Make Offer Without Giving Access To Credit Card ??

[luv3labs]

A couple of years back, my Credit Card was Hacked, via eBay/Paypal.
It took a couple of months to get my funds returned, & I had to change to a new CC & had to change all of my passwords associated with eBay & Paypal.
My bank instructed me to NEVER allow any on-line entity to hold onto my CC information, to close the bank account which was linked to Paypal, and to entirely cease using Paypal.
All has been fine with this until now (& I do not mind taking the time to manually enter my CC information when paying for items purchased); however, eBay's new "thing" is to require all payment information every time I "Make An Offer".
I always pay very promptly after every sales agreement is reached, but eBay's new "pay before you purchase" situation (by way of requiring me to give eBay full access to my CC) is extremely frustrating !!
Just today, there have been several items on which I wished to "Make Offer", but did not as I will not endanger the security of my CC via  allowing eBay in any way to hold onto all of my CC information !!
OK, hubby is delighted that  I did not commit to a few hundred dollars in purchases today, and that this new policy has decreased by a couple thousand dollars the overall amount that I have been spending on eBay; but, I am very frustrated that eBay continues to find fresh new ways to erode my confidence in being able to purchase via their selling platform !!

Is there any way to utilize the "Make Offer" option without violating my cyber-security by allowing eBay to hold my CC information ??

[mr_lincoln]

@luv3labs   No, just pay the list price if you want the item.  eBay is helping Sellers by requiring the CC info at the time of the Offer to cut down on Buyers who do not pay.  ebay has no way to know if a Buyer will pay or not when they make an offer ... so even stating here " ... I always pay very promptly after every sales agreement is reached. ..." is meaningless to the eBay program that monitors the transaction.  

[luv3labs]

Sorry, but not really sorry...
When the Seller has a Listed Price which is significantly above the normal price range for an item, AND the Seller has provided the "Make Offer" option in the Listing...

It most certainly is not unreasonable to accept their posted willingness to utilize the "Make Offer" function.

Having previously been a Seller (for many years & through thousands of sales) on eBay, I appreciate the value of being able to negotiate politely with the Seller (NOT to "low-ball" the Seller !!) to effect a transaction which is positive for both parties.
Currently, I do still sell my goods via several venues, both local & on-line.   In most of them, I have provided an asking price which would make me very happy, and (as I did when selling on eBay) I am set upon a minimum price which I would accept in order to get the items moving at a lower profit point.   My higher "ideal" price allows for occasional promotional "Sales" at various %-off levels, without selling below that minimum price I desire.   This is a very common business practice, one which was also very successful when I operated a Gallery for 12 years in our community with up to 60 Arts & Crafts Vendors (thankfully, closed due to my multiple health challenges at the end of 2019).
When the Seller has not provided the "Make Offer" option for their item, then, yes, you would be correct in advising "just pay the list price if you want the item": and, in such a situation, I do just pay the asking price, or, move on to a Listing which offers the same item at a price I am willing to pay.
What I am hoping for, is for eBay to NOT require me to put my CC at risk for fraud every time that I wish to follow-up on a Seller's posted willingness to utilize the "Make Offer" option: and, if there may still be a way to safely utilize the "Maker Offer" option, that someone in this Forum would be willing to assist me in doing so.

[stainlessenginecovers]

How do you plan on paying when the offer is accepted?

[luv3labs]

As stated in my original post, "I do not mind taking the time to manually enter my CC information when paying for items purchased".

However, I will not go about repetitively posting my CC information in a willy-nilly manner, just to be allowed to utilize the "Make Offer" function, which has for so many years worked very well without requiring surrender of my cyber-security.

By the way, I did inquire of my CC issuer about this concern; and, they advised that if I have given out my CC information including the Security Code # from the back of the card, then having done so greatly reduces my chance of being protected by them for fraudulent charges.

I am hoping that someone on this Forum will have useful advice for me, rather than chastisements.

[wastingtime101]

I admit I didn't read most of your posts because of the gigantic font, but I got the impression the issue has to do with not wanting to give eBay your CC # and have them hold the info.

There is a solution to that @luv3labs if your credit card offers it. My credit card has a feature where you can log in to your online account and get a sort of dummy number. It's called a Virtual Account Number. My CC even allows me to set an expiration date for that number. I can use that number in place of my actual CC number for any online transactions. It's a security feature. Check with your CC to see if they offer something similar.

