Power Sellers Unite

antiquetoys · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 17

Hi folks,

Sorry, this is a bit long because I want to include as much related information as possible hoping someone can help. A Google feed problem could not have happened at a worse time of year because I sell Christmas items :( Let me preface by saying I am an old timer and have very limited tech knowledge.

Until today, I have not had any problems with Google Feeds. All items have been successfully submitted and consistently rank at the top in Google Shopping.

I believe my last feed was December 4th, but this evening the following feed status displayed when I logged on:

Quote: › docWrite("quote")“There is no Google Merchant Center feed for your store. You are using your eCRATER store URL in another Google Merchant Center account and as a result we are not feeding your products to Google Merchant Center. You must remove this second account if you wish eCRATER to handle this. If you have an account with other marketplaces that submit to Google Product Search please make sure you remove your account with these marketplaces as well or at least disable Google Merchant Center submission.”

Is the problem the eCrater store URL is being used somewhere else (which I can't imagine) OR that I can’t have an account at another marketplace (which would have a partially different URL)?

I had not created my own Google Merchant Account. Since I use Gmail, I double-checked all related Google services and there are no URLs except for my eCrater URL in Google Analytics, but I've never used it. I don't think that is related, but I'm not certain. I went into Google Merchant Center and it said I have "no feeds".

I have an account on Bonanzle, but have never listed a single item or activated the store. I closed that account tonight. Well, at least I tried to, but had to send a support request because it wouldn’t fully close the account. It would have had the same store name, but would not have had “eCrater” as part of the URL since it was Bonanzle. Plus, I can’t imagine Bonanzle would feed an inactive store with no products to Google.

I read the eCrater forums, but nothing helped and each issue was specific to the OP. I don’t know where to start to resolve the problem or know whether I need to contact eCrater at some point to have them resubmit the feed. Thank you for taking the time to read this and any advice would be greatly appreciated!

NewSkies · Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 272

Hi Antique!

Sorry you are having a problem especially at such a high sales timeframe.

While I don't know exactly what is causing this for you specifically, I have multiple alternate sites with no eCrater feed problems.

However, I do NOT offer Google checkout on multiple websites although it is believed by some on here one can do that by setting up different Google accounts with different email addresses depending on the "type" of website. Perhaps this might be a key for you.

I believe I saw a similar topic as yours on PSU recently that may answer some of your questions until someone with more knowledge of this particular situation replies to this one. You might want to research in the topics offered on here. I believe it was under an eCrater topic but not sure.

It is likely you have some type "duplicate" Google set up somewhere which may or may not be Google Checkout.

NewSkies · Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 272

Antique, here is the PSU link about this topic but did not read the comments. Perhaps it will help after your review.

http://www.powersellersunite.com/viewtopic.php?t=30346&highlight=ecrater

(edited spelling above-typo)

hotnana · Joined: 02 Feb 2008 Posts: 875

Your problem is more than likely the fact that you had a Bonanzle store as well. Were you listing the same items or perhaps using the same name?

When you opened your store at Bonz you probably signed up for a GB account in order to start a feed. Even if you never activated the feed, Bonz is now automatically feeding ALL items to GB unless you opt out.

Your best bet is to post this in the eCrater forum or contact the owner of eCrater. Make sure you delete everything that might be closely associated at Bonanzle...same products, store name etc.

antiquetoys · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 17

Hi NewSkies,

Thank you for your reply and I will read the PSU topic you kindly provided. Do yo have the same store name on alternate sites? I do not offer Google Checkout so at least that is one possibility I can scratch off the list!

Hi hotnana,

I never listed anythin on Bonanzle. I just created a booth about a year ago hoping to use it at some point in the future. The booth had the same store name, but I didn't think that was supposed to be a problem as the URLs would be different.

I have removed all contact info and Bonanzle support is hopefully going to close the account for me. I can open another booth in the future, but thought it best to close it now in case it is the source of the problem for some reason. Thank you for your suggestions!

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

OP,

Your best bet is to contact Dmitri and see what he can tell you.

I remember this coming up once before, but I'm not sure if a cause was ever found. You might try searching the forum to see.

antiquetoys · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 17

I've deleted and removed everything I can think of that may cause a problem. I also remembered that 1 of the items I posted on craigslist I also have in my eCrater store. So, I deleted it. I have links in many places, but hopefully they aren't an issue.

The good news is at least my existing store items on eCrater are still ranking well. I imagine that new items I add won't make it onto Google Shopping until the problem is fixed.

DaLizardsLair,

(luv that name btw!) I thought I would delete everything before contacting eCrater since they are providing a free service. I imagine from the forums they are very busy with problems sellers are experiencing.

A bit off subject, but my craigslist ads stay up for a month and usually place #2 or 3 in Google organic searches and do generate sales. For those that haven't tried CL, it may be worthwhile to try a posting. For expensive items, I put a phone number instead of email which completely eliminated spammers.

