eBay automatically turning on best offer and I can't turn it back off

[lordxavier98]

Ebay decided they knew better how I wanted to sell my stuff than I did, and turned on Best Offer automatically after a week, even though more than half of my listings have already sold just fine at the same or similar price. And now when I went in to turn off best offer it is greyed out and will not let me turn it back off. They are seriously starting to overstep their bounds and are going to start losing a lot of their sellers, which will lead to a lot of lost revenue. Do they even care about their sellers anymore? The best offer gimmick is just a way to low ball people and cause your items to never sell for the price you researched and set it at in the first place. I am not a happy customer, will be switching to other avenues to sell my stuff I guess... Anyone know of any good competitors I can provide my business to?

[reallynicestamps]

1. Try adding an automatic refusal very close to your asking price.
2. Raise your asking price and set an automatic refusal at the actual price you want.

Both are annoying to potential customers who may be quite willing (and apparently are) to buy at your listed price.

I've tried several other sites, including our own website and a hobby site over the decades.

Most of the generalists are a bust. I put up 150 items on AZ in January and have had one single sale, which is better than I can say for Ruby Lane, etsy, or Bonanza.

The specialist/hobby sites are better, but on some my professionally described items are competing with collectors (or worse, people who inherited collections and don't understand catalogues) so only the junk lots sold there.

Our own site did reasonably well, based on our forty year reputation and a staff of ten to maintain it (and a shop, an auction, eBay, and other sites).

But eBay remains the 800 lb gorilla.

[lordxavier98]

Thanks for your reply. Although I don't really care for the alternatives and would just prefer Ebay stays more hands off on my listings, I do think you make some very good points. I may try some of your strategies and see how they work out on my next set of listings, if I can't figure out how to sell my items through a different avenue first. It is sad that a competitor hasn't been able to rise up and give Ebay some better competition.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Did you try the advanced listing form? You may be able to remove it from there. If  you follow the above suggestions you may turn off buyers. I'd be mad if a seller refused an offer 5 cents below asking. Although that would be before I knew Ebay was making this HUGE mistake.

[meoxcross]

You could try selling at Rakuten Global or Letgo.

[lalitadivine00]

This is the same thing that I am dealing with.  I have been an eBay user since 2001 and used to have a store.  I have done little or no selling in the last couple of years.  I listed a dozen items and had some watchers.  I was selling current Banana Republic sweaters at $35 BIN.  The sweater is currently selling at BR for $69.50.  Any less and it's not even worth my time.  Still - 3 times I have had to revise my listings which were changed to best offer.  Said sweater got an offer of $25 and now I am losing money.  So disappointed in this new policy.  I have canceled half of the items.