This documentation is for eBay Sellers Watch v2.3. Be sure to download the latest version from the Google Desktop Gallery or from my site.

Quick Start

Syncing with your eBay account

Fig. 1 shows the eBay Sellers Watch Gadget after first install. With no auctions being watched you have links to this documentation and to eBay Auction Watch, a Google Desktop gadget specifically designed for eBay buyers.

Your first step should be to sync the gadget with your eBay account. Click the "Login to eBay" link to login through the official, secure eBay login page.

Logging in allows eBay Sellers Watch to monitor auctions in your My eBay Selling list and to update your feedback. You only have to login once--the gadget will remember you upon restart, reinstallation, and reuse. When you complete the eBay login process, eBay Sellers Watch will automatically sync with all your auctions and feedback.

Note: eBay Sellers Watch does not have access to your eBay password, email address, or other personal details.

Using eBay Sellers Watch

Fig. 2 shows eBay Sellers Watch displaying the open auction list. The open list contains all your open auctions. When an auction closes, it is moved out of the open list and into your closed list after ten seconds. Your closed list functions the same as your open list but contains only items that have ended.

All auction details are automatically updated at timed intervals, which increase in frquency as the auction gets closer to closing.

Single clicking on an auction opens the flyout details view for extended auction details. Double clicking an auction opens the eBay auction page in your default browser.

Above your auction is your eBay user ID and current feedback. If you mouse over your feeback, the shortcut header bar is displayed (Fig. 2a). The shortcut header bar contains the following:

• eBay logo: Click this logo to toggle between your open & closed auction list.
• Next to the eBay logo are links to eBay's homepage and your My eBay page.

• The auction photo is show in the upper left. (You can hide the photo from the Options menu.)
• To the right of the photo is the auction title. Due to space limitations, the complete title usually cannot fit here.
• Below the photo and title is a line containing the current price and time remaining. For competitive bidding auctions, number of bids is displayed next to the price. For fixed priced auctions, the Buy It Now label is displayed next to the price. The time ticks down in real time.

• For the competitive bidding auctions that have an active Buy It Now price, the next line displays this price and the Buy It Now label. (This line can be hidden via the Options menu.)
• Next line is the bidder. Bidder is not displayed for fixed-priced auctions or for competitive auctions with no bids. (This line can be hidden via the Options menu.)
• The last line contains the number of users watching your auction and the number of hits it has received. Note: You need include a counter (visible or hidden) when listing your auction to receive hits data. If you have unanswered questions for this auction a red question mark (?) appears before the watch count. (This line can be hidden via the Options menu.)

Flyout details view

In the flyout details windows you can view complete auction details, search eBay, and track your favorite sellers.

Single click an auction to view complete auction details in the familiar eBay format in a convenient flyout detials view (Fig. 3). Shipping and timezones are based on your home eBay and shipping location. The flyout also displays a dynamic auction countdown. You can also view users watching and hits data. You will also be informed if you have unanswered questions (click to answer them.)

Refresh auction details by clicking the 'Refresh' link in the bottom right. You can view the auction in eBay buy clicking the photo or the 'View in eBay' tab on top. Close the flyout by clicking the 'X' button in the upper right of the details view.

Search eBay

You can search and view items from saved searches from the flyout window. Click the eBay logo on the top of the gadget or click "Search" tab in the flyout to access the search window.

Enter a search term and click the green arrow button to search eBay. You can also run a saved search by selecting it from the drop-down box in the upper-right. eBay Sellers Watch imports your favorite searches from My eBay.

Saving searches: eBay Sellers Watch allows you to save searches you perform. Simply click the pink heart button after completing a search.

Remove saved searches: To remove a saved search, choose it from your list and click the red "X" button that appears next to it. Searches saved in your My eBay can only be removed via My eBay.

Favorite Sellers

You can keep track of and view items from your favorite eBay sellers from the flyout window. Click the "Sellers" tab in the flyout to access the sellers window.

