum number of listings that can be imported?

No, but the more items you import, the longer the total import will take. Note that the importer will also "take a break" for an hour or two to let other imports get processed after every thousand items of yours that it imports.

Does eBay authorize or condone importing items?

What do you think? No, eBay does not in any way condone scraping their listings, and is no way affiliated with Bonanzle.

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