Received an offer from a seller on an item that I was watching.

[76c]

Hi everyone!  I was looking for NOS parts for my 65 Chevy pickup and put several in my watch list.  After a few minutes, I received an offer of a discounted price on 1 of the parts I had just placed in my list.  I have been selling for quite a long time and I was wondering how this seller knows who is watching his items.  I didn't know that you can do this!  I can't tell who are watching my items, so how is that seller doing this?  Can someone inform me that this is possible because if it is, I want to use it since a lot of my items has watchers but no buyers.  Thanks!

[eburtonlab]

@76c

Seems to be a limited program that eBay is trying; to be clear, the seller does not know the identity of the watcher(s), eBay sends the message on the seller's behalf in certain cases.

More info in this thread:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Send-a-watcher-an-offer-Clarification/td-p/28886862

[touchdownarkansas]

I would never ever buy from a seller that did this to me. It is so wrong on so many levels. I am keeping my watch list empty to avoid this invasion of my privacy. Remember this one thing--watchers are rarely buyers.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Me either. This is spam pure and simple. Every day EBay comes up with new ways to offend potential buyers.

[labs118]

@76c

Can you say what made you think the seller knew it was you that had his/her item on the watchlist?
Or why you thought it was a message from the seller not from ebay .
Trinton seems to be saying they make it clear to any buyer it is a message from ebay not directly from the seller.

Maybe feedback to Trinton is in order so as they run this test they can address issues that may drive buyers away from using the watchlist for fear a seller knows their ID

Trinton wrote this on post # 78

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Send-a-watcher-an-offer-Clarification/td-p/28886862/page/4

the email the buyer receives states that eBay sent this message on behalf of the seller and also clarifies that others could buy the item before the buyer has time to review the offer and make the purchase. Definitely keep us in the loop if you see any other conversations about this topic!

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

@Anonymous @labs118

The fear that a seller knows their id is not the problem here. The problem here is spam. I have nearly quit buying on Ebay now because of all the intrusive emails I get. Until there is a way to turn off this new spam I will not be using my watchlist and therefore will no longer be buying (buyer of nearly half a million dollars in inventory).

Keeping buyers is more important than spamming the remaining buyers. If they want to buy, they will. they know how to find the item, it's on their watchlist. This is like when you buy a christmas present from a website for someone and they start sending you four emails a day and the opt out doesn't work. It's just offensive.

BTW I need to talk to my sister who works in direct marketing to see if this is even legal under the can SPAM act.

[labs118]

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:

@Anonymous @labs118

The fear that a seller knows their id is not the problem here. The problem here is spam. I have nearly quit buying on Ebay now because of all the intrusive emails I get. Until there is a way to turn off this new spam I will not be using my watchlist and therefore will no longer be buying (buyer of nearly half a million dollars in inventory).

Keeping buyers is more important than spamming the remaining buyers. If they want to buy, they will. they know how to find the item, it's on their watchlist. This is like when you buy a christmas present from a website for someone and they start sending you four emails a day and the opt out doesn't work. It's just offensive.

BTW I need to talk to my sister who works in direct marketing to see if this is even legal under the can SPAM act.

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By no means said it was right & agree 100%
I also buy alot here under another ID & get all the spam, double the spam because any item I research to sell I also get more spam about.
I was just asking the OP what made them believe the message was from the seller to pass along to Trinton as he asked for this information if other posts popped up.

[Anonymous]

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:

@Anonymous @labs118

The fear that a seller knows their id is not the problem here. The problem here is spam. I have nearly quit buying on Ebay now because of all the intrusive emails I get. Until there is a way to turn off this new spam I will not be using my watchlist and therefore will no longer be buying (buyer of nearly half a million dollars in inventory).

Keeping buyers is more important than spamming the remaining buyers. If they want to buy, they will. they know how to find the item, it's on their watchlist. This is like when you buy a christmas present from a website for someone and they start sending you four emails a day and the opt out doesn't work. It's just offensive.

BTW I need to talk to my sister who works in direct marketing to see if this is even legal under the can SPAM act.

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Hi @the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth, a buyer can opt out of these emails by turning off their Marketing Emails in Communication Preferences if they would like. 

[dirk12955]

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@touchdownarkansas wrote:

I would never ever buy from a seller that did this to me. It is so wrong on so many levels. I am keeping my watch list empty to avoid this invasion of my privacy. Remember this one thing--watchers are rarely buyers.

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The seller does not know who is watching his item(s)     EBAY prompts the seller with a message>   "Your item has a watcher,   Discount your item and sell it now!"

If the seller says,  "OK"   and clicks the message,   ebay sends the message with the discounted price to the watcher.

If the watcher does not buy,   The seller has no idea who the message was sent to.   

[dirk12955]

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:

Me either. This is spam pure and simple. Every day EBay comes up with new ways to offend potential buyers.

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Buyers use "Make an offer" all the time.   IMO this is simply the same thing in reverse.   

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

It’s not the same thing at all. This is like window shopping at a store and the owner comes out and starts haggling with you. You could be in a mall and have dozens doing it at the same time. Fun times!

sellers are on eBay to sell. Watchers may be potential buyers or could be watching for a million other reasons. It’s annoying.

Dont people who turn off marketing emails lose eBay bucks emails too?

[guybemis]

Note to self: Stop adding items to Watch list.

[touchdownarkansas]

I don't use Best Offer. I do not want ebay the seller or anyone bugging me to buy. That is so rude and tacky. It wont be an issue because my list will be empty from now on. If they want buyers this is not the way to get them.

[mythello]

Same thing has been happening to me. I am a seller looking at other similar items for sale. I am not watching the items. I just looked. This happened a few times and I thought at first I received an offer on my listing. I almost accepted and then realized it was an offer from another seller or me to purchase. They must be capturing search activity. I don't understand how the offer price is being set if not from the seller. It seems unfair though. My items are being undercut.

[lovett-1000]

They do not know the buyers I.D. They only know they got a watcher.   So try to make a sale sent the offer.  All the watchers on the item are sent the offer.  Seller dose not know ho they are.  All sellers can do this. Go to seller hub.  I think then to active listings. You will see in the middle of page I think a term. Send buyers offer.  All sellers that have watchers on items. Can send them offer discounts. I am not sure about the seller hub exact where to go.  But for the most part I do not use. But have on some low watcher items have done it.  I hope you the best in selling. I have bought items that was in my watch list.  That sellers sent me the offer.  But do think it is pushy selling. And really do not agree with it.