The Watch List Has Changed! Test?

[castlemagicmemories]

I've recently noticed a change in my Watch List.  Listings that are auctions with a BIN show up as 0 bids and then list the BIN price, not the opening bid price, or both.

Taking one right from my List, the item calls for an opening bid of $24.99 with a BIN of $32.99~that is what shows on the listing.  But the Watch List shows 0 bids and $32.99.  If you didn't go back to the listing, you would never know and might just pass it by.  An item with no bids would be thought to cost more than it actually does, which might discourage bids, even allowing for the fact that multiple bids would drive up the price, some auctions are won with just one bid.

Possibly a buyer who goes back to that listing on their Watch list will see a higher price, the BIN price, than the bid price and not bid because it is higher than they remember.

Maybe this is a test, I don't know.  I haven't seen anything else on this.  Possibly this is because most listings are fixed price, and fast selling~sales velocity~is driving this.

This could impact sales.  

[gramophone-georg]

I've been noticing this for awhile now- probably a couple/few months. When it first started I thought sellers were increasing the opening bids but then I figured out what was going on. I agree that it's just one more thing eBay is doing that's likely driving sales off.

I could be wrong but it seems I started noticing this right around the holidays- when eBay ALWAYS seems to go into overdrive on changing things seemingly just do disrupt holiday sales.

[holidayshopper201]

I noticed the exact same thing on my watch list and didn't bid on an auction I had been watching because of it!

It had an opening bid of $9.99 (with a BIN for $99.99 that I had completely forgot about). The day before yesterday, the $9.99 dropped off my watch list and only showed $99.99. I thought the seller had realized she started it too low and raised the amount. I was disappointed, but didn't click on the listing to check. Dumb me. *headdesk* 

About an hour after the auction closed, I saw that it sold for the original $9.99. What the heck?!?!? I checked the listing and sure enough, she hadn't adjusted the price. It just showed different on my watch list. This was an item I had even contacted the seller about shortly after she listed it because the shipping seemed off. She thanked me because she had accidentally put in the wrong dimensions for the box. 

I really wanted the item. Thanks to eBay, I didn't bid. While it sold, the seller lost out on a lot of money.

[ekmadonna]

Yes, been happening for a few months. I do not like it at all. It is very confusing and misleading. Watch list just shows the HIGH Buy It Now Price and removes the Low auction start price. HATE IT!

[holidayshopper201]

While this may have been happening for a couple of months now as both you and Georg mentioned, it only started this week with my watch list. 

Bad, bad, bad on eBay's part. Surely they had negative feedback about it before now.  A little warning would have been nice.

[eburtonlab]

@castlemagicmemories 

This issue has been going on for a while -- at least since November. See here:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Technical-Issues/Watch-list-showing-BIN-price-instead-of-current-bid-p...

I don't know for certain if the problem has been constant; it's possible there was a period between November and now when it was working correctly. But it was definitely a problem in November.

So: Watch list shows BIN price instead of lowest bid; Summary and "all lists" pages seem to be working as they should, and can be used as workarounds.

[ekmadonna]

It is rare when there is any warning around here for anything. It is turn on your computer, log in and SURPRISE!

[castlemagicmemories]

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@ekmadonna wrote:

Yes, been happening for a few months. I do not like it at all. It is very confusing and misleading. Watch list just shows the HIGH Buy It Now Price and removes the Low auction start price. HATE IT!

---

I don't doubt it has been happening for a few months because it has been some time since I first noticed it.  I didn't just notice it today.  I don't think it was as far back as November, but maybe it was.  

I noticed it because I started seeing things that didn't look right to me when I scrolled through my Watch List.  They looked higher than I remembered.  So I went and checked the listings.  

While this could make for higher prices for listings if someone hits the BIN, it could also mean that those listings would be passed by since the bid price is not seen.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@gramophone-georg wrote:

I've been noticing this for awhile now- probably a couple/few months. When it first started I thought sellers were increasing the opening bids but then I figured out what was going on. I agree that it's just one more thing eBay is doing that's likely driving sales off.

I could be wrong but it seems I started noticing this right around the holidays- when eBay ALWAYS seems to go into overdrive on changing things seemingly just do disrupt holiday sales.

---

You may be right, @gramophone-georg  as @eburtonlab has corroborated that in saying it started at least as far back as November, and @holidayshopper201 has said she didn't bid on something because the BIN price was showing and she did not know that was not the bid amount. 

I noticed it quite some time before this thread, but I don't think it was that far back, but maybe it was.  That was not a good time for me. 

