Ebay? Interested buyers?

lovestrat74

Okay so how does this work then. Ebay ask if you want to send an offer to interested buyers. You have a dozen plus watches but only half a dozen classed as interested buyers...???

Lozboy

I think it gets sent to all watchers. The problem I have found is that once sent,both sellers and watchers cannot make any other offers either way. Not sure if they can still pay full item price either. Also they cannot counter offer or refuse offer in the traditional way.
Your offer has go its course. Correct me if I am wrong.

  

Rich31k

I was sent an offer by a seller recently that allowed me to counter offer. The mechanics seemed just like an offer made as a potential buyer. 

Andy79

Rich31k said:

I was sent an offer by a seller recently that allowed me to counter offer. The mechanics seemed just like an offer made as a potential buyer. 

Same here

lovestrat74

Yes but what is the difference between a watcher and an interested buyer? Seems to me like not all watchers are interested buyers hence why the offer would only be sent to half my watchers and not all of them.

Rich31k

I'm pretty certain the offer would be sent to all watchers. I think "interested buyer" is just a marketing phrase from eBay - trying to induce the seller to make an offer by changing the language. When I've sold things there was no distinction between a watcher and an interested buyer.

Tone71

As much as I hate Ebay (for selling)  it's a good thing and how I bought my most recent amp, seller sent an offer to all watchers/interested buyers, I counter offered and it was accepted, everyone happy.

Maybe "interested buyer" differs from a watcher as they have feedback for similar type items?

Alex2678

Looks to me as though they’ve got something running to determine which of the watchers is actually interested, with multiple views, reading description etc., because the number of interested buyers is usually lower than the number of watchers in my experience 

Whitecat

Alex2678 said:

Looks to me as though they’ve got something running to determine which of the watchers is actually interested, with multiple views, reading description etc., because the number of interested buyers is usually lower than the number of watchers in my experience 

Agree, I've found same and I suspect it's algorithmic - could be a permissions thing too, never dug around but maybe if people have opted out of marketing communications then they cannot receive those offers...

lovestrat74

Whitecat said:

Alex2678 said:

Looks to me as though they’ve got something running to determine which of the watchers is actually interested, with multiple views, reading description etc., because the number of interested buyers is usually lower than the number of watchers in my experience 

Agree, I've found same and I suspect it's algorithmic - could be a permissions thing too, never dug around but maybe if people have opted out of marketing communications then they cannot receive those offers...

Yeah it has to be something like this because saying only half the people watching (probably less tbh) are actually interested is not a sales and marketing technique that I've ever come across  

Philly_Q

I had one of these offers from a seller recently, I hadn't received anything similar before (that I recall), is it a new thing?

In this case I had actually asked some questions about the guitar, maybe that's what triggered the offer?  I routinely watch loads of items but don't receive offers on them.

Whitecat

Philly_Q said:

I had one of these offers from a seller recently, I hadn't received anything similar before (that I recall), is it a new thing?

In this case I had actually asked some questions about the guitar, maybe that's what triggered the offer?  I routinely watch loads of items but don't receive offers on them.

A seller has to instigate an offer - ebay doesn’t push it all that hard tbh. An option comes up in your seller panel, and not even all the time, seems to only happen after some time has passed. So lots of sellers likely just don’t bother, which is why you hardly get any. 

Bennyboy-UK

I'm selling a guitar currently on Ebay - which isn't something I've done much previously.

I used the make offer option a couple of days ago, the offer I made went to 5 watchers and lasted for 48 hours.

After it expired, I had the option come up again - I have more watchers now, so I might give it another go and see if it goes out to everyone.

Lots of my ebay emails go straight to junk on my email, so I wouldn't be surprised if that happens to these offers.

I'll report back if anything interesting happens...


Cheers,
Ben.

Fishboy7

I think its a bit of a waste of time to be honest. Watchers will get your one time offer of say 5% under the asking price, but if they were really interested they would of probably put in an offer anyway

Andy79

It’s pushed me into one purchase. Came through then I countered and he accepted. Nice

thermionic

Well I just received one, for a guitar I idly clicked on once in the last week. Some algorithm!