Is it possible to restrict a buy it now to one bidder?

[noelani]

I had a recent issue with a buyer who wanted to buy a baseball card (ended auction) for a lower price than it had been listed at.  He gave me a sad story about being disabled and on a fixed income and really wanted the card.  I told him I would list the card for $3 less and do it as a buy it now.  He agreed and I did list the card as a BIN for the lower price.  Well (Of course!!),  someone else beat him to the card and he was very upset and sent several angry emails, I even received an email from his daughter asking me to sell him the card.  I guess she did not understand that the card was sold and gone already.  I blocked him from my auctions as I will be selling a large collection of baseball cards and do not want to deal with an angry bidder.  I guess by bottom line question is it possible to make the BIN exclusive to one bidder in case I have a similar situation in the future?  Thanks!

[pjcdn2005]

You could write something in the title about it being a private listing for xx bidder only, I've done that in the past and not had a problem.  But it might be better to do a listing for a high amount with the best offer function. Tell the buyer that when they make an offer for the agreed upon amount you will accept the offer.

Personally, I'm not too keen on lowering a price for someone that gives me a sob sorry  especially when the item is a 'want' item, not a 'need' item.  Perhaps you are a nicer person than I am. 🙂

[a_c_green]

You could list it at a whopping price with Make Offer enabled, and then accept his offer when it comes in.

Frankly, though, I don't believe his story any further than I could throw it by the leg. I mean, seriously: all that Sturm und Drang just to get $3 off? How is that $3 savings going to improve his life? If he'd asked me, I would have been more receptive if he'd simply said, "Nice card. Would you take $3 less?") ("No." ) That whole Woe-is-me story, if sent to me, might have gotten him no reply at all from here.

Anyway, all that aside, a BuyItNow is first come, first served. I've done similar in the past, usually by saying, for example, "Okay, the BuyItNow will be listed at 10:00. Please be ready to buy it, as I cannot decline a sale to anyone else who may spot it first." That usually gets them motivated, and in fact I've never had an arrangement like that go sideways, where someone else grabs it.

(I should add here that I have been on the receiving end of that treatment, where I bought and paid for a BuyItNow deal, only to have it suddenly cancelled and refunded on me with the story that it was supposed to be for someone else, and I was seriously ticked-off about it.)

[mcdougle4248 · Accepted solution]

@noelani 

As soon as a listing goes lives anyone can buy it.  There are a few tricks to help get your item into the hands of an intended buyer.  I will try to list here all of the things I have done to accomplish this:

1. If possible set up a time for the listing to go live that is convenient for both you and the buyer.
2. Write the title something like this:  Special Request Baseball Card.  Make the description like would would for any other listing.  A SNAD is still possible.
3.  Set the Price Crazy High with BO Accepted
4. Tell your buyer the price you will accept and ask that they make this offer on the listing.  When their offer comes in accept it.
5. When the listing goes live, copy and paste the item number into a message to the buyer.  Ask your buyer to copy and paste the item number into the search box at the top the eBay page.  I have found sometimes the item number becomes searchable before the listing is visible.

Good Luck

[noelani]

Thanks so much for the suggestions, hope that I will not need to try it!  

[castlemagicmemories]

Years ago, you could set up a listing specifically for a particular entity, but they removed that function, so now it is a bit trickier.

As has been said, you can put the potential buyer's id in the title, FOR SO AND SO, and use what would for a title.  Have pictures and an accurate description because those will still be important.

But that still leaves open the chance that someone will buy it anyway, not understanding or not caring that it says FOR SO AND SO.  

So I think, as others have suggested, list it extremely high with Best Offer.  Then you can screen and accept the one from the buyer you have set the listing up for.

It's kind of you to be concerned should this happen again, also to have offered a discount.

[a_c_green]

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@a_c_green wrote:

You could list it at a whopping price with Make Offer enabled, and then accept his offer when it comes in.

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Something I forgot to add, as far as advantages vs. disadvantages of different strategies: 

If you list it as a high BIN with Make Offer, and the guy never makes his offer, your listing is twisting in the wind (so to speak ) with no other likely buyer, at least until someone else decides to lowball you an offer that's actually in the area that you were hoping to get from the first guy. You cannot use the Immediate Payment Required option on a Make Offer listing.

You then have to wonder whether to accept the lowball (which may surprise someone who wasn't seriously expecting you to take it), or wait for your guy to show up instead. Once accepted, you then need to wait for payment.

Alternatively, if you list it as a straight BIN at the agreed-upon price, no Make Offer, then you can add the Immediate Payment Required checkbox option on the listing form. Advise Mister Motivated Buyer on when your listing will appear (or its number or whatever) and that it's first come, first served, and then if he flakes out and never buys it, you still have a fair chance of selling it to someone else.

[castlemagicmemories]

I like that, a_c.  

Mr Motivated Buyer.

You're right~motivation can disappear like early morning fog.

[mcdougle4248]

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@noelani wrote:

Thanks so much for the suggestions, hope that I will not need to try it!  

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I am glad my post helped answer your question.

I hope you are able to try it.  Maybe not so much for this particular buyer...but who knows?  Some of my best buyers need a little extra TLC.  Once they get it, they are hooked, IMHO.

[jeannicho22]

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@noelani wrote:

I had a recent issue with a buyer who wanted to buy a baseball card (ended auction) for a lower price than it had been listed at.  He gave me a sad story about being disabled and on a fixed income and really wanted the card.  I told him I would list the card for $3 less and do it as a buy it now.  He agreed and I did list the card as a BIN for the lower price.  Well (Of course!!),  someone else beat him to the card and he was very upset and sent several angry emails, I even received an email from his daughter asking me to sell him the card.  I guess she did not understand that the card was sold and gone already.  I blocked him from my auctions as I will be selling a large collection of baseball cards and do not want to deal with an angry bidder.  I guess by bottom line question is it possible to make the BIN exclusive to one bidder in case I have a similar situation in the future?  Thanks!

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Sounds to me like a scammer got scammed... If I had a dime for every disabled, fixed income story I've ever heard, I'd be Trump..... Oh wait, that isn't right.  Lemme re-think that one.

[johnwhiplash]

"I'm diabled and on a fixed income" seems to be the standard for people trying to get something cheaper on ebay. I've heard it countless times.