cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

How can an item have a watcher but no views?

I tell ya, I am having a generally bad and generally 'weird' week, and that's not a good combination because it feels like forces out of my control, HA.  First (as described in another post) there's these seller offers I keep getting for items I have never even clicked on.  Then starting maybe 4 or 5 days ago, my store seems to be in sudden down-throttle mode, total viewcounts plummeting overnight, with even new postings of very popular items getting little or no views (and so yeah my sales have sucked too, and my latest auction closed much lower than expected, even WITH the 'express' promotion which usually works great for me).  Yesterday I ended/sell similar'd all listings older than 30 days, maybe that will algorithm me back to normal traffic, guess I'll see.   
And now, a new weirdness: this item I posted yesterday.  I posted it at the same time as a few other things, and then a few hours later checked to see how they were doing, and I think maybe 1 or 2 of them had ONE view or something, and no watchers.  But then another few hours later, this one still had zero views, but one WATCHER.  Now tell me how the heck that is possible.  I know ebay recently changed the display of views to (supposedly) include only real views by shoppers, not 'bot' views for 'no-no' listing scrutiny, internal logistical whateverness, etc.  But I can think of no way anyone can watch something they have literally not SEEN.  I thought maybe it was just a brief glitch that would change overnight, but nope, still there.  

Screen Shot 2022-05-23 at 8.38.23 AM.png

Message 1 of 33
latest reply
32 REPLIES 32

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?


@gurlcat wrote:

Actually, I just now did a search (on my laptop, home wifi) and the heart is the ONLY thing I see, not the eyeball and 'watch' icon under the price.  How did you find that, to make that screenshot?  Was it on your phone?  If so, no wonder I didn't know about it, I almost never shop on my phone, ha.  


Nope, I'm using the desktop platform. I clicked on your "Listings" link here in one of your posts. It appears the "eyeball/Watch" link appears when looking at a specific seller's listings, and the heart icon appears when doing a general search--or something like that. LOL!

 

I'm posting with a buying id, so click on "Listings" for another member in this thread who's using a selling id. You'll see the "eyeball/Watch" option on the listings, but not the little heart.

 

Conversely, if you see the little heart, you won't see the "eyeball/Watch" option.

 

I really can't tell you with any level of confidence what determines which option is displayed. Maybe jasmen@ebay or velvet@ebay can shed some light on when users are shown which option--the "eyeball/Watch" or the little heart.

Message 16 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?

Hey @pburn there's no way to say for sure lots of things can factor, the browser, the app, the version of the app, Android vs Apple etc... 

Jasmen,
Community Team

Message 17 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?


jasmen@ebay wrote:

Hey @pburn there's no way to say for sure lots of things can factor, the browser, the app, the version of the app, Android vs Apple etc... 


jasmen@ebay 

 

I see. I use the desktop platform only, a Chrome browser only, a Windows OS only--I never change up any of the factors mentioned; however, I see some search results displaying the "eyeball/Watch" icon and some search results displaying the little heart icon. 

 

Thanks for your reply.

Message 18 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?

I'm apart of driving the zero view/one watcher craziness, but it's normal. I click to watch items I have absolutely no time for reading the descriptions, or even bother viewing the listing, until I have searched enough things of what I'm looking for and then decide which items I want to buy, and from which sellers.

 

I do this non-stop on my other account just to have everything on one page once I'm finished searching.

Hope your week gets better, Best of luck!

Message 19 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?

As others have explained, it's very common (& has been for many years) to have a watcher & no views, but I wanted to address your low view counts comments.  

 

Did you read the announcement?  Or the 10,000 other threads about viewcounts?  Ebay has changed the way they count views, so everyone's view counts plummeted overnight.  They wiped the slate clean & going forward you will only see 30 days of views (you can click on the hyperlink to change it though) & additionally, they have removed bot views, since those weren't real buyers, for a more accurate count.  Bot views were around 30%-40% of view counts.  So, nothing happening to you, that is happening to anyone else on the US site.  

 

I don't really care for the 30 day counts, but I'm glad they got rid of the bot views. 

This one goes to Eleven - Nigel Tufnel

Simply-the-best-for-you Volunteer Community Mentor
eBay Seller since 1996

Message 20 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?


@pburn wrote: ... I use the desktop platform only, a Chrome browser only, a Windows OS only--I never change up any of the factors mentioned; however, I see some search results displaying the "eyeball/Watch" icon and some search results displaying the little heart icon. ...

Likewise: sometimes the heart and sometimes "Watch."  I'm using a MacBook and Safari.

Message 21 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?

I have one of these as well. Something weird is definitely going on.

Message 22 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?


@jtkirk161 wrote:

I have one of these as well. Something weird is definitely going on.


@jtkirk161 

 

Did you read the replies to the OP's question? Several other members already explained how this happens--and it doesn't involve anything weird.

 

Customers can "watch" a listing in either of two different ways without ever opening the listing itself. That's how a listing shows watchers without any views.

 

Asked and answered.

Message 23 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?


@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

@pburn wrote: ... I use the desktop platform only, a Chrome browser only, a Windows OS only--I never change up any of the factors mentioned; however, I see some search results displaying the "eyeball/Watch" icon and some search results displaying the little heart icon. ...

Likewise: sometimes the heart and sometimes "Watch."  I'm using a MacBook and Safari.


So, I would infer that it is not OS related or browser related--or would that be a faulty deduction?

Message 24 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?

This is bad real bad what ebay has done to sellers. Not only have I not been getting any views, I have not been getting sells.  I am not making any money on ebay, since they put in this new view system.  All the years that I have been selling on ebay, it has never been this bad. I went from a top rated seller, to not selling basically nothing at all. I even tested a item that had no views for two months. I used payed promotions, and after two weeks the item still do not have any view. At this point I am paying for a ebay store for nothing.  Wasting my money or giving my money to ebay for free.  However,  I am so happy I listen to other ebay sellers who seen this coming, due to the many ebay decisions that suppose to have helped sellers actually hurt sellers. All my new and good items are listed on other sites.  At this point, I am going to shut down my ebay  store, and go with the 200 free listing.  I will just list on ebay  junk, broken, repair, as is items.   In that way, I don't care how long it sit on ebay, with no views,  nor if it sells or not.   

Message 25 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?

Was wondering because items are not promoted the views are affected ?   it is just a theory.   Of course it would mean one has to agree to pay more for the item listing in the long run, sellers lose a bit more?

Message 26 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?

I’m not getting any views on my items for sale even after weeks. This has never happened to me. 

Message 27 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?

I suddenly have no views on all my items even the ones with bids . One item had over a hundred views and they all disappear overnight . I thought E-bay had enough smart people to keep the web site glitch free. They proved me wrong 

Message 28 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?


@easm05 wrote:

This is bad real bad what ebay has done to sellers. ....   



The option to watch from the search results page has been available for many years.

Message 29 of 33
latest reply

Re: How can an item have a watcher but no views?

Ok but can you explain how I have bids on items that say they have no views? 🙃 You can watchlist items from the search page, but last I checked you have to go to the landing page on an item to place a bid. 

Message 30 of 33
latest reply