Offers. Yay or nay?

[setyourclockback]

What is up with all the offers flying around on eBay?  Literally I can put 10 things on my watchlist and I’m going to get offers for eight of them , from seemingly desperate sellers.  Is this the new norm now,  the new selling strategy on here?  I’ve also noticed to sell several of my higher-end things,. I’ve had to offer something off, so I’ve priced things accordingly. Now I’m not new to the realm of antique selling. I’ve been doing it since I was 14 and haggling is always part of the deal. If a dealer won’t haggle I usually walk away but on this platform I’m just not used to that I guess I better get used to it.    So thoughts?  Yay or nay?  

[setyourclockback]

And yes, I’m replying to my own post simply because there’s no way to go back and edit and I forgot to say that I also think that this offering business sets of precedent of price decline on this site. Just like in an antique mall if several dealers are offering 25% off shoppers think that everybody is offering 25% off or should be,  and if they’re not getting 25% off they’re not buying… so with all these offers I think it’s becoming the norm that people expect them. 

[soh.maryl]

eBay is no different than any other similar venue in that there will, of course, be haggling.  There will ALWAYS be potential buyers making offers.  You have choices in how to respond: accept, decline, counter or ignore. 

Ditto from sellers.  This has been true from the very beginning of eBay.  

[fern*wood]

You have a few minutes to edit your post by clinking on the tiny down arrow on the upper right of your post. 

Yes, it is a newish technique to try to nudge a buyer.  I use it on some of my listings and have had moderate success with the nudge.

[bashort]

As a buyer ebay has taught me that even if you are sure you are going to buy a readily available item put it on watch list and see if you get a lower offer.

As far as driving prices down I do not think that offers make much difference.

What matters is supply vs demand

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@setyourclockback 

Well I personally love it! Now sometimes I place a watch on an item because I have it and need the description and price but most of the time please throw me a bone!

[ckimodog]

@setyourclockback 

Some sellers will send offers when their items have been listed for a while.  I know I do.  Usually get some bites too!

Happy Buying!

[wmsakalaucks]

With the Promoted Listings, I find I have better success with sending offers than doing promotions.

[broto_64]

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@setyourclockback wrote:

And yes, I’m replying to my own post simply because there’s no way to go back and edit and I forgot to say that I also think that this offering business sets of precedent of price decline on this site. Just like in an antique mall if several dealers are offering 25% off shoppers think that everybody is offering 25% off or should be,  and if they’re not getting 25% off they’re not buying… so with all these offers I think it’s becoming the norm that people expect them. 

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That may be, unfortunately the paid promotions that started last year has had sellers increasing the price of items to compensate for the cost and that has made it to where today Ebay is not the cheapest anymore. So it could also be that buyers simply want things to return to where they were, most buyers on ebay are not newcomers but seasoned veterans who like things to retain a status quo and so they're pushing to get back to that, my oil pinion.

[bashort]

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@broto_64 wrote:

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@setyourclockback wrote:

And yes, I’m replying to my own post simply because there’s no way to go back and edit and I forgot to say that I also think that this offering business sets of precedent of price decline on this site. Just like in an antique mall if several dealers are offering 25% off shoppers think that everybody is offering 25% off or should be,  and if they’re not getting 25% off they’re not buying… so with all these offers I think it’s becoming the norm that people expect them. 

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That may be, unfortunately the paid promotions that started last year has had sellers increasing the price of items to compensate for the cost and that has made it to where today Ebay is not the cheapest anymore. So it could also be that buyers simply want things to return to where they were, most buyers on ebay are not newcomers but seasoned veterans who like things to retain a status quo and so they're pushing to get back to that, my oil pinion.

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Yes,  "increasing the price of items to compensate for the cost" this applies to promoted listings, free shipping and make a offer. Sellers will add in all of these costs to item prices.

I agree with you, driving up item costs with promoted listings in my opinion may make ebay some short term money at the long term cost of loss of market share because if increasingly higher item prices.

[sapphire_studio]

Desperate Economic Times call for desperate offers

[kensgiftshop]

You don't even have to add them to your watch list anymore.

I just look at listings I have no plans on buying and they send me offers all the time.

[chapeau-noir]

Haggling is just the reverse of auctioning. Nothing new.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

There are still sellers who do not enable make an offer on their listings.

There have always been bottom feeding buyers who want to haggle who send offers whenever they want to buy something.

There are sellers who refuse all offers.

There are sellers who have made offers to their watchers who have enabled Ebay to send the same offer to new watchers.

There have always been sellers who price based on a wish, not any feel for the market.

There are sellers who need a quick turn and sellers who will wait for the right buyer and the right price.

We all know how to categorize ourselves.

What we may not know is that some of those bottom feeders will pay the listed price if they want the item, it is worth the asking price, and they have encountered a seller who knows how to price, knows his items, and is in no rush to make the sale.

I've stopped responding to unsolicited offers other than from my past customers. I have stopped enabling make an offer on my existing listing. I have marked up some listings.

Knowing your products, your business and yourself has not become any less important.

[youn2240]

I don't send offers but I leave offers open on my listings and probably around half my sales come from haggling. If you want it you want it. If you low ball with under 60% of the asking price I'll respond with 1 penny off and never give a discount. I'm petty like that. I'm a collector and don't mind people trying to get a deal you never know what I have into an item or how long I've had it but recently some of these offers are getting absurd not too many but just yesterday I got an 8.00 dollar offer on something I had 37.99 dollars on lol. so I send back 37.98 and then they message me asking lowest price I'll take and I tell them I am saving it for someone who appreciates it more. I like haggling though.