Private Offer

[blueberryjellyfish]

Hi alan@ebay. I could not make it in time for the chat but I hope you can help with my question.

When I use the Private Offer feature through eBay Messages I cannot find any place on the Reply With Offer page to check a box and have a copy sent to my e-mail and it does not occur automatically as with regular messages or best offers.

I can go to the listing on my selling page and "review all offers", but I want a copy in my e-mail, too.

One reason is that I want confirmation the offer has gone through to the buyer. Sometimes buyers tell me they didn't receive the offer.

From the chat:

For SNAD, just make sure the offer bundle is clearly detailed through your member to member messaging, and in your "message to buyer" section of the offer. That way eBay can see what was included in the order and the associated prices.

This is another important reason to have e-mails of the offer & text for our own record-keeping.

Can you request for copies of Private Offers to be sent to the seller's e-mail and for this feature to be added sooner rather than later, please?

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

7606dennis,
I think you may be misunderstanding this. If the buyer contacts you about something, even just a basic question, YOU can make an offer to the buyer. This isn't the buyer making an offer to you. And of course, if you see no benefit in trying to upsell or bundle or discount, then don't do it. Entirely your choice.

[jmb344]

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@dhbookds wrote:

I can see it being a real help to alot of categories........  clothing, yes that's dark blue......and by the way, I've got these pants to match that I haven't gotten listed yet...........

Why in the world Ebay can't announce this kind of "enhancement" in the seller release or on the seller announcement board, I can't fathom......They really need some "real" sellers to advise them what's important to sellers.

Thanks jmb for NOT being limited to Parts and accessory people....and opening up new opportunities to everyone..........it's appreciated. 

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I truly think that a knowledge of this functionality can be a game changer for many sellers. Make your customer service activities become a revenue generator! The conversion rates on private offers is so great, and totally worth your time for the buyers that need it. Here in P&A we spreading the word the best way we know how - through our sellers!

[7606dennis]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiqueswrote:
7606dennis,
I think you may be misunderstanding this. If the buyer contacts you about something, even just a basic question, YOU can make an offer to the buyer. This isn't the buyer making an offer to you. And of course, if you see no benefit in trying to upsell or bundle or discount, then don't do it. Entirely your choice.

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If I've listed an item and not included the BO option, I've already made an offer to sell to the person first willing to buy the item at my price.  I've made the offer to all potential buyers and not to just one that asks a question.  Why would I then want to make another offer?

[gracieallen01]

Adding photos to messaging isn't going to be of much use, IF the all messages aren't able to be referenced by all parties concerned. 

In the context of an offer being misconstrued as an 'off-ebay' offer/sale, Dalfan313 responded:

"If this does occur, please understand that eBay can look at the full context of the messaging and overturn anything unwarranted. It also isn't guaranteed that warnings or anything similar will be delivered based on zip codes. Either way, the full context of conversations would surely be taken into consideration."     


AND

"A warning could indeed be sent/received. However, note that only the member who shared the contact info as it fault. The full context of conversations, and who delivered the info, is taken into consideration in these cases. If a warning is received, feel free to let eBay know that the buyer shared this info with you, not vice versa, and eBay will make note of this."


We know that ebay 'CAN' look at things, and we know that ebay 'COULD/SHOULD' review and hold oversight, particularily if they are going to institute offers to buyers of items that aren't even listed, however .....  

This seems all well and good, but there are times - both past and present - when there seems to be two ebays; 'Team ebay' and 'CS ebay', where Team ebay says 'this is what should happen to resolve a case to the seller's protection', and CS ebay saying 'this is what will happen and nothing can be done about it'.

It would sure be nice if there were, at least, a clear policy, in black and white, covering the tool and application of the usage of this feature.

[blueberryjellyfish]

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@jmb344wrote:

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Here in P&A we are our own seller release - help spread the word!

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In that case I hope you're also spreading the word on the eBay Motors discussion boards. Thanks for coming back here to answer our questions. I hope you saw my post #8 with suggestions for improving this feature. I think the shipping one is particularly important & useful. 🙂

Private Offers take place over eBay messaging, so how does eBay communicate, if at all, with payment processors like PayPal? If a buyer files a SNAD through PayPal instead of eBay will screenshots of eBay messaging and the offer screen be taken into account? Does eBay work with PayPal to keep them informed about features like Private Offers and is PayPal receptive to accepting screenshots as evidence in a case since the details of the deal are not viewable in a public listing?

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Why would you want to? Well, I assume you wouldn't. Me, I might. For example, buyer asks about a vintage book, and I have more books by the same author, I might offer him a chance to buy the lof of them or some portion of the lot at a combined price. But that's me. Not the way you want to run your business, that's fine. To each his own.

[7606dennis]

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@gracieallen01wrote:

Adding photos to messaging isn't going to be of much use, IF the all messages aren't able to be referenced by all parties concerned. 

In the context of an offer being misconstrued as an 'off-ebay' offer/sale, Dalfan313 responded:

"If this does occur, please understand that eBay can look at the full context of the messaging and overturn anything unwarranted. It also isn't guaranteed that warnings or anything similar will be delivered based on zip codes. Either way, the full context of conversations would surely be taken into consideration."     


AND

"A warning could indeed be sent/received. However, note that only the member who shared the contact info as it fault. The full context of conversations, and who delivered the info, is taken into consideration in these cases. If a warning is received, feel free to let eBay know that the buyer shared this info with you, not vice versa, and eBay will make note of this."


