Wow, if that's your 'Best Offer', I'd hate to see what your worst offer is...

[goldrushfinds]

Once again confirming that for the most part 'Best Offer' is a waste of time and encourages buyers to think they can get you way down on price. If you don't drop the price a lot, they won't buy. I get offers on things listed for $25 of $5-$10. Everyone wants everything for near nothing. Also lots of people proposing buying well below my asking price with free shipping included (which I don't offer). This is now like Poverty Mart. 

[anjofak]

Its a common trauma here.

[goldrushfinds]

The quality of the buyer here on this site seems to have been diminished (to say the least).

[slippinjimmy]

Set up an auto-decline and you will never see the low offers.

To me this screams "seller is desperate and will take anything"

[downunder-61]

Or stop using Best Offer.............

[goldrushfinds]

I have only tried it to any extent recently and am now phasing it out. It may be useful for high end items, but things priced under $30 I think it is counterproductive. 

[rugerskick]

Actually its a good point you bring up.

I seem to do better when I send something to someone who's watched the item.  Maybe its a slightly higher buyer level of interest in the item.

I have also read that sellers are more likely to encounter scammers working them through the Best Offer route.

[mandisattictoyz]

They all mostly offer 50% less to start with.  I find it insulting.  I can understand 5-10% off but I sell on 6 venues so I’m not worried about it moving on eBay or not.  

[stephenmorgan]

Currently many places in the Real-estate market best offer is well above asking price.

[yuzuha]

---

@goldrushfinds wrote:

Once again confirming that for the most part 'Best Offer' is a waste of time and encourages buyers to think they can get you way down on price.

---

I mean, yes, that's kind of the point of Best Offer. By adding it to your listings, you're signalling to potential buyers that you want to get rid of this item so you're willing to take less than your original asking price. It's like when sellers at the flea market have a "Name your price" basket/section of their table.

[bbravo65]

@stephenmorgan 

...and that market most likely will be crashed soon when the Fed announces higher interest rates...

[lepke1979]

Outside of the offers occasionally being funny. If a low-ball offer causes more than a few seconds or minutes of fuming about it. Perhaps it'd be better to set up auto decline or just turn them off altogether.

[inhawaii]

Once again confirming that for the most part 'Best Offer' is a waste of time and encourages buyers to think they can get you way down on price.

I agree.

If you don't drop the price a lot, they won't buy. 

I disagree. Many sellers (like myself) don't use "best offer" and we get by just fine.

[bbravo65]

...I am a buyer whom adored "Best Offer"...my "lowest ball" offer is set at 20% of asking price, no more than if I carefully enough in researching the item on another market websites before submitting the offer...other than that, an average between 10 to 15%, or if I really like the items, I will pay full price...

...once I placed a book on "Watch List", seller sent me an offer with "Free Shipping"...I realized after sending that book (even with Media Mail), she only makes little bit over $1...her offer was declined because my counteroffer was full price...

...I always feel sorry for our sellers here...

...as I had posted before on another thread, I appreciate eBay's sellers whom helped me found so many exclusive items...love you all, the Sellers...

[dbfolks166mt]

     Tend to agree. I quit using OBO a long time ago. I got tired of the crazy lowball offers and the amount of time it was taking if I even elected to go back and forth with a potential buyer on offers. For the most part I just simply started ignoring them and quit using the option.