Who is Commandeering My eBay Buying Console?

[robw1959]

Last week, some random card popped up on my buyer's console, but I have no idea how it got there. I did not add it to my watch list, but there it was anyway. I just ignored the incident, thinking I may have accidentally added it, even though I had zero interest in that particular card.

Fast forward one week and it just happened again! Some Mayo's Plug card with a starting bid of $1900 just mysteriously popped up on my console. Now I know eBay has been becoming more and more aggressive in their marketing - doing things like sending listings I only checked out once (but never added them to my watch list) to my email account, showing how much time was left in the listing, just as if I had listed them myself. And, of course, I am always seeing those listings I recently click on showing up in the margins of my console. But this new marketing ploy, if that's what it is, is downright intrusive!

Has anyone else experienced some random listings just somehow showing up alongside the ones that are supposed to be there on the buying console?

[Jobu]

Is there gray text there that says "sponsored" or something similar? I think this might be someone who paid eBay money for a higher profile listing that sticks at the top of searches. Not sure though.

[Luke]

I have a guess. It's possible you were watching an item, then the seller sold it off Ebay. Then the seller edited the item rather than end the listing. Maybe because they had a limited number of listings, or maybe because they were worried ebay would issue them some sanction if they ended the listing. So now the listing you were genuinely interested in has become a Mayo that you're not interested in.

[Ronnie73]

Exactly what Luke said. I've never heard the term Buying Console but if your talking about your Watch List, it's what Luke said. I see it happen quite often. When it happens, I just unwatch that item.

[ramram]

I've wondered about that myself. I've had it happen several times over the last year. It would be items that I had never even clicked on nor would be interested in otherwise. I guess what Luke said makes sense.

Rob M

[RL]

what is a buying console?

[Leon]

what is a buying console?

I have only heard of the selling console on ebay....The buying one could be when you go to a summary, I guess.

And yes, ebay marketing algorithms will show you similar things you are interested in. I have even bought some of them LOL....

[Stampsfan]

It could also be that eBay has outsourced its product development overseas, and that never results in a better product. I’ve heard for years that the entire eBay Technical infrastructure is barely holding together, which would result in unexplainable bugs and glitches.
That system is not infallible.