Checking Other eBayer's Purchases?

GlamGirly

Smile. Laugh. Love
Jun 20, 2012
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Hi Everyone!

I was under the impression that eBay had changed it's system to no longer allow buyers to view other buyer's purchases. As an example, it used to be easy to find what people had won or got outbid on by using the advanced search option or just by checking their feedback. Both the buyer and seller feedback used to have a link to the auction. Well, I thought eBay had disabled those functions.

I just got an email from a fellow eBay user telling me "Hi, I see that you won xxxxxxxx item on August 10, 2014 and I just wanted to ask that if you ever decide to sell it, to please let me know". I'm not as freaked out by the email as I am by how she or he was able to find the listing. Do any of you guys know how this might have been possible? I did leave feedback for the seller and she left feedback for me but I thought buyer's could only see the feedback and not the auction. Any input would be appreciated as I am NOT the most eBay experienced person on planet Earth.

Thanks!

Please note: The item I purchased was put on eBay specifically for me so it did not include title words that identified the item. The buyer who contacted me had to be able to see the auction itself which was only up online for maybe 1 minute before I made the purchase. Even then, I thought the winner's name was confidential. Weird...
 
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Hi Everyone!

I was under the impression that eBay had changed it's system to no longer allow buyers to view other buyer's purchases. As an example, it used to be easy to find what people had won or got outbid on by using the advanced search option or just by checking their feedback. Both the buyer and seller feedback used to have a link to the auction. Well, I thought eBay had disabled those functions.

I just got an email from a fellow eBay user telling me "Hi, I see that you won xxxxxxxx item on August 10, 2014 and I just wanted to ask that if you ever decide to sell it, to please let me know". I'm not as freaked out by the email as I am by how she or he was able to find the listing. Do any of you guys know how this might have been possible? I did leave feedback for the seller and she left feedback for me but I thought buyer's could only see the feedback and not the auction. Any input would be appreciated as I am NOT the most eBay experienced person on planet Earth.

Thanks!

Please note: The item I purchased was put on eBay specifically for me so it did not include title words that identified the item. The buyer who contacted me had to be able to see the auction itself which was only up online for maybe 1 minute before I made the purchase. Even then, I thought the winner's name was confidential. Weird...

Nm
 
On the seller's feedback, the buyer's name isn't shown, but their feedback rating is. The item number of the auction is shown along with the auction's title. The person who contacted you could have looked at the seller's completed auctions, found the corresponding item number in her feedback and seen the feedback rating of the buyer - you. How she could get from your feedback number to you, I don't know.

However, if she was looking at your feedback, the seller's name is spelled out. Then she could go to that seller and look at their completeds. Based on the date of the feedback if the seller doesn't have a lot of sales, she can figure out what item it was that you won.
 
On the seller's feedback, the buyer's name isn't shown, but their feedback rating is. The item number of the auction is shown along with the auction's title. The person who contacted you could have looked at the seller's completed auctions, found the corresponding item number in her feedback and seen the feedback rating of the buyer - you. How she could get from your feedback number to you, I don't know.

However, if she was looking at your feedback, the seller's name is spelled out. Then she could go to that seller and look at their completeds. Based on the date of the feedback if the seller doesn't have a lot of sales, she can figure out what item it was that you won.

Ooohhh. Thank you! I appreciate that info.
 
You're welcome. It's kind of creepy. I really don't like people looking through my stuff.

I know, right?! I am really creeped out now because of the anonymity factor. I know the person who wrote me means their message like "Oh hey! If you ever sell it, let me know! Thanks! (Insert smiley faces and rainbows here), but they way I read it is: "[Insert heavy breathing] Well...hello there...I know who you are and I know you bought that item because I'm eBay stalking you [more heavy breathing] but uh...if you ever want to sell that thing...sell it to me...I'll be watching--waiting, I mean waiting...[more heavy breathing]." I'm really dramatic and it's no big deal but it just threw me off. At least back in the day I KNEW it was easy to track others' purchases. Lol.
 
I know, right?! I am really creeped out now because of the anonymity factor. I know they mean their message like "Oh hey! If you ever sell it, let me know! Thanks! (Insert smiley faces and rainbows here), but they way I read it is: "[Insert heavy breathing] Well...hello there...I know who you are and I know you bought that item because I'm eBay stalking you [more heavy breathing] but uh...if you ever want to sell that thing...sell it to me...I'll be watching--waiting, I mean waiting...[more heavy breathing]." I'm really dramatic and it's no big deal but it just threw me off. At least back in the day I KNEW it was easy to track others' purchases. Lol.
Exactly! I love your very descriptive scenario! So true!:roflmfao:
 
I know, right?! I am really creeped out now because of the anonymity factor. I know the person who wrote me means their message like "Oh hey! If you ever sell it, let me know! Thanks! (Insert smiley faces and rainbows here), but they way I read it is: "[Insert heavy breathing] Well...hello there...I know who you are and I know you bought that item because I'm eBay stalking you [more heavy breathing] but uh...if you ever want to sell that thing...sell it to me...I'll be watching--waiting, I mean waiting...[more heavy breathing]." I'm really dramatic and it's no big deal but it just threw me off. At least back in the day I KNEW it was easy to track others' purchases. Lol.

