eBay adding a Best Offer option to my listings without authorization is a disservice to everyone

[trehar_4]

I rarely use Best Offers on my listings because I am already selling many of my items at very low prices.   Many are just above my cost so I don't plan to lose anymore money on these listings.  If I do have a Best Offer I always set my auto decline point so that I can reject low ball offers.  Last week eBay changed a number of my listings and added the Best Offer option.   eBay does a real disservice to both sellers and buyers when they do this. First, it makes me furious because it was done without my knowledge.  Then I had to explain to those who made offers that my listed price was firm which is disappointing.  I had to explain that I didn't have Best Offers on my listings and it was done by eBay without authorization.  It makes sellers look bad and eBay as well.  Not to mention the time it took to go through all my listings and put them back to where they were originally. I always do my listings from a desktop computer so this isn't a mobile app glitch.  eBay needs to stop interfering as  it's none of their business how we list or how we set our prices.  eBay gets paid  fees every month  for my listings and again when I sell.    I also had to waste time with  repeated messages from a  lowball buyer that I wouldn't sell to because I only sell to U.S. buyers.  So back off eBay it's not your merchandise.

[gwzcomps]

I have never seen this happen personally so if it is happening to you, you should probably submit for a support ticket with CS.

I think there are some settings in the listings that will change your pricing automatically. Maybe there is something that is automatically enabling offers after a period of time. If you are doing this on desktop are you using the advanced listing tool?

[trehar_4]

This is one of three accounts we have here on eBay and we have been selling here for nearly 20 years.  There aren't any settings used that would automatically change our pricing.  This is about eBay adding Best Offers to our listings that didn't have them.  I've seen complaints from other sellers having this same problem which others believed was related to posting via the mobile app on their smartphone.  I didn't think it would happen if I was using my desktop PC at their website. Regardless, eBay has no business interfering with my listings.

[gwzcomps]

Yeah generally I think the issues stem from the mobile app. Kinda weird.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi @trehar_4 yes, this is a known practice of eBay’s and it has happened to me as well. There are two things going on here—

1) If you use the app or Quick listing tool, it has been known to default to Best Offer. I use the Advanced listing tool on my PC, but upload my pictures with the app, and if i don’t remember to uncheck the box while in there, it can add Best Offer automatically. 

To turn it off when using the Quick tool, see the Pricing heading, then click the pencil icon on the right hand side beneath it. On the next page you will see the Offer heading. Click on the arrow next to it. Another page will appear with a yes or no choice. Click on “No, i am firm on price” then Done. This shuts BO off.

But there’s more—eBay has been adding BO on certain listings, as you discovered.

2) New sellers and low activity accounts have sometimes been targeted for the unsolicited Best Offer.  In my case, they added it to my active listing in the dead of night. Ebay started this practice over a  year ago.  Initially they decided that if a price created by a Seller is above what eBay determines is the "average market" price then they turn BO on. (However, some sellers found BO turned on when they were neither new sellers or low activity accounts.) It is quite annoying.

One work-around is to use the Advanced (business) tool that gives sellers more control over their listings. This may not be a completely foolproof plan, but so far it hasn't happened to me again while using the Advanced tool.

[trehar_4]

These were low ticket items that I had previously  listed and not in this billing cycle.  I was really annoyed because I had to  deal with a lowballer who offered less than 50% and  then continued to hassle me for a discount after  I declined.  The item was already listed with a 70%  reduction off the retail price and under my cost.   When I use a Best Offer it's only on items where I have some wiggle room, but I always set a decline limit.  The reason I don't use Best Offers is because my profit margin is low so I can't really entertain much of a discount without making a profit after fees.  Another I had wanted to buy three items at 50% off and wanted me to discount the shipping by 50% as well.  The last one really made me laugh as this was an unsolicited offer on an item with no best offer.  She wanted a 40% discount  on my designer shoes. complained that my shipping was high, and claimed she was a senior on disability.  This senior had purchased  at least 163 items in the past year and the feedback she left for her sellers was awful with constant complaining about the shipping charge.  Seems she thinks shipping should be free.  Our shipping charge was exactly our cost. Out of the 40 feedback comments she left 24 were complaints. So she made my blocked bidder list.  The only benefit of  receiving offers is that you have an opportunity to see their feedback.