How do I leave?

Click the "Go to the regular eBay site" link to return to our customary way to search for items, or close your browser, reopen it, and visit www.eBay.co.uk. If you simply go to www.eBay.co.uk while you're visiting the Playground, you'll stay on the Playground. To get out, just click "Go to the regular eBay site."

How is the Playground different from the regular eBay site?

Almost everything you can do on the regular eBay site, you can do on the Playground. This means that the bidding and buying processes are exactly the same. The only difference right now is in how you look for items on the Playground. Specifically, the Playground has a new, intelligent search capability, similar to eBay Express, which interprets what the buyer is really looking for to make sure that every matching item is returned. So, if you search for "red Nike shoes 12" eBay will show you all Nike shoes in size 12, that are red, — not just those items which have "red", "Nike", "shoes", and "12" in the title. You’ll also see a difference in the way the search looks, with the refinements you’ve requested shown along the top of your search results.

Are you going to make the entire site like the Playground?

Well, we built all this new stuff hoping to go in that direction. But the Playground, together with many other tests we’re running, is designed to make sure that these changes improve your buying experience. By testing first, we can incorporate your ideas and make adjustments before we introduce the changes to everyone.

Using the Site

Is this the real eBay?
Yes. All of the items on the regular eBay site are on this site too. The only difference is the way you find items.
Can I buy on this site? Can I sell on this site?
Yes. If you list an item on the Playground, it will be listed for everyone to see, no matter how they access eBay (and you’ll owe your regular fees). And if you bid or buy an item right away with Buy It Now, it’s a binding contract, just as it is on the regular site.
What happened to the keywords I typed in?
In the new search system on the Playground, the words you type into the search box are examined and the system tries to extract more meaning from them. For example, if you type "red size 12 shoes" instead of searching for listings with the words "red", "size", "12", and "shoes", the system will find all of the items in the shoe category that are size 12 in the colour red.

Want to search for exactly the phrase you typed in? Just put the phrase in quote marks.
What are all the boxes at the top of the page?
When we apply some of the concepts (red colour, Nike brand), we show them in those boxes instead of the search box. Also, if you use the refinement section to narrow your search, we’ll show the refinements you’ve applied in those boxes as well. Want to remove the boxes? Click the "X" in the upper-right corner.
Where are my items?
Don’t worry, they’re there. Every item on the regular eBay site is also available on the Playground. However, there are some differences in how we classify and display items to buyers:

* Sometimes sellers’ items will be included in search results on the Playground where they wouldn’t have been on the regular eBay site. This difference arises because the new search indexes more data than just a title to match against a buyer’s query.
* Sometimes an item that has words in the title which match the buyer’s search won’t be included in search results. This happens because the system automatically interprets the buyer’s query and excludes items that aren’t relevant. For example, when a buyer is looking for an "iPod Nano" they probably don’t want to see iPod cases right away.

Also, just as on the regular eBay site, your listing may not be immediately searchable when using a keyword search or category search.
My search results had a group of items that don’t have my search terms in the title. What happened?
The Playground search system uses more information to classify items than just the title. The results you saw had item specifics or other information that related to your search.
What advanced search commands can I use?
We're gradually introducing advanced search features to the Playground. Popular features such as keyword or item number search, price, and title & description search are available in the Playground.
How do I search for completed items?
Unfortunately, you can’t search for completed items yet, but we’re working on it. If you need to search for completed items, visit the regular eBay site.
Why we built the Playground
Why did you create the Playground?
We wanted to invite everyone in the community to try out new ideas before thinking about introducing them on the regular eBay site. We think our first idea, a new way to find items, is a good one, and we're excited to share it with you.

You may have heard about tests we've run on the site where people were "opted in" to changes we were trying out. Those tests are useful and necessary, but we also wanted to create a place where anyone could try out the new things that we're working on.
Why a separate site?
We wanted to make sure that eBay members who weren’t shown the tests that we’ve run could still try out the new way of finding items. However, we didn’t want to make those changes to the main site straight away. Additionally, we may make small changes to the ways you find items from time to time, and we wanted to give everyone the ability to try out those changes whenever they wanted.
What else are you doing to test these new ideas?
We are testing different "flavours" of these changes (31 at last count!) to a randomly selected sample of eBay users. We’re testing with a random sample in order to make sure that our test population matches the population of eBay as a whole. We’ve also done, and will keep doing, dozens of usability tests, surveys, and studies to refine our designs and features.
Are all new ideas going to go on the Playground?
We're going to decide on a case-by-case basis. Each project is different, and in some cases, putting new ideas on the Playground may not make sense. We're hoping to bring all sorts of new ideas to the Playground over time.
Why are you building new stuff? Why aren’t you focusing on what’s currently on the eBay site?
We do both. An entire section of our Finding team is devoted to maintaining and improving eBay’s main finding experience. A different section of our Finding team is devoted to creating new experiences. The groups sit together, talk frequently, and pass the best and most successful work back and forth between the two areas.
Comments and opinions
How can I tell you what I think?
First, use the Playground. Try some of your normal searches, use the new tools to narrow your results, and see what you think of the changes. When you’ve tried it out long enough to form an opinion, please send us an e-mail and let us know what you think.
I've spotted a bug. How do I tell you about it?
See if the same problem keeps happening. Sometimes, it’s an error with your browser or Internet connection that’s causing the problem. Still seeing the same thing? Let us know and we’ll look into it right away. Visit the "Give us your opinion" section of this site to report problems.

Please provide as much detail as possible, including your operating system (Apple, Windows XP, etc.), your browser (Firefox 2.0, Internet Exporer 7, Safari, etc.), and your Internet connection type (dial-up, DSL, cable, etc.). When you tell us about a problem, we won’t be able to respond to your message personally, but we do look at all the messages.
Who’s running the Playground?
The Playground Monitor (the product manager who put the Playground together) is Rebecca Nathenson. The Finding team runs the Playground for now, but other teams may be invited to come play as well. There are a lot of new ideas running around eBay, and the Playground is a great place for them to run around in! Nothing’s definite yet, but stay tuned for more exciting developments.
Are all new ideas going to go on the Playground?
We’re going to decide on a case-by-case basis. Each project is different, and in some cases, putting new ideas on the Playground may not make sense. But, we’re hoping to bring all sorts of neat new stuff to the Playground over time.