Need advice on an offer I received

[fk_us_owiri6]

I recently returned to selling on Ebay after being away for several years and a lot has changed! I'm not sure about the best way to handle something that has come up. I received an offer for something I just posted yesterday. The offer came in late last night when I was in bed.  Figured I'd  respond today, but by morning, I'd received a bid for the item from someone else. Do sellers take offers on items that have received bids?  Thanks!

[coolections]

Only you can decide. Take the offer or let the auction run its' course. I personally never end an auction early. Ending an auction early is is unfair to those who plan to bid before the auction ends basically making the auction process useless.

[gadgetmans_attic]

You can't accept an offer once a bid has been placed.

[nobody*s_perfect]

No, you can't accept an offer on an auction that has received a bid. You could send a message to the member who sent the offer, suggesting politely that they should just bid on the auction.  

Remember that usually when a member makes an offer on an auction, it's because they expect to get the item cheaper that way rather than if the auction ran its full originally planned duration.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@coolections wrote:

Only you can decide. Take the offer or let the auction run its' course. ...

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Even if the auction originally had a formal "Make offer" button, any offers would expire immediately when the auction got a bid.

[7606dennis]

If a bid was received on an item being sold at auction before a pending offer was accepted, the offer becomes void and can no longer be accepted by the seller.  That is how the system is set up for auctions that include the BO option.  This insures that sellers do not inadvertently violate some state's auction laws by not conducting an auction in good faith.  While eBay being a venue may not be subject to the auction laws of a state, the seller would be and could face legal jeopardy in such cases.

It should be noted that even though an offer was made, that offer does not automatically convert into a bid when it becomes void.  It would be wise to advise the potential buyer that they would need to place a bid in the auction if they are interested in purchasing the item being sold at auction.

I also urge any sellers that may not be familiar with their state's auction laws to check with their state's auction board.  Of course, all licensed auctioneers should already know what is and isn't permissible under their state's laws.  

[fk_us_owiri6]

That's how I feel. Thanks for the advice!

[fk_us_owiri6]

Thanks so much! I was still seeing the message with the prompt to reply to the person making the offer, so it wasn't clear to me that it's no longer valid. I wanted to decline it anyway. Thanks again!

[fk_us_owiri6]

Thanks so much! Yes, I'd planned to decline anyway, but didn't know if there was an etiquette about it since the bid came after the offer. Much appreciated!!

[fk_us_owiri6]

Thanks so much!! I appreciate the help!

[fk_us_owiri6]

Thanks so much! Yes, I'll definitely inform the person who made the offer that they may want to bid now. I didn't even realize that I'd opted to allow offers. It must be the default. I'm going to look for it the next time I post an item so I can shut it off.

[7606dennis]

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@fk_us_owiri6 wrote:

Thanks so much! Yes, I'll definitely inform the person who made the offer that they may want to bid now. I didn't even realize that I'd opted to allow offers. It must be the default. I'm going to look for it the next time I post an item so I can shut it off.

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Alas!  I believe that eBay has chosen to include the BO option on auction listings on their own.  I wonder how quick they would be to do that if they were actually more than just a venue.

[kako_5344]

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@7606dennis wrote:

I also urge any sellers that may not be familiar with their state's auction laws to check with their state's auction board.  Of course, all licensed auctioneers should already know what is and isn't permissible under their state's laws.  

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State auction "laws" have no bearing on worldwide eBay auction-style listings.