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Wish List FAQ

General Questions

What is eBay wish list?

eBay wish lists are perfect to use for sharing special things that you like or for setting up a gift list for you or a friend for the holidays, for birthdays, special events, or any other time of the year.

How does eBay wish list work?

eBay wish lists is similar in functionality and usage to other user-created lists in My eBay, however it has new, list-sharing capabilities and personalization features to help make your wish list embody the feeling of any holiday or event. You can add items or products into your wish list from the view item page or the product detail page. Click the Add to wish list button on the view item page, or the Add to wish list link on the product detail page and they will be added to your wish list!

Once item(s) are placed on a wish list, customers will be able to share their wish list via email or share it on Facebook. By selecting a "public" setting, friends and family can search for your wish list using the wish list search functionality. By default, all eBay members will have a wish list, and it will be set to "private".

Are there any best practices I should be aware of when creating a wish list?
  1. Add a list-level note to your wish list to help friends and family find your wish list. The note feature can be found under the wish list header under "Theme".
  2. Add items that are fixed price to avoid having to update your wish list frequently.
  3. Instead of adding listings to your wish list, add products to your wish list. Products never "end" like auctions do. Start browsing eBay's great product selection now!
Private vs. Public wish list view

The private wish list view (or the owner view) is the wish list owner's view of their wish list. This view appears in My eBay and allows you to manage your list - from adding items, removing items, seeing which items have ended or been purchased, to setting your privacy settings, setting a theme, or sharing your wish list.

The public wish list view (or the guest view) is what your guests will see if they see your wish list. Guests can see your wish list if you invite them to view your wish list via email or Facebook, or if you set your wish list as public, thereby making your list searchable using our wish list search. Users do not need to have an eBay account to view the guest view of your wish list.

What is the difference between a Shared and Public wish list?
A shared wish list is accessible only to people you've sent your wish list to via email or Facebook. A public wish list can be viewed by anyone who searches for your wish list by name, email address or eBay user ID.
How is this different than the current wish list functionality?
The current eBay wish list cannot be shared with other people. The enhanced eBay wish list also includes features which give users the ability to customize their page, choose a privacy setting and select a theme for their wish list such as birthday or anniversary.
What is the difference between a Wish list and a Watch list?

A wish list is a place for you to add items or products that you like or find interesting and share them with your friends and family. The wish list can be perfect for holiday or special events to help others find the perfect gift for you, or you can even set one up for a friend or family member's birthday or celebration to help others know what kind of gifts to get. You can share your wish list and make it public so others can search for it using wish list search.

A watch list is a place for you to add items that you are potentially interested in purchasing for yourself, keeping an eye on an auction that will be ending soon, or an item variation that you might want to keep track of for future reference. You cannot share your Watch list or make it public.

How long does an item appear in my wish list?
Once an auction comes to an end, it will no longer appear in your wish list. Fixed price items should remain on a user's wish list as long as they are not ended or purchased. Like other user-created lists in My eBay, images will no longer appear if an item has ended for over 60 days. As a best practice we encourage users to add Fixed Price items to their wish list as well as products. Products don't have an end date, unlike auctions.
If someone purchases an item from my wish list will it be removed or marked as purchased to avoid duplicate items?

Yes. Items purchased with a fixed price and use immediate pay, or are added to their cart and paid within the same log in session, will be marked as purchased in the wish list owner's view, and will not be visible in the wish list guest view. This will ensure the wish list owner doesn't receive two of the same item.

Please be aware a member needs to click the blue Buy this item button to purchase an item from a user's public wish list page in order for eBay to track and record that a purchase was made. Any purchase made outside of the wish list page will not be tracked and recorded as a purchase on the wish list.

Is the wish list feature available on all eBay Sites?
The wish list functionality is being released globally to all eBay sites. While this is being released worldwide, customers can only search and see results for wish lists within the same country. Users can still see wish lists of others in another country via a direct hyperlink sent by email or through a Facebook share.
Can I share my wish list on social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter?

The ability to share wish lists on Facebook is now available. By clicking on the Facebook share button on the View Item or Product Description Page, users will be taken through the Facebook share flow. You will have the option to share your wish list link on your own wall, on a friend's wall, in a group, or in a private message.

Currently, there is no option to share your wish list on Twitter.

Will someone who doesn't have an eBay account be able to purchase an item from my wish list?
Yes, guests can purchase items off of a wish list by clicking on the item or product image or title. When purchased in this manner, the purchase will not be reflected on the wish list owner's page. If guests want to purchase by clicking on the blue button in the guest view, they will need to register to become an eBay member.

Managing your eBay wish list

How do I add an item to my Wish list?

We have built an Add to wish list button that appears explicitly on the page for users to easily add an item to their wish list (similar to adding to watch list) from these pages. On the view item page, you can find the Add to wish list button in the grey box near the item price.

You can also add an item from the Product Detail Page (PDP). On this page, you can find the hyperlink to Add to wish list on the left below the main product image.

How do I remove an item from my Wish list?
To remove an item from your wish list, click the More actions drop down in the wish list view in My eBay. Then click Delete from list. This action will remove the item from the wish list owner view, as well as the wish list guest view.
What is a theme and how do I change it?

