Why does eBay 'control' when I can send offers?

[vintage_buy_sell]

As a seller, I would like to be able to send offers whenever I want to people watching my items. Why does eBay control this function?

For example, if I have an item with 10 watchers, I would like to send an offer to ALL 10 watchers, at any time I want. Wouldn't this increase 'competition' for my item, thus make more sales for me AND more 'fee income' for eBay? 

Why do I need to wait for email to enable this, then I can only send an offer to may 1 or 2 buyers who maybe just added my item to their watch list??

Now, if there is a way I can 'force' an offer to be sent to all watchers of an item, please let me know how to do this. I would love to know how.

[divwido]

Not everyone who watches an item is watching it thinking about buying.  Some are selling similar items and checking prices. 

Some are surprised at the price being too high or too low and are just watching.  They have no other plan.

Some think you won't sell at that price and want to see what happens.

Assuming a watcher is a would be buyer is a huge mistake.

[this*old*attic]

Ebay doesn’t decide, the users do.

Many don’t want extra emails and block all or most notifications.

[kensgiftshop]

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@vintage_buy_sell wrote:

I am not saying (nor EVER said) I want to 'bombard' anyone with offers. Never mind, nothing will come of this thread anyway, just thought I'd ask if anyone knew of a way to 'resend' an offer or try to send new offers to an old listing I have with a lot of watchers.

Thanks everyone for the conversation, but we can call this a day.

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Have you thought about doing a news letter and sending coupons through it?

[vintage_buy_sell]

Yea, I use the newsletter and coupons, I am really open to any tool eBay offers to get my listings in front of would-be buyers. 

I guess I just feel there are so many options, be nice if eBay offered more innovative options.

What WOULD be really cool would be a 'auction offer' - like let's say I have an item on fixed price for $100 and I have 5 watchers. Be cool if I could send a 75% offer, to all 5 that ALSO then allows bids, so if two or more buyers are interested, they can start bidding on that offer starting at $25 until the others beg off.

Just a crazy idea, but with all the development tools out there, eBay should be able to offer some more advanced options besides just a periodic 'send this buyer an offer'. 

I do like the coupons though, I think they have helped bring back buyers. Kudos to eBay for creating those. 

[slippinjimmy]

I never get offers from Sellers on ANY of my id's, probably because I've turned off that option on all of them except one (and I don't watch items with my board posting id).

I do get a ton of marketing emails from eBay (not from sellers) on this posting id because I do look at a lot of listings as a result of posts here. I want to see what kind of stuff eBay sends out (always nice when it includes some of my own items). On all my other active id's I have the eBay marketing messages turned off as well, no need for massive amounts of duplicates.

[rugerskick]

Probably for a number of reasons.

First not all 10 start watching it at the same time.  You may have already sent offers to some of them.  It may be so a seller doesnt continue to send offers to the same buyer that they aren't taking, and the buyer starts getting annoyed by it.  It would actually then go from being a useful seller tool to actually driving away buyers.

[rugerskick]

I think a second time option would be good, but there needs to be some kind of decent time gap between when you can send the second offer so its not viewed by buyers as being spammed.  Otherwise it turns out to be detrimental to the seller instead of being beneficial.

[skeletonstore]

Raise your price 100%, wait a few hours and then reduce the price by 50%.  See if that generates any offers.  Watchers might as well be corpses imo though.  The offers you want ebay to send to are the ones who clicked your item,  did nothing but ebay will remind them if it looks like something is going on with the listing.  Of course the actual item can matter and the timing but one needs to trick the system if ebay isn't giving you any offers to send.  My account is too unhealthy ebay standards-wise to do this(ebay wants you listing regularly,  shipping items immediately,  and have a good variety available).  

[american-photography]

This is the reason why only select watchers are eligible for offers:

Your offers get sent to interested buyers who satisfy a number of conditions, including:

• They haven't received an offer from you for the same listing previously
• They haven't purchased the same item from you previously
• They're watching your item
• They've had the item in their shopping cart for a period of time
• They've viewed your listing multiple times
• They're a buyer in good standing on eBay

[chapeau-noir]

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@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:

I do wish we could send again to the same buyer, b/c I get so many buyers who missed their window & want me to re-send.  It happens ALL the time & the only thing I can do is tell them to buy & I'll refund.  Some newer buyers are leery of that.  

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You can also send them the same offer through eBay messages when they message you.

[texas_is_miniature]

Then they can turn off that in their settings or Unwatch the item. Pretty simple stuff. You should be able to send offers whenever you want. Just as they should be able to turn them off when they don’t want to receive them. Man this place is just as bad as Reddit when it comes to logic and common sense.

[retro_entertainment_collectibles]

IMHO what ought happen is once watchers receive an offer, counter offer etc. if the offer declines it should be removed off their watch list.

[ms.rodriguez*]

I put alot of things on my watch list because I have the same item to sell.  I get offers but I don't respond to them.  So maybe your watchers are doing the same thing that I am.    If the buyer doesn't want to get offers,  there is nothing that you can do about those.    You can, if you want,  write in the description that you will entertain offers too but that can lead to a lot of people sending you really low offers.  Unless you are selling an item that is in demand or hard to get, sales are going to be slow.   People need to save their money for food and fuel and the holidays.

[onefootflipper]

If you could send unlimited offers then many sellers would do so, EVERY SINGLE DAY ON EVERY ITEM, and all customers would disable or ignore all offers and they would be worthless.

Watchers are often another seller with the same item. If I pull up a comp for something I have that I am not actively listing at that moment then I will watch the item so I can sell similar later without searching again. Then I unwatch, but many sellers never get around to the unwatch part.

[pjsparklesbow]

Seriously! This is very annoying and why they limit the amount of offers you can send?! This isn't how I do business in the real world.