Community Chat, Mar 21st @ 1pm PDT - Private Offer | Parts & Accessories

[alan@ebay]

Hi Community, 

Please join The Community Team and special guests from our Parts & Accessories team here on Wed Mar 21 at 1 pm PDT for a chat about the Private Offer feature in this category.

Learn how to manage price negotiations, upsell and offer bundles, and close sales through eBay Messages. We can also talk about international pricing and shipping of Parts & Accessories. 

Learn more anytime before our chat with this free video tutorial.

*To be mindful of sellers’ time and contribution, please focus your comments and questions regarding the topic of the chat. Keeping in mind the Community’s Rules of Engagement when you post. Non-constructive/disrespectful comments will be removed by our moderation team so that the thread can focus on a productive discussion. 

[jmb344]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:
The "reply with offer" button has been around for no auto parts for quite a long time, and I have used it with some success. But are you saying I can now use it to make an offer where I bundle listings the buyer hasn't even asked about? And I can even include items that I do not presently have listed on eBay? As long as the transaction goes through ebay? The video says I can do that for auto parts. But you are saying I can do it for ANYTHING I sell (so long as the items do not violate ebay restrictions, no firearms, for example.

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Yes to everything you asked. Yes, you can do all that stuff in any category on eBay. Pretty awesome, right?

[dalfan313]

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@mcjbob wrote:

I've recived numerous offers, and find the apparent lack of flexibility of eBay has killed nearly all offers for multiple items.  I've just quit even attempting to reply as it is so frustrating dealing with how complex ebay has made what should be a simple process. 

How do I reply to an offer for more than one listing so I dont get a seperate payment for each item? 

At times I need to adjust shipping charges, and looks like ebay does not allow shipping to be adjusted? This is very important in  some situations. 

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The key difference with the Private Offer feature versus the Best Offer feature is that it does allow you to bundle items together into one offer - buyers can pay for everything at once. Along with that, shipping costs can be included as a line item as well. I'd encourage you to test it out to see if it works for those bundles that buyers have wanted to purchase from you before.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

So, just to be sure I understand, for NON auto parts, the "reply with offer" button hasn't changed....it is still limited in its functionality. In auto parts, the "reply with offer" button provides additional functionality for the auto parts seller. Is anything like this available in other categories, or just auto parts?

[alan@ebay]

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@tealt wrote:

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alan@ebaywrote:

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiqueswrote:
LOL---OK, now I'm confused....you are saying this isn't for auto parts only? The "reply with offer" button can be used to do this for ANYTHING? That's great! Why is this topic about auto parts then?

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Good question, @my-cottage-books-and-antiques.

We do have this feature in limited availability in other categories, but it is not necessarily as involved as in Parts & Accessories. Today we have P&A experts providing an education on how to use the feature within their category.

Thank you!

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Which categories and how limited?

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Hi @tealt, 

It is available across all categories for items that are fixed price and do not include multi-variations.

Thank you. 

[roblinsgarage]

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@mcjbobwrote:

I've recived numerous offers, and find the apparent lack of flexibility of eBay has killed nearly all offers for multiple items.  I've just quit even attempting to reply as it is so frustrating dealing with how complex ebay has made what should be a simple process. 

How do I reply to an offer for more than one listing so I dont get a seperate payment for each item? 

At times I need to adjust shipping charges, and looks like ebay does not allow shipping to be adjusted? This is very important in  some situations. 

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You have to combine the sales records and send one invoice to get 1 payment.  That's also where you can discount shipping.

[vrykalak]

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@mcjbobwrote:

I've recived numerous offers, and find the apparent lack of flexibility of eBay has killed nearly all offers for multiple items.  I've just quit even attempting to reply as it is so frustrating dealing with how complex ebay has made what should be a simple process. 

How do I reply to an offer for more than one listing so I dont get a seperate payment for each item? 

At times I need to adjust shipping charges, and looks like ebay does not allow shipping to be adjusted? This is very important in  some situations. 

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That is my concern also.
Many times in the last year or so, I have had customers buy multiple items that I point out to them after they buy (and instantly pay for) one item.
The customer gets charged multiple full shipping charges on each item, and I get charged FVF on the full shipping charge.
I give the customer a deep discount on shipping...but I never get any of those FVFs back.

