eBay

dealsagent · ‎07-26-2017

although eBay might keep sending you updates about your own item and when it sells they'll apologize to you for missing out and direct you to a similuar item

*madison · ‎07-27-2017

Yes I watch my BIN items, and I get other people I know to watch them too.

Then my BIN items usually sell quite quickly once I have a few watchers.

the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth · ‎07-27-2017

I don't remember that one but I didn't start until 1999. I do remember being able to leave feedback for anyone.

ymeagainlord · ‎07-27-2017

Nope, but I know a seller/poster here who swears it works = )

eta: but I believe he only does that on auctions.

Crusader Cat is watching

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - L Tolstoy

"You are entitled to your own opinion, you are not however, entitled to your own facts."

newnewnewmann · ‎07-27-2017

@dealsagent wrote:
every 'watch' your own item to stimulate interest?

I get your point, that maybe if you watch yourself, it might arouse and excite others to perk-up and take notice of your item; people sometimes crave the item because someone else does too.

ON VACATION
GONE FISHING
BACK AT 6

thatsallfolks · ‎07-27-2017

@omgitlightsup wrote:
It absolutely was permitted to accept bids from other sources, and submit them on behalf of your buyers. Look it up, or ask anyone who, like myself, has been here for a long time.

There are plenty of long-timers on the boards. I've never seen what you've described in any other thread.

omgitlightsup · ‎07-27-2017

I remember that too, and when you could

post your phone number right in the listing
offer "other items and services" right in the listing
accept checks and cash in the mail
accept any form of payment
stop an auction any time you wanted to (like five minutes before the schedule end to deter snipers)
link to your TOS off-site
link to your own personal or business website

and I also remember many of the announcements that these, and many other common practices, were taken away; and the way users reacted here. Oh! and I remember before PayPal existed too. It used to be a tiny shack a few blocks from my apartment and it was called x.com. eBay used to be a very different place.

@thatsallfolks wrote:
@omgitlightsup wrote:
It absolutely was permitted to accept bids from other sources, and submit them on behalf of your buyers. Look it up, or ask anyone who, like myself, has been here for a long time.
There are plenty of long-timers on the boards. I've never seen what you've described in any other thread.

I said ask around, not rack your brain for a memory of it. I'm not joking.. it really used to be like this.

do.you.read.me · ‎07-27-2017

Where can a person browsing see how many people are watching an item?

Guess I haven't noticed that.. ..wait, maybe I have. Shows a little "on fire" icon? Is that views or watchers?

I randomly searched around, but now I cannot find any items on fire...

omgitlightsup · ‎07-27-2017

@do.you.read.me wrote:
Where can a person browsing see how many people are watching an item?

Guess I haven't noticed that.. ..wait, maybe I have. Shows a little "on fire" icon? Is that views or watchers?

I randomly searched around, but now I cannot find any items on fire...

Every listing shows you that. Look up any item, near the bidding button.

And yeah, watchers definitely do influence other people browsing to watch or place bids. Just the same way a crowd around a table at a flea market draws more people in, or a bid at a "real" auction encourages others to bid. That's part of what makes eBay successful, and that's why eBay shows you who's watching.

do.you.read.me · ‎07-27-2017

Learned something new.

I don't buy here, but it shows that what I do view is either junk that nobody wants, or they're suppressed by ebay bots listings.

hawgryders · ‎07-27-2017

@grasshopperx wrote:
When I had items on here. I used to watch my own items. Then ebay started to send me emails not to buy my item, but to go buy someone elses. That's when the magnitude of how STUPID this place is, hit me. Like a ton of bricks. Moved all my items to another site, did very well. Until lately. No views just like here. I have learned the ebay ceo got hired on the other site. Already I can see the mess. It's pretty bad when you move to get away from these idiots and they follow sellers to other sites to ruin those as well. There is no escaping it.

Slightly off-topic but this deserves an answer:

The "other site" has made numerous changes in order to survive --- they hit a wall a few years ago & were facing the possibility of going down --- so the owners decided to go public --- hoping to save the company they began --- but with survival comes change --- good for some --- bad for others

In the end ~~Etsy~~ the "other site" will be just fine --- the value to the shareholders will continue to rise --- and the sellers who learn to adapt will prosper ...

thatsallfolks · ‎07-27-2017

@omgitlightsup wrote:
I remember that too, and when you could
stop an auction any time you wanted to (like five minutes before the schedule end to deter snipers)

You still can. It's still the equivalent of setting currency on fire, but you can still do it.

timemachine777 · ‎07-27-2017

@wolf*song wrote:
I thought watching your own item was against the rules. No?

No. Just bidding, and buying. Though I never understood the buying block. If you want to buy your own item, an pay eBay a FVF. Then more power to you, I say.

timemachine777 · ‎07-27-2017

@thatsallfolks wrote:
@omgitlightsup wrote:
Back in the 90s, you could bid on your own items.
I wasn't aware that shill bidding (a crime) was ever permitted on eBay. Not believing that one.

It wasn't that eBay allowed it. They just didn't have the software in place to prevent you from doing it. Most shills were done via family and friends. That way you had different ID's appearing. Only dumb people would bid on their own stuff with linked accounts.

thatsallfolks · ‎07-27-2017

@timemachine777 wrote:
@thatsallfolks wrote:
@omgitlightsup wrote:
Back in the 90s, you could bid on your own items.
I wasn't aware that shill bidding (a crime) was ever permitted on eBay. Not believing that one.
It wasn't that eBay allowed it. They just didn't have the software in place to prevent you from doing it. Most shills were done via family and friends. That way you had different ID's appearing. Only dumb people would bid on their own stuff with linked accounts.

That's definitely not what ke4fpb is claiming. Read it again:

"It absolutely was permitted to accept bids from other sources, and submit them on behalf of your buyers."

omgitlightsup · ‎07-27-2017

A LONG time ago, before anyone knew what eBay was, it was permissible to take proxy bids for buyers who did not have eBay accounts. I'm talking long before PayPal and possibly even before eBay was publicly-traded. I was a very early user of this site, back when hardly anyone outside of a university had dialup access.

Obviously this was a very easily abused feature and it was taken away for good reason. But yes, you once upon a time could place bids on your own items.