suggestion: change the designation "watchers" to "campers" or even "squatters"

[t-bone543]

I'm a small-time and still pretty new seller, but I've noticed that watchers don't seem to be watching very closely if at all. I've even tried getting their attention by sending offers, which are always 20%-25% off the list price. When I do send these offers, the prices are almost always among if not the lowest for that particular item. But the watchers just don't seem to be paying very close attention. Is there a setting I can change to shut off the "watch" option?

[natoman777]

No watchers equals no way to make offers most of the time.  I make a lot of my sales by giving watchers offers to purchase.  Not all watchers buy, myself included.  Without it you would just have views which tells you little to nothing

[vintagecraze50]

Now that was funny, especially the squatters. Some squat for awhile and eventually buy.

[vintagecraze50]

Heck, I squat for a really long time sometimes and they I BUY. Lol.

[coolections]

I love being a squatter, especially on overpriced items. 

[nocoolnamejane]

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

Heck, I squat for a really long time sometimes and they I BUY. Lol.

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You must have DYNAMITE thigh muscles!

[spiffy*dynamo]

I like having watchers on my items. The appearance of elevated interest is good for a potential serious buyer to see.

[shhboom]

I think watchers get an email each time you reduce the price in your listing. So to get rid of the non-serious watchers, for example, increase the price of your $200 item to $220, then reduce the price by $1 twenty times over a short period of time, causing the watcher to get an email each time. The squatters will stop watching you.

[chapeau-noir]

Be glad you don't have to feed them.

[katzrul15]

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@t-bone543 wrote:

I'm a small-time and still pretty new seller, but I've noticed that watchers don't seem to be watching very closely if at all. I've even tried getting their attention by sending offers, which are always 20%-25% off the list price. When I do send these offers, the prices are almost always among if not the lowest for that particular item. But the watchers just don't seem to be paying very close attention. Is there a setting I can change to shut off the "watch" option?

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@t-bone543 

How do you know your watchers are not paying attention?  I sell here and have for years - but I am also a Buyer.  

As a Buyer - I will watch an item as I am working to compare several for purchase.  In fact, often, my watch list is full and I need to delete some.

I will also "watch" an item, in hopes you as a Seller, will send me a nice offer.  Then I can compare your service and FB to that of another Seller with similar/same item and make a decision.  Often, I want "yours", but the price is much higher.  Send me an offer and I am ready to buy yours vs the cheaper priced on on the west coast with carpy FB.  

Sometimes as a Buyer - I "watch" your item while I send you an email to ask a question.  You never reply, I delete my watch - Sellers who cannot be bothered to interact before the sale, often will not interact if there is an issue after the sale.  

[hurryagain]

LOL!!!

I do like the idea.

6+ months and you go from "watcher" to "camper."

Over a year and you go from camper to squatter.

I wonder if that would get the eternal watchers to stop watching your listings.

I agree with @pburn though...if I was given 25% off of an item that I was watching, you bet that I would bite!!!

[the-hook-and-the-loop]

My guess is, if you have 10 watchers and send out an offer, maybe 5 will actually see the email. A lot of the older generation does not use email daily or check it regularly. The offer may go to a spam folder or the user has set their preferences to not receive advertising from Ebay. I have sent out some amazing offers that I know the watcher would have jumped on it, but I'm quite sure they just aren't seeing it.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@the-hook-and-the-loop wrote:

My guess is, if you have 10 watchers and send out an offer, maybe 5 will actually see the email. A lot of the older generation does not use email daily or check it regularly. The offer may go to a spam folder or the user has set their preferences to not receive advertising from Ebay. I have sent out some amazing offers that I know the watcher would have jumped on it, but I'm quite sure they just aren't seeing it.

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If they have their preferences to not rcv advertising, you would never get the opportunity to send them an offer.  Those are automatically not presented to you, by Ebay.  

I disagree about older people not checking email daily, I find it's the opposite...younger people don't use email, at all.   But with phones now, everyone gets alerts in real time.  I'm sure there are some, but most people I know, even in their 80's check email daily.   In fact, I think it's the younger generations who don't check email (and that includes people in their 30's), b/c they don't use email at all.  They use IG & texts.  They say email is for old people & have never been in the habit of using it unless required to, for work. 

[femmefan1946]

I use my Watch List for items I buy sporadically because it is easier than trying to remember who had the best deal ten months ago.
I know there is a Favourite Sellers list somewhere but one list of stuff I might need plus stuff I am comparing prices on or that I hope to buy Real Soon Now is enough for me.

[johnrj1226]

The number of Watchers and Views are  some what a  useless barometer for future success..  Yes  have views is  reassuring to the seller there item is being viewed but in  a saturated  category like clothing or ceramic stuff, trading cards it is hard to be seen on the first page..  Have sold items without one watcher and a view.  Haven't sold items with tons of watchers & views..  I equate them to the window  shoppers at  our local mall - they  look at stuff in the windows by just do the walk on buy unless  something trips their trigger.for one of those "must halves"..  Personally, have watched many items without any intention of buying.  Then  one day I  decide to  delete all my watched stuff, then do it all over again..

[the-hook-and-the-loop]

Thank you for your input and disagreeing with everything I had to say and trying to make it a debate.

I will stick with what I said and know and it seems others found it helpful. I would never come here for help because of people like this.