eBay

darthne-72 · ‎08-28-2020

I just got an offer of $60 for something I put up for $40. I'm well aware of the people that do this saying "kindly text/email me" yada yada are scammers. But this person didn't leave any comment, and their account shows they've sold/bought things before. Is it still a red flag?

Also if I'm new to eBay is bidding not really viable since my rep is so low?

alcoforever · ‎08-28-2020

Only a scammer would offer more than asking.

cityslickercreations2004 · ‎08-28-2020

I guess I am confused. The make offer button is available for buyers to use. I believe once you get a bid, tha make offer button is inactive. You may not get any bids or none for more than $40.00.

If the price if fair, I would consider accepting the offer. You may have a sale.

pjcdn2005 · ‎08-29-2020

Sellers generally start an auction at the lowest they will accept so the make an offer for auctions is often more than the starting price. The buyer may think that the item will be bid up higher if they wait for people to bed. If you do accept the offer and THEN they want you to text your PayPal address, it is a scam.

luckythewinner · ‎08-29-2020

Offer higher than bid starting price

You used the terms "bid" and "starting price". My assumptions are that this is an auction; that someone made an offer higher than the starting price of the auction; and that the buyer made the offer through the eBay system.

When someone offers higher than the starting price of an auction, it is generally because they are worried that other bidders will drive the price higher than they want to pay.

They are hoping you will decide that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. IMHO there is nothing scammy about it, unless my assumptions at the top are wrong.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎08-29-2020

Indeed, when eBay first introduced the option of adding "Best offer" to auctions, they anticipated that offers would be higher than the starting bid.

donsdetour · ‎08-29-2020

eBay has set it up so purchasers, can make you offers. Took a look, and if the offer is what you want or higher accept it.

If it is a scam then they will ask for PayPal email addy so they can pay you.... Dont.

They can pay through eBay after you accept offer. No need for your information to do that.

kim_y_buran · ‎08-29-2020

It's not always a scam. People just throw an offer out there hoping that you will accept it and end the auction before it runs above what they are willing to pay. Of course they also run a risk of overpaying if the bidding never picks up.

glasser · ‎08-29-2020

If you sell by auction with low starting price, it is a great way to attract offers. If you like the price take the money and run, If you think it's worth more counter offer higher. If you are surprised they offered more them you thought it was worth, do some research because it might be more valuable then you think 🙂

a_c_green · ‎08-29-2020

@darthne-72 wrote:
I just got an offer of $60 for something I put up for $40. I'm well aware of the people that do this saying "kindly text/email me" yada yada are scammers. But this person didn't leave any comment, and their account shows they've sold/bought things before. Is it still a red flag?

No, because your $40 listing is an auction, not a fixed-price BuyItNow. Before any bids are received, interested buyers are free to make offers to you that can be either higher or lower than your opening price, and you are free to accept or decline.

This would only be a scam situation if that person was offering you $60 on a $40 BuyItNow, since of course that makes no logical sense. They would eventually send you a totally fictitious payment notification, telling you that you have to ship before funds will become visible in your account. Obviously no funds will ever appear.

In this case, you could have responded with a $60 offer for him to accept, and the sale would have closed right there. As you now have a bid, the Make Offer process is no longer valid and your listing becomes a straight auction. Judging from the interest you have had so far, the ending of this auction may be fun to watch. Good luck.

nkmipgolf · ‎08-29-2020

No red flags, looks good.

toparisandfrancego · ‎08-29-2020

best offer comes from ebay buyer initiated - ebay does not look at the text message with the phone number to text to, I had many on several of my sites..... I accept without responding, and they don't pay. EBAY HAS NO RED FLAG FOR SELLERS WITH PHONE NUMBER TEXT ME...