We know that ebay 'CAN' look at things, and we know that ebay 'COULD/SHOULD' review and hold oversight, particularily if they are going to institute offers to buyers of items that aren't even listed, however .....  

This seems all well and good, but there are times - both past and present - when there seems to be two ebays; 'Team ebay' and 'CS ebay', where Team ebay says 'this is what should happen to resolve a case to the seller's protection', and CS ebay saying 'this is what will happen and nothing can be done about it'.

It would sure be nice if there were, at least, a clear policy, in black and white, covering the tool and application of the usage of this feature.

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So the bots can review the messages that were sent but still have sent a warning.  Then the accused seller can call an eBay CSR, knowing the reputation that they have for giving incorrect information, to plead one's case.  I'm sorry, I'll stick with blocking those sending offers and I certainly won't be making any.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@bubbleman2010wrote:

jmb ran out of time,but when you send a offer to a interested buyer and you want to bundle do the items you want to bundle have to be listed on ebay? A example would be if I have a set of dinnerware I just list the dinner plates only can I offer all the other pieces from the set not listed in my bundle offer?

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bubbleman, not sure but my take away from Chat was that you can add pieces not listed on Ebay to the offe.  I guess they are hoping this will drive and generate more sales, while eliminating off ebay sales.

[gracieallen01]

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@castlemagicmemorieswrote:

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@bubbleman2010wrote:

jmb ran out of time,but when you send a offer to a interested buyer and you want to bundle do the items you want to bundle have to be listed on ebay? A example would be if I have a set of dinnerware I just list the dinner plates only can I offer all the other pieces from the set not listed in my bundle offer?

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bubbleman, not sure but my take away from Chat was that you can add pieces not listed on Ebay to the offe.  I guess they are hoping this will drive and generate more sales, while eliminating off ebay sales.

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Generate more sales?

And, what is going to happen when folks start NOT listing everything - just teasers - and then start bartering, with ebay's permission, in their private messages for the 'other items' and those with like items that DO list don't know that their competition is out doing them, not having to pay for promoting their items for search placement, not having to do pricing battles with others sellers and all sorts of gaming of the system?  Yes, ebay will get their commission.

[tev4all]

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@gracieallen01wrote:

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@castlemagicmemorieswrote:

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@bubbleman2010wrote:

jmb ran out of time,but when you send a offer to a interested buyer and you want to bundle do the items you want to bundle have to be listed on ebay? A example would be if I have a set of dinnerware I just list the dinner plates only can I offer all the other pieces from the set not listed in my bundle offer?

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bubbleman, not sure but my take away from Chat was that you can add pieces not listed on Ebay to the offe.  I guess they are hoping this will drive and generate more sales, while eliminating off ebay sales.

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Generate more sales?

And, what is going to happen when folks start NOT listing everything - just teasers - and then start bartering, with ebay's permission, in their private messages for the 'other items' and those with like items that DO list don't know that their competition is out doing them, not having to pay for promoting their items for search placement, not having to do pricing battles with others sellers and all sorts of gaming of the system?  Yes, ebay will get their commission.

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Generate more sales?

  Generating skewed information is more likely.

   Re-imagine 2 sellers with the exact same 12 piece place setting. Each Seller,  places 1 Dinner plate up for sale at $19.99

Both sellers recieve questions. 

Seller A, understands how to use the PO, answers the prospective buyer's question  and makes  the buyer an offer of adding other select pieces  and completes a sale which results in the sale price of $65.

Seller B, Does Not Know about or understand how to use the PO, answers the prospective buyer's question   and completes a sale which results in the sale price of $19.99

Does ebay show through a completed listings search that both plates sold for $19.99?

OR 

Does ebay show through a completed listings search that 1 plate sold for $19.99 and 1 plate sold for $65?

[gracieallen01]

Oh, there are so many possibilities! Whole new vistas open up!

[dhbookds]

Does ebay show through a completed listings search that 1 plate sold for $19.99 and 1 plate sold for $65?

No, it will show up with no price:  Private offer accepted.

The Griff audio is worth listening to........... 

[fern*wood]

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@dhbookds wrote:

Does ebay show through a completed listings search that 1 plate sold for $19.99 and 1 plate sold for $65?

No, it will show up with no price:  Private offer accepted.

The Griff audio is worth listening to........... 

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My apologies if I'm misunderstanding your response here...plus I haven't listened to Griff. (I have my reasons.)

I just looked at my most recent "Send an Offer" sale, and in completed, it shows exactly the price of my offer as the sold price.   There is no mention of private offer accepted.

[lovtaco0]

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@fern*woodwrote:

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@dhbookds wrote:

Does ebay show through a completed listings search that 1 plate sold for $19.99 and 1 plate sold for $65?

No, it will show up with no price:  Private offer accepted.

The Griff audio is worth listening to........... 

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My apologies if I'm misunderstanding your response here...plus I haven't listened to Griff. (I have my reasons.)

I just looked at my most recent "Send an Offer" sale, and in completed, it shows exactly the price of my offer as the sold price.   There is no mention of private offer accepted.

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Mine shows the price from the listing, not the private offer price.

[dhbookds]

My bad............  need more coffee..........  as I  understand it, the private offer designation only applies to the offer if it includes more than the original listing........  I was reading your original message as private offer, rather than sending the offer only on the one listing.........  ie. a plate plus x =$65

lol, I understand Griff.........this is also mentioned on the Motors video, but you have to sign in to see that, so you may not want to do that either.........