New eBay size labels: How do you handle manufacturer sizes like S/M, S/L or L/XL?
Summary: anifler heard about new guidelines at eBay stating that standardized sizes should be used for clothing. Since many manufacturers of lingerie and tights use combined sizes like S/M or L/XL, anifler sees challenges because these are not available in eBay's size fields. She is concerned about misunderstandings in orders and asks how other sellers deal with the issue and whether eBay might integrate combined sizes in the future.
Hello everyone,
I received a notification from eBay that starting in August, only standardized sizes are to be used for clothing and shoes.
According to eBay, if the manufacturer size is not available, we are supposed to select the “best matching size”.
However, I’m now facing the following problem:
I mainly sell lingerie, tights, and bodystockings. Many manufacturers intentionally use combined sizes such as
S/M
S/L
M/L
L/XL
XXL/XXXL
These sizes appear both on the label and on the packaging and correspond to the official manufacturer specifications, since the items are made of very elastic materials.
In the clothing categories, however, only single sizes like XS, S, M, L, or XL are offered in the size field. Combined sizes are completely missing.
In my view, this creates several problems:
If I choose S, for example, for an item with the manufacturer size S/L, buyers who filter by L will no longer find the item.
If I choose L instead, the item will not be shown in a search for S.
If I enter S in the size field, the buyer will still receive an item labeled S/L. That can easily lead to questions, misunderstandings, or even returns, even though the manufacturer size has been stated correctly.
It is true that you can add an extra item attribute such as “manufacturer size”, but I’m worried that many buyers will overlook it. If a buyer orders based on the size field S, for example, but then receives an item labeled S/L, misunderstandings are, in my view, inevitable.
So I’d be interested to know:
How are you going to solve this problem?
Which size would you choose for S/M, S/L, or L/XL?
Have you already received a response from eBay support?
Do you think eBay will add the industry-standard combined sizes back into the selection list in the future?
I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences and opinions.
Thank you!
miriam@ebay
Hello @anifler and thanks for raising the issue. We understand your concerns; especially with lingerie, tights, and bodystockings, combined manufacturer sizes like S/M, S/L, or L/XL are absolutely common.
At the moment, we recommend selecting the standardized size that fits best from the available options. You should also clearly state the original manufacturer size in the title, in the item description, and ideally also on the product photos, so buyers can easily see this information before purchasing.
For items with a particularly broad size range, for example S/L, choosing “One Size” may also make sense depending on the product and fit.
We’re happy to take your feedback on the missing combined sizes on board. We’re aware that these sizes are standard in some categories, and we’ll look into whether such sizes can be added as standardized options in the future.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences and thoughts!
Best regards
Miriam