Hey Y'all! Yeah, I wouldn't avoid questions, it's a big part of the feedback thing with communications. I agree however that most questions are pointless if the descriptions are not read in full or all pictures viewed closely and yes, MOST questions are asking to take lower offers. Unfortunately, 1, descriptions not read... = lazy buyers, or maybe they want to confirm what they read? Ok, whatever, 2. Pictures viewed more closely would help, but if something isn't obvious, I will point out a defect in the description and 3, lower offers, THIS bothers me most. It takes time to ascertain a value for an item so that it is priced to compete with other products that are similar. I had one person asking me to take $30 less on a $280 book, back and forth, this reason, that reason, all for $30, then I did another search to see if my price was "in line" and found a WORSE copy for $800! *but it was officially certified/genuine! lol I raised the price of my item to $400, a BARGAIN STILL! Pointed out the other copy to the potential buyer and then they begged me to take the $280, which I was tired of haggling with the person so ended the item. I STILL get questions from this person asking me to relist. this is just one example.
I THINK THE SIO thing is what is causing this, because people who use the watch list are not making offers anymore, rather waiting to see how low a seller will go when they send an offer. Out of maybe 100 SIO offers sent, I think one was accepted. I had 5 people watching a somewhat valuable item at $3000 and needed the cash one day, sent a $1500 offer to all 5 and no one took me up on it. So then..... why are they watching? (Maybe because they have a similar item and researching/waiting to see if my item sells. I'm actually glad no one took me up on it and eventually made them all suffer by taking down the listing and putting the book back into storage. I find when an item is on ebay for a long period, and goes unsold, you are opening up the door for LOW BALLERS. Of course, it kills me when I just listed an item with a very low buy it now price and somone asks me to eat an extra 10% off. Since they are bothering me, I inform them of the 10% fee that ebay charges to sell, plus paypal, plus the free shipping, plus if they are charged taxes I will have to eat 10% of that, the time it takes to go to the post office and if I sell the item and lose money, why am I bothering to offer it to you? (If you can't buy a $100 comic book, and have to try for an additional $10 off, then maybe you shouldn't be buying a book, there are plenty you can buy for far less. So, it's a game and yes, a waste of time. But until ebay has computers recognize when a buyer is making a lower offer on a listing that does not states best offer, then I guess we have to deal with it. But if someone offers to purchase outside of ebay, they are quick to see this. FOLKS, if I was willing to take less, I would give you the option to make an offer.
AND not mention the new format AUCTION with best offer! (I don't understand this concept, a 9.99 starting bid, on a $500 item with a best offer option. I think this confuses even myself. I no longer put items in my watch list because when a seller initiates an SIO, I think the seller can see your full URL and find out what your selling and check what you've sold, so the privacy things goes out the window.
Sorry to rant, but what can we do, ebay is all for buyers. I sold an item for $50,000 and I really didn't want to complete the transaction because of all the negative comments the buyer already sent me, so a red flag went up and called ebay asking if I could cancel the transaction. I don't want to sell this item to someone who was already negative about it before they paid for it. Ebay says "follow through until there is wrong doings!" I was like huh? I see a claim coming and haven't even sent out the item! Do we really have to do this? They said the buyer is LEGIT! So 3 days go by and the $750 was on my invoice, which bothers me when I know someone isn't going to pay. So, I waited and just minutes before I could file the non-payment, (I wanted to get even because I had other serious offers, $30,000, $38000, (yes, there was a best offer that this buyer did not even make an offer!) So the buyer simply filed that they made a mistake in purchasing the item and ebay let them off the hook. TECHNICALLY, if purchased in mistake, the buyer has 1 hour to change their mind, but in this case, they asked to cancel the transaction and ebay let them. So...... now my item was compromised and put back into stock for another day. But I feel the person who made this purchase should have suffered at least a little!!!! Ebay needs to listen to sellers when they have concerns, not just buyers. Ebay said, "ok well, time to relist and get that item sold!", (they actually thought I was in cahoots with the buyer wanting to sell off ebay to them and let me look at that $750 charge for another week after the item was cancelled at the buyers request. If they did pay, and I did not sell/ship the item, I would have lost $750 without hesitation. I would have had to have made a choice of either eating $750, (because I felt the red flag/future claim) or risk sending the item and losing a lot more. So glad it worked out the way it did and realized that I don't want to chance this type of item and no longer list high ticket goods.
I ended all my listings to reconsider how to proceed on ebay. Re-think what I want to sell. I think I'm going to stick to $25-100 items and pad the price and expect someone to ask for a 10-40% off. Maybe show 1 pic instead of 12 and offer no hassle returns at buyers expense. Save the high ticket stuff and just build a website. 1 high ticket item fee on ebay will cover a nice site for 3-5 years. List the fodder, I don't care stuff on ebay. Ebay is no longer viewed as a premier site, rather a site where sellers want to dump goods. So a junkyard of sorts for unwanted items. It ain't what it used to be and I miss it big time. HOLY SMOKES, I COULD WRITE A BOOK IN A DAY!
