Can some sellers watch you browse Ebay now?

[burritohead]

The other day I received an offer for an item I wasn't even interested in buying, and had looked at for maybe two seconds. How did the seller of that item get my information to send me an offer? I hadn't saved the item to ANY of the various Ebay lists, and I'm not on social media. This seems like a huge breach of privacy. I've only seen the ability to send an offer to someone who saves your item in their watch list, (indicating they're interested). At least on my account, you can't send an offer to every single user who happens to view your item.

How much does a seller have to pay, or who do they have to be friends with to use this "hidden feature"?

STOP TRACKING EVERYTHING I DO!!!

[mudshark61369 · Accepted solution]

@burritohead,

"I've only seen the ability to send an offer to someone who saves your item in their watch list, (indicating they're interested). At least on my account, you can't send an offer to every single user who happens to view your item".

If the item you opened was a Sponsored listing, all you have to do is open it. Seller's pay an extra fee to have automated offers sent by eBay, from sponsored listings. The seller wouldn't know you looked at it unless you accepted the offer.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/listing-tips/promoted-listings?id=4164

[eburtonlab]

eBay allows sellers to make offers in certain cases: when an item is added to a user's Watch List, when an item is added to a user's cart, or when the same user views an item multiple times.

eBay mediates the message delivery, so the seller does not actually know the user's identity unless the offer is actually accepted. The seller is simply informed by eBay that the seller has a certain number of offer opportunities available.

Users can opt out of such offers entirely by going to the Communication Preferences page to disable "offers to buyers" or by browsing while not signed in.

[d-k_treasures]

Blame ebay - they are the ones sending offers to people who just look at something. Not the seller.

[stainlessenginecovers]

No, sellers CANNOT see who has 'looked' at their item, or even if you put it in your 'Watch List' they CANNOT see who has done that either.

But, they can have Offers sent (automatically) to anyone that has opened (clicked) their item whether placed in that lookers watch list or not. 

Not a big deal, again; sellers cannot see who watches or who looks. 

[mtgraves7984]

Granted... the first time it happens to you it does feel a bit creepy and invasive. Shake it off...

[downunder-61]

STOP TRACKING EVERYTHING I DO!!!  Privacy

You do know what the internet is right ?  If you want privacy you won't find it online.

[monster-deals]

---

@burritohead wrote:

How much does a seller have to pay, or who do they have to be friends with to use this "hidden feature"?

---

Not hidden, it has been in use for a while now and I get to use it for free.

[house*of*paws]

---

@mtgraves7984 wrote:

Granted... the first time it happens to you it does feel a bit creepy and invasive. Shake it off...

---

@mtgraves7984 

I'm getting 'offers' for items I've looked at only to answer an OP's question.  I'm not creeped out ... but I surely don't need more junk in my Inbox.   🙄

[burritohead]

Thanks for the info. I had no idea how invasive "sponsored" listings are. They're basically the equivalent of a clerk jumping over the register to chase you down the street because you briefly looked at something in their storefront window.

Nobody likes to be accosted, hassled, or bullied by pushy salesmen. So nice to see that Ebay encourages it, for a fee of course.

[kathiec]

If you find what eBay does pushy, creepy and invasive you obviously don't spend much time on the internet. When I go to the Weather Channel site I always get ads for things I looked at on other sites. And don't get me started on Facebook ads. It's done with tracking cookies, which follow you everywhere and are used for targeted marketing. So don't blame eBay like they're the only ones who do it. At least eBay gives you a way to opt out.

[burritohead]

I don't see any way to "only allow offers from items in my watch list". Turning off "offers to buyers" I would assume would turn off ALL offers coming in, which would include legit items in my watch list. I can't imagine Ebay would give people the ability to turn off a feature other sellers pay money for.

[dariudaudery_0]

Funny, i kept getting offers on some items even thought i was only looking at the prices of items i may purchase locally to resell.

Also i am not from USA, but got sent an offer from someone who does not ship to my location... Cool.

[burritohead]

I've been using Ebay since 1998. This never happened before. Obviously something changed on their end, it's not like I woke up yesterday and started browsin' them Internets...

[eburtonlab]

eBay's offers are "all or nothing". There is no way to only allow some offers but not others.