Enter a sellers' eBay user ID and click the green arrow button to display the sellers' auction. Choose a saved seller from the drop-down box to display his auctions. eBay Sellers Watch imports your favorite sellers from My eBay.

Saving sellers: eBay Sellers Watch allows you to save sellers. Simply click the pink heart button after viewing a sellers' items.

Remove saved sellers: To remove a saved seller, choose it from your list and click the red "X" button that appears next to it. Sellers saved in your My eBay can only be removed via My eBay.)

Configure eBay Sellers Watch: Main menu

Basic gadget configuration is handled on the main menu. To open this menu, hover your mouse over the gadget and click the down arrow icon that appears in the upper right. (fig. 2).

Many things can be handled from this menu:

• Refresh: Refreshes details for the first four auctions in your open auction list.
• Show closed/open auctions: Toogle between your open & closed auction lists.
• Login/Logout from eBay: Login or logout eBay Sellers Watch from your eBay account.
• Documentation: Open this documentation page in your default web browser.
• Options...: Opens the main Options menu (see below).

The Options menu is main configuration for eBay Sellers Watch.

Home eBay: Set this to the eBay site you normally use. All eBay windows that open will open into the eBay site you choose here. Currency is also based on this selection when displaying local currency.

Ship to: Set this to your home location, the country in which you receive shipments. Your home country determines what shipping rates are displayed.

Show photos: Show or hide photos.

Show bidders: Show or hide the high bidder (if there are bids).

Local currency: Select this option to display all prices, besides shipping, in the currency of your home eBay.

Watching/hits: Select this options to display users watching and hits.

Show eBay shortcuts/feedback Show or hide your feedback and the shortcut header bar.

Higlight auctions that will sell: Select this option to color the price in green when an auction has a bid or when a single item of a Dutch auction sells.

Show BIN for auction: Show or hide a line containing the Buy It Now price for competetive bidding auctions.

Show "bidder" label: Show or hide the "bidder" text next to the bidder.

Show search box: Show or hide the gadget's search box.

Launch search in flyout: With this option checked, searches made from the sidebar search box launch in the flyout window. When unchecked searches launch in your default web browser.

Hide fixed-price/classified: Check to hide all non-auction items from the gadget. Uncheck to show all eBay items.

... min before auction close: Enter a number to receive a notification this many minutes before an auction closes.

On auction close: Set this alert to receive a notification when an auction closes. The popup alert will contain the winning bidder and final price.

On feedback up: Set this alert to receive a notification when your feedback increases.

On feedback down: Set this alert to receive a notification when your feedback decreases.

On new question: Set this alert to receive a notification when have a new question about an auction.

To choose your own alert sounds, select an alert then click the "..." button to browse to your favorite MP3, WMA, or WAV file. Click "Test" to test your notification sound.

Adjust time by...: eBay Sellers Watch handles synchronization with eBay time in two ways. If you check Auto the gadget tries to automatically sync with eBay official time.

Alternately, you can uncheck the box and enter a positive or negative number of seconds to adjust the gadget's internal clock. Be sure to first update Windows via the internet time server first in either case.

Fix auto time sync: If you arrived here by clicking the "Fix" button in the options window, there was a problem with the auto sync. Likely causes are network problems reaching eBay or the time adjustment was too great. To fix this check that your time zone is correctly set and resync your time in Windows. Restart the gadget to resync.

Undocked gadget height: When you undock the gadget from the sidebar and place it on the desktop, you can enter a height in pixels. The gadget will always snap to this height when undocked.

I sincerely hope you enjoy my gadget. I've done my best to cram tons of features into the small space the Google Desktop sidebar allows. I'd love to hear from you! Please email any questions or comments to aw4s@auctionwatchgd.com.

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Thank you,
Ty Kroll
eBay Sellers Watch Google Desktop Sidebar gadget