Ebay - how do you deal with "Watchers"?

[42fta 10]

If someone just starts watching something I'm selling near the end of it, thats okay.

 

But I put something up the other day (not very valuable AFAIK), and one watcher appeared on day one, another on day two, now there are three of them and still four days to go. No bids of course.

 

Obviously they are all waiting till the last minute hoping to get it for my stated minimum price. I accept thats how it works but wondered about adding a message to the description telling people they're watching?

 

What would you do as a seller, and how would you react as a (potential) buyer? Appreciate any advice.

[dieselbabe 10]

I just leave it when i get watchers on ebay with the things im selling at least it proves people can see my add and is intersted init and if they buy they buy,

Dont matter to me what price it goes at as long as it goes, I dont get why people put in the add that people are watching in the first place has if you want a sertain amount of money for your item then put it as a start price. I would not let it worrie you to be honest as long has you sell it that main thing.

[melthebell 863]

ive won a few auctions lately by "watching"

 

got a super gameboy adapter for the snes and a gameboy cart for it for 15p

[Lurch 10]

Obviously they are all waiting till the last minute hoping to get it for my stated minimum price. I accept thats how it works but wondered about adding a message to the description telling people they're watching?

 

What would you do as a seller, and how would you react as a (potential) buyer? Appreciate any advice.

 

I wouldn't bother. I watch things so I can go back and read the description later and then sometimes remove it from my watch list if it turns out it's no good for me or I get another product instead.

 

Also, from a sellers POV, doesn't bother me how many people watch, sometimes I'll have 6+ waters and 1 or 2 bids and sometimes no watchers and several bids.

 

Thing with eBay is, you win some, you lose some, and there isn't any sort of etiquette so messages to watchers isn't going to do much as I'd probably ignore it if I read as I'd be looking at the product and some people habve no idea what they are doing so don't realise what they're doing by watching anyway.

[Pipine 10]

I don't get what the problem is with watching at all.. isn't it just part of the eBay process?

 

I watch every item I bid on / might potentially bid on, so it appears in my list in "My eBay" Its just an easy way to keep track of things.

 

Whenever I've sold items I've always been happy the more people there are watching it cos you know that potentially some of the watchers will bid at the last minute.

 

Why would you want to put a message about the watchers in the item description? I think I'm missing something here

[Titian 10]

If someone just starts watching something I'm selling near the end of it, thats okay.

 

But I put something up the other day (not very valuable AFAIK), and one watcher appeared on day one, another on day two, now there are three of them and still four days to go. No bids of course.

 

Obviously they are all waiting till the last minute hoping to get it for my stated minimum price. I accept thats how it works but wondered about adding a message to the description telling people they're watching?

 

What would you do as a seller, and how would you react as a (potential) buyer? Appreciate any advice.

 

That's what it's all about. Why bid straight away and bump the price up when you can watch the item and decide near the end. I thought only ebay newbies bidded straight away.

[42fta 10]

Interesting and varied set of comments, I'll just ignore it (the watching, not the replies!), Cheers everyone.

[Guest_225 10]

The number of watchers is directly proportional to how well the auction will do. No one in their right mind bids till the last 30 seconds anyway.

 

There's a league table of most watched item in every category at http://pulse.ebay.co.uk/

 

Always worth watching if your selling stuff to see if you can make it to No 1 in the charts.

 

PottS

[Lurch 10]

The number of watchers is directly proportional to how well the auction will do.

 

Made up drivel. Perhaps i your case, but not in others. It doesn't matter how many watchers you have, it'll sell or it won't. Whatever price it ends up selling for it sells for.

 

No one in their right mind bids till the last 30 seconds anyway.

 

What you mean is, you haven't mastered the art of using eBay so bid a week before it ends.

[Dardandec 32]

Sometimes people just watch things to see how much they go for.Maybe they have one too that they want to sell.I have had one or two listings were there has been 2 or 3 watchers but nobody bidded.I prefer buy it now to be honest.Listing fees are a bit higher but sold loads of things this way.Still get watchers though..

[markwit 10]

The number of watchers is directly proportional to how well the auction will do. No one in their right mind bids till the last 30 seconds anyway.

 

Leave it to the last 5 seconds instead! AuctionSniping - you know it makes sense

[Dardandec 32]

It does when buying gotta agree with you there.Me and my son are masters at sniping, got it down to 2 seconds and thats without any fancy software just a basic stopwatch.Buy it now when selling though as you get the price you want and it opens the auction up to people who havent got time to wait about for auctions to end..