Listing/Selling to One Specific Buyer

[monroe67]

I don't think I've ever asked a question to this board, but here goes.  First, I sell using a different ID.  Three months ago, in February, I listed and sold an item of fashion jewelry.  I have just come across a coordinating piece of fashion jewelry from the same designer and retailer, with parts that can be interchanged for a nice jewelry wardrobe.  

I'd like to offer this "new" piece to the person who bought the first item in February.   If that buyer agrees to purchase this new piece, I understand there is a way to do that that does not violate any of eBay's rules.   I'm hoping somebody here can confirm that for me.   I have not yet contacted this buyer, but I want to make sure I would be doing the process correctly.  

From what I've seen, I would list the item as a BIN with Best Offer Accepted, and either put the buyer's name or some code word into the item description, that the buyer and I would have agreed upon in advance.   The buyer and I would also have agreed, in advance, on the price, postage, etc.  The buyer would offer the dollar amount we agreed upon, and the sale would be done.  

Does this sound right to the more experienced sellers here?  

[atikovi]

Far as I know, if you have his email and ask if he is interested, you can sell to him directly. It's not like if you sell something to a person on Ebay, you must always sell anything else you might come across he might be interested in, through Ebay. I mean, if I sell a washer on Ebay to John and he comes to pick it, I ask him if he might be interested in that drier next to it, I wouldn't have to list it on Ebay to sell it to him.

[myboardid]

It is easy to do, I just did that for one of my buyers yesterday. I made a listing and used the buyer's eBay userID as the title. I gave a few word description, left a picture of one of the items she was buying (You've got to have some sort of picture), and listed it as a fixed price BIN at the price we agreed on. I messaged her the URL.

[dhbookds]

When I do as you mention, I vastly inflate the price and then let the buyer offer the amount we've agree on, which I accept.  Always afraid someone is going to happen along and buy it before the right person gets to it.

[monroe67]

Thank you!  I'll contact the buyer soon and hope she will be interested in this additional item. 

[a_c_green]

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@monroe67 wrote:

I'd like to offer this "new" piece to the person who bought the first item in February.   If that buyer agrees to purchase this new piece, I understand there is a way to do that that does not violate any of eBay's rules.  I'm hoping somebody here can confirm that for me.   I have not yet contacted this buyer, but I want to make sure I would be doing the process correctly.  

From what I've seen, I would list the item as a BIN with Best Offer Accepted, and either put the buyer's name or some code word into the item description, that the buyer and I would have agreed upon in advance.   The buyer and I would also have agreed, in advance, on the price, postage, etc.  The buyer would offer the dollar amount we agreed upon, and the sale would be done.  

Does this sound right to the more experienced sellers here?  

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As others have already noted, you have a pre-existing business relationship with your previous buyer and do not actually have to go through eBay for future sales to the same person (as long as the item in question is not listed here already). 

But aside from that, in the spirit of selling stuff here: 😉 If you have a price at which you would be happy to sell the item, I would just list it as a BuyItNow with Immediate Payment Required, and sell it to the first person who comes along. You can give you preferred buyer a sporting chance by sending them a link to the listing (and even set the listing up to start at a given time, so that they will have first crack at it), and let them know that it's first come, first served, but by having it out there for all to see, you increase your chances of selling it at the desired price, even if your preferred seller gets cold feet and decides not to go for it.

[atikovi]

OP apparanty likes paying fees even when you don't have to.

[gwens*4saleitems*]

I had that happen to me not too long ago.

Had a potential buyer message me about a mug I had listed. Wanting a mug with a flat bottom, the one listed didn't but I had another that was. He wanted it. By the time I got it listed and before I could message the item number to potential buyer, someone snapped it up.

[cynthealee2]

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@atikovi wrote:

OP apparanty likes paying fees even when you don't have to.

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OP apparently likes selling on eBay.... setting up an OFF ebay sale through ebay messages can get the seller banned.

[cynthealee2]

I do these all the time:

Special listing for XXXXXX Nothing else in the title

Make the listing post it, while it's posting email the link to the buyer.

I don't use BO or any of the rest, but usually me and the buyer are talking back and forth as I create the listing so there is no lag time, and since it can take a bit to show anywhere my buyers usually buy it before it even indexes.

[atikovi]

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@cynthealee2 wrote:

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@atikovi wrote:

OP apparanty likes paying fees even when you don't have to.

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OP apparently likes selling on eBay.... setting up an OFF ebay sale through ebay messages can get the seller banned.

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1) Do you have a link mentioning that policy? OP already made a sale to the buyer.

2) I didn't say to message through EBay, I said through email which she should have if the original item was paid with Paypal.

3) acgreen already reiterated what I mentioned as being acceptable.

[cynthealee2]

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@atikovi wrote:

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@cynthealee2 wrote:

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@atikovi wrote:

OP apparanty likes paying fees even when you don't have to.

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OP apparently likes selling on eBay.... setting up an OFF ebay sale through ebay messages can get the seller banned.

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1) Do you have a link mentioning that policy? OP already made a sale to the buyer.

2) I didn't say to message through EBay, I said through email which she should have if the original item was paid with Paypal.

3) acgreen already reiterated what I mentioned as being acceptable.

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Each sale is considered a NEW sale by ebay

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/payment-policies/offering-buy-sell-outside-ebay-policy?id=4272&st...

So technically using the email addy you got from the previous sale violates the policy.  And I've seen sellers get caught and get 3 day vacations over it.

OP can do what ever they want their choice but the board monitors kinda get a little pissy when we violate their rules by telling others how they can go around eBay policy.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behavior-policies/community-content-policy?id=4265&st=3&po...

[atikovi]

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@cynthealee2 wrote:

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Each sale is considered a NEW sale by ebay

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/payment-policies/offering-buy-sell-outside-ebay-policy?id=4272&st...

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No such thing in that link. No new sale is taking place on Ebay. OP wants to offer a previous buyer an item. There is no agreement in perpetuity that requires every future sale to the same customer be consummated on Ebay if the first one was.

[reallynicestamps]

Yes -- and I always use the buyer's name since there is very little chance that a stranger would Search on that while "Private Listing" or the like are Searched by bargain hunters.

[a_c_green]

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@cynthealee2 wrote:

I do these all the time:

Special listing for XXXXXX Nothing else in the title

Make the listing post it, while it's posting email the link to the buyer.

I don't use BO or any of the rest, but usually me and the buyer are talking back and forth as I create the listing so there is no lag time, and since it can take a bit to show anywhere my buyers usually buy it before it even indexes.

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That's true, but my reasoning for doing it as a full-blown BuyItNow/IPR listing was that if the prospective buyer changes his mind and doesn't go for the item, you've still got a listing that someone else might buy instead. A cryptic, unsearchable or otherwise secret listing is only useful to one buyer, so if he walks away, you're kind of left hanging with no useful way of selling it to anyone else. 

I have done this myself in the past, and I do give the buyer a fair shot at the item by scheduling it to begin in the near future, such as at the top of the hour, let's say. Once it's uploaded, I can send him a message that includes the time it will start (don't forget the time zone) as well as a direct link to the listing. As soon as it goes live, he can just bang the link and buy his prize. If he decides he doesn't want it, someone else may grab it instead. Win-win. 😁