Why block when someone makes an offer for a lower price?

[sin-n-dex]

OK, so after a post I made yesterday about not understanding the logic behind blocking someone who makes an offer (when Best Offer is not activated). I do understand a seller being a little peeved if the offer that was made is unreasonably low (that will vary by seller, how low I go will depend on how much I marked it up before I listed it).

So let me share...

At 3am I get a message from a buyer on a coin set. Set was listed for $200, buyer offered $180 including shipping (which was $8.91). First thing I did was make sure their country was on my ship-to list in the listing (since some of my more expensive listings I restrict beyond the eBay exclusion list). I "replied with offer" at a price that would come to $180 once shipping.

At 6am I received another message from a buyer. They want several coins, ballparked how much they intended to spend, and asked about a quantity discount. I replied back that I can only discount coin-by-coin (I cannot afford to blanket discount stuff, I need to review each and every item before agreeing), plus the reply with offer requires a message be sent in each listing. I provided the buyer with instructions. He agreed with my prices. When he finishes work, provided all goes well... that's going to be $175 in sales.

So I just made $355 today in sales because I discussed an offer with someone and accepted a lower price. But I read often that people say they will block anyone who makes an offer... 

Cheers, C.

[jason_incognito]

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If you want flea market prices and selling style, go to a flea market - I will not participate in a race to the basement prices that ebay has become.

This is the problem. eBay is eBay and the whole negotitation is built into the place. It seems some here would go to the flea markets and complain that people want to haggle and nobody is interested in paying full price for their stuff. Well, not on eBay! eBay is the place to get a $1 iphone charging cord. Some insist on trying to sell them for $50.

[myboardid]

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@bigdeals.etc wrote:

I don't have Best Offer on any of my listings, and never have. I just got a message from a buyer this morning for a 15 dollar item, asking if I'd sell it to them for 6 dollars. I already wrote this buyer off as someone who's wasting my time. But I didn't block them and told them they are welcome to purchase any time at the stated price. Sometimes these guys still don't get the message and come back with another offer (like 8 dollars). I just lather, rinse, repeat.

When the OP says "block"... is it different for best offers? Are they unable to send you an offer or unable to buy at full price? They should still be able to message you I assume.

Out of all of the "message negotiation offers" I get, I only remember 1 offer that was actually respectable. I think it was somewhere around 15% off. The only one I accepted in the past year.

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Blocking a buyer prevents them from bidding or buying, but it doesn't stop them from making offers or communicating unless you consciously add the block communication option.  I know many of you like that, but I don't use it because I want to know if the blocked buyer is trying to reach me. 

[sin-n-dex]

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@rolenboy01 wrote:

Because a lot of times people who like to negotiate before the sell also like to neogiate after the sell when they know they got you over a barrel because they can claim snad and cost you return shipping.

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We get those types of buyers in the coins/tokens category. Usually what they do is negotiate once, and then they attempt to negotiate a better deal because they're "spending more". Basically once you agree on a price, they want a new price. How they get away with all this negotiating is because they can tell you're "desperate to make the sale" (a seasoned buyer can determine a seller's needs based on their inventory, how they present their listings, how they respond to messages, etc).

When I get messages to discuss "deals" on my coins, I make it clear that I have a full time job and cannot respond to messages 24 hours a day. (For instance, I acknowledge the inquiry and say "I'll respond this evening, I'm at work all day"). I don't tend to get buyers who treat me like I'm desperate to sell the item.

When you get the buyer who keeps negotiating, they know it will hurt you less to cough up another 20% on the item as a discount "because there's damage that wasn't mentioned in the listing", than to pay return shipping. They also know you don't want bad feedback so you'll do what they ask, even if no one mentions "feedback". I take the attitude if someone is taking advantage, I will send them a label. Period, end of story. I only offer a post sale discount if they mention something that isn't in the listing that I can determine from my photos should have been mentioned. (There are seasoned buyers who do this, but I see it as my error if I forget to mention it). I refer to this as a "courtesy discount". For the most part, the buyer in question doesn't shop again in my store.

