Buy it Now or Best Offer issue

[susanw1569]

I relisted 8 Buy it Now ads earlier today and every one has defaulted to Best Offer. This was reported as a fault a few weeks ago when I spoke to an ebay representative who said that this could happen due to corruption of data when ads were repeatedly renewed. Unless I take extra care and remember to check for this fault he first I know of it us when I receive a Best Offer from a hopeful customer. This is bad business from everyone's point of view. Can ebay please get to the root of this system issue to ensure that it doesn't happen?

[copper.boom · Accepted solution]

You may have been switched to the New Quick Listing tool which intentionally defaults all fixed price listings to include Best Offer.

You can switch to the advanced tool by clicking on 'save and exit’ at the bottom of the quick listing tool and then you will see 'advanced form' on the top right of the new page. 

From the advanced tool you can adjust duration, best offer, and plenty of other options not available with the new quick tool.

If you are not using the quick tool, but simply using the "relist" option, then yes - Best Offer is automatically checked. This is not an error, it is intentional and it has been that way for years. You need to uncheck Best Offer if relisting a fixed price listing.

[susanw1569]

HI, thanks for the info which is helpful. I'll have a look at that. I have always used 'relist' to relist fixed price listings and sometimes Best Offer does come up as ticked but not usually. I contacted ebay about it a few weeks ago (after receiving a surprise best offer) and was advised that it can happen when relisting has been used a few times for the same ad as the data becomes corrupted. I think it's bad practice whether it's deliberate or due to corrupt data. 'Relist' should mean just that. It should not mean 'Relist and make changes as ebay thinks fit'. It can be overcome by the advertisers' vigilance but definitely should be put right by ebay.

[copper.boom]

@susanw1569 It has nothing to do with bad data. This is intentional.

If you relist an auction there is no possibility to add a best offer option, so relisting an auction will not change that.

If you relist a fixed price listing the 'best offer' box will be auto-selected.

Also, unless you have watchers on the item, it's better to use "sell similar" than "relist". Note that when you "sell similar" the listing that populates will be exactly as it was before. It also gives you the opportunity to edit title keywords, photos, description and "freshen up" the listing if you want to.

[susanw1569]

That's a really useful tip. Thank you. I will definitley try that way of relisting.

ATB SueW

[joanna3528]

I have a similar problem in that I listed some Buy It Now items for sale through the new app on my phone. The Best Offer option wasn't ticked (I double checked several times!) but I have had a few Best Offers through. I logged into my account through the full site today and all the items I listed through the new app are marked as having Best Offers allowed. I have now unticked them. Lovely to see consistency between eBay's various tools!

[susanw1569]

It's quite wrong. They should change 'relist' to 'let ebay change your ad for you'.