What are ya'll's experience on deciding what percentage off to send offers at?

[iamcara]

A mate of mine mentioned that the best way to send offers is around 20% to 25%, otherwise it doesn’t work at all. Is this true in your experience?

Also, is there any way to cancel sent offers other than relisting the item?

[luckythewinner]

I never do anything other than 10%. 

But there is no logic or insight behind that decision. 

[carolynnq]

I usually do 10-20 percent. Sometimes more if it's been listed a long time and I just want to get rid of it, I'll do more. I generally go by what I think would be enough discount to make someone want to jump on the offer. If I receive an offer of $1 off on a $20 item,  I'd only jump at the offer if I had already to decide to buy it. If I'm still thinking about whether or not to purchase an item, I'd need at least a $3 discount to make me consider it further. 

I don't know any other way to cancel an offer other than ending the listing.

[ittybitnot]

Also, is there any way to cancel sent offers other than ...

@iamcara 

It is my understanding that once you SEND an offer, it remains in effect for 96 hours now (eBay decided) unless someone buys and pays, or the listing is ended. 

[m60driver]

I usually do about 20%, but some items, due to shipping, I can only do 10% markdowns.  There is a point where I am at rock bottom on the sales price and I price those in a unique way so that I can just scroll by on the make offer list.  

[lakefor94]

@iamcara 

I make sure everything is priced to sell beforehand as compared to the competition.  I have only been using the eBay identified send offers as a chance to check pricing to make sure my items are priced to sell.  It is just a double check.

There are times when I raise the price if items at or near my price have sold since the last time I checked.

There are times that I bulk send offers at 5% just to clear them out of the send offers folder after double checking the price. 

Some expensive items that I have priced right don't even get the 5% offer sent. Those can just sit there and be ignored in the send offer folder.

Bottom line is, priced to sell. Move product in and move product out. Focus is on product out.  I am not in love with any of my products. I like them better turned into cash.

Some of your offers are going to sellers that have looked or watched your items. I got an offer from you once.

Addendum: thinking you probably have some OOAK's, so I would go 10% and allow counter offers, or whatever your lowest price might be and do not accept counter offers, in other words, no messing around. Move the product out.

[slippinjimmy]

It depends on what you are selling.

Right now I'm in the market for some hard drives, prices on those are almost identical no matter where you shop, when they go on sale (what I am waiting for) it would be very rare to see a sale at more than 10%.

On the other hand, on some vintage item with no solid established price it might take 30 or 40% percent to attract me (if I REALLY wanted it I would have bought it at the original price).

[lilyswan2]

i usually if am going to try for an item send offer at 20 percent off. if seller counters at 15 or even 10 percent off sometimes will still buy. if it is seller sending offer would like to see 10 percent off at least.  

[annadryl]

I try to think what would make the buyer think "that's a good price, I'll bite". Of course I still need to cover shipping and fees (and still a little profit) so sometimes it's already as low as I can go. As others have mentioned about 20%-ish off is maybe a fair discount, it's different in every situation.

Can't give stuff away though. For potential returns, refunds, bad feedback, and just the hassle it might not be worth going too low...

[mam98031]

I would never go that high.  Normally around 10% and on a few older items I'd do 15%.

[dbfolks166mt]

     I simply don't mess with sending offers or doing discounts. Nor do I shop specifically looking for discounted items and ignore unsolicited offers I receive. I sell on eBay more as an activity to keep me busy part of the time and am not interested in turning this into a full time effort I have better things to do with my time. If an item goes stale I simply reduce the price in general. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Way to cancel?  ebay used to have wording in the offer module that you could cancel under certain circumstances, and there was even a nod to this in the Help pages. But when I went to do it some weeks ago, there was no actual way to do it. So, it may have existed at one time and was removed, or maybe it was supposed to be activated and was never activated. Either way, as far as I know, at this point, you need to end the listing. 

Percentage? Usually 10% up though 25%, rarely above that. It all depends on the specific item and its margins. I will sometimes check the "allow counter-offer" box, especially if I'm sending 10%. But be careful with that....I think once you've checked it, it remains checked for all your future offers unless you make sure to uncheck it in the next offer. 

I have never used the "send automated offers", although I've considered it. Now that ebay has extended the time period to 96 hours (with restrictions on listing revisions during that period), I frankly see no reason to even consider using it. It might still work for some sellers, but it's a big "no" from me.