Which free price tracker do you need?
It depends on whether you’re watching a price that already exists or waiting for someone to list the item for less. “Price tracker” covers three different questions, and each has its own free tool:
| Your question | Free tool |
|---|---|
| Will this product at this store get cheaper? | The store’s own wish list or price-drop emails, or a browser price-tracking tool |
| Will this eBay listing come down? | Your eBay Watchlist, plus Best Offer if the listing has it |
| Will someone list this item for less than I want to pay? | An eBay saved search with a price filter, or a Spotter with a maximum price |
The first two watch a price that already exists. The third watches for a new listing at a price you choose, which is often where the biggest saving is, because a used or open-box one can cost far less than any store’s sale price. If you’re weighing those conditions, eBay refurbished and open box explains the differences.
How to get free price drop alerts for a store product
Start with what the store offers: many stores email you when an item saved to your wish list or account drops in price. Check the notification settings in your account. Browser price-tracking tools can also watch a product page and send free price alerts when the price changes.
Two things make store tracking more useful:
- Know the normal price. A “sale” is only a deal if it’s below what the item usually costs. Price history tools and a few weeks of watching tell you that.
- Know the exact model. Stores sometimes sell near-identical versions under different model numbers. Track the one you want, and compare like with like.
Free price notifications for an eBay listing you’ve found
Use eBay’s own free tools on that listing: the Watchlist and, where offered, Best Offer.
- Add it to your Watchlist. Sellers can see how many people are watching, and many send watchers an offer below the asking price. Keep eBay’s notifications on so you see it.
- Make an offer. If the listing says or Best Offer, offer what the item is worth to you, based on sold prices. An accepted offer is a commitment to buy, so only offer what you’ll pay.
SpotterOtter doesn’t track price changes on listings that are already up. It watches for new ones.
How to get an alert when something is listed below your price
Set a maximum price on an eBay saved search or a Spotter, and you’ll hear about each new listing at or under it. This is the price tracking that works for secondhand, open-box, discontinued and collectible items, where there’s no single store price to watch.
- Find the going price. Search the item on eBay and turn on the Sold items filter. Look at sales in the same condition and with the same parts; eBay sold listings shows how.
- Pick your number. Near the middle of recent sales for a fair price; lower if you only want a bargain and don’t mind waiting.
- Set the alert. Save the eBay search with a price filter, or create a Spotter with your maximum. Both are free to start: there is a free SpotterOtter plan, and how many Spotters you run and how often they check depend on your plan.
- Block the cheap look-alikes. Add a minimum price, and put words like case, box only, for parts in Exclude, so accessories that share the item’s name don’t pose as bargains.
SpotterOtter watches eBay in the United States (ebay.com) for new listings and emails you each one that matches your words, price and filters. Prices are in U.S. dollars, before shipping, so lower your maximum by the usual postage or turn on free shipping only. Listings it can’t fully confirm come through as a Maybe match for you to judge. For more ways to set this up at no cost, see free eBay alerts.
How to turn a store price into free deal alerts
Use the store’s price as your ceiling, then set your maximum below it. If a stand mixer costs a set price new at a store, a Spotter for the same model with a maximum well under that tells you each time a used or open-box one is listed for less. That turns one store price into ongoing free shopping alerts, even for things the store no longer sells.
A camera body: keywords with the exact model, condition used, a maximum well under the store price, and for parts, body cap only, battery grip in Exclude.
A discontinued pair of running shoes: keywords with the model name and your size, Buy It Now only, and a maximum near what they cost new. Stores can’t send a price drop for shoes they no longer sell; a new listing alert can.
A board game that’s out of print: keywords with the game and edition, sleeves, insert only, expansion in Exclude, and a maximum at the low end of recent sales.
Is a cheap listing really a deal?
Only if it’s the same item, in the condition you expect, from a seller you trust. Before you buy, check that the photos show the item itself, the condition matches the description, and the listing isn’t for a box, a part or an accessory. Prefer Buy It Now when price matters most: a new auction shows its starting bid, which can sit under your maximum and still finish well above it. eBay’s Money Back Guarantee covers items that don’t match their description.
Good to know: SpotterOtter never buys, bids or makes offers. Every alert links to the listing on eBay, and you decide.