Watchers

[thebookexchange]

Ebay allows sellers to opt into automatically lowering listing prices at 5% every few days or so, but doesn't provide the option to increase the price in the same fashion.  But that's ok. When I see watchers jump on a price of one of my items and maintain their watchfulness for days on end, I just up the price anyways, to catch bigger fish that inevitably always come. This makes a lot of potential buyers angry, but really, who cares? You should have bought it at the price that first attracted you rather than waiting and sending me a message about how unfair you think it is, as though I was in any way concerned about your opinion. There's definitely a place for you.....blocked buyer/bidder purgatory. This is the nature of the beast. Deal with it. I concentrate my time, efforts and focus on actual paying customers, but am inclined to be much more dismissive of window shoppers and browsers. You're free to ask as many questions as you wish, but in the meantime, I'm just waiting for the buyer that doesn't need to ask any questions, but knows what they're looking at. Happy shopping elsewhere!

I hope this helps.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

I think it’s counterproductive to annoy potential buyers but you do you.

Window shopping leads to sales. I have NO idea why you are so angry at people who watch. Everything I buy goes on my watchlist first. I’ve spent $500k on eBay in the last 20 years. Never returned and only left one neg for a scammer. You don’t want purchases from buyers like me?

It was a dark day when EBay started allowing sellers to see the watch count. It seems to annoy you. Maybe you should turn that column off?

[lex-talon]

Not sure why you get a bit upset over "watchers". Personally, I use my watch list to compare prices and in the end,

find the lowest price for purchase.  If it bothers you so much, don't look at it. 

[jewelant]

I agree, I have a lot of things on my watch list, and when I get a payday I can come back around and get those things I need from that list. As a seller I occasionally get a sale from a watcher, or an offer. It also allows me to decide whether to accept a low offer or not.  It was frustrating at first worrying about all the watchers, but sometimes if you just wait long enough one of them will buy your item.  Now I just check how many and occasionally make an offer to them a bit lower than the purchase price.  Not many takers when I do that, but at least I have the option.

[eleanor*rigby]

I put items on my watch list that I want some day. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but when I get an 8% eBay Bucks promotion, for example, like I did today, you can bet I'll be making that purchase from my watch list.

[luckythewinner]

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@thebookexchange wrote:

I hope this helps.

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I get the feeling this post was really designed to help you, not us 🙂

[coolections]

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@thebookexchange wrote:

Ebay allows sellers to opt into automatically lowering listing prices at 5% every few days or so, but doesn't provide the option to increase the price in the same fashion.  When I see watchers jump on a price of one of my items and maintain their watchfulness for days on end, I just up the price anyways.

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Never heard of that one. I would hilt the back button and add you to my block seller list. To each his own I guess.

[dubiousgain]

Lurkers and watches in the peanut gallery never bother me. I use it as a gauge to detect interest. And whether or not the watcher turns into a buyer, they were interested enough, in the first place to watch it, for whatever reason.  I watch many listings that I likely will not ever purchase.

[eze-right1]

 Here's an example of why watchers don't mean jack anymore. In the past, watchers meant possible sales but I remember a time where eBay wanted to go in a social media path and the new buyers and all were approaching it just like social media.
It's like folks are looking at stuff and instead of buying it, they put it on their watch list because "they like it." I mean, I had a painting that had 36 watchers on it and when the sale ended, I got around $70 for it. Not bad but WHY WERE SO MANY WATCHING IT? Why didn't they buy it? I figure that the new 'eBayers' that eBay has attracted are more into being entertained than buying items. When you read about someone complaining about their watch list disappearing because of an eBay update or something and the watcher has a thousand items on their list, yeah. It's just a game. Thanks, eBay, for creating such a cool game for everyone. I'm not making money. How cool is it when a company, intentionally or unintentionally, acts as if they don't want your money and attracts viewers instead of buyers. If that's the case, mark my word, it'll end in sorrow later on.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Frankly its none of your business why people watch your listings, the watch list was created for buyers and it was not visible to sellers for years. How does it hurt you when buyers watch something just because they “like it”?

the watchlist does not and never has prevented buyers from buying. I have been using it for close to 20 years. I have up to 300 items on my list at any given time and when I’m buying for my business I buy a lot of them too.

unless something has changed, 300 is the max watchlist.

[steelernation2007]

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@thebookexchange wrote:

Ebay allows sellers to opt into automatically lowering listing prices at 5% every few days or so, but doesn't provide the option to increase the price in the same fashion.  But that's ok. When I see watchers jump on a price of one of my items and maintain their watchfulness for days on end, I just up the price anyways, to catch bigger fish that inevitably always come. This makes a lot of potential buyers angry, but really, who cares? You should have bought it at the price that first attracted you rather than waiting and sending me a message about how unfair you think it is, as though I was in any way concerned about your opinion. There's definitely a place for you.....blocked buyer/bidder purgatory. This is the nature of the beast. Deal with it. I concentrate my time, efforts and focus on actual paying customers, but am inclined to be much more dismissive of window shoppers and browsers. You're free to ask as many questions as you wish, but in the meantime, I'm just waiting for the buyer that doesn't need to ask any questions, but knows what they're looking at. Happy shopping elsewhere!

I hope this helps.

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@thebookexchange  this is the most passive - aggressive listing method I've ever heard of. Thankfully you don't have an actual physical store somewhere.  You'd probably tell people they cannot come in and look around unless they buy something.

[tamaralea]

I, too, admit to having negative feelings toward watchers, but recently learned something.  If you send an offer to watchers, it somehow triggers the search engine to increase your visibility.  Several sellers, including me, have reported receiving full prices sales after sending offers.  

[disneyshopper]

I have an item that sells quite well, so I think I have the lowest price.  When I sell out of my current inventory, I go and purchase 4 more to resell.  The last set of 4 sold quickly, so I increased the price by $1 for the next 4 items.  So far, 3 have sold at that higher price.  With only 1 left, I am surprised it hasn't sold yet.  I was thinking of running down and purchasing 4 more, so I think I will wait.

[femmefan1946]

@eze-right1 

I had a painting that had 36 watchers on it and when the sale ended, I got around $70 for it. Not bad but WHY WERE SO MANY WATCHING IT? Why didn't they buy it?

When the sale ended?

Was this an auction?

In my opinion, auctions are a turnoff for today's consumer.

Why wait seven days to find out you have lost to a snipe bid?

Some of those watchers might have meant to snipe, but weren't around when the closing rolled around.

Some used your auction to decide if their Fixed Price purchase was a good deal.

Today's consumer wants Instant Gratification.

That means a set price, with shipping costs included, so there is no guesswork.

Prompt shipping.

Fast delivery.

EBay only keeps Auctions around because it is part of their brand. What other generalist sites are still hosting auctions?

Some hobby sites do for vintage and collectible items, but nothing with as many categories as eBay.

[smileytown18]

Re: watchers
I'd love to know if a watcher actually ends up buying an item. There should be a little blurb that tells you "This buyer had your item on their watch list".
I feel like often watchers are just competitors.