Trinton, Question about Best Offer

[dhbookds]

@Anonymous

This has bothered me for some time.......this is the "counter offer" I am submitting to the buyer......  Note the "Best offer is for the item only" verbiage......    So why  are "additional terms" allowed to be stated?  I understand that, if shipping isn't stated, it can be part of the "offer"...........but it seems like that should be stated instead of "additional terms", but perhaps I'm not seeing something...  Problem is sellers sometimes "don't see" anything but the price....and accept on that basis......and then get caught when buyers have put something into that terms box.... What other "terms" could be used legitimately in the box? 

Review and submit counteroffer

Counteroffer price:

US $32.00 (US $32.00 X 1)

Quantity:

1

Additional terms:

Best offer price is for the item(s) only.

By clicking the button below, you commit to sell this item if the buyer accepts your offer and terms.

[pingpong517]

this has been a sore subject in lots of post over the years...and it never gets "fixed'... BUT there are times when a comment is needed...shipping is the issue..and causes problems...BUT seller and buyyers are suppose to be old enough to remember to read it all and be sure what they are buying /or selling...so it could be better done...but still our responsiblility t6o know what we are doing too....

[castlemagicmemories]

Ebay recently said that when a seller accepts a Best Offer, they are agreeing to any terms the buyer has set forth for that offer.

[coolections]

Hopefully eventually they will remove the part in RED and just have the offer price with the buyer's terms.

[Anonymous]

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@dhbookds wrote:

@Anonymous

This has bothered me for some time.......this is the "counter offer" I am submitting to the buyer......  Note the "Best offer is for the item only" verbiage......    So why  are "additional terms" allowed to be stated?  I understand that, if shipping isn't stated, it can be part of the "offer"...........but it seems like that should be stated instead of "additional terms", but perhaps I'm not seeing something...  Problem is sellers sometimes "don't see" anything but the price....and accept on that basis......and then get caught when buyers have put something into that terms box.... What other "terms" could be used legitimately in the box? 

Review and submit counteroffer

Counteroffer price:

US $32.00 (US $32.00 X 1)

Quantity:

1

Additional terms:

Best offer price is for the item(s) only.

By clicking the button below, you commit to sell this item if the buyer accepts your offer and terms.

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Hi everyone, happy to let you know that this feedback is something our Best Offer team has received and possible changes to the terms field are under consideration. I can't provide a specific timeline for any changes, but want to say thank you for sharing your experience with this feature! In the meantime, you are welcome to decline any offer that you do not agree with. 

[ersatz_sobriquet]

There should be no buyer "terms". What the heck is that? There's a product, and there's shipping that product. That's it. 

eBay policy states: "For listings in which the seller has specified shipping costs for the item, the Best Offer price includes only the listed item. For listings in which the shipping costs aren't specified, the buyer can choose to include shipping costs in their offer."

So unless a seller fails to create a shipping set-up, whether flat or calculated, free shipping is NOT included unless stated so by the SELLER. FREE shipping is still not included, even with buyer "terms" unless they seller accepts that offer. 

Rather confusing. I don't know how to evade the shipping fields anyway when creating a listing, so this is not an issue for me. 

Those buyers that try to low ball with a discount and then write "free shipping" in the "terms" box are ignored. For one thing, try to accept that offer, the buyer is charged shipping separately as usual. A seller would have to refund that shipping cost AFTER the buyer pays it. 

[lookng2015]

That's the catch, there IS no way to accept an offer and change the shipping to free.

[ersatz_sobriquet]

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@lookng2015 wrote:
That's the catch, there IS no way to accept an offer and change the shipping to free.

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Exactly! What a concise sentence after my long-winded paragraph 🙂

[lookng2015]

Well, if eBay expects us to "accept the terms" along with the offer then they need to provide a way to do that, no?

[ersatz_sobriquet]

The "terms" are not to include shipping unless shipping isn't specified, which is very rare and a seller error. 

So what are these "terms" supposed to be? What could they entail? I shudder to think of what "terms" a buyer could include. The seller is listing an item, and the shipping costs. What else is there? Oh yeah.....soaking the coat in vinegar like that one thread, groan.....

[tkinnebrew]

We've had many buyers put "free shipping" in the terms, likely hoping that we didn't see the terms, and would just accept the offer.  Then would be able to ask for an invoice adjustment or whatever.  Usually if the terms are goofy, you have a goofy buyer on your hands.  Be careful.  best wishes

[myboardid]

I've had buyers swear they added "free shipping" to their offer, but there was nothing in the message box.  I'll never know if the problem was with eBay or the buyer, but I'd guess it was the buyer. 

There are all sorts of things a buyer could add to the terms - packaging instructions, ship to their brother in Nigeria, gift wrap, includes a free widget, use Fedex only, add a gift card, note on the outside of the box, no packing list, etc.  Ihad one yesterday that wanted a note on the outside of the package telling the mail carrier where to leave it on her porch. 

[ersatz_sobriquet]

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@myboardid wrote:

I've had buyers swear they added "free shipping" to their offer, but there was nothing in the message box.  I'll never know if the problem was with eBay or the buyer, but I'd guess it was the buyer. 

There are all sorts of things a buyer could add to the terms - packaging instructions, ship to their brother in Nigeria, gift wrap, includes a free widget, use Fedex only, add a gift card, note on the outside of the box, no packing list, etc.  Ihad one yesterday that wanted a note on the outside of the package telling the mail carrier where to leave it on her porch. 

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As buyer "terms" go, where to leave it on the porch message would be the rational request. Some of the other possibilities are what I don't think is ok. The problem is "buyer terms" is wide open to mis-use. Sneaking in "free shipping" in that box when ebay prohibits it, is one of them. 

[mr_lincoln]

@ersatz_sobriquet

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@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:

There should be no buyer "terms". What the heck is that? There's a product, and there's shipping that product. That's it. 

eBay policy states: "For listings in which the seller has specified shipping costs for the item, the Best Offer price includes only the listed item. For listings in which the shipping costs aren't specified, the buyer can choose to include shipping costs in their offer."

So unless a seller fails to create a shipping set-up, whether flat or calculated, free shipping is NOT included unless stated so by the SELLER. FREE shipping is still not included, even with buyer "terms" unless they seller accepts that offer. 

Rather confusing. I don't know how to evade the shipping fields anyway when creating a listing, so this is not an issue for me. 

Those buyers that try to low ball with a discount and then write "free shipping" in the "terms" box are ignored. For one thing, try to accept that offer, the buyer is charged shipping separately as usual. A seller would have to refund that shipping cost AFTER the buyer pays it. 

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Correct, that is what I understand ... Best Offer does not include shipping different from what is on the listing.

I really don't use Best Offer.

[ersatz_sobriquet]

Problem is Mr. Lincoln, a manipulative buyer can include it anyway in their "terms" even though it is forbidden to do so, and then intimidate the seller demanding it, and then leave that big fat red doughnut, and CS will stand by them and say "It is their opinion." 

Sometimes this place is downright flaky....