With the new eBay wish list, users can set a theme to help customize their wish list. Themes are set in the owner/private view, by clicking on the Choose a theme link if no theme has been selected, or the Edit link, if a theme has already been selected.

After selecting a theme, you can click Apply to preview how your wish list will look in the public view with the theme.

Themes are shown in the public/guest view only and will not be reflected in the private view.

The wish list themes don't apply to my occasion; do I have to choose a theme?
Choosing a theme is optional. The purpose of including a theme is to help buyers understand the gift occasion. You can also select the no theme option from the "Theme" drop down menu.
If I want to add a note on one of my wish list items can I do so? For example, I have a 8gb ipod touch on my wish list but would also take a 16gb.

Yes, there is an ability to add a customized note to any item on a wish list. Adding a note is a great way to share additional information - such as size, colour, brands - to anyone looking at your wish list.

To add a note to an item in your wish list, click the More actions drop down in the private view within My eBay, then click Add note.

Why can't I customize the header colour of my wish list?
To make the enhanced wish list stand out from other user-created lists, we've made some enhancements to the wish list pages only. These updates will help users associate this list with the overall wish list brand that will be showcased throughout the site and through the buying experience.
Can I have more than one wish list at a time to share publically?
At this time, users can only create one wish list to share or view publically. You still have the option to create multiple lists within My eBay. However, these lists will not have the wish list branding or the personalization features of the eBay Wish list.
How many items can I have in my wish list at any given time?
The enhanced eBay Wish List can hold up to 200 items and products at one time.
Are there advantages of adding a (list-level) note about my wish list?
Adding a personalized wish list note will help to distinguish you from users with the same name. We also provide the location of the wish list owner to further assist friends and family trying to locate your wish list. Use the note to say something about you or the items in your list to help friends and family find you when they're searching for your wish list.
If I create a wish list on eBay.ca, can my family and friends in the United States and the UK view or access my wish list?
Yes, you can share your wish list with friends and family in the United States and the UK (or any other site) and they will be able to see your wish list via the link that is shared. However, you can only search for wish lists in your site of registration.
How many people/email addresses can I send my wish list to at a time?
There is no limit to the number of recipients who can receive your enhanced wish list. However, you may only email up to 20 email addresses at a time.

Wish List Privacy

I don't want my wish list to be searchable or viewed by others. Is there a way to make it private?

Yes. Ensuring our member's privacy is very important to us. By default, wish lists are set to Private which means the wish list owner is the only one who can view the wish list. If the owner chooses to make their wish list public, they have the option to share it via email or Facebook. A public wish list allows the wish list to be searchable - by name, email address or eBay user ID - by anyone looking for your wish list.

If you have shared your wish list or made it public, you can still set it back to Private. This alters the URL so that those who previously had a link to your wish list will no longer be able to see it.

How do I change my privacy settings?

By default, your wish list is Private, meaning no one else can see your wish list but yourself. If you choose to make your wish list public, you will have the option to share it via email or Facebook or set the list to public, which would make it searchable by anyone who searches for your wish list by your name, email address or eBay user ID.

If you have shared your wish list or made it public, you can still set it back to Private. This alters the URL such that those who had a link to your wish list previously will no longer be able to see it.

Could my wish list appear on other search engines such as Google?

Yes. If you decide to share your wish list through Facebook or set your wish list to public it could be picked up on other search engine sites such as Google.

If you change your wish list to private, over time your wish list will no longer index and appear in search results.

What measures is eBay taking to maintain my privacy and not release personal or confidential information through my wish list?
eBay takes your privacy very seriously and we always want to ensure your personal and confidential information is never revealed to others. Based on how your friends or family search for you (either by user ID, name or email address), we will only surface your wish list in the manner in which it was searched. For example, John searches for his friend Sue Smith by eBay user ID (sue123). When John finds Sue's wish list, he will see that it is "Sue123's wish list" instead of "Sue Smith's wish list" or "sue@suesmith.com's wish list". Likewise, if John searches by Sue's email address, he will see Sue's wish list as "Sue@suesmith.com's wish list".

Wish List Search

I can't find the link to my friend's wish list. Where can I go to search for their wish list?

If your friend has their wish list set as public, you can search for their wish list through the search box at the top right hand corner of the wish list page. Otherwise, you'll need to check the email or Facebook message to refer back to your friend's wish list link.

There will also be a link to the main landing page for the eBay Wish List located in the footer of all eBay pages. Clicking on this link in the footer will allow you to access your own wish list, search for a wish list, learn how to get started in creating your own wish list, or see inspirational merchandising.

I was unable to locate my friend's wish list. Am I doing something wrong?
There could be a few reasons why this is happening:
  1. Only lists set as Public will be searchable. A user who has their wish list set as Private or even Shared will not be pulled into search results.
  2. Be sure you have spelled the name correctly. Searching for "Jeffrey" will not surface the same results when entering "Jeff".
  3. Search results will only show if the wish list is in the same country as the searcher's registration country. If you are in Canada searching for a friend's wish list in the UK, it will not surface any results.
If you are still unable to find the wish list of the individual, you may want to contact this person to verify they have created an eBay wish list.
I found my friend's wish list but there aren't any items. Why aren't items listed on their wish list?
A wish list may look empty if everything has been purchased or the items on the wish list have ended. You can click send a note to the wish list owner to send a notification that their wish list is empty.