[castlemagicmemories]

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@holidayshopper201 wrote:

While this may have been happening for a couple of months now as both you and Georg mentioned, it only started this week with my watch list. 

Bad, bad, bad on eBay's part. Surely they had negative feedback about it before now.  A little warning would have been nice.

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I wondered if others were experiencing this and how wide spread it might be, is it a glitch or a test, or a new policy.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@eburtonlab wrote:

@castlemagicmemories 

This issue has been going on for a while -- at least since November. See here:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Technical-Issues/Watch-list-showing-BIN-price-instead-of-current-bid-p...

I don't know for certain if the problem has been constant; it's possible there was a period between November and now when it was working correctly. But it was definitely a problem in November.

So: Watch list shows BIN price instead of lowest bid; Summary and "all lists" pages seem to be working as they should, and can be used as workarounds.

---

Thank you, @eburtonlab for the link!  I had not seen that.

Thank you for the work around but you know most aren't going to know about them to use them.  The Watch List is the most likely place people will go to check on what they are, well, watching.

[gramophone-georg]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

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@gramophone-georg wrote:

I've been noticing this for awhile now- probably a couple/few months. When it first started I thought sellers were increasing the opening bids but then I figured out what was going on. I agree that it's just one more thing eBay is doing that's likely driving sales off.

I could be wrong but it seems I started noticing this right around the holidays- when eBay ALWAYS seems to go into overdrive on changing things seemingly just do disrupt holiday sales.

---

You may be right, @gramophone-georg  as @eburtonlab has corroborated that in saying it started at least as far back as November, and @holidayshopper201 has said she didn't bid on something because the BIN price was showing and she did not know that was not the bid amount. 

I noticed it quite some time before this thread, but I don't think it was that far back, but maybe it was.  That was not a good time for me. 

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I probably noticed it first simply because a minimum of 75% of items on my watch list at any given time tend to be auction items.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@holidayshopper201 wrote:

I noticed the exact same thing on my watch list and didn't bid on an auction I had been watching because of it!

It had an opening bid of $9.99 (with a BIN for $99.99 that I had completely forgot about). The day before yesterday, the $9.99 dropped off my watch list and only showed $99.99. I thought the seller had realized she started it too low and raised the amount. I was disappointed, but didn't click on the listing to check. Dumb me. *headdesk* 

About an hour after the auction closed, I saw that it sold for the original $9.99. What the heck?!?!? I checked the listing and sure enough, she hadn't adjusted the price. It just showed different on my watch list. This was an item I had even contacted the seller about shortly after she listed it because the shipping seemed off. She thanked me because she had accidentally put in the wrong dimensions for the box. 

I really wanted the item. Thanks to eBay, I didn't bid. While it sold, the seller lost out on a lot of money.

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Not only did the seller lose out on a lot of money, you lost out on something you really wanted and Ebay lost out on increased FVFs.  In the scenario you lay out, it would seem like the seller made a typo.  I feel badly for you and I'm sorry you missed out on something you really wanted because of this.  I can see that happening very easily and that is my concern.  Buyers will miss things they really want, and that depresses sales, so sellers aren't happy.  

[castlemagicmemories]

@eburtonlab 

I checked out those links and I noticed that you said this issue went back to the summer of last year.  Possibly it was corrected but then showed up again in November?  I don't know.

@Anonymous 

tyler@ebay 

Can you shed any light on this situation of BIN prices instead of bid prices showing up in Watch Lists?  Some are missing out on items they would have bid on, so that means disappointed buyers, and that is less money for sellers and for Ebay, so everyone loses out.  

Thank you!

[castlemagicmemories]

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@gramophone-georg wrote:

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

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@gramophone-georg wrote:

I've been noticing this for awhile now- probably a couple/few months. When it first started I thought sellers were increasing the opening bids but then I figured out what was going on. I agree that it's just one more thing eBay is doing that's likely driving sales off.

I could be wrong but it seems I started noticing this right around the holidays- when eBay ALWAYS seems to go into overdrive on changing things seemingly just do disrupt holiday sales.

---

You may be right, @gramophone-georg  as @eburtonlab has corroborated that in saying it started at least as far back as November, and @holidayshopper201 has said she didn't bid on something because the BIN price was showing and she did not know that was not the bid amount. 

I noticed it quite some time before this thread, but I don't think it was that far back, but maybe it was.  That was not a good time for me. 

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I probably noticed it first simply because a minimum of 75% of items on my watch list at any given time tend to be auction items.

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That could be why I am not sure when I noticed it.  Most of my watched items aren't auction items, but I can see why you would notice it easily.