[dtexley3]

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@jmb344wrote:

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@dtexley3wrote:

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@jmb344wrote:

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@odditiesandantiquities1wrote:

I think this will revolutionize sales for those who choose to use it. 

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BOOM. My thoughts exactly!

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And here comes the rah rah rah.  It's been there for months.  I've used it several times, it's not that revolutionary and in most cases resulted in no sale anyway, so what's the hoopla?

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It's actually been there for years! But I recently found out it existed, and realized how GREAT it could be for a seller who knows how to use it. Now you can sell items you don't even have listed if you think the buyer would want it. Our goal is to help you sell, and buyers to buy your stuff easier. Private offer I think does both those things, but you have to use it.

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Ummmm, I DON"T THINK SO JIM!!!!!  This does not allow you to sell something that isn't listed and I very much doubt that was the intent.

[jmb344]

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@bubbleman2010 wrote:

Its been a active feature for probably four months now. I've used it several times resulted in zero sales and got me a offsite sales warning because buyer went to listing to ask a question and sent their phone number so they could chat about motor freight shipping and the costs...

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We have had it live within P&A for a month now. You would have only gotten a off-site sales warning if YOU exchanged your contact info with them. Private offer allows you to answer their questions and send an invoice through messaging rather than having to create a new listing for that 1 buyer.

[tunicaslot]

jmb - does this work is the listing has ended? I often get contacted after an item ended that the buyer forgot to bid or buy it. Can we change an ended auction to a BIN in the offer? I'll have to look at the video as this is all new to me.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

I'm getting the impression the ebay reps here are not all on the same page? @jmb344, I agree its pretty awesome if I can do this in any category, but that's not the impression I'm getting from the other ebay reps here.

[gracieallen01]

Yes, thank you, Alan. Your response came just after I posted - I guess we were typing at the same time.

[dalfan313]

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@tealt wrote:

Could I put a line in my regular listings saying, "I would be delighted to receive Private Offers." ?

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Absolutely. However, just to ensure that verbiage isn't confused with welcoming outside sales, I'd encourage you to try something like, "Message us through eBay if you have an offer or a question!"

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

the video says you CAN do that. But again, the video is limited to auto parts.

[*eponymous*]

@jmb344  How would a seller know how much shipping would be, especially on combined-item offers, when the seller won't know a shipping address until payment has been made?  How would a seller get out of a transaction where the buyer gave shipping info, accepted an offer, and then paid with a different shipping address?

SNAD claims would be based on the offer that is accepted by the buyer.  It sounds convoluted, epecially when buyers have to return all items on a combined shipping transaction, when only one item may be SNAD.  Also, the seller would have to be very specific with item numbers, etc. and, even then, buyers know they can get return shipping paid when they file a SNAD.

The video made the process sound overly-complicated when a buyer can simply ask a seller for combined shipping as it stands now, and it is not apparent that there would be any added benefit to the buyer who just wants an oil filter.

Are sellers contacted on a regular basis by buyers who are eager to make additional purchases when contact was not made for that reason (and the seller would have to reduce prices from the listing price, in any event, to get a sale)?

Have buyers repeatedly expressed interest in engaging in extended negotiations with a particular seller to make additional purchases when that option is already available to buyers (and the buyer did not initiate the upsale)?

What is the added value in this scheme?

[dtexley3]

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@jmb344wrote:

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@bubbleman2010wrote:

Its been a active feature for probably four months now. I've used it several times resulted in zero sales and got me a offsite sales warning because buyer went to listing to ask a question and sent their phone number so they could chat about motor freight shipping and the costs...

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We have had it live within P&A for a month now. You would have only gotten a off-site sales warning if YOU exchanged your contact info with them. Private offer allows you to answer their questions and send an invoice through messaging rather than having to create a new listing for that 1 buyer.

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But if the buyer at any point sends you contact information you WILL get a warning.  Bubbleman is right, this feature you are sharing doesn't give any additonal protections against the "dreaded" off-ebay warning.