LOL!!!! :roflmfao: I love that! Maybe he's Edward from Twilight?
 
This is another convoluted possibility -- or two.

1. Have you bid or bought any other items?

I'm assuming that if the answer is yes, the person who contacted you isn't an ID you recognize, i.e., not a seller you dealt with.

It's possible that the seller might have looked at your feedback and gone into the sellers from whom you purchased and looked at the item that matches with your feedback score. (It can be done but is time-consuming.)

If that seller has another buying ID, she might have used that to contact you.

(If the message is unwelcome, you can report it.)

2. If you're also a seller, the person could have gone into your feedback and again looked at your feedback to and from sellers and figured out what you bought.
 
Hi Everyone!

I was under the impression that eBay had changed it's system to no longer allow buyers to view other buyer's purchases. As an example, it used to be easy to find what people had won or got outbid on by using the advanced search option or just by checking their feedback. Both the buyer and seller feedback used to have a link to the auction. Well, I thought eBay had disabled those functions.

I just got an email from a fellow eBay user telling me "Hi, I see that you won xxxxxxxx item on August 10, 2014 and I just wanted to ask that if you ever decide to sell it, to please let me know". I'm not as freaked out by the email as I am by how she or he was able to find the listing. Do any of you guys know how this might have been possible? I did leave feedback for the seller and she left feedback for me but I thought buyer's could only see the feedback and not the auction. Any input would be appreciated as I am NOT the most eBay experienced person on planet Earth.

Thanks!

Please note: The item I purchased was put on eBay specifically for me so it did not include title words that identified the item. The buyer who contacted me had to be able to see the auction itself which was only up online for maybe 1 minute before I made the purchase. Even then, I thought the winner's name was confidential. Weird...
Wow. That is a desperate buyer for sure. And creepy.
 
This is another convoluted possibility -- or two.

1. Have you bid or bought any other items?

I'm assuming that if the answer is yes, the person who contacted you isn't an ID you recognize, i.e., not a seller you dealt with.

It's possible that the seller might have looked at your feedback and gone into the sellers from whom you purchased and looked at the item that matches with your feedback score. (It can be done but is time-consuming.)

If that seller has another buying ID, she might have used that to contact you.

(If the message is unwelcome, you can report it.)

2. If you're also a seller, the person could have gone into your feedback and again looked at your feedback to and from sellers and figured out what you bought.

Ah, okay. Gotcha. Thanks for that info. because I would have never known that was a possibility. That's a lot of work!
 
Ah, okay. Gotcha. Thanks for that info. because I would have never known that was a possibility. That's a lot of work!
It is a lot of work but it can be done.

I have no idea whether that's how the person got your ID. I was just posting a possiblity.

I have another question. Did you check your messages in your "my ebay?" Is the message there? If not, it was a phishing email.
 
It is a lot of work but it can be done.

I have no idea whether that's how the person got your ID. I was just posting a possiblity.

I have another question. Did you check your messages in your "my ebay?" Is the message there? If not, it was a phishing email.

Yeah BB, I opened it in my eBay messages.
 
Another, more direct way would be for the person to contact the seller of the item to ask who won it, and then can search that name and message the winner (probably not technically allowed, but I'm sure it happens). Never done it myself, but I know there have been auctions I really wish I had won (for super rare items, for example), and can understand wanting to send a similar email. I don't think it sounded aggressive or creepy. I received a similar message one time, and ended up not really using the item I purchased, therefore ended up offering it to the person who emailed and seemed to want it much more than me. She seemed very grateful. Ebay is a mixed bunch; you have to take the good with the bad, appreciate it for what it is, and hope for the best.
 
It seems that as time passes ebay gets a little more anonymous with each passing year. I guess there are pros & cons to this trend. Yet, there are little cracks in the system it seems to those who pay attention.

Btw, a third party site that I once learned about here DOES have a tool that shows what a buyer bought recently, like the advanced search option ebay used to have. But I wonder how long that'll last (but hey, Toolhaus with their ebay feedback tools has been around forever...).