Declining a "Best offer" - Give an explanation or no? As a buyer or a seller - which do you prefer?

[bsarafian]

I don't have "Best offer" on all of my listings but I do have them on a portion of them.  If I get an offer that I just can't accept I usually decline and provide an explanation unless it's really way off base (say, less than 50% of listed price). I'll usually give a counteroffer and in the message say something like : "After shipping and ebay/paypal fees I would be left with X for my item (in same cases this has been zero or even less) because of that I am unable to accept your offer. This (the counteroffer) is the best I can do.  Thank you for your interest" In some cases the potential buyer has come back and accepted my counter, in others I don't hear anything more.

As a seller, do you find it worthwhile to explain when you need to decline an offer?  As a buyer do you appreciate an explanation or does it matter to you?

[robot-hands]

The explanation of why someone is terrible when they making an offer of $11 on a $250 item....well that information is usually lost on them.

[tunicaslot]

What a variety of answers. I do offer BO and usually accept the price given but like the OP - I will sometimes say to the buyer that being the item has free shipping - I can't possibly go that low at this time but I could do XXX. Most of the times - I make the sale - if not - there's always another buyer down the road!

[*madison]

As a seller, I don't provide an explanation if I decline an offer.

As a buyer, I don't want an explanation if my offer is declined, I'm just not interested in anything the seller has to say about it. Besides, the seller wouldn't owe me an explanation.

[jewelbiz]

I recently got a “best offer” $300. Under my cost..

I said no & blocked.

[sharingtheland]

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@eleeper-half wrote:

"I really don't lowball; if something is listed for $30 and I offer $25* and I get DECLINED then I wonder why the seller is using Best Offer. "

Because eBay checked that off automatically in the template?  That's happened to me.

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I thought that when ebay put Best Offer on a seller's listing, without seller's knowledge/permission, that there is some type of formula ebay uses to decide what is declined automatically.  Could be totally mixed up about that.

Then again, you're right?  If ebay sticks it there, is every offer automatically declined?

I'm always needing to further explain myself (perhaps I need to brush up on my comms skills); I haven't used Best Offer since ebay started sticking it on listings so all of the declines came from sellers who voluntarily were using it.

Maybe I've dug an even deeper hole of not making sense...need more coffee now...

[moo*cow*corner]

---General Reply----

I don't do best offer, but do get offers in messages, usually asking about combined shipping discounts. Every now and then, I get one complaining about high shipping costs.

A couple of recent examples---

A buyer asked about the very high shipping cost to ship 12 Fostoria glass water goblets to Zone 8. She asked if shipping to OR would be cheaper than CA (no). She just did not understand that it would be a honking big box, and that glass takes a lot of padding and peanuts. She wasn't rude at all, just clueless.

I finally gave her a link to a shipping calculator, my zip and the estimated dims and weight. Told her to check herself and verify that I wasn't over charging.

Her next question was, "Seeing as shipping is so expensive, can you do any better on your selling price?" I told her no, and figured that would be the end of it. She bought them, and everything went well.

Another buyer bought 2 lots of 4 bowls each. Then she sent me a message after she paid, "I didn't realize I paid $xx in shipping! That's terrible! I'll be expecting a shipping refund, thank you." I replied that the shipping charge was completely appropriate for shipping breakable dinnerware, and when she saw the size of the box, and how they were packed, she would understand. And further, to let me know right away if she had any further issues once it got delivered. 

It turned out that she thought she was buying 2 single bowls, not 2 lots of 4 each. She was shocked to find 9 bowls (bonus extra) in the box. All intact and very happy.

I don't explain anything. I just say "I'm not considering offers for this listing at this time. Feel free to ask me again on the next relist. Thanks for your interest!"

[turquoisetulips]

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@bsarafian wrote:

I don't have "Best offer" on all of my listings but I do have them on a portion of them.  If I get an offer that I just can't accept I usually decline and provide an explanation unless it's really way off base (say, less than 50% of listed price). I'll usually give a counteroffer and in the message say something like : "After shipping and ebay/paypal fees I would be left with X for my item (in same cases this has been zero or even less) because of that I am unable to accept your offer. This (the counteroffer) is the best I can do.  Thank you for your interest" In some cases the potential buyer has come back and accepted my counter, in others I don't hear anything more.

