Why is that CREEP watching my eBay auctions???

[mandy]

Nearly every eBay seller has had this experience: You list an item, perhaps a rare-ish collectible, and after a day or two you notice a 5 in that item's Number of Watchers column indicating 5 people are watching your item. "Great!" you say to yourself. "There are sure to be some bids now."

But nobody bids. In fact, the item closes with no bids. And maybe one or two of the watchers disappears before the end of the auction.

What's going on? Why would someone watch an item, then ignore it? And how can an item that's interesting enough for four or five people to put in on watch lists not draw bids? It's frustrating! Why all the interest, but no bids?...

full article: http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y206/m06/abu0169/s05

[Nat]

I've learned a long time ago not to look to see if there are any watchers of my items because watching doesn't mean bidding and it was frustrating.  Now, I don't even look.

As for me, I never mark an item to my watched list - I bookmark the auction(s) I am interested in after I realized what was happening with one particular seller who eventually became NARU'd (probably for shill bidding).

On their auctions there were 5 items I was interested in and I marked 2 of them in my watch list.  In less than an hour there was a bid on both items. I looked at that bidder's history and found that bidder had 1 unique feedback but a couple of hundred feedbacks all from the same seller - the seller that I was watching.  Okay, it's possible they love that person's jewelry.

I tested it and the next day I placed a 3rd item in my watch list and within a few minutes that same bidder placed a bid.  Then the same thing the next day when I marked the 4th auction into my watch list.

Well, finally on that 5th auction I was interested in (still with the same seller) I didn't put it in my watch list but kept it bookmarked and waited and sniped in the last few seconds of the auction and won it without another bidder bidding.

Eventually that seller and that bidder were suddenly NARU'd and it was through that experience that I learned not to mark any auction I am interested in into my watch list - because if the seller is a shill bidder it might cost me more in the end to win the auction.

[wayoutwest]

never thought of that aspect of putting items in watch list (that it could lead to seller shill bidding)  thanks for the post.  will have to remember to bookmark in future.  'preciate it!

[stardust]

Amazing how most folks have to structure their lives according to the *lowest* common denominator, isn't it?  >

[xppman]

I get no fewer than 5 watchers on my FEW ebay auctions I list.
Then I get sales at my website. 

I think at least 2 "watchers" are competitors trying to figure out how
I can still do IT without feebay.  :blinkie:

[Anita]

Nat,
I think once I thought the seller was shill bidding, I would have let the seller "win."  Make him/her eat the listing and FVF. 

[Nat]

[quote author=Anita link=topic=4209.msg16681#msg16681 date=1151293115]
Nat,
I think once I thought the seller was shill bidding, I would have let the seller "win."  Make him/her eat the listing and FVF. 
[/quote]

Yes that's a great idea and exactly what I did.  With those 5 auctions in the end I only bid on that one last auction that I didn't have in my watch list and meanwhile the other 4 that they placed their bid they ended up winning and having to pay eBay their fees.  That was a little bit of satisfaction to me in the end.

[Anita]

[quote author=Nat link=topic=4209.msg16683#msg16683 date=1151298213]
[quote author=Anita link=topic=4209.msg16681#msg16681 date=1151293115]
Nat,
I think once I thought the seller was shill bidding, I would have let the seller "win."  Make him/her eat the listing and FVF. 
[/quote]

Yes that's a great idea and exactly what I did.  With those 5 auctions in the end I only bid on that one last auction that I didn't have in my watch list and meanwhile the other 4 that they placed their bid they ended up winning and having to pay eBay their fees.  That was a little bit of satisfaction to me in the end.
[/quote]