Would it be better to decline an offer from a buyer or to send a counteroffer?

[emerald40]

It would depend on how far apart you and your seller are in agreeing on price?

[smenkveld]

Send a counteroffer 

[mr_lincoln]

@jasobendez-0

Send the counter offer.

Buy low - sell high ... and Sell with Confidence!

[emerald40]

I would have agreed before ebay changed the offers from 3 to 10 in some categories.

If you are close in price I say yes.

But if you are far apart the back and forth could go on forever.

[lex-talon]

If the buyer keeps sending low ball offers, decline the offers.

[omgitlightsup]

I don't like haggling back and forth over eBay. That's what auction listings are for. So if I send an offer, I would much rather get a counteroffer than a declination. I won't make a second offer, and I kind of think it's tacky to make them.

I would pick the absolute lowest price I'd settle for, and make that counteroffer; then ignore any further lower offers.

[deep-garnet-red]

I send a counteroffer.

[303electronics]

I have been getting offers of different percentage for a long while. Usually a very low offer will be declined by me. If it is somewhat in the range of "reasonable", I would send a counteroffer. If it is a new listing(1-2 weeks), I would send a counteroffer with a tiny discount of approxiamtely 5%. If it is an item which was listed for over a month, I would increse the discount offer. A reasonable offer is anything of 30% off or less, I think. Just sharing my way of doing this. Hope it helps -Alex

[mr_lincoln]

@emerald40

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@emerald40 wrote:

I would have agreed before ebay changed the offers from 3 to 10 in some categories.

 If you are close in price I say yes.

 But if you are far apart the back and forth could go on forever.

---

Yes, when the number of offers increased I sort of scratched my head ... I suspect it is some kind of a test and their system is recording the number of offers & counters to see if it has any affect on sales.

I've only used BO a few times but that was a while ago, I really don't use it now but I do like the Reply with Offer feature ... I've used that a few times but no sales.   

[klassic*kids]

I do not use the best offer option in my listings very often.   That said, I always send a counteroffer.  If they are already fairly close to my bottom line and very little seperates their offer from my counter there's a good chance they will accept it.  If, however, their offer is way off I still send a counter to just show them how "off" they are from my bottom line.  They ususally disappear after that.

[uncseniorsportsfan]

I don't waste my time with any sort of reply since I don't use best offer to begin with.   Many times the item will sell to someone else at full price.  If it doesn't sell I may lower my asking price - or not. 

If you are going to use best offer - set the auto decline so that you aren't wasting your time replying to offers lower than what you would be willing to accept. 

[dhbookds]

If you have BO enabled, why wouldn't you counter offer?  That's the whole point of BO.........

I realize each of us has different ideas of how/what to counter offer........but just seems to me, as a seller, you are offering the opportunity to make an offer and to not respond to one in some way is reflective of you, as a seller.

If this was NOT a B/O..........  I don't feel a seller has the same obligation.....but I, personally, would never pass up the chance for a sale........and not responding would probably foreclose that opportunity......

[emerald40]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

@emerald40

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@emerald40 wrote:

I would have agreed before ebay changed the offers from 3 to 10 in some categories.

 If you are close in price I say yes.

 But if you are far apart the back and forth could go on forever.

---

Yes, when the number of offers increased I sort of scratched my head ... I suspect it is some kind of a test and their system is recording the number of offers & counters to see if it has any affect on sales.

I've only used BO a few times but that was a while ago, I really don't use it now but I do like the Reply with Offer feature ... I've used that a few times but no sales.   

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Someone else said this but it bears repeating, the way best offers is set up now it is just an auction in reverse.

[994john]

I can tell you as a buyer that I occasionally enjoy making use of a best offer and having it accepted.

But if the seller sends me a counteroffer I get deeply offended.

The seller asked for an offer and I gave one.

He or she is  not going to lure me into the point/counterpoint haggling game.

 I walk away with my money and never look back.