Buy it now vs allow offers
Just getting opinions of some more experienced sellers out there than I. Are you better off setting the "perfect" buy it now, or setting a bit higher but allowing offers to wind up where you wanted to be in the 1st place? I ask because I have run into some cons with the allow offers. For example: If I'm running a combined shipping discount for multiple items it will not apply this to items purchased with best offer. Only items purchased at the buy it now price are eligible. This has caused a lot of confusion for the buyers because I dont think this is explained in the "see details" in the shipping section of the listing.
I think this cost me a sale today. A potential buyer messaged me stating they were interested in 6 t-shirts I had listed and wanted to know if I would give them a discount. I informed them I was currently running a combined shipping discount on multi items that reduced the shipping for each additional item they added essentially making the shipping free on the 3rd item. They seemed excited until I explained that the discount only applied to items purchased at the buy it now price.
So what makes sales more likely, shipping discounts at full price or allow offers and no shipping discounts? What say you experienced sellers?
tobaccocardyahoo
·5 months agoThis is one of the reasons I no longer list with Make An Offer.
It is a PITA to deal with combined shipping and offers.
Make An Offer is not a PITA when the buyer wants a single item, and you can program the limits of what is acceptable and what is rejected. It masks the buyers with a severe personality disorder from your view.
Not enabling Make An Offer, does not deter the buyers with a personality disorder, they make an offer via message, and eliminates the benefits of automation.
This issue is part and parcel of the type of reseller you choose to be. One who operates from a shop on a main street, or one who rents a space at a flea market or sells out of the trunk of his car.
Different sellers invite different rules of engagement, though some buyers seem only to be experienced in purchasing at a souk or bazaar.
gb58
·5 months agoUsing your example of a customer wanting to make an offer for 6 shirts (most of your shirts are around $32 each). You are willing to accept an offer but not combine shipping.
Your shipping is showing to my area over $10 a shirt shipped ground advantage, (which I feel is a bit high, but it's your listing). So that means if I was the person making the offer you were willing to accept, I would be expected to pay $60+ in shipping for 6 shirts because you won't combine shipping.
Does that mean I would receive 6 separate packages? It should because that is what "not combining shipping" means.
You need to really re-examine your business model. I don't know many people on or off ebay that is willing to pay $60 shipping for 6 tee-shirts.
Even your offered combined shipping of buy 3 get free shipping on the 3rd. means a buyer is still paying $20 to have 3 shirts shipped. My opinion still extremely high even when "combined".
Good luck with your sales though.
jdbelt1960
·5 months agoI allow both a flat discounted shipping fee and allow best offers. The flat discounted shipping is not free shipping but makes it easier when listing and pays at least a majority portion. I can always decline or counter to offers that are too low. My collectible items have a wide range of online sold prices whereby I tend to price below midrange but also keep in mind my cost.
krazzykats
·5 months agoI’m open to reasonable offers on anything. Buyers are welcome to message me with offers for multiple items bundled together, and I’ll do my best to make a deal if I can.
I am running a sale that has up to 50% on certain holiday items if bundled.
ᓚᘏᗢ
gb58
·5 months agoI can see why you would lose sales if you are pulling your combined shipping simply because you are accepting an offer.
Regardless if you sell buy it now, or accept offers, you should still combine shipping if that is your policy. To tell a customer I'll accept your offer but won't combine your shipping now, to many customers may appear to be a "bait and switch".
apex_motorsport_collectables
OP5 months agoI think you misunderstood what I was saying. Do to the way eBay works items purchased thru best offer AND items purchased when Immediate payment was checked are not "eligible" for combined shipping discounts.
So it not me choosing to pull it if someone purchases by best offer, there is no choice. THats why I was asking if a seller is better off allowing best offers and not the ability to do combined discounts, or to be able to select combined discounts but not allow best offers.
I am asking a technical question. You were insinuating mal intent.
gb58
·5 months agoIf the system doesn't combine the shipping automatically, and most times it doesn't, but you are willing to combine, just tell your customer, the system will probably not combine a shipping discount, but you will refund the difference and combine.
After shipping your package, you can refund any difference in shipping between what your customer paid and the actual shipping charge.
The fees ebay originally took on the shipping amount you refund to your buyer will be refunded to you.
gurlcat
·5 months ago@gb58 The problem is, you only get a chance to tell a customer something if they ask. Many won't bother.
