Sellers who get insulted by low offers.

[prophetoffit]

I found an interesting comment from 2019 where someone was complaining that it’s rude for a seller not to reply to an offer and allow it to expire - andI would agree with that. It takes one tap of the thumb to decline an offer. And if you are so insulted by the offer, block them. But that’s not what caught my attention. It was a reply from someone who then said “have you considered your offer - is it reasonable?”

Well, I will admit that I have at times made lowball offers to sellers, and keep in mind I myself have a store. And there are a fair number of occasions when the seller has accepted that offer. So one never knows what a seller is willing to accept on an item, unless they have a history with that seller.  Now I will also admit, that my first reaction to a lowball offer generally is to feel a little annoyed, but then I remind myself of what I’ve just stated above. It’s just the nature of the beast.

I would ask that woman have you considered if your listing price is reasonable? 

[lamber9347]

@prophetoffit Agree with your thoughts. I always allow best offer on every single one of my listings, even the auctions. I just place what my minimum is, and I only receive messages which are at or higher than my minimum. Plus, I always list my items much higher than I expect to get for this reason. It's all a matter of perspective and no reason for anyone to be "insulted" by a low-ball offer. Don't like the offer, decline and move along, no biggie in my book.... 

[lakefor94]

Some are a PITA. This past week, buyer offers $40 on a $260 Item. I counter with $240.  No response from buyer.  Couple days later, Buyer sends a link to a similar but highly inferior item costing $49.95. I do not respond. Couple days later buyer sends email asking if I would take $40.  I do not respond and block.

I should have just blocked on the 1st lowball and not even responded. 

[myangelandmyprincess]

While often it can be a matter of perspective sometimes it really is just insulting. The one that stands out the most to me was a few years ago I was selling a pants suit with free shipping I think I had it listed for $30ish. The person offered $8 which wouldn't even cover the cost shipping the real kicker was they were a seller who sold like items for more money....

I had one recently that even though it was $5 which again wouldn't have covered the free shipping I didn't consider it insulting but they also said if I would accept they'd pay the favor forward later in life I actually didn't consider that one insulting...I didn't accept but I wasn't insulted. 

[lamber9347]

I don't take any of these types of things as an insult because they aren't directed at me (the individual). 

I'm a doll collector. I listed a particular doll which I knew could fetch over $100, but I listed her at auction starting at $50. I would have let her go for that amount too. Almost immediately I received an offer of $25. Because the doll collecting world is so small, I recognized the ID as another seller. I understood what she was doing, attempting to flip the doll. So, I thanked her for her offer, declined, and used her real came, that must have given her a shock. The doll ended up selling for $200.... 

[myangelandmyprincess]

I don't consider something to have to be about myself as a person to be insulting. 

To me when a fellow seller of like items offers lower than what it costs to ship it...it's an insult to me as a seller trying to make money. They know the offer would have me lose money yet they made it anyhow. It's either done as meant to be an insult or they think I was clueless about how I'd lose money.  

Fyi they messaged after I declined saying it wasn't worth more than what they offered so I'm gonna say it was meant to be in their case.  It sold for my full price later on to someone else though so ha 😉

[buyselljack2016]

I wouldn't say that I get insulted.  I just don't deal with it. I very, very, very seldom use offer on my listings, but if I get an offer that is close to reasonable that I can counter then we might work a deal.  When it's a lowball the only thing that is going to happen is that ID filling a vacancy on my BBL

Got an offer this week. Fixed price listing. I'm currently on time away. Wanted a little bit off, but also wanted "free" shipping (coast to coast) making it about 20% off. Not lowball, but not what I want to get for the item. I responded to let them know that I was not doing any discounts at this time, and also provided the # of an auction with one day or so left that was right in their price range, and thanked them for their interest in my listing.

I took a look at other listings for the item. Other than the auction, all were seeking more than what I had listed at, so I revised my listing upward. Next thing I know I get another offer from that same potential buyer asking if I will take the new listed amount, but again with the "free shipping" request. Their offer at this point is more than the listing was if they had paid in full including shipping in the 1st place.  So not insulted, but off they go to my Best Buddy List. Something just not right.

Oh, and that auction that I pointed them to. It has ended with "0" bids. Something just not right.

[kathiec]

Just as a general observation, I think there are buyers who view offers as sport, just as there are buyers who view sniping as sport. 

[12345jamesstamps]

I figure if a buyer has the guts to ask for a lower offer...I usually accept it. After all, we, or me, my business plan is repeat buyers. And if a seller doesn't respond to an email I just assume he or she is too busy to sell. So why would I want to buy from that seller? I found some buyers really on a cheap thrill...but when something nice is for sale they buy it immediately.

[stainlessenginecovers]

There's a reasonable offer and there's not. When people offer $100 for $1000 items, they are wasting a sellers time of them even having to read it. 

[house*of*paws]

Hi @prophetoffit 

Since eBay has been putting 'Best Offers' on listings without the sellers requesting them ... I don't consider it unusual for sellers to ignore offers.

I rarely make an offer for less than 80% of the BIN.  I've never sold on eBay or any other online venue ... but I know from reading posts how difficult it currently is for sellers to move products.  Trying to squeeze every penny of profit from a seller just seems wrong ... or maybe rude ... to me.  

[2013grotz]

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@stainlessenginecovers wrote:

There's a reasonable offer and there's not. When people offer $100 for $1000 items, they are wasting a sellers time of them even having to read it. 

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Unfortunately this seems to be the case with about 90% of the offers I've gotten since I've been on site.

[downunder-61]

I have never used the Best Offer in selling, but I have read here on the boards that eBay occasionally set's BO without a seller's knowledge.

If that happened to me and the offer comes through the BO function - I would reply,  but if an offer is made via message, when I have no BO on the item, I ignore.

[mudshark61369]

@prophetoffit,

I notice you do not have best offer on any of your listings.  Could it be because you got tired of replying to them?  

I tried the option when it was introduced, even though 90% of my listings are auctions, and noticed some things.

1)    Many of the real low ball offers came in within 24 hours of listing an item some even sooner.   I responded saying I would not accept them at this time, but maybe in a week or so, if there were no or few watchers.  The responses from some of those people earned them places on my BBL.  If it is rude to let an offer expire, then it is rude to make an offer before others have a chance to see the listing.

2)   When I would counter with what I thought was a reasonable price below my asking price, I never received replies.  Yet those same people are probably the ones who complained on the boards about sellers not responding.

3)   When I tried using the auto accept/decline feature, the same sort of thing as is in #1 would happen.  Offers would come in within a day, starting at 30% of the asking price, with 5% increases until they burned through the 5 allowed offers at that time, usually within minutes of the first offer coming in.   Obviously, they were trying for a quick turn around, so they could make money at my expense.  The items I listed w/ B/O  all did sell at the asking price. 

I received messages from some who had offers declined saying My price was too high.  I had one person actually ask how could they make money, at my countered price?   I liked the guy's honesty so my reply was:  If I got into business to make you money, I would have become a wholesaler. Since I am a retailer, your profit margin is not my concern. 

[2013grotz]

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@downunder-61 wrote:

I have never used the Best Offer in selling, but I have read here on the boards that eBay occasionally set's BO without a seller's knowledge.

I couldn't resist.  From when it happened to me.  I understand ebay doesn't even give people the courtesy anymore.