When I was much newer, I was prayed upon by seasoned negotiators who knew how to negotiate before and after the sale. I made a few of them quite angry when I spoke up and pointed out what they are doing, and "for you it's full price, no discount."

Cheers, C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@retrose1 wrote:

So I just made $355 today in sales because I discussed an offer with someone and accepted a lower price. But I read often that people say they will block anyone who makes an offer... 

And 10 minutes after the items show delivered, I'll bet the buyer will contact you with another lower offer or SNAD dispute because they now know that you are willing to negotiate.

That is why i block buyers who make offers.  My items are priced reasonably, there is no reason to haggle with me further.  If you want flea market prices and selling style, go to a flea market - I will not participate in a race to the basement prices that ebay has become.

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That's when I send a return label. I've negotiated a lot, this isn't the norm with coin buyers. Someone who keeps negotiating is labelled a "problem buyer" in my store, and I do block problem buyers.

Cheers, C.

[faithandbutterflies]

I don't like blocking buyers but sadly sometimes I have to. For example I once had a guy who wanted a poster I was selling.  It was selling for just $6.99 with free shipping. He wanted it for much lower. I told him I wasn't able to accept it but thanked him for his interest. I then got message after message after message from him. He sent may 10 - 12 messages in 1 hour or more. He made threats, demands and said I had to sell it to him. He said he was going to call eBay, tell them what I was doing and they would make me sell it to him. I blocked him and removed the listing for about a week or so. I'm not going to do business with someone who threatens me.  This is a common reason people block buyers who make an offer. Sadly some can not accept being told no. 

[myboardid]

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@rolenboy01 wrote:

Because a lot of times people who like to negotiate before the sell also like to neogiate after the sell when they know they got you over a barrel because they can claim snad and cost you return shipping.

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That is an unproven eBay myth.  I have sold thousands of items with best Offer and not a single one has tried to negotiate afterwards.  Of course there are some individuals who would do that, but not a large nubmer of tham by any means. 

[myboardid]

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@retrose1 wrote:

So I just made $355 today in sales because I discussed an offer with someone and accepted a lower price. But I read often that people say they will block anyone who makes an offer... 

And 10 minutes after the items show delivered, I'll bet the buyer will contact you with another lower offer or SNAD dispute because they now know that you are willing to negotiate.

That is why i block buyers who make offers.  My items are priced reasonably, there is no reason to haggle with me further.  If you want flea market prices and selling style, go to a flea market - I will not participate in a race to the basement prices that ebay has become.

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Again - 99.99% of the time, not true at all.  It is just a myth. 

[sin-n-dex]

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@faithandbutterflies wrote:

I don't like blocking buyers but sadly sometimes I have to. For example I once had a guy who wanted a poster I was selling.  It was selling for just $6.99 with free shipping. He wanted it for much lower. I told him I wasn't able to accept it but thanked him for his interest. I then got message after message after message from him. He sent may 10 - 12 messages in 1 hour or more. He made threats, demands and said I had to sell it to him. He said he was going to call eBay, tell them what I was doing and they would make me sell it to him. I blocked him and removed the listing for about a week or so. I'm not going to do business with someone who threatens me.  This is a common reason people block buyers who make an offer. Sadly some can not accept being told no. 

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That's harassment, which is similar to the buyer who kept sending low offers to me one after another all night long (so I had a bunch of them to answer, I had to shut my phone off it was keeping me awake). I don't blame you for blocking that buyer.

One of the low offer negotiating tactics I noticed, is the first couple of offers are fair, to get your interest and open a dialogue. Nothing wrong with that... then the low offers start coming and you find yourself refusing each offer. I had one of those last year, he did get the first few coins I agreed to but I refused the rest of his offers. When he came around months later to do another deal (and he'd forgotten he dealt with me), I did not entertain any offers from him at all.

Cheers, C.

[rolenboy01]

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@sin-n-dex wrote:

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@rolenboy01 wrote:

Because a lot of times people who like to negotiate before the sell also like to neogiate after the sell when they know they got you over a barrel because they can claim snad and cost you return shipping.