[ittybitnot]

 eBay's new "thing" is to require all payment information every time I "Make An Offer".

@luv3labs 

It is your BUYER ID that is enrolled in the program.  They have not enrolled mine, so I don't have that problem....YET. 

There is a "setting" on the seller's side that they can elect to "not require" the upfront submission of your credit card information in order for you to make an offer.  When it first started to "roll out", all seller's were set to YES (require it) by default.  I am sure there are plenty of sellers that still do not know that the choice was selected for them, and they can turn it off.  

So, you can "ask" a seller to do this, explaining that you wish to make offers on their listings and see if they will do it.   You can provide them the link necessary.  It is the last item on this page: 

https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/buyerrequirements

Again it is your ID that has been given this annoyance.  You can try to get another one to use to buy, and see if it is affected as well, or not.

Since you are enrolled, you will not be able to "make offers" on multiple items from a seller to combine orders in one payment.  Each one will be billed separately with the full shipping charge.  

Though I think they improved upon this program a bit, when it first started you would find a "payment hold" on the amount you offered that would last for days (you could not use that amount) even if your offer was declined.  

[sapphire_studio]

You seem to be under the assumption that you are a lot more at risk giving them your credit card information early when you make the offer then you are giving it to them after the offer is accepted. That isn't true at all. I could understand if you were complaining about the hassle of having to enter your credit card number so many times but I do not understand the paranoia about the "cybersecurity".

[blingfling123]

If you are concerned about having your card information stored for future purchases or offers. Rather than do an offer through the system, ask the seller if they would take x amount and if they agree could they please change the price to the agreed amount so you can pay immediately without having to have card information stored for offers. 

That or you need to adjust where and how you buy online, regardless of your personal cyber security policies, eBay, and sellers are under no obligation to change how they operate because of something you want.  

PS - You may not know this, while eBay will not be holding your card for future purchases, the card information you entered and used for a purchase IS stored within the system. Manually entering in the card data each time does not change that transactional history record. 

[keziak]

Interesting, I was unaware of this new feature.  I wonder if that will cut way down on offers? I make a lot of sales that way (I accept for modest discounts).

[house*of*paws]

Hi @luv3labs 

As someone who has had my credit card information stolen several times … I know a couple of things you stated aren’t accurate.

We are totally protected by federal law against fraudulent transactions.  [The most we can lose is $50 … and that is ONLY if we fail to report within one week that our physical card was lost or stolen.]

Also, it generally can’t be ascertained how someone got access to our CC information … whether from an online transaction OR an in-person use.

Anyway, while I’ve been inconvenienced a few times by having to have my CC cancelled and reissued because of theft … I’m not concerned about having my card on file with a few companies.

You certainly can refuse to give eBay your CC info to make an offer … but I can definitely see a need for eBay to have that as a new policy.  [BTW, I’m a buyer only … who also pays for my purchases quickly.]

[postcardcountry]

Sorry you are being accountable for the bad behavior of others.

I have few items with best offer.

My friend has all of her items listed with best offer.   She will have days where 3 out of 10 will actually pay.  Other weeks it might be lower 2 out of 10 and other weeks higher at 7 out of 10.

Sellers have to wait 4 full days to cancel those orders.

A seller could set their items to "immediate payment required" for BIN items.  But if best offer came into play then buyers could pay whenever they wanted to or not at all.

What you are experiencing is, in the long run, beneficial for both sellers and buyers.   More sellers will be encouraged to do best offer when they know they will get paid.

[ed8108]

Make an offer change in a positive light ?

 Helping motivate you & perhaps others to curtail spending by no longer utilizing the make an offer option ?

[ed8108]

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@luv3labs wrote:

When the Seller has a Listed Price which is significantly above the normal price range for an item, AND the Seller has provided the "Make Offer" option in the Listing...

It most certainly is not unreasonable to accept their posted willingness to utilize the "Make Offer" function.

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In future, ignore & just move on

[yuzuha]

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@house*of*paws wrote:

Hi @luv3labs 

As someone who has had my credit card information stolen several times … I know a couple of things you stated aren’t accurate.

We are totally protected by federal law against fraudulent transactions.  [The most we can lose is $50 … and that is ONLY if we fail to report within one week that our physical card was lost or stolen.]

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Honestly, OP's bank/card issuer sounds like the sketchy one here. Giving them false information? Taking months to remove the fraudulent transactions from their account? Telling them to stop using PayPal? What sort of legitimate CC company would do any of these things?