Why does eBay change things that are working just fine?

[yellow-snapdragon]

My sales are completely nonexistant and I think part of the reason is that eBay has changed the watch list so that other interested "buyers" cannot see others watching anymore. I can see watchers as a seller but when I search as a buyer, other watchers do not show. So as a buyer I might find something I am considering but see no one else watching and it does not cause me to want to snatch something up. I would think I must be the only one interested in this item so I am in no hurry to buy it. I have multiple watchers on multiple items but potential buyers cannot see this anymore. In the past I did notice that when a bunch of people jump on a watch list others see this and they grab the item quicker. And sales are slower than ever. 

Anyone else thinking this is a possible setback to selling? 

[d-k_treasures]

Why does eBay change things that are working just fine?

So they can break them.

[chrysylys]

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@yellow-snapdragonwrote: Why does eBay change things that are working just fine?  

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Job security for the IT crew.

[coolections]

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@yellow-snapdragonwrote:

Anyone else thinking this is a possible setback to selling? 

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Not me. The more watchers and the longer the item has sat the less likely someone will buy it.

[dhbookds]

Usually, we'll never know why they change something........I agree, on the surface, watchers seem good, but I've always wondered if there isn't group somewhere "watching" each others items to get a boost in search......just idle speculation...........

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

I'm seeing watchers on a ton of auctions I'm watching. I think they only show up now if the count is over five.

[yellow-snapdragon]

I don't know...I have some items with more than 10 watchers and 1 with more than 20 and they don't show up when I do a search. None show.

[luckythewinner]

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@yellow-snapdragonwrote:

Anyone else thinking this is a possible setback to selling? 

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I don't think that hiding the number of watchers would make a seller's sales become "completely nonexistent". 

Do you really think that every single one of your sales was triggered by a buyer seeing a count of watchers? 

[ted_200 · Accepted solution]

Watchers may impact sales some on some items, in as much as multiple bids on an auction will attract the attention of some other bidders.   I shop auctions ending soonest, a lot, and it's a pretty reliable way of identifying listings that might be worth bidding on.  But those are bids, not watchers.

But for fixed price listings I doubt watchers (or not being able to see them) is a major factor.  I suspect at least half of watchers on Fixed Price items are actually other sellers waiting to see if anyone is biting at that price.  However I wouldn't suggest that it has no effect either.  But if sales have suddenly gone "completely nonexistant", there's something else going on.

Why does eBay change things that are working just fine?

The eternal universal question for all of eBay...

[ozarkjoe]

It is the business school MBA mentality.  You have to do something so that you can move onto the next company and say "I increased revenue / clicks / sales by 2% with innovative business disruption".

[grasshopperx]

Not true at all. The more watchers, the more interest. The more people considering buying the item. Watchers mean, buyers like it. It's also means buyers SEE it, which is a total miracle these days. I know for a fact that when I watch an item, I like it, and may go back to buy it. It does not mean the price is to high. That has nothing to do with it.  It may simply mean the buyer does not have the money for it right now. It may also mean that the seller has other items that may interst a buyer. I put an item on watch so I can go back in the future and see what else a seller lists. It's also simply a way to get back to a seller that has items that interest a buyer. so bla bla bla... to you WATCHERS ARE GOOD!