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@needsome12vbasics wrote:

Yes, that is what happens.  But that does not explain why Ebay says they will display notices on listings suggesting you "Add the listing to you watch list", when the only people who can view them are the people who already have them on their watch list!  

 

 

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Well, there are other ways to find a listing - google search may still return a listing that's invisible on eBay, someone who has bought an item previously may search the item number or still have a direct link either from an email or on their eBay page. People can also share links to listings, eg on Facebook and other social media sites, so there are still a number of different ways someone can ultimately arrive at a listing that's otherwise not directly searchable on eBay.

To be honest, I think having them invisible on eBay while they can't be purchased is the better option, I can imagine the alternative would be more frustrating for buyers, i.e. having items in search results that can't be purchased until a later date. Most people really only want to see current options when they're looking to purchase - I'm sure there are others who wouldn't mind and/or be happy to see possible future options, but I'm guessing they'd be in the minority. 

I do run a store on another ID, and I have to say there are a number of circumstances where I'd be prepared to continue paying the store fee while my items couldn't be viewed or purchased - to maintain sales history and stock quantity for one, to minimise admin when I return to my selling activities for another.