@apex_motorsport_collectables I agree with cambriachick^ that offering combined shipping as if it's a special discount will not appeal to most buyers, because most buyers EXPECT combined shipping already (because they know as well as you do that one label for 6 shirts will be wayyyy less than 6 separate-shirt labels).
It is much better to enable Make Offer for your buyers, so they can get a deal even if they want only 1 item, and if they want more than 1, you should combine shipping and give them the savings on that too. And you can state that in your item description "Yes I do combine shipping. You will be refunded for the overage soon after paying." -Something like that.
cambriachick
·5 months agoApex, your combined shipping discount isn't really a concession on price on your part. You are paying less and passing some of the savings on to the buyer. Buyers aren't ignorant, they know this is how it works.
bonanza125
·5 months agoI tend to do both. It really depends on the item, condition, and how long I want to wait for the item to sell. If the item is say in good condition but averages are at say $39.99 in fair/used shape do I want to wait to get say $44.99-$49.99 with best offer in the condition in the good condition I have the item for or do I want to settle for $39.99 and get an almost immediate sale. It varies. As far as your shipping discounts I work things a different way then others. To have less headache for myself I add shipping cost to basic lighter items and do "Free Shipping." That way I don't have to mess with combine shipping questions and giving out refunds for overcharged shipping costs. It's all built into the price. When it comes to t-shirts all of them weigh pretty much the same so you would have a general idea of cost. If it were me I would build shipping cost into the overall price.
theteamsetguy
·5 months ago@apex_motorsport_collectables ,
I don’t accept offers except in rare cases because I price my items competitively to begin with. I’m not the lowest or the highest in most cases.
meme6253
·5 months agoSet your buy it now price a little higher and allow offers, That way you wind up at a selling price you are more comfortable with.
shire123
·5 months agomeme6253
I completely agree with your process. There are lots of different philosophies with none of them totally right or totally wrong. I guess I figure my auto accept offer is what I would be pleased with getting and my BIN price while not much higher will maybe catch a buyer who really wants it now.
I think just about all buyers like what they feel is a "sale price". In this way the buyer is pleased and the seller is getting what they want.
fullers_uk
·5 months agoI do both, and use volume discounts and mostly free shipping worldwide, the main reason for doing so is shipping costs, if the shipping cost is lower from an region the offers from I may accept it and still make what I need to from it.
inhawaii
·5 months agoNo offers vs. Offers
No offers: This is the price. Buy it or don't buy it.
Offers: This is what i'm asking. Since i'm accepting offers i'll probably go lower. You would be a fool to pay the asking price. Why don't you make me an offer and see what happens? Then we can go back and fourth and see if we can agree on a price.
theteamsetguy
·5 months ago@inhawaii ,
Exactly, I never pay full price on any item that has a make offer option. The seller has already advertised they will take less! How, much less is the question.
I usually offer about 80% of the asking price and more often than not my offer is accepted.
tarotfindsandmore
·5 months agoThis 100%. I send offers (5-10% off, depending on whether the items is already on sale), but I absolutely do not use Best Offer and I don't have Accept Offers enabled. Once in a blue moon I will accept an offer that comes in through messages if the buyer is close to what I want and is behaving like a civilized human, but I'm not Monty Hall and this isn't Let's Make a Deal.
gurlcat
·5 months agoHa, just last night I made an offer of $95 for an item listed at $125 (so, a 76% offer). It felt especially daring because I had sorted search results by 'Newly listed' and this listing was second from the top, only a few minutes old. Also the item was so cool I knew there was a good chance someone else might smash the BIN button and pay the full $125 while I waited for the seller's response.
But ..... I am a DAREDEVIL and it often pays. A few minutes later, my phone made a noise and I looked at the notification, said the item had SHIPPED! -This was at like 11PM last night. Since the seller required auto-pay, when they accepted my offer it ....well, automatically paid obviously, and the seller immediately bought a shipping label. -Nice touch; if I didn't need to buy my labels in bulk to get a scan form, I might start doing the same thing because it sure did razzle-dazzle me as a buyer. 😆
I just couldn't believe how fast it all happened, and I also wonder how much less the seller would have accepted, but I'm happy enough.