Best Offer farce...how does the bot know how much the shipping cost was in a FREE SHIPPING sale?

[nawlinsron2]

If you're gonna compare apples to apples, you have to SUBTRACT shipping cost from a FREE SHIPPING item to justify comparing it to the same item with PAID shipping, whether fixed or calculated.

Talk about spaghetti on the wall...

[tdumonde2014]

How are the "bots" involved in "Best Offers"?

[nawlinsron2]

I can't spell algorithm....

[readabouthorses]

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@tdumonde2014 wrote:

How are the "bots" involved in "Best Offers"?

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The "bots" (I prefer to call them Synths) will make a decision on which auctions they deem "overpriced" by some yet to be determined method when placing Best Offers on auctions being run by the chosen sellers (chosen by a yet to be determined Ebay method).

So what do they compare: Condition? Location? Shipping? Yet to be determined.

[mistwomandancing]

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nawlinsron2 wrote:

If you're gonna compare apples to apples, you have to SUBTRACT shipping cost from a FREE SHIPPING item to justify comparing it to the same item with PAID shipping, whether fixed or calculated.

Talk about spaghetti on the wall...

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I don't understand what you are talking about.  ???  What would *the bot* care about shipping costs at all?  What bot?

And as to any best offers, regardless of whether you offer Free Shipping on your item or not, it's up to you whether you want to accept, counter, or decline any offers you get.

Whatever BUYERS are trying to figure on, or trying to convince you about, or anything else regardless of Free Shipping or not, it's up to you to set your prices for whatever your reasons are, and proceed from there.

[nawlinsron2]

Market price determines whether or not your listing gets the honor of a Make Offer option...and the annoyance that follows.
Before that happens, some genius program has to compare your listing price to the market price. It can't include free shipping items without knowing what the shipping cost was.
Maybe with ebay statistics, that's a non-issue.

[partial*eclipse]

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@nawlinsron2 wrote:
Market price determines whether or not your listing gets the honor of a Make Offer option...and the annoyance that follows...

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Where did you get that idea?

[ebbyisme]

Not sure but I think people in this thread are on the same page of different books.....

Best offer on auctions is in beta testing..... if your starting price is deemed too high, the bots will automatically insert "best offer" on your auction. I believe the OP is questioning the criteria that will be used to determine what constitutes too high.

I would prefer the option to include "best offer" on auctions.... but only offers higher or at opening bid. Sometimes I want to move an item and any offer at or above the first bid is acceptable.... that said I start the bidding at the lowest point I wish to consider, so any offer lower isn't welcome. 

[mistwomandancing]

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nawlinsron2 wrote:
Market price determines whether or not your listing gets the honor of a Make Offer option...and the annoyance that follows.
Before that happens, some genius program has to compare your listing price to the market price. It can't include free shipping items without knowing what the shipping cost was.
Maybe with ebay statistics, that's a non-issue.

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Since buyers can do a search based on Price plus Shipping / Lowest First... perhaps the bot can too, and that's what the Best Offer addition to auctions is based on.  I haven't run into it, but I suspect the opening bid amount plus stated shipping amount (which can be figured and matched to zones) must have to be a speck or more higher than average before that kicks in.

But more to the point is that most sellers are just ignoring it.  As it's their business, and also their business as to what they start their auctions at, setting the opening bid price is up to them.  Following that, accepting or declining any offers is also up to them.  Maybe a bit of a hassle, but not too beyond endurance.

[plumbingspecials]

Sellers set their own shipping costs - whether it be free shipping, calculated shipping, or a pre-determind cost that the seller enters into a listing. Do not rely on eBay for your mathematics.

[readabouthorses]

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@mistwomandancing wrote:

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@nawlinsron2 wrote:
Market price determines whether or not your listing gets the honor of a Make Offer option...and the annoyance that follows.
Before that happens, some genius program has to compare your listing price to the market price. It can't include free shipping items without knowing what the shipping cost was.
Maybe with ebay statistics, that's a non-issue.

