Author Topic: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!  (Read 12277 times)

ernest_price

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I've had just a ton [is that tonne?] of watchers on items of recent times - within minutes of listing I get them on certain items - but the item isn't selling quickly still - why?

Well - there's the usual reasons - item too expensive, condition, shipping cost, pickup only etc etc etc.

Then I 'got it' !  :whiteflag:

When you have a saved search you now get an AUTO-WATCH done by eBay for you. So while someone in eBay buy/sell land has set a search with your item as criteria, no human actually pressed any button saying "I might buy that item later today so I'll click on watch this item".

Result, if you see 10 watchers when an item ends you'll probably re-list. If you see 1 watcher at item end you may decide not to re-list.  If this auto-watch even added 10% to the re-list stats that's a whole lot of $$$$$$$$$ to eBay when the seller never really had a better chance at selling.

Then again, maybe it does drive improved sale rates?

Views? Am I missing something here?

 


gr8-expectations

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2009, 10:34:30 AM »
ebay is pathetic ernest in general... buyers market, i only buy now, waste of human energy selling methinks? too negative? look at the reality of it, they have forced many of the decent sellers with the interesting stuff away, roll on a new venue, too much downwards pressure on prices on ebay and for the sucker/seller to throw in the kitchen sink at no cost to ebay but much larger costs to seller, thts the way its headed, still ok to buy i guess but taking advantage of many sellers to do so

cueperkins

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2009, 10:47:32 AM »
I agree gr8, and Ernest, this is just another Ebay 'feature' that Sellers can't rely upon anymore...seems to be a common trend these days..

From what I've seen of Ebay over the last 18 months....it's all smoke and mirrors to make shite look like shinola.....oh that's right...Innovative Disruption they call it...???

I sold collectibles on ebay for 7 years without complaint or hassle and bought just as much as I sold sometimes...(pitfalls of being a collector).....things were good, and Ebay was a real asset, particularly to those in remote and rural regions......alas, it's no longer the collectors community marketplace that its founder envisioned and created...it's a gulag style strip mall going after every buck like Predator IV (Extreme commerce).

Anyway, Ebay have been making NO SECRET of the fact that they want all collectors gone...what was it they called us?....Flea market sellers?...something like that.  I guess that goes for buyers of collectibles too ha?  So it should surprise no-one that smaller sellers are being hunted out of town....and with them go the buyers.

Anyway......Every search you do these days, yields nothing but Chinese listings first and foremost...it's all just 'in your face' spam, spam and more spam.


*CountessA*

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2009, 11:21:32 AM »
Interesting, Ernest. I hadn't realised this would skew the "Watcher's List" - but that makes sense. Yes, it would give sellers the impression there was at least hands-on interest in their item, rather than searchbot-generated appearance of interest.

Can I ask the sellers here whether a large-ish number of watchers on an unsold item would be likely to affect your decision on whether or not to relist?
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shyer

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2009, 12:56:59 PM »
Efools are really shooting themselves in both feet. As not only do old watchers from completed auctions ( i.e. people who do not bother deleting watched items or keep for reference) appear "as watchers" if item is relisted. But watchers are now people who never view your item there auto search found and "watched" but not what they were looking for.
This makes a lie out of the best mismatch spin that says more watchers or viewers puts you up the list. There is a hidden catch Efools do not often mention.
From here ,
http://pages.ebay.com/sell/July2009Update/Details/#2-1
Quote
Listing performance score for Fixed Price—Impressions count: When only a few people view a Fixed Price listing and the item is snapped up quickly, it's a fair indication that the listing is more relevant to those who see it than a listing with thousands of impressions and no sales.
That's why in the improved Best Match, launching in September, Fixed Price listings in most categories will have a listing performance score based on the listing's recent sales in relation to the number of recent impressions it received. An "impression" is any time a buyer sees a search results page that includes the listing.
For example, in the new Best Match, a listing with 100 recent impressions and 10 recent sales will score higher than a similar listing with 1,000 recent impressions and 10 recent sales.
This listing performance score will be a more accurate measure of how buyers perceive a listing's relevance than recent sales alone.
Looking at my own sales the buy/impressions ratio is the major score in best mismatch. Factor of about 10 compared to things like free shipping or DSRs.
Take the ebay spin out, it says you have lots of sales of relisted item you will be on top in best mismatch a new seller or new item will always be stuck at bottom as no traffic at bottom.
Yes may improve sales and fees for a short time but infact is promoting the OLD the NEW has no chance.

ernest_price

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2009, 02:49:14 PM »
For the cost of a .01c start price, try it yourself. List an item with some crazy made up name like mgzzytzx, set a saved search yourself with mgzzytzx as the search criteria and I bet you have a watcher quite quickly!

tellomon

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2009, 02:54:58 PM »
What a MESS!!!!!!

It just duzzint get any better.

fBay!
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caadlad52

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2009, 04:38:09 PM »
I've noticed recently that random items were appearing in My eBay watch list that I KNOW I hadn't added, although they did come up in a saved search category.
I would clear my watch list, then the next day another couple of items would have magically appeared.

And there was me thinking it was just a "glitch". Heh heh.  ;D

Silly me.

Golden Silence

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #8 on: October 05, 2009, 06:49:07 PM »
Can I ask the sellers here whether a large-ish number of watchers on an unsold item would be likely to affect your decision on whether or not to relist?
Four months ago when I was selling regularly, yes it would have Countessa.

cueperkins

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #9 on: October 05, 2009, 06:51:23 PM »
Same for me, but I never really took any notice of watchers...I took advantage of the free listing fees if sold on relist....

*barny*

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #10 on: October 05, 2009, 06:52:51 PM »
When I was selling, it did not influence me at all...

But maybe it should have..

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*smee*

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2009, 07:00:02 PM »
sometimes when I sell I am under the influence




tellomon

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2009, 07:01:14 PM »
If I was an eBay seller, I'd kill myself.

And I wouldn't use an implement of destruction.

I'd go out with a blown brain gasket.
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*barny*

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #13 on: October 05, 2009, 07:09:20 PM »
sometimes when I sell I am under the influence





G'Day Smee,

Are you saying that you get seller's remorse ??

 :wine:
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ernest_price

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #14 on: October 05, 2009, 07:42:55 PM »
Just did the test twice - I now have 1 watcher on each of my impossible items.

The watcher 'appeared' just as the 'watched items', from my saved search no less, not from me watching them, automagically appeared.

What a nice little earner.

ernest_price

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #15 on: October 05, 2009, 08:13:51 PM »
.. and also - I have an item with 5 watchers but only 4 page views. We all know that the first 3 page views are eBay anyway. So only 1 actual potential buyer has viewed my item, yet the average punter would think they have 5 watchers and the item has an at least decent chance of selling. The average punter would be more likely to re-list, again.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Not happy unless this really DOES bring additional visibilty of my item to potential buyers. Maybe it does.

ernest_price

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #16 on: October 05, 2009, 08:45:00 PM »
So now I delete my Saved Searches for the items and bingo no watchers anymore.

Case closed.

 :scold:

cueperkins

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #17 on: October 05, 2009, 09:00:46 PM »
Glitch? or intentional herding of the consumer cattle again?

tellomon

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #18 on: October 05, 2009, 09:10:36 PM »
cattle glitch.

(shoobie-doo-wah..)
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cueperkins

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #19 on: October 05, 2009, 09:13:12 PM »
Is that like a Cattle Tick?

tellomon

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Re: Ahh - why so many more watchers but not as many buyers - now I know!
« Reply #20 on: October 05, 2009, 09:34:37 PM »
Find out.
Not my thread.

 ;D
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