eBay

suebqb1 · ‎06-28-2016

In the last 3 months I have had over 70 watchers on my items( 1-3 people per item) but they are not buying .When I do make a slae 90% of the time it was not something being watched.I have my prices so low now that i only make 3-5 dollars profit per sale and sometimes just to get rid of stuff I make between 2-3 profit. I do have a few high end items wher I make 50.00-100.00 but those are few and far between So I guess the main question is.I am I putting the items on to long that they forget me?Are my prices still to high ? I am a top rated saller with a store but the last couple months are very depressing with watchers and no to not many buyers. Suggestions please.

trekker_nx01 · ‎11-27-2016

I have the same frustration.

My THEORY is they have the same item and want to know what it will sell for so they watch it to learn if it sold or not so they have an idea weather or not to list theirs.

This is not fair to us because they could simply go to search and select sold to see what the item sells for instead of watching our stuff with no intent on buying. It isn't right and it's frustrating.

I can see watching an item when it is an auction if you are a serious buyer as people wait until the end to bid

BUT

When a lot of My items are buy it now, I feel watching should not be allowed because I mean it is buy it now. Ya either want it now or not? If you have to wait until pay day write yourself a note to come back. Don't watch the item and get the sellers hopes up for nothing.

Your watchers may either be potential sellers of the same item or Found it cheaper some where else Or Forgot to come back. This is why I do buy it now so they can get it now and not have to watch. But they still do watch it so I count on those as having the same item to sell so that I can try not to be upset if the item didn't sell.

Anyway that is my thoughts on it.

the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth · ‎11-27-2016

My thoughts on the watchlist is that it was created for buyers to use. Sellers got to see the watchcount YEARS after the watchlist was made available. IMHO it was one of the worst things Ebay ever did. It's none of the seller's business why a buyer is watching and to say that buyers should only be allowed to watch for certain reasons is bizarre.

I watch a lot of things, auctions AND buy it now. I also BUY a lot of things. In fact I have found out recently that I am no longer restricted to 200 items and I have had my watchlist up over 258 items. That is for MY convenience. I almost never buy something without watching it first.

If you don't like seeing watchers I think there is still the ability to turn that column off in your selling page.

sarahenneberr_0 · ‎07-24-2017

I know this is an old post, but thank you. this was helpful for me. I was having the similar question in my head, but come to think of it, I watch for similar reasons.

bellportbeads · ‎02-05-2020

I agree (realizing this is an old post). Buyers know all about MDM and also that as of 2018, Buy It Now will turn into Best Offer (at ebay's control). I turn it off all the time 1) because I can't stand best offer buyers not staying on top of their offers and then dragging their feet paying and 2) if I want to reduce the price, I'll do it myself. I don't want ebay controlling my listings. Ebay is saturated (with sellers making it a buyers market) but....for someone like me, a small hobby seller who sells a mish mash of items, it's still the best option to reach the most people. I tried FB MP and occasionally make a sale but more often than not the buyers are difficult (don't show up, change their mind, forgot, overslept, ran out of money, fell into a coma). Some FB buyers are great but for small sellers like me, most FB MP buyers are too much work. IMO. At least on ebay when someone buys something, it's a done deal. At the moment I have 28 watchers for a men's fedora. They've been watching for over a month. Yes, it's frustrating. Maybe a new searcher will look for a hat with the most watchers and buy it in the excitement of getting the hat before the other 28 get it. Maybe?