Low bid with higher offer

[Anonymous]

I am new to eBay and didn’t understand the difference between an offer and a bid. I had a higher offer (which disappeared ? when I got the lower bid).  Can I let the lower bid expire or am I obligated to sell at the lower price?

[mtgraves7984 · Accepted solution]

If you listed as Auction with Best Offer, the Offer feature expired when the bid was placed. Let the Auction run its course.

[nobody*s_perfect]

When an auction-format listing gets a bid, the options for "Buy it now" and for "Best offer" disappear.  Then the auction has to proceed for the full allotted time. Many auctions get bids during the final hours or even minutes. So now you should just wait and see what happens.

[lamber9347]

@Anonymous As a new seller with zero feedback you are a target for scammers. Scammers typically send a high offer to enti9ce a novice seller, then start a process of deceit where you will end up losing your item and money. Once your auction receives a bid then all offers are voided. You need to leave the auction alone and let it play out. 

You really need to build up feedback before you continue to sell or realize that you will be subjected to many more scammers in the months to follow. Do not accept any text messages or phone calls from anyone. Make sure all communication goes through your eBay messages. Do not accept any high dollar offers as they will not be legit. The temptation to a high offer will be there which is how they get you. 

You really should concentrate on selling low dollar items simply to get some quick sales and build up some feedback. If you look like a more seasoned seller, you will be left alone by scammers. Any questions just come to this forum and ask away. Many folks here with lots of experience to assist you. Best of luck to you....

[dq3141]

Bids don’t expire; only offers do.

[reallynicestamps]

And to be clear, what you see is the highest bid, but not the bidder's MAXIMUM bid.

If your opening was $10, and I bid $100, you would see my bid as $10.

The winning bid is set by the underbidder. If mtgraves bid $25 after me, I would still be high, but my bid would show as $26.

Early Offers (and early bidding) usually mean strong interest in your item, which is a good reason to turn them down. (With all your fingers and toes crossed).

Another thing about Offers that many sellers and buyers don't understand is that the Offer does NOT include the shipping, which after all is just a passthrough to the post office for postage.

And finally, eBay defaults newbies into Auctions, perhaps because auctions are historically eBay's brand.

But over 85% of actual transactions are Fixed Price which has advantages for the seller:

•  a much lower rate of deadbeats and Unpaid Items.
• longer visibility- 30 days instead of seven
• the customer pays what you want him to pay, not some amount up to his chosen price.