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Since buyers can do a search based on Price plus Shipping / Lowest First... perhaps the bot can too, and that's what the Best Offer addition to auctions is based on.  I haven't run into it, but I suspect the opening bid amount plus stated shipping amount (which can be figured and matched to zones) must have to be a speck or more higher than average before that kicks in.

But more to the point is that most sellers are just ignoring it.  As it's their business, and also their business as to what they start their auctions at, setting the opening bid price is up to them.  Following that, accepting or declining any offers is also up to them.  Maybe a bit of a hassle, but not too beyond endurance.

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So if I have an auction I start at a certain price and I'm using Priority Flat Rate Shipping will these Synths compare my magazine auction to a like auction where the seller is illegally using Media Mail? This will make my listing appear overpriced when actually it is the other seller who is in the wrong. Or what if my magazine is almost perfect where the other magazine is all torn up, nasty and missing pages? Will the Synths take Condition into consideration? Way too many "what ifs" for this to be something a robot-Synth can compare.

[partial*eclipse]

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@ebbyisme wrote:

Not sure but I think people in this thread are on the same page of different books.....

Best offer on auctions is in beta testing..... if your starting price is deemed too high, the bots will automatically insert "best offer" on your auction.... 

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That's just a story that customer service made up.  Consider it to be an urban legend.  Here's an update from an eBay staff member:

"We have identified an issue where the Best Offer option was incorrectly added to some auction listings that were created between October 8th and 10th. We are actively working on a fix for the impacted listings. We have identified affected sellers and will email them with further instructions. We will be testing this feature with a small number of lower-volume consumer sellers in the coming weeks."

So there currently should be no sellers getting automatic BO on auctions, except the sample of smaller sellers who will be the guinea pigs.  The release of this feature on October 8 - 10 was an error. It even got applied to auctions with an opening bid of $1.

As far as the accuracy of eBay's pricing estimates:  IMHO their errors in suggested selling prices are too far off to be accounted-for via mere shipping costs, i.e., listings with free shipping vs not.  They're usually completely ridiculous.

[readabouthorses]

So I wonder what instructions they emailed those sellers? I'm still seeing the Best Offer on auctions listed during that timeframe so I'm guessing the mistake became part of the test?

[partial*eclipse]

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@readabouthorses wrote:

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 ... if I have an auction I start at a certain price and I'm using Priority Flat Rate Shipping will these Synths compare my magazine auction to a like auction where the seller is illegally using Media Mail? ....

I suspect that the bots will only look at price, not price+shipping. How would they factor-in calculated shipping, which can range from $7.80 to $17.15 for your 3-pound box of magazines?

During the brief pre-release, sellers observed that Best Offer wasn't added to listings that had a "Buy it now" option.  Sellers who don't have a Store subscription (which would be most of the "small sellers" who are targeted by this innovation) can add a BIN price to their auctions at no cost; this would seem to be a practical way to avoid BO.

[readabouthorses]

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@partial*eclipse wrote:

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@readabouthorses wrote:

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 ... if I have an auction I start at a certain price and I'm using Priority Flat Rate Shipping will these Synths compare my magazine auction to a like auction where the seller is illegally using Media Mail? ....

I suspect that the bots will only look at price, not price+shipping. How would they factor-in calculated shipping, which can range from $7.80 to $17.15 for your 3-pound box of magazines?

During the brief pre-release, sellers observed that Best Offer wasn't added to listings that had a "Buy it now" option.  Sellers who don't have a Store subscription (which would be most of the "small sellers" who are targeted by this innovation) can add a BIN price to their auctions at no cost; this would seem to be a practical way to avoid BO.

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LOL. If I knew what I wanted to put on as a BIN they I'd just start it at that price as a Fixed Price Listing. Long ago we put a BIN on an auction to sort of "force" the early bid which removed the BIN and then it seemed that once an auction got a bid then it sort of became more appealing and the bids rolled in. That time has gone. Now everyone waits until the end of the auction which I think Ebay really doesn't like so this is all a ploy to bring back quick action ... whether it be place a bid or do a Best Offer. I wonder if once bidders learn that bidding takes away that Best Offer will it work sort of like in the old days. It is all about revenue stream.