topic Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request in Selling

Watchcount closed at ebays request

justcruising48 — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 10:47:26 GMT

Pity watchcount has closed at ebays request. Was excellent to check on non paying bidders to see if they were still active and buying while giving lame excuses or ignoring emails

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

imastawka — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 10:52:24 GMT

I agree. Some people you could be lenient, but others?

Still buying - hit 'em hard.

Sadly no more

Thread already started on Buying board

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Hide-your-buying-history-on-quot-that-outside-website-quot/m-p/1924706#U1924706

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

amber-eyed-girl — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 10:56:30 GMT

How exactly did that help you to get paid?

the way to deal with non-payers is open the unpaid item dispute, get them a strike if still no payment, and not give them any more thought than that. Not worth the angst, stalking their other eBay activity.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

*tippy*toes* — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:07:14 GMT

I used it just after Christmas to check on a buyer. She was a multiple repeat buyer and suddenly went AWOL with no warning. We had been in regular contact over the several months she was buying. I knew she was going away for a few days over the break so wasn't concerned. As time went on and she hadn't replied to any of my messages, I started to worry. So, I checked to see if she was still buying. Sure enough, she was and she was also paying because she was getting feedback from sellers.

It was well past the time I could open an UPI, so I initiated a cancellation using the "unable to contact buyer" option. I did get a message after I'd opened the cancellations saying she was sorry, she'd completely forgotten. I didn't buy it because I knew she was still buying other items............and plenty of them. The cancellations were closed 8 days later and I never heard from her again.

I checked on her buying because if I could see that she wasn't still buying other stuff, then I could have accepted that something had happened and I would have taken other steps to contact her, like phoning.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

justcruising48 — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:07:51 GMT

It was not staking! I have had buyers that have had things happen, and if not active I always wait a long time first. In my early days I found out 1 customer had fallen out of a wheelchair and broken 2 wrists and was 2 weeks before he could get a family member to get onto his computer and to contact me. Genuine. Things do happen and I like to be patient, yes even 2 weeks, and I was so pleased I did.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

amber-eyed-girl — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:11:28 GMT

"It was well past the time I could open an UPI"

that's my point. We can all have real issues that could happen to

prevent payment. But that is a rare case.

That's what the UPI is there for, to prompt the "oops, I forgot" people, and to make the non-payers who really don't want to follow through, get a strike to help all of us block them.

When I click "buy now", I pay. If I didn't for some emergency reason, I'd still have the time it takes to let the UPI follow its course.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

harley_babes_hoard — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:14:18 GMT

hopefully some smarty will come up with another piece of code to do the same thing.

I wrote watchcount a message this arvo saying how disappointed I was that it has been retired. I suggest anyone else who felt the same go to their facebook page and comment or write them an email or message.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

imastawka — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:14:36 GMT

That's what the UPI is there for, to prompt the "oops, I forgot" people

No. A prompt is a polite message first.

Not straight into a UPI, boots and all

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

amber-eyed-girl — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:15:40 GMT

As I said to Tippy Toes, yes, there can be genuine cases but if you are placing a bid or buying up front, one needs to be aware that it is a sale.

In the reverse instance I have let sellers eek things out too. There is being polite, and there is being taken for a ride. Opening an UPI is not an insult, it is a reminder to pay. Then the buyer has a chance to still back out.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

amber-eyed-girl — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:18:46 GMT

Stawks, I have had 42 non-payers in 18 months on my selling account (yes, I had one). I have heard it all.

one polite email? Sure. But that is it. No going into a loop.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

k1ooo-slr-sales — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:19:02 GMT

@justcruising48 wrote:
Pity watchcount has closed at ebays request. Was excellent to check on non paying bidders to see if they were still active and buying while giving lame excuses or ignoring emails

all you have to do is look at the feedback of your non-paying bidders. The members that are habitual non-payers usually end up with false-positives from frustrated sellers. Once one seller leaves a feedback like "non-payer, bid and then did not pay, loser!" others usually follow suit . . . . . but . . . . as amber said, why bother wasting your time 'stalking' them once you have dealt with the non-payment?

DO NOT let them control your headspace like that, they are not worth it.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

*tippy*toes* — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:21:06 GMT

I run auctions and her many previous purchases were bought over a 4-5 week period per transaction, which is why I didn't jump into an UPI before the 30th day. She'd had 5 or 6 multiple purchase transactions previously. She'd bought and paid for 80 something items, so I'd kind of built up that bit of trust with her. She'd let me know when she was done for that lot, I'd send an invoice and she'd pay within half an hour, regardless of when I sent it. Thankfully I only had to cancel 3 items when she decided to do a runner.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

amber-eyed-girl — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:26:53 GMT

Emotions shouldn't get involved. I have had previously reliable buyers and sellers (worse, as they have my money) do a runner.

Watchcount was used to stalk people. Plain and simple. Looking into their other purchases is akin to going through someone's letterbox or pockets to look for receipts.

It doesn't get the buyer to pay, and just leaves the seller more frustrated. It's needless.

Having a prior good track record should mean a bit of leeway, yes, but not to the point of losing options that are provided to aid sellers against non-payers.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

collect247 — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:31:48 GMT

If a buyer never paid all I did was open an UPI.

I never went after the buyer to see where and what they were doing,who cares and why would anyone watch what a buyer is up to?

Good on ya Joe haha

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

harley_babes_hoard — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:32:46 GMT

if you have nothing to hide............

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

amber-eyed-girl — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:36:29 GMT

If I want people to know my bra size, for example!? That's not your business as a seller, is it, unless I've asked for help in buying one?

Any concerns a seller has with a buyer should purely be get paid, send out what was paid for.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

lyndal1838 — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:37:27 GMT

The whole Watchcount site has not closed down....just the Buyer/Bidder History function.

I disagree that it was only used to stalk people.

It seems to me that the members who are glad it has closed down are the ones who never come to the Answer Centre to help the real newbies who never seem to give sufficient information to enable responders to give any real help without asking questions or checking the listing in Watchcount. And often those who ask the questions do not return for a week or more, if at all.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

amber-eyed-girl — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:41:14 GMT

We have been through all that before.

not difficult to ask for additional details if required.

and of course, I have never helped anyone on these boards, Lyndal?

It is called PRIVACY. A seller has no more right to wade through my, to them, irrelevant purchases than I have to know about theirs.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

lyndal1838 — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:40:39 GMT

@amber-eyed-girl wrote:
If I want people to know my bra size, for example!? That's not your business as a seller, is it, unless I've asked for help in buying one?

Any concerns a seller has with a buyer should purely be get paid, send out what was paid for.

Any reputable seller of underwear would have their listings as Private listings and they never came up on Watchcount anyway.

Re: Watchcount closed at ebays request

amber-eyed-girl — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 11:44:02 GMT

That's wrong Lyndal. Major bricks and mortar stores here on eBay do not "private" their listings, delicates or no. Also, it was an example. Would you rather I pick another? Going through purchases say a lot more about people than that.