Ebay - Why do buyers do what they do?

[Fastpedaller]

I'm aware Ebay (and other sites) sometimes get a bad press - It seems to generally be the costs involved, although a 'traditional' auction has much higher costs. Anyway, I really don't understand the behaviour of buyers, to be specific 1) It seems when an item is listed as Buy-It-Now it generates a flurry of interest, resulting in many 'potential buyers' putting the item in their watchlist. Unless I've missed something, it seems impossible to list a BIN item for less than 30 days, but the 'buyers' wait until the last day to buy it (if indeed they do). It seems they don't understand it's not listed as an auction, and they can get it very quickly (and at a set price) if they buy when they first see it. The other weird thing I've noticed 2) Is that there may be bidders on an auction item, waiting until the last day and outbidding each other, but an identical item is being advertised by someone else as BIN for a lower price, and they don't buy it.
Can anyone explain the psychology (unless it's the 'thrill' of the bidding process), as I just don't understand!

 

[Electric_Andy]

I think sometimes people get blinded if there are loads of listings for similar items. Or they just don't look. I once bought a motorcycle seat (Chinese copy scrambler thing in tan color). I bought it new off eBay for about 24 quid. I ended up selling it with a starting bid of £15, and the winning bid was £27 plus postage!

 

[numbnuts]

I sometime put an item in my watch list to buy later
or to see other items the same and compare and go back later
another one, maybe I can't afford it until my pension is paid in
and I will never put an order in on a Friday so it will stay in my watch list until Monday
Oh sometime if you have an item in your watch list the seller lets you have it a wee bit cheaper

 

[a.twiddler]

Sometimes you only have to look at an item, never mind putting it on your watch list, and you will get an offer. So it sometimes doesn't encourage buyers to buy something straight away (unless it's something singular that they want immediately) if there's a chance that they might get an offer.

 

[DCLane]

+1 to the above.

Also, if it's an item being sent from overseas it's likely to sell for more since it's in the UK already.

 

[a.twiddler]

Also sometimes if you are looking for a particular item and the search doesn't come up with the thing or price you want, if you add the best match to your watch list, it will sometimes come up with more choices if you click "see similar items". Of course while you are doing this, you are also likely to get offers on things you have saved while looking for it. This seems to be particularly prevalent with Chinese listers.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I normally shortlist an item I want to buy by putting it on my watched list.
It's the only way I can find the item again!