You received an offer of US $280.00 from the seller. The item isn’t yours until you

[likea-2723]

so I see this is ebays scumbaggery way to push you to buy.  the seller knows nothing of this and ebay lying saying I received an offer but ebay rudely pushing for a sale

and if you accept it, youre basically just sending an offer I could have done excluding ebays involvement.

[aproudparent2010]

Sellers do know of it and I love this system.

[mudshark61369]

@likea-2723,

Sellers do know about offers sent on their behalf, because they have to sign up for their listings to be Sponsored.  When you click on a sponsored listing usually on another listing's page, you will receive an offer. The seller has decided how much off the asking price the offer will be for.

If you do not want to get the offers, Do Not click on sponsored listings either on another item's page or from a search results list where you will see Sponsored by the item's title.

It is really no different from stores having sales on or near holidays.

[wastingtime101]

Not sure why you think sponsored listings and seller initiated offers are linked @mudshark61369 because they have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Your post doesn't have any accurate information.

[wastingtime101]

Hi @likea-2723 . Based on the partial text in your subject line, "the item isn't yours until you ..." :

This leads me to think the seller sent you an offer, then you sent a counter-offer, then the seller accepted your counter-offer.

When a seller accepts your counter-offer, it will appear as if the seller sent you an offer. It's a new system from eBay that allows the item to stay active and available to any buyer until/unless the buyer whose offer was accepted submits payment.

If I'm wrong about the counter-offer situation, which is possible, then it's just a straight up seller initiated offer. If the seller isn't aware of the offer that means the system is probably sending automatic offers. The first time a seller sent an offer on a listing, they probably did not notice the check box to "automatically send offers" was enabled. The system will auto-send offers to any interested buyers which could mean buyers with the item on their watch list or in their shopping cart or just because they viewed the item.

If you do not want to receive seller initiated offers you can turn them off in your communication preferences:

https://commspreferences.ebay.com/commsprefs

Under Buying Activity, click edit, then uncheck both "offers to buyers" and "competing offers" then save the changes.

[mudshark61369]

@wastingtime101,

Special offers from sellers are sponsored or promoted listings.  They most often appear in the line of sponsored listings on a similar item's listing page or as the 4th-5th results on a search page. When opened a special offer from seller is sent.  

Sponsored (aka promoted) items are those that the seller paid extra to get better exposure on. It does not affect you as a buyer. A seller pays higher fees based on the level of promotion they want on the item.  Having special offers sent can be part of paying for better exposure.

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/growth/seller-hub-discounts/offers-to-buyers-best-offer

Try clicking on several Sponsored listings and within a few days you will receive offers for some of them.

[wastingtime101]

I am very familiar with both advertising (sponsored / promoted listings) and seller initiated offers. They are not linked in any way.

The eBay Seller Center page you linked provides zero information about the 2 having a connection.

Do you have anything you can provide that tells you there's a connection? Is this something you read off site? Is this something you're making an assumption on based on getting offers for some sponsored listings?

I assure you, there is no connection and there's nothing in the eBay help pages to link sponsored listings and seller initiated offers. The 2 functions have nothing to do with each other.

I have one account that does not use sponsored listings, but it does use the occasional seller initiated offer. I have another account that does use sponsored listings, but has never sent out a seller initiated offer.

Edit to add: If you want proof on what I'm saying @mudshark61369 , I can get someone that posts here with their selling ID to run an experiment with you so you can see what I'm talking about - let me know if that would be helpful. Just trying to help you get a clear picture of this because I know you spend a lot of time helping buyers and thought you'd appreciate the info on these 2 separate seller tools.

[fern*wood]

I send offers all the time to watchers and I don't promote any of my items.  If I chose to activate the automatic offers, ebay will continue sending those offers as soon as an eligible watcher appears---again, no promotion involved.    I'm sure the process is the same on promoted listings, but I'm definitely not required to promote to use this process.

[likea-2723]

thank goodness I never fell for it. and I never offer a different price. I always look ONLY for items that I set as within my price. and if not, ill wait. someone will always sell at the price I want.

but usually I find what I need through fb marketplace and craigslist. far better prices since the seller doesnt have to pay fees.

good for sellers but **bleep** nonetheless and why do I have to care about whats good for the sellers? just like sellers care for themselves and whats good for them.

[likea-2723]

so this was sponsored and when I added to watch list ebay **bleep** it up by trying to force the sale on me. I got it. item removed.

ill pay attention to sponsored items and not save those in watchlist or cart. dont care for anyone intervening or pressuring me to buy with annoying messages. its why I dont like ebay and run to fb and craigslist for used stuff. just less stress. better prices too. no one over my shoulder annoying me with unnecessary messages.

[likea-2723]

yea, thats why I dislike buying on ebay used stuff and goto craigslist and FB marketplace. Im at my own pace and dont get annoying messages to get me to buy. I also have far more control.

but ebay does that cause theyre desperate for those overpriced fees. I dont have to pay those on fb/craigslist and even etsy and its a far more enjoyable experience

youre thinking from the sellers perspective and I from the buyers eye and dont like annoying messages soliciting for a sale unless I contact first. its like going to a store and having someone right behind me constantly annoy me to get me to buy on anything I look at. I just walk away. too much. too aggressive and annoying.  but yea youre a seller so you care to sell. but I make my own rules and now I know anything I care about, dont save it to cart or watchlist. ill save the link and deal as needed.

[fbusoni]

@likea-2723 

eBay is annoying as h e l l, no doubt about it.

One day I merely visited a listing -- did not click on anything -- and a few minutes later, it was in my cart.

I suspect that things are only going to get more intrusive.  Which is why I never buy anything here.

[simba6]

" if you accept it, your basically just sending an offer "

Not quite.  If you send an offer the seller can accept it or reject it.   So you are not sure you will get it.  If you accept one of those, you do know your getting it as the sale is made.

[kensgiftshop]

---

@fern*wood wrote:

I send offers all the time to watchers and I don't promote any of my items.  If I chose to activate the automatic offers, ebay will continue sending those offers as soon as an eligible watcher appears---again, no promotion involved.    I'm sure the process is the same on promoted listings, but I'm definitely not required to promote to use this process.

---

It would be nice if it was just eligible watchers.

I don't watch anything and I receive those stupid offers for just looking at a listing.

[likea-2723]

intrusive creepy rude and aggressive. but its called one thing...desperation. I have not seen things I looked at in my cart, the day I do is the day I clear my account . they already harrass me with stupid messages hey this and hey that regarding items.

imagine going to a store, grabbing something from the shelf then an idiot worker is behind you saying, hey we can give you a discount. then you goto the next item and again, hey we only have 4 in stock, but it quickly. then the next item, let me put that in your cart for you to think about.

im not playing the game. I just walk away and today I have a few great solid options. back before fb marketplace, there werent many options. now without any stress or persistent nudging, I can buy used things easily. even things I used to buy from china, I just buy straight from alx and its cheaper.

and for some reason which makes NO SENSE, there are no parts to be found for my motorbike on ebay.com but I usually goto UK or de and have a huge list of parts shown.  its been like this since covid. I even wound up deleting my old account that I had 1500 feedbacks and since 2000. I came back, but you can see I hardly buy things. mainly bearings from uk or germany, and I go through ebay uk.