How do I send an offer for multiple items?

[towelsandstuff]

I have a buyer who wants to buy 5 similar but different items. They each have an individual listing, but they are all at the same price.

His email was a “send question” for one of the items.

I am willing to send him an offer for all 3 items at a discounted price. HOWEVER when I click “send offer” it apparently only lets me send an offer with only the one item referenced in his email, not all 3.

Is there any way to add the other 4 items so the offer includes all 3 items on the “send offer” page? I really do not want to send 3 separate offers.

[mr_lincoln]

@towelsandstuff   Unfortunately there is no eBay feature or functionality that allows you to send unsolicited offers to specific Buyers unless they message you (like they did on the one) and you Reply with offer.

One option for you is to message the Buyer and have them ask you a question on EACH item they are interested in and you send them separate Reply with offer responses.  They accept your offers then on their end they Request and updated invoice.  This allows you to pack all the items, change the shipping for one package and send them the invoice.

You can further explain, if you want, that eBay is very limited in allowing Sellers to construct their own deals, even though Sellers are fully capable of doing so ...

[rebell45]

I would cancel the items and relist them as a lot at the price you agreed upon and let him Buy it Now. Just be sure to coordinate with him as to when you're going to list it.

[mr_lincoln]

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@rebell45 wrote:

I would cancel the items and relist them as a lot at the price you agreed upon and let him Buy it Now. Just be sure to coordinate with him as to when you're going to list it.

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@rebell45   That is an option too ... but I've had Buyers say they want like 5 or 7 items only to change their mind and buy fewer.  I've done what you suggested too, sometimes they purchase and sometimes they don't.  For those that don't I have to end the special listing I created then Relist the individual ones that were moved to my Unsold file ... I've learned enough not to delete those Unsold listings until the deal is done.

[lepke1979]

Can you not negotiate a price and have him buy them all and you refund the difference?

[femmefan1946]

Tell him you will make a Special Listing just for him.

Use his name as the Title- this is just to prevent someone else scooping it up. There are those who Search for Private Listing as a way to find deals. Also makes the listing easier to find.

Make it Fixed Price/Immediate Payment Required.

Pay attention to the shipping. The weight and dimensions of the parcel will have changed.

Close the other listings (unless you have many items for sale in each). They will go to your Unsold Items for up to 90 days.

Give him the title and number, and a link.  Suspenders and Belt. And a deadline.

If he doesn't buy by the deadline, close the listing and Block him as a timewaster.

Relist the originals.

If he does pay, ship.

[mtgraves7984]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but can't the buyer put the items in his/her cart and request a (lowered) total??

[femmefan1946]

But that would be simple and logical!

[klhmdg]

no they can not. They can request a shipping total after they commit to buy BUT that does not change the items prices.

[mtgraves7984]

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@lepke1979 wrote:

Can you not negotiate a price and have him buy them all and you refund the difference?

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@lepke1979 

Yes... another way to skin the cat. Seller gets no FVF credits on partial refunds... so another consideration, but doable.

[slippinjimmy]

@towelsandstuff 

I do this frequently, ask the buyer for a list of the items, agree on a total, make a custom listing that includes all the items and the agreed upon total price.

Then send the buyer a link to the listing, if they want to make additions or subtractions just revise the listing, if they completely change their mind just end the custom listing.

[mr_lincoln]

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@mtgraves7984 wrote:

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but can't the buyer put the items in his/her cart and request a (lowered) total??

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@mtgraves7984   Yes, that's why I suggested that the Seller message the Buyer and have them ask a question on each item they are interested in.  Seller then sends them an offer on each item ... Buyer then purchases the one's they want and requests the updated total ... Seller packs items, revises invoice and sends for payment.  This approach also eliminates partial refunds that the Seller would NOT get their FVFs back on.  Additionally, this reduces the FVFs on the lowered Sales tax amount if it applies.  It's really the cleanest approach, Seller doesn't have to spend time with a special listing, etc.  Just send offers ...

[reallynicestamps]

Seller gets no FVF credits on partial refunds...

Then the calculation for the refund has to allow for the FVF.

[mtgraves7984]

Correct.

That's what I meant by... "Seller gets no FVF credits on partial refunds... so another consideration, but doable."

I would allow it in my calculation, if that's the path I took. 😉

[joplinbargainreseller]

I believe Rebell45's response to towelsandstuff's question would be the most practical. 

"I would cancel the items and relist them as a lot at the price you agreed upon and let him Buy it Now. Just be sure to coordinate with him as to when you're going to list it."

As mr_lincoln advised rebell45, there is the risk of the buyer crawfishing on the agreed sale method. However, that type of activity from buyers is a near constant here of late.

I would take 5 minutes to do a little vetting of the buyer. First Google "what signs to be cautious of  from a buyer's eBay history." Then look the buyer up by their eBay account. And for added measure, Google the buyers username or any information about the buyer that may be available. Then judge for yourself. 

I can just hear the "ughhhs" and moans of, "I don't want to put that much time into that."

Well, anything worth doing is worth doing right.  I have had more than my fair share of buyers that were....... well, you know or can at least  imagen if you have read any of the eBay community conversations of bad buyers. And I take a few moments to plink at the keyboard to get some answers. Because if I get dooped again from a buyer I didn't vet, it will be mainly on me.

Thank you everyone for letting me get in with some chatter.

-Diana-😊