Just curious...what would you consider a good offer & what do you normally offer?

[patternsaver]

I was wondering what percentage off a stated listed price board members consider reasonable for an item.

I realize this depends on the cost of the item and how much you want to sell, but what do you feel is reasonable to even consider? 50%, 30%, 25% 15%, or what?

Also, if you are making an offer, what percentage to you usually use or do you research what others have sold for and offer a competitive price offer based on that?

As a follow up, if you get offers you consider "unreasonable," do you normally block the bidder?

[sam9876]

Depends on the item and seller.

[dhbookds]

I was wondering what percentage off a stated listed price board members consider reasonable for an item.

Just too many variables on items for me to say.......... I decide on the PRICE I want for the item and go from there....... and I could cave a bit on that... 

reasonable doesn't matter to me.......if it's the price I want......I'll take it, if it isn't, I counteroffer (never at my bottom price)........   I've never (that I remember) blocked anyone for a low ball offer......Once I'm down to what I will take I just resend the same (MY) offer back until they quit or buy.....  And I end up with about 50% raising their "lowball", and probably get sales out of 25%

Remember one thing........ as there are buyers who like winning auctions and there are buyers who like a seller "taking" their offer.  I've put a note  in my final offer........this is the lowest I can go........and have people offer me 10c less........  Yep, I'll take it, because  I'm still making xx on the item.  Let them crow about getting me down......fine with me.......

[gopetersen]

I will usually come down in price by about 5% to 15% (depending what it is).

For buying, I will usually offer about 5% to 15% below the offering price (again, depending on what it is, if it's already a good price, I will offer 5% less—I have no interest in fleecing sellers or insulting them).

As a seller, I always set auto-accept to a reasonable offer so that buyers don't have to wait for an answer.

[divwido]

Remember, the item counts too.  I might take 18% off a plain item, but if it is something unique or special-I won't take as big of a discount.

I understand Best offer as a buyer and a seller and I've decided as a seller-it's not smart.  Why set a price only to negotiate?

[juststuffisell]

Well, I cannot speak for others.

Like anyone will tell you, a lot of what you are willing to take for an item is based upon what you have in it. I am usually will to come down on some prices about 15 to 25% depending upon what it is.

I don't use auto accept because of the ability of buyers to put conditions in the messages that are binding. I do use auto decline whenever possible so I don't have to deal with it. Some sellers don't mind haggling with a buyer offering 75% of list price. I personally don't want to deal with those buyers

Yes - I have blocked buyers for making ridiculously stupid offers. Last one offered $10.00 on an item I had listed for sale at 2K. Some people aren't worth negotiating with, nor dealing with. Why I started using the auto decline so I don't have to deal with them.

If making an offer I will usually offer 25% less than the listed price.

If a seller is having a sale, it is normally a 10% to 30% off on eBay so depends really on how the bit is priced versus how things selling are priced.

Cheers

[southern*sweet*tea]

As a buyer when I make a best offer I'll usually offer 10 to 20% off. Sometimes  my offers are accepted, sometimes they're not. Very few sellers counteroffer, and I can't figure that out, but whatever.

As a seller accepting a best offer...it depends. Most of my stuff is long tail and I will consider each and every offer. (consider, not necessarily accept) A lot of my inventory I get at little or no cost, so I have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to pricing. For an item that's been listed for a while I may take a 50% off offer just to get it gone, provided the buyer's feedback left looks okay.  If I get a really stupid lowball I always counter - sometimes it's accepted, sometimes it's not.  So yeah...it just depends on the item and the buyer.

[gopetersen]

I always use auto-decline to screen out the ridiculously low bids. I never even see them and that's how it should be.

[keziak]

The other day I left an offer of $1 off. They counted with 50 cents off. I reacted emotionally (irked) and bought elsewhere.

[iart]

It depends on how long the item has been up. We have many rare items and they can take years to sell. But a newer item we might take up to 10/20 off depending on how many coffees we've had. Older items we've gone as much as 60%.

We typically counter a low ball offer and politely state that it is firm. If they send another low ball, we block. We don't appreciate those who waste our time.

The best part of this is the fan mail you get. Here's one we got today (really)!

"You are a joke. If you didn’t want offers then don’t make it best offer. Get real and understand how eBay best offer works Obviously you have no clue"

Okay, maybe we don't know how Best Offer works. But we are experts with the block list!

[sam9876]

"I understand Best offer as a buyer and a seller and I've decided as a seller-it's not smart.  Why set a price only to negotiate?"

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Nailed it!

[sharingtheland]

As (almost) everyone has said, it depends on the item and price and not a percentage decision.  <---stated from seller's perspective.

The $1 offer for a $2k item - that's just someone messing around.  What I don't understand is why someone would think other types of offers would actually be considered.  Example:

I have two widgets listed at $58 each, with additional shipping costs.  New in original packaging and the only difference between the two is color.  

Listed for less than a week with lots of interest and yes ! yes ! according to ebay they are in shoppers' carts !  Someone told me her age and asked, since she is old and just wants something nice, would I sell both widgets to her for a total of $50 and free shipping.   Ummmm, no.  I congratulated myself for not responding, "I am older than you are and I just want some money."

As a buyer, if the widget is listed with Best Offer (even though we know the seller may not even be aware of that) I don't use a percentage formula.  If I see that the shipping is exorbitantly overpriced, I'll make an offer knocking that off or down.   I hope that we, as sellers, are a bit more aware of how this all works, what widgets cost, comparable listings and what constitutes a good offer.

I don't use Best Offer as a seller and as a general rule the unsolicited offers I get that, in a weak moment, I do decide to negotiate/take end up as headaches.  Or unmitigated disasters.  I don't start out overpriced so I don't have much wiggle room.  Most especially on heavier items.

[lsislanders]

of course it depends wildly. however, in my experience, I have found that sellers are willing consider your offer when it hits somewhere around 85% of the asking price. that's also about my target for accepting an offer.

[jennieaa]

Generally, I do not accepts bids.  I don't have it set up - and don't pay attention of eBay has added it or not.  Most of the ones I have received and rejected are in the 50% or more off plus I have been told how to ship at less than a dollar.  I didn't put them on my blocked bidder list, I just ignored their existence.

Recently I redid titles etc and realized how long I had been listing some of my items.  

An offer came in, I rejected.  He counter offered - at 20% off.  I looked it up, I'd had the item for quite some time and would make a profit, just a much smaller one.  So I accepted the offer.    The first one I have ever done.   He paid promptly, I shipped promptly.

If another were to come in under the same terms, I would accept to again.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@iart wrote:

It depends on how long the item has been up. We have many rare items and they can take years to sell. But a newer item we might take up to 10/20 off depending on how many coffees we've had. Older items we've gone as much as 60%....

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I've had plenty of offers accepted for 30% -50% off for items that had been listed for a long time. If I'm not willing to pay full price, it doesn't hurt to ask!