Insulting Offers

[mdicino]

Does anyone else get insulting offers?  I’m sure we all do, but I’ll get offers on expensive items that don’t even cover the sales tax I paid for the item 😱

[chapeau-noir]

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@iart wrote:

We get offers that won't even pay for free shipping.

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ROFL! I once had someone try to get me to send them something for free.  Oh yeah - let me get right on that, you bet.

The funniest thing about it was that it was two gag rubber ID bracelets - one said "Angst" and the other said "Misery".

[chapeau-noir]

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@chevymontecarlo88 wrote:

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@mdicino wrote:

Does anyone else get insulting offers?  I’m sure we all do, but I’ll get offers on expensive items that don’t even cover the sales tax I paid for the item 😱

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@mdicino 

When you are adding the "Best Offer" to your listings, just input your minimum price/offer that you will allow. It is that simple and no reason to get caught up in the reasons why people are low balling you. 

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Though some people find that their 90% off offer isn't accepted and so stomp right by that and send cranky messages 😖

[a_c_green]

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@mdicino wrote:

Does anyone else get insulting offers?  I’m sure we all do, but I’ll get offers on expensive items that don’t even cover the sales tax I paid for the item 😱

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As was already suggested, if you're using the Make Offer option on your listing, at least set a minimum price for auto-decline, and that way offers below the price that you would consider are automatically declined without you ever seeing them. You can optionally set an auto-accept price as well, above which the sale will occur without any interaction needed with you.

There's a limit of 5 offers (including the auto-declined ones), so a lowballer can't keep going forever. It's possible that the "insulting" first offer was done to see if you had an auto-decline filter set, and if so, the lowballer would need to significantly up his next offer to see if he could find out what your minimum acceptable price might be.

[pickapaper]

Personally, I find low ball offers annoying. I know a guy who buys all his inventory from eBay.  He sends out dozens of low ball (or insulting) offers every day and he says it's surprising how many of them get accepted.   So obviously not all sellers consider low ball offers insulting.  Some are probably happy just to get rid of stuff at any price.  

[yuzuha]

I've found that NOT having "Best Offer" on my listings cuts out 99% of the insulting offers. The few offers I DO get via messages are very reasonable, and I almost always wind up accepting them.

[psfhobbies]

YES YES and YES had a  29.00 item- Offer $6.00 GI Joe item (buyer sells GI Joe stuff) don't think so.... offer 84.99 on a 129.99 knife NOPE..$4.00 on 9.99 item with free shipping?? not worth a response.. "BUT WAIT... 

D'ares more"  offer -13.00 on 65.00 !?  item  you get the picture.

I get trying, but some are so lowball its insulting 

[smulindsaykaye]

I sold on Poshmark for a while and sold brand-name tennis shoes for $10 (before my cut was taken out) and a Diane Von Furstenburg dress for $30. I was just desperate for any amount of money, so the $22 I got from that dress or whatever made me happy, and getting rid of the shoes made room in my closet. I wish I had sold on eBay!

I don't sell on Poshmark anymore, and I'll be selling some of my more expensive clothes on eBay when I clean out my closet!

But I won't be insulted by any offers. I have friends who make ridiculously low offers on things and get them met every single day. So some people are just happy to get rid of things. I won't accept low offers, but I won't be offended.

[dbfolks166mt]

     I have not used the OBO option in a LONG time simply because it can be very time consuming and as you noted sometimes crazy. Even though I no longer use the best offer option I still get crazy unsolicited offers which I simply ignore and delete. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

I agree with @chapeau-noir-—this is business, not personal. No need to expend emotional energy on unsolicited offers.

[adamcartwright]

@tarotfindsandmore 

If you're getting multiple low balls from the same buyer, I would just block.

[gurlcat]

I'm too thin-skinned about lowball offers so I avoid them completely by using the Minimum Offer feature.  And if they bypass that and message me a lowball, essentially forcing me to see their shiny red butt in my face, they go straight to my Best Buddies List. 

Hey I admitted I'm think-skinned about it. Know thyself, as they say.  Use all available features, I say. 

[frecklesfinery88]

It is crazy! Especially with Black Friday/Cyber Monday. I know quite a few sellers took a mark down or are holding a sale to get Holiday Business. But, then "Boom" the "what's the least you'll take crowd" pops up.  It has been non stop. We reply with "we have already discounted the item". If they still send unreal offers then we just BBL  them. We had one the other day that was 7 emails & kept going. Just do what is best for you.

Merry Christmas eBay Sellers!

[brightlightbookseller]

I get lowball offers all the time.  I don't get insulted generally, because it's just business (though I have an advantage in that I'm not running my own business, which I get can make it more personal because I have done that in the past, but now I'm just running the eBay account for someone else's business).  All you have to do is decline or ignore the offer.  If they keep coming back with really low offers, in rare cases I'll block them just because I don't want the hassle, but that's unusual.  Most customers get the hint when you decline an offer.  Just don't counter the really low offers, or they're likely to counter back with an equally absurd low amount.

[fbusoni]

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@mdicino wrote:

Does anyone else get insulting offers?  I’m sure we all do, but I’ll get offers on expensive items that don’t even cover the sales tax I paid for the item 😱

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@mdicino 

I assume you are referring to lowball offers in a private eBay message, because your listing is a buy-it-now without the ability to make an offer.

To my mind, those who send such offers are violating unspoken boundaries and eBay decorum, and are thus worthy of instant addition to my blocked buyer list.  

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

I generally just decline. Once in a while I'll counter. Sometimes I'll even end up with a sale at a reasonable price.

I do think a lot of low ball offers are part of an overall strategy on the part of the buyer (who is often a reseller). Remember, it is VERY easy to send offers (I wouldn't be surprised if there is software that automates the process). So, send offers of , say, 10% of the stated price , on 100 items per day (or whatever number). Even if only 5% accept the offer, you now have five items you can sell at a nice profit, and it has been a lot less effort than going to thrift stores....