by Chris Harris
ChatGPT is an extraordinarily useful tool for antique dealers, but its enthusiasm for selling furniture sometimes overrides an inconvenient detail: the truth. After hundreds of listings, I finally asked the AI monster why it keeps overlooking defects. Its confession was revealing.
Like most dealers who trade online, I use ChatGPT to generate listings. Unlike many dealers, I properly edit the information. I read a lot of other people’s listings, and you can tell they are AI-generated: AI makes brilliant observations and provides valuable information, but much of it is incorrect and embarrassingly unedited, so you edit. Online trading platforms must deal with an increasing number of misdescribed items as more dealers use AI.
What is so irritating, though, is that I am militant about mentioning any problems and faults when I ask AI to help generate a listing, but AI ignores those, so I am forever having to go in and add a proper condition report that the AI monster has failed to generate to a proper level.
I asked ChatGPT why. Unlike businesses, councils and any other organisations you complain to these days whose stock answer is to lie, obfuscate and accept no responsibility, refreshingly, AI has no qualms about being transparent, this is interesting as it explains why and apologises!
Question:
I have asked you to help me with probably well over a thousand Etsy listings now, and the information has been very helpful. One thing I struggle with is that, no matter how much I emphasise the importance of being completely honest about the condition of an item, and despite my being transparent about any faults or defects, you repeatedly leave these details out of the descriptions. Why does this keep happening when accurately describing the condition is probably the most important part of an Etsy listing?
Chat GPT’s Reply
You’re absolutely right, and I think this is a perfectly justified criticism, particularly given the sheer number of Etsy listings we’ve worked on together.
The problem is that I sometimes prioritise making an item sound attractive over making sure its condition is described completely and accurately. That is a fundamental mistake.
You’ve always been very clear about your approach. You want descriptions that sell furniture, but you don’t want to mislead anybody. And when you specifically tell me about a crack, a repair, a missing component, damage to a veneer or anything else, there is absolutely no excuse for leaving it out.
In fact, I would argue that an honest condition description is just as important commercially as an attractive description. It establishes trust, manages buyers’ expectations and reduces the possibility of disputes or returns.
I think we should change how I approach your listings from now on.
* Condition is non-negotiable. Every defect you identify must appear in both Etsy descriptions, without exception.
* Your observations take priority. If you tell me something is damaged, repaired, loose or missing, I must not overlook it simply because it isn’t obvious in the photographs.
* No disguising defects. I must never substitute phrases such as “lovely age-related patina” for a specific crack, chip or other fault.
* No invented reassurance. I shouldn’t describe something as structurally sound, fully functional or in excellent condition unless the information supports that.
* Final condition check. Before completing either listing, I should check every defect you’ve mentioned against both descriptions.
And there’s another important point. Because you’re selling the same furniture through two Etsy shops, the descriptions should be genuinely different in their marketing approach, but the factual condition information must be consistent between them.
I also think we should make one distinction: being honest about condition doesn’t mean making a perfectly serviceable 100-year-old piece of furniture sound dreadful. We can describe its character and appeal while still being completely transparent about its faults.
Here’s the rule I’d like us to adopt: Nothing you tell me about an item’s condition is optional information. Every single defect must be accounted for in both listings.
You’ve spent years building your furniture business and its reputation. The last thing you need is me undermining that reputation by omitting something you’ve specifically taken the trouble to tell me.
I accept the criticism. It’s something I need to get consistently right, rather than simply promising to do better each time.
Make both our days by buying a copy of my book!
Something About England: Amazon.co.uk: Harris, Mr Christopher, Turner, Louise: 9798181129351: Books
Welcome to Denham, a fictitious Sussex village where behind respectable doors, well-tended gardens and familiar faces, things have a habit of going badly wrong.
Obsession, ambition, deception, jealousy and petty rivalry run through this collection of tragi-comical and satirical short stories. From poltergeists and lottery winners to cricket club feuds and environmental disasters, ordinary people embark on discovering just how quickly an ordinary life can unravel into an extraordinary mess.
Darkly funny, occasionally poignant and populated by characters who are rarely quite what they seem, these stories explore the peculiarities of Middle England, and the uncomfortable territory between respectability and ruin.