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When you get the buyer who keeps negotiating, they know it will hurt you less to cough up another 20% on the item as a discount "because there's damage that wasn't mentioned in the listing", than to pay return shipping. They also know you don't want bad feedback so you'll do what they ask, even if no one mentions "feedback". I take the attitude if someone is taking advantage, I will send them a label. Period, end of story. I only offer a post sale discount if they mention something that isn't in the listing that I can determine from my photos should have been mentioned. (There are seasoned buyers who do this, but I see it as my error if I forget to mention it). I refer to this as a "courtesy discount". For the most part, the buyer in question doesn't shop again in my store.

When I was much newer, I was prayed upon by seasoned negotiators who knew how to negotiate before and after the sale. I made a few of them quite angry when I spoke up and pointed out what they are doing, and "for you it's full price, no discount."

Cheers, C.

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That original post of mine should have read sale above noticed it too late to edit it haha, If I get a lowball offer that is so outlandish it reels the senses I just have to block because I do not want to risk such a person getting brave maybe buying one of my cheaper items and pulling something costing me money, In a lot of instances they probably would not have do so but I feel it's better safe than sorry here on eBay, others I sometimes block even with an ok offer but with a list of "demands" and other requests far beyond the pale in the comments, I've been around long enough to pretty much tell if someone is gonna be trouble or pull something but it's not 100% accurate but as I said I would rather block than risk a problem with someone who has already made it clear they like to play games, there are also those who send baiting messages to try to set up a SNAD before even buying by going on what you "said", they will say something crazy like would you say this scratch is 4 centimeters and you could be tired or not paying enough attention and say yeah sure and then they will get the item and say well this scratch is 4 1/2 centimetes you lied that's grounds for a SNAD hoping you will cave to the partial, but i'm sure you've saw and heard all of these before as well.

[myboardid]

sin-n-dex, you got one of those exceptions to the rule, and because of the nature of what you sell, you may get more of them than most of us.  I would have blocked him as soon as he started playing games, and I wouldn't have entertained his purchases at all that came later. 

On best offer, you really don't have to respond to them at all, especially if the offerer is behaving badly. 

[justafemster]

I didn't have BO on a listing.  Was messaged by a "buyer" with an offer and I gave them my absolute lowest I'd be willing to take on the item, telling them it was the absolute lowest I'd consider.  Next message was another low-ball offer.  Blocked them and went on with life.  

And that's why IMO, we have to block some buyers.

[luckythewinner]

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@sin-n-dex wrote:
Why block when someone makes an offer for a lower price?

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A seller like you who had a good experieince will probably wonder why others would block buyers who make offers. 

But some other seller who entertained and offer and ended up wioth a psycho who stalked and threatened him would probably wonder why others would not block buyers who make offers.

Or a seller who repeatedly agreed to offers and then repeatedly never heard back from the buyers would rpobably wonder why anyone bothers.

Perspective is often shaped by personal experience.

[rolenboy01]

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@myboardid wrote:

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@rolenboy01 wrote:

Because a lot of times people who like to negotiate before the sell also like to neogiate after the sell when they know they got you over a barrel because they can claim snad and cost you return shipping.

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That is an unproven eBay myth.  I have sold thousands of items with best Offer and not a single one has tried to negotiate afterwards.  Of course there are some individuals who would do that, but not a large nubmer of tham by any means. 

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Just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mysteriously make it a "myth" unless you mean it's a myth to you personally but it isn't to others who have experienced it.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@faithandbutterflies wrote:

I don't like blocking buyers but sadly sometimes I have to. For example I once had a guy who wanted a poster I was selling.  It was selling for just $6.99 with free shipping. He wanted it for much lower. I told him I wasn't able to accept it but thanked him for his interest. I then got message after message after message from him. He sent may 10 - 12 messages in 1 hour or more. He made threats, demands and said I had to sell it to him. He said he was going to call eBay, tell them what I was doing and they would make me sell it to him. I blocked him and removed the listing for about a week or so. I'm not going to do business with someone who threatens me.  This is a common reason people block buyers who make an offer. Sadly some can not accept being told no. 

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Yes, many times a thread will appear on the Buying Board then; the word seller is usually prefaced with arrogant, rude, vindictive, etc.

[myboardid]

With people like that, I always respond - with a higher offer than before.