Why do buyers add to Watch list but not buy

[kyrynsissy-7]

I dont understand why I have certain items which stay up in auction for a few weeks with no one interested in them then suddenly I have 5 people watching that item but when auction finishes no one buys it anyway.Is there a way people can see something is being watched so they join in watching as well.It baffles me that the same thing happens lots of times.

[chameleon54 · Accepted solution]

I sometimes put items from other sellers ( competitors ) in my catagory on my watch list. It is a way to easily find them, without following them and alerting them to the fact that I keep an eye on their sales.............

[eol-products]

Sounds like seller stalking. I may or may not do this myself.

[egglesdtp · Accepted solution]

I notice that all (most?) of your items are auction rather than BINs. Do you find that of those items you do sell, it is usually on one bid?

You might find that making them BINs may work better, Then someone considering buying that item may actually decide they don't want to wait for an auction to finish (and this could explain why they are watching) but then if they don't know about setting up a snipe, forget when the auction ends?

[kyrynsissy-7]

Thanks everyone for your input..good to get other peoples positive feedback..I will now not worry too much who watchs my items.

Thanks to those who gave advice.

[springyzone]

Hope I am not too late.

I put things in my watch list because then they go into My ebay section and it is easy for me to find them again if i want to. If I don't watch them, then I might not be able to locate them again. It's happened.

Most times they are there because I am considering buying it, or would like to but haven't necessarily made up my mind. Sometimes it is there so I can collect other examples and compare prices. When I was selling,w e would watch things we ourselves hoped to sell later, just to see how it went. 

Sometimes it is there in the watch list so i can go straight to it next time I want to buy eg for one of my cinnamon sellers. They probably wonder why anyone would watch instead of buy it now for a cheap product, but that's why-so i can find it easily next time.

These days as a buyer, an item in my watched list means I am at least moderately interested, though only some of the things in my watched list ever make it to the purchase stage.

[jane-de-cluttering]

I found the interesting part of this post was about how other Watchers suddenly join in.  Sort of like Facebook friends.

I also have had the frequent experience where an item might have been listed for months with no particular interest, and then one day someone Watches it, and then within a week several more will start to Watch too.  Is it FOMO?

[davewil1964]

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@jane-de-cluttering wrote:

I found the interesting part of this post was about how other Watchers suddenly join in.  Sort of like Facebook friends.

I also have had the frequent experience where an item might have been listed for months with no particular interest, and then one day someone Watches it, and then within a week several more will start to Watch too.  Is it FOMO?

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Only if one of them buys.

[brerrabbit585]

I believe ebay showcases a listing more once it gets its first watcher, and more views mean you suddenly get even more watchers. The same thing works with getting that first bid (bid early and ebay will show it to a lot of other potential bidders and you may not win it) and with the first sale in a multiple listing. If I have more than one of something, I can have it sit there for a few years and then as soon as one of them sells I often have someone else buy some of it the same or the next day.

[jane-de-cluttering]

ahh thank you Brer Rabbit. I had an idea that such a thing might be occurring.

[tusc137]

I just had an Auction that had 136 views and 16 people watching..yet still no bloody bidding !!!!!!!!!!!!!