Ebay's automatic advice on Best Offer

[eratosthenes80]

I want to make an offer on an item.  Ebay says "The seller is more like to respond if you offer $X."

Here's the thing: The seller offered me that item recently for a lot less than $X.

In the past, I've followed Ebay's advice, assuming it is based on offers by other potential buyers that were rejected.

Now I'm wondering if Ebay is just trying to raise the floor for offers, so they can make more money.

Re lowball offers: A seller always has the option of having Ebay automatically reject offers below a certain threshold, so you can't defend this as Ebay trying to stop lowball offers.

[mudshark61369]

@eratosthenes80,

  "I want to make an offer on an item. Ebay says "The seller is more like to respond if you offer $X".

Where did you see that suggestion?  It is certainly not mentioned in ebay's policy about Best Offers.  I made an offer a few weeks ago on an item for about half of what the seller was asking, and did not see that message.

  "Here's the thing: The seller offered me that item recently for a lot less than $X."

Were you sent a Second Chance offer by a seller? If so that is somewhat different than a Best Offer. 

 "In the past, I've followed Ebay's advice, assuming it is based on offers by other potential buyers that were rejected. Now I'm wondering if Ebay is just trying to raise the floor for offers, so they can make more money".

Most businesses do offer suggestions that will benefit them, that's a basic business principle.  However, ebay also keeps sending sellers messages saying  "there are eyes on your item. Go for the sale and lower the price by X%".  Why would they do that if their concern is to make more off of each transaction? 

[collectorspectre]

Same scenario for sellers making counter offers to buyers and same ebay prompt message. The message goes away when you decrease the counter-offer enough. The low offer threshold was unfair to me as the seller which was contradictary to the other ebay prompt when leaving offers about making an offer that is fair to the seller and buyer. The offer  cap was far lower than recently sold comparisons. They are trying to be helpful, but there is no equation or explaination as to the basis for the threshold that triggers the prompt message. 

[eratosthenes80]

The suggestion showed up in the dialog box where I enter the amount of the offer.

It was not a second chance offer.  The seller had made the offer to everyone watching the item, I had not responded.  A week later, I chose to make an offer independently of that.  

Now I know to ignore the "helpful advice," having listened to it in the past because I assumed it was based on prior offers.  Wish I had known earlier.

The "Lower your price by 5%" is **bleep**, I would never be moved to make a purchase by a 5% reduction, that's just noise.  

[7606dennis]

Frankly, I find suggestions from eBay about as useful as the proverbial "T___ on a boar."