As a seller, do you find it worthwhile to explain when you need to decline an offer?  As a buyer do you appreciate an explanation or does it matter to you?

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As a buyer  I  just pay the asking price probably about 95 % of the time . On the few instances  where I've made a offer  its usually to  the sellers that I purchase from  the most . As a seller , whenever I get an offer  that is so low it's absurd [ like the day I received an offer of ONE dollar on an item priced at 15.50 ]  I just decline it . However  if the offer is reasonable  I'll usually take it.  I don't engage in much conversation unless it's initiated  by the potential buyer . Tulips 

[rejuvenatekalamazoo]

I only decline lowball offers. They get no message. If the offer is low enough I will also block that buyer. Reasonable offers are accepted or countered. I usually include a message with a counteroffer.. I also will include a message if I am buying and making an offer.

[bsarafian]

Agreed.  egregious low-balls get the decline button and nothing more.

[turkish-delightful77]

I do both. I'm a seller ( sometimes offer best offer) if you think it's too low then you have every right to decline the offer. If the offer I'm given is too low, then i offer no explanation as i think they are being really silly. You have to make money out of it. If the offer is decent then I explain that costs ( packaging, fuel etc..) costs me more money to post it. As a buyer I never offer silly offers. And i would not expect an explanation if i were to offer a low price.

At the end of the day it's up to you, but that's the way i operate. We are trying to make some money. i recently had a nightmare which I've had to get PayPal involved. A buyer ought 3 items from me, lied i panicked and sent her all her money back. Losing my items and a lot of money. She never even thanked me, but she was lying in the first place so i suppose i didn't expect her to.

Some buyers really don't understand that using the correct packaging, fuel to the post office is expensive and i've had a few have a go at me about that after  they bought the item.

Do it your way and good luck.

[escuintla]

Be polite by either sending a counter offer, or  saying nothing at all. 

It happened to me once, an item wasn't selling, I got a ridiculous offer, so I waited for the 48 hours to end, but in the mean time I sold the item at a full price. 

Sometimes is better to just not respond. If they really want it, they have done their own search on Ebay and found out it may be the only one item, or the cheapest one. 

Time is the essence. 

[kateinthe26th]

I usually just say 'Thank you for your offer, the lowest I can go on this item is $$$$.

Best wishes, , regards etc.

Buyers don't care much about your shipping costs, ebay fees, paypal fees and what not , so you could leave that out.

[divwido]

No, if I cannot make a counter offer that would work for me, I would just decline.  They do not want a debate, just a fast yes or no.

[m60driver]

I see no use in getting into a conversation with a buyer over an offer.  For me there are only three options: (1) accept the offer; (2) give a counter offer; (3) ignore if it is a low ball offer as buyer will get the message, no words needed in that case.

[lovefindingtreasures2]

Same here. Reasonable offers I accept or counter a bit more if it's a tad too low. Low ballers I just decline, they need no explanation. They know they are lowballing you. If they come back again at me with another lowball offer, I just block them. They never buy, just resellers or people hoping to get a serious deep pocket deal.

No explanations. Buyers don't want a lecture, they want to get the low price. Telling them shipping costs and margins and all that never helps. I find most of these low ballers never turn into a sale anyway, but if they keep hitting me with equally lowball offers I just block them.

No means no. I had a girl get mad at me over a Barbie collectible. Came at me with 80% of listed value. Then upped it about 5%. Finally blocked her, then she messages me and nearly yells at me, what' the lowest you will take.

I told her it would not be in her budget 🙂 I was mad she kept after me after being blocked. Barbie collectible sold for a decent price too.

I get people asking me all the time, "What's the lowest you will take?" after lowballing me several times. I am tempted to reply, "What's the highest you are willing to pay?" and let it go from there.

Anyone ever tried that, lol?!