In past few months I've received only very low Best Offers - should I stop using Best Offer?

[suzannes8628]

I have always included a Best Offer in my listings and have gotten reasonable offers. But in the past few months it seems that I've only received very low Best Offers. Today I received an offer that was 15% of the asking price. I have a wide range of listings and believe my prices are reasonable and I spend time on providing good descriptions/pictures. Should I stop using Best Offer? I'm also beginning to think that only resellers are buying these days. Any suggestions/thoughts?

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

Potential buyers have always been able to e-mail a seller and ask questions -- including," Will you take $$ for this item?" or "Will you include shipping to my zip code."  Then the seller can set up a separate listing and seal the deal.  

Or the seller can send an offer in response.  (That's new within the past year or so.) Or the seller can ask the buyer to place the item in the Shopping Cart and request a revised invoice that reduces or eliminates the shipping amount.  Lots of ways to make a sale!

Oh, and the Quick List tool limits FP listings to GTC with automatic Best Offer.  Many sellers don't even realize it's happening!  The QL tool is supposed to simplify the listing process for newbies.  Instead it limits the options and traps newbies into a system they really don't want or understand.

Personally, I think Best Offer should be restricted to items priced at $50 or more, preferably above $100, where there's room to negotiate.  Dickering over pennies is a complete waste of time!

~~C~~

[klassic*kids]

I get unsolicited offers on my items that arent' listed with BO frequently.

[kitschy*loot]

---

@southernfriedbelle wrote:
@suzannes8628,  ...If what you are offering is an item someone truly wants, they will offer a reasonable bid, or accept a counter. I don't think you're dealing with these kind of buyers here. Just lookie-loos trying to get something for close to nothing. Or pickers/resllers, as you mentioned.

---

That isn't always the case. I truly want a lot of things but I can't afford many of the listing prices or anything close to it.

Sometimes I offer what I can afford to pay. I am not the kind of person who will see a $300 item and offer $88 because that's all I can spare, I just bypass the item or don't even bother to look at higher items in the first place.

I am not against offering $88 on an item listed for $138. Maybe the seller will take it or maybe they won't.

[keziak]

---

@good.junque wrote:

For the Best Offer, the prospective buyer has three chances, so it would be odd if the first offer s/he makes isn't a low one.  You answer with a higher one, then s/he can make another offer and another after that if s/he still feels you price is too high.

Laurie

---

if the offer is in the ball park (not ultra low) I will counter with the lowest I will go AT THE TIME and do not budge from that.  Often I will add a note telling them I just listed the item and will be granting more discounted prices later.  Probably does me no good but I want to explain my reasoning for countering.

[pingpong517]

---

@b4b4b4b wrote:

---

@good.junque wrote:

For the Best Offer, the prospective buyer has three chances, so it would be odd if the first offer s/he makes isn't a low one.  You answer with a higher one, then s/he can make another offer and another after that if s/he still feels you price is too high.

Laurie

---

3 chances?    I thought it was just raised to TEN?  Ebay wants a perfect buying experience, dontcha know?!

---

i believe it raised is some categories, but maybe it was a glitch awhile back...so ...3 -10 just keep em coming

[southernfriedbelle]

Right, but I would consider $88 offered on a $138 as reasonable. I'd probably counter, but I wouldn't consider $88 lowballing. There's a lot of room for hurt feelings in Best Offer situations. Depends how much you really WANT to get for an item and how much you're willing to ACCEPT. Also, if you're forced to part with something you're emotionally attached to, a low offer could feel like a slap in the face. Lot of factors to consider. Not easy, to say the least.

[berserkerplanet]

---

@sockmonkeydave wrote:

@good.junque

---

@good.junque wrote:

When I buy anything, I can't possibly imagine making ten offers to a seller.  The seller doesn't have time for that, nor would I.

Laurie

---

They said it was for heavy equipment like a bulldozer.

or industrial equipment.

...

If I am buying your Ford 8N... we need to talk...

you can't mail a tractor by ups...

---

Easy peasy. Multiple package UPS shipment. With extra package containing a welder and/or duct tape to put the bigger pieces (wheels, engine block, cowling) back together.

Gotta think *inside* the (shipping) box.

[sockmonkeydave]

@berserkerplanet

Every day the man walked out of the prison.

He had a wheel barrow, full of cow poo.

And the guard on duty, would search the smelly poo.

But he could find nothing.

When the old man retired, after years, of moving poo.

The guard ask what were you doing, with all that poo.

The man just smiled

and said, I was stealing wheel barrows.

I loved a wildling girl...

She had hair of red, (top and bottom)

Dark green eyes...

And she can use a cross bow.

She said..I give you my heart...

what do you give brave sir. ???

Until the end of days.

I am yours, and you are mine.

[moondogblues]

Dave, that is so sweet!

[uncseniorsportsfan]

I have never used Best Offer because I believe doing so de-values all your listings.  If I wanted to haggle over price I would have a yard sale or set up at a flea market.

Despite not using Best Offer - I get 2-3 offers every week all of which I ignore. 

[laserpartshq]

You should set the min that you would accept, that way the lowballers will be rejected right away. Recently, I made an offer of $3.50 for all 18 items for an item that the seller was asking $3.99, I rec'd no answer. The sell should have set min that he would accept and not wasted my time doing Best Offer. EBAY should require it.

[missalisa]

I use best offer on all of my fixed price listings.  But when I do, I decided on my lowest acceptable price.  I enter that price on the "automatically accept" line and the "automatically decline".  I never have to deal with the lowballers.  Either their bid is accepted or it's not.  I'm sure this is why it was extended to 10 bids, because those lowballers, start with a crazy low price and work their way up until something accepts.  I remember having people email me saying they wanted an item but had run out of their 3 tries.  I hadn't even known they were trying because it's all done automatically.  I don't have time to answer a bunch of crazy lowball bids.

[retrose1]

---

@dhbookds wrote:

Try RAISING your prices and then starting dickering or set the high/low prices ..........

I've sold to people offering 25% of the price at about 15 % off........

---

Did you see what the OP is asking for most of her stuff???

Her items are either low to no interest anymore - like $50 for a Beanie Baby OR are unbelieveably high priced.  And I mean psycho high.  So high that even people with money to burn won't make an offer because they know they will be over paying.

Example, they have a purse listed for $160 and I sold one - same brand, almost like it for $19.99 after almost 3 years on the other site.

OP, you should get some reality in your pricing and you should see better offers.

[retrose1]

---

@uncseniorsportsfan wrote:

I have never used Best Offer because I believe doing so de-values all your listings.  If I wanted to haggle over price I would have a yard sale or set up at a flea market.

Despite not using Best Offer - I get 2-3 offers every week all of which I ignore. 

---

I agree with your devalue comment 100%.   I block buyers that make any offer.

Last year I accepted an offer because so many posters here are all about Best Offer and how it can increase your sales and sure enough, it was nothing but problems from the second I said sure.

Best Offer is the handle on the toilet in the flush to the basement.

[7606dennis]

---

@klassic*kids wrote:

I get unsolicited offers on my items that arent' listed with BO frequently.

---

Alas!  It appears that eBay has, upon reflection, decided to do a 180 on their former policy and no longer consider it an attempt to do an off eBay transaction.  Of course, the bots have recently been warning people about sending contact information in messages between sellers and buyers.  Talk about sending mixed messages!

It would be nice if eBay did a 180 on some of their other, more ridiculous policies, but I'm not holding my breath.