NewSkies · Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 272

antiquetoys wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
Hi NewSkies,

Thank you for your reply and I will read the PSU topic you kindly provided. Do yo have the same store name on alternate sites? I do not offer Google Checkout so at least that is one possibility I can scratch off the list!

Hi Again Antique! No, alternate sites have different names. I think you have further comments by members on here that might know more about this than me since I last posted to you so hopefully you have found the problem by this time. If descriptions and titles are SIGNIFICANTLY different for an item on multiple websites, it likely would not cause this problem as hopefully would not be recognized as the same item. If similar, it could suggest a problem, in my opinion only.

antiquetoys · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 17

Hi NewSkies,

Darn, I didn't know you had to have a different store name. At my age, I should know better than to assume you could.

We buy from a few sellers who sell on multiple venues. We check each of their sites before we buy to see which has the best price. I thought they all had the same store name from one marketplace to another, but they must just be similar.

I hope within a few days the search engines update and remove what I think were the potential causes of the problem and then maybe my eCrater feed will work again. Thanks for all your help!

hotnana · Joined: 02 Feb 2008 Posts: 875

I sure hope you get this situated...once your feed is back you should be in business. I hope you contacted the eCrater team to let them know you removed all the previous info. They probably need to know this and can do a new feed for your items.
With all the new changes Google has made recently it's hard to keep up!

Wishing you many sales :D

antiquetoys · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 17

hotnana,

Thank you! I thought I should wait a couple of days before contacting eCrater since I don't know how long it will take Bonanzle to update and remove the feed off of Google.

Today when I checked Google Shopping, my items were no longer there on the first page as they had been consistently. At least they still rank at the top in a Google web / organic search. :(

NewSkies · Joined: 03 Dec 2008 Posts: 272

antiquetoys wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
Hi NewSkies,

Darn, I didn't know you had to have a different store name. At my age, I should know better than to assume you could.

Hello Again, Antique!

Just want to advise on my former comment. You had asked in post #8 above, " Do yo have the same store name on alternate sites?". I stated "no, alternate sites have different names". This was intended for MYSELF advising MY alternates have different names.

Someone else in here might could advise you better if same name/different venues might conflict with Google now.

I was advising about info I have read/researched regarding the need of SIGNIFICANTLY different TITLES and DESCRIPTIONS for ITEMS to not be picked up as the same item via search and void item(s) as duplicates.

Best of feeds & sales, Antique!

Can anyone here advise Antique if same store name alternatives would be ok for Google search engine?

RecycleBin · Joined: 15 Jul 2007 Posts: 152

antiquetoys wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")Hi NewSkies,

Darn, I didn't know you had to have a different store name. At my age, I should know better than to assume you could.

We buy from a few sellers who sell on multiple venues. We check each of their sites before we buy to see which has the best price. I thought they all had the same store name from one marketplace to another, but they must just be similar.

I hope within a few days the search engines update and remove what I think were the potential causes of the problem and then maybe my eCrater feed will work again. Thanks for all your help!

To further confuse this confusing issue, I have stores on both eCrater and Bonanzle. They both have the same store name and mostly the same products (I have duplicates). Both stores and products are still coming up in Google search. The only thing I can figure is that both stores were established prior to Google's new rule of only one store listing per item or products so it has been ignored or gone unnoticed.
I've been waiting for the axe to fall, but it hasn't thus far. Go figure!

Does anyone else have two stores of the same name, same products, showing up in Google search?

antiquetoys · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 17

Hi RecycleBin,

I wish some of Google's rules were definitive. In my case, I wish I had been provided the specific source of the feed problem vs. a generic and not forced to guess and feel compelled to take radical actions which is what I did to try to resolve the still unresolved issue(s?).

I sent a message to eCrater yesterday asking if they will be resubmitting the feed at some point or what happens next. I have not received a reply. And, of course, I don't know if I resolved whatever the real issue is. This is extraordinarily frustrating.

I am at a complete standstill of what to do at this point. I have done all I can think to do and nothing has changed. I have no idea when or if it will or even what the actual process and time-line to rectify it is.

I understand what you mean about "waiting for the axe to fall". I felt the same way when reading the problems others were encountering the past couple of months. Most of the sellers affected seemed perplexed at what specific issue was causing their Google feed problem so they could rectify it. That is what caused me concern and now I am in the same boat.

On a positive note, this issue has made me abundantly aware that I cannot afford to rely solely on "marketplaces" so I am never in this position again and particularly at the busiest selling time of the year.

I set up my Bonanzle booth a year ago and well prior to Google's latest marketplace rules. I never listed a single item there and chose to use eCrater so duplicate listings aren't an issue. I couldn't find anything on Google that said you can't have the same store name on different marketplaces particularly since each would have a different URL. But, I felt I had no other option and closed the Bonanzle account (since you cannot change the name) just in case it was the problem.

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

The advise to contact Dmitri is still the best advice. He might know the solution to your dilemma.

By waiting, all you are doing to delaying a possible solution.